Category Archives: blog

blog, LISTEN to Emil's PODCASTS, news, politics

PODCAST:It’s the 40th day, and counting after Typhoon Haiyan. Rick Rocamora, UN photographer, talks about his images of the typhoon that was called Yolanda in the Philippines, and the best way people can help the nearly 4 million displaced victims there.

Rick Rocamora, an award-winning Filipino American photographer, was in the Philippines when the typhoon hit. Coincidentally, he got an assignment from the UN to document the disaster. He talks of how difficult it was to get to the region, and how tough it was to take images when there’s tragedy all around. He talked to a 7-year old boy, Ferdinand Gonzaga, suddenly orphaned, who held on to a teddy bear. He talks of people like Walter Valdez, 33, who lost his whole family and home. Valdez has left Tacloban  to live with relatives in Manila. But even there, he doesn’t know where they are.

Rocamora says the best way to help is to give to a reputable charity.( I like Catholic Relief Services out of Baltimore, MD, as it has a reputation for using money efficiently. But there are others, too https://secure.crs.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=9A142990A14AADFE61CBDC06ADF1E4AB.app260b?df_id=6140&6140.donation=form1 )

Rocamora’s photographs are on display in San Francisco at the Exposure Gallery through mid-January.

[powerpress]http://www.amok.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Rick-Part-1.m4a[/powerpress]

Rick Part 1

 

My piece on the typhoon on CNN.com:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/12/opinion/guillermo-typhoon-haiyan/index.html?iref=allsearch

 

CHECK OUT THE NEW HOME FOR THE AMOK COLUMN: www.aaldef.org/blog

LIKE  and FOLLOW us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/emilguillermo.media

And FOLLOW  on  Twitter     http://www.twitter.com/emilamok

 

blog, diversity, news, politics, race

They could use a Mandela in Thailand, and just about everywhere else…even the U.S.

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” is a longtime political maxim.

But that phrase doesn’t express quite the boldness of the concept “loving one’s enemy.”

Who does that?

Winners do. Mandela did.

When we mourn Mandela, we mourn a special politician, one who is able to transcend all that and become a true leader. We sure don’t live in a one-size-fits all world, but wouldn’t it be nice if Mandela could be cloned and dropped into certain situations, right now. Continue reading They could use a Mandela in Thailand, and just about everywhere else…even the U.S. →

blog, news, politics

You should be paying attention to Thailand

My sources are telling me that it’s still business as usual in Bangkok and throughout Thailand, despite the death toll rising to three from anti-government protests.

 

 

The government has invoked the Internal Security Act, which is just short of martial law. It doesn’t prohibit free assembly, but it enables the police to maintain order as it sees fit. Tourists are not being targeted, but are advised to stay out of the demonstration areas, notably around government buildings, the police bureau and the Democracy Monument. Tourism business is normal in most areas in Bangkok, and definitely in the other key areas of the country like Chaing Mai, Pattaya, and Phuket.

Basically, this is a struggle between Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and those who see her government as an extension of the corrupt government of her deposed brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, in exile in Dubai.

That’s why this is an anti-government protest, not necessarily a pro-democracy protest.

Ironically, Thaksin did much for the poor in the rural areas, whose sympathizers are known as “Red Shirts,” who also have the majority in parliament.

The anti-government crowd is lead by Suthep Thaugsuban (สุเทพเทือกสุบรรณ), who quit his parliament position to lead the opposition, the “Blue Shirts.” The Blues tend to be from the intellectual, educated elite classes. And, they do not have control of parliament.

The demonstrations began a month ago when the Yingluck tried to pass a “Graft Amnesty” plan that would have essentially allowed her brother back into politics. I saw a few “Stop Graft Amnesty” signs along the canals of Bangkok when I was there, indicating the widespread disagreement with the idea.

When the bill was stopped successfully, Suthep didn’t stop there, but went further, and called for the overthrow of the government.

It’s a move seen as sidestepping the majority of people that actually voted in more Reds than Blues into parliament, and therefore being seen as anti-democratic.

An overthrow of the government seems to be an over-reach of sorts, and calling for Yingluck to step down also seems presumptuous.

Some Thai political commentators are scratching their heads about Suthep, calling him a “false prophet.” It’s the reason why it’s hard to back the Blues 100p.

Most people, even at the demonstrations, seem apolitical, and part of a vast middle. They love the king, the country, and their religion (Buddah), and will say so. It’s the reason why they could have a month of demonstrations without any violence. 

But we have now reached a point where Suthep is forcing Yingluck to do something. Step down? Arrest Suthep? Dissolve the House? Thai moderates are distressed because they don’t want to see the violence of the past come back. But there’s this sense that Suthep is going for broke here, and willing to see how the inexperienced Yingluck will do things. Some suspect Yingluck is a puppet being controlled by her exiled brother. There have been some key moves in the military in the last few days to suggest that.

In the meantime, the King’s birthday is Thursday, a national holiday. As mentioned, Thailand is a constitutional monarchy and everyone loves the King. It’s all the little people who muck up things with this political stuff.

It was interesting to be in Bangkok a week ago. Even then, things can take place in parallel universes in Thailand. On Loy Kraithong, a big floating lights festival, thousands were celebrating peacefully on the river at the same time 50K were at the Democracy Monument for a big turning point rally last week.  

Not sure how the death toll will impact demonstrators this week. It could bring people to their senses and force talks to unify the government. (So far both sides are digging in. Yingluck calls Suthep’s demands unconstitutional. Suthep says nothing’s negotiable).

Americans should be concerned because Thailand has been a good friend and ally. The country was expecting 1.13 million U.S. visitors in 2014, spending 79.5 billion baht (30 baht to $1) for things like weddings and special events (think “Hangover 2”), as Thailand tries to steal business from the Caribbean and other resort destinations.

Political instability is one more chili in the mix that no one expected.

 

CHECK OUT THE NEW HOME FOR THE AMOK COLUMN: www.aaldef.org/blog

 

 

 

LIKE  and FOLLOW us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/emilguillermo.media

 

 

 

And FOLLOW  on  Twitter     http://www.twitter.com/emilamok

 

 

animal rights, blog, diversity, race

We’re having an East Coast Chinese American student for Thanksgiving! (Not to eat–we’re vegetarian; he’s eating with us!)

I’ve often wondered why schools don’t have more family friendly schedules around the holidays to make it easy for kids attending schools far from home.

Let’s face it. It’s a drag to be stuck in a dorm for the holidays. But I know, there will probably be a few kids left to fend for themselves this year.

Thanksgiving is just too short. It’s also too close to the end of the school year and Christmas for some families to budget a second cross-country trip home.

It does, however, create an opportunity for one of higher ed’s best diversity moments:  the personal invite home from a roommate’s parents.

As a scholarship kid from California going to school in the Boston area, most people at my school didn’t know what a Filipino American was.

At the time, the only connection to the Philippines most had was maybe World War II. They’d seen the 1945 John Wayne film, “Back to Bataan,” and might have remembered the Filipino military man in the movie—played by Anthony Quinn, who just happened to be a Mexican American Hispanic actor, known more for playing a Greek (Zorba) but who played the Filipino hero, Capt. Andres Bonifacio in “Bataan.”

So imagine when I showed up at dinner as the cold, hungry, stray college kid. The perfect appreciative dinner guest.

I was also American. Who only looked foreign and exotic when I visited my college buddy’s family in tony Westchester County, New York.

The centerpiece turkey, I’d had before, of course–but with white rice (Asian style, no Uncle Ben’s).  It was all the other stuff at the other meals that were revelations to me. The latkes, the knishes, etc. Lox, white fish, sable.

My Jewish American roommate took all that for granted. For me?  It was a gastronomic adventure.

The next year, my Greek friend took me to his family’s home in Queens.  The experience was similarly delightful. Turkey again, of course, focused the meal, but along the way there were the dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), hummus (chick pea puree), baba ghanoush (eggplant) side dishes that I never had at a Filipino holiday meal. 

Top it off with two kinds of baklava, galactoboureko and Greek coffee, and I was a happy pilgrim.

It was such a memorable diversity moment, I figure we should replicate it for my son, a freshman at Berkeley.

I told him to be on the lookout for the East coast stray.

Dutifully, my son found and invited one of his suite mates, a Chinese American kid from New Jersey to our humble home for Thanksgiving.

It’s not the Filipino American urban home of my mom and dad.  My wife, from Missouri, of Irish/Scottish descent, and I have what I call a “Caucapino” home, and will be preparing a much more traditional meal—albeit vegetarian.

But we’ve got our fusion thing happening too.  I just got back from Asia and can whip up a wicked Thai curry recipe from scratch.

I have also developed this unique craving for a special fruit called durian, often called the “King of Fruit.”

On a fruit level, it is the absolute test of diversity and tolerance.

It’s also out of season, but we will  have it in some form, for sure.

We have hungry college kids to feed. And we all  have plenty to be thankful for.