From Russia, With Love

-

Russia is offering agricultural land to Southeast Asian nations to grow crops and help secure reliable food supplies, part of wider efforts to foster trade and investment ties in new markets.

“We suggested today to companies in the region to enter the Russian market given its large scale and to establish themselves to produce food for your own supply,” Deputy Economy Minister Andrei Slepnyov said yesterday in an interview in Manado, Indonesia, where he is attending a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations trade ministers.

Andrei went on and on but it was getting hard for me to concentrate. He was speaking in Russian and an interpreter translated it into English, but all I could think of was his piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through me.

"Honey, the way he was looking at me … I swear …" I told Carlo.

"Like how?"

"Like he wanted to do ... things ... to me."

"Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Hahahaha. I love …" Carlo said. "So how does this Andrei look like?"

"Your typical northern Slavic man with strong jaws, a prominent chin, aqualine nose, blue eyes, and did I mention arms that could lift you?"

"Hahaha. So what did you do?"

"I tried to tell him that I love him … but it got lost in translation," I said. "Oh well. Sigh."

"You should have used sign language," Carlo chided me. "I heart you!"

"Ang hirap naman kasing i sign language ang 'You like Asian boys?" (I know! But I couldn't figure out how to say 'You like Asian boys?' in sign language.)

Last month, my company sent me on my first overseas assignment to Bali. "We need you to cover this," my bosses told me.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton heads for talks with counterparts from China, North Korea, Pakistan and more than 20 other nations to discuss a range of security issues across Asia. From tensions in the South China Sea to a fractured relationship with Pakistan and ongoing uncertainty on the Korean peninsula, the Asean Regional Forum is the only gathering that brings such a diverse group face to face.

The meeting will test how far the U.S. goes in backing its Asian allies in territorial disputes with China, which last year labelled Clinton's comments on the topic ``virtually an attack." Eased tensions between the world's biggest militaries may lead to greater cooperation and help deter terrorist threats, North Korean aggression and incidents over oil and gas resources in the South China Sea.  

But I am not familiar with any of these things, I wanted to say. I was nervous and scared. But you got to roll with the punches.

"Sure. When do I leave?" I replied.

"Next week."

"Plane leaving. Eat Pray Love. After India, Bali here I come!" I texted my friends as I flew out of Manila.

I could scarcely imagine my good fortune. Finally, all those days, weeks, months, and years of hard work were paying off. I made it, I told myself silently. I made it.

This year is turning out to be one of the best years of my life. Somehow, I feel like everything is exactly where they should be.

They must have been pleased because after Bali and three weeks later, here I am on another assignment in Manado. Manado is the closest point to the Philippines from Indonesia. I know because when I check Grindr, the closest guys I see are those in Davao. 600 kilometers away. Go figure.

Sigh. Looks like it's going to be all work and no play.

"Honey!!! Walang lalake diyan?" Fran asked me. She called to catch up and make me jealous of all the great sex she's been having. Her lover Craig is in town for a three-week rendezvous, and apparently, every night feels like the last night.

"None," I said. "But don't worry. I came here prepared. I had sex four times the weekend before I left. I know… I know… it's a lot no? Does that make me a slut?"

"Oh honey… you know how we detest labels," Fran replied. "But four????????? Hahaha. How did you do it?"

"I don't know. I must have been so stressed, tired, and vulnerable so when they said 'Hi!' I said 'Yes!!!'"  

"Hahahaha. I love it!"

"Hay. I'm so easy no? But what can I do?" I asked.

"Why nothing," Fran said. "The important thing is: men like us."

"Well ... you know, sometimes I wonder why. And they always want a part two. Is it because we're nice and polite and charming?"

"Not to mention intelligent and engaging," Fran added. "But who are we kidding? The sex must have been sooooo good!!!" she screamed and we burst out laughing.

So there I was ... in a strange city yet people mistake me for a local. It was almost midnight and I was about to leave for the hotel from work. Fran and I laughed and talked until the tiredness vanished. I was away, but sometimes, all it takes is a familiar voice to make you feel like you're home.

-

Only in the Philippines

-
"Who are you voting for this coming election?" I asked Felix in my very broken Spanish. Felix doesn't speak any English and I was trying to communicate with him using what little of his language I know.

"I'm voting for Fujimori for president," Felix replied. "The current leader only thinks of the businessmen, and not the poor people like us. Life is getting harder."

Felix owns the quaint guesthouse we stayed at in the village of Llachon at the Capachica peninsula in southwestern Peru. His house, built by him and his sons, stands at the edge of a cliff overlooking Lake Titicaca.

A handful of tiny communities are nestled between the rocky mountains bordering the lake. These villages are rarely visited by tourists and the only accommodation available is home stay.

Felix's choice left me baffled. Apparently, these kinds of things do not only happen in the Philippines.

Only in the Philippines is a common expression we hear people use to describe the state of affairs in my country; how awful the traffic is, how bad the roads are, how crazy the politics is.

When former president Joseph Estrada, who was ousted in a popular revolution in 2001 and later on jailed for corruption, came close to winning last year's elections after placing second, I shook my head, bewildered and said "Only in the Philippines".

Apparently not.

Keiko Fujimori, one of the top three contenders for the April elections in Peru, is the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori who fled to Japan in 2000 after his chief military aide was caught on camera bribing officials.

He was arrested during a visit to Chile in 2005 and was extradited to his homeland where he was jailed for human rights violation during his 10-year rule from 1990 to 2000. Keiko has said she may pardon her father if she gets elected.

I used to think modern societies learn from the past, but it seems history teaches us otherwise. The choice of a leader shows the level of political maturity of a nation's population and what is becoming apparent to me is that education plays a crucial role in this.

That, I think, is the curse of poor countries like the Philippines and Peru where education suffers.

But things are changing, no matter how slow. Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino is prioritizing education. He is building 17,000 classrooms and hiring 15,000 teachers this year to improve education and increase jobs in a nation where the World Bank estimates one out of every four people live on less than $1.25 a day.

And across the ocean, 18.7 million Peruvians will go to the polls next month and elect a new president. Each one of them hoping that their next leader will be able to lead their nation out of poverty. People like Felix who at 52, goes out fishing every night and returns at dawn to help provide for his 14 grandchildren. Some of them don't go to school.

And so, I hope ... with them. Buena suerte, mi amigo. I hope you make the right choice.

-