Both Ate Guy and Saul are now with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO). Ate Guy is the Assistant Labor Attaché posted in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Saul heads the POLO in Washington DC as the Labor Attaché. ILS which we referred to as "the Institute" making it sound as more than the attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment and the think thank that we considered it was. Before ILS, I was with the now defunct, I mean renamed Bureau of Women and Young Workers. But it was easier to trace back memories to ILS. It was at an ILS kiddie Christmas party that I first heard KG sang using a microphone trying to reach a note. I wanted to crawl under one of the desks like I was going to sing myself but it turned out that KG was not as disastrous as I had always been when it comes to singing at a Christmas party. Ate Guy easily became the instant godmother to Karlee while Bern and Mel have been KG's godparents.
Being the shithead that I had always been at ILS, I felt kind of undeserving to be holding the ILS bandanna banner in front of the White House with Ate Guy. I thought of that bandanna as a commemorative souvenir for the meet-up with Saul and Ate Guy at DC. But if felt good playing support to Ate Guy holding on to the ILS bandanna banner while Saul took the picture. Attending to the welfare and labor concerns of OFWs at the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah Saudi Arabia is to me a really heroic job. Ate Guy is attending to the labor and welfare concerns of Overseas Filipino Workers in the vicinities of Jeddah, some gargantuan task. The thought of me being a PRC registered social worker and whining about Ayeddis Vahkkendjaab in the US makes me feel rather shameless realizing that Ate Guy is doing the job I pledged to doing in a forgotten oath-taking ceremony I attended in my previous life.
The unmanned picket is for me the most interesting sight in front of the White House grounds. I am sure, not many visitors have taken notice of the Free Tibet poster. For someone who has been reading into global socio-political issues that veer into humanitarian sentiments, the chance to see the exhibit was priceless. I have never been aware that Tibet has been under occupation Chinese all these years.
The glorious Holy Shih Tzu makes it to DC. As I look at the picture, I.G.Y sung by Donald Fagen in another century comes to mind:
Here at home, we'll play in the city powered by the sun
Perfect weather for a streamlined world
There'll be spandex jackets for everyone
Chorus:
What a beautiful world this would be
What a glorious time to be free!
I may have guilt feelings of being in that glorious time while the ancestors of the wandering sack buddha are imprisoned by their Chinese oppressors in Tibet, but oh well...
I have always thought of a diplomat as a suitcase brand. Being with two diplomats in DC and not the suitcase types is big time to me.
I hope to garner several dozens likes when I post the photo of Ate Guy and Saul with the obelisk picture at Facebook. When Saul mentioned of the obelisk, I had the oblation in mind. When I think of the oblation, I have Lev in mind. I don't know why. It must be that ILS mark. Reading, Ading? I'd love to see you in the United Shades of America in the future.
Virgin Islands is not far from the Philippines in the National World War II Museum. All the pillars in the monument has names of the US states and territories on them. For an instant, I tried to think if Philippines is still a protectorate.
Remembering how hard it was for me then to get a visitor's visa to the US, it is so ironic that I was seeing my motherland's name in the national monument. I may be naturalized but I would still stick to the history of my country of origin as told by Filipino historians who celebrate June 12th as the country's Independence Day. Filipinos fought and died for the country to be independent and no longer a mere protectorate by any super power like the US. I would always be aware of the more 100,000 Filipinos who perished as a result of the US forces fight to regain the country from Japanese occupation. If you fellow brown American puppies think I am just ranting, Google it up!
I had to capture the moment. Saul, the diplomat. spares a DC visitor from taking himself a selfie shot. I am reminded of how I got to the Institute from the Bureau. Boss Irma, my then chief at the Bureau told me that ILS was looking for a staff who could write. It was Saul who told Boss Irma about the ILS hiring needs. Boss Irma sort of like and accepted my writing style and sent me to ILS to see Saul.
These idiots could have just asked Saul.
With the photo, I sum up with the I.G.Y lyrics in mind because I ran out of what to say:
Standing tough under star and stripes, we can tell
This dream's in sight
You've got to admit it
At this point in time, it is clear
The future looks bright...
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