Buhay Burgis

Bigla ko lang naalala yung klasmeyt kong "cultured", yung tipong napalaking sheltered ng magulang at mahilig sa mga bagay na mapapa "huh? ano daw?" ka nalang. Naalala ko nung merong nakasulat na "bourgeois" sa blackboard, tapos kitang kita ko sa mukha nya, na inaantay nya ung titser na i-pronounce. Tapos ayun na nga, nung binasa ni maam, "bur-gis" nya binasa, tapos biglang tumawa ng pailalim yung kaklase ko! Sabi na e, me pagka-know-it-all talaga ung unggoy na yun. Bur-gis naman talaga ang Tagalog ng bourgeois, pero siyempre, mas masarap para kay klasmeyt na maliitin yung pag ka-jologs ni titser. Pandagdag ego nya din yun. Buti pa siya alam niya i-pronounce yung bourgeois ng tama, matalino siguro talga siya. 

So that leads me to my new rant post. I was just thinking about how fortunate I am to have grown in a bourgeois environment. Just to be clear, I always thought that the term refers to someone who belongs to the MIDDLE CLASS and not the UPPER CLASS. I'm still not sure about what it really means though, I googled it and it generated tons of definitions I really don't have time to read about. 

Yes, I can consider myself as a middle class citizen... in the Philippines. 
I'm still climbing the social ladder to get to that position here in Canada. Fuck, being a third-world immigrant in a first-world country sucks.

How can we measure someone's social status though? What are the requirements? Does it follow a certain point or rewards system? I dunno, and I don't think it matters at all. Because I think you're the only one who can determine which class you belong to. 

In retrospect, I remember my Christian Living teacher telling us how everyone in his class are considered "rich". He said if we are lucky enough to eat 3-4 times a day, live in a house made of concrete, study in an actual school and wear multiple clothing, then, we are in fact richer than the majority of the people in the world. It is true in a way. That was the first time I put much emphasis on the social classes in the Philippines. I became aware of its presence and its reality. 

I feel like I belong to this class primarily because I am able to enjoy the basic necessities in life. Food, shelter, clothing, smart phones, wifi router... but these weren't served on a silver platter. We had to work together for it. We have to patiently wait to achieve these things.

Hindi ko naranasan ma-spoon fed ng mga magulang ko. At hindi ko rin ma-imagine ang buhay ko kung ginawa nila sakin yun. Kelangan may honor muna ako bago ako humiling ng laruan, o makakain sa labas. Kelangan kong humingi ng permiso para buksan ang ercon. Yung makokonsensya pa ko ng sobra sobra kapag bibili ako ng mga gamit lagpas ng P500. 

Kung nakakarelate ka, congrats, isa kang pag-asa ng bayan. Tayo kasi yung totoong PILIPINO, tayo yung nakaranas ng HIRAP at SARAP ng buhay sa Pinas. 

I believe that the middle class still has the best chance of making the country great again. Mainly because we get to experience the both sides of the extremes. We know exactly what the problem is because we had to live through them. We experienced the Filipino life first-hand. And that allows us to feel sympathy towards the ones who are only living on either ends. 

Saulado natin ang totoong ibig sabhin ng pagtiya-tiyaga. Yung pag-tanggi sa yaya ng mga tropa kapag kakain sa labas, kapag bente nalang yung laman ng wallet mo. Tipong "Busog ako e" "Libre mo ba?" ayan, mga linyahan.  Sa parehong paraang alam din natin kung paano manlibre ng tropa kasi naiintindhan natin ang sitwasyon niya. Nagtiya-tiyaga tayo sa init ng araw kakapila para mag-enroll, o mag-pasa ng resume, o mag ayos ng SSS, o ng lisensya. Higit sa lahat, alam natin kung paano sumakay ng jeep. Magcommute. Alam natin ang kalakaran sa kalsada. Talent mong sumakay sa estribo ng jip, o sa likod ni mamang tricycle, me kakayahan tayong tiisin ang anghit ni manong kasi nga middle class tayo. Natuto tayong mag-tiis at dahil dun, hindi tayo mareklamo sa mga maliliit na bagay. Kaya nating palagpasin ang mga kakulangan at intindihin ang sitwasyon.

Dahil middle class tayo,  marunong tayong makiramdam, maging sensitibo. Tayo yung nakapag-aral sa isang "patas" na skul, kung saan hindi natin kelangan mag-ingles habang nabili ng karyoka sa tapat, o mag payabangan ng brand ng step-in. Marunong tayong makisalamuha sa mga karaniwang mamamayan.

Hindi problema satin ang makipag bonding sa mga tindera ng yosi sa kalsada, o makipagbiruan sa mga magtataho. Kaya nating hulihin ang loob ng mga mahihirap nating kababayan at iparamdam sa kanila na pantay pantay lang tayo. 

Sa parehong paraan na me kakayahan tayong makipag plastikan sa mga nakikilala natin sa club, o sa mga social gathering sa hotel, o makipag-converse sa mga socialite sa Ayala.

It is something to be proud of, knowing that you can reach the sky and yet keep your feet on the ground.

Dahil middle class ka, alam mo ang pakiramdam ng ma-erconan at ang pakiramdam ng paypayan. Hindi mo lang basta basta lalaitin ang kapangitan ng Pinas, dahil alam mo rin ang kagandahan nito. 

Nakapasok ka sa Solaire (nakapasok lang), naranasan mong mag-hotel, o mag-boracay, o sumakay ng eroplano. Meron kang mga branded na damit sa aparador mo, nakakaorder ka sa Yellowcab through DELIVERY! (naka linya!), mag-Valkyrie, me smartphone ka na hindi Cherry o Myphone. 

Sa kabilang banda, solb ka narin naman sa SM malls, o Robinson's, o kung nagtitipid ka talaga, Waltermart, o kung napagutusan ka lang ni maam , Puregold. Kumportable ka sa Islander mong tsinelas. Sapat narin sayo na kumain sa turo-turo, Solb ka narin sa ice-tubig, makipaginuman sa kanto, maging totoong Pilipino. Naranasan mo ang paraiso at ang impiyerno sa Pinas.

Kung tatanungin mo ko, hindi ko talaga maconsider na purong Pinoy yung mga sobrang mayayaman sa Pinas. Yung mga bata sa Greenhills na hindi man lang alam kung ano ang tabo (True story). Hindi rin naman siguro nila gustong maconsider na True Pinoy. Kung tutuusin yung mga sobrang yaman naman satin e mga half din naman, kaya di mo rin sila masisi. 

Don't get me wrong, there are several rich Filipinos who are genuinely patriotic, and I absolutely adore them. Inspired by them. They make me feel like I'm not alone in "proving" the Philippines is still worth fighting for.

Now that I am living the simple life in Canada, where everything seems to be convenient, where everything seems to be "attainable", I am happy that I was able to experience the bourgeois lifestyle back home. That life taught me how to be persistent and patient. It made me appreciate where I am now, mentally. It humbles the fuck out of me. I also learned how to disregard all negative perception about our country from the "richer" Filipino community here. I just feel like they don't really know what they're talking about. Besides, I don't really see the point why they had to talk trash about the Philippines, I mean, they already left. What made them think their opinion still matters? I don't really understand that part, but for everyone who never lost their faith in the Filipino way, I salute you, may you never lose the thrill in riding back-ride on a tricycle habang nilalanghap ang anghit ni manong.