Being able to see life is what I'd be willing to pay for

Watched Hello, Love, Goodbye on its fourth week. Kinda late? Well, I was about to watch a couple of days after its release but decided to skip the hype and long lines. Also, my best friend was to meet me after attending a Marian event so we planned on watching it together on that day (para naman at least, di ako solo flight sa sinehan just as I usually am).

This isn’t a film review of some sort. I just wanted to talk about certain -- you know -- things. Haha.

First few scenes palang with the Filipino Domestic Helpers (DHs) assembling in Central already stirred my emotions. It was like a replay on the big screen of the reality I’ve seen in Hong Kong (HK) just this April.

When I travel, especially within a limited time, I make sure to get the most out of it. Sabi nila, you cannot visit HK without going to Disneyland. That was the option for our last day, but then I decided to spend it getting lost in the streets. Saka na lang ako magdi-Disneyland when I have kids (take it from a jowa-less creature like me). The point is I can go back anytime. Syeah. Di po ako mayabang. Haha. The point is, I want to stroll around like a local for a day.

Besides, it was a dream of mine to ride HK’s oldest means of transpo, the Tramways or tram for short. For only $HK 2.60 I’d get to see either the Western or Eastern part of Hong Kong Island, how cool is that?

So on a Sunday, my last day of DIY trip to HK with my mom and sis, that dream turned into a reality. I hopped on the tram with so much glee and excitement. However, I, or rather my heart, wasn’t prepared to see this PERSONALLY.

A crowd of people, majority of whom are women, sitting on a spread carton or mat, over and beneath every bridge, and occupying the whole length of it, in every district we pass. They are Filipinos on their day-off, so I’ve heard.

Yes, ganyan mag-day-off ang mga kababayan natin sa HK. May pa-assembly.  May pa-lakwatsa din, pero most of the day, they meet up sa ibabaw or ilalim ng mga tulay to eat Filipino dishes, watch Filipino movies, to share chikas -- to be there for one another, generally.

The areas where they were are crowded, hot, and noisy. They were sharing scraps of food. Their faces, albeit painted with smiles, clearly showed hardships in which sources we can never decipher. Not to overreact but seriously, I got goose bumps. More than pity, my heart felt pain. I am looking at people who found comfort in the uncomfortable.

Such juxtaposition of the extremes --struggling individuals amidst a city of hustle and bustle, with its so-called extravagance and high standard of living. Yeah right.

And here I am, in between, capable of doing nothing but stare and reflect.

As some passengers alight from the tram, I moved forward to the front part, and realized that there were many Filipinas seated there. Man, they were noisy and loud pero ganyan tayo eh! Because of this I got to listen to some of our kababayans’ stories ---  

“Ang bilis-bilis lumaki ng anak ko, 'di na tuloy kasya yung uniform niya. Imbis makatipid sana. Tsaka sapatos. Magpapasukan na naman…”

*speaks in Bisaya* [the lady basically shared na nambababae yung asawa niya sa Mindoro, gamit yung sweldo na pinapadala niya (thanks mom for understanding Bisaya)]

“Kailangan kong umuwi nang maaga; papagalitan na naman ako ng amo ko.” I glanced at her wounded wrists … I hope they’re not what I think they are.  

In a few moments, they got so loud to the point that it actually became so annoying. Akala kung anong meron. Bababa na daw kasi sila.

Whatever it is that they’ll be doing, I hope they’ll enjoy it. They deserve this day.

They deserve more.  

That time, I had a very bad cold (change of weather blues) but what bothered me more was everything I had seen and heard. I may be asked “Ano naman pake mo sa kanila?” or “Ano naman magagawa mo?” Well, as a fellow Filipino, more so a fellow human being, can you blame me for being overly sympathetic when I cannot be empathetic [because I do not share the same experience]?  I couldn’t help but compare my life’s lot to theirs, for imagining their situation beyond and worse that what’s in front of me, and pray that a day will come that they, too, can see HK in the eyes of a tourist. While many Filipino tourists in HK can afford packaged or DIY tours and wish to go back and visit again, we have more of whom who are stuck in HK without a choice and are dying to go home in our own country. Truth slaps well.

I looked at the blue sky and asked ‘Why the disparity? Why must one have lesser in life than another? Why must one have such lot? Bakit KAILANGANG GANITO?’

The skies turned gray as if trying to give me an answer. Oh, sweet sweet life! An all-blue-sky isn’t meant to be.

My almost one hour of riding in a tram is about to end. And in all honesty, sulit na sulit ang $HK 2.60. More than sulit actually because I got to see life …

and that was what I was willing to pay for.

___________________________________________________

I am thankful to the HLG team for depicting a film that not only promotes self-love but also sympathy AND empathy for humankind. More than romantic love, what I saw was compassion for a fellow kababayan, a fellow human being. The protagonists became each other’s walls amidst their own personal difficulties. Their fateful encounter was a vital key for them to eventually find their “own selves” and make them whole.  I’ve heard some movie goers say “Di sila nagkatuluyan. Huhuhu” Hephep. Di pa naman tapos yung istorya eh, yung movie lang.  Evidently, Joy said she’ll come back. And diba, it would be better to be together, and love again when you’re WHOLE? Self-actualization muna before desires of the heart and of the *toot* lol.  

For letting moviegoers see a glimpse of REALITY as an HK DHs, and DHs in general, thank you. The power of literature talaga (proud lit major here)! I hope the film could serve as a medium to call out the government, private sectors, philanthropists or any individual or group who can be of assistance to, prevent any form of unjust treatment and overall, improve the conditions of our fellowmen in HK or anywhere abroad. And could we improve our conditions and give more opportunities to every Filipino to the point that it would be UNNECCESSARY for them to leave and seek job in a foreign land? This is a clichéd wishful thinking but hey, if some other nations were able to achieve this, we can fight for this too, right Pilipinas kong mahal? 

P.S. Thinking of writing something in relation to Just a Stranger kaso...  dami kong time.