FROM BORACAY TO GREECE!
Most of the time I am out of the country for work. Much to my chagrin, I had never been to the beach. As we reached the villa I was spraying Baygon everywhere. This brilliant apparition was Discovery Shores, an oasis in the middle of the island. Not only do the staff headed by Jun Parreno make you feel at home, the food by chef David Pardo de Ayala is fabulous as well. Meanwhile, when all of this was going on, I was on the cell phone with my jet set buddy Ron Sato planning an impromptu trip. You see, Ron is my travel buddy who lives in Los Angeles, so between his schedule and mine, the logistics are a nightmare. To save on my ticket, I bravely took an economy class seat on Emirates as recommended by my travel agent. Ron excitedly told me to go for it – Emirates had won best economy class and some award. The duty-free shop was overrun with Filipino workers selling cell phones and perfume. Kumusta ka na? At taga sann ka? Domestic helper ka rin ba?” Translation: “Hey there? After covering my deadline, we planned to soak in the sites for the next day and headed off to the Parthenon on top of the Acropolis, climbing every step in my gold, open-toed sandals. Old habits indeed never die!
This time I had already resigned myself to being trapped like a sardine in a sardine can with all these OFWs smelling of AXE and Charlie cologne while Jo Malone evaporated into thin air. Jetting from the Aegean Sea to the Pacific may sound a bit pretentious until you wake up in economy class smelling like air freshener.
1 comments:
The Most Hated Pinay
By Rodel Rodis
INQUIRER.net
Fernandez is apparently accustomed to riding in first class or business class but on her flight to Greece, however, she decided to “bravely” fly in economy class. The duty-fee shop was overrun with Filipino workers selling cell phones and perfume.
Kumusta ka na? Domestic helper ka rin ba?” From Malu Fernandez, we know she also wears Jo Malone perfume, which sells for $100 per 100 ml bottle (approximately 5000 pesos), unlike the cheaper Axe and Charlie colognes some OFWs prefer.
As soon as Fernandez’ article was published, word about her condescending depiction of OFWs quickly spread through the Internet to the blogosphere of OFW communities throughout the world, especially to the 1.5 million Filipinos in the Middle East. I am moved every time I am on a flight with OFWs. Think of sitting in coach, imagining your personal hell as a personal foreshadowing.”
If any of these people actually read anything thicker then a magazine they would find it very funny. In his blog, Loi Reyes Landicho compiled a list of things for OFWs to tell Malu Fernandez when they see her. The “deeply personal insults” and “death threats” she received eventually caused her to resign from the Manila Daily Standard and People Asia. It was truly not my intention to malign, hurt or express prejudice against OFWs.”
Even as she "bravely" travels around the world regularly, what Malu Fernandez failed to realize is how much the world she travels in has changed.
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