On Monday, I had the opportunity to watch Vagina Monologues at the Palace Theatre. To be honest with you, I didn't know what to expect - I knew that it was going to be about a woman's private parts (What gave that away, I wonder?), but essentially, I thought it was going to filthy, hyped-up rubbish. But hey, I got tickets on the cheap, so I went.
As six of us (four women and two either very brave or very stupid men) walked towards the theatre, we were witness to a sea of sisterhood buzzing in anticipation. The show was only going to be in the city for four nights, and a quarter of Manchester's female adult population was at the lobby of the theatre, ensuring they got to see it before it moved to the next city on the tour schedule.
We quickly got settled in our seats and I braced myself for the worst. And how wrong I was! The Vagina Monologues was fantastic - it was not only eye-opening, it was liberating and empowering. It was all about humanity, about women who for whatever reason, denied their sexuality, instead of embracing it. There were parts where I was laughing so hard I was crying, and other parts where I was crying because of women's harrowing stories.
It made me understand the bondage women feel about not being able to break from conformity and culture, and made me appreciate the power of the human body and the human mind. In the end, we all want to feel freedom and satisfaction in whatever we do in life; it is unfortunate that so many women lead a life that deny them these rights.
The only thing I detested about the show was when Nikki Sanderson (who played Candice in Coronation Street) started talking about the 'C' word. I never liked the word, and no matter how excellently she executed that part of the monologue, I remained tight-lipped (no pun intended!) as she cajoled the audience to say the word out loud.
Call me a prude - but there are just some things I'm not going to compromise. I was free to do so, but I choose not to excercise that right. I guess sometimes, you just can't have it all.
Thursday 12 October 2006
Friday 6 October 2006
Political Correctness Gone Mad!
In last night's news, former Home Office Secretary Jack Straw was accused of all sorts - racist, misguided, ill-informed, insensitive. All this - simply because he prefers to see the face of people he speaks to.
Mr Straw has written an article in his local newspaper, the Lancashire Telegraph, about how he requests Muslim women who visit his surgery (that's political office for you non-Brits) to take off their veil when speaking to him. He believes it to be "a visible sign of difference" which could create difficulties in community relations.
In today's climate where everyone is on edge and suspicious of Muslims, you would've thought the Muslim community would try to ease the tension and Islamophobia. On the contrary, any time anyone says anything at all about Muslims and the Islamic faith in general, it is always misconstrued and the ensuing outcry is swift and tremendous.
Whatever happened to integration? Have people not noticed how Filipinos are slowly taking over the world? We are, but no one has mentioned it. That's because we adapt to the way of life of our adopted country. We share our culture and heritage to others, but never insist on them. Can you imagine us demanding everyone to eat rice instead of potatoes?
Mr Straw simply makes his request when Muslim women are in his presence. It's not a prelude to a new law to be passed in Parliament. If hoodies have to take off their hoods when entering a shop, or motorcyclists having to take off their helments before entereing a bank, then why should it be different for any other face covering? It's not about religion, it's about human relations. Think about it.
Mr Straw has written an article in his local newspaper, the Lancashire Telegraph, about how he requests Muslim women who visit his surgery (that's political office for you non-Brits) to take off their veil when speaking to him. He believes it to be "a visible sign of difference" which could create difficulties in community relations.
In today's climate where everyone is on edge and suspicious of Muslims, you would've thought the Muslim community would try to ease the tension and Islamophobia. On the contrary, any time anyone says anything at all about Muslims and the Islamic faith in general, it is always misconstrued and the ensuing outcry is swift and tremendous.
Whatever happened to integration? Have people not noticed how Filipinos are slowly taking over the world? We are, but no one has mentioned it. That's because we adapt to the way of life of our adopted country. We share our culture and heritage to others, but never insist on them. Can you imagine us demanding everyone to eat rice instead of potatoes?
Mr Straw simply makes his request when Muslim women are in his presence. It's not a prelude to a new law to be passed in Parliament. If hoodies have to take off their hoods when entering a shop, or motorcyclists having to take off their helments before entereing a bank, then why should it be different for any other face covering? It's not about religion, it's about human relations. Think about it.
Wednesday 4 October 2006
Fusion Food
The last time I went back to Manila in 2004, Fusion food was all the rage. Fusion Filipino and French (Eh??), Filipino and Thai (Hmmm, yeah, I suppose), Filipino and Mexican (That sounds like the makings of an upset stomach!), Filipino and...you get my drift. I don't know about you, but for me, I would go to a Thai restaurant because I want to eat Thai food - and not an amalgamation of cuisines. I have an innate hatred for anything fusion. So imagine my anger when, while perusing the menu of my favourite noodle bar Tampopo, I come across our national dish, adobo, bastardised beyond belief to include a variety of veggies and served with sweet potato chips! WHAT THE ?!?!? It's a crime, I tell you! I suddenly lost my appetite.
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