Commerce of Christmas
Nov 21 2007
Christmas beckons in the horizon. The lights at Oxford Street are lit. Christmas carols are playing on the airwaves. The cold breeze suggests that red-robed Santa Claus is just around the corner.
In the US, fights break out in supermarkets with people scrambling to get their hands on the season’s must-have toys and gadgets purposely sold in limited numbers to drum up demand.
Here in the UK, the fighting’s about which singer would claim the Christmas No.1 song,
or women fighting tooth-and nails for the latest Kate Moss Christmas party dresses from Topshop.
There are those who save all year long to splash out on gifts for Christmas-time.
A friend of mine goes to Aldi’s and Liedl’s routinely at this time of the year to buy crates of soap, canned goods, and other items she sends back to her family in the Philippines in big Balikbayan boxes. Never mind that these items cost just a few pence a piece. Tears well in her eyes whenever she speaks of the ‘extreme happiness’ her nephews and cousins and aunts and uncles feel whenever they receive something ‘imported’.
It is said that Christmas is such a retailer’s success that if it did not exist, it would have to be invented.
However, consumerism has so characterized Christmas that it tends to undermine what it really is all about.
The Waldfogel effect
In 1993, an economist named Joel Waldfogel put forward a hypothesis on what he called the ‘deadweight of Christmas’. In essence, he suggested people valued the gifts they receive at Christmas time less than what the gifts actually cost.
Waldfogel calculated that $13 billion of the $50 billion Americans spend annually on Christmas gifts is wasted. I would think that’s not entirely off the mark. How many times have you received Planners you never actually used- or shirts that do not fit?
You can say that it is really that thought that matters. However, the pressure to buy presents is so much that we often spend more than we could afford.
Gone are the days when kids scream with delight at the receipt of a new Barbie doll or a Robot toy. Nowadays, kids expect an Xbox, a Sony Playstation, an iPod or a cellphone as presents.
This has the tendency to squeeze one’s credit limit and often result in debts that get carried over to the New Year.
That Easter comes after Christmas is more than coincidental for after the happy times spent over the holidays comes the bleak task of trying to recover from overdrafts and maxed-out credit limits.
Christmas in our hearts
Economists find it difficult to explain gift-giving. For them, it is odd that money flows in ‘reverse’. Money has to come in, not out they argued.
Yet, it is such the magic of the occasion that people who barely know each other would exchange greeting cards and cheers and even children who squabble regularly find themselves giving each other gifts. A lot of people use this occasion to reconcile with their ‘enemies’ kasi pasko naman,
Whenever, we hand out a gift, it is a reaffirmation of a relationship. Needless to say, the value of our gifts is commensurate to the value of the person we are giving the gift to. I could give my local postman a £5 and a bag of chocolates. That won’t work for my sister who demands, to my detriment, no less than a designer handbag for a Christmas present.
For us Filipinos, Christmas is such a big part of our culture. Any travel agency will tell you that more Filipinos come home in December than in any other part of the year.
I spent last year’s Christmas at a charming little village in Abra. There was a big family reunion and all the members of my friend’s clan gathered in their ancestral home. Farmer neighbours from as far as 5 kilometers away came too, to try to solicit gifts from the more affluent guests. My heart broke into a million pieces when after giving a P50 peso bill (.50p) to a 60-something old lady she thank me teary-eyed, ‘Tuwing pasko lang ako nagkaka-regalo.”
Spread the Love
Christmas is truly a delightful time not only for the festive spirit it brings but for the values it symbolises.
Try not to give more than you could afford, but more importantly, give with what truly is in your heart.
Remember that the highlight of the season is not when the three Kings gave gifts to Christ–but His birth into this world.
Merry Christmas everyone!
continued
Categories: General
Posted at 11:14 pm |
3rd Generation Businesses
Oct 21 2007
At a recent Philippine Embassy-sponsored meet-and-greet event with 3rd generation Filipinos, it was indeed exhilarating to hear no less than a dozen young Filipino entrepreneurs talk about their various newly-established business ventures. These ventures range from hi-tech gadget provisioning, auto-detailing, specialist travel guide services, B2B procurement assistance, wealth management services and a myriad others.
What made it remarkable was that:
1) These were all young Filipinos- no one was more than 28 years old, yet they were confident in articulating their business ideas and visions;
2) They have positioned their products/services towards the general UK population and not just Filipinos;
3) Their business ideas are innovative and pioneering and are several generations ahead of the ‘traditional businesses’ we see around.
Take any Filipino publication here in the UK, or anywhere else in Europe for that matter. I can bet my bottom dollar that the business advertisements you’ll find therein fall under one of the following categories: groceries, properties, balikbayan services (e.g. travel, remittance, cargo forwarding), catering/restaurants and beauty treatments. Often enough, you’ll also see postings on ‘charity and social events’.
We may balk at the suggestion that we have a copy-cat mentality-which personally I find nothing wrong about. After all, why reinvent a business that already works elsewhere?
I have a lot of respect for these companies who have, over the years, provided essential services to OFWs like you and me.
While I can prepare wicked pasta dishes, I struggle to cook traditional Filipino food. Hence, I am so grateful for Filipino restaurants like Josephine’s or Café Fiesta from which one can savour perennial favourites sinigang and adobo during times when even the best main entree from Nobu just won’t do.
I can get a £6 haircut from Toppers or pay £60 for essentially the same 4×2 haircut from a specialist salon in Mayfair but nothing beats the extra care and attention one gets from Reyes Haircutters for a very reasonable fee.
I also have admiration for Filipino businesses here which have been around for decades as it is a well-known fact that as much as 80% of new businesses close shop within the first two (2) years of operation.
Yet, within our hearts, we yearn for these ‘traditional businesses’ to achieve more. We know that they can do better in terms of being more profitable, more well-run and more customer-oriented.
How many of the grocery stores around employ supply-chain management concepts for maximising sales and optimizing inventory. How many of these make use of effective marketing techniques? How many employ internet technologies to reach out to wider markets? And one wonders why our Philippine banks stuck to conventional remittance services and not offered other financial services like insurance, business funding, mortgage services, etc.
In contrast, the businesses conjured by these amazing young Filipinos after years of education at various UK universities, or perhaps after a magic moment of inspiration reflect current or even revolutionary thinking in business management.
We used to talk a lot about the generation gap in such manner that it seemed like a bad thing. Parents wanted their children to be docile and conform to the norm.
After hearing these young entrepreneurs, the generation gap suddenly does not sound as bad.
The global business environment is becoming ever more competitive. We need businessmen who not only work hard but also who are smart.
I am hopeful that sooner or later, one of these businesses, or others that will surely follow, will get listed at the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
Their parents and families must be so proud of them. And so should we.
continued
Categories: General, In Pursuit
Posted at 11:16 pm |
Smoke-free
Jul 01 2007
This day, a law banning smoking in enclosed public places comes into effect across England. This ban has been met by all sorts of reactions from the public. Those with a distaste for second-hand smoke have welcomed the ban. Ministers say that billions of pounds spent on treating smoking-related illnesses will be saved. Sceptics argue that the collapse of the pension system becomes even more inevitable as life expectancy goes up as a result. A client I spoke to the other day commented that the ‘English people have been losing their freedom’. He is seriously contemplating moving to the Far East.
While I am a non-smoker, I am not really fussed. Yes, smoking may make the air more ‘breath-able’. Yes, it may mean riding a cab becomes a little bit more pleasant. However, I don’t think the ban would stop people from smoking completely. Smokers have known cigarettes to be addictive and contain carcinogenic substances. That has not discouraged them from the ‘pleasures of the puff’. What the ban may effectively do is to change ‘methods’ but not necessarily the ‘habit’. One should not underestimate human nature’s propensity towards the slightly mischievous.
continued
Categories: Foresight, General
Posted at 9:13 pm |
Exciting the Filipino
Summer ushers in a succession of blithesome Filipino gatherings in and around London we fondly call barrio fiestas. This year, summer has been daunting weather-wise as incessant rain caused unprecedented flooding in a lot of areas around the UK. That hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of thousands of Filipinos and friends from trooping to the Morden Fiesta, where heavy downpour gave it a Glastonbury-like feel. Filipinos look forward to these events with anticipation all year long. Not even heavy rains, which are really just ambon (drizzles) in comparison to the monsoon rains we get in the Philippines, would keep them back.
Yet, for all the fervor and interest we bring coming to these events, there is an undercurrent of despair- of a feeling that somehow, we are being shortchanged. It is as if we had paid £100 to watch a Pacquiao-Dela Hoya match only for the fight to end in a draw after one (1) round. It is as though we had flown 10,000 miles to an island in the Caribbean only to find out that even the beaches of Nasugbu, Batangas are better. While allegations abound that these Barrio Fiestas suffer from mismanagement and poor planning, the truth is that the whole fiesta concept is just getting too routine - like a tired and weary maiden all made-up but with little or no character to show for.
A standard feature of all barrio fiestas are the Filipino food stalls. It is said that pinoys have three obsessions, 1) an obsession for singing, 2) an obsession for taking pictures, and 3) an obsession for eating. Imagine how dour a barrio fiesta would be without the adobong manoks, the laings, and the menudos. But that is exactly the point. Year after year, we are being served the same dishes over and over. I yearn for a barrio fiesta when someone, somebody could offer me a Jollibee Spaghetti or a decent Filipino dish not served in styropor plates. And where are the lechons, rondallas and palusebos that usually characterize real fiestas in the Philippines?
Comedians and artists flown in from Manila give us welcome entertainment for an hour or so. But while they bring fits of laughter and shrieks for the afternoon, we leave the premises feeling a little embarrassed. Why wouldn’t we be? They make fun of themselves (and others) through self-deprecating jokes that only serve to highlight our less desirable traits. Why can’t we also have people on stage (or in focus) who can inspire us and make us feel good about ourselves?
It is great to see fellow Filipinos congregate in thousands. But as you see them wandering aimlessly around the grounds, you feel that they are looking for something they can’t quite find.
We come to these events to remind us of our heritage as it is quite challenging these days to ascertain whether we are better off watching nutters slug it out on Big Brother or to watch scantily-clad girls gyrate to the tune of Boom Tarat Tarat on a variety show on TFC. We come to these events to reinvigorate our sense of pride as Filipinos because refreshing positive news from the Philippines are as rare as London sunshine in the summer. What we do get when we come to these events is a certainty that we’ll go home with a bag full of free newspapers and an odd assortment of leaflets and brochures.
A snotty friend of mine observed that the barrio fiestas should be more aptly called tiangges. She is not entirely incorrect. Barrio fiestas are commerce-driven and are dependent on the financial support of Filipino businesses and entrepreneurs. However, I don’t see a reason why organizers can’t ask donations from individuals too for holding these events as long as there is fair expectation that such donations would be transparently accounted for. Fiestas are supposed to epitomize the Filipino bayanihan spirit. It is not improper if we are asked to contribute some cash and/or effort in making sure that these celebrations are successful.
The thing is, while we seem to do well as individuals, as a community we do not seem to hit it off as successfully.
The signs are pervasive: 1) low participation in the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV). 2) Second and third-generation British-Filipinos who are becoming more and more aloof of and wary of their Filipino heritage, 3) increasing factionalism i.e. I-care-about-me-and-my-family-and-my-friends—but-not-anyone-else attitude.
We are not excited enough being Filipinos and we need a little tickling.
The Psychology Of Excitement
As a supporter of Chelsea FC, I was lucky enough to have been able to watch the first FA cup final at the new Wembley Stadium. The oohs and aahs from everyone who laid eyes on the structure for the first time suggest how really spectacular it is and the immense pride that the British people has for it. I told a fellow Chelsea fan that our San Juanico Bridge in Leyte (at 2000 meters) is definitely longer than the iconic arch of the stadium (at 315 metres). She was not amused and snapped back that our San Juanico Bridge most probably does not have 2618 toilets. Ah! That little detail.
The Wembley Stadium may have taken longer to build and may have been over-budget. However, the result is outstanding and brings a sense of achievement and excitement for the whole nation.
Bring in the fun
Rumor has it the Mayor Ken Livingstone has a standing offer to let us use Trafalgar Square as a venue for our Independence Day celebrations. It would be a big thing!
The Chinese and Russians have celebrations there every year, and so do the Bangladeshis and Borat’s compatriots from the ‘Great Republic of Kazakhstan’. While we should be grateful to the boroughs of Morden and Hounslow for giving us the chance to assemble in their parks once a year, we should perhaps at some point consider Trafalgar Square as an alternative venue. The logistics and organization for mounting such a festivity is not necessarily out of our depth. Already, we have at least five (5) barrio fiestas in and around London from June till August. Why can’t we lump them into one big celebration?
Imagine a one-day urban-fiesta at Trafalgar Square with an artificial white sand beach and lounge chairs amid erected palm trees and women and men taking a dip at the fountains. Imagine how much pride and excitement that would give us if we are able to celebrate our country’s tradition not in the outer suburbs of London but in a prominent political and social esplanade that has witnessed the most important historic events in this country.
Fiestas don’t need to be lavish and extravagant however. They just need to be fun. Fun is something that we should not expect other people to give us. Fun is something we allow ourselves to have.
For the fiestas next year, let’s hang some clay pots and ask random people to hit them blind-folded. Who says basagan-ng-palayok can’t anymore be trendy?
Let’s cordon off an area where people can play catch-a-greased-pig. Whoever wins takes home the bacon.
Let’s ask somebody to wear a frock and dress up as Padre Damaso’s and hand out copies of Noli Me Tangere and El Filbusterismo. These two great books by J. Rizal would give J.K Rowling a run for her money.
And to anyone who can sell Jollibee Spaghettis, I will be the first on the queue. I’ll bring along my neighbors too.
continued
Categories: General, In Pursuit, True Pinoy
Posted at 1:54 pm |
Death on the Virgin Express
May 15 2007
Our train was just pulling out of Coventry station. As with typical Sunday services these days, the Virgin Pendolino was chugging along a little more slowly than usual at 70mph.
Then it happened. At first, I did not recognize it as such. There was a thud on the underbelly of the train that sounded like something was being dragged along the tracks. I suspected, as did the bloke across me, that a part of the engine had fallen off. That suspicion was reinforced when the train slowed down to a halt.
Anyway, I was busy working on a plan on my laptop and as long as I’ve got ‘juice’ , I was willing to sit out any delay. The passengers around me didn’t seem too troubled too.
After a few uneventful minutes, the train manager announced on the PA that a ’serious incident’ had occurred that will cause a ’severe delay’. Additionally, he ‘didn’t know how long the delay would be’. I looked out the window and noticed that we were in the middle of nowhere.
There were sighs of frustration all around. That was my cue to get up and pick some ’supplies’ from the snack bar. I needed ‘juice’ on my laptop but I reckon if we were to sit it out longer, I would need water and a few chocolate bars too.
Amazingly, there was just one other person on the queue and I wondered whether the rest of the passengers were not bothered enough, or whether they had water and chocolate bars already to last them through.
Anyway, the lady at the bar remarked sheepishly that she thought somebody had committed suicide. It was probably the manner by which she had said it or probably because it was just still suspicion then but I didn’t feel any shock or sympathy.
When I got back to my seat, word has spread around. The train manager has gone from carriage to carriage telling people there had been a suicide.
It didn’t strike me that people were as concerned for the poor fellow as they were for the inevitable delay the situation caused. People made calls, wandered back and forth the train. Some were even cursing the fellow for jumping ‘too early’ i.e. he/she should have waited for the next train.
After 2 hours, the train moved on and we were asked to get off at Birmingham, as the train needed to undergo safety checks. A lot of people grabbed refund forms. I grabbed one too but I don’t think I will be filing a claim. It is not everyday that you experience these things. It was not the fault of the train company and I thought they handled the situation rather well.
continued
Categories: City Nights, General, True Pinoy
Posted at 6:12 am |