haley's hate for haiyan & why you should care:

most people measure strength by how much status & power a person possesses; i know better. my grandma was born in the most unfortunate circumstances. she spent most of her childhood in an uphill battle against poverty trying to conquer the slums of manila whist dealing with the loss of her parents. my grandma is a warrior. her four foot ten stature is almost always accented in bright colors, she isn't loud, she's fairly passive-aggresive, & she still can't manage to grasp the concept of a DVR. when you think of strength, her description isn't exactly the vivid imagery that comes to mind. what she taught me is that triumph exists in resiliency. through her i learned that it takes more courage to live as a lover than it does a fighter. this woman once made glue out of rice, a jumprope out of rubber bands, & raised three rambunctious children while dealing with the emotional turmoil of a veitnam vet. my grandma fights by loving & nurturing. she's the most beautiful woman on this earth, inside & out. her sense of self is unrivaled, as is her innate ability to be honest. she gives life to the words "mahal kita."

in few instances have i really been able to gauge & capture raw emotion. i'm a sociologist; therefore, i people watch as a hobby & pride myself in the way i'm able to read body language. i looked on at the newscast in horror. "reported death tolls are in the ten thousands," exclaimed the news anchor; i watched my grandmother's shoulders slouch & her posture change. the vibrant woman with the goofy chuckle & permanent smile diminished before me. i was at a loss for words. i wanted to say something to provide comfort, but i just couldn't find the words. no amount of eloquence could reconcile what was happening. tears welled in my eyes & i felt her sadness. "Leyte" the name of my grandma's hometown escaped from the TV. i wrapped my arms around her small frame. i wanted to take away all her hurt. i wanted to understand what she was going through & fix it. i wanted to rush to my macbook & find a relief site to donate to, to reassure her that all would be well by next week. then it hit me. the phillippines isn't lousiana nor is it new jersey. it WON'T be okay next week. my sudden realization crippled me.

my heart breaks for all of those caught in this disaster. it tears me apart to know that my grandma's homeland is in ruins & that the place where some of her life memories were made doesn't exist. my grandma lived in Leyte for the most formative years of her life. one of my life goals was to bring her back there because I wanted to see where she & my grandpa fell in love when I was established enough financially. Leyte was ravaged by typhoon haiyan & will never be the place she left it as. however, the emotional loss is insignificant in comparison to the devastation that those who currently live there are facing.

our ethnocentrism allows us to ignore spheres of the world in which we don't feel connected. Americans can easily turn their cheeks & dismiss issues of "third world countries" & separate themselves from the rest of the world/humanity. the death toll is in the 10,000 & because of the impoverished circumstances & the lacking of a central governing force, is only anticipated to increase. I hope this post serves as a reminder that not everyone is as privileged as we are. Obama swiftly passed legislation to aid New Jersey & while GWB did take his sweet time (which kanye west gladly announced) when providing relief for Katrina, relief was still provided & America united to rally behind the reconstruction of each city. not every country & every populous is that fortunate. situations like these provide opportunities for us to check our privileges, minimize our westernized thought patterns, & to unite for the sake of humanity.