In defense of Dan Brown

I haven't actually read Dan Brown's new book Inferno, but Metropolitan Manila Development Authority's Francis Tolentino may have overreacted to Brown depicting Manila as such a horrible place in his latest novel. Whether the portrayal was accurate or not, it's a work of fiction, and Brown can write whatever he wants.

Mr. Tolentino may have reacted because Dan Brown's description of Manila might be dead on, or just really close to reality. But is it appropriate to react that way if that is really the case? Is it also appropriate to react if the depiction was clearly the opposite of what is real (which is what Mr. Tolentino alleges)? Suppose that Dan Brown created a character called Francis Tolentino, or Frank Tolentino, or Fred Tolentino, or something similar, who is a government official but is actually the Devil in disguise but hit his head somewhere and had amnesia, and so he doesn't know he's the Devil. Should Mr. Tolentino cry foul?

I am not saying that Mr. Tolentino and the MMDA need not react over Manila's role in Inferno. They should do a lot of things about it, but sending fan mail to Dan Brown is not one of them. Manila may not be the literal gate to the Christian hell, but it surely is a kind of hell, with the traffic jams, poor sanitation, pollution, high crime rates, and poverty. It's not what the MMDA and the rest of the Philippines wants the world to see, but that's what it is. Go see for yourself - take a train ride from Baclaran to Monumento, or drive along EDSA from North Avenue to Taft. Enjoy the view. And the smog. And the smell. And enjoy getting your wallet snatched away by an expert pickpocket if you let your guard down even for a minute. Perhaps it is a good thing that Dan Brown drew attention to these things that ail the city - so the people responsible, namely its citizens and residents, are reminded that there is a lot of work to be done.

Who wants to go to Mars?

The idea of a trip to Mars appeals to me because no earthling has ever done it before, and whether it's a one-way trip or a two-way trip, someone's got to it - even if the only reason for it is just because we can. It might not be urgent, but who wouldn't want to know what it's like up there?

To be the first Homo sapiens sapiens to set foot on the red planet, and to explore the terrain and collect samples firsthand on behalf of the rest of humanity, would be such a great honor. I am pretty sure that NASA has people who are more than qualified to do this and deserve the honor more than anybody else. Which is why I don't think it is a good idea to turn this into a reality television show and have a popular vote decide who makes it to Mars. I may be young but I've seen enough democratic elections to observe that popularity is not a measure of skill or character.

But if Mars One's plan is final, everyone might as well compete to become one of the first Earth-born Martians, and cross our fingers that whoever wins will indeed be up for the job.

Everyone knows what it's like to be dead

Everyone knows what it's like to be dead
'cause everyone knows what's in like when in bed,
when not even dreams come between you and rest,
when each conscious thought is an unwelcome guest.

We've opened our eyes after countless eons
thanks to the stars that fill skies by the billions
and also our forebears who have sown their seeds
and passed on to us all the fruits of their deeds.

Our time may be short, the day may be fleeting
- it need not be forever to have meaning.
And going to sleep isn't something to dread
for everyone knows what it's like to be dead.

Reflecting on the brevity of life and the frivolousness of nature. Apparently, we have spent and will continue to spend billions of years being dead.

*Also posted in my DeviantArt account. 

Afterlife

I find it amusing how people who believe in an afterlife seriously believe in the existence of hell and are terribly afraid of making the fatal mistake that would send them to that damned place, and yet they always assume that their departed loved ones automatically go to heaven and are now looking down on them. At least that was what I was told as a kid - that people go to heaven when they die, no exceptions. I used to be creeped out thinking how my great-grandmother and great-grandfather can and do see my every move (even when I hide under a table, or a blanket, or when I turn off the lights). Creepy, but that's what an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent god supposedly does, and he allegedly listens to our thoughts too, though I don't see the point of constant monitoring when you already know what's going to happen.

Though I'm now convinced that there isn't an afterlife, I still go to the cemetery, usually on or soon after All Saints' Day, when faithful Filipinos flock to the graves of their deceased friends and relatives (a surreal blend of Catholicism and ancestor worship), but I do it mainly to make sure that my relatives' graves aren't being desecrated (I once caught people placing objects over my great-grandfather's grave marker). Call it sentimentality, but even when I am aware that dead people are not even capable of minding what goes on at their burial sites, I am squeamish about vandalizing gravestones and other memorials. We were all brought into this world without our consent, and the least we could do for everyone is to is give them the right to leave it in peace and with dignity. And graves are part of the send-off that we give to the departed. Whatever way they leave, they were, after all, part of our lives, part of our world.

I want to spare my family from stressful trips to the graveyard, so I am seriously considering alternatives to burial such as cremation, aquamation, even donating my body to science. It pays to plan ahead, before the loss of consciousness and the powerlessness that comes with non-existence sets in. Whatever way this body gives up its autonomy and ultimately returns its raw materials to the environment, it comforts me to think that it would make way for future generations to experience the universe and all its majesty (because as far as we know, the environment can only sustain a limited number of people). To be memorialized is a nice bonus and is probably the closest we would ever get to immortality. The irony is that we wouldn't even be aware of it as it happens.

Religion: None

"What is your religion?" asked the lady who was taking my details at a government office a few days ago.

Despite the strong temptation to go "Haroo! Haroo!" I said "None."

The man queuing behind me snickered. He must have thought I was an ignoramus and didn't know what the word meant and that I was supposed to have one. Guess what. I know exactly what religion is and have a pretty good idea of how it works, more than enough to make an informed decision not to have one.

The lady might have thought I was pulling a joke on her and studied me for a while as I kept a straight face. I was dead serious that I didn't have a religion. She tried again.

"Are you Catholic?"

"No," I said.

She looked at me like I just claimed to have been born in Mars. Or more like I just said that I eat humans and that I thought she looked very lean. She handed me back my form and told me to proceed to the next queue.

I got my needed government papers and left the place contemplating that if people are unaware of the existence of atheists and agnostics, then we sure have a long, long way to go. It is more likely that people are aware of atheists but unaware that atheism is not a religion, but that still means there is a huge amount of catching up to do in terms of education.

Ignorance breeds hatred, therefore it pays to know about different people. Especially when one lives in a country that is a melting pot of cultures. This may be a country where atheists are very outnumbered by religious people, but we atheists do exist and if one listens carefully enough, they would realize that we do have a voice.

I dare say that there are far more atheists in this country than those who are openly admitting their atheism, because I, even after becoming atheist, kept saying for a while that I was Catholic since I didn't formally resign from Roman Catholicism. I didn't always get the chance to explain that I am only a nominal Catholic and have long ceased to be convinced of Catholic doctrine, and people just love shortcuts, so they always assumed that I was religious. I grew tired of that, and I went from saying "I am Catholic, but..." to "I am not religious, but I'm technically a Catholic" (which is a little better, but as people love shortcuts, only the "Catholic" part stuck) to "I am atheist and I have no religion."

There are people who, for various reasons, are kept from being open about certain things, whether it's about their religious beliefs, political opinions, or sexuality, among others. We, the marginalized, the outnumbered, have reasonable wants and needs that cannot be catered to by society and the state if we do not take it upon ourselves to speak up and make our opinion count. We have a voice - we have to use it, and we have to use it well. We have a voice - we have to use it, and we have to use it well. It's about time that atheists make themselves heard.

My Old Friend

I'm on holiday with that old friend of mine, Writer's Block. I don't like him much, not a lot of people do, but when you spend enough time with him, he grows on you. He keeps showing up at all the wrong times and places. The more you try to get him off your back, the more he insists on staying. I know - I've had him over at my place several times before. And the annoying thing is I couldn't remember what was it that made him pack his bags during those times. And now I'm stuck with him again. I might as well just sit back and try to enjoy his company while catching up on my reading. He'll get tired of me soon.

Thank you, Neil Armstrong

The world mourns Neil Armstrong, one of those brave souls who dared to venture into what was then unknown, just so the rest of us can know what lies out there. May those footprints on the surface of the moon continue to inspire future generations of scientists, thinkers, and explorers.

We might never get to see humanity conquer even our tiny solar system during our lifetimes, but that doesn't make this past and present century's achievements any less amazing, or less significant. It is through these small steps that we shall continue to push our limits.

Neil Armstrong was so much more than an American hero. He helped achieve that one giant leap for all of earthly life. To him, and the rest of the men and women, as well as the non-humans, involved in past and present space programs, we are eternally grateful.