Most Americanized, Deracinated and Homeless in Southeast Asia

[Manila, 4/8/25]

At 2:43AM, I’m, again, at The Coffee Bee. After Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven” comes Lionel Richie’s “Stuck on You,” but both are mere covers. I don’t remember Richie yelping like that at the end. In the corner sits a young woman in a Brooklyn shirt. Above her head on a wall are framed black and white photos of Lisbon and Paris. Most Pinoys would rather be elsewhere.

Walking around, I’ve seen large posters advertising jobs abroad. Al-Mahara Manpower in Qatar needs 45 domestic helpers and 5 baby sitters. Al Rashid Abetong of Saudi Arabia is hiring those experienced in casting concrete. Also of Saudi Arabia, Ekal wants 10 female nurses, 30 female nail technicians, 50 male cleaners and 10 female hair dressers.

One of my students in Leipzig was an Indian who had lived in Qatar. She told me Qataris couldn’t or wouldn’t do anything. Why bother when you can import penny cheap laborers from India, Bangladesh and Philippines?