Previously on "Hey, It's Paolo!"...

Hey Paolo!

I'm k-. Thanks for the introduction. I never introduced myself to the PPlanet because I'm probably just a fake account.

I've got three questions for you:

1. What do you mean by "colorful involvements"? Please provide details because me and the others have an overly-active imagination that will earn you an unwanted reputation.

2. Are there any good punk bands in the Philippines? Please educate me.

3. Is it true that you can kill a man with your brain?

Welcome!

k-

I'll take on these questions, one at a time. Forgive me if I ramble, but you've pretty much just opened up my emotional sluice gates, knowingly or not.

I deliberately worded it that way, *precisely* to earn myself an "unwanted" reputation at this forum. It's all part of my secret master plan to make sure that I *never* achieve world domination, for the good of all humankind. Trust me -- it's better this way.

No, seriously...

In all honesty, I have a rather lethal combination of demographic factors that necessarily makes me a polarizing figure within independent culture, locally:

(i) I've never been 100% comfortable speaking Tagalog/Filipino (the primary language in the capital), and conversely i'm very fluent in English (which reguarly causes varying degrees of tension, especially when other Anglophone punks visit the country).

(ii) In case it wasn't already patently obvious, I come from a decidedly upwardly mobile background; i.e. I'm (often justifiably) perceived as having more disposable income than others in "the scene"; this sets up all kinds of awkward expectations.

(iii) I'm also an unabashed intellectual and theory geek. This is clearly an extension of my social privilege, and I don't make any attempts to hide it, because it's such a big part of my personality. As a result, I don't shy away from internal critique of "the scene", when it's called for, which often leads to charges of being "unsupportive" or fostering "disunity".

I do my best to adapt, given the circumstances and power relations involved. I'm capable of being a "team player" and making nice, up to a point. I'm willing to account for nucances of particular situations. But after a while, it jsut became a drag, really. Hence my strained involvement, for the last couple of years.

One more thing: in my dealing with global/international punk types (including the old PP forum, where I used the handle "restless native"), I'm usually the only person whose frame of reference involves the nitty-gritty of everyday life in the "developing" world/global South. As a result, I ended up getting typecast as the de facto ambassador for the whole of non-EuroMerica. I'll confess -- it's often tempting to play the "Third World card", because it's a cheap, easy way to get attention. Plus, it usually makes the right people feel uncomfy. But in the long run, it's a sure route to marginalization.

Satisfied?

2. I'm gonna pick the safest answer -- it depends how you qualify "good" and "punk" ;)

Sure, there's 'objective' measures, like technical skill, or performance quality, and whatnot. But at the end of the day, questions like this usually come down to personal taste.

Tell you what -- once I've got a sense of what kind of music you prefer, i'll direct you to the appropriate Filipino (and Filipino-American) bands. Deal?

3. Let's just put it this way -- if you abruptly stop posting here in the very near future, then everybody who's left will know the answer...

Impeccable grammar, too. Anyone who makes proper use of the dash in adjectival phrases gets my endorsement.

I say this guy's in the gang. And if the rest of you jerks don't like it, then you all can just go suck eggs.