Ranting: A ‘I Love My Hometown' Syndrome!

Many of you my dear readers may have been wondering why I can’t seem to write anything positive about anything or anywhere Tacloban. Me too! I did ponder a bit on that! Sat down under a tree for some self-analysis.., and I now know the reason why! It’s something I will have to call the “hometown syndrome”. Something related to the expression “I love my own”!

But I am not from Tacloban, so you may say? Regardless, the feeling is true!

I did live a few months in this city and it was such a wonderful time of my life. Yeah, not even a year but I learned to love Tacloban. In those times I even called myself a Taclobanon – since I was a resident, albeit briefly. It was a fine and fun city, and I think it still is! I still have many friends at almost every corner of the city. Most of them are now even ‘captains’ of their respective industries. Whoa!

So why the many negative write-ups? It’s the “hometown syndrome” in me!

When you are from a certain place (even if for just a few months) and you truly love it, you go roam around and see the good and the beautiful – immediately. Meaning – talking about Tacloban, I probably have done so some 3 decades ago! Back of your mind, you just know what is what and where is where. Everything else wonderful you take for granted because you already know them – and sad to say, you don’t feel like it is anything worth telling a visitor (or would-be visitor) anymore.

Proof? Try answering this question: “what is good to see in your hometown?” and your thoughts seem to pause a bit, grappling for a reply, right? But if you get asked about places like Boracay or Hong Kong, you are quicker to say this or that, right? Very right! Someone once asked me what is good to see in Quezon City and all I could say was “malls”!

Now the reverse (negative things) tend to stay at the front of our minds. I may have to call that the “news reporter mentality”! Our minds have been too used, therefore even already trained to remembering things like how they do the sensationalist reports on TV, radio and dyaryo – negative, unfortunate events are always front page, while the good things are “feature section”. Got it?!

So okay now… especially when you hear or see things that are not good about your hometown? Ah, you are always quick to gripe about it, talk about it, highlight it, make it known fast, complain publicly about it BECAUSE you want it resolved immediately BECAUSE you love your hometown! Ganun pala yun!

Note: many of the things I said above are direct quotes from the email of a doctor-friend (medical doctor, that is) who is from/in Tacloban. The message was in reply to my question “why do I have so many bad things to say when deep inside me I love Tacloban?” The doctor continues with “we all experience that kind of reaction to things around us, yours are just a bit highlighted because you are writing them on a blog while the rest of us are busy medical professionals or businessmen who do not blog about our travels!

Thanks Dok! You’re still the best! Ungod ito!

Now that explains it! But that does not mean I recoil or recant on anything I said about the idiotic access to public transportation at the airport! Okay, CAAP? Better do something as I will be passing by again this weekend and next weekend and even next next!

Hmm, as if on queue, my next article (still about Tacloban) is something wonderful!

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