Ang Langaw Sa Ulo Ng Kalabaw

Have you ever heard the Filipino fable about the fly on the carabao's head? It goes something like this: "Ang lakas natin!", ang sabi ng langaw na nakatungtong sa ulo ng kalabaw. This is the perfect tale to describe some people who are "mayabang" and "feeling" powerful.

One time while I was driving my 7 series along Ayala, I was cut off by a Montero, which was obviously a back-up car to a politico because who would drive such a cheap SUV. So I honked my horn to let the Montero know that he was an asshole. The bodyguards in the SUV rolled down their windows and gave me the finger. What nerve! See, I'm pretty sure these bodyguards felt like they were above me because after all, their boss was some hotshot Congressman who was in such a hurry to legislate. The irony is, I bet if it was the politico that cut me off, he would apologize to me because he's probably a nice guy and wants my vote. But the "amuyongs" of powerful personalities always feel like they too are above everyone else by virtue of their association to their master. Well, here's the reality, you guys are not. If we just compare net worth and income, you are so just barely above minimum wage.

You run into these guys everyday. The best thing to keep you calm is to just think of the story of the fly on the carabao's head. It will put things in perspective and you won't lose your temper. These guys don't deserve your time and emotion.

My Rags to Riches Story

My story is your typical rags to riches story that we've heard so many times. Henry Sy started out as a poor shoe salesman and now owns an SM in every major city and province. Lucio Tan was a janitor before he became a tycoon. Jericho Rosales' door was knocked on by rich gays in his neighborhood before he became a household name by joining Eat Bulaga's Mr. Pogi and bagging Cindy Kurleto, Kristine Hermosa, and Heart Evangelista, that lucky bastard.

Although I was not born into such dire circumstances, I too had my own major obstacles that I had to overcome. For one thing, I did not have my own room when I was a young boy. I had to share my room in North Forbes Park with my older brother, Santi. It was very difficult. I had to share my Laser Disc collection with him. Our yayas would get our Ralph Lauren and Lacoste shirts mixed up on several occasions. The worst thing was not being able to control the room temperature since we were also sharing one air conditioner: I like it at 19 degrees Celsius and Santi prefers 18 degrees Celsius. I had to endure this for a full 6 months until my own room was finished being renovated.

Growing up in such a posh village was also hard. My mestizo friends would always tease me because I was a bit brown skinned since I was only 3/4 Spanish and that we only had 3 Mercedes Benz instead of the typical 4. We were also always short on household help. We only had 2 drivers so if Papa and Mama used them, I was stuck with my Abolito's driver and his old Rolls. I would always lie down in the back so that my friends would not see me in a bulok car. It wasn't until my first year in high school that I finally got my own 5 series BMW. Yes, it took that long.

So you see, I was not born with a silver spoon in my hand. To a normal person, I might've seemed wealthy, but in the circle I grew up in, we were impoverished. But I did not let this get me down. I believe that successful people are shaped by the obstacles they overcome. In fact, it is these obstacles that make a person successful. I am not ashamed of my past, in fact, I embrace it for I would not be the matapobre that I am now if it weren't for my experiences.