About: André

Name:André
2008-03-30 10:36:59
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Bonjour everyone! My name's André. Passport country: Philippines. World citizen and Global nomad, born in the Philippine capital of Manila, moved to New Delhi, India when I was 9 and stayed there for 4 years. Moved to Germany at the tender age of 13, then repatriated to the Philippines when I turned 16. Spent all of my high school years in French schools and enrolled in a University in the Philippines after IB. I am currently in France as an exchange student =)

Posts by André:

Climate change and what we can do about it!!!

Hey guys.

I haven’t started my own topic in a while since I’ve been rather busy in school, and especially because I am currently writing my undergraduate thesis. My topic is about how climate change has been one of the reasons for the conflict in Darfur and how climate change is being securitized.

No I am not going to bore you all (if you do indeed get bored with it) about my thesis but ever since I started working on this topic, I have read and watched numerous documentaries about climate change. I now just want to spread the word.

In the past 20 or so years, not a single scientist around the world has come to the conclusion that human activity was not responsible for the acceleration of climate change today.  Desertification, intense rainfall, tornadoes, hurricanes, flash floods, soil erosion, etc. etc. have all increased and intensified since the dawn of the industrial age. Our current capitalist system has put a premium on growth and expansion, leaving aside concerns about the environment as, at best, minor concerns. Huge multinational companies, especially the petrol-related ones (I don’t think I have to enumerate which ones) are not helping at all.

Now, I am sure that some of you on this forum are children of people who work for these companies and I am sorry for having to give you the “inconvenient truth.”

I believe that it is our responsibility as the new generation of inhabitants of this Earth,  those who have been exposed to the different cultures, places and environments of this wonderful planet, to take the lead on this. Heck, one of us (a certain US Presidential candidate - and I will betray my bias, hopefully will become President) might become one of the most influential persons today!!

I recommend that everyone who has yet to watch “An Inconvenient Truth” and “The 11th Hour” to go see it and keep those already wide-open eyes and ears open and listen to what they have to say. Also check out http://www.12simplethings.org/ to see what little things you can do to help in this fight against climate change.

In order for us to be able to enjoy and continue to enjoy what we have experienced in our travels, we need to keep our planet healthy =)

November 2, 2008 | Filed Under General Forum | 1 Comment 

The move!!!

Hey all. I’ve been quite absent from the forum for the past month or so and I apologize. I left France about a month ago and spent the whole month of July in Tokyo, Japan. I was there just visiting my parents and going around places.

I have now moved back to Manila, Philippines where I will continue to (shudders) study for about another year or so. I’m still trying to settle back into life in Manila after the less-hectic and less-stressful life in northern France (which I completely adored)

I do indeed miss my life there. Waking up in the morning, with my freshly-baked warm baguette and nutella with some orange juice. LOL. It sounds so stereotypical  but I really really love it (qu’est-ce que ça me manque!!)

But don’t get me wrong, Manila is a lively and always upbeat city that practically never stops to take a breather! I’m sure once I have settled back into my life around here it’ll be quite fun as well.

Hope everyone’s well! =)

August 14, 2008 | Filed Under Blog, General Forum | 6 Comments 

Les départs…leaving

I think I have just come to the realization that leaving is…well…hard, and that I don’t like it very much. I don’t think I have ever felt like this in over 10 years but it’s like all 10 years worth of emotions are flooding in.

I’ll explain the situation: I am currently still in France on exchange. It is the time when everyone (by everyone I mean all of my friends) are leaving…and that I am leaving. Some of my closest friends have already left and others are about to leave. I am leaving at the end of the month (I think). I have been dumped twice during the past year, the reason being: 1. That I am leaving at the end of the year and it’s no use to try and make the relationship work; or 2. She was leaving and it makes no sense to be in a relationship…

I have always tried to hide these feelings whenever I leave: I have always said to myself, it’s ok, it’s not the first time, “tu vas survivre.” As I was reading the TCK book (yes, I just found out about the entire TCK thing and I am still reading it). I have been hiding behind this veil of “being used to it” and I have never allowed myself to wallow too much in these feelings. This is the first time that I am writing this down. I might be just “ranting” here but I didn’t know where else to go (it’s about 5 am where my parents are so it’s kinda hard to talk to them).

I donno if this has anything to do with me just having turned 21 and realizing that I am now getting older, coupled with the fact that everyone is leaving, or if this is just the time tha my emotions started popping out in succession!!! I have just found out about the whole TCK idea (I didn’t know we had a name until about a month ago) and I am just now expressing my ideas in a much clearer way!!

=( I am just feeling down again…and I hate feeling down. I am usually such a happy person but now I am asking myself if that was just a “mask” that I wore to hide my feelings…

Hope you guys don’t judge me too much or whatever….

Oh, I just realized I didn’t need to write that. I’m sure you guys understand.

Thank God for this forum!!

June 2, 2008 | Filed Under General Forum | 15 Comments 

Relationships?

Hi. I have a question regarding relationships.

I am currently feeling very very annoyed and particularly jealous of some of my non-TCK friends. They have had relationships for like 2 years with the same person, something which I have yet to experience.

I have spent some time feeling down and contemplating this “problem” if I can call it that way. I feel like this is due, in part, to my TCK experience. According to what my “ex-s” (if I can call em that), I tend to be clingy whenever I meet someone that I like and I start having a relationship with (they say I send too many SMSs and IM messages, asking them how they are, what are you doing, etc.)

From my contemplation period, I have come to the conclusion that since I have yet to have a long-term relationship, and that relationships are hard to come by for me, especially since I (or the ones I meet) tend to leave after a certain period of time, whenever I meet someone I really like, I want to stick to them like glue. And this seems to “repel” potential partners…
I have really loved my life so far, being a diplomat brat and all, don’t get me wrong. But I really want this part of me to change.

I would just like to have your two cents on this topic. Thanks =)

May 19, 2008 | Filed Under Ask Uncle | 41 Comments 

Hello…from the world

Hey all. I’ve joined this site quite some time ago but I’ve only decided to post now. My name’s André, diplomat brat originally from the Philippines, lived in India, Germany, France and the Philippines. I’ve spent most of my time in French schools but I decided to go to the Philippines for college but I am currently in France =)

Hope everyone’s doing well =)

May 17, 2008 | Filed Under General Forum | 15 Comments