Touching lives in “little” ways September 26, 2008
Posted by Diadem in : Lessons in life , 3commentsBubbleShare: Share photos - Craft Kits
Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory, comes from an old Aboriginal word meaning “meeting people.”
That was exactly what I did while in Australia – meet people from all walks of life and from different nations of diverse cultures. Never mind their politics.
But I won’t forget meeting this young man named Albert Chua, Jr. whom I treated as my younger brother. I met him through Nomer Esmero, my co-Ford Fellow. He was first introduced to me as a son of a rich Filipino-Chinese tycoon in Manila. At first, I thought, a great divide exists between the rich and ordinary people who could not afford even a plane ticket to travel, much less, study abroad. You see, I feel uncomfortable mingling with rich people. I was afraid Albert might look down on me because I’m not rich, but not so poor either. I do not sport a car. I don’t wear branded clothes. I’m not classy. In short, I’m just an ordinary mortal like anyone else.
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