Fast....Walk FAST!

One of the interesting things I have noticed upon arriving in London about six months ago was how Londoners walk. FAST! Is the word to define the walking pace of Londoners for it seems everyone is on coffee rush therefore everyone walks FAST in this city. Now I am beginning to understand the constructions of why city dwellers like Londoners are always on a rush.

With regards with Mark Fisher’s brief but concise lecture and discussion, he particularly pointed out how capitalism has socially constructed a norm wherein everything is geared towards being and needing to be FAST! Fast production means more commodities out for the market. This creates service which needs to be FAST as well. Fast pace of life in order for everyone to have fast access of goods and services and as a reward of having a FAST pace of work is to take part of the ever FAST growing (?) middle class. What a privilege many would say which I personally think is banal.

Capitalism has created the FAST pace mentality and what we internalise is the constant bombardment of anxiety. No wonder mental health is one of the critical issues that England is facing at the moment. This seems to be deemed acceptable and normal because everyone is in a state of anxiety. If we are not busy we might be deemed lousy or lazy. Even when going on holiday a lot of us feel the need to be doing something, anything, and when we STOP, anxiety builds up to the point of choking. Work hard party harder is the life theme of this generation. How sad.

This essay does not aim to criticise Londoners, it is my honest observation of the mentality that this (or any) city creates. The demand to have a fast pace of life in observance of capitalism is something that I now see. I was slowly sucked into the vortex of FAST PACE WALKING and thankfully I woke up and realise……NO! I will have a leisurely walk instead. I’d rather walk among the living then be part of the zombies which Mark wittingly points out:

‘Capital is an abstract parasite, an insatiable vampire, and zombie maker; but the living flesh it converts into dead labor is ours, and the zombie it makes is us.’ (Fisher, M., 2009. p.15)

 Being critical with society can be very liberating!            

The 'Yaya meal' of the Philippines

The "Yaya meals” or Nanny Meals known at particular five star resorts & restaurants which is ONLY served to nannies and maids became headline news in the Philippines. It is a must for the affluent to have their children’s yaya to come along with the family wherever they go. Wherever they go includes five star resorts and restaurants. The yaya wearing her insipid uniform needs to eat as well but instead of the employer getting her something straight from the menu, set meals intended for yaya's, maids, and drivers which includes simple basic food of fish and rice is given as an 'option'. This was or still is practised as a request by (affluent) employers but also tolerated by (some) establishments. This is one way of displaying power, simple as it may but it is nonetheless shocking!

The yaya and rich employer goes through some of Mark Webber’s Classification of forms of Legitimacy which I find interesting.

Convention & contract:

Since employer and yaya are bound by contract, yaya is bound to obey employer. But is she still bound to have no choice with regards to choosing her own meal?

Universal principles:

It is not unusual in the Philippines to have a yaya. It is a custom to a large extent for families to hire a yaya to look after their young children. More now than ever since the new adults today can afford to employ yayas as well. What is evolving is the way some Filipinos treat yayas. Majority would treat them as part of the family and some choose to treat them as mere servants.

Expertise:

Employer might think that they have the best interest for the yaya’s in the context of choosing a yaya meal for them. Some of these employers would make a reason that since their yayas do not have enough knowledge of the type of food served in these establishments they are making the right choice by making them feel comfortable with a meal that they are familiar with.

Personal relation:

This is clear in the sense that employer is master and yaya is servant. But the degree of loyalty between master and servant in this context might vary depending on the subjects. Some yayas might think that they hold loyalty to their employers because their employers have their best interest. Then again some yayas would differ.

Personal quality:

As mentioned by Weber leadership is the key word for this classification. The employers don’t seem to have a good grip of being a leader in this context.

I find it interesting how this issue became a national issue. Why is it so shocking when reality is there are worse forms of power displayed every day? Is it only because everyone regardless of class, status and party can clearly relate and have their own opinion about it? Or is it just plain simple blatant abuse of power?