Of Indizh, Canyon Cove and the Deaths of Crosby and Botak

As I may have recounted to some of you, I’d an extremely bizarre incident some time back while trying to book a room at Canyon Cove for my cousin Marga’s wedding. 

After repeated attempts to have them reach out to me, in exasperation, I’d blurted out to an agent, “How would you feel if you were in my shoes?”  Big mistake to ask someone who’s been trained to just be a drone – no feelings and mechanical. 

The conversation – in various avenues of the same theme – went on for about 20 minutes with her just saying that she’ll try to find out what happened and will get back to me. 

“I don’t care about what you’re going to do,” I kept repeating, “I just want you to tell me what you would feel if you were in my situation.” 

“I’m sorry, po, but I can’t,” was the automatic reply. 

Filipinos are possibly the warmest and most hospitable people in the world.  It’s what really makes me call this place “home.”  Given the wrong guidance and culture, however, they can be exasperating.  Key, I suppose is to bring out our strengths and capitalize on them.  Something Canyon Cove, obviously, didn’t do. 

I'd understood everything clearly when we finally stayed at the resort and actually felt bad I'd demanded so much from the person I'd spoken to.  After all, it was a place that was utilitarian, not too well kept and had that "pwede na" feel to it.  She was primarily echoing this culture.  

People who really know me are aware of my extreme nationalism – I’m not too happy when I’ve to eat at a restaurant that’s foreign and, for the longest time held, off on buying a pair of rubber shoes because I’d the belief there’s a local brand (even took a trip to Marikina). 

I've come up with a term - "indizh" - a play on the word indigenous - to describe homegrown companies that I'd rather patronize.  So, yeah, please, don't come running to invite me to the opening of that new Pink's Hotdogs.  I'm fine with my Manang's Chicken, thank you.   

Reasons for this include the practical:  I'd rather that the money made by an establishment stay in the country rather than go to that shareholder living in that four bed / five car McMansion in that tony Idaho suburb. 

So, in my long quest for that pair (I can actually share with you the state of my old one - which literally fell apart), I came to the realization that brands I knew growing up - Crosby and Botak - no longer exist.  Was it, perhaps, our inability to innovate that brought about this?  

Our, yes, culture that allows us to fall into that "pwede na" category?  Perhaps it was that and not the Ice Age that killed the dinosaurs, right?

Written January 31, 2015