Skip to main content

If I were in your shoes, ...





Imelda Marcos turns 80 on July 2, 2009 and told the Associated Press in an interview that “she is nearly broke”.
“Here I am, at 80, still struggling to look presentable,” the widow of former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos told the news agency in “her swank two-storey penthouse in Manila, wearing a dark red dress over matching pants and red slippers”.
Imelda, whose shoe collection became a worldwide symbol of extravagance, and Ferdinand fled the Philippines in 1986 following the “people power” uprising, which installed Mrs Corazon Aquino as the next president.
According to a 1990 news report, she left behind 508 gowns, 427 dresses, 71 pairs of sunglasses and 1,060 pairs of shoes.
Nicknamed the “Iron Butterfly” during her 20 years as First Lady, Imelda was at one time known as the “Muse of Manila”.
The way she had earned the title gave a fascinating glimpse into her philosophy of life: take EVERY opportunity that presents itself!
She had entered the Miss Manila contest at the age of 20 but was not selected as a finalist.
She felt crushed by the outcome and pleaded with the then mayor, accusing the judging panel of vote-rigging.
The mayor, who was partial to pretty girls, fell for her charms and appointed her the “Muse of Manila” to cheer her up.
Imelda continues to shock the world with her comments. The tone of her "broke" declaration is consistent with the general tenor of previous remarks.
The following are a few examples.
Imelda on her shoes, jewels and paintings
“Shoes are not even my weakness. Many of the paintings I bought were for our poor museums at home. As for jewels, I was blessed with a husband who was very generous to me,” – July 1990.
“Before I had 3,000 pairs. Now the official count is only more than 1,000. Where have the rest gone?” – November 1991.
Imelda on Mrs Corazon Aquino
“I will ask her what it is she is angry about, what it is I have done. If I have done something wrong, I will say I’m sorry and do what I have to do,” – November 1991.
“I am so sorry for her and ultimately for the country. She had all this opportunity. Everybody wanted to give her a chance, and she blew it. – January 1992.
Imelda on aspirations to run for presidency
“When the people speak, Imelda follows. I am now considering all options for the survival of our country.” – December 1991
Imelda on her concern for Filipinos
“As long as there is one Filipino who is poor, Imelda’s work will not be over. I am my little people’s star and slave, ” – December 1991
NOTE: Imelda's collection of shoes is on display at the Marikina Shoe Museum. For more on Imelda Marcos visit this site.
TOP PICTURE: Imelda Marcos at her 70th birthday party on July 2, 1999
BOTTOM PICTURE: An official of Marikina's tourism council showing off Imelda's shoes on August 16, 1999
PHOTOS: AFP, AP (New Straits Times Photo Library)
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
I can never be sure whether Imelda is really the deluded person she is, or whether it is all one big clever act. But she has made herself into an icon that - love her or hate her - makes her hard to ignore long after she has ceased to be the First Lady of her country.

O.C. Yeoh
9 July 2009 at 13:35
Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Who am I?

Malaysian artist Jeganathan Ramachandram will be exhibiting his paintings in Singapore if a deal with a company to display Human Watching: A Visual Poetry on the Science of Human Watching in the island republic is successful. The intuitive artist told Survey that the move is still under negotiation. Human watching made its debut at Galeri Petronas in March, 2009 and was well received by both art critics and art lovers. Fourteen portraits representing females and males born on each of the seven days in a week were put on view. The depictions (acrylic on canvas) were based on his observations of human behaviour for the past 14 years. Images of seven females and seven males inform viewers through symbols of their strengths and weaknesses and their relationships with other people. Those who have seen Human Watching identified with their profiles almost immediately. Admit it: you are curious about yourself! Males, who were born on Sunday ( bottom picture ), were pleasantly surprised to dis
5 comments
Read more

When a card came out of the blue ...

This post is prompted by a remark made by my good friend Wei Lin. She saw me reading a card I had received from a friend recently and said: "Traditional cards are so old-fashioned." I wondered if that was true and decided to probe into the issue. A Google search revealed numerous articles on the debate between traditional paper-based cards and e-cards. Tracey Grady's examination of the pros and cons of each type is informative. In my opinion, e-cards are not substitutes for the real (traditional) ones and they shouldn't be. I treat e-card e-mails with suspicion because spammers could be using them to download viruses and software onto my computer. I have never sent anyone an e-card and I don't plan to; I dislike the cold impersonality of conveying greetings electronically. I have always liked sending and receiving cards the traditional way. The ritual of going to a bookshop, browsing at the card section, picking a suitable one for the recipient and then walking to
7 comments
Read more

Protect our parents from elder abuse

All's well that ends well. At least that was how Harian Metro , the number one Malay tabloid in Malaysia, portrayed it. Amir Mohd Omar, who abandoned his paralysed mother to the care of strangers at a budget hotel at Jalan Raja Muda Musa, Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur, has accepted a job offer from an entrepreneur and Malaysians have high expectations regarding his filial duty. Would he be able to hold it together this time and not crack under the strain of managing his day-to-day life which includes looking after his aging mother? I would like to think that he would do the right thing now. Anti-Amir sentiment ran high when the public read that he had walked away from his physically incapacitated mother, Faridah Maulud, 66,  after checking her into the hotel. His distraught mother was discovered by hotel staff a few days later when they found out that he didn't pay the hotel bill. Her gut-wrenching photo on the front page of the tabloid touched many readers of the new
Post a Comment
Read more