Vintage Imelda

Just this once I am going political because I can't pass up on this article published in The Australian Magazine, the Sunday magazine of the The Australian that came out in its March 10-11 issue. The article is entitled "Lady in Waiting" which is about Imelda Marcos. (Sorry the article is not available online.)

Quotable Quotes

Here are some quotes from Imelda's interview that appeared in the article written by Emma-Kate Symons:

"We did not kill Ninoy and Marcos is not a dictator."

"I know there are many, many people who would like me to return to politics" (Yeah, the 10% who voted for her in the 1992 elections.)

"When the world went to my closet they found only shoes and jewels, not skeletons." (Coz the skeletons were buried in mass graves.)

"These last 25 years they have deprived me of everything. My country, my art, even my shoes."

Her Philosophies

Here are glimpses of what she believes in:

"My philosophy in life, because I'm committed to beauty, is very spiritual. Beauty is a religion for me because beauty is God made real. I have been brainwashed by beauty."

"My philosophy in life is the only things we keep are those we give away" (referring to the art collections, furniture and other stuff sold by the Aquino government).

Her Claim to Fame

"Look at these shoes, they only cost $US3" (Poor girl, she must have worn them out right after the interview.)

Imelda quoting Mao: "Mrs. Marcos is so natural and that is perfection...And she finished in five minutes or five seconds the Cold War". (Gee, I must have read the wrong history book.)

If you don't know it yet, she has published a book entitled Circles of Life : A Perosnal Mythology Guide. Got to know about it when I saw the movie Imelda. If you haven't seen the film, go watch it have a look at how her seven circles is really ten and have a good laugh. And I thought I was good at counting.

Imelda in the Eyes of the Writer

These were how Imelda and her home was described in the article:

"...startlingly well-preserved."

"...Marcos's style as crass while chuckling at her narcissistic claims. But there is method to her madness."

"On her grand piano are rows of photographs of Marcos with her dictator's hall of fame. Pride of place is reserved for her 'dear friends' Hussein, Fidel Castro, Gaddafi, and Mao Zedong." (Birds of a feather? Nah, she did say her husband was not a dictator right? Maybe he just hanged out with the wrong crowd.)

As for her book and video collection, these were some of the titles Symons saw: Saddam Hussein: A Biography, Hitler's Children, Marie Antoinette by Antonia Fraser. It's obvious that he holds Saddam in high esteem, I wonder how she felt when he was hanged. Oh and just because she has these books does not mean they were a source of inspiration while they were in office. Her video collection consists of her "peace missions" as the First Lady to Iraq and Libya and also includes PowerPoint presentations of how she "ended the Cold War". Professionally speaking its a rather interesting collection and I won't mind organizing and cataloguing them for her.

But I'm sure she wouldn't have any use for my talents as she knows where everything she owns are.