Voting right!

I asked my sis-in-law to take this shot from her mobile phone. Okay, that is not a photo of my dead nail! I know it is not really a great photo of my finger but it is a sign that I have exercised my right to vote!

The black mark (actually it is purple) on the nail is the indelible ink placed after you cast your vote. I wasn’t able to wash my finger to lessen mark (it doesn't get washed out easily too) since I had to go to a meeting, actually a cheering practice for a sports fest to be held next week (we sure are cramming!). Anyway, while in the meeting, everyone was showing the mark in her finger. Most of us there were able to vote and didn’t really find it hard to find our corresponding precincts and cast our ballots.

We didn’t find it hard since my youngest sister went to the precinct early and she already got our room number, precinct number and even our assigned number in the list (and now there is our picture on the list too!) The school beside our home is also a voting center but our precinct is still in the old school where we have been voting ever since. It would have been more convenient if our center is just beside our home but the fact that my sister easily found our names in the old school made it alright. It wasn’t really far, we could just walk going there but since mama still finds it hard to walk, we rode our car going there and voted around noon when there were not much voters. There were stairs going to the school but mama managed it well, she really wanted to exercise her vote.

Earlier in our home we were asking each other whom we are going to vote for and it turned out that we really did not share the same candidates – well we had a lot of common candidates but nobody in our household shared the same list. We did not argue about our choices though and just wanted to make sure that we cast our vote.

Now, most people at home are just monitoring the progress of the canvassing on TV. It seems a fairly peaceful election (don't know what will happen next though). My former officemate whose 3 relatives are running for local office in their province told me that vote buying is still rampant in their place but in all my voting life, I have never experienced being paid for my vote. I kept kidding my officemates about showing me the money… how come I’m not getting any money??? Hehehe…

This year though my brother is getting some money on this election…

Nope, he is not selling his vote!

And nope, he is not acting as campaigner, watcher or coordinator for any candidate…

He is actually earning some money selling food, refreshments and cigarettes (we can sell cigarettes by the stick in our country) to voters and other passers by since his shop is just beside the school. Life is hard these days and money is money and so he grabbed the opportunity to earn some this election!

Hope the elected officials bring order and prosperity to our country… lots of opportunity to work or set up businesses, be productive and earn! And definitely hope the blessing trickles (okay not just trickle but pour out heavily) on all Filipinos!