18 episodes
Goodbye, Philippines Charles Au Lavoie
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- Arts
Through Facebook conversations, George, the narrator of Goodbye, Philippines, gets glimpses of Filipino lives in the Philippines and among expatriates and Overseas Foreign Workers.
Although he prefers to keep his emotional distance, we gradually see George’s longing for meaningful connections and his ongoing grief for his deceased partner.
The interest is both documentary (George is a writer) and personal, as he discovers the breadth and uniqueness of the gay community in the Philippines and in North America. He is often reminded of the disparity between the deprivations and emotional angst of his youth and the sufferings of the younger generation.
As his health begins to decline, George continues to encounter younger gays, writers, and others with similar interests. Facebook gives him licence to be bolder and more direct with his questions about others’ lives.
On one trip to the Philippines, he is hospitalized, in delirium and dependent on local care until he is well enough to fly home. On his return, he shuts everyone out, including Lando, the youth in the Philippines whose college education the he paid for.
George’s interactions with a Canadian healer break through his defences and offer him a chance to share his grief and loneliness and his anguish at the prospect of living as a disabled person. He eventually finds an amenable place to live and a new purpose: mentoring younger gays, including Travis, a fellow philosophy devotee.
After a long silence, due mostly to George’s reluctance to be reminded of the crisis that changed his life so dramatically, his protégé reaches out and the two briefly reunite online. The bond between them is poignant and Lando’s longing for a father substitute is palpable. Will George choose to pull away?
Stories by Charles Au Lavoie
Read by Warren Carrie
Music by Angelica Dayao
Painting by Jacob Bravo
website: http://www.charlesaulavoie.com/
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Goodbye message
The author, Charles Au Lavoie, gives his message to the listeners of Goodbye, Philippines.
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Chapter 17 - Family Reunion
After a health emergency in the Philippines, George flies back to Canada to recover. Lando, who was left worried, waited for news of his situation. After months of silence, George finally responds to Lando. As the two are catching up, Lando asks George about his feelings.
Story by Charles Au Lavoie
Epilogue music: Ich bin der Welt abhanden Gekkomen by Gustav Mahler
Author's email: charlesaulavoie@gmail.com -
Chapter 16 - George's Fear
George is at risk of going blind because of a history of blindness in his family. As a preventive measure, the doctor prescribes him medicated eye-drops, and tells him that in the event of a violent headache in the middle of the night, he should go to the hospital right away. This happened to George while he was in Iloilo. Lando assists him, but something was odd with George.
Story by Charles Au Lavoie
Author's email: charlesaulavoie@gmail.com -
Chapter 15 - Online Economy
After having been contacted by several women whose Facebook accounts have no biographical information or timeline content, George decided to do some investigation before clicking the Accept button. He does exactly that after a guy named Ben Casile contacted him. Ben’s intentions would soon unfold after several chats with George. Over time, George would see a familiar pattern with strangers he interviewed online for his book.
Story by Charles Au Lavoie
Author's email: charlesaulavoie@gmail.com -
Chapter 14 - The Starting Point
While in a cafe at a mall in Victoria, Apin asks George about the book he’s working on. George responded that it’s about Filipinos. Apin is puzzled and asks George why write about the Filipinos. Their conversation turns into a reminiscence of their childhood.
Story by: Charles Au Lavoie
Author's email: charlesaulavoie@gmail.com -
Chapter 13 - The Purpose of Life
George acquired a new Facebook friend named Jerry Patterson, who he met at a neighbor’s wedding. After he accepts Jerry’s friend request, George scans Jerry’s timeline and finds links to disturbing music videos. George feels Jerry’s unspoken hell, and reminds him of his own pain of living.
Story by: Charles Au Lavoie
Author's email:charlesaulavoie@gmail.com