Taiwanese drag + 22 Filipino books

Apocalypse spending vol. 7

I just got home from a two-week trip to the Philippines and Taiwan, and I spent money on two things that definitely fall under apocalypse spending.

If you're new here, apocalypse spending happens when you feel the impending doom of climate catastrophe and late-stage capitalism too hard. It might look like hoarding canned goods or other supplies. It could also look like saying, "Fuck it!" and putting a big expense on a credit card because you're afraid you don't have enough time on this planet to enjoy something you love. And it could also look like investing in hope and solidarity, like my enrollment in the Next Economy MBA.

This volume is about two things that brought me so much joy recently:

A Taiwanese drag show

After a quick Instagram search for LGBTQ+ events and venues in Taipei, I learned about Cafe Dalida, a long-standing gay bar that hosts a drag night called C.U.M. Party.

Taiwanese drag queens are in a league of their own, tbh. While they lip-sync to Western songs, the movement, emotion, and style are so unique. The first half of the show included the best local queens, followed by the night's headliner: Morphine Love Dion from season 16 of RuPaul's Drag Race. Then, eight local queens who are newer to the scene faced off in a lip-sync battle. It was one of the best nights of my life.

Taiwan is considered one of the most LGBTQ-friendly countries in Asia because it was the first Asian country to legalize gay marriage in 2019. But drag queens still face a lot of economic hardships and social stigma. Bars like Cafe Dalida do so much to gather the queer and trans community — but they are also economic hubs that keep queer and trans people alive.

One of my favorite parts of the night was tipping the queens – still one of the purest forms of joy, in my eyes. The pit crew, dressed in hot pink jock straps and harnesses, collected tips using what is best described as a church collection basket. If you were standing behind someone who wanted to put money in the collection basket, you had to duck so you wouldn't get it. It was hilarious, and, tbh, such a spiritual experience.

22 Filipino books from independent bookstores

I went to two independent bookstores in Manila and bought 22 books. Somehow, I managed to pack all these books in my checked bags without going over the 23kg weight limit.

Some people stockpile canned goods, but I will always stockpile books.

I was born and raised in the Philippines, and I love learning more about my people and our culture.

I'm absolutely terrified that all this knowledge will disappear. In the 70s, the Philippines was under the Marcos dictatorship, and they destroyed newspapers, TV stations, films, and other forms of media that had any whiff of opposition to Martial law. And guess who's president of the Philippines right now? The dictator's son, Bongbong Marcos.

I'm not saying that I'm some kind of savior of Filipino literature — there are folks back home who are better equipped to actually do that. But I do recognize that this sudden desire to hoard books comes from a fear of censorship, which exists both in the Philippines and the United States.

This is why I keep saying: Emotional spending is underrated. We are constantly shamed for making emotional decisions, and I wholeheartedly disagree with that. Of course, I don't want anyone to be in debt, or to feel trapped by compulsive spending. But I think it's more important to listen to and care for the emotions underneath those behaviors than to try to stop cold turkey.

I started writing about my own Apocalypse Spending because the emotions behind those behaviors are intelligence that helps us take action toward the world we want to see. I hope this series has inspired you to slow down and listen to the impulses behind your own Apocalypse Spending.

What it actually cost:

• $1,200 TWD (~$34 USD) to get into C.U.M. Party
• $1,000 TWD (~$29 USD) to tip the queens
• Around ₱8,500 (~$140 USD) at Everything's Fine
• And ₱4,700 (~$78 USD) at Solidaridad

Highlights from my book haul

I usually make a list of media I've been consuming lately at the end of the Apocalypse Spending newsletters, but it felt more appropriate to share the highlights from my book haul:

• I'm so excited about this book called Arkipelago, a magical realist novel written in Cebuano and translated to English. I'm so stoked because the book is printed with the original Cebuano text on one side and the English translation on the other.
• Brief Histories by Don Jaucian, a memoir and essay collection about the author's gay awakening. I started reading this on the plane and finished it while I was recovering from jet lag. It was so good!
• The God Botherers by Noli Manaig, a collection of poetry whose title just tickled me.

Read more:

• Vol. 4: I spent $0 to take public transportation instead of driving
• Vol. 5: I went to a free Fat Liberation symposium
• Vol. 6: I traveled to Oaxaca to learn about non-extractive lending