Okay, so guys, Its been a year already and I had a little scary dream last night. I hate to say this but as your Human Resource Officer, I think I feel the need to push through with a little activity. Im not talking about karaoke's or trips. Im talking about outreach. So written under is still a little plan. Please help me by storming me with some of your suggestions. I'll still be looking for the place where these Slippers should reach in our country. Still, i need your help on these guys. I plan to push through this before November. So here it is: (btw, the article below will be posted in our church bulletins, just above where our boxes should be standing.)

KCIC Tsinelas of Comfort

Man lives on three basic things; food shelter and clothing. For Filipinos, basic clothing includes T-shirts, underwear, Shorts/pants and TSINELAS. Tsinelas is a basic personal commodity in our country. Who wasn't able to own a pair of Tsinelas in their whole Pinoy lives? I can't remember my first pair of slippers but surely, i had good times with the ones i had. We played games with it or leave it safe on top of river bridges before we jumped into the river. As long as the soles are thick enough to protect our feet from the scourging heat of dusty roads, it still fully usable. We even found various ways of repairing broken strap of this slippers. Who didn't? Moreover, Who could ever resist the art of decorating your slippers by twirling sugarcane flower stalks on it. However, For most rural areas nowadays, Tsinelas has been fixed with much glamor. Once, these slippers goes by the name Tsinelas. It's now called flip flops for obviously sprinkling sosy dusts in its name. Yes, the very Tsinelas that we are accustomed in wearing just at home has now been fashionably changed. So much for its crazy facts in the urbanity, let me share you its unseen facts in the rural. For some people in the remotest regions of the Philippines, wearing Tsinelas is the most decent foot wear they could get for special occasions. Shoes is not even an option. Tsinelas are usually worn by adults only on Sundays (when going to church) and on some other special occasions. For some children , only when they go to school. But for the rest of their daily activities like farming and playing, Bare feet is what they use. We are one the luckiest Pinoy's. We have mustered all our prayers in order to survive this foreign land we live in. However, we are still just a fraction of the millions of Pinoy's suffering from our country's corrupted government officials. Thus, let me reach out to you this little drive called KCIC TSINELAS of COMFORT. The program intends to reach as much as it can in a little way by asking out for your hearts; The drive is governed only by simple set of rules; 1. Tsinelas are sold in most 100 yen shops of japan. If you plan to give more expensive slippers, It's still allowed, as long as, the design of your donated sandal will remain consistent with the basic design. (see attached picture for basic Tsinelas design) 2. Tsinelas are Rubber slippers and not Uwabaki's (indoor slippers). 3. To maintain consistency in our help, let us give only rubber slippers. Sandals of various designs and thicker soles are strongly not suggested. Variety in design can lead to waste of space in these freight boxes, thus please observe instructions. 4. Please prefer buying Tsinelas sizes that are fit for little children. Approx. from 5 to 10 yrs old. Remember, Philippine Freight Boxes costs approximately 10,000 yen. Therefore, we will try our best to put in 1000 pair of Tsinelas in one box. Freight charges will be handled by KCIC.

Simple yet very fascinating and brilliant idea, Pharaoh! I could not agree more and I really want this project be pursued and implemented. Let me share some of my random thoughts about this underrated little thing called tsinelas and the way it affects my upbringing in so many different perspectives in life. Tsinelas influenced me heavily when I was coping up in learning to play the guitar and just started to form a band with my friends. It was the hit Tsinelas by the famous alternative pinoy rock band called Yano. Though it was the song and not the essence of Tsinelas per se that brought an explicable desire to continue playing the guitar, Tsinelas had made its role in my music influence. In my early boyhood years, I felt so lucky compare to other kids. Every time my Mom bought me a new pair of Spartan slippers, I could not help but brag to other playmates feeling proud of my new Spartan. The strange rubber scent manifesting that its new and fresh from the store and its high-pitch tiktak sound in every step brought wonderful feelings a naive boy like me can never asked for more. Looking back, some of my friends are not so lucky. I could list a lot of unfortunate things about them and one of them is the unbearable holes in their slippers. There is no escaping in seeing the real truth about their slippers coz we play maring-maring, patentero, senor base, tsinelas-lata, among other things that require tsinelas as a mandatory equipment. I can still feel how sorry I am even until now every time I refresh to see those tsinelas so deformed and overly exploited beyond its wear and tear lifespan. We are walking too far for the price of our 'slippers' is really true after all. Buying new slippers is not a luxury for us even then. As long as its soles are thick enough to be usable even if its straps are broken, my mother will not buy me a new one. My Lolo who was very good at knitting coz he used to be a fisherman, he was always ready to fix our broken slippers. It's my Lolo's final say that my Mom will abide if I need a new pair of slippers. Only when my Lolo says it cannot be fixed that my Mom will brought me a new one. As simple and as an underrated a Tsinelas could be, KCIC Tsinelas of Comfort will surely have an impact that will affect the life of its recepient. winnux