It's all Abner Mercado's fault

The Philippines is a hot and humid country.  It's a place where the less you wear the more cool and comfortable you feel.  That's why a T-shirt, jeans and havianas get-up works very well hear.

Jackets and sweaters are reserved only for those living in Baguio or working in call centers because the coldness is real.  Any place else is just stupid.

The Philippines is no place for gloves, boots, fur coats, mufflers and scarves.  It is simply to hot to wear them.  And you can't wear them during the rainy season 'coz they'll just get wet and ruined.

But I do have those clothing accessories.  I have them for my trips abroad.  I use them when I go to cold countries like Germany, Great Britain and the US.  I do not wear them here in the country.

Recently, I travelled to Japan with my wife for our honeymoon.  I brought a coat and a pair of gloves.  I was supposed to bring a scarf but hesitated because I got disturbed with all the scarf (or keffiyeh) wearing here and I just got uncomfortable having one.  I ended up feeling a lot cold since temperature in Central Japan was a freezing 9 degrees celsius and I was forced to buy a new pair.

From this:

To this:

For the past couple of months, I've seen more and more men wearing scarves.  In the Philippines!

In hot and humid Philippines!

Scarves!

(a keffiyeh scarf)

What the hell is going on?  It's a fashion trend now.

I have nothing with fashion trends, I mean I went with the fitted shirt when it became a fad.  So too for the slim jeans.  Ofcourse I also got me a pair of Havianas and Sanuks.  And who can forget trucker hats.

But atleast all these fads complemented or worked with the weather and temperature.  It was okay.

But scarves!  They're for cold countries, man!  It doesn't make sense to wear them around here.  It looks stupid!  Are we all pretending that's it cold and windy outside?

Sure, sure, scarf-like keffiyehs are used in desert countries like Africa and Iraq, but they don't use it there as a fashion statement.  They use it there to cover the heads and faces, to protect them from the dusty wind.  So, exception dun.

Eh dito wala eh.  No practical use at all. 

Mr. Abner Mercado

I blame ABS-CBN news correspondent Abner Mercado for this scarf craze plaguing the country.  Ever since he started wearing those scarves (particularly, during the Philippine Mt Everest Expedition in '06) people here have been buying and wearing them.

Thanks a lot, man.

Now, I want it to be clear that I am not against those who wear scarves.  Hey, if you want to be fashionable, be my guest, it's a free country.  I just really feel it silly and stupid and I hope fad dies down real fast.

Now what do I do with this new scarf