Looking Ahead

In one of our major classes, the professor talked about a phenomenon regarding organizational citizenship, or the lack of it in the working world in today’s generation of the workforce. Yuppies these days stay with a company for merely a few months to 3 years. I think 3 years would be stretching it these days. There was once a generation that stayed with organizations for decades… What does this say of companies these days? What does this say of the workforce of this generation?

Ever since money went scarce, I wanted a job with steady pay and benefits. A career or a job used to be something that I liked to do. Today, it’s what would give me enough financial stability to support myself and my mom. Hopefully, the two “job/career” perceptions would merge… These will if I get a job in public relations. Maybe in Shell or Unilab or Proctor & Gamble or Uniliver. As I said, highest bidder hahaha. It’s a dream… I still have to prove that I’m good enough. Scary thing about after graduation is that they arm you with theoretical knowledge but you really don’t know if you’re good enough for those top companies till you try out, get accepted or denied.

Well, if that doesn’t work out, maybe I’ll go for human resources… Maybe video/print production… If I’m lucky, I’ll probably try broadcasting or entertainment, but that’s a long shot.

In the end, it’s really the big bucks…

PARRRTEEEEYYY!!!

If there’s one thing I want to do after graduation, it’s parteeeyyy! Sad, I know. Some say college is the time to meet all the people you can and do all the fun stuff. It’s my fourth year in college and in all my four years, I only stayed for a few hours in a club (Temple in Greenbelt) for a birthday of a blockmate. Before that, I stepped into Ice just to check if there was space for me and my friends, was in and out in a few seconds. The only parties I’ve been to were ones here in the village, Merville.

Group of friends I grew up with are great. We take joy in hanging out and having drinks in each other’s houses. They’re actually going out in the world right now. Just the other week, they went salsa dancing. And sometime in July, they’re planning to go to Batangas. Hopefully, I’ll be able to go to Batangas. My only issue is money and permission from my mom and my brother. Imagine that, 21 and I still really can’t go out.

I can drive, but I can only drive alone in the village even if I have a license. I drove to Manila for a wedding once thought, with my boyfriend, but I was still with my boyfriend. I’ve been out of town but always under adult supervision. Well, even if relatives are taking care of tuition and allowance, I’m still living under my mom’s roof. I haven’t been able to contribute anything to the house. I’ve tried to, believe me, but the world keeps shutting me out.

I’ll get there, I guess… Out there, I mean. Out there where I can actually enjoy everything life and this world has to offer without the need to ask for permission or money from anyone. I just have to be patient and work my way out.

a place to call home!

Glass… Stone… Granite… A little dark wood… Smooth edges… Earthy... Minimalist… Lots of space… Black… White… Grey… Clean… Comfortable… Home!



It does seem like the “in” thing these days, but I’m drawn to the theme. My parents’ house, the house I live in right now, is quite eclectic—bad eclectic. Well, there’s nice eclectic where it’s a mix of different cultures and colors, but there’s something that ties everything together. Our house is a mix of artwork from different times, different artists, and different mediums from paintings to figurines. Heck, even the Christmas figurines aren’t kept. No two sets should stay in the same room, but they all do. We have so much stuff piled up from Chinese porcelain to exquisite stained glass figurines to Victorian glass designs. There’s just too much of everything.

Now, the whole house is basically shades of brown and white inside, but there’s this one wall of blocks of stone that are different shades of grey. It’s a nice wall, but definitely out of place. The bathroom upstairs is blue and white; it used to be beige and white. My brother painted his room downstairs blue and orange when he moved in. Talk about out of place!

As for organization, there’s a complete lack of it! My mom’s a packrat. She keeps everything from old magazines to used disposable utensils. Boy, you can just imagine what else she keeps! She kept all the display stuff from her old boutique. We have 2 sets of sofas in the living room, a huge Chinese chest that we haven’t opened nor used. I could go on forever… We should auction some of this stuff; however my mom doesn’t want to. She says she saved all of it so we can have them when we have our own houses. Our eldest sister lives in part of old Manila house our grandmother left our mom and her siblings—she got a rattan living room set, but that’s all. My other sister rents an apartment with husband and son. She doesn’t have anything from this house and refuses to get anything since it’s a small house. My brother lives with us… No one else to take from the stash, but me when it’s my turn to leave the house. Hey, my mom has really nice stuff… The only problem is things don’t go together… My house is just going to be simple.

vrooom vrooom!!!

Said it once and I’ll say it again… I HATE COMMUTING. I’ll be saving the hell out of the misery for a nice second-hand car. When I get to the 6 to 7-figure salary, I’ll go for a brand new sexy sleek car with a good engine under the hood. Maybe I’ll buy 3 cars… I can dream, can’t I? Hahaha

I’ve always wanted a shiny black sedan. We’ve never owned a black car before. We had a reddish brown Saporro, a gold Suzuki mini-van, a baby blue Galant, a white Corolla, and now a maroon Elantra. Now, forgive me if I can’t do the car enthusiast lingo, I plan to take a crash course on car mechanics after graduation. Hey, that way I’ll fix my own car and if I can’t I won’t be caught with my pants down by shops that would rather take advantage than actually fix my car. Anyway, the sexiest car we’ve owned so far is that ’98 Hyundai Elantra. One word to describe it: Macho! Love love love that car with its chinky lights and round edges except for the fact that it conks out every now and then.



If I had the money right now, I’ll buy a black Vios, round edges, digital meters and gauges, and a nice grill up front, like it’s smiling with braces. (Talk about personifying the car)

THing$ to buy with my first PAY check

Buttoned-down, long sleeved blouses
Slacks/Skirts
Pumps/Stilettos
Accessories
Jackets
Groceries, esp. Alcohol!!!

Practically everything I had to resist. Apart from a few items I bought myself, I never chose what went into my closet. I dealt with hand-me-downs and fashion faux pas when I gave up the cause of trying to look good, presentable in the least for 21 years now. It would be nice to choose my wardrobe for a change.

My mom buys stuff from a wet market outside our village. Rarely do we get to buy stuff from the supermarket. When we actually do go to the supermarket, there are some things I wanted but couldn’t pick up because it wasn’t a necessity and I wouldn’t be the one to pay for it if ever I did put it in the cart.

One thing I haven’t done ever is pick up bottles of alcohol to stock up for those need-to-wind-down nights from work. In the case of the first pay check, here’s to a bountiful year ahead!

Well, if ever the working world is not kind enough to grant me a big enough pay check, there is I can always buy one item at a time plus groceries of course.

Going once... Going twice... Sold!

Someone once told me that no one ever likes his first job. These days, I guess he was right. The nice jobs ask for experience, which a fresh grad never has. Always have to start off somewhere though, right?

I’m guessing I’m going to be for sale to the highest bidder after graduation. That’s assuming that there are bidders. Let’s face it, we all have needs. Money needed to pay for those needs gets harder and harder to find and/or make these days.

I have friends who stick to their crappy jobs because of the money. They wake up every morning dreading the day ahead. I also have friends who transfer jobs for bigger offers. They’re never satisfied. Who would be at the rate labor is going? It’s a sad phenomenon.

mOve oOout!!!

As a kid, I watched a lot of tv. Our mom never really liked Pinoy tv, so we watched tv shows in English. I got exposed to American culture at an early age and got attracted to a form of culture very different from our own. At 18, teens move out of their parents’ homes. At the age of 18, they’re practically adults and they begin their attempt at fending for themselves.

Our culture is totally opposite. Filipino parents would keep their offspring even when the latter starts their own family. They call this “strong family ties”. I believe that in most cases, keeping sons and daughters home keeps them dependent, especially when life is very comfortable.

When I was in grade school, I thought I’d move out when I turned 18 as well. I was too young to see the problem of living in another context. I turned 18 in my senior year of high school. If I lived in the US, I would’ve been able to get a job that would pay enough to cover rent, groceries, and maybe school. Here in the southeast, you won’t get a job with a mere high school diploma under your belt… So here I am, on last year in college, about to turn 22 and nothing to show for it yet, still living in my parents’ house. In 2 years time, hopefully, I will have been able to move out and rent an apartment with no financial help from my folks or anyone else. Hmmm… I’m getting ahead of myself. Maybe I’ll get a roommie…

soundtrack

There’s a classic jazz song for every part of a relationship. Well, maybe this could me a movie soundtrack album…

1. Dreaming of that certain someone—someone to watch over me, Natalie Cole
“There’s a somebody I’m longing to see
I hope that he turns out to be
Someone who’ll watch over me.
I’m a little lamb who’s lost in the wood
I know I could always be good to
Someone who’ll watch over me

Although he may not be
the man some girls think of
As handsome to my heart he carries the key
Won’t you tell him, please
Please to put on some speed
Follow my lead oh how I need
Someone to watch over me”
2. Meeting that special someone—I’ve got a crush on you, Dinah Washington
“It’s not that you’re attractive
But oh my heart grew active
When you came into view
I’ve got a crush on you, Sweetie pie
All the day and night time, hear me sigh
I never had the least notion
That I could fall, with so much emotion
…
The world will have to pardon my mush
‘Cause I’ve got a crush, my baby, on you.”
3. Falling in love and thinking of that special someone all the time—the very thought of you, Natalie Cole
The very thought of you, and I forget to do
The little ordinary things that everyone ought to do
I’m living in a kind of daydream, I’m happy as a king
And foolish, though it may seem to me that’s everything
The mere idea of you, the longing here for you
You’ll never know how slow the moments go, till I’m near to you
I see your face in every flower, your eyes in stars above
It’s just the thought of you
The very thought of you, my love.”
4. Together with that someone—that Sunday that summer, Natalie Cole
If I had to choose just one day
To last my whole life through
It would surely be that Sunday
The day that I met you
…
If I had to choose one moment
To live within my heart
It would be that tender moment, recalling how we started
Darling, it would be when you smiled at me
That way, that Sunday, that summer.”
5. Fall Out—Don’t get around much anymore, Natalie Cole
“Missed the Saturday dance
Heard they crowded the floor
Couldn’t bear it without you
Don’t get around much anymore

Thought I’d visit the club
Got as far as the door
They’d have asked me about you
Don’t get around much anymore

Darling, I guess, my mind’s more at ease
But nevertheless, why stir up memories

Babe, divided on dates
Might have gone, but what for
Awfully different without you
Don’t get around much anymore.”
6. Reminiscing—Unforgettable, Natalie Cole and Nat King Cole
“Unforgettable, that’s what you are
Unforgettable, though near or far
Like a song of love that clings to me
How the thought of you does things to me
Never before has someone been more

Unforgettable in every way
And forever that’s how you’ll stay
That’s why darling, it’s incredible
That someone so unforgettable,
Thinks that I am unforgettable too.”
7. Getting back together—Our love is here to stay, Shirley Horn
It’s very clear, our love is stay
Not for a year, but ever and a day
The radio and the telephone
And the movies that we know
May just be passing fancies and in time may go
But oh my dear, our love is here to stay
Together we’re going a long long way
In time the rockies may crumble
Gibraltar may tumble, they’re only made of clay
But our love, our love, our love is here to stay.
Not for a year, but ever and a day
The radio and the telephone
And the movies that we know
May just be passing fancies and in time may go
But oh my dear, our love is here to stay

There’s one point throughout this week’s blogs that I have been missing and that love. There should be no other reason for getting in relationships and getting out of relationships for the lack of it. There have been many people, many songs that have tried to say what it means, but it really depends on you. For me, it’s a feeling that just hits you at some point in time, a feeling of comfort, security and satisfaction. Aside from a feeling, it’s a choice, a choice to be faithful and a choice to share your life. However, let’s never forget the sentiments of all the great poets and all the songs out there.

all in all...

You might’ve noticed a word that keeps on popping up in this series—rationality. You never get anything straight when you’re all emotion. I’m not saying be a robot and avoid feeling anything, that’s just stupid. What I mean is balance. Don’t let merely one aspect of your being rule you life, don’t just follow your heart nor should you just follow what your head tells you.

4 of 4 Nagging

You can get this from your parents, especially your mother. I got this from my then pregnant sister who didn’t have anyone else to bicker at since she and her husband had not moved in together yet. You can definitely get this from your girlfriend/wife, huh boys? You can just imagine how long a woman can go on and how much she can say once you’ve defiled one of the rules or agreements.

Nagging means finding fault in another constantly, that’s according to a dictionary. Everybody hates a nagger however, the naggers almost never know that they’re nagging.

Ladies, be mindful of yourselves. Whenever you notice that you run out of breath while you’ve been talking in a high-pitched and or really loud voice, shut up. You’re nagging the man and you’re nagging his ass away from you. He’ll run off to silence whenever he can, maybe even into the arms of another woman—a quiet woman at that. Try a low calm voice and a little “lambing” as we put it in Filipino should work and you should get what you want from the man.

Gentlemen, most women don’t just bicker for no reason at all. If you married a nagger who’s been nagging you since the beginning, you are a saint, not to mention you must be deaf and blind! On the other hand, first time she starts nagging, actually listen to what she’s saying. You might have been doing something she doesn’t like over and over again. Ask her to calm down in a calm voice if you don’t understand her anymore. Boy, hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn, so don’t dare fight fire with fire if you love that lady. Think about what she’s saying, if it’s true then you sir, have got to change your ways. If it’s not true, your woman probably just misses you and doesn’t know how else to grab your attention.

Well, there definitely are other things, but I won’t get ahead of myself since these are what I’m sure of as of the moment.

3 of 4 The EX's

Hmmm… One topic couples always avoid is the Ex. “Never talk to or about your Ex again.” “Never invite your Ex to parties.” Well, ladies and gentlemen, I even start the topic. Unfortunately, my boyfriend feels awkward when I ask about his past relationships.

I believe you get to know the other person when you learn about his/her past relationships. You can have them as basis for an evaluation your current situation. It might sound too geeky, but it’s true. Why avoid your past, when you can clearly learn from it?

Sometimes the worry is that the spark of the old relationship might come back upon the discussion of it. Try looking at it rationally; you’ll realize that if it does, your relationship would reveal itself to be a rebound relationship. You would’ve been kidding yourselves in the first place. If you talk about it, you save yourselves the trouble of an unhappy and unsatisfied life.

Should the “Ex conversations” become a reason for parting ways, I think it’s fine to be angry for a while. However, if you really loved and cared for person, try to be happy that he/she is happy, then try to move on and find your own happiness.

2 of 4 Looking at/flirting with/crushing on other girls/guys

Sometimes, we just can’t help looking at the hot ones or crushing on the pretty ones… If you’re lucky and pretty/hot as well, they talk to you. Problem is, your beau gets jealous when such circumstances occur.

Be rational my friends… Every human being is attracted to beauty or what is aesthetically pleasing. That’s why we have celebrities that we ogle at. I don’t think what I’m about to say is applicable to guys so… Girls, I’m sure you appreciate other hot girls, if you don’t, learn to. You won’t turn into a lesbian, but if it is your cup of tea, good for you! Anyway, I’m losing my point… Instead of arguing about why the guy was looking at some other girl, you could’ve just looked at her yourself and you wouldn’t need to ask him. It’s even something to talk about, something to laugh about.

On the other hand, I find that it’s all right to flirt as long as there’s no follow through. I remember this one time, my friends told me I was flirting when I thought it was mere conversation and joking around. It’s one thing to talk about it or imagine it; it’s another thing to actually do something about it. They do say you should give yourself body, mind, and soul, but think about it… ”Man is insatiable.” In times like these, let the mind roam free, but keep your heart and soul where they are…

Be open and honest about your thoughts. Respect each others preferences, but always appreciate what you already have because that is hard to find.

First of 4

Back in high school, I’d always been the confidant and always been one to give advice to upset, sometimes even crying friends who had just fought with their boyfriends or girlfriends. I always listened and analyzed their situations, most of which are pretty freaking silly and petty. What follows is my analysis of some circumstances that start fights between a couple and what I think about each situation.

Situation 1. Not checking in with the boyfriend or girlfriend for a gimmick
Say, your friends call you up and ask you to have a drink somewhere. You don’t call your boyfriend or girlfriend to say where you’re going since you know you’ll be safe and having a good time with your friends. Your beau calls you up, hears all the noise, and blows his/her top. Your night is ruined… Heck, everyone’s night is ruined because you’re either pissed and dissing your girlfriend or crying and telling everyone what happened with your boyfriend.
Thing here is that there should be no rule that calls for people in a relationship to know what he/she does, where or when the other goes, nor with whom. Trust! If you don’t trust, stop kidding yourselves. You can’t live your life with someone you fear is cheating on you.
Another reason for this rule could be the fear for safety. Well, that’s understandable, but let’s be practical. It’s like smothering, even if you just want to be aware. If there’s an emergency, God gave man the mobile phone. In cases where you get held-up always have change in your pocket for a payphone and a commute, maybe hail a cab and pay for it when you get home.
Relax… There shouldn’t be a rule, but it would be nice if you gave out the information voluntarily just in case. If your beau is out, he/she is out—end of story.

my twilight zone

Just recently, I was able to hang out with my friends from back home. I learned that there was “something” going on between two of them. I was surprised about that, weirded out really, but the biggest bombshell was that two other friends were already planning their wedding that would supposedly happen in 2 years. Well, no proposal or ring yet, nevertheless it seems that their minds were set—more the girl’s mind that is. Her boyfriend’s in the US right now, so I haven’t really heard his side on the matter. It didn’t take a while for the marriage idea to be passed around the table. They didn’t even ask me, they just said I’d be next. My boyfriend and I have been together for 2 years and 9 months now; they’re probably basing their assumptions on how long we’d been together and the fact that there had been no big issues between me and him.

When I got home, I sat up in bed for a while and pondered on what was happening. We’re all about the same age, early to mid twenties. Everyone’s working. Well, except me, still stuck in college. Anyway, it’s just astonishing how I have friends who are seriously talking about marriage. I felt like I was in the twilight zone. We’re all just in our twenties. Marriage means for-the-rest-of-your-life, “till death do we part.” Merely a month or two ago, we were talking about what to drink, the sitcoms we all enjoy, and the funny things that happen to us. They talk about work and careers, now all of a sudden it’s marriage? Oh, did I mention that one whole night they were thinking of baby names? Baby names for goodness’ sake! Well, some of our other friends had their accidents and have kids right now. One friend passed away in a car accident and left a daughter. Do we all have to live life on the fast lane?

I have thought about it and my boyfriend and I have talked about it. We decided not to do anything till we’re ready, like rich ready. My friends are actually set, the guy is rich, but I’m sure you’d agree that financial stability isn’t the only issue when it comes to marriage. There’s compatibility, emotional stability, the in-laws, not to mention the children, if or when they decide to have them. I’m certain there’s more on the list of things-to-consider-before-getting-married, but maybe when two people are in love that’s enough.

It’s scary to get into anything hastily. These days so many married couples are separated, annulled, or cheating on each other. Hey, I’m pragmatic and I think, being in our twenties, we’re all still too young for that kind of commitment and involvement. I’m not against marriage. I believe people should take time to know each other in as many aspects as they can, maybe live with each other for a while so they don’t find themselves at each other’s throats in the future when they realize they can’t stand something their spouse does.

love on the way

*Disclaimer*. Didn’t take up concept... Didn’t take any story-writing course except a creative writing class when I was in grade school and journalism in senior year… Don’t worry; I won’t quit my day job. Just always wanted to take a crack at this, so here goes…


Girl never commuted to work. She drove her car to work everyday, but one fateful day, her car wouldn’t start and she definitely had to commute. She walks out to take a jeep to the train station, a little worried about her car, a little worried about commuting she hasn’t done in a while since she was able to buy her car. It’s been quite a while since she last took a jeep.

She’s edgy as she boards… steady… don’t step on anyone’s foot… She calms down a bit as she takes her seat. As she passes on her fare to the boy beside her, the jeep comes to a sudden halt. She grabs the boy’s arm for dear life and closes her eyes every passenger was jolted towards the hood. Commotion for a 3 seconds… Are you ok? Boy asks with worried smile. Girl opens her eyes and lifts her head to find a kind and handsome face behind the kind voice. I’m all right, thank you, she says. Boy insists smiling, Are you sure? Because you can just hold on to me if you’re still scared. She notices that she’s still clutching the boy’s arm, Oh, I’m sorry. She nervously lets go then bows her head to hide her face from the kind boy. Jeep stops… Everybody gets out of the jeep.

Boy can’t get the frightened look on the pretty girl’s face. He kept wondering why there was a nice, warm feeling when she grabbed his arm. Boy gets on the train, now he’s nervous. On his way to a job interview, a job in marketing he’s dreamed of for the past few years… He leaves the train station and walks to the office. The receptionist tells him to wait in the sitting room. He braces himself for what might be a bloody interview with HR; he checks his tie his shirt and his documents. The receptionist shows him to a door and he takes a deep breath as he opens it…

Girl gets her desk in order. Couldn’t and still can’t get over what happened in the jeep on her way to work. The boy was unforgettable. Ruminating over the past few days of poser applicants, it was nice to start off her day with a nice handsome boy… Receptionist knocks, ma’am? Distracted she says, Yes, let him in.

Boy and girl meet once again… An anxious handshake… What’s next?

uuuugh @_@

One thing I really can’t get over is that quite a number of the population would spit anywhere—even outside the window of a moving vehicle. I’m a commuter and I see this all the time. Well, other things can fly out of bus or jeep windows like empty cans or wrappers, and those things can land anywhere from the pavement to sidewalks to the inside of other vehicles… God forbid a human being’s face.

Imagine taking pleasure in the free polluted wind on your face as you take a jeep. A big bus rolls on by, one with no air conditioning, just open windows. You look up and smile at a kid looking out a window of the bus… Then splat!!! You feel a wet substance with viscosity so familiar and a scent quite foul that hits your face. It hits you in the eye and almost making you hurl. You tuck your head back in and scramble for a tissue, but there is none. You settle for your hands and open your eyes to see that you’ve been defiled by none other than the bus driver’s spit with green phlegm that defied the law of gravity and rode on the wind till it landed smack on your smiling face.

Kadiri noh?!

trained for the real world

During a commute, you see the culture, you experience the culture. Unfortunately, it’s not always a pretty sight. There are no lines when it comes to commuting. There will always be stepping on toes just to get on the train or in a jeep. Almost every commuter has to fight his way into any public utility vehicle… Much like crab mentality in a sense that people will do anything to get a seat. I’m still a little hazy on motive for crab mentality since I could delving into the concept of Filipino time where all Filipinos are always late, hence they all crowd at certain times to go to work or school at the same time. (It’s a real phenomenon, someone should study that…) This reminds me of school…

Education for me began at the nursery level. One of the first few things they taught me was to fall in line. To be in line meant that each one was supposed to follow the person in front, everyone’s mouth shut and hands clasped behind the back. This went on till kinder, to preparatory, to elementary, and even on to high school. The only perk in high school was that the teacher didn’t count one: arms forward touching the shoulders of the person in front of you; two: hands on the sides; three: arms clasped at the back and; four: mouth shut till the class reaches the destination. (Amazing, huh? I wonder if or how many other schools had that as a protocol for switching venues for class.)

Discipline, discipline, discipline! Not highly acclaiming the codes of conduct of the terror teachers out there, but hey, the practice actually proves useful when students get out of the comfort of controlled environments like the schools, school buses, or private cars.

Think I’m too harsh? Maybe obsessive compulsive? Ha! Notice pile-ups upon entrance and exits at your nearest train station, MRT or LRT. If you get off the train at Taft Avenue Station of the MRT, count how many lines there are in front of each turnstile—2, sometimes even 3! Well, at least there are lines there, but when boarding the train. Wow! There are no lines at all! There were quite a few times when old ladies try to force themselves in when they were supposed to let other passengers out first. Those old ladies lost shoes to the train tracks in the process. Well, that’s good business for vendors who sell slippers and shoes near the train stations. It’s really funny though, people walking around filthy Manila with one shoe… There was this one instance, I was on my way to school and it was human rush hour at 7 in the morning. Totally no traffic, jeeps going up north were rarer than an honest MMDA officer! There was this one jeep going down south that was empty, made a u-turn to take passengers going up north. Within seconds it was full, even overflowing with passengers who hung from the back. Not even 5 meters from where the jeep filled up, its tire exploded. Everyone was startled. It was so funny! They pushed and shoved their way in, karma… As the New Radicals once sang, “you only get what you give.”

Falling in line is one of those things rebels take as a stupid rule, like “site your sources” or “keep right”. They can save you tons of money from a lawsuit and those rules can even save lives. If people just learned to wait or if commuters didn’t wait for the last minute to leave for work, maybe there wouldn’t be crowding at entrances or exits, at the doors of jeeps or trains. No shoes falling off anyone’s feet. No black eyes from getting elbowed by fellow passengers. No chaos. However, until all commuters realize the value of falling in line, having discipline means being at the butt of it all—waiting for the people in the train or jeep to get out means letting seats or space (at least) run out, getting pushed around maybe elbowed in the face.

I hate commuting… Is it obvious? Hahaha

tsk tsk tsk

Remember the most recent fire in Pure Gold, Libertad? That mall was the port of the Light Rail Transit Libertad Station. When the mall was burning, the LRT stopped operations for a while. I was on my way to school then, exactly when the train stopped. The line at the bag inspection was really long and it took a really long while for everyone to know that the train was down. The public announcement system didn’t reach the people in line nor did the security guards go out and disperse the growing line for bag inspection.

I called a friend who was on the way to the same class. We went down to EDSA to find a growing crowd on the street. We didn’t know how to get to school by jeep, so we took a tricycle. Man, EXTORSION!!! Fifty bucks for a tricycle ride… Amazing… Just amazing!!! Well, no choice…

Maybe a year or so later, we had to do a communication audit for our crisis communication course. I wanted to do the LRT. I emailed the Public Relations Office, but the reply went something like we were asking for information that was “too sensitive” to release to anyone since the LRT is government-owned. Tssss… Short of saying they didn’t have plans if disasters hit them!

A business continuity plan that could have come out from the communication audit we were offering to do for the LRTA could have saved them millions of pesos that would now go to consultants and impromptu disaster control.

*Sigh* Government and public transportation… Where have we gone wrong?

Just one of those days...

December 2007… Around the time of my birthday… 2nd year college, 2nd term… It was the day of submission for a research paper. Deadline—0900. I left my house early to find a hundred people waiting for jeeps at the terminal. Fortunately, there was another way. I could take a shuttle from Bicutan to school, but I had to take a jeep down to the shuttle terminal first. When I got there, the shuttle took longer than usual to fill up. Apparently, leaving at 0700 wasn’t early enough. Good thing, a friend was there and I asked her to print my stuff and have it bound.

0830… the shuttle still hadn’t left the garage yet. I was desperate. Two or three more seats till the van moved… It was 0820 when we left Bicutan. It would take about 30 to 45 minutes to arrive in school. I felt impending doom, but I kept hoping a miracle would happen. Instead of a miracle, I got traffic—not so much, but enough to delay. My stomach was turning…

0855… Finally got to the book-binding place where my friend was. 5 minutes to go… There were 3 more people before me. I practically ran out of the place to the department so I could submit. Our professor was there, right by the door collecting the research papers. She looks at me and says, “What time is it?” She looked at the clock, “09:03… I’m sorry, this is late.” I tried to explain… “I’m sorry, but we have to be strict with time blah blah blah.” Then she takes the bound papers, puts it on top of the pile, and writes a “Late 0.0 9:30” on the cover. No more buts… I just headed on out of there and sadly stepped out of the building for a smoke.

I didn’t want to fail anything anymore… I couldn’t… But seeing the professor write a 0.0 on my paper made it seem like my fate was sealed. I had failed. Not because I wasn’t capable of writing a good paper. Not because I procrastinated. Just because there were no jeeps, just because the shuttle I happened to be on had to wait to fill up, I failed… Happy birthday!!!

I needed a drink at 10am… Two friends were there. I ranted and rambled about the grades and the birthday at first then we got to sharing stories. I got us maybe 3 or 4 rounds of Red Horse and San Mig Light in the process. A few hours later, it was time to go home, time to commute again. This time it was the train. Unfortunately, I couldn’t hold the liquor so I puked inside my mouth on the train. I tried to swallow most of it, but a little vomit slipped out and dripped onto my white shirt. There were no windows to open nor could I press the emergency button to stop the train and open the doors. Disgusting, I know… The jeep and tricycle rides that followed were easier. I felt better, but I still hated that I had to commute. I despised Philippine public transportation and all its quirks.

Personal Space

There’s something about commuting that violates the very nature of personal space. It’s not just countries that have boundaries, people do too. Well, if you don’t, I do haha! My theory is that every person’s boundary has four sides, each side 5-10 inches from the body. Respecting other people’s personal space means being just at the edge of that boundary unless, you’re family, a friend, or a significant other. It is breached when shaking hands or when you’re being given something which is pleasant of course. Commuting, however, is not so nice, you don’t really allow people to break that barrier they just have to because riding a jeep, a tricycle, a bus, a train, or a shuttle means squeezing yourself in because every mode of public transportation here tries to maximize the space, and I mean maximize for optimum returns in the form of fares.

Every public vehicle is a sardine can that’s ready to pop any second. Sardines don’t have much space in their cans when they’re packed. Imagine being all squeaky clean and smelling good on your way to work riding a jeep, then here comes a stinky, sweaty, and sticky person who chose to sit beside you for the whole trip. Mmmmmm… Don’t you just love it?! There’s no boundary to keep you from the stench, getting wet with his sweat, or from feeling his skin sticking to yours. You might even smell like him when you get off. Here is another scenario: You’re minding your own business, keeping your hands to yourself, and holding your bag close to avoid having it in the way of other people (and of course to keep it from thieves) getting on and off the train. This man gets on, stands in front of you and raises his arm to get a hold of the safety handrail. You’re smaller than him so you get a blast of the air conditioning along with his body odor, armpit odor to be exact. Then the train suddenly breaks, his body odor, his stench is now stuck to your face. Yeeeaaah… Well, it doesn’t really have to be that bad haha. You can get elbowed in the face or hit by a bag on someone’s way out. You could be staring at someone’s crotch when you’re sitting down and can’t look left or right because it’s too crowded.

Isn’t it just great?!