Taking Public Transportation

It is encouraged to take public transport. It costs less and lessens traffic volume, thus faster trips to wherever you're planning to go. The downside... First is the weather because it can be scorching hot or you'll be blown away by the storm. There's pollution as vehicle emissions fill your lungs black! And of course the issue of security and safety, the potential of getting robbed or mugged.

Well, these are obvious reasons why I don't like taking public transport. What I'm about to list down are those little things that make the trip a little more irritating...

#5 People sleeping on you

Well, I haven't had a first hand experience with this. But if somebody I didn't know suddenly used my shoulder as their personal pillow, I'd drop that head in a heartbeat! I must admit I enjoy seeing people struggling to keep their posture most especially when the driver speeds up or hit the brakes. But I wouldn't want the potential to be a drool catcher of a stranger in my lifetime.

#4 People staring at you

Ever had that feeling that you know someone is staring at you? It's okay if little people (babies) did this because they like to look at beautiful things. I'd like to think it's their way of saying you look good since they still can't speak. What irritates me are people who scan you from head to toe. They stare at you for the duration of the trip, sometimes making disgusted faces, which makes you more conscious. What if there's something hanging from my nose?! What if there's something stuck between my teeth?! The tension will drive you crazy! I'm tempted to throw glitter on their faces so they'll have a hard time removing it! Now that would kill the tension.

#3 Talking loudly

There's nothing wrong with talking over the cellphone. That's why it is invented and that's why you own one! But please, don't chatter it up like everyone in the vehicle is part of the conversation. It's so loud that even if the one using the phone and I are at opposite ends of the train, I could still hear the phone person's voice. This also goes for conversations between people in the train. Come on people, please stop announcing to the world what you're talking about, stop the shouting match! And please, don't laugh out loud like there's no tomorrow!

#2 Standing room

This is more applicable to the train riders. Have the courtesy of letting people off before forcing yourself into the train. And if you happen to stand by the doors, kindly give way to those who are about to exit. Some person is trying to get off the train and here you are blocking the path for the fear of losing your spot to another person or the fear of stepping out for a moment and suddenly the doors will close. There are security personnel to make sure that the train doesn't speed off with you still standing by the doors. Another thing about standing room that irritates me... You see an old lady carrying 4 big plastic bags of her things, standing in the middle of the aisle, trying to keep her balance because she has nothing to hold on to then you look at the seats next to her and see that it is occupied by big and fit men wearing heavily tinted black shades and staring blankly as if they were playing in the World Poker Tour! Of course this is an exaggerated situation but it really irritates me to see men not offering their seats to the elderly and women. A little respect please!

#1 THE SMELL

Please don't use your perfume or cologne to take a bath. Too much of that good smell can turn it into the worst smell. Don't soak up on cologne, it burns the nostrils! Just dab enough to make the trip a little more comfortable for the others. And if you don't have perfume, please please, at least take a shower! When I took a jeepney ride to school around a year ago and sat beside the most foul smelling passenger I've ever smelled, I though nothing would top that. Not until a month ago... While I was on my way to review class, a man entered the train and stood in front of me, and (for the love of God!!!) he smelled really bad! If body odor had body odor, that was it! He personified FOUL! He shouldn't have been allowed to take the train. Heck, he should have been arrested!

I guess I should have included the situation of the train along EDSA during peak hours but it is something beyond our control. Train carts are packed like sardines which makes people prone to pickpockets and molesters (which is why I approve of having separate carts for men and women). And the smell of humanity is really bad and for the trip duration, oxygen is a scarce resource. Going back, I didn't include this because, unlike the 5 things I mentioned, we can't really solve that by changing our ways. It's a matter of population and as long as the population increases, the trains will keep on carrying the packed carts.

All I ask is a little courtesy. You're in public places so please have the decency to act accordingly.

Flooding Enforcement Frustration

Floods and traffic in this country can be so frustrating! And because of this overflowing frustration, I'm expecting this post to have no structure at all. I would be writing down my sentiments regarding these two topics without any proper train of thought. I usually take time to structure my posts, read related articles or other people's views but this time, it's all me! I know not everyone will agree with me, but hey, I have to get it off my chest. Here I go!

We only have two seasons, wet and dry... During the wet season, it's very difficult to get around. Why? Because of floods! Everywhere you go, the streets are like rivers. During this season, it would be cool and great to own a jetski instead of a scooter or a car! It would even be cooler to see a guy (or maybe have a first hand experience of) riding a jetski along EDSA, Katipunan, or maybe Espana. Why is it flooding? The drainage systems are inadequate! Some are clogged because of garbage while others are filled way more than its capacity. You would see manholes or drains spewing out water instead of taking it all down! Which leads me to the dry season. It's funny that some of the heavy traffic caused during the dry season is due to fixing drainage systems. It's one crazy cycle! The drainage system is given a makeover during the dry season... TRAFFIC! They're supposed to work now... Here comes the rain! Flood, TRAFFIC ONCE AGAIN!! Rain goes away... There's an assessment that the drainage system needs to be fixed... Work on the system, again... TRAFFIC!!! Rain... Flood... TRAFFIC!!!! Hope my point got across...

What do gremlins and cars in this country have in common? When they get wet, they multiply! Every time it rains, the car volume becomes at least two times as many as it was before it started raining! I left the house and it wasn't raining yet. I was cruising along then suddenly, the rain fell like there was no tomorrow! This went on for a good 20 mins, then a sudden stop. A stop not just with the rain, but with the traffic flow as well! I was stuck in traffic for 5 hours during a trip that would have taken me 20 mins! The "express"ways turned into parking lots. At one time, I turned off my engine and was stuck in the same spot for over an hour. I could have gone to a nearby restaurant, eat lunch, go back and still see my car where I left it.

Why is it that whenever traffic slows down, you would usually see no reason why it slowed down in the first place? This is most common along EDSA, most especially before the flyover in front of the EDSA Shrine. It slows down starting in front of SM Megamall then suddenly you see a clear road before going up the flyover just in front of Poveda. There are no accidents, no people going on or off public transport, no nothing! The road just suddenly opens up for you to speed away. This has got to be the most mysterious traffic phenomenon here in this country!

The one thing that really gets my blood boiling... STUPID LAW ENFORCERS! You cannot enforce the law if YOU DON'T HAVE A BRAIN! During a trip to Batangas, we passed by a mall to buy stuff that we need for the trip to the beach. It was still early, and the mall won't open for another 30 mins. Being unfamiliar with the place, we approached a guard and asked where we can park the van and where the entrance is. The guard looked like he had difficulty understanding us... He pointed to a spot so we stayed there and he also pointed to an entrance. Now the area where we parked didn't look like a parking lot and the entrance he pointed out had deliveries being carted into it. Then the same guard approached us, "Sir, di pwede magpark dito (Sir, you can't park here)" WHAT?! You were the one who pointed out that spot to us! And the entrance you pointed out, that was for employees and deliveries! WE ARE HERE TO BUY! TO BUY! STUPIDO! It turned out the parking lot and entrance was on the other side of the mall. Are there more of these kinds of law enforcers? Sadly and infuriatingly, yes! I'd like to gather all of them up, lock them in a room and beat them up with a 2 by 2! GROW A BRAIN DAMMEET!!!!

Another thing that ticks me off... Traffic enforcers WOULD KEEP THEIR EYE ON APPREHENDING supposed traffic violators RATHER THAN AID IN TRAFFIC FLOW! These guys are like vultures! In an intersection, instead of staying in a spot to make sure the cars don't cross when the light turns from green to yellow to red, they stay on the other side and wait for their prey to fall victim to the "beating the red light" violation. They even stop the car in the middle of the intersection, causing traffic flow disruption, instead of properly talking to the motorist on the side of the road. When you get caught, all of them talk to you, leaving no one to attend to the traffic situation. If there's one word to describe these enforcers it's INCONSISTENT! They are only present in times and in places that benefit them. Sightings are abundant during holidays or traffic coding hours and only in places with lots of cars passing through. Once, my brother was caught for "reckless swerving" and now, that area have lots of cars swerving left and right with no enforcers in sight! WHATDAHEY?! And once you get caught, they would tell you all about the hassle and expenses of paying for the ticket, getting back your license and the "need to attend a seminar". Why? To make you realize that it's easier and cheaper to just slip a few hundred pesos under your license! In this country, you only get caught because of luck, not because you violated a law.

I'm sure lots of other people have their stories to tell. I think I still have some but I'll just recall them some other time. I've unloaded enough, I feel better already! One last thing, cars are not the only things that have something in common with gremlins in this country... WE HAVE GREMLINS FOR ENFORCERS!!!

What Did He Just Say?!

GMA 7 Saksi's Michael Fajatin reports on... I DIDN'T GET THAT!!! Just a sample of FILIPINO joy and HUMOR.

Happy Pinoy

I am a Filipino. And I'm proud to be one! Our race is known to live in every part of the globe. Let's face facts, Filipinos are known for negative traits such as lack in discipline because of their casual and relaxed attitude towards time, thus coining the term, Filipino time (which is, in short, late). Other notable traits include the Colonial Mentality (which can be the lack of appreciation, awareness and love for our country or preference of foreign things) and Crab Mentality (which refers to pulling each other down instead of lifting and helping each other out - just like crabs in a basket trying to get out).

But then again, Filipinos are also known for lots of positive traits. We have Filipino Hospitality, which makes the Filipino perfect hosts. Even if a family has difficulty making ends meet, when there are visitors, they go out of their way to prepare a meal they don't even take during holidays. There's also the Filipino Flexibility and Adaptability, which refers and serves as proof to the third sentence of this post. Filipinos are also creative and very talented artists, which is seen through numerous local and international stage performers, singers, dancers, designers, and the like. The booming demand for Filipino nurses and caregivers show the Filipino Care and Loving Touch. The list goes on and on but to get to the point of this post, I'd like to point out to one thing that makes the Filipino really special - FILIPINO JOY and HUMOR.

When my brother and I had the chance to go to Rome as volunteers, we spent our time there with people of different nationalities - Mexicans, Spaniards, Nigerians, and a whole lot more. We traveled around the city by bus and since the number of Filipinos were not enough to fill it, we usually shared the ride. In one of our bus trips, I overheard one of our foreign friends ask a fellow Filipino, "Why are Filipinos always smiling (or happy)?" Our fellow Filipino answered, "Because that's all we have! We don't have money, food, shelter... All we have is laughter!" His answer made me smile and at the same time think and tell myself, "Hey, that's right!" Filipinos have that cheerful and fun-loving disposition through the ups and (mostly) downs of life. It serves as our coping mechanisms and is manifested through the Filipino's love for social gatherings and celebrations or fiestas.

As I was preparing for this post, I came across an article which clearly shows that other nationalities, just like our foreign bus friend, have difficulty understanding the fun and joyful Filipino way of life. The article is from BusinessWorld, January 4, 2006.

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Puzzling Filipino Optimism
By Ronald Meinardus

As a liberal, I don’t like stereotypes and try to avoid them as much as I possibly can. But, in certain situations, it is hard to resist generalizations. One such case is the discussion regarding an important collective character trait of the vast majority of Filipinos I interact with on a daily basis: With very few exceptions, these people are friendly, happy and - overtly optimistic.

The stereotype of the happy and confident Pinoy is reflected in uncounted positive experiences on a micro-level. Staying with the sociological jargon, it is substantiated, on the macro level, in the annual survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations. Every year, SWS asks a representative sample of Filipinos how they view their prospects in the coming year. This time, eighty-five percent of adult Filipinos entered the New Year with hope rather than fear, the institute said. Remarkably, the hope levels are higher than last year’s. Over the years, the figures have customarily been at high levels, starting at 87 percent when SWS first polled about it in December 2000.

For more than one reason, I find these results mind-boggling.

For one, Filipinos’ hopefulness stands in stark contrast to the generally perceived realities - politically, socially or economically. While well over four fifths of the people say they have hope for the New Year, many of the same people live along the poverty line and in all but merry social conditions. Also, in other polls, the same individuals claim to believe that their president has cheated in the last elections and nearly two thirds are so unhappy with GMA that they want her out. Actually, these survey results have become the mantra of the oppositionist clamor for GMA to resign.

Particularly remarkable I find the pollsters’ finding that optimism is more pronounced in the less affluent (or poor) groups of society than in the middle and upper classes. In other words: In the Philippines, the better-offs are more worried about their future than the have-nots living in or on the verge of misery.

This leads to the conclusion that, in this particular case, the objective living conditions and prospects don’t seem to determine the mindset of the people. While Marxists wont like this conclusion at all, this observation is substantiated by comparable polls conducted in my own country, Germany.

The economic and social situation of the vast majority of Germans is doubtlessly much better than that of the people in the Philippines. Still, compared to Pinoys, Germans may be called collectively depressed: According to a recent survey conducted by the Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach, only 45 percent of Germans entered the New Year with hope. Compared to last year, when the result was 38 percent, this is an improvement which pollsters explain with some positive news regarding the economic recovery in that country.

Still, seen collectively, Filipinos may be called double as happy as Germans!

The discrepancy between the German and Philippine figures is remarkable. Having lived in the Philippines for nearly four years, I have come to the conclusion that more than anything else this country’s “peculiar brand of optimism”, as one local commentator has called it, has to do with its’ people’s spirituality and religious faith.

“The Filipino views what’s coming up with more hope than fear because he finds it easy to forgive and to forget what had gone before,” the commentator opines.

On a personal and subjective level this may be an enviable quality as it may lead to a life void of anxiety and angst. On the other hand, the collective inclination to forget and forgive produces less positive results for society as a whole. If you prefer to forget, you tend to be distracted easily. This may lead to a situation in which words count more than deeds, which according to my Philippine friends is a typical trait of this country’s politicians. This said, forgetting and forgiving is particularly hazardous in the political and legal spheres. There it may lead to impunity, the worst enemy of the rule of law.

“It may well be that Filipino optimism is actually what is holding the country back, rather than pushing it forward,” writes the commentator, and I tend to agree.

Think about it. As you wrench your mind, don’t be surprised if you start philosophizing. Looking at the Germany-Philippines comparison, you might end up believing that the choice is between either poor and happy or rich and unhappy.

I hope you don’t get stuck there. Life is more complex than black and white. At least from a liberal view point, it is always useful to examine also the grey.
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Truly, too much of something is really bad. You can be joyful but not to the point that you slack off and lose your edge. Here lies the danger of the Filipino Joy and Humor. It's not bad to have fun and laugh at our selves from time to time, just as long as you know when and where. It can easily distract you from your goal, set you aside and hold you back. As long as you have everything in your control, go out and have some good, clean fun - Pinoy Style, Pinoy Smile!

Stupid lightning! Go Team Pilipinas!

Ok, so my attempt to write everyday was disturbed by a stupid lightning! There was a strong lightning that cause a power surge within the computer's power supply, even the modem and the phone line got affected. I had some thoughts these past days but now, I totally forgot them! Anyway, I'll just try to recall what they were and just post whenever they strike me again. Hmmm....

I would like to give a shout out to Team Pilipinas! They're now at Tokushima, Japan but they lost to Jordan thus snatching the opportunity to play at Beijing for the upcoming Olympics. I've been following their progress (although not like a watchdog) and I must say, they gave our fellow Asians a run for their money. You can't really blame anybody for the loss, they gave it their best shot! All the months of grueling preparation and sacrifice is deserving of not just a pat on the back but a standing ovation as well. I was reading today's paper (The Philippine Star) at breakfast and came across this article:

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Sidelights: Jordan coach labels grouping ‘big joke’
By Nelson Beltran
Tuesday, July 31, 2007

TOKUSHIMA, Japan – To Jordan coach Mario Palma, FIBA-Asia’s system of bracketing “is a big joke.” Palma said he still can’t understand why three of the top four teams in last year’s Asian Games plus the Philippines, which has always been a top contender with its professional players, allowed to slug it out in one group.

“So what you see is the four teams in this group playing with so much pressure while top seeded teams in the other brackets winning by more than 50 points,” rued Palma.

“Because of the pressure, players in our group are getting hurt. The top two teams in the other group easily advanced to the quarterfinals with the luxury of keeping their top players fresh,” Palma added. He cited two players in his team now injured. He’s also aware that Danny Seigle, Asi Taulava and Jimmy Alapag got hurt in the SMC-RP team’s first game against Iran.

“Now Jordan and the Philippines are playing in a knockout game. But the loser in this game is capable of winning the championship,” said Palma on the eve of the match.

China topped the Doha Asia Games with Iran coming in third and Jordan fourth. Yet, they found themselves in one group with Philippines in the elimination round of the FIBA-Asia men’s championship here. “It’s a joke. But I can’t do anything. I’m just a coach, I’m not a politician,” Palma said.

Posted as seeded teams in the four groups are China, Lebanon, Qatar and South Korea – the top four finishers in the 2005 FIBA-Asia championship in Qatar. The rest of the teams, except host Japan, drew their brackets. After the second round of the draw, Japan chose to join Lebanon and Kuwait in Group B.

The Philippines was drawn second to last, being the second team with the lowest world ranking here. Unfortunately, the Philippines found itself in the Group of Death with China, Iran and Jordan while Indonesia, the lowest-ranked squad, joined Qatar, Kazakhstan and India in Group C.

FIBA-Asia used to employ the inverted “S” bracketing system where the No. 1 and No. 8 teams in the previous championship are put together in one group, No. 2 and No. 7 in another group, No. 3 and No. 6 in their own bracket and No. 4 and No. 5 in the last group.

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All I can say, enough said! Let's move forward, all is not lost! JOB WELL DONE TEAM PILIPINAS, WE SALUTE YOU!