Be Careful

Be careful when you are walking alone, waiting for your ride or even when you are inside a jeepney.

My officemate was mugged three weeks ago when he was walking on his way to the jeepney stop. Three teenagers (as he describe it) came from behind, mugged him and took his bag containing all his IDs, wallet, keys and money.

After two or three days, he (or my other officemate) witnessed someone's bag snatched. 

A month before that, another officemate's bag was snatched by someone who was pretending to be a passenger. The jeepney driver stopped, was thinking that he was a passenger, then when the guy was about to ride the jeepney, he snatched my officemate's bag. Poor officemate, (s)he lost his/her wallet, IDs, 2 mobile phones and most importantly, his-her make up kit. 

Lesson learned: we really don't know when and where we are safe. So we just really have to be extra careful ALWAYS.

Sick (of) and Election

I have been ignoring this blog for almost a month now, for some reasons, well, most of it is I am uber busy with work, I got sick for 2-3 weeks and my means of transpo, mainly, during my absence here, is the colorum van. Yes, I know, it's quite a shame for someone who created a jeepney blog to not ride and patronize what I am supposed to be blogging for. Pardon me, I just want the comforts of riding in an A/Cd vehicle during those times that I was sick. But now, I am feeling better than before. I am slowly getting back to my usual routine. I even gave up hitting the gym for two weeks because of my being sick. (But my boss and officemates says otherwise. They are claiming that I got sick because the sauna at the gym was under preventive maintenance for three weeks and that was the same week that I got sick. In short, I got sick because I wasn't able to have my regular sauna time 3-4 times a week. In a shorter term, I am addicted to sauna). I'm over that now. Back to regular programing. 

Earlier today, we, my aunt, cousins and I, left the house at 5 AM (we did not rode the jeepney, sorry), just to be in Manila by 7 AM, to vote. We were able to cast our votes but only after 3 hours of impatiently waiting. Yes, we are all impatiently waiting, almost 100 of us, excluding those who are waiting outside the 'waiting room', waiting for our turn to vote, but even though we are as impatient as a 5-year old kid, we wanted to be a part of history (if you may call it one). We wanted to make our voices (or votes, for that matter) to be heard and we wanted to prove to some that we are participating and starting the change, even if that means I have to half-drag my other cousin to the precint where we're supposed to vote.

Grow Old With You

I happened to ride with an elderly couple on my way home last Friday. They were seated in front of me. At first I didn't thought of them as hubby and wifey until almost half of the passengers alighted. I was to take pictures of them, but this strange-looking girl beside them stared at me like she won't be staring at someone for 10 days. I know it's weird to take pictures of strangers but these two are special strangers They remind me of the other elderly couple that I got to share jeepney rides with when I was at the 5AM shift. Anyhoo, I love how Lolo and Lola talks. They're like teenagers. Lolo whispered to Lola something that made her laugh. The kind of laughter you'll hear from someone who is in love. I thought of my future. Would I be able to meet someone like Lolo? Will we be together until our hair turn gray? Will we be sharing jeepney rides, silly jokes and will we have our OUR moment alone? Will someone be watching us, like what I do, when we travel? Will someone be inspired with the way we are when we're in public? This song sums up what I saw in them during that ride. I wish that what I have seen is the way they really are when they're together, out of public eyes.

Post Holy Week 2010

It has been a slow week for all of us Catholics since we observe the Holy Week to the dot. We literally grew up practicing almost every practice there is during Holy Week and it made me sad that I won't be able to do some since I am here down south and most of my Holy Week activities are done in Manila and/or in Bulacan. Nevertheless, I get to do Visita Iglesia with my twin cousins. I was sick that day but since it's the only 'daytime' that we're all at home during that week, I have to drag my sorry, sick ass and be with them for the said activity.  

Below is the supposed draft for this post but since it took me time to finish this, it would be non-sense if I post this blog with its Holy Week content if Holy Week was through 2 weeks ago. This is what happens when you get tongue-tied (or type-tied?). I didn't even get to finish the blog. :(

So Much For A Wednesday Night, Bad Guy(s)

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

I was on my way home, not that late in the evening, almost 10 PM since I came from the gym and attended the dance class, I was on my 2nd to the last jeepney ride going home and was a town away when this drunk-looking guy rode with us and sat two seats away from me. Seems like he was drunk, he doesnt smell like it though. He was, I guess, the most strange person on that ride. He was looking at everybody. From those that are seated across him to us who are seated in his row. And there was this lady wearing a little black dress, from what I can see. 

The drunk-looking guy was looking at her as if he was undressing her. He kept on looking at her, staring like he won't stare at anybody else after that. What bothers me most is almost all of us, I guess, are lokking at the drunk-looking guy and looking at where his gaze at. Then someone flagged the jeep to stop. We're like 13 - 15 passengers and 11 alighted the jeep. Whoa. I, with this drunk-looking, half maniac guy, was left with me, another girl and a man who I think is not even concerned with how this guy looked. I was praying very hard that this is not a bad guy, when I say bad, someone who is a hold-up-er, or someone who will do bad to us aside from staring at us in a weird manner. Well, it's not bad to be scared sometimes but this experience is a bit scary. 

The Good Samaritan

I used to work at 4:00 AM before, meaning, I have to leave the house at 3:00 and for someone who lives in the province (though Binan now is a city), walking outside and commuting (sic) at an ungodly hour is a bit scary, moreso that I live in a subdivision where no one really walks out during those times, or if there are some, they are accompanied by someone until they get to ride a jeepney or the shuttle (company) arrives. 

Memory Gap

It has been 12-13 days since my last entry here and guess what, I can't remember anything that I was supposed to write. Arhg!

Everytime I ride a jeepney or commute/ride whatever means of transpo, I always remind myself to be observant and mindful of what's happening so that I can have something to write and share here, but since I am stubborn, I don't keep a notepad/notebook in my bag to jot down things to remember such as ideas on what to write on my next entry.

Not Your Usual PUV Story

I was out the whole day of Monday, a perfect way to start the week. Argh! 

I was to claim my prize in a radio station, in Boni, Mandaluyong; meet a friend somewhere south, SM Sucat to be exact; and then back to Ortigas to watch the movie that was the price from my first trip for the day. But before all of that, I went to buy cake for the office. 

I am from Canlalay in Binan, went to the marketplace, a trike-ride away. From the marketplace I went to Tunasan, Muntinlupa to get something. From Muntinlupa, I travelled all the way to Boni in Mandaluyong City, to get the prize, some Energizer stuff and movie tickets. I saw Cong. Ruffy Biazon at the Paragon. Then I went back to south, SM Sucat, to meet my friend, Ghing and this is where the funny story happened. 

The Proposal

Friday night, I was on my way home, 2 young men hailed the jeepney I was riding and sat next to me. No, this is not what you think, I didn't get to see what those 2 guys looked like. They were sitting right next to me that it was imposible to take a glimpse of them without being too obvious. Anyways, the story is they we're talking about proposals, yes, wedding proposal! Guy 1 is a friend, I guess and Guy 2 is the one who's asking  how to propose right. I know that it's bad to eavesdrop but I can't help it. My 'hopeless romantic' side kicked in until a little later in their tête-à-tête. Their conversation goes something like this: 

Guy 1 :  Seryoso ka na? Magpo-propose ka na? (Are you serious? You're going to propose to her?)

Guy 2: Oo, di ko nga alam kung pa'no eh. (Yeah. I just dont know how.)

Silence Please

Went home late, my entire jeepney ride going home was spent dozing off or so I thought. Not much of a story to tell except that I was with some passengers who are annoying. They're too loud, literally loud! It was as if they own the jeepney. And what really annoys me to the highest of all highest level is that they are college students. They should be acting what is being taught in school, or they weren't taught how to behave in public, or maybe I'm just not feeling well. Nevertheless, they shouldn't be acting like that in public places, most of all in PUVs where they are in proximity with other people who are having their sweet, silent time as passengers. They are as tired as me, for sure.

Van vs Jeepney

This is my new means of public transpo in the morning.

• Fare is 50 Php, including a jeepney ride to where I'm supposed to ride the van.
• I'd be dropped off in front of our building. 
• No more long walks for me. 
• It can accomodate 16 passengers excluding the driver.
• Airconditioned. 
• Fast and doesnt have to stop at every corner. 
• The driver needs not to pick up passengers
  
  STILL...

Travel Time

It has been a difficult thing travelling to work, especially in the wee hours of morning. My work requires me to travel at 3:00 the earliest, which was when I was in the 4:00 AM shift, thanks to DST, it was moved to 5:00 AM and so as my travel time.

It was a constant battle to stay awake in my almost one hour of commute five times a week. Most of the time, it was a no-brainer to choose dozing off the entire jeepney ride, to compensate my almost three hours of sleep the night before. But since most of my colleagues has their tell tales of bad early morning instances such as bags being snatched while walking, in the jeepney or even while waiting for your ride, I decided to just stay awake the entire jeepney ride, thus this idea of putting up a blog emerges.

I often pray the rosary on my way to work, just to keep my sleepy brain at work. The days went smooth until I mastered saying the rosary half my travel time, then I thought about all these people whom I happen to rode with almost every day. I always make a story out of them, all because I don't want to fall asleep.

Life In A Jeepney Ride

This goes out to all the people who I often rode with in my daily commute (though they won't even know that I am writing about them). Enjoy!