Crazy Driving Pinoys

Thursday, 7:15 pm Skyway Exit to Bicutan. WSA-386

Whoever thought of alternate merging traffic overestimated the comprehension of Pinoys who inexplicably associate machismo with driving. For Pinoy drivers, the fastest, loudest, owner of the most fancy car is King. Nevermind that he is occupying all the lanes.

I was in the middle lane negotiating an exit from Skyway with a blue Suzuki Alto just ahead of me. Everything seemed to work smoothly with vehicles alternately merging from three lanes to two, when suddenly a red car (Honda City I think) sped fast my left shoving me out of the inner lane. Shumacher would be embarrassed on how this driver managed to threw me out of the lane. I'm in no mood to hassle my remaining sanity because I was already tired so I gave way. When I was about to enter the inner lane, another crazy driver honked his way in (red
Toyota I think), dogged at keeping me out, no matter what. Lilet said, "Dito ka na lang Dad sa kanan, sobrang dadamot nila". Good thing my right was open, probably because the jeepney was a bit slow, I could have hit that car. It finally dawned on me that I am not driving with my kids. Tragis kayo a!

Suddenly the right lane opens giving me the headstart just in front of the first red car. In a twist of fate, the second red car was just behind the first. The lanes can still accommodate two cars but remembering what these crazy drivers did to me, I positioned myself in the very middle, just enough to box any incoming cars. I drove as slowly as I could to savor my revenge and making a complete stop at one point while making my exit at Skyway. Naturally they honked (as Tang-ina ka!). I honked back (as Tang-ina kayo lahat!). Lilet screamed, "Daaad!"

Si Martin Nievera, ang MMDA, at si Teodoro Casino

Hinuli ako ng pulis sa may Commerce Avenue, Alabang for disregarding traffic signs. No right turn on red signal. Ang sabi nya, "Kaibigan, bawal kumanan 'pag pula, mababangga mo ang mga tumatawid". I did not argue with him kahit na ni anino ng aso e wala naman akong nakitang tumawid. Ala una ng hapon 'yun at knowing the Ayala Alabang area for so many years, wala talagang tumatawid dun sa intersection ng Madrigal at Commerce Avenues. Tatlo kaming kumanan, the one with CRV seemed in a jolly mood talked it out with one of the police. My car has this Ayala Alabang Village sticker but I did not point it out with the police officer. When he saw it, he said without me asking, "Tagaloob ka pala, ba't di mo sinabi kaagad, natiketan na kita". Ganun pala 'yun, 'pag tagaloob ka walang violation. Kagaya nung driver na may dalang CRV.

Ang mga MMDA naman, basta bus lane bawal dumaan ang private cars. Kahit na parang sardinas na kayo dun sa private lanes at wala namang bus dun sa loob, kapag na-stepping ka, huli! Bawal daw kasi. Basta bawal! Akala ko, ang mga batas e ginagawa para sa kaayusan. Di naman tayo kagaya ni Javert sa Les Miserables na kahit anong mangyari, basta bawal, kailangang mong managot sa batas.

Eto namang si Teodoro Casino, nakita ko sa TV. Kailangan daw imbestigahan ng Kongreso si Martin Nievera dahil mali daw sa itinakdang tono yung inawit nyang Lupang Hinirang. Sabi nya, "may nalabag na batas dito". Kung hindi lang talagang nagpapapogi itong lekat na ito. Ang opurtunista talaga, makita lang sa TV para maiingat ang awareness ng tao na buhay ka pa (baka tatakbo sa Senado), kahit issueng kaning-baboy papatulan. Walang pinag-iba ito sa mga pulis na gustong imbestigahan si Erap at si Binay dahil nagdisplay daw ng toy gun. Kung ganito ng ganito ang mga nasa gobyerno, abay talagang mauubos ang pasensya ng mga may talino at mangingibang bansa na lang.

Ang tunay na pagmamahal sa bayan ay hindi mo maririnig sa mga nota ng Lupang Hinirang, o sa mga pagpustura na masunurin ka sa batas. Nagsisimula yan sa sarili, sa pagiging matuwid, at sa pagyakap sa mga pagbabagong makapagpapaunlad at yayabong sa pangkalahatang interes.

Houston, We Have a Problem.

Hyphochondriac. Hypochondriasis (or hypochondria, sometimes referred to as health phobia) refers to an excessive preoccupation or worry about having a serious illness. Often, hypochondria persists even after a physician has evaluated a person and reassured him/her that his/her concerns about symptoms do not have an underlying medical basis or, if there is a medical illness, the concerns are far in excess of what is appropriate for the level of disease. Many people suffering from this disorder focus on a particular symptom as the catalyst of their worrying, such as gastro-intestinal problems, palpitations, or muscle fatigue.

Just recently, my wife has been pre-occupied by the thought of having all sort of illnesses. From why she has been pelted by this assiduous pimples, (yes pimples!) irritating eczema near the eyes (which we learned through the radio that it may have been caused by regular contact of cellphones. Nickel metal hydride from cellphone batteries causes skin irritation. She has this habit of waking up early in the morning and surf the net in 3G phones while still bed in the hopes of wearing her down later and court another dozing. Damn that Sassy Lawyer!), leg cramps, difficulty of moving bowels, headaches, stomach aches, up to her vertigo, and problems with thyroid glands. She belongs to a family with history of bouts of hypertension, cervical cancer, diabetes, and brain tumor, so can you blame her to act as if she is also predisposed to such diseases? Of course not. She has vertigo, which is the lasting heritage of the family, to which she knows how to fight or at least mitigate its ill effects. These and all lead to her tendency to self-diagnose and later worry that she might have this or that. I tried to explain a few times, trying to find the opportune time, and carefully choosing the right words that would dwell in her in the hopes of avoiding to offend her, much less ridicule her. I don't want to punctuate a good start of conversation in an argument. I just wished I could cut the affinity for a while and talk as persons, devolved of any emotions, and just flood the floor with thoughts, ideas, suggestions, and possibly an understanding. In my 38 years of life struggle, tongue forked with scars of inadequacies and failures, I could sensely feel that there is a wall. A wall as high as the Trojans' and as fiercely guarded like that in Berlin once.

Where should I stand?

I don't know.

And I don't know if I'm going bland, unappealing. Words come out in the air and vanish like pricked bubbles. I would try to understand, rationalize, but the Pisces in me is being overpowered by the Scorpio's defense. Then silence.

I have read once that when you grow old, fewer and fewer words come out of your mouth. Until touch, look, glance, and stare speak more loudly than blabbing a mouthful. Imagine Lolo and Lola sitting by the porch, laced with interludes of occassional involuntary head movements and a lot of forty winks, and you would know what I mean. But then again, there is calmness.

Would I stop? Of course not. I'd like to believe I'm a warrior. I'm Lord William Wallace if not Captain Richard Winters. She is my wife and I will not lose over some imaginary enemy. I love her and that will be enough.

American Pie

First time I saw this babe was in American pie movie. She's stunning.

Passing Time

When I was still an audit staff of SGV, I find sleep as a luxury rather than a necessity. The heaps of working papers begging you to browse, tickmark and cross-refer after you have given a thorough look are at the very least, exasperating. In a blink of an eye and at the forefront of worldwide economic downturn, my pet project, and incidentally nickel mining has suffered a beating when LME prices started to tumble from reasonably acceptable $25,000 per MT to a low of $9095 per MT. Most of us here doing mining at the office find very little work or no work at all, floating managers, so to speak. The tables are suddenly turned with me finding something to do a luxury. We rightfully entered into a new business venture, but the timing has not sided with us.

Tragis talaga! P_ _ _ ng Ina.

Poetry

Bigla na lang pumasok sa kukote ko ang magsulat pagkatapos kong basahin ang reply ni Aiza sa email ni Pune. Last week ko pa nabasa 'yung email ni Pune pero parang walang dating sa akin dahil sa porma na rin ng kanyang pagkakasulat - bullet type na parang reminders ng mga boss mo. Sa totoo lang, parang gusto ko lang na palipasin ng kusa ang oras at araw at conveniently, masasabi kong, "Ay, sori. Hindi ako nakareply. Sobrang busy ko kasi". Samantalang ang sagot ni Ate Aiza ay punong-puno at nag-uumapaw sa personal touches. Ika nga'y, hindi mo maipagkakaila na siyang-siya (letter footprint). Marami-rami na rin akong nakitang kumposisyon ng sulat, mostly sa newspaper lang, pero ang malapit sa akin ay 'yung mga tipong binabasa ni Ate Danielle na mga short stories na mga nakakatawang realidad ng buhay-buhay natin. Sa akin ngang pakiwari, albeit mga bihasa na silang manunulat, ay may hawig o wangki na ring masasabi.

Halimbawa, pag-usapan natin si Ate Aiza.

Sino ba ang magsasabi na gaganda ng ganyang kaganda si Ate Aiza? Aba e nung bata pa iyan e nagagalit ako dyan dahil sumasampa pa iyan si inodoro kapag nagpupupo. Sukat ba namang ako at si Ate Mile lagi ang nag-eeskoba nito e ke hirap-hirap linisin ng mantsa ng paa sa puting inodoro. Pero mabait na bata yan. Pwede mo ngang iwan sa ibabaw ng mesa yan maghapon e, di mahuhulog yan. Siguro nasanay yan kasama lagi ni Lola sa pagtatabas ng tahiin at sa mesa nasanay umupo.

Noong mag-aral 'yan sa San Joseph, dun sa madre, hatid-sundo pa ng traysikel. Samantalang, kami nga'y lakad lang lagi sa elementari. Pag umulan, lagot! Basa kung walang dalang kapote. Di pa uso nun ang payong na dinadala ng mga lalaki. Tutuksuhin ka sigurado sa klase na bakla. Atsaka, nakapustura 'yan ng uniporme na blue. Kuntodo sapatos at medyas na puti pa! Bigla ko tuloy naalala 'yung album ni ng Yano, yung kumanta ng Banal na Aso, Santong Kabayo. Aba e, ganung-ganun and hitsura na tsinelas namin. Gasgas at butas-butas ang gitna. Samantalang ang mga kabataan ngayon, nag-iilang pares ang havainnas! Nakakatawa nga ng bilhan ako ng asawa ko ng havainnas. Tanong nung tindera, "Ano ho ang size nyo?" Sabi ko di ko alam, ngayon lang kasi ako magkakarun nyang ganyang kamahal na tsinelas. Parang norm na lang na dapat marami kang pares. 'Yung asawa daw ni Pareng Jojo, aba'y mahigit kuwarenta ang pares. Grabe.

Buti na lang, sa UP nag-aral si Ate Aiza. Para lang daw sa matatalinong walang pera yung skul na yun. Ako kasi, wala lang pera kaya di ako natanggap dun. Bigla, turn-around ang ugali ni Ate Aiza. Notoryus kasi ang skul na yan sa pagiging radikal. Keys in poynt, si Alpon. Alam nyo gang napagkamalang pulubi iyan sa Sariaya dahil sa suot nyang maroon na shorts na gutay-gutay? Si Ate Aiza, tingin ko ay naging mas independent at higit na may konpidens sa sarili, no matter how tiny her boobs maybe. Totoo. Maliit ang boobs nyan. May old trick kasi ako na 'pag nasa dining table kami, pipilitin ko sila ni Ate Badette na kumain ng gulay, kahit anong gulay. Dahil kung di sila kakain ng gulay, malamang di lalake ang boobs nila. Pero kahit anong gulay yata e di papatok sa mga bata. Malamang ngayon, nagsisisi na sila. Sana nakinig na lang sila kay Kuya Dado. Hehehe. I've told you.

Ang akala ko, kapag nagkawork ka na, ibabalik naman nya ang paybor. Di pala. Nung nasa convergys pa yan, kow kalaki ng kumpanya na iyan. Dollars daw ang kita at kung magpasweldo, buong barangay ng Balubal pwede mong i-treat. Aysus! Areng aking pamangkin, user-friendly pa rin. Kunyari, tatawag sa iyo at mangungumusta. Yun pala'y sasabay umuwi dahil walang pamasahe. Di lang iyun, mag-aaya pang kumain. What do you expect sa wala na ngang pamasahe? I'll tell you, minsang kumain kami ng tsisburger sa cafe breton, nun lang 'yan nakakain ng totoong tsisburger. Bah! san ka naman nakakita ng tsisburger na mas malaki pa ang patty sa tinapay?!

Pero elibs ako ng umalis papuntang Dubai 'yan. Nag-ipon ng pamasahe. Bumili ng blackberry, at bibili pa ng pampasaherong sasakyan. Dami atik! Wala akong masabi. Para tuloy nakita ko si Ate Binda nung bata pa kami. Tuwing pasko, siya ang namimili ng damit namin. Di ko pa rin nalilimutan yung gift ni Ate Binda sa akin na Voltes V na damit. Kay Pune naman ay Mazinger-Z.

Ganyan talaga ang responsibilidad. Pana-panahon lang.

Hanggang sa muli kong pagsusulat, at pag-asang magbabayad pa ang mga nagkakautang sa akin, to wit:

Si Raffy Cortez, kaupisina ko - P5,000.00
Si Ate Aiza, pamangkin - P7,000.00
Si Gemma Aracena, classmate ko 'nung high-school - P3,500.00
Si John Nollido, staff ko sa Kenny Rogers - P2,500.00
Si Caloy, na nasa Dubai na rin - P650.00
Yung kinuha kong Ninang sa kasal na nasunog sa Pyramiding - P15,000.00
At si Lilet Dato, na pinakasalan ako matapos utangan ng P18,000.00

Sentimyento

Sa tuwing masasadlak ako sa trapiko dito sa Makati Avenue, walang pagkakataon na hindi ka malalapitan ng mga palaboy sa kalsada para hingan ng limos o kaya nama’y pagbilhan ng bulaklak. Una ay inis dahilan sa panganib na dulot nito sa mga motorista at higit pa ma’y sa murang katawan nila na nakababad na sa kalsada. Pagkatapos, awa. Ang hindi ko lang maintindihan, sa hubad na kahirapan ng nakararaming Filipino na matindi pa sa sikat ng araw na nakalantad sa atin, eto ang ating mga mambabatas at mga lokal na opisyal ng bayan na lantarang lumalapastangan sa ating kabang bayan. Matindi ang hinala ng marami na may malalim na kaugnayan ang lahat ng korupsyon kay Gloria Arroyo at sa First Gentleman Mike Arroyo. Sa sobrang dami yata ng mga ibinintang sa kanila, may ibidensya man o wala, napatunayan at mapapatunayan, ay naging sobrang makakapal na ang mukha, at sa sobrang kagarapalan at dahil sa galing nila’y pati sarili nila’y kaya na nilang paniwalain sa kasinungalingan. Hanggang saan ba tatagal ang mga nilubid na buhangin?

Marami sa atin ang pagod na. Pagal ng maniwala sa walang humpay na kataksilan ng mga taong hindi naman natin pinagtiwalaan noong una pa man. Napakahirap ng sikmurain ang kahayupan ng mga ito na walang habas na gumagahasa sa ating kalayaan, yaman, at pag-insulto sa talino ng mga Filipino. Nasaan ang sigla ng bayang naging instrumento sa pagpapalayas sa diktador? Nakalimot na rin ba tayo sa galit natin sa korupsyon? Hindi ba tayo ang naging inspirasyon ng maraming tao sa mundo kabilang na marahil ang mga mongha ng Burma? Doon ay matapang nilang hinarap ang mga baril at bala ng mga sundalo.

Manood na lang ba tayo habang inaagawan ang ating mga anak ng pagkakataong sa hinaharap na mamuhay ng matiwasay? Manapay, binibigyan na ng pasanin sa mga utang na wala naman silang kinalaman.

Hindi ko rin alam ang sagot. Subalit, nakahanda ulit akong magbilad ng balat sa kalsada.

BIRI: Island Rocks and Mountain Waves

We went to the Island of Biri in Northern Samar this Holy Week of 2007 and it was awesome! In case you don't know the place, take the route to Google Earth, see how the map looks like and you'll begin to appreciate how it will look the real thing.

We found these two majestic rock towers, I would say the height of a 10-storey building, stairs carved out by the winds and salt water, after traversing the seas by a little over than two hours. And boy, I never really saw big waves until that day our two little motoboats were tossed like paperboats! Picture this. You were sandwiched by walls of water, and your pumpman had to turn-off the motorboat engine to disengage the rotor, just about when the boat is riding the wave. Exciting albeit dangerous! I took the liberty of researching and found that these rocks were used by the British to scout for enemy ships approaching the islands of Samar.

So, what's more in the island?

Not so much. We just found a lot of mini-pools and large pools below the rocks teeming with marine life. First time I saw seasnakes and moray eel. There you'll find Nemo, seaurchins (this blog named after it), abalones, sea worms (imagine giant leeches in King Kong), and a host of migratory birds wandering on the mangroves. Danielle and Julia really enjoyed the trip.

Sarap ulitin!