On the prowl

Last night as I walk from the office to Crossing along Shaw Boulevard, I was invited to a "business seminar" in a tall building (DispoPhil building?) across Astoria Plaza in J. Escriva Drive.

As I walked past Red Ribbon in the corner of J. Escriva and Shaw, I was greeted by an Asian woman claiming that she is a Chinese individual and is not really good in speaking English. She asked me if I wanted to make some money and learn business. I politely told her that I am earning enough and am not in any urgent need for money (fingers crossed). She asked me if I can accompany her to a meeting in the above-mentioned building since she is not well versed in English. I told her I had to meet someone and that I am running late (for the benefit of my wife, I was not meeting anyone).

We parted ways and I was off to Crossing.

Along the way, I spotted similar-looking individuals in their 40s talking to random individuals or writing down something on pieces of paper (maybe a phone number or a way to explain things). I saw some go with the Oriental-looking individuals to the direction where the building is located.

I saw some more inside Shangri-La Mall and on the other side of Shaw Boulevard around Central Mall.

What could they be up to? Will those who were enticed to join find a better way to earn a living or will they fall victim to something bad? I guess I will never know. :(

Pinoy against the foreigners

Filipinos and Americans (or maybe Europeans) have greatly differ in their observance of traffic signs.

Crossing the road on my way home, I usually use the pedestrian lanes because it is for pedestrians. In there, a person should feel safe from speed maniacs. Drivers are expected to give way to pedestrians (within a reasonable time) when they cross the street using the pedestrian crossing. And one Caucasian driving a silver Toyota observed this. He stopped, waited for us to cross before proceeding. If it were a fellow Pinoy (most but not all), you, the pedestrian, would have waited for him, the driver of an expensive car, to pass before crossing.

For educated drivers who practice what they have learned, a pedestrian crossing tells him/her to give people ample time to cross the street before proceeding. For some educated drivers who forget their lessons after they get their licenses and most self-educated driver, a pedestrian lane represents an obstacle where you need to align your wheels between the white lines and cross it without letting your tires touch the paint.

This event reminds me of a joke about how Filipinos and foreign tourists view the traffic light.

For foreigners, green means go, yellow means slow down, and red means stop.

For Pinoys, green means go, yellow means go faster, and red means go for it!