Door-to-door delivery

Some young guys in our area got the idea of using a banca to transport residents and guests in our flooded subdivision.



The heavy rains brought by typhoon Ondoy over the weekend inundated Metro Manila including are floodable residence in Pateros.



Some friends of my son got the idea of ferrying people from the "banks" near the highway to their residences. This included guests to came to visit their friends and relatives not knowing the place is flooded.





I'll bet FedEx and LBC can't beat that!

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!

My green eyed wife

I met her about less than seven years ago. What caught my attention is her smile and simple tastes. She has a jolly predisposition and there is an aura of childishness in her. That's why she never looks her age.

As soft-spoken and as simple as she is, she carries within herself a jealous bull. Even more fierce than the Incredible Hulk!

Maybe it's our age gap? Or probably my ethnicity -- Ilonggos are inherently sweet, loving, and caring. Or is it my presumed "good looks" that makes her think that I am a lady's man? Or maybe my way with girls (huh!? do I even have one?).

One time I had my hair cut too close we refer to it as semi-kalbo (semi bald). I told her that that cut seem to attract attention from girls. I said that they either think I look good or I look hideous. Our son told us that the almost-bald-cut releases my animalistic side that girls seem to like. He added a roar with matching clawing gesture. I never got to have that haircut again.

She get's conscious when I receive messages from female friends or co-workers late in the evening. She even reprimands by usual sweet "hellow" when I pick up the phone. She didn't even like my "halu."

Once she told me that if she can have me miniaturized, she'll keep me in her pocket. I felt like living in a traditional society where men, instead of women, are hidden from the public once they are attached! Now I know how it is like for the women in that kind society. I have nothing against it, of course (the traditions, I mean). Here is a photo shoot we had showing just that!



We discuss these issues and have settled some concerns. There may be more. Some even got out of hand. And I do not want a repeat of any of those.

The Crow

Early Tuesday morning at the Baguio Teachers' Camp while doing some "breathing exercises" in the balcony of the cottage we are using, I heard bird noises. The bird noises did not bother me at all.

After a while, I came to realize that the bird noises sounded familiar. As familiar as the common bird sounds in my favorite animes: Naruto Shippuuden and Bleach. The sound of crows.

I found the crows in some trees on the slope below the balcony. There were about seven of them.

When I was about to get a picture of the crows perched on the trees, they seem to have sensed my phone camera that they all flew away.



The next thought that came to mind is the movie "The Crow" where presence of crows signal a nearing death. The movie suggests that crows come to accompany souls to their destinations.

Could it be a bad omen? Hmmm... I just don't know.

Girls love basketball?

This afternoon, we visited the Sisters of Mary Girlstown in Silang, Cavite where my boss was guest to the mass birthday celebration for "Fr. Al's children."

One thing my colleagues noticed was the presence of numerous basketball courts in an all girls school.





There are about 16 courts in all. Eight are on the open area and another eight in the covered gym (where the photo was taken from).

The school is managed by the order of the Sisters of Mary. The girls who study here are in their high school and they stay within the large compound.

Funding come from donations all over the globe. There are several branches of the school around the country one of which is in Sta. Mesa, Manila and another in Cebu.

The event that day is a celebration funded by the alumni for their schoolmates. Many of those who finished in this school are successful professionals here and abroad. Most, if not all (I am not sure), of the faculty are graduates of the Sisters of Mary System.

The 19th batch of the Silang campus graduated in December last year. That's right, their classes end in December

I met one of our former UPROTC Ranger Company cadets there. He is an alumnus of the all male branch a few kilometers away. He is now based in Laguna

It's a two way street

You walk along the curb wide enough for two people. You meet chance upon two people going the opposite direction. Do they give way or do they assume you will step aside?

Only a handful will be courteous enough to walk behind his/her companion so you will not bump into each other.

Most of them will squeeze in with their companions and give you half of "your share of the path."

Some will totally ignore you hoping you will step aside. And if you do bump into them, a few others will get upset as if they own the streets.

If you are someone popular, these "most, some and few" will gladly step aside with a smile hoping to be recognised and earn the bragging rights of meeting somebody important.

This is the reality in my country. Almost everybody only care about those who they can benefit from.

They care for those who are famous. They care for those who can contribute to their recognition. They care for those who can give them back something bigger than their own.

So what do I do? I bump on to those inconsiderate (beep!). Pain is such a good teacher. More pain leads to a clearer perception on things.

Paalam Tita Cory

It's been a long journey for a symbol of democracy, service, and unselfishness.

Paalam Tita Cory.

May you rest in peace.