I'm serious about commuting, however

Okay, so I am not a serious blogger; my lack of post says it. If it’s any consolation to my three readers, I am so disappointed with myself. 

The past month has been a tough one for me; work, which I don’t wish to discuss here, got in the way of things. It’s been really hard that I have yet to allot time to talk to myself, a hobby of mine which gets people to doubt my sanity. But as a personal rule, I shall limit my discussion to just that, my talk about work, I mean. 

The Philippines has just witnessed a defeat, Pacquiao’s. Weeks before this was Jessica Sanchez’ close quest for the American Idol tilt. Despite these, the Philippine flag will wave proudly, even beyond the 114^th  Independence Day Celebration. 

As I observed the lined flag poles bearing the flag around the city and at work, I went on asking myself “Will there ever come a time that the flag’s colors be inverted?” The question terrified me. Although it’s in the flag’s design to symbolize war, I dreaded the thought of seeing it that way. Not in my lifetime I hope. 

I place my faith in the Supreme Being. Let no harm come our way.

Now, some commuter notes.

I am pleased to announce that there is a growing number of people who say “Waiting Shed” now. I used to hear a lot of “Waiting Shade.”  Come to think of it, the latter makes some sense, too, but I welcome “Waiting Shed” more. 

I have experienced walking quite a great deal of length when all modes of land transportation wouldn’t take me home even if I had money to pay. It rained one Thursday afternoon and left some major roads, particularly those leading to my abode, impassable. Boy, I had to walk, but it was okay since there were many of us treading the same wet path home. It was during that time that I wanted my own car. Every cab I hailed said no to me at every mention of “Sucat.” It became like a cuss word that deserved an equally bad treatment from all cab drivers. During my walk, I realized a few things:

1. It’s not fun walking a great distance in leather shoes
2. Excess baggage is never good
3. Sucat is far from Pasay

My companions during that jeep-less Thursday evening

Other than those, my walk made me observe life in general. I saw couples, particularly the younger ones, who were quite enjoying the walk. It bought them more time to be together. It was quite noticeable how young men tended to be more gentlemanly towards their girls, offering the girls caddy service. I saw fashionistas donning  the “Dry Season” look ,who were left without a choice but to go for the wet look. I was entertained by young office ladies unashamed to be seen in dump trucks and beer delivery vans. I cringed at the cab drivers who refused passengers.  Most of all, it was a humbling experience. Since I started earning money, never had I experienced anything like it. That incident served as a reminder; I should never forget.

Vigan

Vigan, for me, would have been the best place in the Philippines to take a ‘kalesa’ (horse-drawn carriage) ride, but I did not. It was an opportunity missed, but I took what was a far second best option --- the tricycle. So here are my shots of the streets of Vigan aboard the tricycle.

I did not have an idea as to how much the fare cost. I simply just gave 10 pesos for a short afternoon trip from the Plaza to my hotel since I felt that 10 pesos would be reasonable for the distance traveled and the locale I was in . The driver did not complain and sped off. Afterwards, I confirmed with the hotel personnel the fare. He added that drivers would charge more at night. Well, the idea that streets lengthen at night  is not exactly new to me. 

Not taking the kalesa was not a complete  loss, however.  Vigan is best enjoyed on foot. The ‘old’ district is a little more than a square kilometer I think. It was a delight to be walking on the streets of Vigan, particularly Crisologo Street. I would occasionally cross paths with foreigners, but frequently with local tourists. The colors and scents emanating from the souvenir, craft and food shops confirmed the thriving tourism in Vigan, and it was not even a weekend when we went there. Vigan’s appeal rests on the feeling and mood it invokes in its visitors. The place is a tremendous source of Filipino pride for me. To be able to freeze a town’s architecture and structure that showcase a lifestyle that mirrors Filipino life then and now is a feat worth recognizing. UNESCO came ahead of me in recognizing the town’s charm when it inscribed Vigan as a World Heritage Site.

As I said, Vigan is best explored on foot, and this I did with much passion. So here are my ‘on foot’ photos.

They have these trykes, too.

For P150, you get to tour Vigan. I would have spent this much for the experience if time permitted. Our schedule was full.

Calle Crisologo

Oops...This one was taken from the hotel balcony.

Carpool

We sat for more than an hour listening to an environmental talk. The bottom line was "Help Save the Environment!" Talks like that are good but are sometimes boring and add little to what we already know. Netizens and schooled individuals would be aware of these issues, and I'd like to believe that these people are doing their share in the solution. What irked me though was that speaker was talking to the wrong crowd when he presented some solutions. He talked at length about carpooling, and he was talking to middle income employees who would take the first chance at carpooling if they have someone to carpool with. Many from the audience, who were mostly teachers and staff, do not have those smoke-producing conveyances that the speaker was talking about.  The few co-workers with cars generously offer a ride home; my school principal does that.

To whom should the speaker be talking then? The people with cars, of course! But carpool appears to be a foreign idea even to the rich, the ones I know. In my six years teaching the rich, I was asked to ride in their car only once, and for that simple gesture, I will forever remember that student of mine:  Natasha. In most instances when I walk to the jeepney stop, which is fifty meters away from the school gate, my students would just wave at me and, worst, ignore me. Since then, I have stopped wishing for a ride. They are not really required to give me a ride. Their cars are theirs, and they have spent a great deal of money for something they want to enjoy for themselves. Like them, I'd like to have my almond chocolate bar all by myself, too.

All I am saying here is that a message should be delivered to the person concerned. That will be my concern when I get a car. For now, I am thankful I have friends like My-Secateur and Cardriver whose simple gesture of giving me a ride not only helps the environment but also helps me! Hehe! ( Read related post.)

I have had a good education where love for environment is greatly instilled. I'll do whatever I can in my own capacity to help, with or without a car. 

PWD

For simple folks like me, a birthday celebration is limited to a treat at Mcdo or Jollibee or movies at SM or just 'pancit' at home. Just imagine the simplicity of birthdays many years back when I was still a penniless 'provinciano' college student celebrating with equally penniless classmates.  Broke we were, maybe, but we were happy. A recollection of a birthday celebration of a good friend Joni never fails to bring a smile to my face. No, we didn't have fireworks and the large function rooms; we just had our poor selves as the party. We were walking as a group towards our respective jeepney points near Manila City Hall when one classmate, Toni,  walked ahead of us. For a second, I thought we lost our classmate there because of the heavy foot traffic. Then, she emerged beside a blind musician on the street to sing Joni a happy birthday.  Joni was slightly embarrassed and delighted at the same time because everybody who was walking halted briefly to witness what was taking place. It was beautiful. The group, me included, joined in the singing.

That ten or five pesos 'drop in the (blind man's) bucket' sure did bring so much joy to Joni and to all of us. It certainly did make the musician  happy, as well. This latter image got me to think about the People With Disability (PWD) making their living on the streets. I admire them for working despite their conditions; the only thing I don't like is their working environment. I couldn't completely blame them, really. There isn't much job for them although laws have been passed to create suitable jobs for PWDs. The visually-impaired who aren't working on the streets, work in massage centers. My limited knowledge about them could only think of those two as possible jobs for the visually-impaired. This is sad, my ignorance.

In a trip outside the country I took recently, I was surprised to see a blind man walk by himself, with only a cane guiding him. How did he manage to do that? My frequent use of Kuala Lumpur's train made me observe and infer something. What I thought to be a strange embossed floor design of circles and rectangles on their train stations and walkways was, in fact, a trail guide for the visually-impaired. Its technical name I do not know, but it does serve its function pretty well. I began to notice more visually-impaired people around after that discovery.

Even for a regular person, one's mobility is important for progress. Literal and figurative meaning of politicians'  battle cry of  'roads to progress' should be true to all, whether one is disabled or not. However, our streets/roads aren't friendly to the PWDs, methinks. Thus, their mobility is limited. That was why all day, they were stuck on the streets singing  love songs and happy birthday greetings.

I wish I could end this post in a happier tone like in my introduction, but I simply could not. Maybe you could.

Manila walker

I had the feeling that when they planned the whole of Manila, the city planners were not putting into consideration the many pedestrians and commuters who were to inhabit the city later on. Just look at our LRT/MRT stations. Any person using those should have a physical age of less than thirty-five to effortlessly manage those steep steps. The elevators usually render useless to the rest of the aging and disabled population; you're lucky if the escalators are working. The overpass obviously was to clear the main intersections and streets of pedestrians, and was to give pedestrians additional spiritual workout since the newer foot bridges had been constructed so high that people could almost reach heaven! I am exaggerating, of course, but I bet you'd hear the same from others.

In addition, the urban planners had entrepreneurs, instead of pedestrians, in their minds. The sidewalk was created for the enterprising Filipinos! If there are clear sidewalks, they are meant for those who are patient to walk all the way to the proper loading area. The impatient ones defy laws and concrete blocks!

With the state we are in, I don't think we will ever make it to any walkers or pedestrians' list for most walker-friendly places. Recently, the American Podiatric Medical Association released its list for American walkers. Some of the reasons that made the group include a city in the list are:

1. There are existing laws and groups promoting the welfare of pedestrians.
2. Improvements in the city’s infrastructures encourage pedestrians.
3. There aren’t many vehicles.
4. Presence of schools keeps cars from overspeeding.
5. Roads and establishments are accessible to walkers and tourists.
6. Extensive public transport system helps commuters around the city.
7. Road system connects all places of interest.
8. There are avenues for strolling and hiking.
9. There is low crime and pedestrian fatalities.
10. Pro-pedestrian schemes are existing in populous areas.
You may check the the complete article through this link here.

I went on to check the internet to find a similar post. The closest I got was a forum discussing the most walkable cities in the Philippines.  Makati, Marikina and  Ortigas seem to be the forum's metro choices.  I don't know about Marikina, but Makati and Ortigas are two wealthy areas; it's expected that they should have better infrastructures and greenery. Another interesting point in the forum is : Ayaw maglakad ang mga Pilipino dahil sa init! I'll have to agree although it's ironic because everybody even car owners is a pedestrian. I think, the moment when we, Filipinos, start to enjoy walking and see it as either a form of exercise or an environmental advocacy, that is the time when we start demanding to have ample and acceptable walking spaces.

For now, there is not much to do but be content with the comforts and discomforts Manila streets cause to a pedestrian like me. With the experiences I have in the streets of Manila, I can say that I'd be more ready and able to tread any big city street in no time.

Another feet post

My friend, Roxy, and I disagree on many things, but when she said that it's not nice for women to have ugly feet, I simply had to agree. If some are the 'armpit-kind-of-person', I am the foot-person.

I would highly encourage that all women should bring business to all the manicurists (and pedicurists?) of the world. Regular visits with friends to those feet centers for foot spa treatments and whatnot should be part of every woman's social calendar!

I feel that a woman's feet tell so many things about her. If a girl has ugly feet, she's a &!@;^#%$*  in my list! But later on, I had to make some slight modifications. I no longer looked for pinkish soles, and long and symmetrical toes; I have learned to understand that not all people are blessed! I understand that genetics plays a role in a any person's make-up.

Upon learning about my views on feet, a female friend tried to hide hers from me; she said, "Nahihiya ako. Parang luya and mga daliri ko sa paa." Yes, she was not lying since I saw those ginger-like appendages for myself. I really cannot fault her, and besides, her toes' main purpose was not for show-off, and she would still be a good friend even if she had herself amputated. So, I started having more lenient standards on my idea of a beautiful pair of feet: clean and fungus-free! That's all! I think a lot of other people would share the same view.

In a previous post (see 'feet'), I stressed the importance of feet in my life. Having a pair of feet complements a commuter's life, and it's just fitting that care and attention should be provided to them. How I love it when a pair of oily soft hands rub every muscle of my feet until my feet throb in redness! It's always a treat to see dead and rough skin being scrubbed off! I enjoy seeing my manicurists' able hands working on my cuticles. Then, I would make my cheap slippers look expensive as I wear them. But...just imagine the horror when what I thought to be a rare and uncommon skin rash turned out to be warts, plantar warts at that! I was damned! I never thought that the small thing affecting an unexposed area could cause me great embarrassment! Later on, it was causing me some discomfort. At that point, I realized that walking barefoot in wet areas shared by other people was not a very smart thing to do.

I read up on it to find out two words: Salicylic Acid. I doused my feet to what then I believe was more precious than water. I succeeded! Treating it took months, though.

Now, I'm just happy I've got feet. Now, the people whose feet I admire the most are the ones that walk with me.

Checklist

Outside my university, during my freshmen year,  I learned some very valuable lessons which were to aid me in the commuter life I would lead later on. INVEST IN A GOOD UMBRELLA, PAIRS OF FOOTWEAR and VITAMIN C's!

Discussing this is very timely since it's the rainy season again. How interesting and distressing Manila is when she transforms into a lake! It's not good to be a commuter during these watery times: our leather shoes' lifespan dimishes, we become prone to sickness and other water-borne diseases, we are left stranded in the city's 'highlands', vehicular traffic is on a standstill and many others that compound the misadventures of a Manila traveller.

When I was younger, bathing in rain was a natural thing to do. To feel and taste the rain was a delight, but to do it now at this time and in Manila would be kissing death. To stay away from the rain would be the better option. Filipinos also want to play.

Manila's weather, and the Philippines' in general, has influenced much of the Filipino commuters' daily knapsack content. Must haves are:

a. Umbrella. Folded umbrella is the preferred choice.

b. Slippers. Save those leather shoes!

c. Plastic bags. In absence of slippers, people wrap their feet in plastic bags.

d. Alcohol. A dip in the water requires heavy disinfection afterwards!

e. Plastic document folders or envelops. They substitute for umbrellas.

f. Raincoats or hooded jackets.

g. Tissue/'Bimpo'/Face towel. Wipe those raindrops away!

h. Loose coins. The 'padjak' guys make a killing during the rainy season and so do the 'bridgeway guards.' 

In reality, Filipinos could do away with any of these. The best weapon they have in their bags is their ingenuity that never fails to save the day.

PS. The comment box is there for a reason. Hehe.

Destination

In my pursuit of Academic excellence, and mind you it's a pursuit that will forever be one, I had to go to a library in Quezon City on a weekday, which meant passing through two other cities to get there. It has been an attitude of mine to take routes I'm familiar with rather than take a shorter yet unfamiliar way. I'd rather be safe than sorry. Most of the time, I'm "GC" - geographically challenged, a term I picked up from someone. Like all challenged people, I had to bear the consequences; getting lost in Manila is a difficult situation. I managed to reach my destination after three PUV transfers. On my way back, the jeep I took could only take me as far as Recto. Recto, one of the original places of commerce in Manila, is not one of my favorite places in the world, together with Quiapo. Those who have lived in Manila long enough should know what this place is known for. I kept my eyes open to Lawton-bound jeeps. When I get to Lawton, I'm on safer grounds, I tell myself. To get to the jeep, I had to walk to the area loading passengers up, and it's 25 meters from where I had gotten off. Isetann Mall was in the corner; I had not gone inside this mall, and I had no plans of doing so. I observed my surroundings to note the incredible foot traffic in the area. This was one busy place. I took refuge inside Chowking to observe the place some more.

I turned to observe myself more.

I finished my lunch, hailed a jeep, and went home safely.

What I saw during my observation was a glimpse of me among the crowd.

feet

I managed to inherit my dad's Chinese genes, thus, my complexion - not yellow, but lighter than most. It follows that my feet are white, and I love these mobile appendages that carry my whole self. I enjoy seeing my soles redden after a long walk or from the immense pressure of the whole 149 pounds of me. I don't need 'mertiolet' (if that is how you spell it). Aesthetically, I don't have a bad pair, in fact, my college classmates' sole recollection of me is my white feet! hehe. But what I am very thankful for is that they take me everywhere. Walking is my passion. I simply love walking. I remember in college, I go to Intramuros for walks; to be around history was a spiritual journey. In my one of my walks, I decided to go to Fort Santiago. We were to have a 'Rizal' test the next day. I told myself "there is not a place more fitting to study Rizal than in Fort Santiago." Clutching my Rizal book and a few pesos and using my ever-dependable rubber slippers, I headed to the the park.

"Ok. I shall study here" I said.

The lady by the gate asked for an entrance fee. I refused to give her that much. I told her I was a student but couldn't provide her with an ID. Will I bask under history and go home penniless or keep whatever money I have? I decided on the latter. I was a poor student!

I was a bit frustrated; I continued walking along A. Soriano Street; Manila Cathedral, Palacio del Governador were in sight. I saw an exit; its name I can't recall. The 'puerta' was an unchartered territory for me. Beyond the gate were big trucks which I infered came from the port. I heard stories about the port area; the stories were not very friendly to red-soled teenagers. But by some instinct, I trod to that direction. There was fear I had to admit. From a distance, I saw streetchildren and some 'streetadults.' How I could possibly protect myself from the forces that be was a concern of mine. I was checking the dust that had enveloped my feet from the walk when I noticed bronze footprints on the pavements. I took a few steps farther to realize I was walking on the path Rizal took before his execution. I was enthralled at this thought. I couldn't hide my smile from the good fortune I was experiencing. Every few meters or so was a marker highlighting Rizal's accomplishments and life experiences. "Boy, I am lucky." Not having anyone to talk to, I kept these comments to myself. Every marker I saw, I read; I was reviewing for the test. Rizal's steps took me to Rizal Park. His journey to Bagumbayan marked the end of his life; my journey was a greater realization of how I love my feet! hehe.

As for the test I took after, guess what happened?