I should not have met Pedring!

But I did meet Pedring. Even though when all signs told me that it was not a good idea to go to work, I still braved the morning rain. I was five minutes away from my work when I got a text saying that work had been called off. I still proceeded to the office's gate, verifying the text. The guard offered me his smile , "Sinuspend na ng Malacanang." There, those words and that smile said it all.

I went to Jollibee, seeking some form of consolation. I must have been the only one in our batch to have come to work. They were all visionaries, and I was stubborn! There was nothing else to do but go home. I crossed the street, but my senses told me to stay put. I found myself in 7-11, observing others how they go about Pedring. Few minutes after this picture below was taken, I saw four girls sans umbrellas walking towards the convenient store. They sashayed the streets as if appearing in a soft porn flick. They left the convenience store with just a tiny bag from the store.

7-11, my temporary shelter

In my many years here in our nation's capital, it was only now that I had experienced wind so strong; when Ondoy struck two years ago, I was safe at home, like most of the other typhoons. This time, I got to see the twenty or so shape configurations that my umbrella could do against the angry winds! In the process, I had to retire my expensive two-year old umbrella because there was no way for it to be repaired.  In times like this, I miss being a teacher. At the slightest mention of typhoon signal 2, work is off! Now, it takes a President or someone from Malacanang to do that. I hoped they did the announcement a lot earlier.

Again, I am at McDonald's, making use of  its WiFi. I left the house without electricity; the entire condo complex sits in the dark. I shall buy a nice umbrella after this post.

Stay safe everyone.

If I were an FX driver...

If I were an FX driver...

1. I wouldn't drive something with a hatch back. It is inconvenient.
2. I would say thank you to anyone handing his/her fare.
3. I would play good music.
4. I would bring my passengers safely to their destination.
5. I wouldn't cuss!
6. I would load and unload passengers in designated areas to avoid being ticketed.
7. I would charge my passengers correctly.

Well, the sentences  show the use of conditionals: there is no real possibility that the condition will happen. I say this because, to start, I don't know how to drive! This inability is not yet considered as pathetic, but sometimes it can be. I sometimes hitch a ride with a female workmate to Alabang. hehe. And as one co-worker has said, she drives like an Arab. I don't know what it exactly means, but she certainly knows driving. All I can do is stay glued to my seat and say a small prayer of safety. Sometimes, it's trust. I have learned to trust my workmates. I am now more relaxed than before.

One Friday night, we went out to grab a few drinks. I had two bottles of beer! I left the place with a headache. I couldn't say for sure if I was tipsy or drunk. I only had two bottles for crying out loud! I got into her car and just wanted sleep. I am not supposed to sleep; it's absolutely wrong to have a girl drive me while I go sleep. I tried to keep awake but closed my eyes sometimes. Some minutes later I was back to my old self. I have not been getting lots of alcohol in my system lately; this is the only reason I could attribute to that pathetic episode.

To end this post, "Don't drink and drive! Hitch!"

Views from FX

Mentor

After a not so warm reception by our lecturer for our lack of participation and intelligence, the sight of my former professor on the same bus to Las Pinas was refreshing. I would not have noticed her had it not been for a girl who got off leaving a vacant seat for me to sit on. My professor must have been tired after a long day at the university; she looked as if she had a shuteye on the bus. I greeted her as soon as I took my seat. She wiped her eyes responding to my greeting.

"How are you?" She was motherly as always.

I dominated the whole conversation during the one-hour commute. I couldn't stop from blabbering; she was very encouraging and she appeared as if she was really listening.

I talked about my new work where she replied with sincerity, "How great! I am happy for you!"

I still consider myself a teacher, and hearing that from a fellow teacher, especially from someone whom I respect and admire, I was in heaven. I think she was actually proud of me. My former insecure self always wanted an affirmation of sorts from my former teachers. I guess, this time, I got it. It feels great to see my teacher take joy in my small achievement. Her smile said it all.You see this teacher of mine is considered a pillar in our department. Mrs Mendiola she is called. She is brilliant and well-liked. A PhD holder in Linguistics, US-trained and an achiever in her own right, she was looked up to by many. She is my mentor although she doesn't know it yet. She will always have my highest admiration.

I will probably not take teaching as a career right now, but if I decide to do so, I will be like her. She once wrote in her profile that she will only stop teaching if her students don't want her to. I guess she will have more years teaching because there will always be a demand for her. But I would also understand if she decides to retire. She leaves daily for work at 4:30 am she says. She even told me that she injured herself after tripping on a road construction; there was no light nor warning device that early that day, yet she went to work. She goes home taking the public bus by herself, and she's not getting any younger.

Bus terminal in Las Pinas

I got off feeling proud, but it was her "Ingat ka, iho!" that made me forget of all the bad teachers I had had.