When Was The Last Time

When was the last time you read a book, wrote a poem, sang a song?

When was the last time you walked barefoot, chased the sun, sat by the coast?

When was the last time you climbed mountains, watched sunsets, strolled country sides?

When was the last time you shivered in cold, sweated in heat, panted in pressure?

When was the last time you wept for loss, sighed for relief, cried for joy?

When was the last you spoke your thought, screamed your ire, shared your experience?

When was the last time you dribbled that ball, played that guitar, drew that sketchbook?

When was the last time you found love, lost in love, fell in love again?

  

When was the last time you lived?

Priceless Tips On How To Survive Metro Manila Traffic

Commuters, D-R-I-V-E!

Hunger Games. That book series turned to movie where two representatives from different districts have to participate in an annual death match in the name of food.

The battlecry? Survival of the fittest, elimination of the unfit.

Our day to day life is indeed a survival of the fittest and elimination of the unfit. You need not read or watch Hunger Games to see that. Just try commuting in the Philippines. And it’s more fun in Metro Manila.

For those who have cars, all you have worry are the following: money for gas and toll fees, coding days, plus double, extra, super patience for the metro’s traffic.

For us commuters, what we have to worry are just two deadly things: 1) running out of bus to ride, and 2) running out of oxygen chasing buses along with other feisty and desperate-to-get home passengers.

As an experienced EDSA commuter where falling in line is a deviant practice, I urged everyone to D-R-I-V-E!

D is for Diet. Imagine a pack of tigers, only they are humans, pushing everyone around in order to get in the bus’ minimal door. No offense meant but being thinner (and flatter) is helpful in slipping inside a bus swarmed by hungry passengers. But like toothbrush that needs toothpaste for better result, diet must be coupled with exercising. I learned it the hard way. Being petite makes it easier to just slip but also it is easier for you to get off balance when the big bad guys are your competitors. Okay, time to hit the gym and put some muscle here (my triceps I mean).

R is for Run. Cheetahs are the fastest land animals on record, so the report shows. I beg to differ, ladies and gentlemen. It’s humans! Go to Ayala bus station during rush hour and you’ll see what I am talking about. Hundreds of them running like hell to approaching buses just to get in.

I did not entertain this novelty of commuting so I missed a lot of dinner at home and soon grew tired of this so I learned to play the game. I am an experienced runner now and still on training every day!

I is Ignore Good Manners. My mom brought us up with utmost respect especially to elders. So when an oldie gets on I gave way. You’re welcome. And that’s one of the reasons I get to my destinations late. I know better now. I must be objective. Who cares about the PWDs, the pregnant women, the mothers with their infants? Put your game face on! But just like drinking reminders, do it moderately.

V is Vigilance. Once I too preoccupied getting to office on time so I made my way through the crowd as quick as possible. When I finally boarded, I fished for my smartphone only to realize it was gone. Should I scream? No, I would be nuts to do that! Should I call the police? Oh God! Where are the police? Lesson? Use handphones.

Vigilance is also necessary for all sex maniacs out there who pretend to brush off your chest or butt when the bus is jam-packed or in sudden break. This is also as equally important for those conductors who do not dispense tickets and play deaf when asked for change.

Extend Patience. No matter what you do, shit happens. I wonder how many commuters out there had their relationship shattered after being late on a date or on a birthday. I wonder how many business deals were postponed and how many love letters they got from the HR giving suspension for the well-performed lates. In all these, patience my dear, patience.

I cannot pinpoint what really is the root of this problem. Is it so many people that our vehicles cannot accommodate? Or just so many undisciplined people that makes commuting an agony? On the one hand, could it be that we have so many vehicles our roads can longer accommodate or simply a lack of effective system. Might as well call MMDA…

Meanwhile, if you want to be on top of surviving, go DRIVE.


Basic Speech No. 6 (Pioneer Trailblazers Toastmasters Club)

Why You Buy More Than You Think In Malls

Where is your favourite mall? Imagine yourself inside it. You decided to buy a pair of running shoes. Just a pair running shoes. But with its big ON SALE sign across halls, wide array of clothes, beauty products, etc, etc.. You ended up with a number of shopping bags. Inside-- traveling pillow, bag, new headset, powerbank, new t-shirt and lastly, your running shoes. Then it hit you. Your credit card is badly hurt or worst,  you won’t be eating right for the next 2 weeks to cope up with your diminishing budget.

Good evening fellow toastmasters! Life is tricky. There are times that despite our strong will to just stick to what we need, we ended up wanting and getting things that are not supposed to be part of our list. But what is it with malls that make us disobedient shoppers?

Come let us go shopping as we uncover the science of malls!

Let us start at the very entrance. Here, there is nothing much to look at. It’s called the decompression zone. Purposely designed for you to acclimatize. Designed to allow us contemplate about proper spending mode.

And then once you are into the mode…

What scientist called scripted disorientation technique kicks in…

 Have you noticed that there are no clocks in malls? Inside we enjoy so much of the goods and bargains and the next time we know it, it’s closing time. Usually we can tell what time of day it is but inside you can’t. Unless you check your watch once in a while which is rarely. This is so because aside from having no clock inside, you can rarely have a view of the outside. Plus the lighting and color schemes. It’s  always day inside and the more we think it is still early to go home yet, the more we are vulnerable to throwing unnecessary stuff to our shopping cart. A very genius way of skewing our perception about time.

Malls. They are designed to make you spend money and sometimes you do not realize it making you vulnerable to impulse buying. Something called the invariant right is one of the culprits. You see, we grow up to walk and drive keeping right. Unconsciously, we also do so in our shopping and the retailers knowing this keep their bargains and most of their goods at the right.  So maybe next time you like to keep left? :)

And same thing is applied in supermarkets! You see, they could have put the condiments, the meat and the dairy in the same aisle for us to save time. Are they just so OC about arrangements? You buy meat and because you need ingredients in cooking it, you have to go to the condiments section. And on your journey there, a lot of discounted products caught your eye and before you get to the section you intend to, you have a bottle of shampoo in your cart.

Christmas is fast approaching. And in this season of giving, a well thought gift is well appreciated by receivers. Be it a signature bag or a simple pen, malls offer us the convenient venue to shop. But remember, malls can make or break us. It may have almost everything we need but if we won’t be cautious, we might be spending for something we don’t truly need.

Life is tricky. But as tricky as it seems, there are always ways out. One is, knowing the shop for wise SHOPPING.

Happy Holidays!

Basic Speech No. 8 (Pioneer Trailblazers Toastmasters Club)

Why do we love SELFIE!

#ATM, # Abs! Abs! Just woke up! No filter!

#ATM. My friend Payee busy with her selfie as I savour
the moment reading at the peak of Pico De Loro. 

Imagine these selfies flooding your FB, twitter and instagram accounts every couple of hour? Like me, you might be a bit annoyed. Good Lord! What is happening with the world? But what is it with selfie that more and more people get hooked to it?

Good evening ladies and gentlemen! I am Aiza, and tonight, we will talk about that thing called Selfie! And when I say ‘selfie’  that does not mean giving you thousands of reasons to condemn selfie-holics but digging into the science on why do we do it.

The first selfie was taken with a mirror. So we tried to get the feel.

Selfie. The term made it to the Oxford new lexicon late of 2013.  It means  a photograph taken of oneself typically taken with a smart phone or a webcam and shares it via social media. Many thought this is a millennial thing but back in 1839, a renowned American photographer, Robert Cornelius had already taken the first selfie. And it was not until early 2000s when the term was officially mentioned during an Australian Internet Forum.

Photo from justcreative.com

As we speak, there are more or less 300 million photos tagged as selfie in Instagram alone. Add FB and other social media and you will a more overwhelming figure. But really, what is it with selfie that even after 176 years since it was first recorded, it’s still on its pinnacle to fame? Well, different social media platforms + affordable smartphones + free internet connection =  SELFIE! Upload! Like! Like! Like!

Do people take selfie merely for self-expression or vanity?

In her article Psychology of Selfies, Dr. Courtney Seiter explains that people like to take selfie as  a self-portrait and as self-expression. We want our selfies to define us. 

Another thing is that we want to feel important. A selfie with Pope for example makes you feel involved. "Hey look at me I was there when Pope was here! I participated! 

My sister Ellen and I having a blast taking selfie on a cold
morning in Baguio City.

Moreover, selfies won’t gain its fame without our support. Maybe after posting 10 selfies and you don’t get some likes and the call of courtesy comments like, “pretty!, gorgeous! Nicceee!”, you would quit. But no! As much as we fancy taking photos of faces,we also fancy  viewing photos with faces. That is because humans notice faces first. On Instagram for example, pictures with human faces  are 38% more like to receive likes and comments against those with none. 

As I peeked to comments of the selfie articles I’ve read, considered worst selfies are those taken without apparent purpose or those taking selfie for the sake of it. Interesting selfiesare those with something interesting to see.Writing this speech made me remember a friend telling me that people like to have selfies to be famous. I beg to differ because currently, we have the Kardashians, Rihanna, Paris Hilton, P Diddy acing it for the most selfies among celebrities with more or less 300 selfies on average.

Psychology says selfie is neither vanity nor a mental illness.  Selfie is one way of crafting our own identity. On the other side of the pan, selfie may pose danger as well. The number of accidents happened while having selfie is accumulating and there are also researches saying it could both boost and lower self-esteem.

We are the master of our own ships. WE have a lot of options on how to use selfie to our own advantage.  So if it makes you feel connected sharing #ATM, if it inspires you to do more to maintain those abs, if it makes you special waking up just the way you are, then take more selfies!

Life is too short to stop yourself from doing what makes you happy. But life is also too short to be a victim of the emerging technology as well. 

(Basic Speech No. 7, Pioneer Trailblazers Toastmasters Club, Makati City)

Random Awesome Sites for Ultimately Bored People

Welcome! I'll guess why you are here. Of course you are ultimately bored as me and I know just few random awesome sites that could be an antidote.

1) Psychology Today - If you want expert opinions and/or explanations on why the sky is blue, if

crocodiles really cry, how the color of your dress affects you dog's mood and many, many others, then this site is good to pass your boredom. Psychology Today covers a wide array of topics--addiction, behavior, gender, philosophy, politics, etc.-- written by a number of psychology mavens. Personally, I never miss a day of checking out the site every break time at the office to check what's new and interesting as they usually react to current trends.

2) Investopedia - Personally, I hate to talk about finance but when I get to work at an insurance company I gradually realized how serious this is. I mean who would want to be still working damn hard until the last years of their lives? Who would want to live from payday to payday all the time? Checking investopedia.com at your leisure hours even if you are not into it will be surely beneficial to you. It talks about personal finance, investing, trading, wealth management and many others.

3) Coursera - Every bored people who wants to be still productive should visit this site. It offers a

wide a array of courses for FREE! Plus you'll get specified courses for few dollars and a certificate. Courses Coursera offered are hosted by different prestigious universities from different parts of the world and participated globally so you'll gain not only education but worldwide friends.

4) 9gag - If you just want to chill out your boredom then Go Fun Yourself at 9gag. It is just darn hilarious at the same time educational.


5)YouTube - Don't judge me! We all know YouTube and the entertainment it brings not only for those who are bored but also to those who are not.


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10 Things You Hate About Food
10 Things You Hate About School

10 Mga Nakakaasar na Eksena sa Jeepney

1)      Yung pilang daig pa ang blockbuster movie sa sinehan tapos yung mga kapwa mo

pasaherong kakarating lang ay dumiretsong sakay pagkadating na pagkadating.

2)      Yung ipinagssisikan ng drayber na 9 talaga ang dapat makaupo kahit wala ng mapaglagyan. Sabi pa, 'Kaya yan, tiwala lang'. Saveey?!

3)      Yung sinasabihan ka ng drayber na galaw-galaw nalang para magkasya. Eh, Kuya ang sikip na nga diba! Paano pa makakagalaw!

4)      Yung mga pasaherong di marunong mag-abot ng bayad. Di mo matantiya kung busy o wala lang talaga sa sarili.

5)      Yung mga drayber na di marunong mag-abot ng sukli.

6)      Yung mga Mamang mahilig sa manspreading. Yung totoo Kuya gaano ba kalaki yang sayo at kung makabukaka ka diyan ay wagas habang si Nanay sa tabi mo ay ipit na ipit?

7)      Yung mga pasaherong insensitib. Imagine sobrang sikisikan sa jeep. Tapos may mga bumaba. Pero siksikan pa rin sa kabila habang ang luwag sa kabila. Ate, makiramdam din pag may time, di puro FB lang.

8)      Yung mga mamang busy sa kaka-COC habang si Lolo ay nakakabit sa jeep. Totoy, baka makahingi ng konting awa sa tuhod ni Lolo.

9)      Yung mga drayber na tamad huminto. Pumara ka na sa babaan at lahat dire-diresto pa rin. Ayan tuloy kailangan mo pa sumakay ulit pabalik sa sobrang layo ng hinituan.

10)   Yung mga pasaherong kung makasigaw ng ‘Para!’ ay parang wala ng bukas. Nagagalit pa kung hindi nakahinto sa gusto niyang pahintuan. Alam namang bawal doon.

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Ngannong Lisod Kaayo Muingon ug NO

Nganong Lisod Kaayo Muingon ug 'NO'

Padulong nako pauli ug kay gusto man lagi ta ug bugnaw, sulod sa mall gyud ko muagi. Kada-adlaw, ako ginabaybay ang Greenbelt, Glorietta paingon sa LandMark ug SM, ug sa kani nga mga lakaw, ako jud nga pugson ang ako kaugalingon sa pag lakaw nga way lingi-lingi. Lisod na ug makapalit ta ug dili oras. Imagine P120,000 sa usa lang ka sunglasses? Haroy yuta naman jud na ako mapalit. So as usual, sutoy ra gyud ko.

Pero wa gyud ko kapalag pag agi nako sa Black Pearl nga booth. Sige ra ko ni ug agi-agian ug kung manawag na gani ang salesman, mulingiw dayo ko ug mupaspas ug lakaw. Apan karon, tam-is kaayo ang smile ni salesman nga ibutang lang nato sa pangalan nga Harry kay nakalimot ko. Actually, nagpaila-ila biya siya apan di lang gyud nako mahinumduman kay busy kaayo siya ug pangutana nako kung unsa ako gamit.

H: Ma'am, ano po gamit ninyo para sa inyo face?

A: Wala po talaga Sir, pure Safeguard lang.

H: Ahh, ganoon how about moisturizers?

A: Cetaphil cleanser lang po kung meron mahal kasi.

H: Pero madalas kayo magpa-facial?

A: Ay wala din Sir, baka magising mga pores ko (sheet memeng last nalang gyud ka nako bah!)

Wa nako kabanatay nga iya gigunitan ako kamot ug iya ko gidala sa ilang booth para mag-sample. Iyang giunag hanyag sa ako ang peeling mask nga iyang gibutang sa parte sa akong tuong kamot. Nahadlok ko kay basin mag iyahay ug panggawas  ang ako buling. Mahibaw-an nga wa ko kapanglugod ganiha kay nagdali-dali ko ug kaligo.

After mga 2 minutes, iya na gitangtang ang iya gibutang ug tinood nangadala ang ako dead skin ug mga dagkong buling. Amazing! Amazing pod ang presyo kay tag P5,400 ang usa ka gamay nga sudlanan. Good for 1 year daw ug mas best and epekto kon gamitan nimo sa ilang moisturizer nga tag P5,000 pod kapin ang gamay nga botelya. Harroy, ta-ta ang akong Safeguard papaya! Pero nindot man, di jud ko padala kay mahal ra kaayo.

Nag-thank you nako sa effort ni Harry ug ready na mo go-rah sa dihang miabot ang very neat ug gwapong foreigner nga I'm sure dili Americano. Iya kung gisugdan sa pag-ingon nga nindot daw ako earings ug cute daw ko. Juice colored! Murag gibayang ang ako kalag. Ug misamot kini sa dihang miingon siya nga tungod kay cute ko, ihatag nalang niya sa ako ang Black Pearl Peeling Mask ug P2,700 instead nga 5,400. Nakaingon si Harry ug, "Sure ka, Sir!" Ma'am avail mo na to. Anak yan ng may-ari at minsan lang ang ganyang offer!

Aguuy! Unsaon naman nako ni! Kabarato na lang. Ug kagwapo sa naghatag nako ug discount! Lami na kaayo igawas ang ako credt card, pero maayo nalang wa ko patunto. Ako usang gi-imagine and ako mga bayranan ug kung naa ba ko ma-spare para aning ilang pagwapa apan bisag walay calculator kabalo ko nga ma negative gyud ang akong budget. Maayo mu -salestalk ning mga tuway pero naa pod ko sa sales ug ako pod ning ginabuhat. So samtang ila ko gibola-bola, sige rako ug katawa dili tungod kay flattered ko kung dili kay naka huna huna pod ko sa akong mga gema-gema sa pamaligya aron makahalin.

Besides, sa retail world grabe ang patong. Sure ko dili siya lugi bisan ihatag pa to niya ug 1K. Na factor in nana nila sa ilang pag presyo ug grabe ang ilang ganansiya kung mupatol ka sa tag P5,400. Hoy, Dong di tika padatuon ug samot!

So mao to mga friends, lisod man, pero kung dili kaya sa budget, firm jud ang NO! Kay kung dili,gwapa lagi ka pero ga sakripisyo pod imo budget. Oh siya, muuli nako ug manghilam-os sa ako Safeguard Papaya! LOL


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Climbing Mt. Pulag -DIY

“Static people don’t fall! You fell because you were either climbing, or running. This is a sign that you are on track. Don’t stop where you fall; rise up and do it again!” 
― Israelmore Ayivor, Daily Drive 365

During a break for business presentation skills training, a mountain climbing junkie and colleague mentioned he is to climb Mt. Pulag, solo. The wanderlust blood in me rushed in. And before we knew it, five of us found ourselves at Victory Liner - Pasay for the trip.

At around 4:30 am, we finally arrived at Baguio. Freezing, we went down Session Road for some walking so as to hunt for gloves and of course, breakfast to pacify our growling tummies. All of my climbing companions here are officemates except Kuya Michael who is working in a BPO. 

Being the only girl, I was pushed by the men to charm (of which I bet didn't work) the van driver to get a discount for our trip to Bokod, Benguet. At P2500, he finally agreed to take us up to the ranger station. Another 2 climbers arrived and we were just so happy to share a ride with them to lessen our fare. A couple of minutes later, we were on our way to DENR-Kabayan that took care of the orientation for all Pulag climb. 

A typhoon has just a passed around the area putting our climb in jeopardy. In fact, we were not allowed to climb until the last minute. It had been pouring real hard the days prior of our climb. Fortunately, the weather brighten on the climb day. But then there was a landslide on the way up so we took a motorcycle in lieu of the van.

We were starving for lunch when

we arrived at the ranger station. Too bad as there were no carenderia food sold around the vicinity as they were not expecting climbers after the bitching weather. Luckily, a sari-sari store offered us to cook what we bought from them. Thank heavens!

Kuya Michael and JJ  ready to explore the mossy forest.

As work often demands me to travel once in a while, I stopped going to the gym (Ehem, lame excuse). My last climb was four months ago. And my heart was starting to fail me. It behaved as if it was not used to walking with a heavy baggage. Add the freezing temperature and I was ready to give up. I felt dizzy and my nose felt like it was ready to fall anytime. I was tempted to pretend I was good but my surrounding started to blur. Then and there I asked our guide to carry my bag. 

Panting like hell at Mt. Pulag's Camping Ground 2

Seemingly battered comfort rooms. But in such area, it does really provide comfort. Hoho!

The Boys enjoying  groufie.

With lots of chitchats, once in a while rest, and occasional sharing of trail food, we finally arrived at Camp 2. I was so excited to see a comfort room. It seemed uncomfortable but then again, bawal ang mapili sa bundok. My colleagues washed up after we set our tent. I did not bother. It was too cold for me. I thought I was just hungry and maybe the shivering will be gone after a meal. It did not. And it was getting worse. My head hurt. I was frantic how I supposed to last the night. Day 1 was over.

At around 5 am, we started our trek to the summit.

Mt. Pulag off the bucket list.

The Boys were not just contented of getting up there. They also wanted to show off their muscles (supposed there is any:) up there. Kidding aside, they just wanted to test if their fats can withstand the cold.

The view on the way and up the peak is spectacular. We were very lucky to have the Camp and the peak all for ourselves as there were no other climbers the day before. We were even more lucky because just right after we set foot back at the Ranger Station, a heavy rain began to take over the sunny sky. All climbers on that day were advised not to go. 

Despite the seemingly endless cold night, I would say Mt. Pulag is worth the climb. I wondered before why this peak made it to almost all Filipino climber's list and even foreign. On my way up, I saw it myself. The people, the mossy forest, the wild berries, the vibrantly colored flowers, the trees that seemed like a garden of broccoli, the sea of clouds and the frostbiting weather--they are just too hard to resist.

Expense

P890 Bus Fare to Baguio (back and forth)

P65 Breakfast

P60/5 Cab Fare Session Road to Terminal

P2500/5 Van Fare From Baguio to Kabayan
P250 Kabayan to Baguio

P150 DENR fee

P500 motorcycle fare (back and forth)

P80 overnight fee at camp 2

P600/5 guide fee -

P190/5 lunch

P65 lunch for day 2

Consider the Lily by Elizabeth Buchan

It took me days to finish this book. The first few chapters are very dragging that even if I had already

Photo by Goodreads

read a few pages I still did not understand a thing. In fact, I finished another book before checking out on this because I did not have much of a choice but in the end, I am grateful to get back to this.

Elizabeth Buchan is very poignant at this masterpiece while showing enough knowledge at gardening. A man (Kit) and a woman (Daisy) so in love with each other but the man ended up marrying another girl (Matty) because of social responsibilities and financial dilemma. The storyline is something I often encountered but what hooked me is the realness of the situation. It is not my habit reading synopsis of books because finding it myself gives me an element of surprise and Consider the Lily gave it to me.

All along, I thought the story will revolve around how Kit and Daisy get over the humps on their way to true love and live happily ever after (which is so traditional fairy tale-like for me). Instead, it was more about Matty and how she managed adultery while unravelling  Kit’s family secret. To be honest, I hated Matty on the first part. She is an orphan with quite a fortune left to her by her parents. Always sickly and always seeking for love, she ended up buying Kit to a marriage. But boy, I must give her credit for her willpower.

I have certain fascination about stories happened in Europe and this one gave me enough taste of it being set in London with scenes in France and some other parts of the world. The vivid experience of Kit’s father, Rupert, during the Great War also added meat and action to the story.

One that got me thinking while paying for this book is why is it titled Consider the Lily. There were quite a variety of flowers mentioned on this book but roses and lilies were the most talked about with lilies as the second option. There could be a lot of interpretations but as I am writing this review, it dawned into me that it has something to do with the storyline. Daisy is the rose and Matty, the lily. Despite of Kit’s obsession with Daisy and vice versa, in the end, both agreed to go on with their lives separately. Kit chose to have a brand new start with Matty.

In our lives, there are certain things we desired badly but we cannot get them. We try. And try. But life has a funny way of showing it cannot happen. And sometimes all we just have to do is move on  and make the most of what we have.

Title: Consider the Lily

Author: Elizabeth Buchan

Publisher:  Macmillan, 1993

Birthday Beauty Rest at Puerto Galera , Oriental Mindoro

The bibliophile and the bitch, I mean, beach.

After our first adventure together at Mt Maculot, I reckoned Payee likes me to be her travel buddy (bwahahaha) and invited me to join her supposed to be solo birthday trip at Puerto Galera. In a heartbeat I agreed because aside from the fact that I am travel junkie, it was also for free!

We met at around 6 in the morning at Jam Bus Terminal to get on a Batangas Pier Bus. After sometime of waiting, finally the boat that will take to Sabang finally arrived. An hour and a half ride and the sight of tourists, and cottages and beach activities greeted us.

Mindoro Sling.

There are a lot of things to explore in Puerto—snorkeling, trekking, sailing, partying—but we passed all these in the name of sleep. Yep, we came all the way just to breath fresh air, to walk in the sand and of course, to sleep. 

What I can’t forget about this trip is that I was given a birthday present.  Not to mention, a very nice book. Ah! I am happy kid! All of a sudden, I felt guilty for not having something for her. Maybe next year J

 

The birthday girl and me. Not to mention, this is my first time to get a closer handling with a selfie stick and I must say it’s not for me. Climbing pole is way easier to grapple. But selfie stick? I am such a noob.

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Modus Pamamalimos!

Piso na lang tulog na ako. Pero di pa man nakakalayo ang jeep na sinasakyan ay naalimpungatan na ako. Dalawang batang kumakanta. Masarap pakinggan. Di ko lang naiintindihan. 

Habang kumakanta ang mga nasa edad 5 na si Nene nag-aabot naman ng sobre ang kuya niyang si Totoy. O kuya niya nga ba talaga o ka-tandem lang.

Halos lahat deadma. Si ate sa harap busy sa pag-i-FB. Si Kuya naman sa gilid ay sobrang pokus sa pagsi-COC. Papaos na si Nene pero wala pa ring naglagay sa mga sobre hanggang sa naawa si Ate na katabi ko at nagbigay ng maraming barya. Ayun solve  at bumaba na ang dalawang bata.

Bigla akong dinalaw ni Mr. Guilt. “It’s always better to give than to receive”, ika nga ng Nanay ko. Pero hanggang kailan ka pwedeng magbigay? Hanggang kailan ka magpapaloko? Biglang sumagi sa akin. Ang galing na ng namamalimos ngayon. Uniform ang Airmail  na sobre na pinapamigay para paglagyan ng pera. Improb kamu. Dati lata lata lang pinapasa eh.

Kahapon lang habang inip na inip ako sa pagpila ng jeep ay may isang mamang lumapit sa lahat ng nakapila para humingi ng tulong sa kanyang anak. Sa labas ng sobreng puti ay larawan ng anak niya (o kanino mang bata siguro) at iilang gamot na maintenance daw. Napabigay ako ng limang piso kasi nasa St. Luke’s daw ang anak niya. Pag-alis ng Mama, napaisip ako. Bakit sa St Luke’s niya dinala?

Feeling ko nayari na naman ako. Ilang beses ko nang sinabi sa sarili ko di ako magpapayari. Peksman! Minsan kasi may lumapit sa aking babae. Humihingi ng P20 pamasahe daw pauwing Cubao. Di ko din naman ma-imagine paglakarin siya mula Makati hanggang Cubao kaya napaabot na ako sabay alis. Nung bumalik ako, andun pa rin yung babae, nanghihingi ulit ng bente sa halos lahat ng dumaan. Tinitigan ko siya at napailing sabay sabing, “Nice one ate”.

Kasabay ng pagbulusok ng teknolohiya ay ang pag-level up din ng taktika sa pamamalimos. Nung bata ako, kahit magkano lang pwede na sa lata. Hanggang sa pag nagbigay ng piso halos ibabato sayo pabalik. Kung magbigay ka din ng pagkain, gusto pera nalang. Ngayon pag nagbigay ka ng pera, sila pa ang nagsasabi ng minimum. Hanep!

Yung iba naman, may talaga pag rumaket. May megaphone na, may death certificate pa. Familiar? Na try niyo na ba mabigyan ng sobre sa bus bilang tulong daw sa pagpapalibing sa tatay, nanay, anak, kapatid o kung sino mang Poncio Pilato? Tapos nakangiti na kapag kolektahan na ng sobre. Pasalamat speech sabay baba at aakyat na naman sa ibang bus.

Nasubukan na ito ni Porito, officemate ko. Si Kuya humihingi ng tulong para sa tatay niyang namatay. May death certificate pa bilang patunay. Makalipas ang mahigit isang buwan, si Kuya na naman ang nakita niyang humingi ng tulong para sa tatay niyang namatay. Yung totoo, ilan ba talaga tatay mo Kuya?

Usapang modus limos na rin lang, banggitin ko na rin yung mga batang namamalimos sa daan at sa mga overpass. Kawawa na nakakaasar. At lalong maasar ka kapag narinig mo ang sa wari ko’y magulang na pinapagalitan ang anak dahil ‘yun lang daw ang koleksyon niya. Wow ate, child labor na nga, nagagalit pa!

Kung may bata, syempre may pang matanda din.  Araw-araw nagtataka ako paano nakakauwi yung matandang Mama at nakakabalik. Para bagang may duty hours lang. Minsan isang gabi, di ko alam kung sobra lang akong pagod pero may nakita akong lalaking naka itim kaharap nung Mama. Di ko alam kung binabraso niya ng barya o anuman pero mukhang may hatiang naganap. Nakow!

Maaaring tayo ang biktima nila. Maaaring biktima lang din sila…

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