The Commute

In a mega-city where I am daily told to be careful I feel ridiculously safe living and travelling here alone. Today as I was in a jeep this possey of young men appeared out of nowhere swerving and running through traffic, running from something. I don't know if they were the good guys or the bad guys, but I suddenly thought, maybe this isn't the best place to be right now, in a jeep between them and whoever they're running from. Especially since the papers reported a couple weeks ago that a group of suspected car theives were shot and killed in the street. But seriously I don't feel in danger, ever!
These days my work takes me clear across the city and I'm becoming increasingly Filipino as I partake in a daily 1.5hr commute. I must say I'm not a fan! My mornings start out at 7:30 with a cab to a jeepney to a pedicab...not bad. But on the way home we get the expanded version, walk to a jeep, walk to the train, walk to the next train, stop and do internet and finally hail a cab. Here are some of my travel "adventures" and thoughts...
- As I was in between 2 trains today I walked past a bus station that was announcing the destination of its next bus. And I know my Tagalog and my Filipino geography aren't great but I don't think it's a good sign when your driver tells you you're going to "Bagio-blah-blah-blah"! I listened for a long time, that's what he was saying, I swear! If you can show me "Blah-blah-blah" on a map - I'll take that bus!
- As one of my trains today was passed over a graveyard I saw a sign for the "Honey Moon Hotel", let me just say that if that is where honeymoons happen, I'll stay single!
- Yesterday the jeep I was in died in traffic, and a dead vehicle is a bad deal on any street (believe me, the Lumina and I know this!), but in Manila... But amazingly with only a few minutes of honking the problem was solved. The jeep behind us simply drove into us and got us moving again, at which point our driver started our engine and we were off!
- Now I will collage for you my daily ordeal with cab drivers; first I tell my whole life story, then I explain my height, then I thank them for telling me I'm beautiful, then I tell them their meter is going fast, then I tell them I don't know Julia Campbell, then they ask if I'm single, then I tell them I can't give them my number or my picture, then my driver (a Muslim) says "Praise Jesus, you are so beautiful, you look like mother Mary", then we get lost, then I give them directions in Tagalog and then I'm home. Did I mention I do this every day, (okay the Muslim driver was only one night and I laughed out loud at him)!
I've been encouraged by a friend to consider the daily commutes as "adventures" and so I thought I would share them with you and hope you might enjoy them too, adventures are better when they're shared!