Expedition

photo courtesy of www.panahon.tv

     Female Parental Unit and I have been planning to go to Divisoria for the longest time. Given that I work every day and get off from work at 2 PM, we had to make sure that we'll make the most of our time there. We don't want to go on a weekend because we know it'll packed and we also don't want to stay there exploring until night time. I started to think that for a couple of things that we wanted to check out, a lot of factor and planning is involved.

     So we decided to go today and even before we got there, our plan started to hit a snag. The jeep took a different rout. We got off in front of 999 Mall. Female Parental Unit and I were not familiar with area, but we thought it would be a good chance to explore the building and see what we'll find. 

     We've only been there for less than half an hour and I already managed to buy all the things that I want. Since it was still early, we thought we'd get something to eat. After that we decided we'd check out 168 Mall as well. It was a little more packed with stalls and people that we felt a bit overwhelmed that we just settled with just looking around the ground floor. 

     When we decided to head back home, we realized that all of the road repairs and rerouting in the area has thrown off whatever sense of direction I have. And since Female Parental Unit is also not familiar with the new surroundings, we ended up asking for directions, which I still feel is a failure of my being a human being. 

     We're both tired, but we definitely enjoyed our exploration. And we promised each other that we'll go back there. 

Rich People Problems

photo courtesy of www.interaksyon.com

   The trip from Pasig to Malcanang was horrendous today. I left at around 2 PM with the anticipation that there would be heavy traffic in some areas. I didn't realize that a school would cause it. The bus that I ride passes by La Salle Greenhills and even before we got the there, the traffic was so heavy that it took us an hour to move from Robinson Galleria to the POEA. It took another quarter of an hour for us to get out of the that bottleneck area. Apparently parents where picking up their children and they were taking up 3 lanes of the road. Even if there was a billboard where La Salle apologizes for the inconvenience and promises to find a solution for this, I feel like it's not really the problem of the commuters as a whole. The road in which the cars of the parents are parked is a public road. It shouldn't just be allocated for them. That is clearly a preferential treatment by city of Mandaluyong.

   But he rich people. 

Gridlock

photo courtesy of thegypsy.org

   Earlier, I left Malacanang to go Allan's place in Pasig. Normally, I travel early during Saturdays, but today I wanted to try out and see what I'll discover if I leave the house on a later time. So after my morning work ended, I left at around 2:30. 

   What I found out was terrifying.

   

   There were already a lot of commuters waiting for jeepneys and buses. I made my way to the bus terminal that goes to Pasig. When I boarded, I noticed that were only a couple of passengers there. I thought it would be that way all throughout the  bus ride. I was wrong. The bus hasn't gone that far from the terminal when a throng of passengers got in. Slowly the bus became full and crowded.

   Heavy build up of traffic seems to have sprung in our route and soon after we were stalled every couple of minutes. This is what the average working Filipino deals with. This and the sucky transport system and the constant news of inefficiency of the government. Sadly, we are also to blame for things escalating to this. We never really bothered to care. We took everything as the reality of things and just soldiered on instead of fighting the system and changing the way things are.

   But before that happens, I hope this traffic won't get us late. 

The waiting game.

photo courtesy of forums.archeagegame.com

   So now we wait. 

   Typhoon Ruby has weakened in the update given by PAGASA earlier, but in their last bulletin, the storm has regained its strength and will still follow its projected path. Everyone still advised to take the necessary safety precautions and to monitor the updates provided on all channels of communication. 

   While we wait for the round of information on the effects of the typhoon, the best thing to do is to stay calm, make sure that we have a ready stock of food items. That means, no panic-buying, its obviously hording, so stop. Charge all mobile phones and make sure they have load credits. We don't want communication to fail just because we're out of load. 

   We may not be able to prevent whatever damage the typhoon may bring but we can be sure to minimize its effects if stay vigilant, alert, and calm.  

Dilapidated

photo courtesy of lifestyle.inquirer.net

    I spend my weekends and a part of the next week with Allan in Pasig. I usually make my way back to Manila on a Monday or a Tuesday, depending on the appointments that I have for that week. I either take the bus or a combination of jeepney and train on my way home and every time I enter Manila's boundaries I can't help but look with a certain sadness at its buildings.

   Manila is one of the oldest cities in this countries and a lot of structures have built and destroyed here. It saddens me whenever I see an old building not being used. I know that the city hall has condemned them and declared them unfit to be used but that doesn't mean that they just be left there to wither even more. The city could use these buildings in attracting investors in converting the structures into office spaces and housing projects. The city hall could provide the investors with tax exemptions as aid in pouring money and business here. On the other hand, the involvement of the citizens of Manila could also be tapped. Maintaining the cleanliness and safety of the business centers and new housing projects is one way of making the community involve in the progress of its city.

   But hey, I'm just probably tired from travelling. Here's to hoping it happens.