What a sight on a sunday morning. The photo shows a blown up Nissan Patrol in front of a local mall by north EDSA. The inset shows shards of the vehicle’s glass panes lying lazily a few meters from the Nissan.

I’m not even going to speculate about the political implications of this incident. But I have my suspicions.

***

On last night’s episode of GMA7’s Imbestigador, the show’s team dispersed 80 wallets across Metro Manila and watched what would follow. Each had Php200 in them. It was a test of honesty. Nice.

They said the results would be shocking. But holy hell, I didn’t expect it to be this schocking. Out of the 80 wallets, 15 of them went to the lucky bastards’ pockets. A whopping 65 were returned to the owner. If the sample were qualified enough, it would be safe to say that roughly 81% of wallets lying on the streets of our lovely city would be returned to their owners.

As much as I would like to rant over how much has been stolen from me, I think I’d like to stop here and end the entry on a positive note. Honesty still does exist.

*content*

She’s grabbing onto what she can, with the hot water she’s bathing in now.

Shall we see any serious scalding in the near future? Let’s wait and see.

Philippines funeral services consist of more than mourning. There are gambling, music, prayers, and the never-dying family gossip.

So the next time somebody passes on, don’t fret. Make friends. Rekindle familial relationships. It’s the new family reunion.

[/bitter]

Do you have an entire day to yourself? Well by golly, it’s the best time to get your driver’s license.

My brother turned 17 and he was finally applying for his non-pro license. My mother needed to renew hers so they went together. I, on the other hand, played chauffeur for a day.

We arrived at the San Juan Land and Transportation Office (LTO) at 11AM. As I dropped them off, I headed over to the nearby mall, Shoppesville/Theatre Mall. I was with my 6-year-old sister. My mother was to call me as soon as they were done.

By 5PM, we’ve rounded the entire place, memorized the stores, and have had three meals.

*tune of the SATC theme blasts from my phone*

A-hah. Finally.

“We need you to bring the car over. They don’t have an auto for your brother to use for his driving test.”

How convenient. So I witnessed the “driving test.” The guy administering the test didn’t. The “test” was to drive through an alley and back (seen above). If you return unscathed, you pass.

So by 6PM, he finally got his license.

Seven agonizing hours to get a piece of plastic. Then I remembered the new law. LTO is covered by the new law: the four day work week, where government offices close for the day later than usual and get fridays off. Costs are reduced – and efficiency is compromised.

So far, I’m not liking it.

It was 2am and I was on my way home from a night out with friends. As I turned onto my street, I noticed a commotion ahead. A red CRV was parked on the curb, its hazard light blinking. Another car was parked in front of it, some tricycles were parked, and a crowd gathered around. At 2am, this was not a normal sight.

I initially assumed the neighborhood kids were drag racing on my street. I didn’t need this. I immediately signalled I was turning right when I really had to go past the crowd. As I got closer, I could make out what they were all focused on. A man was lying on the street, his arm outstretched, his body awkward. He was lifeless.

Just a few moments before, I went past a taxi with a guy forcibly shoving a girl in (which I hope I don’t have to worry about. I just felt I had to mention it). And even earlier in the night, I passed a white car rammed into flyover railings. It didn’t fly over but the car’s front was totalled.

Jump two months back when I encountered a crazy (and possibly drunken) driver. And just the same, it was at 2am. He was going in zigzags and he knocked over some street illuminators/dividers. It was a car chase, really, that car being chased by cops by foot. And not only that, they began open-firing while my friends and I were in the middle of it.

Sometimes it doesn’t matter how sober you are on the road. It doesn’t even matter that you drive safer than a tortoise racing with a hare. More often than not, it’s the other road rats that need a good spanking. The roads in Manila are different at night. The congestion may not be there, but the dangers are increased a notch.

So Manila people, be careful and drive safely.