Saturday, April 21, 2012
These itchy feet I have never led me to be well-acquainted to locations. I do love to travel but I must admit not being street-smart at all. Maybe because the rampant road crimes has painted bad that notion of commuting alone ─ I don’t trust anyone on board the vehicle except for them who are with me, friends and family. My daily two-way journey from home to office is all that I get accustomed to ever since. So whenever situations require for meeting at some other places, I got heaps of alibis to make.
Appointed as committee member for the company’s teambuilding at Bataan, we were sent a day earlier to the site. It would not have pained my thought much until they asked me to be at a place they called UST, Lacson not later than 5:30am of the following day. I was joining a group outside my circle of friends so I needed to be a little flexible so I won’t be tagged as unkind or anything. Thanks to my colleagues here who gladly coached me of the proper direction to that place.
Past five in the morning as I was on board the cab, the driver asked me if the place I was referring to was Dapitan. I stared at him point blank. Because the information I gathered was just as limited as what I wanted it to be, I was totally clueless. I phoned a friend to help me in that so early time. I gave the driver a sweet nod when told that that street is exactly where I was heading to. The chauffeur smiled back at me and sheepishly asked if I just came from the province. I made my reply very short and honest ─ I was never a street-smart person. That I live in a place outside the metropolis and to be at any area away from my daily route is next to getting lost.
I listened to him recite his litany for me to learn familiarizing the streets in Manila for my own security. I simply replied with innocent nods because somehow I knew he was right. I believe that having the shrewd resourcefulness needed to survive in an urban environment is something I should start doing now.
Appointed as committee member for the company’s teambuilding at Bataan, we were sent a day earlier to the site. It would not have pained my thought much until they asked me to be at a place they called UST, Lacson not later than 5:30am of the following day. I was joining a group outside my circle of friends so I needed to be a little flexible so I won’t be tagged as unkind or anything. Thanks to my colleagues here who gladly coached me of the proper direction to that place.
Past five in the morning as I was on board the cab, the driver asked me if the place I was referring to was Dapitan. I stared at him point blank. Because the information I gathered was just as limited as what I wanted it to be, I was totally clueless. I phoned a friend to help me in that so early time. I gave the driver a sweet nod when told that that street is exactly where I was heading to. The chauffeur smiled back at me and sheepishly asked if I just came from the province. I made my reply very short and honest ─ I was never a street-smart person. That I live in a place outside the metropolis and to be at any area away from my daily route is next to getting lost.
I listened to him recite his litany for me to learn familiarizing the streets in Manila for my own security. I simply replied with innocent nods because somehow I knew he was right. I believe that having the shrewd resourcefulness needed to survive in an urban environment is something I should start doing now.
Posted in: making sense of life,personal perspectives
2 comments:
This is so real in every day life situation. I, too, have this problem. Aside from being bad with direction (thus, I can't be a driver) I also fear strangers that can take advantage of my inexperience. It's good to experience this kind of challenge now and then. Good post!
Hi Littleyana! Yes, today's generation requires that everyone be street-smart. This I must have to learn doing asap. :))
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