joyride

I am back to commuting to work until the state of affairs at home is settled. (State of affairs ? Intriguing hah? No it’s nothing.. big).

It’s really no big deal. Commuting, that is. You may find it hard to believe but I do miss getting my bum in a jeepney. Funny hah, but it’s true. I miss the fun and adventure of every single ride to work. I miss the casual chitchats with commuting neighbors, who like me tries to patiently wait to get a ride, which takes too long in the area where I live esp during school days.

I miss sharing a ride with countless strangers – students, employees, laborers, out-of-school youth, vendors, etc… and observing the changes of expressions in most faces every time the driver pulls over at almost all corners to take in more passengers (even if already fully loaded). Was it anxiety written all over their faces? Impatience?

And to stop myself from checking the time (and peering over other people’s timepieces!) every 2 seconds and feeling anxious and agitated at the sluggish passenger pick-up, I do olfactory nerve exercises when I smell the faint scent of a shampoo in the hair of the person getting in or with the one sitting beside me. Sunsilk? Pantene? H&S? Or is that a hint of a perfume or cologne? Kenzo? Benetton? Bench? I enjoy playing guessing games.

I also miss tightening an imaginary seatbelt and bracing myself when the jeep, brimming of passenger heads, takes off at lightning speed. You’ll definitely learn to memorize the saints and martyrs they taught you during Sunday school. No kidding! I’ve learned to call the saints and ask for divine intervention every time the famous (or infamous) king of the roads snake their way in and out of the traffic jam @ a record speed of 120kph! It’s so interesting to watch the flying hairs (mine included!), the hands that shoot upward- all at once and as if on cue - to hold on to the rail and the play of emotions of the faces (who looks so impatient one moment and fearful, the next) infront of me. All these, while I hold back myself from practically shrieking and letting out unheard-of expletives. But when you do get off alive and in one piece, you’ve got to give them the credit for bringing you to your destination as if without much delay.

And then I miss daydreaming on my way to work. What? You must have thought I’m insane to allow myself this when I just described the terror of riding a PUJ awhile ago. Go chill, I’ve been riding PUJs all my life! *shrug* I am just so used to this hair-raising scenario I can afford to daydream while aboard any public transpo. And it’s such a pity I cannot indulge in this favorite past time when I’m the one driving. Being a new driver, I cannot risk getting my eyes off the road even for just one sec! And I still do not trust myself to engage in lengthy conversations while I’m behind the wheel. But the past 3days, I have been gloriously getting my head in the clouds, away from some aging-accelerating concerns of everyday living.

Gawker that I am- although I try hard to foil this very bad habit or try to conceal every intention to (I don’t wanna be gawked at too), I sometimes fancy myself (must be a product of the daydreaming!) to be a member of the fashion police (although I’m really far from being a fashionista myself). Under the pretext of anything, I’d momentarily scan other people’s outfits and accessories. I’d take note of their tops, dresses and bags. And then more often than not, before disembarking in my destination, I’d single out best dressed people in the public transpo, shake their hands and hand out trophies to them, albeit just mentally.