the big city

While listening to Utada Hikaru's "First Love", I now list the things I have gotten used to in Manila:

1. The traffic. This was a major one to accept, since I used to get so pissed off at the traffic in Manila, the slowly crawling kind that can drive anyone nuts, especially if there's a meeting or appointment to catch. But like everyone else apparently, I've learned to get used to the insane Friday and Christmas rush. I can now calculate if it will take me about an hour or more to get to the destinations I usually go to, and just wait patiently inside my taxi without the slightest "roar" moment.

2. The taxis. I used to think cabs in Cebu were a luxury, acceptable only if I were carrying bags of groceries (hmm, wait, even then I take the jeep) or in a group. But now, I get unfazed when I pay P190 for a taxi ride. Because I figure, hey, anything's better than getting stressed out just by commuting (which often consists of a 5-minute walk to the station, a train ride, a jeepney ride and another 10-minute walk).

And I'll never take cabs for granted. They're so rare! Especially in Makati, and most especially on Fridays. Pila na kasinghaba ng 3 escalators, ikaw ba yan. One hour waiting in line, one hour in traffic. There goes your night. How much more if it starts raining?

By the way, I also now fall asleep in taxi cabs. What? What else can I do to pass the time?

3. The unclean air. Before I used to get so pent-up over smoke belchers, more so when that smoke gets fanned in my face. But here in Pasay, especially in the Baclaran area on the way to the MRT, jeeps and buses and taxis don't have lanes and stop whenever they want. When they start moving again, you can bet black smoke will swirl all over your face and settle. It's just smoke, no biggie. I've already had insanely red splotches due to allergies, the cause of which I can attribute only to stress and a weakened immune system.

4. The concern. There's a certain familiarity in the way Dumaguetenos or Cebuanos treat each other. There's a notable respect for one's individuality. You want to go home at 3am? Take care! (sabay shot). Here, I don't think that will happen. They'll escort you to the taxi stand and wait for you to ride a cab, take down the plate number and ask you to text them when you reach home.

The concern, the seeming sincerity of the said concern, the chirpy greetings, the small chats about family and friends--it all seems normal. My first month here, I was all, "Are you for real?"

To an individual (ahem) such as me who still prefers to eat lunch alone, it took some getting used to. Now, I can chirp alongside the best of them, ask questions about wives and kids, and give just about everyone in the office and beyond small gifts for the holiday season. Special kudos to Viv and RG, just about to of the nicest people I'll probably ever meet.

5. The quick pace. From the drive throughs to the hurried walk in Divisoria streets to numerous convenience store visits, there's a certain bam-bam-bam quality to the way of life here. I wake up and go to the office at 8am (okay, 8:15am), and before I know it, it's 6:30pm. This was surely a change from Dumaguete and Cebu where I could squeeze in two-hour lunches and a trip to the mall before going home.

6. The brands. Where do you get your hair cut? Where did you buy your blouse? How much was that designer party dress at the bazaar? Where did you buy the cake for your mom? Let's go to Starbucks! etc. etc.

I'm immune to this, enough said. But given the fact that I don't really bother with big name restaurants or shops, this makes for some awkward pauses.

My former boss told me that I can just about survive anywhere if I survived Manila. Well, I'm surviving, and not sweating out the small details that stress out most non-city lovers. Nothing beats Dumaguete, sure, but at least I've gotten the hang of Manila life. :)