Mobility 2

So... anyway, like I said, I now take the labi - labi... which is also cheaper because a bechak ride costs me at least 7,000 Indonesian Rupiah (roughly equal to 40 Philippine Pesos)... and that's when I take the bechaks that park at the market place where the drivers already know me and know where I'm going. If I take a bechak across the street when the market bechak drivers are not around, I give them 7,000 Rupiah but they complain saying it costs 10,000. I insist on the price that the other drivers give me but end up feeling bad that I had to argue with the driver. There's a certain dilemma that comes with it and I could justify my actions with the sense of justice as a rationale --- first I know that I can go ahead and give the Rp 3,000 difference and save both me and the driver the trouble of getting into an argument, on the other hand, it would not be fair to the honest bechak drivers who bring me to the same place and from a farther origin at a lesser price. Add to that, the labi - labi costs me only Rp 2000! (And that applies to the whole ride no matter how far you came from) Although if I take the labi - labi I can only go as far as the stretch of the main road... because I do not know which labi - labi goes along the exact route where I'm supposed to go.
It’s fine though because I get to walk. And that’s what I have been doing. I take the labi – labi, get down at the end of the main road where I cross a rotonda and take a ten minute walk to the office. It’s a good thing I do not pass too many people during the morning when I walk because a woman in shades does not seem to be a familiar sight – men, especially, seem to have that instinctive reaction to say “Hallo!” – and repeatedly even if you ignore them. I’ve started not to give it much notice. I have also started to listen to Stephen Covey on an mp3 player as I walk and that gives me another thing to concentrate on apart from minding the vehicles when I have to cross the road.
However, this routine would have to be short lived as this is my last week. It’s not so bad though... I’ve found a quiet stretch of a neighborhood street that I like; I walk with less fear, intimidation or indignance; I used more than two types of public transport system! This last one is a highlight... I think I associate my familiarity with a place when I have already figured out how to get around using the public transport system. At least, I got around.
Have a nice commute.. wherever you’re going. J

Mobility

I've acquired a new routine these past few days. Previously I would take a "bechak" - the Indonesian counterpart for the Filipino "tricycle" -- that mode of transportation where a sidecar that makes up the passengers' seat is attached to a motorcyle. The bechak has a very different side car though because it has a foldable roof. When it's folded down, a passenger can be thrown straight forward when an accident happens because there are no barriers at the side and front. The tricylce is also primarily made up of metal and encases the passenger to allow some greater feeling of safety and at least three persons can sit inside.
Anyway, I take the bechak from the basar or market which is very near my neighborhood. I have taken to own that term now - "neighborhood" - just last night when I was walking home, I actually felt familiar enough with a stretch of the place to call it mine, although I thought it was sad that I did not get to have friends from the neighbors (meaning the other houses outside our compound) - which are not many because there's really not much of a stretch of houses in our place - and even if there are, the houses are either walled or empty. We have enough "neighbors" though who we're acquainted well enough with - our housemates who occupy the other rooms in our house, our landlady and her grand daughters, the guys from the photo studio beside us, and the guards, occupants and other employee's of Clark Kent's staff house just across the street. We usually go neighboring there.
Anyway, and this is my second anyway, I started riding the "labi-labi" - this time the Indonesian or maybe Aceh counterpart to the Filipino "jeepney" or more appropriately the Visayan "multi-cab."
I know I said anyway the second time already, which means that I should have a long one coming - but I need to start looking that I'm doing work... so I'll describe my new means of mobility.. up next.

Ciao. :)

Reorientation

I took the morning off today. I did some housework to unclutter the space where I am to spend some time thinking of what I planned to do the weekend that passed that I did not get to do. Or just plain ask myself what I am supposed to do today, or for the rest of the month for that matter. In fact, I placed the calendar on a very conspicuous position so I could be made aware of the passing of the days. I don’t know, but when I looked at today and the weeks after it before the month ends, it seemed like so many days.

I have a pile of readings I wanted to read – but I’m really wanting to give purpose to my day, I placed them aside and thought I should write. Writing will probably do me better. When I am merely quiet, I can spend hours without anything running consciously through my mind. It’s like staring into blank space. My only achievement in that case would be having stayed quiet. Stillness has its own benefits. This moment, however, I want my brain to churn out ideas, or goals, a purpose for living, at least for this day or this week, or this month. An article about old people in Japan that I read a few weeks back had this quote from one older person: “People are happy as long as they have a goal.” It was pure wisdom. It also means that if I don’t come up with something, I am one unhappy person. I have to smile to that, or maybe chuckle, which I just did.

I had some scripts in mind, after a moment of thought. But there is one goal that could sum up whatever it is that I’ll end up doing. It was something which a newfound friend of mine said after a send – off meal --- “Just enjoy.” I think that’s what I’ll do.

Bumming

I am not employed now. I resigned. Just before July kicked in. However, I still go to one organization where I have volunteered my services, but I did not offer to put in a full day despite my freed up schedule.

It’s not a story worth telling – because it’s tiresome. But I have more time now, albeit no cash. Time, however seems to be running the way I want it – fast. Before we know it, our bags are packed and we’re ready to go. I’m almost in a rush to leave, actually, because I need to see my dentist.

Could you believe a toothache could actually motivate one to want for home?

The soul needs a physical excuse sometimes. And it takes advantage of opportunity when it comes.

Newsworthy

Clark Kent and I have been frequenting a restaurant set up at the World Food Programme – it was one of our best finds – nice food with generous servings and the ambience was homey enough we spend at least an hour there just soaking up the opportunity of eating comfortably outdoors. We’ve been going there so frequently the cooks already know us – greeting us or saying thank you in Filipino. It’s also the one place where we get to read newspaper.

We’ve been very impressed with the Jakarta Post – which is the English daily made available at the WFP restaurant. We would take our time to read through the pages and exchange articles, because we sometimes read different sections of the newspaper or different issues. Lively discussions would sometimes follow an article we’ve shared reading. We’d look for articles about the Philippines, and often we would see some picture and caption featured or some other item in the business section.

It was nasi goreng seafood dinner at WFP yesterday (Wednesday), and as our ritual we dug into the newspapers. A Filipino writer was in the opinion section – Neal Cruz of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He wrote of caregiver openings for Filipinos that GMA was able to facilitate on her visit to Spain. Clark Kent read the article first and said “Ang pangit naman ng article na ‘to (This article sucks!)” after the first few paragraphs. I uttered the same comment when I got my turn to read.

In his attempt to criticize GMA, Neal Cruz in his article ended up degrading the thousands of caregivers that are working overseas sending precious dollars to our wobbling economy. He had successfully expressed how, to him, the caregiving profession was without dignity.
I’m sorry I don’t have the article with me now to quote some lines, or to give the exact title and date. His point, really, was to challenge GMA to create jobs for Filipinos in the Philippines, and not to gloat on finding “humiliating” jobs for Filipinos abroad. It was a good point – but he sort of bungled with how he said it, he ended up hurting countless OFWs instead of jolting GMA and her administration. At least that was how I felt, and I am not even a care giver.