I haven’t said all I want to say about traffic in Manila. I forgot to bring up the main reason I started grumbling about traffic in the first place. The drivers are just a little insane. In Manila, there is a “need for speed” which unfortunately cannot be satiated.
In America, when I find myself in the happenstance of a traffic jam, this thing called “stop and go” occurs. Here, it’s more like “step on the gas and SLAM on the brakes.” Makes me sick to my stomach. Worse than riding a banka (pump-boat) in a typhoon.
I got to thinking that I complain a lot on this here webpage. But I am having the time of my life. What’s going on? I suppose this is my outlet. The good stuff, I can talk about with my Filipino friends, live, and in person. The bad stuff, well, it ends up here. Still, I’ll try to accentuate the positive for your reading eyes, too.
Here’s something positive. The congressman’s wife gave me a great compliment up in Manila. She remarked she could understand my English, as compared to many other foreigners. I’ll let you in on my secret: I speak very slowly, and don’t use too many big words or idioms. Like, I wouldn’t tell Filipinos to “shake what your momma gave ya.” They might nod their heads, but they’d be completely clueless. It takes patience, and a little thinking ahead. If I am making the effort to talk to someone, and vice versa, it’s in both of our best interests to have a clue of what’s going on. (My slow English encourages them to speak slow Cebuano, and by the way, I would never talk to a Filipino about “having a clue” either, cuz really, what does that translate to in Cebuano?) Even though Mrs. Congressman didn’t know it, that was the nicest compliment given to me in a good while (besides the “gwapo” hollers I hear wherever I go!)
On my last two visits to the loomweaving joint, the looms have been gathering cobwebs, for if there are no orders, there’s nothing to make, nor is there any money to make. But while I was there, an order arrived, so back to work, bring on the pesos!
(And I just had a thought: Usually the weavers make 10 meter rolls. The variation is generally only the color. I’m gonna find out if it’s possible to weave first, dye later. Then they wouldn’t be sitting idle, with no income, when there are no orders, and wouldn’t be in such a gigantic hurry when the orders come in.)
Nang Juaning’s granddaughter just won some kind of award, and she’s heading for the mountains of Baggio to claim it. So it looks like she’ll be borrowing my winter jacket, which I haven’t worn since San Francisco.
I’ll leave you with a link to Radio Expeditions NPR audio reportage. Part Two features no less than the Project Seahorse of Bohol, Philippines! (If you listen close, you'll catch some Cebuano.) Coral Reefs in the Balance