Breathe

When I was in Grade School, traffic in Bangkok was world-renowned as the worst. So bad that there were daily bulletins on road blockages for tourists. Today, the ultramodern skyways seem to crisscross to outer space, gak! my stomach churns, I flatulate demurely, but at least I’m fashionably early.

In Singapore, there’s really no need for an auto because the trains are amazing. Once though, I was in a taxi, the driver ranted nervously about this  scheduled traffic jam near Orchard,  looking not good, not good, not good!, as if there was an imminent zombie attack.

What traffic? I asked, looking up from my phone.

That, traffic! The driver pointed behind us.

THAT was traffic?  You must come to Manila!

In Manila, when we say traffic we mean it.

Traffic here is traffic, in every sense of the word. Tense, sweltering, a real-life bully.

After years of this, working in the field, I thought I’ve toughened up to it.

But there are days, days when the road becomes a virtual parking lot, with cars not moving for the longest four, five, six hours of your life, when I’d succumb to its brashness.

I’d crumble and retreat and become eerily quiet.

THIS is usually a cue for my cameraman who sits in front of our crew cab.

Movie time!

I appreciate the effort of my crew to have entertainment ready for all situations.   Meticulously downloaded and stored in their smartphones.

Ganda ‘to! Nicolas Cage, my camerman announced, as he clipped the smartphone just above the glove compartment.

I gamely watched over my camerman’s shoulder, Nicolas Cage swap faces with John Travolta.

The following day,  traffic struck again, and so again I gamely watched Nicolas Cage, this time hunt for lost treasure.

The next day, I was trying very hard to show some enthusiasm, as Nicolas Cage did whatever Nicolas Cage did in his films. But I could already feel fatigue and muscle atrophy setting in, traffic is cruel that way.

On the fourth day, when my cameraman was still browsing his smartphone amid yet another traffic jam, I said, hey let’s watch comedy for a change, hoping Nicolas Cage didn’t do a lot of comedies.

Okay, my cameraman pressed play, and it was The Hangover, the one in Vegas.

Funny flick, but I found myself looking aimlessly out the window, so tired, I felt so tired. Once in a while, I would be drawn back to the movie when my cameraman and driver would laugh heartily at some of the antics, I’d laugh with them.

After a while, I tapped our driver’s shoulder, pointed at Zach Galifianakis and asked, who’s that?

Our driver grinned at me through the rear view mirror, that’s Nicolas Cage.

P.S.

Traffic, when vehicles are idling, causes air pollution.

Vehicles also emit the bad greenhouse gas, Carbon Dioxide ( CO2 ), which contributes to climate change, but we know this already.

Air pollution like smog must be taken seriously as this can cause severe health issues.

According to a World Health Organization survey, air pollution causes 1 in 8 of all deaths globally.

Air pollution in Metro Manila is still way above the safe levels prescribed by the Philippine Clean Air Act.

Sigh.

Breathe.

Perhaps we could just do a Dubai, no?

Cheers!

My Bandila report on Pollution:

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/lifestyle/03/28/14/how-pollution-kills

P.P.S.

There are genius people taking care of ourbreathingearth.com (the high-tech part) since I’m technologically challenged. Thank you Ate Dhang, Liezel and Robert!

Recently, I’ve been informed about the several attempts to hack this site from three different countries. Whatever that means, right?

I consulted with a top IT security expert who I’ve interviewed before, about this.

Apparently, selling credit card numbers by the bulk, among other creative neoliberal ventures, is the hottest biz in town.

First of all, I don’t pimp stuff here and never will.

Secondly, this website does not require readers to type in their personal data. Therefore, there are no private things here to steal such as email addresses, physical addresses and who knows what else. I don’t know my readers and never will unless they message me.

So please, por favor, si si si? take your angst somewhere else.