Random acts of kindness

The only place on earth that made me cry was Paris. Long story, will deal with it on a separate post.

As a backpacker traveling alone, I've been a recipient of hundreds of acts of kindness. Here are some of them:

- a soldier who was off duty in France who saw me crying near the Eiffel tower. I wasn't getting the help I could get from people who were manning the usual "i" (information) stations and "international ticketing station." I stayed the night in what turned out to be a bad street in Paris, got sexually harrassed a couple of times, got rebuffed when I asked for directions from people who were supposed to help, and was already feeling so low. The soldier noticed me bawling, asked what was wrong, looked at the map I had with me and I showed him where I spent the night. "Bad street, drugs and prostitution," he said. He walked with me back to my hotel to get my backpack, carried all 25 kilos of it, bowed when we reached a certain street, and said "Madame, backpackers' area."

I had fun after that, seeing all the museums, taking in the works of art in the city. All the Van Goghs I've seen, oh, my heart can't take. I wanted to get a blanket and sleep there on the floor with all the Van Goghs to make me dream a thousand dreams.

- a Middle Eastern man who knew very little English. It was my first night in Frankfurt, and the streets were quite deserted at 11PM. I asked him where "cheap hotels" were. He walked with me, said "Sorry, no English" all the time, but later on, waving his hand like presenting something to a queen, he said "cheap hotel, Madame." It was a bread and breakfast with very proper people.

- a black college student who showed me how to get to the main train station in Paris for my trip to Lyon. Had it not been for her help, I would not have caught the train on time. It took us two train changes, and she stayed with me (off her course), so I could get to the station without getting lost. I got there with just a few minutes to spare. Had it not been for her, I would have missed it.

- Eric from Belgium, who shared the flight from Amsterdam to Brussels with me. He told me I won't have it easy figuring out the train system at midnight so he told his car driver friend to take me to my hotel.

- Noah from Israel. I met her in Boracay and we became friends. I helped her find a nice place to stay at in Malate. We exchanged letters and how-are-yous after that. When she learned I was going to Israel, she asked me to stay with her in her apartment, which she shared with another guy and another girl. I woke up every morning with directions on where to go: take the 99 bus to visit such and such place. I even had dinner with her parents, who were members of the Palmach. (Go google it up.) And since I am eternally curious, I asked them for stories of their adventures and pictures of how Israel looked like when they were young. It was a great experience, talking to her parents.

Here's a tip: if you can, design your flight in such a way that you will reach your destination a few hours before nightfall. Most of my errors can be blamed on my flights arriving at night. Something I didn't know back then.

Trust the "i" people. Look for them at airports, train and bus terminals. Ask them where you can stay, cheaply, if you are a backpacker like me.

Always ask for the city center because chances are, that's where the fun places are. It also has the heaviest concentration of public transportation.

Read up on the city where you plan to stay. Weeks before leaving, widget the weather there. (Wow. I just used widget as a verb!) It will help you plan what clothes to pack.

Keep an open mind. Eat what they eat. It's part of the experience. Falafel in Israel. Pizza in Italia.

Be open to the universe. No judgment. People are what they are, eat what they eat, based on their environment. You as a visitor should adapt.

DO NOT go with strangers who approach you. (They have YOU planned)

YOU approach strangers and ask for directions and information. (They have no way and time to plan.)

Smile. Be nice. Whether you like it or not, fair or unfair, you are your country's representative wherever you go.

Once you are here at home, be kind to foreigners who look lost. You will never know what help you can give them now, and what they can give you in the future.

Countries

1. Brunei
2. Malaysia (twice)
3. Indonesia (twice)
4. Singapore (twice)
5. Thailand (A lot of times than I want to remember. High point: Kanchanaburi river hotel, the railway of death.)
6. Sweden (Stockholm, Kalmar)
7. Germany (Frankfurt, Munich, Bad Aibling, Bavaria)
8. France (Paris, Lyon)
9. Spain (Madrid. High point: Avenida de las Islas Filipinas. Woooohooo!)
10. Israel (Tel Aviv, Old Jerusalem, Ein Gedi, Dead Sea. High point: Wailing Wall. Booohooo! Floating on dead sea, yahooo! Naked men at Tel Aviv beach, yahooo! Masada: how did they manage to have a spa?)
11. USA (Hawaii, Florida, California. High point: My nephews! High point 2: Castro! Golden Gate! Crookedest St.)
12. Australia (Sydney)
13. Belgium
14. Italy (Palermo, Corleone, Milan)

My list needs to grow longer.
Most of these trips were for study, on scholarships, then side trips. All side trips on backpacker's budget. Sleeping on trains.
Israel on a whim. Thanks to Noa, a girl I met in Boracay who allowed me to have dinner with and interview her parents, who were part of the war for independence, etc.

(AND SINCE PANADEROS REMINDED ME OF IT:)
15. Hongkong I lost weight here with all the walking I did for five days.

Love

Okay. Breathe. I challenged myself to write about something mushy. Something I always find like, eeewwww.

It has always been easier to talk about what love is not. For me, at least. Bitterness ang taenang sintemyento de asukal sa letseng powtang emosyon na potah.

Breathe. Breathe. You can do this.

Taena.

Okay.

Love is not something just for February 14. You cause traffic when you do that, PEOPLE! Hello???? Stupid sentimental fools who cause traffic along Tomas Morato. Your carbon footprints. Hell-o????

Okay. Breathe. Taena.

Love is something that makes you brave. Beyond your wildest dreams. It causes you to believe you are not subject to the rules of expanding tummy skin and stretch marks.

Okay. Bad start. Potah. Di bale na nga. Bukas na lang.

Classical in rock

When I need to focus, I listen to classical music.
When I need to write, I listen to classical music.
When I'm relaxing, I listen to rock music.
When I feel like a rock star, I play rock music.
I just discovered this one tonight.
You rock, dude! Thanks for fusing together two things that I love.

Mabuhay ka!

Narinig ko ito sa taxi ilang linggo na ang nakararaan. Si Armida Siguion-Reyna ang nagbasa nito. Sa kanyang tinig na papalit-palit mula sa pagiging malamlam, malambing, aburido, galit, nag-aalsa, kumakalma, nabigyan ng buhay ang sinulat ni Pete Lacaba, isa sa mga mahuhusay at mapagpakumbaba nating manununulat.

Ibinabalik tayo ng mga susunod na salita sa mga payak na aral na sinikap idikdik sa ating kamalayan noon bilang bata, bilang kabataan, bilang padre o madre de pamilya, bilang mamamayan.

Mga simpleng bagay na makapagpapaayos sana sa ating lipunan, dangan nga lamang at madalas natin itong kinakalimutan, o isinasaisantabi, kapalit ng maalwan na buhay habang nakatapak sa paa ng kapwa.


TAGUBILIN AT HABILIN
Sinulat ni Jose F. Lacaba
Binigkas ni Armida Siguion-Reyna
Musika ni Ryan Cayabyab


Mabuhay ka, kaibigan!

Iyan ang una’t huli kong
Tagubilin at habilin: Mabuhay ka!

Sa edad kong ito, marami akong maibibigay na payo.
Mayaman ako sa payo.
Maghugas ka ng kamay bago kumain.
Maghugas ka ng kamay pagkatapos kumain.
Pero huwag kang maghuhugas ng kamay para lang makaiwas sa sisi.
Huwag kang maghuhugas ng kamay kung may inaapi
Na kaya mong tulungan.

Paupuin sa bus ang matatanda at ang mga may kalong na sanggol.
Magpasalamat sa nagmamagandang-loob.
Matuto sa karanasan ng matatanda
Pero huwag magpatali sa kaisipang makaluma.

Huwag piliting matulog kung ayaw kang dalawin ng antok.
Huwag pag-aksayahan ng panahon ang walang utang na loob.
Huwag makipagtalo sa bobo at baka ka mapagkamalang bobo.
Huwag bubulong-bulong sa mga panahong kailangang sumigaw.

Huwag kang manalig sa bulung-bulungan.
Huwag kang papatay-patay sa ilalim ng pabitin.
Huwag kang tutulog-tulog sa pansitan.

Umawit ka kung nag-iisa sa banyo.
Umawit ka sa piling ng barkada.
Umawit ka kung nalulungkot.
Umawit ka kung masaya.

Ingat lang.

Huwag kang aawit ng “My Way” sa videoke bar at baka ka mabaril.
Huwag kang magsindi ng sigarilyo sa gasolinahan.
Dahan-dahan sa matatarik na landas.
Dahan-dahan sa malulubak na daan.

Higit sa lahat, inuulit ko: Mabuhay ka!

Maraming bagay sa mundo na nakakadismaya.
Mabuhay ka.
Maraming problema ang mundo na wala na yatang lunas.
Mabuhay ka.

Sa hirap ng panahon, sa harap ng kabiguan,
Kung minsan ay gusto mo nang mamatay.
Gusto mong maglaslas ng pulso kung sawi sa pag-ibig.
Gusto mong uminom ng lason kung wala nang makain.
Gusto mong magbigti kung napakabigat ng mga pasanin.
Gusto mong pasabugin ang bungo mo kung maraming gumugulo sa utak.

Huwag kang patatalo. Huwag kang susuko.

Narinig mo ang sinasabi ng awitin:
“Gising at magbangon sa pagkagupiling,
Sa pagkakatulog na lubhang mahimbing.”
Gumising ka kung hinaharana ka ng pag-ibig.
Bumangon ka kung nananawagan ang kapuspalad.

Ang sabi ng iba: “Ang matapang ay walang-takot lumaban.”
Ang sabi ko naman: Ang tunay na matapang ay lumalaban
Kahit natatakot.

Lumaban ka kung inginungodngod ang nguso mo sa putik.
Bumalikwas ka kung tinatapak-tapakan ka.
Buong-tapang mong ipaglaban ang iyong mga prinsipyo
Kahit hindi ka sigurado na agad-agad kang mananalo.

Mabuhay ka, kaibigan. Mabuhay ka.

Taking on the universe without parachutes

A friend who's in a very senior position recently quit her job after eight years in the company. "

"Creating room for the wonders of the universe to unfold," she said in her FB shoutout.

Another friend, an artist, urged her friends (again via FB) to "tell the universe what you want and it will happen." She has just returned from Paris where she had an exhibit of her works.

They're both single, under 40, and, after saving up a bit, are pursuing their dreams - without parachutes.

A lot of people would want to do that. Save enough money and explore the world. Be a barista or waitress in some restaurant, preferably in an exotic location and bum a bit longer before working on projects they really wanted to do but never found the time. Pursue a dream which more "stable" people would probably dismiss as flighty.

Today's high-pressure world is creating a lot of people like my friends.

Some may consider their options a bit too risky, crazy even.

A generation ago, people's dreams focused mostly on being employed in a good company, getting promoted there, earning more money, building a mansion, and equating all these with their status in society.

Is the world changing? I have other friends who plan to do the same. Quit their jobs to bum for a while and then pursue a dream career, or pack their bags and try something new, in some foreign place far away. Brave. Very brave. I have brave friends who inspire me.

I guess my friends are a different breed, no longer trapped in the definition of success as staying in one company, clawing their way up the corporate ladder till retirement (gasp!) day.

I must admit I dread what I just described. *Shudder*

I just ditched my parachute. I need to focus.

Geriatric gigolo

We were goofing off at a cafe in the mall when Bunny noticed the old man, a Caucasian. He caught the guy staring too long, too many times, at my boobs.

"Ibebenta kita riyan, bro, kikita ako," he said. Evil grin.
"Namu! Ibebenta kita sa bakla, kikita ako," I said. Evil grin.
"Mabenta ka sa foreigner," he said.
"Mabenta ka sa bakla," I retorted.
"Ayaw mo niyan, geriatric gigolo?" he laughed.
I laughed. I loved the term.

I remembered that term this week. A man twenty years my senior was flirting with me.
"Sir, you are apparently a very married man," I said.
"My wife has nothing to do with my flirting with you," he said.
And Gabriela's blood rose to stratospheric heights.
I imagined the caption in my head. &#&@!

Good manners and right conduct. How do you teach your elders that?

**********


Paalam, Farrah Fawcett-Majors. Ilang buwan mo rin akong pinuyat noon.
Paalam, Michael Jackson, ginamit ko sa year-ender MTV report ko ang kanta mong "They don't care about us" para sa social issues noon.