People along the way.
The rain was just about to pour when a man approached us. It was five past nine o’clock in the evening and my friend Ces and I were walking towards a cake shop along Tomas Morato in Quezon City. “Hello, sir,” said the man. “Can I ask you a small favor?” While he was remarkably…
I’m always afraid to take a cab alone. I just don’t feel comfortable being alone with the driver and the hold-up stories that I have been reading online are not at all calming. But it cannot be helped sometimes. Whenever I do, I take the passenger seat and start small talks with the driver just…
“Keep the hat,” suggested the Caucasian man standing next to me. I was looking at the mirror, trying to decide whether I should ditch the hat I was wearing that night. “You look great, don’t worry,” he complimented. It wasn’t long until I noticed that he was handsome, sexy and — wait for it — shirtless. We were at the restroom of a bar in Boracay. Realizing how sleazy it appeared to have a conversation inside the restroom, I replied with a simple “Thank you” and walked away. On our way out he asked me where I was from and…
The sun was baking the town when I hopped out of the bus. I just arrived in Batangas from Manila and waited for my ride in front of a 7-Eleven store. From where I sat I could see a woman walking towards the convenience store — little by little, step by step. She was agonizingly…
The other week, my self-esteem was crushed by a small piece of paper. I was fixing my bag outside a convenience store in Tagaytay City when somebody gave me a piece of paper with a short note on it. Without looking at the stranger and the paper, I pocketed the note and expected the guy to leave me alone. Unfortunately for me, he was there for business. “Massage, sir? I can massage you, sir, while you’re here in Tagaytay,” the stranger said. “No, thanks,” I declined. “I’m on my way back to Manila.” I was still busy trying to put…
I was 10 when I heard it for the very first time. No one would look after me at home so my mother brought me along with her across the street to a neighbor’s. My mom offered a crying shoulder and a helping hand to the family. As she did some chores in our neighbor’s…
I don’t own a car. To get from one point to another, I use public transportation, usually MRT and tricycle. Sometimes, I take a cab and when I do, I take the passenger seat. It has been a habit to engage the driver in a conversation for two reasons — so I won’t get sleepy…
“What’s in Bulgaria that is well worth a visit?” I asked a friend when he suggested that I visit Bulgaria after telling him that my ultimate dream was to tour Europe. For the longest time, Bulgaria had no significance in my life. Back then this East European state was just another country to me. I…
