Greedy Taxi Drivers

Yesterday evening, just before the end of the work day, it rained heavily. Some streets were flooded. Some people were drenched and soaked.

At about 8:15 pm, I tried catching a taxi. It took me a little over an hour standing on Dela Rosa trying to flag a taxi. People were competing for the next cab. Fortunately, it stopped raining by this time.

A cab passed by and didn't want to take me anywhere except to the MRT. I suppose he just want to make a quick buck.

Another cab passed by and said that he can't go to Eastwood. What a drag!

Finally, I was able to catch one who could take me to Eastwood City. There was no traffic at all, and I got home in less than 45 minutes.

Sometimes, taxi drivers pick and choose their passengers. Most times, I should say. Their doors are badly painted with "To any point in Luzon." It should be, "to any point I agree to take you."

It's a dog eat dog world out there.

American Institute for English Proficiency

The American Institute, located in Makati City/Manila, is the Philippines' leading service provider of English training and career development, specializing in American Accent, Conversation Fluency, Critical Thinking, Confidence Building, Grammar, Writing, and Test Preparations (TOEFL, IELTS). We have revolutionized and innovated English language learning in the Philippines by offering specialized courses that will not only teach you how to speak English well, but also to think critically and analytically; you will not find any English learning institution with higher standards and better staffed than we are. Our goal is simple: to provide only the best English learning experience to help you or your company reach your personal and professional goals.
Our clients are from all over the world; they are executives, professionals, and students from Japan, South Korea, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Germany, Turkey, Italy, and Spain. Here in the Philippines, we have consulted with not only corporate groups and call centers, but also with business professionals who are seeking to improve their critical thinking skills, confidence level, and of course, speech and communication skills, recent college graduates who are preparing for their call center interviews, and school teachers who are applying for positions abroad. Simply put, we are both the professionals' and students' choice.

Because we administer the highest educational standards, our graduates are poised, knowledgeable, and very confident; they excel in interviews, are awarded promotions, and become social and corporate leaders. Once you meet with us, you will find that American Institute for English Proficiency (AIEP), Philippines is very different than other schools here in the Philippines in that we are extremely professional and friendly as well as innovative and qualitative. Our English Language Specialists are Americans and Filipino-Americans with extensive backgrounds in English language training, corporate training and management, and personality development. Now is the time to take charge of your future. We invite you to call or visit us today.

It's been a long time...

I've managed to survive the Philippines. Some people struggle with not having enough food to eat. Some struggle with the lack of good education. Some fight against corruption daily.

Here I was struggling with self-identity. I did not know if I belonged here. If I was a Filipino. If I was an American. If I was a Filipino-American. A year and a half later, I realized that we are all people, wherever we go. We have our own struggles; some just have it more difficult.

The things that used to bother me still bother me, but not to the extent that they would drive me crazy. I have learned to accept things that I cannot change and to continue fighting for things that really matter. I have learned to smile despite the hardship. I have learned to dignify people even more. I have learned that a fellow man, regardless of where he's from, is still a man.

When I first came here, most of my family and friends thought I was going crazy. They thought I've lost my mind.

They were right. I was crazy. And I did lose my mind. But I lost it when I got here. Then I found it again. I saw the horror, yet learned from them.

There are some things that are difficult to fathom here, but they can be surmountable. It starts from within. It starts in a change of attitude. I am continuing to change my attitude while I am here.

And I know that I am not writing specifics in this post, but I am glad that I came back to this blogging again to have a reflection so that I can see where I've been and where I am going.

Desperately Seeking Janina San Miguel

A lot of people are making fun of Janina San Miguel because of her dumbfounding moment and answer at the recent Binibining Pilipinas pageant. She is physically beautiful, but most argue that she has nothing but air up there. So what now? How is she going to represent the Philippines at the Miss World pageant? Will she humiliate the Filipinos?

I don’t blame Janina for what she’s done. In fact, I commend her for making it to the top. She did what she could with what she had, and it surely wowed the judges. Let me repeat, it wowed the judges. The judges were the ones who gave her the title. That means that if we’re to blame anyone, it’s the judges. They were the ones who selected her. They were the ones who thought that she will do us Filipinos proud at the Miss World pageant. I’m sure that the judges were very qualified. They’re not? Do you say they are not qualified at all? Well they had different ambassadors and celebrities like Marian Rivera and Dennis Trillo, and even a basketball star.

Next, most people are making fun of her grammar. I’d like to point out that her grammar was indeed erroneous, but her answer was even more horrendous. The question was about the “role of her family,” not the “importance of her family.” She missed the target. She could have said that her family played an important role in her process to become a winner by financing her, giving her advice, and educating her. (Notice the three points…Five elements, anyone?) Then she could have gone on to illustrate each point with a specific detail. The point is, the grammar can be corrected easily, but the critical thinking and analytical skills are a bit harder to improve upon.

So what’s the moral of the story? Well, we can relate this situation by how we elect our public officials. We also make the mistake of electing not-so-good politicians, thinking they will represent us well. At the end of the day, it is not about how one falls, but how one rises. The true measure of a man is how he rises to the challenge.

To Janina San Miguel, you have about eight months to improve your skills. That’s a long time to prepare yourself for the international competition. If you put the time, energy, and effort, you will be more than prepared. And with this statement, we at The American Institute would like to offer you a Full Scholarship for our C3 Course: Conversation Fluency, Critical Thinking, and Confidence Building. We also offer you another full scholarship in our Critical Writing and Intensive Grammar Course.

So if anyone knows Ms. San Miguel, I hope you will be able to relay this message…

LTO and the Student Permit

This morning, my friend went to the LTO to get a student permit. He called them three times to ensure he gets the necessary documents to bring with him. How sad is he, calling three times? Well, can't blame him. I guess in a country like ours, you need to make sure and make sure and make sure.

So when he got there, the person assisting him said that he needed an ID with a TIN # on it. You cannot just have a passport or an ID with no TIN #. You cannot just have a TIN #. It must be on an ID.

It's really sad to think that people like these are running our government offices. After having called several times, my friend still didn't get the right information. What do the LTO people need an ID with a TIN # on it? Passport and TIN # and Birth Certificate won't suffice. YOU MUST HAVE AN ID WITH TIN # ON IT.

That is what they said. So now he has to go back tomorrow. Waste of time. Waste of cab fare.