When the plane landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport last Saturday afternoon, I tried my philosophical best to be positive about being back in the teeming metropolis.
It wasn’t all that hard, actually.
Outside the airport, I opted for the ordinary metered taxi and got a really nice luxurious one appear before me. For a moment, I thought it was an airport taxi, to my wallet’s relief, it wasn’t!
So I enjoyed the sun shining through the gray-blue skies, a nice contrast to the rainy weather Davao has been experiencing the past few days.
I pretended that the good-looking celebrities that looked down from the huge billboards at EDSA (Yes, many of them survived the anti-billboard controversy! Surprise, surprise.) were welcoming me with their warm smiles.
Of course, the near death experiences I had as my taxi driver tried to act out his dream of being the top Grand Prix winner, made be appreciate life all the more. Plus the fact that my heart was jolted a number of times probably only meant that I had some much needed cardio exercise going even while in a sedentary position.
But the BEST Manila welcome I got was when I got home. I paid the driver P200, rounded off from P175 which the meter showed, mumbled my thanks and made a move to open the taxi door—and--*gasp* the taxi driver actually handed me a P20 change!!
I was so shocked that I just smiled, shook my head and told him it’s okey.
Now, beat that welcome gesture!
9 comments:
Wow! That is a rare taxi driver. Most would immediately ask for a contracted fare. Sana dumami pa ang lahi nya.
Hi Jojie, Baka taga-Davao talaga ang driver ng taxi at napadpad lang dito sa Manila. ;) Kidding aside, there are still some honest drivers out there. Not many but they're there.
Welcome back to billboard crazy Manila. See you soon. :)
in my few trips to manila, i haven't really encountered that kind of driver na nagbigay ng sukli.
In cebu (except for a rare few) nagbibigay talaga ng sukli.
Near death experience ba? I haven't back to Manila in a long time so I've quite forgotten what it's like to ride a taxi. :)
Welcome back! I am sure that you will miss the pollution-free life you had in Davao. :- ) Hope to finally meet you one of these days : -) - - - jen
Hi Swipe
Sana nga! Actually I usually am able to get good (relatively) Manila taxi drivers. Its pretty amazing, considering some of the horror stories I've heard so often from my friends.
Hi Beng,
Yeah, baka nga taga Davao! Hehe, see you soon! ;)
Hi Lazarus,
Yep, been to Cebu pud. Parang sa Metro Manila lang yata hindi uso ang panunukli..
Hi Niceheart,
Come home again one of these days--its good for your heart. :)
Hi Jen,
Yes! Meet tayo one of these days. Will ask Beng. :-)
What? The meter showed P175 and he only gave you P20? Where did the P5 go? Still, nothing beats Davao.
Abaniko,
Hush, am trying to be POSITIVE here. Ehem. :)
Reading your old posts as you have not been updating. So you just came back home in February. I have to read some more to find out from where. And now to London. Now, I know why you're gypsy. You must be busy with your travel and scholarship papers. Good luck again.
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