I’m back. Well, not really back-back, but back somehow. I didn’t know I’ve been away that long. From this blog. From everything in this country. I was out for a bit – went to Singapore for one week (the photo above is taken at a bar with two of my friends who live in SG – Sob and Chaneau). My head is practically spinning right now with all the details I want to share; about work, about meeting new people, about being in a totally strange place oftentimes all by myself, about Singapore. Perhaps another day. Today, I’d like to recall a few experiences I had in the taxi cabs in SG.
I’m particularly fond of drivers in general, especially when I’m in a foreign country. I feel that they’re always going around and always encountering different kinds of people. Most of the time they know a lot about everything under the sun, and it’s with them that I get the strangest, or at times most mundane stories about the place I’m visiting.
And so here goes.
BALESTIER
I was on my way back to my hotel along Balestier Road from Marina Bay Sands. I was a bit sleepy as I had to wake up early that morning. By that time, I have already stayed long enough to be confident that I’m absolutely safe in Singapore. Without guidance of a map or without even caring where we’re passing by, I just kind of sat in the backseat and stared outside. I have also been accustomed to the fact that in that country, taxi drivers usually just shut up and take you to that place you ask them to. They’re generally not as talkative as drivers in other countries in Asia (accustomed to foreigners in their land perhaps?).
Anyhow, as sleepy me was minding my own business, the driver suddenly said, “Don’t worry, I know where we’re going. Balestier, right?” He was smiling. And I was, “Yeah.” And I was really wondering why he’s so concerned because I wasn’t worried at all. But then he continued, “Filipino, right?” I said, “Yes.”
And then we started chatting then. Him, mostly. He said most people from outside of Singapore are scared when they go there for the first time. He said Singapore is not like other countries – it’s safe. You get into a taxi, and the driver will bring you safely to your destination. Philippines has lots of “bad people” to get scared of. He has a friend from the Philippines and he’s a “bad guy”.
I cringed, unproud; but unable to disagree.
ALEXANDRA
My colleague and I stayed in the same hotel, so there was one time that we went back in one cab. The driver just asked where we’re going in his good ‘ol Singlish. As there were two other hotels with the same name as ours (and along the same road), we needed to be exact when giving them directions. My colleague, who was an ever-suspicious Pinoy, kept pointing at how the driver was taking the longer route – in Filipino, of course: “Itong ungas na ‘to, t***i**, kung saan saan pa dumadaan eh.” “O, tignan mo gumigilid nanaman, hindi nanaman alam.” He was going on and on in full blast throughout the whole trip, and I was just laughing at his lack of patience.
When finally, we got to the hotel and paid our fare, the driver said, “Salamat!” And when he noticed that I froze instead of going out immediately, he said “Ingat po!”
With that said, ingat po! (“take care!”)
