My First Jeepney ride in the Philippines was a special experience. It was during a light afternoon on a quite route. We had the luxury of the entire space and only traveled a short distance. Quite the contrary of the realities of true Jeepney traveling. We even had the chance to snap a quick picture. SMILE!
Now, my second Jeepney ride was extremely different. After getting on what I thought was a simple ride in an empty Jeepney soon turned very nerve racking. After entering a completely vacant Jeepney, it pulled over some ways ahead and was abruptly boarded by a huge group of workers. I found myself quickly pushed to the front of Jeepney, where I pressed up against the driver. The next thing I knew, I was collecting money and handing it to the driver. As my very limited Tagalog was put to the test, I scurried to exchange money and frantically repeated broken Filipino numbers. As the sweat began to drip down my face, I tried not to drop any coins. At that point, overwhelmed and a bit confused, I couldn’t wait to get to my destination. As the Jeepney pulled over near our stop, I tried not falling over as I stumbled through the narrow passage way over feet, bags and children. After hopping off the back, an immense feeling of relief fell over me, and I needed a few seconds to collect myself.
I made it out alive and better yet, I had a chance to practice my Tagalog Numbers under fire. I only hope everyone got their correct change back!
nice one! i wish i was there to help you out. =)
haha could have used a little bit of help…
you should try out riding at the end of the jeepney OUTSIDE…hahaha!some passengers do that if it’s really full and they don’t have a choice. they call it “sabit”…. =)
Oo00oOh my goodness. Nate Burkey and I did that!!! We jumped on the back of a Jeepney from the fort going to manila polo club, because we had Kaya FC training there. We were both so excited by the moment that we tried taken a picture hanging off the back, that we missed our stop, and had to walk all the way back! hahaha
hahaha what a daunting experience the first jeepney ride is. That is such a great story Lexton. It is an experience you wont forget.
I certainly will not, much like all of my experience here in the Philippines… all changes to learn about others and yourself… Experiences like these are prices!
That was crazy/cool/awesome for you to ride a jeepney! Have you tried tricycle and pedicab yet? No shortage of transportation options here.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences and of course, for playing for our country. Looking forward to seeing you again in Kaya and PHL Azkals games!
Bayad po! HAHAHA. Practice practice practice! You’ll get there.
Correct practice in anything will yield quality gains… cheers!
Nice one Lexton, your passed the “real Filipino test”. LOL. Love your writing brother.
haha… i think i have plenty of ‘real filipino’ test ahead of me… with the help of all this support, i think i’ll learn a thing or two in the process! thanks!
I could imagine you hearing phrases like “Manong bayad po, dalawa, sa Pier lang…” and “Para po sa tabi!!!” After this brief jeepney experience, you got to see, feel and taste the commuting life of majority of our Kababayans. Jeepney rides are crowded, hot, smoggy and quite challenging. But you can also experience a lot of simple joys riding it like receiving a warm smile from a total stranger, having an opportunity to help out by handing-out payments & changes, sharing brief stories or engaging a small talk with your seatmate, and getting the vibe of the city. That is why from time to time, I ride the jeepney to keep me grounded, to reconnect with the community, and to remind me that whatever struggles or problems I face, I should be more thankful because I am blessed to have more in my life. But the best part is the Jeepney will remain one of our country’s iconic symbols that is truly and uniquely Filipino.
Lol i can just imagine you and nate standing at the back. With nate being so tall~~ hehe and you must be laughing at yourself for missing your stop xD great adventure! Hehe