Most of us 9 – 5 to drones hate going to work. It is hard enough to leave your most precious love one to the care of someone who has to multi-task several other chores; it’s more of a challenge to put up with a very frustrated person who wears Barong but would rather wear wings made out of wires and old stockings. And worse, you have to survive the daily chaos to and from work. I can’t take my daughter to the office and I’m not in the position to influence someone else’s sexual orientation but I was able to change the circumstances of my daily commute. I bought a motorcycle.
Actually it was a China-made 150cc scooter. I already had electrical problems during the first week of ownership and the dealer’s mechanic screamed like a schoolgirl when the scoot’s wiring started to burn during troubleshooting. I asked for a money back and bought the most popular bike of the most popular brand in the land, the Honda XRM 125. It became my motivation to get up, dress up and show up for work. I get to ride my bike everyday, twice! Initially, my wife thought of the bike as a “wheeled widow maker” or “rolling mid-life crisis” but my being featured in a local motorcycle magazine added some prestige to my riding. This enticed her to ask me for occasional rides to her office. Then she got tired of long lines and stinky passengers of the Antipolo-Ortigas shuttles and “occasional” became daily. In need of more cargo space, I bought another 150cc scooter and it became an essential tool in beating the “bandy clock”. What cab drivers use to scare their kids into obedience became our dance floor for our everyday waltz to work. The pillion letting the rider lead with every twist and every sway, seeping through tons of moving metal and toxic fumes. This is the ultimate display of trust. Stranded commuters can only look on as we cruise with a song in our heads and smiles on our faces.
