New things; old things

There've been a lot of things happening. Some odd and unexpected. Others are just plain weird but should have been happening for a long, long time.

I was riding a jeep home one day, when I saw this guy, a vagrant, a "taong grasa", walking the empty street going to the Marikina Engineering offices. He was practically naked, except for his briefs. He may have been dirty all around, but his briefs was not as dirty. It was not brown or gray. It was pink.

As the jeep passed him (and he was going in the same direction as the jeep) I didn't have the sense to look back. I guess it was shock. More of a shock because of the pink briefs.

And during that same week, as I was walking around the mall, and into a Watson's store, there was this "matrona" who was walking around talking on the phone. It looked like a regular desktop phone. Except that she was walking around lugging around the phone. I didn't really pay much attention to it at the time. It could have been a Bayantel or Globe wireless phone. What grabbed me was that after the phone call, and not being able to stow the phone in her bag, her cell phone rang.

I just had to ask myself, up to what extent people want to be in touch with other people. I've seen a woman on the commute to work sending text messages, on two phones, at the same time. One cell phone in each hand. I didn't care if these were the same message or not.

And before the cell phone text explosion came along, I saw a guy on the corner of Ayala and Paseo de Roxas, talking over two phones. He had another cell phone on his belt as well as a pager. I did say it was way, way too long ago.

Again , I wonder up to what extent people would want to get in touch with other people. I have no idea about that answer.

--andoy
16 April 2007