She was my housekeeper. My chauffeur. My nurse. My personal cheerleader. My 24.7 hotline.
Now, with a child of my own, I have even more admiration and respect for all the wonderful things she has done and sacrificed to make me who I am today.
The truth is, I don't think we ever outgrow our mothers. No matter how old we are, or what we've accomplished in our lives...we never stop wanting our mom.
Happy Birthday, Moms! Thank you for being an amazing mother.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Elevator Etiquette
If I had to list down my top 10 peeves in living in an apartment building in Metro Manila, elevator etiquette (or to be more precise, the lack of) would top my list.
Complaint #1. Why do people always insist on pushing their way inside an elevator the moment the doors open, even if they can clearly see a number of its passengers wanting to get off? This always causes a jam and a tangle of bodies as people simultaneously push their way in, and out, of the lift.
This phenomenon, I've noted, isn't limited to apartment buildings. People in malls and hotels do it as well. For goodness sake, WHY? Everyone always acts like they are in some big rush. Considering how the locals are hardly ever on time for anything (hence, "Filipino-time"), I've always wondered why getting in and out of lifts seems to be such a big deal. Maybe the entire nation is secretly afflicted with claustrophobia and just want to get the whole elevator riding ordeal over with?
Complaint #2. When someone gets off their floor and comes from behind, the people in front seem clueless and don't move out of the way, even after several pokes and "excuse me's" from the people who want to get off.
It still amazes me how clueless and out of touch people can be to their surroundings. It's almost as if they close themselves off so no one exists outside their own needs. What really appalls me is how some people even have the nerve to look disgusted or extremely put off when someone who is standing behind them in the lift needs to get off before they do and they have to move a few inches out of the way.
Complaint #3. Related to complaint #2, in my case, Charly and I always voluntarily step out of the lift when someone behind us is getting out. Despite this, RARELY have I ever heard a "Thank You" coming out from Pinoys (no matter how well-dressed and educated looking). The people who consistently say thanks are the foreigners. I kid you not. The rare times a Pinoy has said "Thank You", I've made it a point to strike up a conversation the next time I've ran into them, and lo and behold, they are either well-travelled or have grown up abroad.
And because I strongly believe that children learn from watching the actions of adults, I am quick to point out to Charly how we should behave politely in these situations. I am also quick to point out to her how it is impolite and in poor form for people not to say thanks after someone has stepped out of their way. Or how people should politely say "Excuse me" instead of shoving and poking their way out.
Most of all, I've loved how this has earned me a number of glares from the offenders. One particularly bitchy woman actually stopped and asked me "Nagpaparining ka ba" ("are you trying to tell me something"). I smiled and said "why, no, I'm sorry you thought so. I was merely pointing out to my child how to act properly in certain situations and how one should always say thank you."
Fortunately the door closed on her snide reply. If it hadn't, I would have told her that how she behaved was certainly not something I want my child emulating in the future. Or in a nutshell, how she is a bad example to an impressionable child.
See, this is one of the things that saddens me living in this country. Social etiquette is not as properly evolved as it is in first world countries. Not that I am saying that I won't be encountering the same rudeness from an apartment building in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. But I have lived in both types of buildings and despite our apartment building in Manila being considered high-end, it is still disappointing to see that money can't buy proper social graces and basic politeness.
I mean, for God's sake, elevators have been around Manila for decades and some people still act like they don't know how to use or behave inside one.
So for now, I have to make sure that I am mindful of how people around Charly behave, lest she begins to model such behavior.
I guess I have more glares in store for me in the future!
Complaint #1. Why do people always insist on pushing their way inside an elevator the moment the doors open, even if they can clearly see a number of its passengers wanting to get off? This always causes a jam and a tangle of bodies as people simultaneously push their way in, and out, of the lift.
This phenomenon, I've noted, isn't limited to apartment buildings. People in malls and hotels do it as well. For goodness sake, WHY? Everyone always acts like they are in some big rush. Considering how the locals are hardly ever on time for anything (hence, "Filipino-time"), I've always wondered why getting in and out of lifts seems to be such a big deal. Maybe the entire nation is secretly afflicted with claustrophobia and just want to get the whole elevator riding ordeal over with?
Complaint #2. When someone gets off their floor and comes from behind, the people in front seem clueless and don't move out of the way, even after several pokes and "excuse me's" from the people who want to get off.
It still amazes me how clueless and out of touch people can be to their surroundings. It's almost as if they close themselves off so no one exists outside their own needs. What really appalls me is how some people even have the nerve to look disgusted or extremely put off when someone who is standing behind them in the lift needs to get off before they do and they have to move a few inches out of the way.
Complaint #3. Related to complaint #2, in my case, Charly and I always voluntarily step out of the lift when someone behind us is getting out. Despite this, RARELY have I ever heard a "Thank You" coming out from Pinoys (no matter how well-dressed and educated looking). The people who consistently say thanks are the foreigners. I kid you not. The rare times a Pinoy has said "Thank You", I've made it a point to strike up a conversation the next time I've ran into them, and lo and behold, they are either well-travelled or have grown up abroad.
And because I strongly believe that children learn from watching the actions of adults, I am quick to point out to Charly how we should behave politely in these situations. I am also quick to point out to her how it is impolite and in poor form for people not to say thanks after someone has stepped out of their way. Or how people should politely say "Excuse me" instead of shoving and poking their way out.
Most of all, I've loved how this has earned me a number of glares from the offenders. One particularly bitchy woman actually stopped and asked me "Nagpaparining ka ba" ("are you trying to tell me something"). I smiled and said "why, no, I'm sorry you thought so. I was merely pointing out to my child how to act properly in certain situations and how one should always say thank you."
Fortunately the door closed on her snide reply. If it hadn't, I would have told her that how she behaved was certainly not something I want my child emulating in the future. Or in a nutshell, how she is a bad example to an impressionable child.
See, this is one of the things that saddens me living in this country. Social etiquette is not as properly evolved as it is in first world countries. Not that I am saying that I won't be encountering the same rudeness from an apartment building in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. But I have lived in both types of buildings and despite our apartment building in Manila being considered high-end, it is still disappointing to see that money can't buy proper social graces and basic politeness.
I mean, for God's sake, elevators have been around Manila for decades and some people still act like they don't know how to use or behave inside one.
So for now, I have to make sure that I am mindful of how people around Charly behave, lest she begins to model such behavior.
I guess I have more glares in store for me in the future!
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