I am Mae German. 34 years old. Born in Mangatarem, province of Pangasinan. I was taught and trained by 
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Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop Dude, where's my ride?
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop Dude, where's my ride? | Dude, where's my ride? |
| Monday, 06 April 2009 | |
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Monday. I'm expected to be either in Jersey City (NJ) or Staten Island (NY). My prayers are simple whenever I have to commute: one, that I may not miss my ride in South Plainfield going to Metuchen Rail Station (buses are rare in S Plainfield); two, that the weather is good for a fun walk. Today was my first time to go straight to Staten Island. Jersey City doesn't need me. Today I had to do a transaction at the bank for the check that I have been holding on for over a week now. Estimated driving time is 3 minutes and the total distance is .99 mile from home, MapQuest said. Fine. Sisiw! That'll only take me around 20min by walking. But today, weather news was right. It rained. But I gotta do what I gotta do. I walked to the bank and had my transaction. Missed the 8:55am bus so I stayed at Dunkin' for warmth. I was reviewing my bus schedule. It says another bus will arrive at 9:55am. So I left Dunkin' at 9:50am and stood by the bus stop across Lakeview Ave., a few feet away from the intersection of Maple and Plainfield Avenues. And then I saw the bus nearing the intersection. I was relieved. I was rejoicing within. Yey! It'll be a successful ride again! Until I saw the bus flashing its lights. "Come on, you'd better see me standing here... Hey over here there's a little woman waitin' for you here come on! Quick! Stop flashing the light!" "Oh no no no..." "Noooo!!!!!" The bus made a left turn on Maple Ave. leaving the little woman behind. (Elites!!! Humour me! Haymishu! Pwamis, naalala ko kayo sa mga oras na ito. Wahaha!) I have nowhere else to go. I didn't want to go back inside Dunkin' so I decided to walk along Plainfield Ave. and tried to check out the names of the side streets. I know where Sampton Ave. now is and I know where So Plainfield Municipal Bldg. now is. A policeman may have seen me and maybe he was wondering what the heck I was doing walking back and forth Plainfield Ave. but I was harmless. I am harmless, just don't try to harm me. *wink* I sat at the covered bus stop in front of the municipal bldg (thank God, for the shed) and it was then that I started talking to Pammy about this. I was able to catch the 10:51am bus, got to Metuchen a little past 11, and before 1pm, I was at the New York Penn Station. Scenario #2: I have no idea where in Manhattan are the express buses going to Staten Island. I asked a MTA bus driver but I got an answer that I get a lot from people here, "I have no idea." So I was back to relying on my map. A sad realization while walking: Everything in Manhattan looks ordinary to me now. That's sad. I don't like to look at things "common" or "ordinary". (But I did find it amusing how those pigeons were trying to commit suicide in the middle of a busy street). I wish I could bring back the excitement. I may have walked through Manhattan a lot of times already, but I know I haven't seen half of the places to visit. I should still feel the excitement. Maybe I'll try on some other days again.  [ Palm Centro 1.3megapixel ] Trusting my map and my instinct, from W 32nd Street and 7th Ave., I went to Fifth Ave.. At least I know where I was heading. Since I was already in Manhattan, I decided to visit Kumpareng Patrick. Along Fifth Ave., I walked from 32nd Street to the 50th, passing by the Rockefeller Center. I didn't feel like a tourist today. I stayed inside St. Patrick's Cathedral for a few minutes before I headed to my bus stop. I needed Bus x10 and I found a lot of their bus stops along Fifth Ave.. There's one in 46th St., another one in 40th, in front of the New York Public Library, and the nearest to the NY Penn Station is at W 32nd Street (there's another one in 27th before they turn to Broadway Ave, E 22nd Street). I sat at the back of the driver. My favorite spot, the one near the door, was taken by this young man who was trying to entertain himself by moving his head as the wiper moves in front of him. (Maybe he was trying to figure out how the wiper feels when moving back and forth, back and forth. See?! Kanya-kanyang trip lang yan eh. LOL!). I busied myself trying to figure out the map in front of me again. I have to know where to get off. I have an inkling though. The bus driver had no idea where I should get off when I told him that I had to get to this certain place. "You should walk back to Manor Road I think..." he said after studying the map in his hand and before his bus vanished from my sight. He dropped me off too early, I knew that. But it was alright. It's my chance to get to know the streets around here, I thought. Boy, I never knew it'll be another mile walk though! arggh! Note to self: Chuckie isn't the pair of shoes if you're walking the whole day. Especially not, when it's raining. Come to think of it, the challenge comes not from the weather nor the trouble in getting my bus rides. The real challenge was in finding humour when it's raining, your hands and feet are cold, and you keep missing your rides (or the bus kept missing you). Oh well, it's still raining but I'm at Camp Regozo now. Although I couldn't concentrate on my supposed to be tasks today because my head is a little bit pounding and my throat a little itchy, I am safe, warmed, and satisfied. I learned a lot today. I may do this again and its okay. Dude, I know where my rides are now.  And btw, there's no bus in Metuchen going to South Plainfield on weekends. Thank God, The Regozos have decided to bring me home last Saturday. Saved me from walking 4.45 miles. ******* P.S. Someone is saying goodbye tonight. At least I hope he'd say goodbye before boarding the plane. Yep! A spider will be weaving a new web in a place that he used to call "home". He's finally found his ride home. Farewell, dear friend. |
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