Another First: Jeepney Ride

April 13, 2011 by

It was nothing spectacular, really, but this one goes on my toddlers’ long list of firsts – their very first jeepney ride.

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A few days ago, I took my toddlers out sans my husband.  I have no idea how to start a car much less to drive one so we had no other option but to take public transportation.   I have taken the kids out several times already but we always took a cab.  This time, I asked my husband if  we could take the jeepney since we would only be traveling a very short distance.   After reminding us to be careful and vigilant, he said yes.

Being paranoid about the world outside the realm of our home, I dared not venture out with the toddlers without giving our helper a good briefing.  Here are what I reminded her of:

  1. Always keep your eyes on the children.
  2. Never talk to anybody even if it may seem rude to ignore them.  Focus on the children.
  3. Be aware of your surroundings and the people around you.  But always keep an eye on the children.
  4. Don’t stray away from me.  You always have to be within arm’s length of me.
  5. I know you may be curious of the new place we will be going to so it’s fine to glance here and there, but always keep an eye on the children.
  6. Finally, never ever take your eyes off the children even for a second.

After repeating those reminders for a hundred times it seemed, we finally left the house and patiently waited for a jeep.   Good thing there was only a couple of passengers in the one we hailed so I was able to whip out my camera and take some pictures to chronicle my toddlers very first jeepney ride.

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For the first time also, my tots behaved like angels during the commute.  They did not dare stand or walk on the jeepney.  There was nary a wiggle!  I’m not sure if they were just so curious of the people who were also on the jeep or if they were wondering why the vehicle did not have any glass windows or airconditioning.  My daughter though could not be restrained from talking.  She kept saying “Mama, we’re on the jeepney!”, “Mama!  Look we’re in the jeepney.”, “Mama, are we on a jeepney?” and she kept this on until we reached our stop.  And up until we reached our home, she was still exclaiming, “Mama, we rode the jeepney!”

Filed Under: Kids At Work Tagged With: , , ,

Commuter Woes: Adventures in the Metro Rail Transit

March 10, 2011 by

Being a stay-at-home mom to my two toddlers means that, more often than not, I am safely cooped in our cozy home with them.   Once in a while, we have trips to the grocery, the clinic, or the mall.  There are also rare instances when I am required to brave the metro jungle alone.  I say “brave” because to someone who is used to being in the comfort of her own home, the outside world can be very intimidating.

Today was one such rare instance when I could empathize with commuter woes.  I rode fxs, took the train, walked along sidewalks fearful of vagabonds, and breathed the heavily polluted city air.  Here are some of the things I learned during my commute across the metro this morning:

Getting on the train requires very little physical exertion.  All you actually need to do is stand on the platform directly in front of the train doors. As soon as the train doors open, you will automatically be pushed inside the train by the commuters behind you who are all scrambling to get in the train also.

Standing inside a moving train entails balance.  Armed with basic knowledge on Newton’s laws of Motion, I was able to keep my balance by keeping my shoulders parallel to the train tracks and planting my feet, a few inches apart, firmly on the train floor.

Alighting from the train necessitates great physical force. If getting on the train was easy, getting off it was the complete opposite.  Once the train doors open, you have to push your way out like crazy to counter the throngs of commuters scrambling to get inside the train.  Those who are weak-willed are bound to be trapped inside and miss their stop.

Filed Under: Mom's Corner Tagged With: ,