| There is something about going out just a few minutes to get some air out or do the usual errand walking by the store to buy some food. Then there’s that feeling of ‘cabin fever’ when you travel farther than what you have been used to for the past two months that seemed an eternity, which is a strange thing that I used to take for granted day in and out since it was the normal thing to do.
But yesterday was something an anxiety of that different feeling that you don’t want to get out of the house or even try to take the first step out of your comfort zone. It is nauseating at the same time feels like it’s totally different that your body just wants to stay indoors and spend more time recharging in bed. But that’s not going to happen now I travel to go back to Manila for the first time in the past weeks. |
Though there’s not much to describe the photos but just to share some images while on the road trying to get from point A to point B. It was really odd that you see traffic build up in some areas that seemingly disappeared in the last two months when mandatory quarantine protocols were imposed by city governments and closing borders to each of the connecting cities in the country.
Clearly, it is a strange time to experience things that are trying to get back to normal that is still dealing with the pandemic and in-between that so many challenging situations both in the news and what could be the change of everyday life. Though I feel out of sorts, that throbbing humidity is adding to that experience of trying to soak in getting that familiarity back.
Traffic build up can be seen in the main roads that most motorists take since it is the direct route to get to another part of the city. You can’t avoid looking around if you’re the passenger riding shotgun. It’s not much to take if you’ve been in this country long enough, but if you have spent away and have seen other progressive things this is something to look at.
In the past few months since the pandemic the ordinary becomes unique now due to the some have been laid off from employment. You can find some dealing with poor living conditions and trying to find ways to survive every day. Images can be seen to be not the most pleasing to the eyes but you get to understand why temporary development is not development to enrich life in these situations.
- Grounded Jeepneys
- Traffic
- Living Conditions
- Unethical Desperations
- Peddling to Survive
- Limited Train Ride
- Sidewalk Parking
Manila may look empty on the road but the people have started going back to their ‘normal’ lives but the word can’t be define properly with the pandemic still lingering as easing back the general community is for the country’s economy to slowly start back up like a cold start to a car’s engine without checking if all connections are right or the oil and fuel levels are in their right set up.
Even without the public utility vehicles like Jeepneys or buses you can still see some drivers are so aggressive on the road not following proper protocols on using turn signals or even sticking to the lanes sounds ‘uncool’ in this country. Getting off in the middle in the road would be a shock to foreigners and you think Adelaide Drivers are stress drivers on the road wait until you experience taking the wheel in Manila streets.
By the time going back taking the road to Ortigas Avenue you’ll see the changes with the addition of bike lanes with the orange barriers up to the Greenhills commercial district that is one of those rare acknowledgements that more people taking to the streets with getting their push bikes than relying to the country’s outdated public transport system that needs a major overhaul than just modernizing the vehicles itself as there’s no proper road management and organized protocols in making that happen.
EDSA (Epifanio Delo Santos Avenue) formerly Highway 54 has been lively heading back with no public buses taking up more than its usual lane. But you can see the behavior of some of the drivers taking position and changing lanes seemed legal when they should have stick into their lanes is how inappropriate the knowledge of majority of drivers in this country and for the reason road accidents is ‘normal’ in this setting.
It was something to get used to after being indoors for so long. But for those still working from home it saves you the time, stress, and anxiety dealing with the unusual daily commutes unless you have your own transportation. But having your own vehicle is whole set of mind bending experience.
Stay safe everyone whenever you are the coronavirus is still around. Traveling out is not advisable unless it’s a priority this is not the ‘new normal’ people are trying to initiate but just a precaution and to get your headspace back in order the only reason things are easing up is for the economy and not for your pleasure think about it.
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