Three weeks ago, we went to Palawan for a vacation with my sister's friends and their parents and siblings. The sun, the sea, the breeze, the people, and basically everything that made vacation a "vacation." When I'm not swimming (or doing something equally fun), I would sit down with the adults and listen to them talk about whatever. One of the topics that they always delved into was commuting. During these conversations, I learned that my sister's friend's siblings (who are older than me) did not know how to commute. My dad, safe to say, was surprised. It turns out, the parents of those people never did teach them how to commute and would literally make them carpool everywhere they went (taxis do not count).

Honestly, I think learning how to commute (and no, not taxis) is something like a rite of passage. When I was in high school, we had a whole course teaching us how to commute. And you wouldn't look so clueless when you need to go some place without a taxi. I think I'm actually one of the very few who likes commuting in the city. Most of the time, I use it as an excuse to explore the city. There's so much to see in Manila that we haven't really seen yet. Granted, the city also has its danger spots. But without commuting, one wouldn't learn of this.

And really, let's go on an adventure and let's start with Manila.

Two weeks ago, I could live with shorts and sleeveless tees. Now, I couldn't go out without wearing a jacket or bringing an umbrella. The change in wardrobe is a sign that the rainy season's here. Just last week, my sisters had their first week of classes. Yet it was already marred with class suspensions. Living in this country, class suspensions due to rainy seasons are a normal thing. It's like receiving a text from your mother when you told her you were coming home late - it was bound to happen.

Speaking of things bound to happen, we find ourselves stuck in some sort of predicament because of the rain. Take for example the students in the University of Santo Tomas. When they see the rain, they know that the streets and the whole campus will be submerged in flood. When I was still a student, I was worried because a) I live so far away from the university; b) my sister was on the other side of the campus; and, c) how am I supposed to get home when I can't even get out of the building because of the flood outside? Sometimes, I wait for it to subside. Other times, I just go "to Hell with it", put on my slippers, bring out my umbrella, and just walk outside to catch a jeep going to my Dad's office.

Another predicament? Whether or not you should ride the pedicab to cross the flooded streets. I was debating myself on whether or not I should ride the pedicab to get to my sister. I was two blocks away from her school, but the waist-deep flood in front me was just ridiculous. Figuring that a pedicab would be much more convenient, I rode one, only to be charged 50PHP for the ride. 50! But I was in a rush then so I just paid the fee and ran to the school. Going back, I contemplated on riding the pedicab again. This time, they were charging 100PHP. It was there that I drew the line and just waited for the flood to subside. It's crazy what they charge you with.

The traffic and class suspensions that come with rain are inevitable. But hey. What's rain in Manila without these?