Flood water? What you talkin’ ’bout??

Around 5:50pm, the last class -or what was left of it since me and my blockmates went to a seminar instead- was over so Mariel and I went home. She went with her driver and I to the LRT. Getting off at Gil Puyat station as always, I was greeted by…traffic. Lots and lots of traffic.

You see, it rained extremely hard around noon or 1pm. The sky was dark at NOON but the rain let up around three, maybe four o’ clock-ish.

Anyway, when I was trying to get a jeep going to PRC, I couldn’t find any. Buses were in the way of private cars and jeeps, and all public transportation vehicles (jeeps, buses, taxis, pedicabs) were full or taken. The people in the buses looked as packed as a can of sardines. I was wondering what the fluffy was going on the whole time while walking back and forth, looking for a jeep. I remembered it rained very hard, but I don’t recall traffic that bad the last time it rained a lot.

I thought ‘Oh well. Maybe I can find a ride a little down the road’. So I started walking. And walking. And more walking…Eventually I got to a fork in the road along Gil Puyat avenue (I do believe that’s what its called) I wondered whether I should go along the road the jeeps from PRC take going to La Salle or follow the road I was already on that led to God knows where.

The catch was, I had to cross the road to get to the road that I was sure was along the PRC-TAFT route, and that meant walking, or wading, through shin-deep flood water. Putting away my retractable umbrella (since the rain stopped already) I stared at the murky water and watched the other people roll up their pants and take off their shoes to cross. I stared at my black Converse high-cuts for a few seconds then said “Meh”, shrugged and stepped into the water, pants down and shoes on.

The water flowed into my shoes (they were made of CLOTH. Converse shoes are pretty and all but waterproof? Noooooo.), my pants were immediately soaked to the shins. Not a big deal really. I thought that, If I walked a bit more through the water and cross the road, then I can find a jeep that has space for one more person. ( W : J ) <- lol CRITHIN class XD

So I had crossed the street. Yay for me. I took one look down the road and saw many, many, many cars stuck in traffic. But that’s not all. I also saw, as far as I could see, water. Lots and lots of knee-deep water.

Hitching my sling bag higher up my back (because that’s how I wear it) and putting my cellphone into my jacket sleeve instead of my pants pocket, I started walking straight through the water. I noticed a lot of people, as well as many students on the way home, went for the straight-through method as well and walked around cars that were stuck in the middle of the road.

So, walking through a lot of water for a very long time, I discovered some things:

Bus drivers do not care if you are forced to walk home through flood. Seriously, I don’t think they do. Whenever a car (especially a bus) drives by, they cause two-inch waves. Two-inches of extra water dont sound like much, but when you’re already up to your knees in dirty water, it is extremely annoying. Especially when you’re short.

Sometimes, it is way better to hoof it, than to drive. I saw one jeep that was going to PRC, full of course, but on the way anyway. You couldn’t miss it because it was decorated in the American flag’s red and white stripes. Personally, I think I rode that particular jeep thrice already. Anyway, I passed it when it was stuck in traffic and didn’t see it pass me further down the road.

Crossing the train tracks (still on foot), the road was a lot less flooded, but still had enough water to cover my nice beat up and soaked shoes. I kept walking in a straight line (since the route going to Pasong Tamo was a straight path anyway), I saw a crowd of people near the McDonald’s near the other road going to the post office. I passed all of them since I’d rather walk than stand there waiting for a jeep that would be full anyway.

I got to Shopwise and there was still nothing to ride. All the tricycles were out bring people where ever they wanted. Nearing PRC, another patch of road was flooded, but not as much as along Gil Puyat avenue. I walked right through it of course. I had lost all concern for the condition my pants and shoes were in.

I finally got a tricycle to ride along the McDonald’s PRC area. By them time I got home, an hour had passed.

A full HOUR of walking non-stop through knee-deep flood water.

For some reason, I’m not tired at all and I feel so HYPER I want to walk some more. (It’s the exercising. I swear.)

Come on, you people! LET’S WALK TO BAGIUO!!!! XD