9/17/09

Dayuhan Sa Dabaw


While waiting for the traffic light on a street leading to Davao City's Chinatown, I saw this young Caucasian woman sitting pensively at the back of a jeepney. It's a sweltering 1 p.m. on an almost cloudless day, and I wonder what was in her mind. Is she thinking about the traffic? the heat? the intimate ride with strangers? Or, if she's an American, is she thinking about Obama's travel advisory for Americans visiting the Philippines?


I've seen foreigners riding atop jeepneys in remote provinces. But seldom do I see foreigners taking a jeepney as a means of transport in a major Philippine city. This rare sighting made me smile. Who knows, she's probably not even worried about the traffic, the heat, the intimate ride or the US travel warning? She could just be enjoying the sights of Davao City from the back of a jeepney.

10 comments:

  1. Mukhang malalim nga ang iniisip niya. Bakit hindi mo sinubukan kausapin. Nag-english ka tapos reply niya tagalog. I just remember kasi when I was in first year high school. First day sa class, may kaklase kaming blonde tapos yung isang boy classmate ko kinausap tapos sinagot siya ng blonde girl in our dialect.

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  2. wow you went to davao pala. i noticed that Davao has less jeepneys compared with other urban cities like Manila and Cebu. mas sikat sa kanila yung katabi ng jeep sa picture, mini-vans ata ang tawag nila dun, am i right? :)

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  3. galing ng timing mo ah. you were able to get a picture of her. Oy, kilala ko yang arc na iyan :)

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  4. One thing I noticed when traveling in Mindanao was there were still many white folk like me, everywhere. I read all the consular travelpages and then disregarded them.

    I loved getting about by jeepney. I remember when a taxi gave me an unrequested tour..... jumped the price to 60 Php. That sounded outrageous tome... then I remembered that that was justover a USD.

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  5. she's probably thinking where to get the best dimsum in davao?

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  6. She's thinking where all the Chinese have gone in Davao Chinatown.

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  7. She is beautiful ... ;-)

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  8. wonder why foreigners don't take the jeepney much? i know she's nowhere near fat or even chubby but still, she looks huge in that jeepney lol

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  9. The way she sits looks like she's used to riding the jeepney already. =)

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  10. same sentiments here...

    may mga turista lang talaga na gustong mag-adapt sa lugar na kung nasaan sila. naglilibot na para bang taga-don lang din sila. :) madalas, mas masaya pag ganon.

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