Bohol Yoga Festival, April 21-22, 2024
Oct 31, 1975
Bus Ride from Hell
Location 
: Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Flashback
I am writing this story in Aug 2022...37 years later! Honestly, I don't even know the exact date. All I know is that I was still in high school when it happened.
Stranded?
It was already late and I was still in Cubao as the heavy downpour flooded the streets. Cars already stalled by the roadside due to the rising water. Public transport screeched to a halt. There was no way home for me and I was wet, cold and stranded. Do I sleep on the sidewalk? From a distance, I saw this public bus going to my home. It was my last chance. But the bus was overfull. People were literally hanging off the entrance with only one foot on the bus. It was impossible for me to squeeze myself. Then I had an AHA Moment!
Hanging On for Dear Life...on the Bumper
The bus didn't bother to stop to any of the waiting commuters because there was simply no space. But since the streets were flooded, the bus had to drive slow...slow enough for me to go to the front, jump on the bumper, hold the grill with my left hand, and hold the driver's rear-view mirror with my right hand. The only problem with that is that I was face-to-face with the driver. It was only the windshield separating our 2 faces together. He couldn't see what was in front of him!
To The Right, Please!
The bus driver understood my desperation and predicament. Instead of telling me to get off, he simply gestured me to move to the right. But I couldn't! The bumper wasn't long enough. Instead, I leaned my body to the right and tilted my head to my right shoulder - that was essentially my body position for the rest of the trip.
The funny thing was, the bus was overly full inside and everybody was of course looking forward and looking at me on the other side of the windshield. Some giggled, some had that look of disbelief, and some had that look of empathy. But they all felt the extreme discomfort I was going through.
Wind Factor
If riding on the bumper with my body contortion wasn't bad enough, I also had to deal with the elements. It wasn't just a torrential downpour, it was a brewing typhoon (remember, this is the Philippines where we eat typhoons for breakfast). The wind was picking up and my back was facing the wind as the bus moved forward. I was already soaked wet and cold, but I also had to put up with the strong wind hitting my back. There was nothing I could do but endure the suffering. The only saving grace was that the bus could only crawl since the streets were flooded. So there was no added chill factor from the speed of the bus.
Getting Inside the Bus
As we neared my suburb, more passengers got off until I managed to get inside the bus. I was standing inside until I got home, but that was heaven compared to clinging on the front bumper with a body contortion. Funny enough, even when I was already inside, the people were still looking at me!
I finally got home, took a shower and went to sleep. I didn't even tell my parents what happened. The following day, I had a stiff neck and sore torso - expected.
Calling for Help?
I would have slept on the streets of Cubao. Calling my folks was never an option. It's not that they won't help. I just never called them up for anything. Years later, even when I thought I would die from a failed cliff dive, I decided to heal myself in a cave or not come out at all - but I would never call anyone for help.
It's good to be fiercely independent and self-sufficient, but perhaps it's not a bad idea to call someone for help too - I just couldn't. Pride? Yeah, maybe it's pride.
Pampered Siblings
This is just an interesting footnote. So, this bus ride happened around 1975. That's how life was for me - rough, lean and bare-knuckled. I left the Philippines in 1984 and lived for 20 years in New York and Toronto.
When I came back in 2004, the family situation has radically changed. My Dad became prosperous. They now lived in a big house with a security guard. He sent my half-siblings to the best (and perhaps the most expensive) private Jesuit school in the country, Ateneo. They were chauffeur-driven to anywhere they wanted to go. I'm not sure they ever rode public transportation in their lives.
So, when I was already back and living in the family residence together with my half-siblings, the house phone rang (there were no personal mobiles during that time). I picked it up and it was my half-brother asking for the driver to pick him up. For some odd reason, the driver could not be found. I just told my half-brother to ride public transport. He said it was difficult because there was a light drizzle (I guess he was just a little embarrassed to tell me he doesn't ride public transport). Then he asked me if I could pick him up instead. I didn't know if I would roll my eyes or chuckle. I forgot how he got home, but of course, I didn't pick him up.
I couldn't help but notice this huge disparity between their pampered lives and my spartan existence.
Ending Thoughts
Having gone through this ordeal essentially defined what I can do and what I'm willing to do to survive. I guess this paved the way for a life of adventure that describes the last 18 years of my life when I threw myself to the wind, letting it take me where it takes me.
--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
YOGA by Gigit 
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Depression
(Oct 1978 - Apr 1979) I had a suicidal bout of depression back in 1979, but I am writing about it now in Feb 2022. I'm thinking back, trying to piece the details together. This is important. Dealing with depression made me wiser and stronger. I'd like to share this triumphant ordeal.....more »»
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