Level Up

23 JULY 2015, 12:45 AM
I’m doing upgrades. I just bought a new smartphone with a high resolution of 8 megapixels built-in camera. I’m so thrilled that I can do a lot of things with it. I also bought a domain and hosting plan so hopefully by next week I could launch lesbianmama.com. It took me awhile to do this because everything is so pricey. Having my own domain is a bit challenging because I have to educate myself on how to do it. I don’t want to spend on something I don’t know anything about. Anyway, as soon as I figure out how to run lesbianmama.com I promise to give you one rocking hell of a blog, yeah.

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Rush Hour: Altenate Routes from Makati City to Commonwealth QC

Let me tell you about my shift. My work is located at UP Ayala TechnoHub along Commonwealth Avenue in QC. Graveyard starts at 9:00 pm and ends at 6:00 am. When I was residing at East Fairview in Sunny Villas (yup, it’s where the famous DJ Papa Jack used to live) I set my alarm at 7:30 pm and leave at 8:30 pm. It’s always been an easy drive. I can buy cinnamon coffee or gas up my car and still arrive on time. When I move back to Makati, I was in shock. I never thought that I’ll be stuck in the road for 2 hours and sometimes more. Traffic in the Metro is horrible. I’m spending 250 php to 300 php per day for gas. I’m always hungry, I feel dizzy and my body is shaking after the drive. I’m so tired that even my brain has turned to mush. I begin to lose weight and my hair started falling out..

Anyway, my dad, my brother and I were like human map. We can fluently talk to PUJ/PUV drivers like how Star Wars fans talk to each other. Each day, I take different routes desperately searching for a less stressful trip. The outcome depends where I came from. My dad’s home, or where I grew up, or our properties – whatever you call it, is somewhere in Barangay Poblacion but I am now temporarily renting a 2 bedroom, up and down apartment with my brother somewhere in Barangay Tejeros. Parking slot is one of our problem at Barangay Tejeros so whenever none is available, my brother and I will go home to our dad’s place and park our cars there since we have our own parking space/garages. It’s more expensive though, we both need to ride a jeepney which is 7.50 php or ride a trike for 50.00 php each way. My brother suggested to buy an electric bike so we could get our cars without hassle. So here’s my driving plot route for the week and how it turned out:

Alternate Routes from Makati City to Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City

Before Day 1:

• Makati Avenue – JP Rizal – EDSA – New York Avenue – Cambridge Street. – K-H Street – K-8 Street – KJ Street – Kalayaan Avenue – Quezon Memorial Circle Elliptical Road – Commonwealth Avenue
• Makati Avenue – JP Rizal – EDSA – New York Avenue – East Avenue – Quezon Memorial Circle Elliptical Road – Commonwealth Avenue
• Makati Avenue – Rockwell – EDSA – New York Avenue – Cambridge Street. – K-H Street – K-8 Street – KJ Street – Kalayaan Avenue – Quezon Memorial Circle Elliptical Road – Commonwealth Avenue
• Makati Avenue – Rockwell – EDSA – New York Avenue – East Avenue – Quezon Memorial Circle Elliptical Road – Commonwealth Avenue
• Makati Avenue – Rockwell – Kalayaan Avenue – C5 – University Avenue – Commonwealth Avenue
• Makati Avenue – Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue – Kalayaan Flyover- Kalayaan Avenue – C5 – University Avenue – Commonwealth Avenue

EDSA or C5 on weekdays? Hell.

Day 1:

Coming from Barangay Tejeros

PRC / A. Reyes Avenue – P. Domingo – Sta. Clara – Lamayan – New Panaderos Street – Kalentong – F. Manalo – Araneta Aveue – Quezon Avenue – Quezon Memorial Circle Elliptical Road – Commonwealth Avenue

Result: It took me 2 and 15 minutes on the road. I spend more than an hour from Sta. Clara to Kalentong.

Day 2:

Coming from Barangay Tejeros

JP Rizal Street – Tejeron Street – Carreon Street – Laura Street – Palumpong – Jesus Street – Quirino Ave – Mabini Bridge – Magsaysay Boulevard – Araneta Aveue – Quezon Avenue – Quezon Memorial Circle Elliptical Road – Commonwealth Avenue

Result: 2 hours on the road. Heavy traffic in Pandacan, that’s from Laura Street to Jesus Street.

Day 3:

Coming from Barangay Tejeros

JP Rizal Street – Tejeron Street – Carreon Street – Laura Street – Palumpong – Jesus Street – Quirino Ave – Mabini Bridge – Magsaysay Boulevard – Santol Street – Bayani Street – Araneta Aveue – Quezon Avenue – Quezon Memorial Circle Elliptical Road – Commonwealth Avenue

Result: 2 hours on the road still. Heavy traffic in Pandacan, Laura Street to Jesus Street. I tried Santol Street to Bayani Street to check if I can avoid at least a few minutes of traffic due to the construction of Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3. The result is just the same.

Day 4:

Coming from Barangay Poblacion
Makati Avenue – Makati-Mandaluyong Bridge – Coronado Street going to Hulo – E. Pantaleon – Barangka Drive – Balagtas Street – F. Martines Avenue – Hoover – Wilson Street – L. Gruet – F. Manalo – N. Domingo Street – Araneta Aveue – Quezon Avenue – Quezon Memorial Circle Elliptical Road – Commonwealth Avenue

Result: 2 and a half hours on the road. Heavy traffic starts at Coronado Street OMG. Traffic flow went smoothly at Barangka Drive after you pass the U-turn slot going to Estrella Bridge (Mandaluyong to Rockwell).

Day 5:

Coming from Barangay Poblacion

Makati Avenue – Makati-Mandaluyong Bridge – Coronado Street – San Francisco Street – Maysilo Circle – F. Martines Avenue – Hoover – Wilson Street – L. Gruet – F. Manalo – N. Domingo Street – Araneta Aveue – Quezon Avenue – Quezon Memorial Circle Elliptical Road – Commonwealth Avenue

Result: This is actually my favorite route ever since. It only takes 40 to 45 minutes when there’s no traffic and an hour and 15 minutes during rush hour because of the construction drainage happening in San Francisco Street.

Alternate Routes from Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City to Makati City

Going home to Barangay Tejeros:

Commonwealth Avenue – Quezon Memorial Circle Elliptical Road – Quezon Avenue – Araneta Aveue – N. Domingo Street – Old Sta. Mesa – Metro Manila Skyway – Carreon Street – Tejeron Street – JP Rizal.

Note that I’m trying to avoid traffic in Kalentong , Mandaluyong.

Going home to Barangay Poblacion:

Commonwealth Avenue – Quezon Memorial Circle Elliptical Road – Quezon Avenue – Araneta Aveue – N. Domingo Street – F. Manalo – Shaw Boulevard – F. Martinez Avenue – Maysilo Circle – San Francisco Street – Coronado Street – Mandaluyong-Makati Bridge – Makati Avenue

Solution: There’s no other way but to wake up 3 hours before my shift, bring strong, brewed coffee and assorted biscuits and of course, good music.

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June 30, 2015

I want something else, I’m not listening when you said gooooooodbbbbyyyyyeeee

This is the song I’ve been singing/listening to at 6:00 am while making my car fly around Quezon Memorial Circle Elliptical Road trying to reach Makati before seven because God, it’s tuesday morning and my car plate is under number coding.

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Unit 7323

Yesterday, I told the unit owner that I’m moving out. It was heart-breaking. I’ve been living in that condominium for 4 years. It was home, my sanctuary. I used to think that one day the 35 sqm. space will be mine. I love every corner of it. I bought stuff that will match the place, brought furniture from Makati that complements it and even dispose things that I don’t really need just to make everything fit. It was really sad. I feel like I’m leaving something behind. The lazy days I spend inside the bedroom, art materials scattered on the living room floor when I’m bored, a number of Koreanovelas I’ve watched in the dining area, food that I’ve prepared for loved ones, home parties with friends, last vision of someone I used to live with, final wave of good bye while that person was downstairs and I was looking from the open window…those memories were etched inside of it like how my cigarette smoke stick to its wall. I’ll be out of the place within a month and I’m moving on without it. I will terribly miss it. I tell myself that it’ll be alright, that I just finished another chapter of my life and I’m about to start yet another one, great adventure.

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