Filipinos are typically sanguine by temperament and sunny in disposition. In times of need, you can count on them to be fellows of good cheer. And whatever they may be going through in life, count on Filipinos to manage everything with a smile.
But working in an office in Makati where men choose their inferno by wearing the obligatory formal attire (complete with neckties) ... men are experiencing early morning frayed nerves just to maintain their looks. I know how it feels when you don't have a car and you commute in EDSA ... braving the hustle and the bustle, the dust and the nasty looks of fellow passengers as you glide yourself inside the bus looking crisp and fresh. In a sardine-packed bus, you can't help but feel you are orange in a basket of apples.
I have been in that position once when I was working in an office in Fresno. I was also commuting ... and every time the wind blows my hair, I have to comb the pesky hair right away. When it is dusty it is de rigueur for me to place a hankie on my collar to maintain my freshness and my plump. When it becomes warm it becomes mandatory to check on the much-dreaded perspiration that can easily wet and drenched my day.
And I really find it annoying when I could not even rest my back on my seat ... lest my long sleeves will look creased & crumpled. Another passenger sensing how distressed I am adjusting my tucked-in polo ... pat me on the back and said: "You will survive ... the day!"
If only I could ... I need to learn how to drive pronto ... and buy the latest fancy car in the market. But that was just a passing reverie ... no need to rationalize.