Elevated U-Turn: What the Heck?

The path from C-5 to Kalayaan Avenue in Makati had always been the bane of complaints from motorists and commuters alike. But if you’re one of those who takes the EDSA route (a favorite target of rallyists and the notorious league of F1 bus drivers) or even the select few who just walks their way to the office, then you probably don’t know what I’m blogging about.

Imagine your usual 15-minute drive to your destination extending for about an hour? Or your typical one hour morning commute stretching for a 2 hours even? Exaggerated?! Maybe but that’s the general description you’ll be hearing from those who have no other choice but to endure the crammed traffic condition along C-5. Its flow of traffic gets even more sluggish with the slightest of rain and the occasional road mishaps.

Lucky for us, the government took notice and thus received numerous proposals from its (sadly corrupt) agencies to help alleviate the problem. Among them were the flyover (a popular “first thing that comes to mind” solution for the general public), a tunnel (another tried and tested alternative, albeit more expensive to maintain), and an elevated U-turn (Say what?).

Ah yes, the controversial twin elevated U-turns. These infrastructures were unheard of until their construction started to cause even more clogging. In short, criticisms came speeding up the media highway at a rate the C-5 traffic would never ever catch up.

Four months later, here I am (and probably you too) benefitting from the decreased travel time. Still not that fast for an average of about 50 kph for the entire C-5 route, but it surely is faster than what it was without (Do I have to mention it again? Sigh, oh well here it is the) elevated U-turn.

Choosing Ignorance For Love

What makes the world go round? They say that God created the world for his most loved creation a place to thrive. And God is love. Love, therefore, makes the world go round.

Wait a minute. Isn’t it the reason why the earth behaves as it is is because of its relative position to the sun… the so-called gravitational pull? At least that’s what my science teacher says. Is love, therefore, an effect of gravity?

Idiotic you say? Perhaps.

Love, I believe, is a force to be reckoned with. To be respected and handled with great thinking. It can bring into our lives immense happiness and content. In moments of despair, love can give us the emotional strength to hold. It is the most beautiful thing one can probably have in his lifetime.

Alas as with all great things that exist, if taken for granted, love can diminish you into shame – regretting that second you chose to be an idiot.

Ok, that maybe a bit too harsh to describe someone. If only I can think of a softer term.

When it comes to growing up in a family, a child cannot choose who to love as a mother or as a father. But when it comes to raising one, anyone is free to choose anyone to raise it with as long as it is within bounds of their religion and morality. Another significant outlook to consider is the capacity to sustain growth, more so - financially.

But when these two factors are deliberately ignored in favor of climactic pleasure, it’s a disaster in the making.

Recently, for fear of complications, we let go of an unmarried nanny who has been with us for just a month. After coming from her day-off, we asked her to defrost our ref for the first time. Midway, she unobtrusively ran out of the house. Later she found vomiting for no apparent reasons. She then positively admitted she was pregnant - by her boyfriend - her first cousin even!

What on earth? Why would c-c-cousins…? Eew... crazy!

Other than informing us that her cousin accompanied her that same day for check-up, we didn’t bother asking anything else.

(Photo courtesy of www.xanga.com)