Skip to main content
“Hit the brakes if you’ve already heard this before.”

I had a 1pm meeting today. So, we had to leave the office at 12 noon. Meaning, I was attending a meeting with an empty stomach. Which meant I was going to be very grumpy.

We hailed a cab and all got in. I sat in the passenger seat, gave instructions to the driver and closed my eyes, hoping to get a bit of rest before we got to the meeting.

The driver started to make comments about the traffic and the cops and the billboards and the government and I wasn’t in the mood to converse.

He then asked me, “Narinig niyo po na namatay na si Steve Irwin, yung Crocodile Hunter? Sayang, di ba? Mag do-donate dapat siya sa bansa natin. Alam niya kasi na dito mahahanap ang pinakamalaking crocodile sa buong mundo.

“May zoo nga siya kung saan mahahanap ang pinakamalaking Japanese crocodile. Tapos, nandoon din ang pinakamalaking Australian crocodile-- at mas malaki nga!

“Tapos, dun sa kulungan ng Philippine crocodile, walang laman. Kaya nagtapon siya ng karne para lumabas. Pero walang lumabas! Kaya ginawa niya, nagtapon siya ng pera! Ayon! Naglabasan yung mga buwaya! Ang laki! Naka-barong pa!”

He chuckled and I couldn’t help but laugh.

We passed by some traffic cops and he said, “Ayan, mga buwaya din yan.”

He then asked me if I voted in the last presidential election. I said I wasn’t able to.

“Buti na lang di kayo bumoto,” he told me. “Ako bumoto ako, pero nadaya lang ako, eh. Lahat naman nung kandidato na yun magkakamag-anak. Alam niyo ba na lahat sila letter `P` ang middle initial?”

I said I didn’t know that.

“Oo naman! Si GMA… `P` for Pandak.
“Si FPJ… Panday.
“Si Roco… Prostate Cancer.
“Si Bro. Eddie… Praise the Lord.
“Si Ping Lacson… Pulis.
“At si Eddie Gil… `P` for Peluka!”

He laughed again and we all laughed with him.

Right before we got to client’s office, he made another observation.

“Ang hirap na talaga ng buhay ngayon. Nabalitaan niyo ba na nag-e-FX na daw si Rosanna Roces? Oo, FX na lang siya ngayon. Na-hold-up pa siya! Buti na lang natago niya yung P500 niya sa panty niya, kaya di nakuha.

“Pagkatapos nung hold-up, takbo siya sa tindahan para bumili ng tubig, dahil talaga sobrang nyerbios niya. Pinambayad niya yung P500, pero binalik sa kanya nung tindera. Peke daw! Dahil pagtining niya sa P500, nakalawit yung dila ni Ninoy!”

And he laughed even louder.

He really liked that joke of his.

Finally, we got to our destination and paid him P100, when the fare was only P70. The great thing was, he actually fished out change for us, when most cab drivers would just keep the change.

Wish there were more cab drivers like him.

So, next time you hail a cab and you the name PADRINO on the side, get in. You’ll get to where you want to go and get a show along the way.

Popular posts from this blog

Couple of weeks ago, Ms. Diyco featured another campaign made by the creatives here at Harrison Communications. Here's her review about the Neozep "Neozerye" TV campaign: Romancing the mighty colds cure ADS AND ENDS, Nanette A Franco-Diyco BUSINESS WORLD Vol. XX, No. 139, Friday-Saturday, February 9-10, 2007 http://www.bworldonline.com/Weekender020907/main.php?id=marketing_diyco The four television commercials that serialize the life of pretty housemaid Luwalhati, culminating in a storybook wedding to her once-upon-a-time señorito from the imposing mansion belong to an ad campaign awards class all its own. There have been other spoofs of soap operas selling other brand categories in the past. But for several reasons put together, the Neozep series of commercials that began with honest-to-goodness ad teasers that looked and sounded like teasers for true-blue soap operas proved ultra entertaining and more importantly, "reinforced Neozep’s leadership and further s...

The Mini Manifesto

LET'S BURN THE MAPS. Let's get lost. Let's turn right when we should turn left. Let's read fewer car ads and more travel ads. Let's not be back in ten minutes. Let's hold out until the next rest stop. Let's eat when hungry. Let's drink when thirsty. Let's break routines, but not make a routine of it. LET'S MOTOR.™ This is the copy for the MINI “Let’s Motor” campaign. The creatives who created this campaign said they weren’t just writing copy on how great it would be to own a Mini, they were writing a manifesto, a way of life for people who drive a Mini. I just love how the copy has rhythm, how it just flows and rolls off the tongue, how it just wants you to go out and drive and just keep driving. Makes me also wish I could write copy like that. More wonderful copy ads can be found at: http://www.libraryofmotoring.info/miniprintads.html

the sons and daughters of Kanlaon

Last Friday, we attended the 40th Anniversary of KBS, the Kanlaon Broadcasting System, where my mom and dad once worked. I was still a baby when my dad worked there. I barely remember the people there. One of the first people to greet me was Lando, my dad's old driver. Him, I remember. As the story goes, when I was a baby, I could not pronounce his name and just started calling him "Agoong". Hence, he got that nickname and that's what everyone called him. I remember how we used to play chess while waiting for dad to finish work and how I always forced him to make me win. (Makes me wish I forced him to teach me how to play chess better and learn how to not win things so easily.) As expected, as my mom re-introduced me to her old office mates, they all looked surprised and delighted to see me. They would then immediately extend their hand, palm down, and show me how small I was when I first met them. Some would pretend to carry me and tell them they were the ones who ca...