Christmas is the busiest month for us here in the Philippines. We celebrate it the entire month, we have parties and gatherings the entire month. It's when families and friends gather, reunite and rekindle the old times. Sad but true, this is also the time when the "bad guys" flee the streets! Why? Because they know, people have money in their wallet, new gadgets in their bag and so much more!
I am not the type that's careless and inattentive when taking public transits. In fact, I purposely make myself look "annoyed" when taking public transportation so as to bug off potential pick pockets, maniacs and "holdapers". But as they say, you could be careful your entire life but that one day you lose focus is also when you unfortunately get caught.
So, I lost my cellphone. Well, it was stolen. In my bag. That was zipped close.
And this is why, my friends, I am now telling the world that I am voting for Mr. Duterte.
Please watch the video below to find out the story and hear my rant. Well, a bit of sobbing, too!
If, for some reason, you can't watch the video or if you'd rather read, then let me tell you what happened and how I got robbed. So, the latest MODUS OPERANDI of these bad guys is "SABUNOT" or Hair Tugging/Pulling.
What happened. (I want to pinch myself every time I would remember this story!)
It was December 8, 2015 when I decided to meet my cousin that works in Ayala in Makati. I am depressed these days and being in my room just doesn't help. I needed and wanted to go out so I asked her if we could meet in Glorietta. After waiting for 2 hours for her to get off work since she had an over-time, we finally met. I wanted to see the lights at Ayala Triangle since I have not seen them yet. Unfortunately, because we went to McDonalds first to grab some dessert, we failed to see the lights show. I was sad because we were right there just in front of the place but we missed it! It was getting late and my cousin had to go home. I took the bus with her without thinking. Later, I realized I was on the wrong bus and if I don't get off, I would be on the opposite side of where I should be traveling to. So, I got off. Since I was not familiar with the place, I called my friend that once worked in Makati to ask her where I should ride. I, not even once, didn't think there were bad people in Makati! I worked in Ortigas for 5 years and have come to somehow trust the place. But, Makati? (What is the Mayor there even doing?!!OMG.) Anyway, I took the bus going to Monumento. I was crazy for not taking taxi since I always take taxi especially when going home late. I don't know what I was thinking, really. Maybe, I was not thinking at all!
I rode a bus at Ayala Avenue. It was somehow near the area where Ayala Triangle is. It was around 10 PM. So, I was on the bus and sat beside a woman. I always feel dizzy when the air-con is right above my head. Since the air stopper was not working, I decided to transfer to the back. Unfortunately, I sat beside a guy in late 20's who somehow felt he was as handsome as Alden Richards. When I sat beside him, he probably felt I found him cute. So, he started making "pacute" and kept on staring at me. I was so annoyed. Later, I noticed he kept on moving his shoulder just so it would touch my body. YUCK!! So, I had to call his attention for that. I told him "Ano ba ang manyak mo naman! Kanina ka pa naniniko!" Blah, blah, blah. I think I may have sat beside a narcissistic guy. I have never, in my entire life, saw a guy as rude as that guy! OMG. He shouted at me, cursed me and said rude, rude words. I only called his attention because I felt it was not right that his elbow was touching my body and he responded by being a total douche bag. He didn't stop talking and the bus was crowded and I felt dizzy and I was depressed, so I just turned to the other side of the seat.
Just right then, a man pulled my hair from the back! It was so bad that I had to hit his hand just so he would stop pulling it. I thought it was just a mistake since hair would sometimes get pulled when passengers hold the seat while walking. But what he did was so painful that I had to hit his hand hard to let my hair go. Then, he walked passed me and I had to call his attention as well. He shouted and said "Kung ayaw mo masabunutan mag taxi ka! Ang arte arte mo!" It was chaotic and people were in front of me. I thought it was just a usual crowded bus. I got so pissed off because how can men be this rude to a small, petite woman like me?! I stood up, and then transferred to the front. Since all seats were taken, I had to stand up. A few minutes later, the same area I left earlier (the place beside the woman with the air stopper that was not working) was a guy sitting. He stood up and offered me his seat. I even said thank you! I thought he felt bad for me because I just encountered a maniac guy and a guy that pulled my hair. I felt relieved that a guy offered me his seat!
When I was along Shaw area, a passenger that was getting off told me "Ms., check mo gamit mo. Mga mandurukot yata mga yun." then got off. I was puzzled because I had a sling bad that was around my body at that time and it was always in front of me. I checked my bad and to my surprise, MY CELLPHONE WAS NOT THERE ANYMORE!!!
I immediately went to the maniac guy and asked him to take out my phone. I thought that maybe while he was trying to distract me with his elbow, his other hand reached to my bag and took my phone. Again, he was all rude and nagging! He kept on shouting at me as he opened his bad and checked his pockets.
Then, some of the passengers told me that it was the guy that pulled my hair, the guy that offered me his seat and 3 more guys that took my phone. They said they saw a white Samsung phone and they were replacing the sim card of it. They got off at Buendia Station.
And that my friends, is how my cellphone was stolen.
The manic guy? Well, he kept on nagging the entire time until I got off where I was supposed to get off.
* * *
What I lost.
I cried on the bus and when I got home. And the next day. And the day after that, Until today. I cried not because I lost a Samsung phone. I do feel bad that I lost a phone I bought for P35,000++ thousand, yes. But more than that, I cried because I lost memories. Videos and Photos. Not just selfies or food photos or photos of my dog. But, memories that would never ever happen again. Memories I can never get back.
- My Sim Card that I have been using for more than 10 years now.
- Php 300 Globe load I just loaded that morning.
- Viber chats that I treasure and re-read when I am sad. (Sadly, no backup! Ahhh)
- Screenshots of messages...
- Photos and Videos of my Grandfather and Grandmother that both passed away in August 2015. Those were videos of them when they were still able to talk and they told me stories, told me they missed me, told me they love me... ALL GONE!
- A letter that I treasure that I kept at the back of my phone case.
- Photos and Videos that I took from the day I got my phone until a week before it was stolen...
- Photos and Videos when I traveled to Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Photos and Videos of my stay in Tarlac. The place where I am not sure when I can visit again. Photos and Videos of people I am not sure when I can see again or if I would see again.
* * *
What I learned.
I also learned that it is important to back up! Backup, backup, backup!! I do this when I am editing a video. I have the regular file and then I Save As it using another file name just in case the original project crashes. I was so not thinking when I just left all those videos and photos there on my phone thinking I'd have them forever. I didn't even transfer to my laptop or hard drive. Well, I was actually thinking of doing it soon when I get the time. So there, another lesson learned! Always do now what you can do. Later may be too late and tomorrow may never come.
* * *
What I will do.
Because of this, I am now 100% voting for Mr. Duterte! I am so tired of this dirty country. Sad and hurtful but true. We are dirty in every sense of the word. We need a reformat, if that is even possible to do in a country. I would want to wake up in a city that is trash-free, pollution-free, drug-free and crime-free. Or at least, lessened. I am so tired of having to look annoyed in public transportation just so pick pockets would not steal my things. I am so tired of having to be paranoid in public when I ride tricycle because I'm scared the driver would drive to a far place and rape me. I am so tired of watching the TV and hearing all the bad news about bad people doing bad things. I am just so tired! And I mean, aren't you? Yes, you could be rich, have your own car and not have to worry about anything because you live in a secure place. But, would you wait until that day your "safe world" becomes unsafe? We need a change! We need it now!
My dream is someday, we could be as safe and as prosperous as our neighboring Asian countries. People in Singapore and in Japan take pride in their country. And that's why you see tourists flock their country. My dream is to be able to text my Mom that I am on my way home at 11 PM while walking the streets and be freely able to hold my phone without being paranoid. My dream is for the Philippines to be just SAFE. Yes, a SAFE COUNTRY!
Because, right now, it is sad but true, the Philippines is a very unsafe place to be.
♥
Kristine
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