Kick It!

The first time I met Philip, it was during the annual "alay lakad" on a Maundy Thursday. My friends and I were preparing for the hours-long trek to the church in Antipolo. It was a Catholic tradition where devotees walk together for hours to converge at the end point of the trek: the Antipolo church.

But for me and my friends, it was a leisure trip. We were armed with our bottles of water, backpacks filled with food and change clothes, plus a pole with a custom-made banner bearinig all of our names. At eight in the evening, we were already on our way to Antipolo. There was really nothing else to do but chat while walking. And at certain times, we would stop somewhere to rest, buy a drink, or for others to puff a smoke.

I was not yet a smoker that time. I was intrigued by my friends' obvious pleasure while lighting sticks of cigarette.

I egged one of my friends to give me some and let me try it. He wouldn't. "'Wag na Wowie," he said. I tried the others, they all said the same thing. For something that was known for being caused by peer=pressure, it was certainly not the case for us.

Hours passed and we were still walking, and I was still pestering my friend to let me have some, and he still wouldn't let me. It was a Marlboro, red. Others puffed a Winston, much lighter than Marlboro.

Then I saw an opportunity when I saw a neighbor with a long white stick. I asked him for one and he gave me one. Excitedly, I grabbed a lighter and lit my very first smoke. The first puff sent me coughing. But there was something cool in the cigarette, like a menthol candy. I looked at it and saw it was a Philip.

One of my friends saw me and was obviously pissed. But there was nothing they can really do because I was already devirginized by the little cigarette stick. When they saw what I was smoking, they couldn't help but laugh. That was when I found out that if you are a teenager who wants to smoke and be cool, shun away from Philips or Hopes--they were said to be prostitutes' preference for a cigarette stick. If you are familiar with the way they do business, and the long waiting time they have to endure, you'll get why these menthol cigarettes got that preconceived notion.

So I immediately switched to Marlboro (red at first, god, what a head ache!) and Winston. Then eventually, after years of being exposed, I switched to Winston and Marlboro lights.

Fast forward to years later, I am still a smoker, although I really try to keep it down. I wanted to quit for a very long time, obviously for health concerns. But there are times when I couldn't resist the urge to light a cigarette. I'm sure all smokers share the same sentiments, no matter how hard they want to try to kick the habit.

It really takes a lot of determination and discipline. And of course, support from people who care about you. Those who care enough to punch you when you are like a junkie trembling to have a stick.

In a way I am successful in trying to quit, but there are still times when I succumb to the temptation.

Quit now before you regret it. You can really get sick. I used to handle an account that dealt with kicking the smoking habit and that was when I realized the effects smoking can have on us. So now, I am really fighting eacch urge.

Kick it!

http://www.healthmad.com/Addiction/The-Dangers-of-Smoking-and-How-to-Effectively-Quit.129253

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. (Morning batch)

Tsk, tsk, tsk

Ang tatlong salita (kung masasabi mong salita ang "tsk") na ito ay isa sa mga salitang nakakapang-init ng ulo. Kahit nasaan ka man, siguradong lagi mo itong maririnig. Sa abangan ng jeep o bus, sa pila sa mga fast food chains o supermarket, sa MRT, sa entrance ng mga malls at establishments kung saan may nag-iinspeksyon na mga gwardya, sa loob ng public utility vehicles, at kung saan saan pa.

Kapag nakakarinig ako nito ay naaasar ako. Parang naghahanap ng away ang sino mang nagsasabi nito. Per na-realize ko na lahat tayo ay guilty sa bagay na ito. Sinasadya man natin o hindi, nasasambit natin ang mga nakaka-pikong mga salita. Na-integrate sa ito sa ating lenggwahe kaya parang natural na lang ito na lumalabas sa mga bibig natin.

Halimbawa?

Sa pag-abang na lang ng sasakyan papasok o pauwi sa araw-araw. Natural sa Pilipinas ang mga pila sa terminal ng jeep o FX, mga pilang parang mga naghihintay na makapasok sa sinehan. Box-office kung tawagin. Scenario: Umaga, mainit, mahabang pila. Nagmamadali ka nang makasakay para hindi ka ma-late sa eskwela o trabaho. kahit labag sa kalooban mo, magtitiyaga kang pumila dahil wala ka namang choice.

Tumatagaktak na ang pawis mo dahil sa init ng araw, ilang minuto na ang nakalipas pero wala pa din ang kasunod na jeep o FX.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk,"

Lilingon ka kung saan mo narinig ang tunog na iyon. Makikita mo ang isang medyo may edad na babae na matindi kung magpaypay para hindi humulas ang make-up. Iisipin mo kung saan sya naaasar, sa init ba o sa tagal ng sasakyan. O dahil sa pangatlong late na nya sa opisina ngayon kung nagkataon. O baka dahil may pasimpleng sumingit sa pila.

8:30 na, alas nwebe ang pasok mo.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk,"

Hindi mo napansin na sa labi mo na pala galing ang mga salitang yun. Naaasar ka na din dahilmale-late ka na. Maya-maya nandyan na ang kasunod na FX. Swerte, iisipin mo dahil makakasakay ka na. Medyo natuwa ka na sa kabila ng init ng araw. Sakay ka na sa loob ng FX.

Ilang minuto sa loob ng FX, medyo naiinitan ka kaya medyo in-adjust mo yung aircon para itutok ng konti sayo.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk,"

Titingin ka sa katabi mo na diretso ang tingin pero gumagalaw ang bibig habang naririnig mo ang tunog ng letrang T, S, at K. Ayaw nya diretsahang sabihin sa iyo na wag mo itapat ang aircon sa sarili mo dahil naiinitan sya--kahit na pareho kayong 35 pesos ang binayaran. Sarap bigwasan ng mga ganitong kasakay sa FX.

Nasa EDSA ka na. Ilang minuto na lang 9:00 na. ma-traffic sa may Buendia.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk,"

Ngayon, hindi lang katabo mo ang parang manok na tumitilaok. Pati yung mga nasa likod at harap, habang panay ang tingin sa mga suot na relos. Sampung minutong nakatigil ang sasakyan. Napansin mo na sa loob na sampung minuto na iyon, lalagpas sa isang short bond paper ang "tsk, tsk, tsk," na narinig mo kung ire-record mo lahat iyon.

Sa wakas nakarating ka din sa Makati. Naglalakad ka na sa Ayala Avenue para pumunt sa opisina ninyo. Sa underpass (sosyal ang underpass sa Ayala kasi escalator): "Tsk, tsk, tsk"

Yung tao sa likuran mo, hindi mapakali na parang natatae dahil gusto na atang itulak ka pababa para makausad sila. may iba na nagpupumilit na gawing two-way kahit pang-isang tao lang ang kayang i-accomodate ng escalator.

Paalala sa mga taong ganito, kung nagmamadali kayo, gumamit po ng hagdan. Kaya naimbento ang escalator e para hindi na kailanganing maglakad sa mga hagdan. Alalahanin po natin ang mga nakapaskil sa dingding ng LRT 2: Sa mga nagmamadali, please use the stairs.

Ilang "tsk, tsk, tsk" na ang narinig mo sa loob ng isa't kalahating oras ng byahe?

Nakakaasar di ba?

Next attraction: Tsk, tsk, tsk (Midday rush)