of taxi drivers and persnickety passengers

i don’t know why this particular friday i suddenly got finicky while trying to hail a cab on my way to work. maybe it was because i was bringing a layer of cake to the office for our little bash — an informal workplace ritual where new hires pool their resources together so they could ‘treat’ their co-employees to a lively meal.

or it could have been the weather — it was a cold and wet day and the rain showed no sign of stopping. whatever it was, i suddenly had this absurd idea that i don’t necessarily have take the first taxi i could find just because it was convenient.

20 minutes later, i was still standing at the curb waiting for my ‘ride’ — the taxis were either occupied or heading in the wrong direction, or else the driver’s attention was focused elsewhere. i was starting to get antsy and kept glancing at my watch; then i noticed that 30 meters ahead of me was one of those distinctive pink urinals.

then, as if on cue, an unoccuppied white cab suddenly stopped beside it. out came the burly driver and into the pink urinal he went — well, you can guess what happened next. as he was hurrying back into his vehicle, it occurred to me that he would be passing my way and i could easily flag him down.

i was about to raise my hand when, suddenly it struck me that there was no washing area/facilities inside that tiny pink roadside cubicle… and obviously the driver had no time to do whatever personal hygiene routine he goes through after relieving himself. gaaah!

abruptly i turned around and pretended i didn’t even see the taxi when it slowed down beside me. mercifully, after a few seconds the vehicle left.

about 5 minutes later, another cab (yellow this time) came into my sight. and just when i was gearing up to hail its driver, this taxi also stopped beside the same urinal. the driver got out — well, you know the drill…

to make this long story short, i finally managed to get a taxi 10 minutes later. halfway to my destination we stopped as the traffic light flashed red. suddenly i noticed that the driver was touching his face and glancing at his rearview mirror every now and then. for a moment, i thought “whoah, this driver is really vain about his looks.” it took me a while to realize that he was actually squeezing whiteheads off his face and wiping the residue on his sleeve! (ugh!) he didn’t even notice that the light had turned green until i told him about it.

i don’t know if this makes me overly fastidous, but there’s something objectionable and hysterically funny about riding a taxi being handled by a driver who can’t even wash his hands after peeing. puh-leeze. i know it’s highly possible that most taxi and bus drivers do this all the time — i wonder if the MMDA has ever factored this basic detail into their plans? — but getting into a cab just a few seconds after the driver has answered the call of nature sans washing is definitely a big turn-off.

the women of indiana jones

Indiana Jones films [Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade] are largely GP fares with a particular appeal for the male demographics. and the resourceful, intelligent, rugged, funny, and all-too-human Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones makes a particularly likeable hero.

The proof of this franchise’s enduring appeal lies in its substantial box office success and the consistently good ratings it has earned from critics and fans alike. and now, george lucas, steven spielberg, et al. are about to release the highly anticipated fourth installment of the series: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

but it doesn’t just end there. Indy Jones’s appeal to women and rapport with his leading leadies are also two reasons for the films’ resounding success. apart from the adventurous academic himself, you can also add the improbably entertaining plots, the dizzying special effecs, and the IJ ladies.

while they’re not basically driving the plot, these women are no pushover either — in their own right, they’re just as unforgettable, incandescent, funny and as single-minded as Indy himself. 

Marion Ravenwood (Raiders of the Lost Ark: Karen Allen)

Wilhelmina "willy" Scott (Temple of Doom: Kate Capshaw)

Dr. Elsa Schneider (The Last Crusade: Alison Doody)

Irina Spalko (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Cate Blanchett) 

i have no clear favorite, although i must confess that i’m rather partial to kate capshaw’s Willie (regardless of what the feminists say) because she made me laugh so hard. and of course, i still have to see how cate blanchett fares in this last IJ installment. (i have a feeling she’ll be a knockout here.)

halleluiah! it finally rained hard today

after withstanding endless weeks of torrid heat, this seemed like a nice thing to celebrate. and for it to happen on the first of may seems providential somehow.

don’t they always say that the first rainshower in may is a kind of blessing?

and to crown my day, i finally managed to watch Iron Man. and despite my initial apprehension, i am glad to note that the film is far better than i had expected. i’m not terribly familiar with the Iron Man mythology, but it’s nice to see that there is a genuine onscreen chemistry between robert downey jr. (tony sparks/iron man) and gwyneth paltrow (pepper potts — what a clunky name). more on this on my entry @ the other side of the fence.

i think iron man has one of the best movie endings i’ve seen so far — particularly robert downey’s parting shot. everyone was chuckling and was exclaiming about it as we filed out of the theater.

and oh stan lee makes his customary cameo spot here (what did you expect?). he looks very dapper, surrounded by sleek beauties when tony starks (robert downey) taps him on the shoulder during a party.

i am also looking forward to seeing several movies: Indiana Jones IV, The Dark Knight (Batman 2), Mamma Mia, and — dare i say it? — Kung Fu Panda.