Traffic!

Just out of curiosity, I went on an online lyric site to see if there existed a song titled “Traffic.” I found one by the Stereophonics with two lines that seem to totally apply:

“Is anyone going anywhere?

Everyone’s got to be, somewhere…”

Another, one by Marie Digby, has this clever line:

“And I try to keep myself moving, but I’m not going anywhere.”

A final one, by Carbon Leaf, expressed my thoughts exactly:

“Should keep on going … writing … riding

Too long for sitting … muscle atrophy

Look at me, I’m damning my transmission.”

Oh, the stuff I mutter under my breath when stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic!

With exactly a week to Christmas Day, everyone is scrambling, rushing, trying to get everything done—shopping, gift-wrapping and delivering, getting noche buena meals prepared, plus Simbang Gabi!

For many singers and musicians, holiday gigs—Christmas parties, in particular—are a huge blessing. My husband and I attended one not long ago, and an excellent show band named Mulatto provided the entertainment. I can only assume that everywhere in our fair metropolis, show bands, solo artists and instrumentalists are hitting the holiday functions.

However … it takes twice the normal time to get to those gigs, thanks to what seems like all of humanity being on the road at the same time. Normal traffic is terrible as it is; Christmas traffic is hell on earth. (Yes, I exaggerate, but indulge me here—it really is bad.)

Sitting for hours in traffic is something that, when I’m in a good mood, I don’t mind terribly. I admit, I’ll be shaking my head when it takes a full three hours to get from Alabang to Quezon City (there is something horribly wrong there, especially because the distance between the two points is roughly 35 kilometers), but I endure.

So, what can a hapless passenger do while whiling life away in a bus, a car, or a jeep, for what seems like eternity?

Read

If there’s anything that can build a nation of readers, traffic is it. Paperback books aren’t too expensive (borrowing a book from your local library is even cheaper). Why not immerse oneself in a land far, far away, or a time far removed from this one? Newspapers, comic books, and magazines aren’t a bad idea, either. Whether in English, Tagalog, or your local dialect, pick up something to read. Two to three hours in traffic will equal a few chapters of anything, one whole newspaper, or a few magazines.

Sleep

For someone like me who’s sleep deprived due to late-night shoots and early-morning call times, traffic is an opportunity to catch up on precious sleep. Once a car is in motion, I usually pass out very quickly. My daughter and husband seem to do the same on long drives. Even on short drives, we have become experts at power napping.

Breakfast

During “The Voice Kids,” the coaches were called into the studio very, very early. I’d head to ABS-CBN right after dropping my daughter off at school. This is when I’d anticipate the rush of commuters heading to work, which would make any thoroughfare very busy. I’d make sure to bring my breakfast in the car, and eat at my leisure, while listening to smooth jazz on the radio.

Surf the net

Hey, what do we subscribe to those unlimited surfing services for? I’m very active on social media, so this is as good a time as any to post, reply, check my e-mail, look at friends’ timelines and feeds, and visit a few interesting websites or read the news. The bigger news sites are updated in real time, so it’s great to find out what’s going on as it’s happening. Sometimes the news is depressing though … which prompts my return to the funny friend’s Facebook profile. I look at wedding photos, and it renews my faith in humankind.

Get some work done

What better time is there to learn new music and memorize lyrics? This is something I do on long-haul flights from Manila to the United States or Europe, if I have material that I need to study. It can take me anywhere from a half-hour to a few hours to memorize a song. It’s as good a time as any to tick something off my to-do list.