Since March I have become an "Extreme Commuter". It is a term coined by the Census Bureau according to Mark J. Penn in his book Microtrends. Per the author, extreme commuters are people who travel at least 90 minutes each way to get to work.
Actually if I will be technical about it since year 2005, I can already be regarded as one. I live in Marikina and I report for work in Makati. However, the 90 minutes or more is due to horrendous traffic and not actually the distance. Therefore I consider it only as a circumstance and not a choice.
This time it is a totally different take as I am very much aware that Marikina is 75kms or so from where I work but still I took the job. (The masochist and the overachiever in me won.) I leave the house at 6 to 6:15 in the morning so that I will arrive at our Manufacturing plant at Laguna a little before 8:00 am. The first few days was tiring and I had to really study the flow. SLEX is undergoing a major repair and so the distance is not only the challenge but also the terrain! Asphalt, dirt, potholes, gravel, cement, roadblocks, plastic cones, cement blocks, ropes, merge, diverge, stalled vehicles, inconsiderate drivers, road hogs, smoke belchers - you name it the road has it.
Going home is tougher as it adds another hour or so. When it rains - it sucks! Am not complaining though. No no no. Am just venting. The drive actually gives me time to think, I get to be updated on what's new in the music industry thanks to the radio. However, sometimes I get turned off by all the talk jocks do but then hey! that is their job. And yes, there are instances that I get to know the news also. (Oo nga pala). And most importantly driving early in the morning satisfies the F1 driver in me. The need for speed is just too strong to ignore. I will not be branded by Alia as a suicidal driver for nothing. He he.
