Impenetrability is the inability of matter to occupy the same exact place at the same time. Simply put, the space one matter occupies is impermeable in a sense that if one matter has taken the space, no other matter can occupy it while another body has taken its place. Only through displacement of matter can another matter occupy the said space.

Dear fellow MRT Commuter,

This is a very simple physics concept. What I do not understand is that you, fellow commuters on the MRT train, continue to try to defy the concept.

MRT commuters are barbarians out to get the better of the next passenger. Sometimes, I find it more efficient to ride the male train and risk the possibility of feeling the next guy's hard-on than riding the female train. I find, based on experience, that female passengers can be a little more vicious and violent when partaking the daily commute.

Female MRT commuters are armed with more weapons which try to defy this simple physical concept. They are armed with big bags, scented moisturizers, and pointy heels which are concealed weapons. Big bags are used to hit the passengers, club them if they felt the need to so as to accomodate the next thin waif/oaf who are coming in late. Their scented moisturizers which some of them feel the need to apply minutes before they ride the train can be nauseating, that one whiff can disarm you and leave you light-headed. Of course, the deadliest of them all, the high heels, which these passengers use to toe and step on their fellow commuters when they do not get their way.

Don't get me wrong, I love the daily commute. It is one of the things which I look forward to after a long day of work in the office. It is just that I would want to ride the train without fearing for my life--or any defiance of the laws in Physics.

Riding the FX or those vans are a big part of my life. I spent a good two hours everyday inside those careening pieces of metal which traverse Mindanao Ave. Most times, I just sleep on it especially during the mornings. Days like this one, when I am wide-eyed and excited, I just sit patiently humming random songs from point A to point B.

Believe it or not, I like FX rides or commuting in general. I like long bus rides and train rides and public transportation (except for jeepneys but that's another story.) However, despite my declared love for FX rides there are, of course, exceptions and limits to my love. There are people in FX rides who irritate me to no end, I just want to smash their faces against the glass. Aside from the brutally obvious, like those who sit like they paid 10pesos more than you did, here are some of them:

• The Lovey-dovey couples. It is not that I am disgusted at PDA, I actually enjoy it myself, it is just that there is always a time and place for everything and that there is a line between tastelessness and romance. I do not mind seeing couples holding hands or even kissing inside the commuter van, however they should keep their conversation to themselves. I don't wanna hear them go cooing at each other. "Di pa poh. Gutom na nga ako eeee." OK, bhe, san tayo kakain, bhe?" "Eeee, hold hands tayooo, bhe" "I lovez you poh talaga poh." Motherfvck, get a room! Stop stroking his goddamn legs and crotch, and you, woman, I am not interested in your man.
• The DJ. I believe that there is only one person who should have a monopoly of the music to be played during the FX ride: the driver! No matter what he plays, you can not complain openly about it. I hate it when the driver plays weird Pinoy novelty songs, I'd hate it even more so if it is from a fellow passenger. These are those passengers who play their mp4 players so loud there is no room for you to guess what they are playing. "She moves her body like a cycloooone/ And she makes me want to do it all night looong." Keep your music to yourself, and stop polluting this sardine can with your bad heavily remixed pop R&B. Perhaps, blame it on the fact that I associate R&B with the worst kind of boys I ever dated.
• The Vanity Advocate. The commuter van is a closed space where smells and sounds are shared by every single one of those in it. No matter how bad or good the smells and sounds are, it is inevitable to smell and hear them. There are some of those who believe that the van is an extension of their boudoir and continue their morning rituals in the said ride. Wearing lipgloss and combing their hair and even a little make-up is fine by me. However, there are those who spray perfume, put on scented lotion, powder their faces like a geisha and assume that everyone is delighted by what they put on their bodies. NO. Be considerate. I hate the smell of vanilla perfume, I do not like dusty powder in my eyes, I get icked by that perfume, if you like it do it in an open space, woman.
• Those who came from Hell. It is understandable how, sometimes, aircon in some of those vans fail at giving the much needed refreshing burst of colder air. If you are suffering, understand that we are suffering too. So please be mindful that we all paid the same, commensurate amount of cash and DO NOT point the aircondition to just your direction. It is not my fault you do drugs, you ran around EDSA, or ate Lugaw just before you got here, learn to share. There will of course be some exceptions, however, the norm is to share.
• The Town Drunk/Manyak. I have had my share of bad van seatmates, those who can not seem to get any or those who get their kicks rubbing their hands in unseen places. My boobs are very small, thank you. My legs are very thin, so get your goddamn hands away from me and away from your crotch. I have hit someone too many times for this, and I am not afraid to do it again. No, pretending to fall asleep on what is very little of my chest is not accidental. I do not care if you throw up outside the window or hit your head on the seats, I am not accomodating. You are not my date, my boyfriend, my friend, my brother and I do not take care of male strangers who look like they can handle themselves better than I can.

I understand that there are more of them out there. There are many more characters to hate and assasinate in my head, however these are but some I encounter on an almost daily basis. I do not advocate hate, however I advocate consideration and understanding that FX/commuter vans are public transportation.

As of writing, the jackpot for the Philippine lottery is 330million pesos. I do not know about Paul, George, Ringo and John, but I sure want a piece of that cake. Money can't buy me love, sure. But money can pay for my tuition, my sister's med tuition, my mom's medicines and sophisticated therapies, a new house, a new car for my mom's transportation needs, gadgets galore, and a very expensive tub of the most effective moisturizer in the world.

Wishful thinking. What will you do if you win the lottery?

In the train this morning I was stepped on several times by strangers who do not know the virtue of personal space. I know, I can not complain much. It is, in fact, the MRT where thousands of people ride just to be able to get to work in the morning. I wonder how terrible it is to be confined to this. And for the first time in my life I wondered about the prospect of "greener pastures", in New York perhaps? In London? But then again for a few quiet moments I realized I am still glad I live in the Philippines. Here are some of the reasons why:

1. We are not the first subjects for alien invasions. Leave alien invasions for the likes of the big cities like New York or Chicago. Aliens do not feel the need to attack such a small and insignificant race. Think: War of the Worlds. We do not get attacked by those aliens first. Maybe because they do not perceive of us as threats to their global domination. We do not go bombing other countries, in the guise of a war on terror, when we feel like exploiting them of their resources. The only significant alien invasion we have was the invasion of Kokey. Heck, how threatening is that!
2. Scary mad scientists won't attack our city streets anytime soon. Our people do not have the means to create large power plants enough to wipe out the entire nation's electricity. ugh, sorry, the government does not fund our scientists. We do not have the likes of Doc Oc of Spiderman fame to create large power plants. Thank god we do not have astronauts to send into space lest we have another Victor Von Doom who will suddenly feel the urge to control Meralco because it poses so much power-politically and electrically.
3. We are not the center for zombie invasions. Think: land of the dead, i am Legend, 28 days later. The significance? Our country is never in the forefront when it comes to medicinal research, thus the chances of our people turning into zombies because they are the first test subjects for a newly invented cure for cancer or leprosy or a plague induced by some medicine gone wrong. Seeing as we only result to using drugs which are not used in the states anymore! Think: there has been no reported incidents of people turning into zombies because of phenylpropanolamine use. Sure that medicine is not approved by FDA of the US, but surely it hasn't turned anyone into a zombie yet.

So Cheer up, The world isn't so bad. Our people may die of starvation because of more job retrenchments, there will be more killings, you will be pushed in the train because our modes of transportation are terrible but hey, those aren't as scary as zombies, alien invasions and mad scientists.

And it's been giving us the creeps.

The Balete, otherwise known as a banyan is home to several Philippine mythological creatures. Among these are the white lady, the pugot, the kapre, dwende, and the tikbalang.

according to some people, here are a few creatures that live in the balete:

Aswang: is a Filipino version of the vampire. They are human like by day but transform into different monstrous forms to harass and eat awake humans at night, especially pregnant women who are about to give birth.
Diwata: engkantada are fairies, nymphs, goddesses or enchanted persons who are believed to guard natural creations such as forests, seas, mountains, land and air. Diwatas are said to reside in large trees, such as acacia and balete.
Duwende: goblins, hobgoblins, elves or dwarfs. They are little creatures who can provide good fortune or bad fate to humans. In the Philippines, duwendes frequently live in houses or in trees in rural areas. They are known to be either good or mischievous, depending on how homeowners treat them. Filipinos usually leave food on the floor, so that the duwende residing (or guarding) the house would not be angry with them.
Ekek: creatures who are bird-like humans. They are winged-humans who at night search for victims. They hunger for flesh and blood.
Kapre: a filthy, dark giant who likes to smoke huge rolls of cigars, and hide within and atop large trees, particularly the balete and old acacia or mango trees. A Filipino bigfoot, it scares away little children who play at night. If you're stuck in a place and you keep going around in circles, you're said to be played around by a Kapre. To escape its control, you must remove your t-shirt, and wear it inside-out.
Manananggal: an aswang that can fly after separating itself from the lower half of its body. It eats babies and fetuses from a mothers womb. It eats babies by means of passing their long tongue through a small hole from the roof of a house. The sharp end of the tongue touches the mother's navel to suck the blood of the fetus or unborn child.
Tikbalang: (demon horse) is a half-man and half-horse creature. It has a horse's head, the body of a human but with the feet of the horse. It travels at night to rape female mortals. The raped women will then give birth to more tikbalang. They are also believed to cause travelers to lose their way particularly in mountainous or forest areas.

taken from here: MY SARISARI

So come on over to my place? And let's sleep in the room beside the balete tree. Any takers?