A FRIEND of mine left for the United States last weekend, with a
scheduled side trip to Toronto, Canada. He left six cars to the
care of his driver. All six--a Mitsubishi Pajero, a Toyota 2.0, a
Nissan Patrol, an F-150 Lauriat, a Rav-4 and a Honda
CR-V--were parked in his garage.
He gave us a farewell dinner party two days before he left. With
lots of booze, of course.
While we were drinking, he called his driver.
''Don't forget to start the six vehicles for their dose of warm-up
while I am away, OK?'' he told his driver.
''Yes, sir,'' said the driver.
''Do it twice a week,'' my friend said. ''The warm up for each
vehicle should be for 10 minutes.''
''Yes, sir,'' said the driver.
I was just listening. All of us in the group were just listening.
Then my friend turned to me and asked, ''Is that OK? Warm up
the vehicles twice a week?''
''Not OK,'' I said. ''It should be done every day.''
Silence.
''I think Al is right,'' said one from the group. ''He is the motoring
expert in the first place.''
''OK then,'' said my US-bound friend. ''Badong (his driver), listen
up. Warm up the six vehicles every day, not twice a week.''
Then he turned to me. ''Should the warm up last for 10 minutes?''
''Five minutes or less should do it,'' I said.
Changing the topic, I asked my friend, ''Up to when will you be
away, podner?''
''Indefinitely,'' he said.
''Yeah?'' said one from the group. ''In that case, will you allow
anyone from this group to borrow any of your vehicles while
you are away? During important occasions only. Promise.''
Another said, ''Do you know it's bad for a vehicle to be parked
for quite a period of time? Right, Al?''
''Right you are, podner,'' I said.
My US-bound friend paused. Then he said, almost hesitantly,
''Sure, you can borrow. But please, spare the F-150.''
''Why?'' asked another. ''I'd been longing to drive the F-150.''
''Oh, no, you don't,'' my US-bound friend said. ''That happens to
be my favorite right now.''
Turning to his driver, my friend said, ''Hey, Badong, make sure
you drive the F-150 around the block once a week. But never,
ever let any of these buggers drive my F-150 out of the garage.
Is that clear?''
''Yes, suh, very clear, suh!'' Badong said.
* * *
Lucky are those who weren't caught in that monstrous traffic
jam that hit the metropolis on Saturday, Aug. 5.
I was one of the unlucky people who got trapped at Edsa.
That day, I left the office (Makati City) at 6:40 p.m. on my way to
SM City on North Avenue, Quezon City, to pick up Sol. I never
got there.
Gee I had to again express here my admiration for the invention
of the cell phone. Through the cell phone, we diverted our 8
p.m. meeting at SM City to Agham Road near Quezon Avenue.
We finally got to meet at--hold your breath--almost 12 midnight.
We had to meet there because the pickup of Dayong, Sol's
beloved son, conked out after having driven it into a waist-deep
flood near the BIR Building in QC. Accidentally, of course. As I
was writing this, the pickup remains disabled inside a shop.
As always, the sudden downpour at dusk of Aug. 6 instantly
flooded the major arteries of the metropolis, causing one of the
worst-ever traffic jams in the Big City. It was the worst this year,
this new millennium.
And so, again, the question: Whatever happened to the
government's antiflood program?
Your answer, as always, is as good as mine.
* * *
From my friend Ben Rosario, this interesting bit of news, and I
quote:
The Japan-based Overseas Vocational Training Association has
recognized the technical competence in motorcycle production
and public service orientation of Kawasaki Motors Phils. Corp.
by designating the firm as its training arm for motorcycle
technology in the Philippines.
OVTA is the organization tasked by the Japanese government
to complement the country's commitment to extend technical
training to developing country members of the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (Apec).
The program is part of the Osaka Action Plan of 1995 which
designated the Japan Ministry of Labor in promoting skills
development and in pushing livelihood training packages for
Third World countries.
Ding Galias, Kawasaki vice president for marketing, disclosed
that the firm has proudly accepted the challenge to contribute to
a training agenda for Filipinos, saying that Kawasaki has lined
up a program that would develop the technical proficiency and
skills on motorcycle technology and power products of trainees.
''We share OVTA's vision of offering citizens of developing
nations like our country an even chance to acquire the skills and
competence that would inspire him to initiate his own enterprise,
make him globally competitive and in the process, contribute to
his country's economic well-being,'' Galias explained.
The OVTA designation has further underscored the trust and
confidence already bestowed by various trade and consumer
organizations to the expert technology of Kawasaki that boasts
of a reasonably priced line of motorcycle and power products,
including generators and bush cutters.
Kawasaki, according to Galias, has earned recognition from
numerous sectors in the Philippines that it has been a
consistent Consumer Choice awardee. Tracing its humble
beginnings in 1968, Kawasaki, whose slogan is ''Kawasaki,
Bahagi ng Buhay Pilipino,'' has become a byword in the local
motorcycle industry that its products have constantly figured
prominently in the sales charts.
''OVTA has apparently recognized our corporate creed aimed at
helping develop the potentials of an individual that it had
bestowed upon us the prestige of helping the organization and
the Japanese government carry out their noble objectives to
humanity,'' Galias added.
So there, Ben. Best regards.
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