Delayed? Who cares?

What do you call that which bleeds for 5 days and doesn't die? And not only does it not die, it is spitting fire. That's a woman with PMS. Well, I don't have PMS anymore; I'm past that age, but occasionally I still do...spit fire. And yesterday was one of those occasions.

I don't want to sound like a diva or that I'm too good for something, although I am justified if I want to claim both, because I have paid my dues. I also don't want to come out like I'm too hard on my people, or my country of birth, but I have to point out something. Filipinos are cursed with a colonial mentality, therefore, the average Filipino will consider any race besides his own, a better one, and because of this, again, the average Filipino will take a lot because he doesn't think he matters.

Yesterday, I was at the aiport waiting for my Cebu Pacific flight to another island. When I checked in, the ticket agent told me "the flight is delayed for 3 hours." The American in me started to huff and puff. I asked in a frustrated tone: "And Why?" "Aircraft issue." She said. Well, I had 2 choices: either strangle the powerless agent or go find a seat and wait. I looked at the other passengers and not one looked cross-eyed, convoluted or even a furrowed brow. Every brown skinned person around me sat there peaceful and happy, like they're waiting for their turn to receive a free sack of rice. While I.... was bloated with rage and anxiety.

Five hours later, we finally took off. Then I had a light bulb moment:A flight being delayed is nothing to a Filipino; 5 hours? 24 hours? that's nothing. Why? Because if you can't find one bolo- wielding-Filipino, hacking the employer to shreds for a delayed salary or paid on time but only a fraction of what he's owed --which is common here in the Philippines, I don't know of anything else that could make a Filipino flip.