illo friday: worry

there is so much positive energy for this week's IF entries. well i broke my rule today as i went over to check some of my fave artists entries before doing mine. but i already have an idea before doing so. and here are some worries that i would luv for you to see..

first, i got worried about.. anon's missing parrot, jack (thanks to ces who made a tribute for him). i also got worried on how studiololo saw rude people living behind their cats, they just couldn't see how cats can be companions too, unlike sketched out. they can be like dogs too as they worry of having their owners leave them behind, just like Rat, the dog of valgalart.

yep, i worry like m heart. i also got bit worried of the people who swim too close to boats just like aynaku. what also worried me was the scary hand usually dreamt by kids, drawn by vhrsti. got scared too of the idea of not having ideas like rrramone. and although ginger's little girl is so worried of the frogs, it worried me more when she reminded us of global warming. and that ants should worry about it too, as shown to us by princess pepper cloud. so we all should spend a worry-free day, like what kathleen rietz drew, with our families and loved ones, while we are still alive!

reading about common worries and the positive comments by their visitors made me once again agree that there are still a lot of good people out there.

and, like the song of rbaird goes.. ..don't worry — be happy. in every life we have some trouble but when you worry you make it double..

this song helped me get over my greatest worry.. yes, the first thing that came to mind when i saw this week's topic was how i live so close to the most dangerous road in the philippines. the commonwealth avenue. (some even claim its the most dangerous road in south east asia)



worried about commonwealth ave
900 x 650 (orig.)
MS Paint collage



for more than 2 decades, i pass by this road and saw how it transformed. literally. it was once a long road of vacant lots and trees on numerous points, until they widened the road, and widened it some more. this meant, cutting down of trees and literally pulling them out off the ground. this also forced some squatters to leave their homes, and small shops to permanently close. gone are the vulcanizing shops, auto shops, barbers and salons, the goats doomed to be pinapaitan (a native delicacy), the palochina furniture makers, the videoke bars, beer bars and carinderias (small restaurants).

now we have a mall, a big church (st. peter church) which was inspired to be a replica of the basilica in rome, additional public and private schools (about 5, not including the university of the philippines), more buildings, a golf course and a golf driving range (separate locations), 3 call centers, plus an industrial science and technology park that is ongoing construction (said to be owned by about 5 huge corporations - IBM, HSBC, ABS-CBN etc).

now industry and destruction of the environment have its blow on us. im not really against progress here ok, but widening of road means more cars, more buses and all sorts of vehicles. more vehicles means more people gaining access. more people increases the accident rate. and sadly, not to mention, crime rate. well, it is the 2nd most populous suburb in the world, tied with Giza, Egypt and Incheon, Korea. only Yokohama, Japan is larger.

but the big danger is not because its where the house of representatives (where the congress holds its sessions) is located. but there was one news, about the data gathered from the police reports, that from August to September of last year alone, an average of two to three crimes and accidents happen in a week. this does not include the 'smaller' accidents and crimes that doesn't get reported, including over-speeding, small bumps on cars, pickpockets, etc. i even witnessed accidents (or its aftermath) almost every week last january to february. so im guessing the ratio will still be the same, or worse!

well this is not something to be proud of indeed. but fortunately for me, and thankfully, nothing has happened to me. and i pray that i'll still be safe. although i had a brother who got snatched of his mobile phone while in a bus without realizing it, and my dad's car was hit by a small truck when he was doing a u-turn at philcoa (found at the beginning of the avenue) thankfully, there were no injuries. but so far living here for more than 2 decades, that's it.

worrying is not the first thing that should overrule your mind. living here for so long, you just get used to it. but sometimes even though you are very careful, its just a matter of chance and being on the wrong place at a wrong time.