Rude Awakening

It was the second Sunday of the bar. I joined the queue at the hotel's registration desk to check-out. And so there I was, minding my own business, when I heard this foreigner complaining about his registration in a voice loud enough to drown the hotel lobby's noise.

It was nasty the way he shouted and berated the front desk attendants, saying awful things like 'You don't understand English!' From the little that I could catch of their exchange, it seemed like it was the travel agency's fault why the rude foreigner's registration had gone awry. Things got a bit heated up prompting the front desk attendants to call security. The foreigner scoffed at the security guy, even challenging him to 'go right ahead and cancel me!' I don't know what he meant by 'cancel'.

Anyway, the security guy just stood at one corner of the lobby in case things got out of hand. His presence however didn't help ease matters and even made the foreigner angrier than ever. He even said the 'F' word to the attendants! So rude! This foreigner was with a Filipina who, pardon my discourtesy but I'm just stating facts here, didn't seem sophisticated. She was trying to appease the foreigner and I sensed a bit of embarrassment on her part for being in this predicament. I was not able to stay longer than I would have wanted to see how things turned out but I do hope, for her sake, that she apologized to the attendants in behalf of the foreigner.

The incident irked me big time because, admittedly, I admire the courtesy and discipline of foreigners and sometimes compare them to Filipinos, especially when I'm stuck in traffic, with my countrymen being at the lowest level in the comparison chart. Yet here is one proof that there are exceptions to the rule. Here is one proof that foreigners can be pretty nasty. I had spent two Sundays at the hotel in question and the staff had been nothing but friendly. And to insinuate that they don't understand English is the biggest blow. English is this country's second language. Not that I'm comparing or anything but let's face it - this country speaks better English than any of its neighboring countries. In fact, the citizens of this country can speak better English than those from English-speaking nations. And the 'F' word! One thing is sure, that foreigner was no gentleman.

My day didn't stop with the hotel incident. It extended to the late hours in the afternoon.

I was patiently waiting for my cousin at the exam venue when these fraternity guys had a near altercation. I recognized the guys as belonging to fraternities from the only law school at Mendiola (hahaha!). These two fraternities have always been on each other's nerves since time immemorial. I thought I would be experiencing a full-blown brawl, but cooler heads intervened, plus the place is always swarming with security.

I don't understand why fraternities have to hate each other. Is this an unwritten rule - 'Thou shall love only thy fraternity brothers and hate all who do not belong to our fraternity'? Absurd.

Anyway, I can't say that it was a boring Sunday. Although I was hoping that the incidents which broke the boredom could have been more pleasant rather than enveloped with rudeness and hatred.