JessicaRulestheUniverse.com

I was waiting for a taxi in Salcedo Village. A taxi stopped a few feet away from me and a bald white guy got out. “Bye!” he told the driver. I hopped in.

—Napa-Ingles tuloy ako! the driver laughed. British daw siya. Mabait! (I had to speak English. He said he was British. Nice guy!)

—Talaga? (Really?) I said. I try to avoid chatting with cabbies because the conversation inevitably goes to politics, and I’d rather not have an angry person at the wheel.

—Saan ba ang London? Sa Europe ba yon? (Is London in Europe?) the driver said.

—Oho. (Yes.) I put on my headphones but the driver would not be stopped.

—Nag-asawa siya ng Pilipina. Masuwerte ang mga Pilipinang nakapangasawa ng taga-Europe. (He married a Filipina. Filipinas who marry Europeans are lucky.)

I shrugged noncomittantly.

—Kung Pilipino ang mapangasawa nila, lasenggo na, bubugbugin pa sila, he went on. (Filipino men are drunks and wife-beaters.)

I pointed out that there were also European drunks who beat their wives. He thought about this.

—Oo nga, pero at least nasa Europe sila. Mas maraming opportunity! (Yes, but at least they’d be in Europe where there’s more opportunity.)

We call this stiffing stoon logic.