It's a well known fact in Upstate New York that there's only four seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter and Construction. So suffice it to say that the summer season—road constructions and all—wouldn't be this area's claim to fame. That said, there's still those one or two days in July or August when the temperature reaches 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about 38 degrees Celsius) and the humidity is so high that it feels like I'm back home again. On days like these it's either stay at home and crank up the A/C or, for the rest of us who live in an A/C-less apartment, head to the mall.
There was one such day during the summer of 2004. So off to the mall we went, and as expected, so did about a million other folks. Needless to say traffic was really bad—and that's saying a lot (if you've ever lived in the suburbs, you know that there is no such thing as real traffic; what they refer to as "traffic" is really just the movement of cars that's slower than usual). As we got nearer and nearer to the mall, it seemed as if traffic became worse and worse. I really found it unusual, and was wondering about it until I saw what was happening.
Our lane wasn't moving at all because the cars on the intersecting lanes were blocking us. It was the typical case of a gridlock; everybody was in a hurry and no one would give way. Now, having grown up in Manila, this was just like any ordinary commute for me. But this was Upstate NY, and as far as I'm concerned, a gridlock happening in this area is about as common as Halley's Comet. I've come to know that people here are generally courteous and polite, and are usually considerate of others. So it was a bit of a mild shock that I was witnessing this. And then it hit me.
The weather, the traffic, the multitude of people—except for the cleaner air and the absence of jeepneys, I might as well have been back home. Which made me think: if Americans were living in the Philippines instead of Filipinos and given the same environment, would they react in the same way? Faced with never-ending traffic, would they also blare their horns to kingdom come and block all intersections within sight? From what I witnessed today, I believe the answer is a qualified "Yes".
Of course, something as complicated as the human psyche can't be pigeon-holed into a scenario like the one I mentioned. I can't even begin to think of all the possible factors that might affect a person's reaction to a particular situation. And this is the reason for the "qualified yes." But what struck me and was eventually an eye-opener was the realization that I was predisposed to believing that there was something innate about the American physiological make-up that made them better (and was thus the reason for the more prosperous country). Seeing Americans duke it out in a traffic intersection certainly dispelled this belief. To be fair, theirs is a pretty good system, traffic-related or otherwise. But when the system bogs down and everyone is left to their own devices, I have to admit that it feels pretty good knowing that we're all cut from the same cloth.
Which leads me to an even important realization: if Filipinos were given the environment here, would they be as considerate and socially-responsible as the people here? I believe this is a resounding, unqualified "Yes!". In fact, I don't even have to hypothesize—I just need to read about the millions of Filipinos living in foreign lands, not only managing to fit in but also excelling in their respective fields and bringing honor and distinction to the Filipino culture.
And this is where I get my renewed hope for the Filipino.
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