The day I flew on a Piper Cub

A Japanese travel writer said nearly everyone in the Philippines speaks English. “Even a scavenger” in a garbage dump can converse with a foreigner in what the native Filipinos call ‘Pinoy English’.”

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He said in other Southeast Asian countries, “It’s difficult to deal with the locals except in Singapore where many speak English with Chinese or Malay accent.”

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Here are a few samples of “Pinoy English” or what Sir Erap once called “Carabao English.” I got these from a little book entitled “Major Major Jokes.”

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“You’re not a boy anymore. You’re a man anymore”... “My husband was born on a silver spoon”... “A man’s success is a woman’s behind” ... “Can you repeat that for the 2nd time around once more?” ... “Don’t touch me not.”

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After the crash of the Piper Seneca plane killing three, I got scared. It’s actually a delayed reaction. Or a delayed scary feeling.

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When I was still a FREEMAN reporter, I flew on a two-seater (with a single propeller) Piper Cub to cover a major event in Atlas Mining in Toledo City. It was a surplus (from World War II) Piper Cub, nicknamed by Cebuanos as “Mosquito plane.”

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I was reluctant at first to ride on that Mosquito but I assured myself that it was okay since the pilot was one of Cebu’s veteran and topnotch pilots — Sir Paul Pelaez, a friend. So we flew. Sir Paul seated on the front seat, I mean the pilot’s seat. And me behind him. No parachute, no seat belt.

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We landed on top of the mountain. The Atlas main gate or entrance was blocked by hundreds of strikers. We flew on the same plane the following morning on our return to the city.

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E-mail from Mrs. Quetta Sanchez: “The Commission on Appointments bypassed Jesse Robredo as DILG secretary three times. Now that Robredo is dead they have scheduled his confirmation before the end of August. I heard someone say: ‘Karon pa nga patay na ang kabayo?’”

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There are many who are interested in replacing the late Secretary Robredo but are playing coy right now as the nation is still in mourning. Let’s wait for the open scrambling for the post after the mourning is over.

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OVERHEARD. Fire victims are making the rounds of residential subdivisions, according to a reader who said: “Dihay nangayo og sinina ... Gihatagan og used but still in good condition nga mga sinina. Wa gyuy pasalamat. Nangutana pa: Ukay-ukay ni no?”

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