Myself In A Different Section of a Train

I live by the rules of MRT. So if the rule for the first two train cars are only for women, a person with disabilities, pregnant, aged and children below 8 accompanied by a parent or two, then I shall abide.

Last Sunday, I went to Rock the Riles 08, a celebration for human rights week, to watch Terno bands in Ayala station. After Updharmadown's set, my friend Bel and I went home. Thus, we went down to wait for our train. She choose to go to the train cars for women. I was about to go to the "sardines" section of the train when she asked me to join her instead. A law-abider side of me came to my senses and refused. But she said it was okay as long as "may kasama kang babae". Trusting her word, I joined her there and talked without worrying that security guards who're just around the corner.

And the train stopped and we jumped in.

We continued talking until we finally reached her stop. We said our good-byes and I was left alone with all the women in different ages. I felt weird. It's like I'm in a world where men are weak and dominated by women; where men are far lesser in terms of numbers. I become an extinct sort of animal. It wasn't a good scene, you know. When you're there, a lone man in the sea of females. It's all eyes on you. There was this teenager girl kept on looking at me; perhaps seeking what physical deformity or disability I may posses. She might thought what on earth does a man like me doing in there. The cold air conditioning doesn't help to ease the uneasyness.

A part of me wanted to jump off to the next stop and ride to where I'm supposed to be. I was also thinking of an excuse if a She-Guard would ask me or scold me for not following a simple rule. Sort of things were running inside my lunatic brain. Like:

a. Mag panggap na Ngo-ngo
b. Mag panggap na Bingi (Deaf)
c. Mag panggap na babae na nagpatanggal ng dib-dib
d. Mag hanap ng nanay na magpapanggap na nanay mo
e. Magpanggap na pilay

Thank goodness. I never did any of the above mentioned choices. Whew!

In the end, I just shrugged off all eyes piercing me. I put up a decent "I don't care" attitude and waited for my stop, Cubao. But mind you, it was really lonely and I felt uneasy when you're surrounded by different women around you.

Ganun pala yung nararamdaman ng isang babae being sardined with all of us men on a train.