Coffee-oke.

I believe shouting is therapeutic. When all of a sudden the worlds pins you down, and you get to eat dirt from all the distress, shouting at the top of your lungs seems to expel all the stress out. See how Regine does it, with musicality of course. ( And for the record, it's belt, not shout.)

 However, the closest I could get to "running to the Grand Canyon and shout my frustrations there and then come back as if nothing happened" is to stand in front of the karaoke machine and murder any Linkin' Park Song. (Oh please, not that Roselle Nava hit that really sends me running away. When the song begins, Kapag ako ay nagmahal... I say yucch.) So I texted my friend Toyang-oppa (don't mind the oppa, she's a girl), banggiitang bidjukera, for an hour of criminal singing in the afternoon. (The establishment opens at 3 pm, and there was a time when we were the first customers and we entered the room while they were still dusting and sweeping the detritus of the previous night's revelries.) We apologize to Mariah Carey and Martin Nievera for mutilating their songs. These artists can at least console themselves that indeed their songs bring people comfort.

When we were done with our murderous deed, we hit the nearby convenience store for a cup of coffee. Ironically, the store was in front of a coffeeshop where the coffee is more expensive (so you see now why we went to the convenience store), a bar, a dermatological clinic and a gym with glass walls where several guys were flexing their bics, pecs, abs and what not, to the view of everyone who happens to glance. By that I mean taking a look by accident. (Really? Ha ha.) We are not exemptions. Toyang-oppa tried to start a conversation but her efforts were futile. She can't find the words to say and even if she did, I am not really paying her any attention. We were concentrating on a sight to behold. A thought came to me:

"Hindi ba nadidisgasya ang mga motorista dito?"

Then I remembered the billboard of the Philippine Volcanoes which were brought down because it was an enormous distraction. Up to now, I am still evaluating the rationality behind that. Here though, so far, there were no accidents to my knowledge. Perhaps it has yet to become a threat to motorists safety and well-being. 

Crazy thoughts. Look at what coffee plus karaoke did to us.