My Brother-in-law & other stories
By Johnny Novera

I am a young senior citizen

More than a couple of years ago, we had the chance to visit the big state of California in the U.S., and travelled by land from Los Angeles where we stayed to the South up to San Diego county near the Mexican border.  We stayed a couple of days at San Diego to be able to tour nearby places.  Then we came back to Los Angeles and travelled Northward.

We stayed with friends and relatives a couple of days up to one week in places like Ventura county, Sunnyvale and San Jose, California, as well as in the City of San Francisco.

Our one-and-a-half month visit was capped by a trip to Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the U.S. in Nevada state where we stayed at a downtown hotel.  We spent five days there and toured the other casino hotels by tram that gave access to almost all the casino hotels in the downtown area.

We are relating this U.S. sojourn of ours involving our riding in public transport many times which had been enjoyable but, secretly, there is something uncomfortable that I felt about everytime we  do so.  Americans who would see me promptly stand up and offer me a seat.

On the other hand, here in the Philippines, now that I mostly stay in Manila, there are several occasions that I take the bus or the train, sometimes standing it out during the whole trip, but I have  yet to meet anyone who would stand to offer me  a seat.  I like to think that in our  country maybe people still see me as a young senior citizen!