god bless the taxi drivers of manila. and not only because everyday they usher the good people of the philippines through some of the worst gridlock in the world. yes, even worse than jakarta. definitely worse than la or new york, manila takes the cake for carpeting the most heaps of metal with wheels within any given lane, road, or overpass, hands down. but this blessing isn’t for the traffic the drivers endure daily, or the clouds of exhaust they huff constantly, or the way they can pull those right turns without hitting the scooters and pedestrians that pop up out of nowhere. what makes manila’s taxi drivers the greatest above all else has to be the music selection. step inside a cab or a grab or a jeepney and instantly be transported into a sanctuary for old school. i’ve only taken a handful of trips to manila, but i’ve already lost count of how many times my commute has been soundtracked by whitney houston, phil collins, or journey. it’s like every driver in the city was required to take a mariah carey trivia quiz before getting their license, as if the philippines has recognized these people-moving jukeboxes as a natural resource. that’s why i don’t think self-driving ubers will be making their way to manila anytime soon, because only a human could make me tear up on the way to the mall in 2020. i credit these nostalgia factories for making bearable what would otherwise be harrowing, jarring rides. outside, the soundscape is honking, beeping, gritty madness, but you would never know because “cruising together” was on full blast on your way to robinson’s. but don’t get it twisted. the rock might be soft but the drivers are tough. they are typically dudes who look like they’ve been in their 50’s since the days of cassette tapes. looking at the wrinkles above their brows, hearing the grunts in their voices, and accepting their talent for remaining deadpan in all situations, you would never think that they probably know the lyrics to “eternal flame” by heart. but i guess in this day and age, only a badass manong can bump backstreet boys’ “i want it that way” without irony. its because of these drivers that i moved shazam to my home screen. i thank that one grab driver who drove us from pandacan to makati one midnight and induced my obsession with cinderella in the process. yes, it’s true that not every driver is amazing. sometimes they make me want to strangle bruno mars. i hate how they blast the aircon so frigid that i’ve learned to bring a sweater with me even when it’s sweltering outside. often i get frustrated by whatever blind confidence inspires them to jerry-rig the seatbelts so they won’t click shut, as if potentially flying through the windshield is a reasonable price for not insulting their ability to drive. but it’s because of this fleet of passive dj’s that i actually enjoy rush hour in manila. i just lean back, zip up my hoodie, grab onto something, and take in a love song while the world outside my window goes by in slow-mo.