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It all starts with how you look, what you wear and how you wear it, how you walk, how you talk and how you look at people--well, especially how you look at people. Wrong stares often start fights in the streets of Manila and even end up in deadly violence.
Even with crimes. Looking simple and ordinary is the key to avoiding being spotted and targeted for crime, particularly snatching, robbery and holdup. Often, the reason why people easily fall victim is their appearance--the desire to look sophisticated and attract attention. Wearing your best and looking well off. Or, if you look nerdy, weak and easily controlled. But, believe it or not, keeping simple and ordinary often makes you "invisible" to crooks. You easily blend in with the crowd and crooks easily lose sight of you.
Looking nothing special often saves your life.
But people never learn. They still want to look important. They wear costly jewelries in the streets and use their expensive smartphones in public. I don't know why they keep doing it. It's all common sense--you scatter sugar around you and ants come at you. You don't have to wonder why.
Simplicity, kindness and looking ordinary. A lot of times these three kept me safe in the streets while others around me were victimized. When I was in high school and attending my evening classes till 9 pm, I took a road notorious for crimes to where I got a ride. It was good that I didn't wear anything on me, like a wristwatch, because I couldn't afford it. My classmate, Arthur, could.
So, a few moments after I got a ride in a public jeepney, two holduppers came to him. I never saw them or what happened. I was busy keeping myself safe in the jeepney. It was a good thing they missed hitting his body with their knife attacks and he was able to run to safety. The next day, he had a deep cut on his arm. The crooks were able to get his wristwatch.
Kindness, on the other hand, makes you avoid offending toughies. You need to learn how to answer them kindly while at the same time not giving hints of fear or feeling intimidated. Talk to them nicely while making them see that you're not one to trifle with. Your kindness should give hints of your ready deadliness. It would be wrong to mess with you. You need to master this trait when keeping safe in the streets of Manila.
Last but not least, you need to keep praying, in or out of danger. The moment I step out to the streets, I check everything around me--left and right, front and back, up and down, far and near--at the same time talking with God and feeling cool and relaxed. I've mastered this thing for years--since high school--so it's become automatic to me. Anyone can train for this.
Remember, GOD is your fortress, your Rock of defense and salvation--first and last.
There's a way of looking at street toughies that make them beware of you, too, while not necessarily sending a wrong signal that you're challenging them to a fight. I call this maintaining equilibrium in the streets. Then you seal everything with prayer. It's been proven.
