Some Notes on Traversing Pasay to Mandaluyong

the point, of course, is to road from the airport to the office,
        to copyedit article drafts, to think of fresh content,
your boss, the lifestyle editor, by now, desked a cup of macchiato
        from that fancy rat-free coffee shop₁ you snob
no one escapes a hundred percent from capitalism, a workmate
        who’s from that premier state university would say,
ironically, this once student activist is now fed by Chinese oligarchs,
        the company van driver can’t do anything about morning rush,
his supposed expertise, maybe he gives the passenger-employees smooth talk
        like your ex who recently graduated from his MFA,
but you’re a sucker for small chitchats: how dyou find the weather today?
        plus your Tagalog has gotten worse since your last Filipino teacher
the thing is, you’re from the south, none of your alphabet blocks fit in, a clear outsider,
        so you speak English all the time, now, you’re a burgis₂ in name,
but you still don’t stand out, you’re not from a UAAP₂ school

₁Starbucks Philippines customer complains finding dead mouse in coffee, http://www.ibtimes.com.au/starbuckscustomer-complains-finding-dead-mouse-coffee-1502615
₂Burgis is a Tagalized word for bourgeois.
₃UAAP (abbreviation for University Athletic Association of the Philippines) is a collegiate athletic association of eight universities located in Manila.