Kinalubit… Find Me an English Translation…

In a jeepney on my way home earlier this evening, I just realized that there is no direct English translation for kinalbit or, in Batangueño lingo, kinalubit…

Now, this profound realization was, of course, brought on by one of those things one can only experience whilst in a jeepney ride home. Customarily, we Filipinos look sideward when seated inside a jeepney, one way to politely avoid the eyes of the person(s) in front of us.

Then, of course, for no apparent reason other than it is just the way we do things, we all love to sit near the door, leaving the spaces closer to the driver for newcomers to occupy.

That is just the way it is…

And because we are conveniently seated close to the door, unless we’re relatives of Lastik Man, we therefore have to wait until there are people seated closer to the driver before we hand the fare over.

Smart, eh…???!!! Except that I hate it when people do that!

Now, it’s one thing if, when people ask me to hand over their fares to the driver, they at least have the common decency to say “please…” It’s definitely another if they simply do the kalbit thing and hand over the fare as though you are, by your seat position, obligated to give it to the driver.

I usually oblige, but only after I give the rude uneducated indio a momentary icy stare, one eyebrow arched for better effect.

Now to get back to the English translation… Scratched your arm…??? Naaahhhh… It’s not as if your arm is itchy. Touched your arm…??? Naaahhh… It doesn’t quite capture the action… Called your attention with a hooked finger…??? Naaahhh… Too long and too descriptive…!!!

There just isn’t any one English word… or is there…???

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