Payday Euphoria Before the Long Weekend Leading to Debt Burden After the Long Weekend

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I noticed April 1, 2023, had that long busy lane because it was payday. Isn't it really typical in the Philippines when people start to spend money the moment they receive it? Above is a cartoon by Simple Sum Philippines. The conversation is pretty much like this. The guy on the left would be saying, "Wow, that looks delicious. What's there?" The guy on the right says, "It's payday today." You can imagine the attitude of people with payday. I could think about the typical conversation like, "I can't wait for payday." When payday arrives, they decide to go eat out even when they can't afford it (read here). Aside from that, there are also many ways that they end up doing so. It's like got the cash? Let's go to the mall and buy this and that, buy something they don't need instead of prioritizing the bills. 

What do you expect from people who adhere to the mentality of if it's bitter, then just add sugar (read here). I keep hearing the same line and it's very irritating to no end. It might be funny for some as a way to lighten up the mood. I'm told to loosen up and have fun. However, there's a big difference between lightening up and not doing anything about the situation. In the case of, "If it's bitter then just add sugar."--it might be tantamount to sugarcoating the problem. To sugarcoat means to make something inconvenient more acceptable. It might also mean trying to overlook a problem by seeking pleasure. It's like they have an important project to do but they choose "once-in-a-lifetime events". It reminded me of when two female classmates of mine were more concerned about a local male celebrity being in Cebu (as if he knew them) than they were about finishing our project. They even said something as foolish as, "It's just a once-in-a-lifetime event The school is always there." Well, much has changed with my college alma mater. Besides, we had a five-year limit to adhere to when taking a four-year course. 

After payday, there's the realization that it's Holy Week. Since the Philippines is predominantly Catholic, there's the long weekend from Thursday to Sunday Some are already thinking about taking their vacations. Some might even think about taking a trip somewhere not just on Christmas but also on Holy Week. I wonder how much nonsense they spent last April 1, 2023? I could imagine with the whole payday blowout, I wonder if they even have money for the long weekend getaway? Some might even be booking last-minute flights since we know wasting time is indeed more fun in the Philippines. If they booked the flight to Boracay a month ago, they would've saved more. Can I expect them to have money to pay for the flight to Boracay a month ago? 

I ate mutton biryani at Bharat Spice at IT Park last April 2, 2023, I could think about debts again. There's the nasty stereotype of there's a Bombay (a word commonly used to call Indians by Filipinos), it must be a five-six lender. I could imagine if somebody tried to borrow a loan from Indian restaurant owners after payday. So far, all the Indian restaurants I've eaten at are registered entities. Meanwhile, five-six loans aren't accredited financial institutions. I even heard from some Filipino Indians that five-six lenders would meet their would-be debtors at very shady places. The evidence is that there's no paperwork and documentation of the loans. Yet, people desperate for money will want to have money even if it means risking their necks for exorbitant fees. I was eating my biryani, almost choking on the spices, imagining the would-be reckoning with five-six lenders after the long weekend. Seeing Indian tourists around even makes me think, "Well, the next batch of Indians might be those collecting debts at excessively high interests?"

The long weekend finally arrives this Thursday. I could imagine somebody may have found an illicit loan a day after payday euphoria. If they didn't book ahead for the beach presumably due to poor management, I could imagine the digits of the loan they took. I haven't tried taking a last-minute flight to Boracay but I bet it'd be expensive.  I could imagine they would go there, dance around, and have fun during the long weekend. Meanwhile, I could imagine Indian five-six lenders must be rubbing their hands now waiting for the period of reckoning. Maybe, they might be having a chicken curry dinner to celebrate the gullibility of people who fell into their trap. 

After the long weekend, I wonder what foolishness will come out next. I could imagine Indian five-six lenders must be preparing their traps. After the beach party on Holy Week, I could imagine that they might post their beach long weekend on Facebook and Instagram. However, was the long weekend fun worth it if they still have debt burdens to pay? I can just expect after Easter Sunday, five-six lenders will start to roam around wanting to collect the money they loaned to the fools. I might just as well laugh hard and say, "It's a time of reckoning!" 

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