Jokes about the Japanese are spreading around, and Tagalog seems to be the language of choice. A Japanese soldier on a bike needing air for his tire hailed Maurice. A Filipino came along with a better pump and told Maurice in Tagalog: "Hold [the tire] tight at the valve — I'll blow it to bits." But the soldier was too smart and signaled "enough" by the usual series of ho's and ha's. As he rode away, the lad began to curse out loud in Tagalog even before the soldier was out of hearing.

Newspaper-boys shout: Buy the Tribune or La Vanguardia — "all the news by Agencia Dumi" [dirty]. Instead of Taliba, they also say, "Buy the Tali-baliktad" [reversed].

Yesterday, a Japanese truck scraped a carromata — no injuries or damage. The driver got off and began to give the cochero an earful. In no time at all, a crowd of Filipinos gathered around, and suddenly the Japanese realized he was outnumbered. So he jumped on his truck and beat it. No sooner was he out of hearing when the whole crowd began to bawl each other out, imitating the soldier's actions and language — a memorable scene, I'm told.

The latest epidemic of petty theft to hit Manga Avenue is in garden hoses. The hose is inserted into old bicycle tires as an inner tube that doesn't need pumping. It works well for a few weeks.