So I had Jury Duty this morning. Jury Duty is a 5 day commitment, and they ask that you have nothing planned during your workdays so you can serve. This obviously is kind of a killjoy: you have to clear out the next week (except nights and weekends), and promise to show up at the court each day. Heck, some trials go three weeks!
Who the heck wants to do that? What if you have a doctor's appointment? What if you have Comic Con? What if there's a daytime movie you want to watch? For myself, I'm leaving on a road trip this weekend, so I obviously am not going to give the city of San Diego five or more days of my time.
Here is how it works though: if you show up on Day 1, and they don't call your number, then you are dismissed and your Jury Duty experience is over after 5 hours. Sweet deal, right?
I came up with this plan: I would just show up today, Monday, and pretend I was ready to commit 5 days. I would gamble my number wouldn't get called, and then I would be done after a few hours and then go home, knowing I was done with Jury Duty.
The plan was going to work, until they started collecting the summons forms which you sign and date. Part of that form says that you will be ready to stay 5 or more days and serve. There is a penalty for perjury.
The conscience got the best of me. Well, not conscience, more like fear of lying to the government. I sheepishly left the room and went to request a postponement. I'm due back in court in 2 weeks.
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On the trolley ride back, I sat across a Mexican man, probably early 40s. I was about to pull out my Nintendo DS and start playing, but he said something to me in Spanish; i.e. asking if I was Mexican. I said no. He said "oh you speak Spanish?", and I replied "solamente en mi escuela". "Escuela?" he asks? "Si, cuatro anos". He gives me a fist bump.
He then asks if I'm Filipino, and I say yes. We then get into a discussion comparing the Philippines and Mexico. We got into the weather, and saying how they are both tropical places. We talk about food. Both countries love fishing for seafood. Especially in Mexico, you have the Japanese families along the Gulf coast who make their living as fisherman. In fact, you have French and Italians and even Indians who live on that same gulf coast; something you normally wouldn't expect. We then talk about the economy, and how there is such a disparity between the U.S. and the PI/Mexico. He noted the fact that as long as you have a little money in the U.S., you have a chance to get back on your feet. But if you have just a little money in Mexico, you're done. There's really no way to get yourself settled again and get back to a "normal" life. It's scary to think of that. I'm glad my parents set our family up for success in San Diego, and got my sister and I quality educations that we can use to pay back to everyone.
It was an interesting 20 minute discussion I had with a complete stranger who I knew nothing about. Kind of like the white friends I made in the Comic Con line on Sunday morning; but more on that later, that will be a bit longer entry.
