Comparing to many enthusiasts, I consider myself a newbie in the wonderful world of Vespas and vintage scooters. I can’t remember how my fascination with these iconic scooters started;  let’s say it was really an internet love affair. Here’s a brief story about my Vespa History:

I started working in Singapore July 2007 and I got rid of my old bike (Suzuki Raider) before I left for abroad. My dad still has the reliable Suzuki Step scooter which worked well for him. I made a deal with my dad that we will sell the Step in exchange for a Vespa. I saved some money and told him I will shoulder the rest though it came to be that the Step was never sold hahaha. I started posting threads in Vespinoy on what Vespa would fit a noob like me. It was more of a “brand new LML Vitto VS a second hand Piaggio PX” thing. Weighing my options and preference, I decided to get the real thing. It was around January 2008 when an avid enthusiast PM’ed me that she is selling her PX. Corinne (aka silver2tone and seangreen) was still working in the States during those times. She sent some pictures and after some haggling (LOLz) she agreed to let me have her scoot. Apparently she has 2 other Vespas and is planning to upgrade. Her PX was a lovely GT-green 1998 PX150E. When I got it, I rode the PX from Corinne family’s house in Paranaque to Frisco. Aside from the weight and changing gears by hand, I had no problems with it. I wanted to name the PX Korina in respect for Corinne but my wife did not like it. Finally, we christened her “Irene”. As a family tradition, we had it blessed by Franciscan priest at our parish. Irene was now part of my family. I learned a lot from Irene, met so many interesting Vespinoys through her. I was able to buy and sell some Vespa stuffs which took care of my plane fares . She was my first Vespa Love. Riding the PX was fun fun fun but I learned one important thing about Vespas … beauty comes with a price. Damn! The prices of the accessories are out of this world comparing to Japanese scooters. Majority of the time, Irene was just lying beneath a scooter cover in our garage because of obvious reasons.

After a year, my upgrade itch began to bother me, again. I was hunting for an automatic modern Vespa this time. I was really eyeing a Vespa GT200 but it seems no one is selling. Then, Doms (Dominic Ochoa) posted her wife’s beloved LX150 for sale. He said that this was his engagement gift to her. The plum LX150 was perfect. I have to get it. I told my wife that we’ll sell the PX in exchange for the LX. After getting the much important approval from my wife , I started to communicate with Doms through PM and YM. After some haggling, he agreed. I was overjoyed. This was around February 2009. He was kind enough to deliver the scooter personally to our house in Frisco with the help of Tops, my Vespa friend. I was not there but I was online in Skype. So, there was a time that I had 2 Vespas in our garage, a PX and and LX. My wife was able to take some snap shot of the two amazing scoots. I named the LX, Lyla from the song of Oasis, “Hey Lyla”. I had the chance to finally see her on my March 2009 vacation. I had to solo ride it to Tayabas Quezon just to finish its break-in period. The scooter is fast, sturdy and it weaves easily in traffic. It’s a modern scooter with a vintage look, what more can I ask for.




The PX was eventually sold to another newbie although my wife earlier agreed not to sell it. I thought otherwise because, now we have 1 extra scooter in the garage and it would be difficult during rainy season coz our place usually gets flooded. It was a good deal for the guy who bought the PX ‘coz I included all spares and accessories. I heard news that my old PX is now in the hands of a recording artist and he had it repainted.

They say that having an automatic and a geared classic Vespas is perfect. I miss my PX, the 2T smoke, the hand clutching the classic look. Got to get me another one… or a vintage. Now we are talking!

After more than 3 weeks of vacation in my native Philippines, I am back in Singapore feeling gloomy as usual. I call it “post-vacation sickness”. I know it’s a psychological thing and has no cure. It’s one of those emotional stuffs that foreign workers like myself tackle every time we go back to our respective work place. It’s really hard to get back to your usual routine after a long vacation. Lots of things to adjust to.. as for me:


- Sleeps alone in a room with only pillows to hug … I miss Baron and my wife.
- Wakes up with nothing to eat and wonders what to eat in the succeeding meals … I miss my Dad who is our cook.
- MUST do chores like washing the dishes, cleaning, laundry, ironing etc … I miss Ate Jona, our helper.
- Rides a mountain bike instead of a scooter … I miss conquering the Manila traffic on my Vespa.
- Spends most of the time playing and fooling around the internet … I miss playing with my boys.
- It’s so silent in my apartment … I miss my mother’s antics.
- Needs to walk far just to buy something … I miss Aling Cora’s sari-sari store.
- Bike rides to Tampines trails … I miss long rides on my scooter.
- Got some beer in the fridge but no one to drink with … I miss the Vespinoy round ups.
- Movies and tv shows via online streaming … I miss movie nights with my wifey.
- Spends most of the time on Skype with my family … I want to kiss and hug them.

Though I’ve been working in Singapore for almost 3 years now, it’s still hard to be away from my loved-ones. I am sure every OFW in the world is feeling the same.