Manong Magbubuko

For today's daily dose of health drink, I decided to buy from Manong Magbubuko - that old man buko (young coconut) vendor who is a mainstay at a nearby wet market.

Me: Isa nga po
Manong: (In his serious and grumpy voice) Anong klase?
Me: Yung malauhog po. (I remembered my Grandma who taught me that if I wanted to buy a buko for drinking, I should tell the vendor to pick a "Malauhog" type for me)
Manong: (Taps his traditional sibak on a few heads of buko, until he finds the perfect one) Maswerte ka ineng, meron pang magandang Malauhog dito)

Excellence in service.... that's what Manong Magbubuko just taught me this morning. He could have just easily given me the normal Malauhog buko that I was asking for - after all, I obviously looked like someone who doesn't know anything about the different types of buko. But he CHOSE to exert extra effort, go the extra mile, and find the best buko for me. And with the years he spent in sharpening his own saw, he gained the expertise of knowing the different types of buko just by a simple and quick tap on those shells.

Kudos to Manong Magbubuko! Because of him, I am now enjoying my healthy and refreshing drink!

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