Sermon

The priest's homily was about good deeds being useless if they don't come with good intentions.

PRIEST: Tingnan mo ang katabi mo. Alam mo ba ang iniisip n'ya?

Koko looks at me and whispers: Mama, alam kong iniisip mo. You're thinking of food.

Tumpak! You guessed it right.

What do you do when you're not doing anything?

If you're working in an office, you can't just sit and wait for 6 PM.

In my subtitling job, we used to watch old files. Relax and learn a thing or two about the right way to do subtitling. Marami-rami ring Family Guy episodes akong napanood during my spare time. At first, okay siya. Pero after a while, hindi na.

Now that I'm back in advertising, it's a different story. There's more freedom when it comes to spare time. If you're a good employee, you could think of initiatives. Pero pwede ka ring mag-facebook, mag-blog, mag-chat... Kahapon, nag research ako -- ano kaya ang pwede halloween costume ng mga jugets?

Saya, 'no? Pero kwidaw -- this is the lull before the storm.

PE

Remember the annual physical exam in your first job? Parang... wala lang. Chance to get out of the office for a few minutes. I'm strong, I'm invincible, I am woman!

But when you're getting old, the annual physical exam becomes a dreaded time of the year. What illness will you discover? What signs of aging will manifest itself in the test results?

In our office, management had to resort to threats to make people go and take that annual physical exam. Ganun?! Ignorance is bliss, ika nga. What you don't know won't hurt you.

Tapos na ako, except for the poop.

Now, I wait with bated breath for the results.

Heard at the MRT

GIRL 1: Anong ibig sabihin ng GRO?
GIRL 2: Garbage... Room... Officer...?
GIRL 1: Anuveh! Ano nga ang ibig sabihin ng GRO?
GIRL 2: LBC!

DRIVER: Sa mga humahawak sa pintuan, baka mauwi n'yo yan. Hindi tayo makaalis dito.

Perpetual Help

Is it redundant to say that our househelp is very helpful? Sobrang helpful, minsan nakakainis na.

Sabi nga ni Oca, pati kapitbahay sinisilbihan. Tuloy minsan, pag hinahanap mo, wala. Nasa kapitbahay.

Actually, meron siyang some kind of manpower agency dito. She gets her kababayans to work for the neighbors. May pinasok siya dati sa bahay ng auntie ko. After a couple of months, umalis yung longkatuts at namasukan somewhere else. Hindi nagustuhan yung bagong amo. And now she's living here with us until she gets better employment.

May offer somewhere in our subdivision. Hindi n'ya tinanggap kasi nakakatakot daw yung place. Ganun?!

Ngayon, panood-nood ng Wowowee, patext-text, patambay-tambay around the house. Ang saya.

Yellow Fever

Last Monday, just about the whole office went out to Ayala to see Tita Cory's funeral cortege. ETA was 12 noon. So we all ate an early lunch. Hindi pa ako tapos, sabi nila nasa Ayala na. So in a rush, we left the office.

We didn't have any yellow ribbons. Good thing one of our officemates got this smart idea of using Post-its na lang. I didn't tape or staple mine kaya wala pa ako sa Ayala, siyempre natanggal na siya.

There was somekinda confusion. Which side of the road ba dadaan ang procession? Para sigurado, we stayed na lang sa island. Slightly elevated pa, to get a good view.

While waiting, may tumabi sa aking conyong naka-upcollar na dilaw at nakapayong. Ilang beses n'yang muntik matusok mata ko ha! Mega ilag na lang ako. Pero ika nga ni Batman: If you can't beat them, join them. So whenever I had the opportunity, may I make silong sa kanyang payong. Actually, wala naman talaga siyang choice kasi it was very crowded.

Anyway, medyo natameme na lang ako when they finally arrived -- Tita Cory's coffin in a big 10-wheeler truck bedecked with flowers and guarded by four soldiers followed by the air-conditioned Coasters with the former president's close friends and relatives. I just waved the L sign. I saw Tingting and Mikey Cojuangco walking, which I think is really sweet kasi they're so alta sociedad and they were humble enough to walk under the heat of the sun.

I was planning to go to Manila Cathedral, but I never made it. Kasi-kasi-kasi, dapat just do it. Oh well...

Umiyak ka 'no?

I did. In fact, I cried so much, it gave me a 2-day headache.

Kumakanta pa lang si Aiza ng "Ugoy ng Duyan" sa Unang Hirit, umiiyak na ko. The height of my crying was during Kris' speech in Cory's requiem mass. Like most people, medyo nadapa lang ako when she said that she's her mom's favorite. Hmmm... ganun?! Buti na lang hindi siya binatukan ng mga kapatid n'ya.

As to why I was crying, medyo hindi clear to me. Was I crying for my country? For democracy? For something profound? Or was I crying simply because I was imagining what it would be like to lose my own mother? Or what it would be like if I die and leave behind all my loved ones, especially my children.

Malungkot... Okay, change topic. Baka umiyak na naman ako.

Who's more civilized?

The MRT passenger or the jeepney passenger? Yesterday I rode the MRT at the peak of rush hour. Joskoday! Major chaos! Mabuti pa sa terminal ng jeep -- maayos ang pila. Come to think of it, parang nag-evolve na rin talaga ang jeepney-rider. Wala nang masyadong unahan, unlike before.

I say, they should put cordons na tatapat sa may pintuan ng bawat coach para mapilitan yung mga taong pumila. And the MRT guys should make sure that trains consistently arrive every so many minutes. Otherwise kasi nagkakaroon ng people build-up.

Oh well.

I'm Krushed

Tried this new product of KFC. It's called Krushers. I picked the Yoghurt Krush -- it's like strawberry yoghurt-flavored milkshake with teeny weeny banana bits. Yum-yum! Medyo nakaka-bad trip lang ang price. Kasi, the posters and other merchandise materials don't say the price. Sa menu board, nakalagay P50 ang strawberry banana, P40 yung two other flavors. Tapos it turns out -- that's the price if you order it with a value meal. Ganun?!

The real price of this super scrumptious drink? P75! Joskoday!

How Much is College Education?

During the PTA general assembly, I asked if the school could give us an idea how much would the cost be (per unit) of tuition in the different universities. You see, Andy is graduating from high school this school year and I just wanted to know which schools I could afford. Like, if I can't afford Ateneo, why should he even bother to take an entrance exam there?

Anyway, the reply was: "Schools don't usually divulge their rates. You'll have to go there or directly inquire (maybe by phone) to find out. Ganun?!

They also said that there are Ateneo scholarships available. I just have to ask for the necessary forms to apply.

Pero teka -- scholar material ba si Andy? Not that he's not smart, but he's not exactly in the top ten of the batch. He's not even in the honor section! Pag economics naman ang titingnan, are we that poor to apply for scholarships for our children? I'm sure there are more students out there who need more financial assistance than we do.

So, ano na ngayon? I'm just hoping Andy passes the UPCAT. Kung hindi pumasa... uhmmm.... ehhh... Mayaman si Batman.

Gender Segregation

It's amazing how the MRT has been able to successfully divide men and women among its coaches. I rode the MRT this morning and except for one or two guys, the throng of people in the ladies' coach were all women. Sa other coaches naman, there were just a smattering of women present.

Is that bad or good? Hmmm....

As far as advertising is concerned, I think the MRT would be a great place to do some gender-specific advertising. Talagang on target ka if your market is specifically male or female. Galing 'no?

On GMA's boobs

photo by: amrufm
Much ado about the president's boobs. Only in the Philippines! Ito naman kasing Malacanang, story-telling-a-lie pa. Kesyo quarantine, hindi naman pala.

But then, how do you deal with such a situation? I say, like any decent person would say, "Honesty is the best policy." If there's nothing to hide, why lie?

On MJ's Memorial

photo by: encompassing
photo by: tieonard1

Siguro dense ako. I don't see why just about everyone I know got teary-eyed at what Paris Jackson said about her father. Eh it's expected naman, kahit na hindi pa n'ya biological father si Michael. Basta nakagisnan mong ama who took care of you from the day you were born, but of course, he would be the best father in the world! And of course, pag namatay siya (better nga lang kung buhay pa), you would want to say: "I love you very much."

I was able to watch only the last part of the memorial. I liked the part when Marlon Jackson said this little anecdote: (taken from www.nme.com)

“...I went into the record store and there was this man purchasing a lot of CDs. He was an old gentleman, short afro, buck-crooked teeth and his clothes were rumpled. I walked up behind him and said ‘Michael, what are you doing in this store?’ and he turned to me and said ‘Marlon, how did you know it was me?’ I told him ’You’re my brother, regardless of your make up. I know your walk, I know your body language, and the shoes did not help. Michael wore the same shoes wherever we went, but I guess that was his way of trying to experience what we take for granted."

"You're my brother." I know you, I accept you for what you are. We could all learn from those words of wisdom.

Andy and Koko's First Cotilion

Promised my sis-in-law I'd post some pictures. This is my niece's debut which was held in June. No, we weren't late for the party. In fact, we were way too early. Got there a little past 6 PM. It turns out yung nakalagay pala sa invitation was 6:30, may allowance pang 30 minutes for latecomers. Pero siyempre, the latecomers were late. So the party actually started almost 8 PM na! Of course, we were famished by then. So lamon the Chinese food galore!

We were among the last to go home. Had to wait for something, I forget what it is. Anyway, we got to take home a big chunk of the birthday cake and two table centerpieces.

The college girls were asking if Andy, Koko and Renzo could join them. Gimmick pa sila after the party. Of course, I had to remind them -- Koko's fresh out of elementary. They're just way too young for that kind of thing.

Well, Renzo went home with us to Cainta. The boys decided -- computer games and PS2 are much too exciting than girls. Good.

Flash

photo by: PeWu

There was lightning, then a bolt of thunder. The Gob, instead of being afraid, exclaimed: "Peesture! Peesture!" Yup, in the midst of a storm, say cheese!

Andy and Koko, Silang Dalawa

Someone told Koko that he looks like Jake Cuenca. Si Andy naman, I've always thought he looks like a chinito Gerald Anderson, especially in his CAT fatigue uniform.

Dapat pala I named them David and JR. As in, David and JR Garcia... Enerio. Ngak!

Taking MRT 123

photo by: brownpau
Given our MRT situation, is it possible for any hostage-taker to do what John Travolta did in "Taking Pelham 123"? First of all,naku, good luck kung makakagalaw sila sa loob ng tren na parang sardinas ang tao sa siksikan. Secondly, I don't think our stock market will drop because of something like that. Di ba medyo dineadma nga nila yung last coup attempt?

Anyway, if ever may hostage drama ek na mangyari, will the bad guys take the ladies' coach or the men's coach? Kung sa men's coach, baka ma-overpower lang sila ng sandamakmak na kalalakihan. Kung sa ladies' coach naman, baka paghahampasin lang sila ng payong ng mga lola. Ngak!

Naah -- I don't think anyone will ever do a Pelham at the MRT.

The Cost of Taking the Blues Away

For some, it takes a brand new LV bag. For others, it could be the latest gadget. For me, all it takes is old friends.
Had breakfast with Eylis and Weng this morning. Then, had lunch with JRooh. Datapwat medyo may dent ang pocket ko today, all's well. I feel better. Thank you.

Ngeh!

photo by: damir.ME

Heard from a girl talking to her friend at the MRT: "Ayaw ko ng patayan. Gusto ko lang ng multo."

Trashbags

photo by evelynishere

Sometimes you don't really know when people genuinely like you. Ang dami kasing plastic sa mundong ibabaw. Pwede bang i-recycle ang mga plastic na tao? Sana.

Nangyari na ba sa inyo yung meron kang makikitang former officemate tapos mega-chika siya sa 'yo as if you were close? And then next time you see that person, deadma na siya sa 'yo. Ganun?! Oh well.

Meron namang nice and sweet sa harapan mo pero pag wala ka, kung anu-ano na ang sinasabi tungkol sa 'yo. Haynaku!

Pero come to think of it, maybe some people are plastic for a purpose. Like, you can't tell your clients that they're stupid, can you? Tsaka, if you said everything in your mind, baka mapaaway o makasakit ka naman ng damdamin.

So, is it okay to be plastic? Hmmm...

Responsible Andy

Classes have been suspended for 10 days at Lourdes School. The reason: a couple of kids have been tested positive for A H1N1 virus. Overheard conversation between Andy and Koko --

ANDY: Inuwi mo ba books mo?
KOKO: Hindi.
ANDY: So anong gagawin mo during the break?
KOKO: Gagawin ko assignment ko.
ANDY: That's it? You mean you're not gonna self-study?

Ayoko ng Pangit

photo by darkpatator
I think all my friends are beautiful in their own way. Kung tutuusin, just about every person, di ba? Kahit nga yung longkatuts ko na tini-tease ng mga bagets na kamukha raw nung papier mache mask that we bought in Paete, may angking ganda.

But there's one person na hanggang ngayon hindi ko pa makitaan ng beauty. Kasi physically, hindi na siya kagandahan. Sa ugali pa, may kaartehan. Maybe I just have to know her better. Somewhere... deep inside that hard and rough shell... is a pearl.

Ngak!

Wreck-er

photo by junmon603

Wrecked na nga gabi mo kasi nasiraan ka ng sasakyan. Lalo ka pang maaasar pag yung t***inang wrecker dumating not exactly to help you, but to drain your wallet of hard-earned cash.

Well, last night, it was just so unfortunate that the hubby went through that. Nasiraan kasi siya along C-5 Road. Dumating ang wrecker at siningil siya ng P3,000 for towing. Ganun?! Parang another way of saying: "Hold-up 'to." Sabi nila, if my husband won't let them do the towing, the MMDA guys will be the ones to do it and it's gonna cost much much more.

Anyway, tawad ever ang waswit. Ang last price - P1,500. They towed it up to the nearest gas station.

Moral lesson: If the wrecker guys tow your car, don't forget to ask for a discount. Ngak!

My Boys Go For College Girls

Andy claims that Koko and their cousin Renzo got the phone numbers of some of the girls who participated in the cotillion.

Koko claims that he didn't get any number. Kasi it turns out that the girl he likes eh Globe ang phone. Si Koko, Sun... na walang load. Renzo has all the numbers daw of all their crushes. Ganun?

Syempre I asked Koko -- so, sinong crush mo, sinong crush ni Kuya Andy, sinong crush ni Renzo? Well, the kid won't say.

Haynaku. Puppy love. Cute.

Get Me to the Church on Time

If there's one thing I hate, it's being late for church. And for some reason, it's something the hubby never understands.

Kung nakakainis ma-late for Sunday mass, mas nakakainis pag mag-aabay ka sa kasal. One time, I missed the walking-down-the-aisle part kasi I was late.

Later, it's my niece's debut. Although it's not gonna be held in a church, kinakabahan na naman ako at baka ma-late na naman kami. Si Koko pa naman ang magli-lead sa invocation. And Andy is the escort of the debutante.

Kasi naman ang Oca, may meeting pa after lunch. God knows what time he'll finish.

Tapos every time I ask him if he's sure to make it back home by 4 PM (the party's at 6 PM sa QC), he gets irritated. Kesyo pine-pressure ko siya.

Haynaku... men!

Timber!

I drove the APV to work today since it was raining and the Gob insisted na tama raw siya sa opis. Buti na lang, I went up the Bagong Ilog flyover. Kasi if I took the service road, kami siguro ang nabagsakan ng natumbang puno near URC. Grabeh! Kinabahan ako.

SUV ang tinamaan. Good thing sa hood bumagsak and not where the driver was. Malas 'no?

Seatmate

One of the hassles of taking the public transport to work is that sometimes you get a little too close to people you don't know. Like one time, it was so cramped in the FX I was riding, parang I can feel na the lungs of the person sitting next to me as he inhaled and exhaled.

Kanina naman, sa bus, yung katabi ko may amoy. Babae siya, siguro in her 40s, hindi naman mukhang gusgusin pero may certain smell siya na hindi ko maintindihan. Tapos, when she opened her mouth to ask me: "Malayo pa ba ang Guadalupe?" -- joskoday! Pamatay. Syempre every now and then, may I ask pa siya kung malapit na ba ang Guadalupe. Anobeeh!

Anyway, tiis na lang. Malay mo, mabaho rin ako, hindi ko lang alam.

Eighteenth Birthday

It'll be my niece's debut this Saturday. Andy will be the escort of the debutante. Since the music for the Cotillion is the theme from Beauty and the Beast, does that make him the Beast?

Well, the "Beast" will look dashing in long sleeves and slacks. The polo, he will borrow from a cousin. The slacks, he has yet to buy within the week. The "Beast" has three eensy-weensy pimples that he's kinda worried about. Haynaku -- ang concerns ng kabataan.

Si Koko naman, aside from dancing the Cotillion, has been tasked to do the invocation. Actually, he volunteered to do it. Akala n'ya makakatakas siya sa sayaw if he leads the prayer.

Ang D'Gob, may role din sa debut. Along with the other little ones, she will be giving flowers to the debutante. Naku- good luck sa mood ng prinsesa.

What else do we need to buy ba aside from Andy's slacks? White shoes and lacey tights for the Gob and of course, a gift for the celebrant. Gastos na naman! Pero okay lang. Excited ang Misis.

2000 Steps a Day

To get a little exercise into my routine, I intentionally go down at the Rustan's/Glorietta bus stop and walk all the way to my office, which is at the corner of Legaspi and Herrera Streets. Actually, it's a pleasant walk. I go through the gardens of Greenbelt and the parks of Legaspi Village... really nice. If I'm lucky, there'd be bossa nova music or some relaxing tune playing in the background.

I don't think I'll ever lose weight doing this. But then, who cares?

H***en Kho

So much brouhaha over Hayden Kho and his sex video. I was reading an article about it the other night. Apparently, this celeb described him as t*****ado. For some reason, the word that came to my mind was titilado. (Akala ko, word play on his genitals and the fact that he's a titled person, a doctor, if you didn't know) Pero teka -- when I was into subtitling, I learned that the number of asterisks should correspond to the number of letters. So -- titillado? And then, I saw in the next line -- a**hole. Ano? tpwettado?

"Life is like a mango...

photo by: lemuelinchrist
...kahit na mukhang masarap, pwedeng maging maasim. " Words of wisdom from the hubby.

What's your Grande Island horror story?

We went on a company outing to Grande Island and the trip was full of horror stories.

I, for one, saw a dead cockroach floating in the pool.

The husband of my officemate got locked in the bathroom. As in, they had to get a maintenance guy to open the door.

When the wife of an officemate asked for a change of towels, the staff asked her: "Why?"

Front Desk wouldn't answer our calls. Aren't they supposed to be open 24/7?

Ano pa ba? I wanted to take a swim sa pool at 6 AM. Siyempre wala pang staff around na matanungan kung okay lang. Aren't they supposed to be cleaning up by that time?

I tried their ATV (all-terrain vehicle) and expressed concern about the front tires na parang diagonal na. Sabi ng ATV guy, okay lang daw yun. Syempre when I rode it, ang hirap n'yang i-maneuver and if I wasn't extra careful, malamang sumemplang ako. One girl who, I think, wanted to overtake me (kasi I was driving oh so slowly) actually did. As in, tumalsik siya from her ATV and suffered a really bad fall. So bad, they had to ferry her back to Subic for medical attention.

Now let's talk about the food. Nothing fantastic. Tapos yung desserts, parang hindi pinag-isipan. Most of the time gelatin. Parang naalala ko days ko sa dorm.

Breakfast, which is my favorite meal, wasn't exciting. No tocino, tapa, dried pusit, sinangag... all the all-time favorites. Tapos weird, minsan may pechay baguio, which I wouldn't really classify as breakfast food.

One time, one of our AEs saw a lipstick mark on her glass. (Does that mean they don't wash their dishes very well?) Well, at least, hindi nasira tiyan namin.

Anyway, despite the inefficiency of the staff, the dirty beach and the not-so-nice design of the place (our cottages were a mile away from where the action is), we all had a great time.

Everyone had fun, especially the kids. It's the bonding that counts.

Now the kids are here in the office. Later, I think, they're gonna watch a movie. Tomorrow, they're off to Enchanted Kingdom naman. Ang saya, 'no? The grande outcome of a Grande Island outing.

Entrance Fee

To the island, it's free. An overnight stay at the cove is P50 per person. But the sea charged us P2,000!

The waves were so wild, tinangay n'ya yung bayad namin sana for the boat and more from Oca's pocket. Betchabygollywow.

The following day, this young collegiala was the victim. Ang nakuha from her -- a pair of shades worth P1,200!

Joskoday -- if there's a place where the sea takes all this loot, mega treasure trove na siguro 'to. I wonder where that is?

What would you do if you win the lotto?

You've heard of stories where the lotto winner eventually got poor again after all the parties and all the balatos were given away. Well, there's this Pinoy who won, I heard, $20 million dollars in the US lottery. Now, he has this big resort in San Antonio, Zambales in this sprawling piece of property with lots of mango trees up front.

Probably as a way of thanksgiving, he has this chapel at the south western corner of the property with this big modernized statue of Mama Mary.

Well, I wish him luck in his business venture. At least, this way he's able to share his blessings and hopefully make it multiply a hundredfold. Not just for himself, but for a lot of people.

The Good Side of a Volcano Eruption

One of the folks in the resort told us that Anawangin wasn't like this before. It was the Pinatubo eruption that re-designed the whole place -- extended the beach, created a tranquil lagoon near it, and spread the seeds of pine trees all around it. One of the blogs I read about Anawangin likened it to Colorado. A lot of people who see it immediately get the impression, "Parang hindi ito Pilipinas." Not that the Philippines isn't beautiful. It's just so un-tropical. Parang any moment, you'd see wild bears or something. Well, I heard there are wild tamaraws out there. Hmmm... FX?

16h Honeymoon

Fifteenth, actually, since last year we had the outing of the construction and parlor people on the first of May.

To those who haven't heard of this wonderful tradition the hubby and I have, every year, we celebrate our wedding anniversary on a trip out of town, as much as possible, to a place where we haven't been to. No reservations. We just go out there and have an adventure.

This year we headed for Pundaquit, Zambales. I was thinking of Potipot Island. But realizing that it's farther than Iba and wanting to get to our destination earlier, we decided on the last minute to go to Pundaquit.

I first heard of the place from one of my dormmates. He went to Capones Island with his family and had a wonderful time. So, it was all a matter of doing a little research through Google to find out that Pundaquit is the jump-off point going to Capones.

Finding Pundaquit was easy. Looking for a place where we could stay was another story. Just about every resort, big or small, was fully booked. One really chaka resort with an air conditioned hut for rent (not again) was charging a whopping P4000 for an overnight stay. Ano siya, masaya?

We were just about to give up on Pundaquit. But we decided to check out this one last place before we leave. The name of the resort is Pation Inn. Tamang-tama, may one last available aircon room pa sila for a reasonable P2500. The room had a ref, a microwave oven, a TV and DVD player and of course, its own toilet and bath. Not bad. And the staff was very accommodating. They have someone assigned to you, like your very own yaya. Ours was Joanne. Her room's next to ours. So if we have any problems, kahit late at night, madali siyang hagilapin.

Food at their restaurant was so-so. Ewan ko ba why small resorts usually don't have inihaw in their menu. Eh anything grilled tastes fabulous pa naman when you're on the beach. For lunch we just had chicken curry.

After siesta, we took a boat to Capones Island. Just a few minutes boat ride and you get fine white sand (not as fine as Bora, though)and interesting rock formations. There are also corals and interesting sea life. But then the waves were too wild. Katakot magsnorkelling.

Besides, we were too excited to see this place called Anawangin.

Anawangin's beach is a mix of black and white sand. Instead of the usual coconut trees, you are greeted by the cool sight of pine trees. Walk further and you will see a gentle stream. Behind it, more pine trees and the mountains. Ang ganda! Reminds me of the time I went to Yosemite National Park way back when I still had the privilege of having a dad working at PAL. Para siyang typical place in the US of A where kids hold their summer camp. O kaya where serial killers go on a murdering spree ala Friday the 13th.

Too bad we weren't prepared to go camping. It would be nice sana. We just took some pictures, ate our baon of puto pao and water, then took a swim. Before sunset, we went back to the resort.

Next day, we just took a very long walk down the beach, a swim, then another long walk back. On our way home, we passed by Subic and had lunch at Dencio's. Then did some shopping. Parang maraming pera?

Not for long, kasi pag-uwi namin, umutang si Celia. She has to go home pronto to Bicol kasi her husband, Badong, was taken to the hospital. Haynaku. Sige na nga. In the name of love.

And that's the story of our 16th honeymoon.

Tapos Na Ang Commercial Break

After almost three years of being away from the world of advertising, I'm back. "Happiness ba 'yun?", asked one of my friends. Well, it is, since Brand Ideas, the ad agency where I now work is just way too cool. Four-day work week ba naman (Pero siyempre if you have sabit, you still have to go to the office on Friday, like the rest of the world.) Aside from that, kanin-all-you-can pa every day. And, free lunch every Thursday!

So far, so good. The atmosphere in the office is very homey and the people are just nice. I have a lot of former officemates there. Like, kumareng Arleen, Chupete, Mother Zannie, Charlene, and Boss Kiko.

I've also made some new friends. From Creatives, there's sensible Cora who cooks really fabulous pasta; pretty Azel who wears a dress every Thursday; si RJ na ngiti lang nang ngiti; at ang bastos na si JQ. Sa Accounts naman, there's the very demure Donna, ang palaban na Bechai, cute and cuddly Nikki, and this girl named Myk who-- wala lang, hindi ko pa siya masyadong nakakachika eh. Sa Accounting/Admin naman, there's the amusing chismosa named Cookie, the very quiet Tere and the very helpful Arcie. Of course, there's Bobby and Iten, the husband and wife team, who with Kiko, own the company.

I think I will like it there. I hope they will like me too. Hanggang retirement years ko na kaya ito? Let's see.

Guards with Good Memory

Went to JMT Building for a meeting with our BDO client. JMT happens to be the building of the former AMA DDB, where I used to work. That was way back in 1995 up to year 2000, I think.

Syempre naalala pa ako ng one of their security personnel. This short, lean guy na medyo panot. He even asked me if I used to work at AMA DDB. My golly, he's got really good memory. Eh ako nga, hindi ko na maalala kung anong floor yung dati kong office. Nge. But in fairness to me, I thought the guy looked familiar.

Anyway, speaking of guards, one time I was riding the bus, this guy kept on turning his head. Akala ko maniac or something. Turns out to be one of the guards of-- siyempre hindi ko maalala. Pero when I saw the front view of his face, I recognized him and he smiled. Nice 'no? Some people who I don't really know actually remember me even if I always thought my face is pretty generic.

But then, siguro those guards just have good memory. Whatchatink?

I Lost Their ID, They Lost Mine

It was my very first meeting at BDO. Their office is at JMT Building, across Podium. Security was strict. Each and every visitor must leave an ID. And so I did.

After the meeting, the account managers had to stay for yet another meeting. In the elevator, on my way out, I realized I lost the building ID. I went back to the client's office and retraced my steps, but I still wasn't able to find it.

I went to the lobby and told the woman behind the desk about my predicament. She asked for my name and looked for my ID (my driver's license)among the other visitors' IDs. It was gone.

Betchabygollywow -- di ba kakareplace ko lang noon? Kulang-kulang sa P500 din yun! Ngak!

Either someone willfully got the ID hanging from blouse with the intention of using it for some evil purpose. Or, they just made an honest mistake and gave my ID to someone else. (grumble, grumble).

Oh, well. Abangan ang susunod na kabanata ng "Missing ID."

My Honeybun's a Big Boy Now

For a long time, he was the baby of our family. That's why to me, Koko will always be like my "first bunso."

Now look at him. Binata na. With some kind of resemblance pa to Sam Milby! Naks.

Koko graduated this year at Lourdes School. He received a Certificate of Recognition for being the Most Improved Player of the soccer team. That's my boy!

Turning the Subtitles Off

Last Wednesday was my last day at the subtitling company. My last project? An episode for a somekinda soft porn TV show starring that guy from X-Files. On a Holy Wednesday at that! Anobeeh?

Anyway, after I finished the file, we had a "Good Riddance Party". I treated the guys to pizzas galore and Pepsi. May pasok pa sila on Maundy Thursday. Weird. To think our google won't search Alfred Hitchcock because of the "cock" and Dick Burton because he's a "Dick." Our encarta naman won't search "dirty words" like BS, which, I only later on found out was bullsh*t.

On our way home, siyempre walang tao sa bus. Bakit? Kasi kami lang yata sa buong Makati ang may pasok. Ngak!

A Mannrose bus hit the bus we were riding. I'm not sure if it was the driver or the conductor, or was it both of them, who ended up having a fistfight with the other camp. Bakit? Siguro masama ang loob kasi the rest of the Philippines walang pasok, except for them. Korak?

Anyway, many may not believe it, but I kinda feel bad leaving the world of subtitling. Because come to think of it, I liked the job and I enjoyed it. If not for the quotas and the Saturday work, I think I would've gladly stayed, probably until my retirement years.

Oh, well. Another chapter in my life has come to a close. This was a short one. Short, but sweet. : )

The Disobedient Parents

This is during Koko's graduation. Reminds me of that Nestle corporate campaign "Sa Mata ng Bata."

So did we join and take pictures of Koko during the celebration? Medyo. Pero a lot of the shots were taken by darling Gobgob. No wonder napagod ang bata towards the ending.

A Good Friday Lunch

Nag penitensya na naman kami doon sa "Very Cheap" resort. So I just gave in to a craving for Yellow Cab pizza. Garden Fresh, para abstinence pa rin. We took out the meatballs in the spaghetti. Pero yung chicken sa Charlie Chan noodles were too difficult to take out piece by piece, kaya hinayaan na lang namin.

In a way, penitensya pa rin kasi bitin siya. Not exactly because we were somekinda fasting (kuning-kuning) More of di lang kaya ng budget. Mahalia Fuentes, as in!

While in Yellow Cab, may celebrity sighting pa kami. Saw Christian Bautista with his family. He's somewhere in the background sa solo shot ni Oca.

Sarap talaga ng Yellow Cab. Sinful!