Go Grab Yourself Some of Me

is thinking of a good kennel name and puppy names. Time to register the pups at the PCCI.

Lost my cellphone last night. Darn that pickpocket knows how to work his stuff. So if anyone's trying to contact me on my old number, I apologize I cannot respond right now. Time to get a new one, an iPhone is most preferred..  :( 

Please save my new number. My old number stopped working all of a sudden much to my dismay. :(

Karen,

It’s your last day today my dear.

I was expecting this day would come, but was hoping it never will. We've been sad since we knew our little family at the pool needs to break up, but we're sadder now that our soul needs to go too. It's like being punched hard in the gut when you already feel like you've been beaten to a pulp. It's like a knife in your heart, when you already feel like your heart has stopped beating since the day we all knew. You are leaving today my friend. And I would like to say a few words for you.

In the sincerest form possible, I say thank you. My thanks to you flow more complex than a simple pat in the back for a job well done. My thanks well from a heart full of awe for what you nurtured and made us believe: that a group can be made a team, and a team can be made a family. That’s what FabPoT is, and that is what we will always be.  There’s no bigger validation as a leader than this. A team that respects you, but at the same time adores and looks up to you.  A team not afraid to speak their minds to you, sometimes even argue with you.  A team that works for you. Without grudge, without complaints, without expecting anything in return.  A team that considers you a friend.

Thank you for showing us that work can be fun, to a point when shielding us means you should suffer alone. The stabs, the stares, the wounds, the pain. The infinite gossips. The character assassination. The name calling. The betrayals. The ingrates who treated you so shabbily no matter what you’ve done for them. We saw it all. We saw as things unfolded. But we were in the sidelines, while you're in front taking all the beating. They hit you hard when they try to hit us. They hit us, and you move in front to take on some more for us. For your team. For your family.

Thank you for giving us infinite hope, when we knew that there was none. You lifted our spirits up with your cheers, when we sense deep inside only a faltering belief. You were a cheerleader, a ra-ra girl for those you held high. We doubt, you sooth. We complain, you pacify. We protest, you silence. But alas, when you question, they see not strength but weakness. I tell you they don’t understand because they have not seen. They are clueless because they have not experienced.  We’ve all been here long enough to know that what people say is contrary to what is really happening. We endured. We served with our whole heart. We nurtured, we labored, we pained, we sacrificed. We earned our right to ask questions.   And several times when you cried your heart out to us, we saw in you grace, not childish angst, for amidst the tears your faith in God are the words you always stood by.  And Karen, God is kind to those like you. He never fails. He surely didn’t fail you.

In times like these, I should be crying. And honestly my eyes are about to well as I write this very line. But I fight back the tears by looking back at the time I met you. At the lobby, wearing the most wonderful smile and the freshest face. Your hair tied back in a neat ponytail. You said hi, I blurted out the most nervous hello. And I knew back then that I’ll be in for a wonderful ride. You were my boss, you were my mentor, my manager, my leader, my guide, my protector. But you were also my friend. You took me, an absolute introvert, into your world…a crazy, funny, gay, wonderful, larger-than-life-roller-coaster-like world. And I’m mightily happy I sat right on the front seat. I absolutely enjoyed the ride.  

Karen, this will not be the end of it of course. Even as you leave, I am thankful that you’re showing all of us that there are bright things out there that are within reach. That going for it means reaching out to things that are bigger. That even as you leave you are looking after us. People who experienced so much with you, people who you served and worked for.

I say my gratitude not because I feel  I owe you…but because my heart tells me that if I don’t, then what I’ve always held as true will never be expressed. I know I can never write in words how wonderful it was to be working for you. But through this message, at this turning point in your life, I want to seize that fleeting moment of bitter sweetness and send you off with the warmest regards and the best of luck. I know you will do wonderful things in life because you are destined to.

I will never forget you. You’re such a character to begin with you b-tch! Haha. But then I know you’ll never ever forget us too. And that bond will remain. Until we all meet again.

Chris

Krizzie is back in school as a Senior High School student.  And she's extremely happy.


Its been more than a year since we decided to take her in to help keep our rented apartment clean. Well, i won't say the place is squeaky clean, but at least there is someone to constantly bother to cook, to wash the undies, clean our room, to pay the bills and look after our dear pets. We trust her enough that she's the one collecting the rent, and we even send her to the bank to pay all our bills.

Our loquacious maid has endeared herself to her "Kuyas" that we decided to send her back to school. Someone as young as her needs to be in school, and I must admit that sometimes I feel sorry about her fate of having to work, being away from the people she's familiar with, just to earn her keep. But then again, looking at her now and how she constantly reminds Chase and I how lucky she is to be working for us, makes me realize that we're actually doing the right thing. She has a place to stay, she has people that protects her, plenty of food in the ref to eat, money in her pocket to spend and now education to open up her horizon to bigger possibilities. I've always admired how smart this girl is and I hope she uses that in school to her advantage. Chase and I will have to wait till she have us sign her report card.

Hands down, the best purchase we ever spent money on. A pure-breed, PCCI registered female Lhasa Apso. We named her Hannah, and she's all grown up now at 10 months old. Here she is before grooming.




And after Krizzie painstakingly made her try on the hair clips she took from a neighbor's little daughter.

I've always been proud of the fact that I've never missed a chance to vote since 1998.

And I'm even more proud that our entire family has made it an affair to trek to the polling stations and exercise our one chance in every three years to try to effect change in this country.

I remember when we were kids, my dad and my mom will have short discussions over dinner about a candidate's credentials, and what he or she has done, or not done, for the country. Most of the time those will lead to reminiscing the days when Marcos was President, and how good those old times were for everyone. They'll even joke about the Marcoses being our grandparents. After dinner, they'll write their chosen candidates on a piece of paper, tuck it in their wallets, ready to be transferred to that ballot they've always considered important.

Before my dad passed away, I had an argument with him about politics. I was strongly in favor of Erap Estrada's impeachment, and he of course, being the Marcos loyalist that he is (Erap is to this day), is totally against it. He had his reasons, and I had mine. The only problem was that I was pretty vocal about my side. To top it all off, I went to Edsa and slept there to show my support and be part of history. We were on totally opposite sides. He defended Marcos during his Philippine Constabulary days. He was even a member of the Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabayan (RAM) when they were still considered outlaws. He almost joined a coup d'etat against Cory had his appendix chosen not to burst on the big day.

Looking back, I realized now that even if my dad made some wrong choices in the past elections he participated in, he made the right choice of teaching his children the value of voting. He made it his choice to have everyone in his house practice their right to chose the people who will govern the country. He wisely encouraged his children to register when they turned 18, so that come election day, he'll drive our passenger jeep to the polling stations so we can all vote as a family.  In the end, even if our candidates didn't win, we can all shrug it off knowing we did our part.


I voted last Monday, trying to continue the family affair that started almost a decade ago. This is the second time we're voting without my dad and it doesn't help that my Ate is in Riyadh and my younger brother is in Dubai. Yet my aunt,my mom and I, tried to keep the tradition alive. We talked over dinner, made our list and discussed our candidates' credentials. I even talked them into voting for younger, enthusiastic politicians like Zubiri and Defensor, and lesser known but highly qualified candidates like Martin Bautista and Zossimo Paredes. I know 3 votes wont make a difference in an election involving 40 million voters. But then again, who ever said its about the numbers? I say its about convictions. It's about practicing our rights as citizens, appreciating democracy that only a few lucky countries have, and exercising our ability to choose people who we think are good enough to be trusted to serve. I chose to cast my single vote, insignificant as it is, with confidence that this country will move forward because thinking individuals like me decided to take a stand and be counted.

It's not even about family traditions. It's just simple common sense.

pol·i·cy1      /ˈpɒləsi/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[pol-uh-see]  Pronunciation –noun, plural -cies.
a definite course of action adopted for the sake of expediency, facility, etc.: We have a new company policy.


It was bound to happen. Someone screwing up his job and taking everyone down with him. I guess some people are born to be unlucky, and others, well, are just plain stupid. Enough said.

Lucky for me I have internet connection at home. I've pretty much visited all the sites I wanted to see at the privacy of my own home that the need to check out the web at work comes only from job related activities. Uhmm, even I didn't believe that.

Everyone at the office needs to live with that now. No surfing while working unless its a job related site. Good thing I've been "clean" for a couple of weeks now, by virtue of being assigned at our Mandaluyong site to assist on an accent class. And yes, I don't surf there. Believe me when I say that. No internet activity whatsoever from my PC at the Makati office either. There's this tiny hint of guilt, but I believe not as much as the rest of the people on the  "masterlist".

So I guess you'll be seeing less postings on LJ for weeks to come. Expect less comments for your postings too. For all its worth,LJ,after all, is still the number one site visited by stress-wracked Trainers wanting to pass time. But then again, resourceful as we are assertive, we can always find good ways to resist couldn't we? :)

For the first time since we had cable internet, we lost what seems like our internet connection.  Thing is, we have an active I.P. address. Modem light indicated ONLINE is solid green.

So I did what every good EarthLink agent would do, and my troubleshooting notes would have looked something like this.

1.) Powercycle the modem (several times) ... No dice.
2.) ipconfig /all ... IP address is there.
3.) ipconfig /release ... ip was released
4.) ipconfig /renew ...ip back to normal
5.) tried browsing..no dice
6.) ping www.yahoo.com....no host found
7.) tried logging  in to YM... log in success

Hmm.. then i remembered an old trick that most of times work for Win XP. So i ran it on the command prompt.

netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt  (reinstall tcp/ip)

Well, what happened next enabled me to write this blog.

And I tell you I'm one happy camper.

VS for CSAT!

Sofie, my Persian cat, is trying to sabotage my training reports. I couldn't stop her from bothering me. 

Is she trying to be the purrfect saling pusa? I figured she wanted her own livejournal entry. So what the heck!!

Last Sunday, and every Sunday prior, were time spent for God. 

Yes, we do attend church. Every Sunday. And I can tell you in all honesty, it puts life back on track. It gives us peace. Gives us reasons. It balances all negatives out. I guess everyone needs a little something to fill that void we all have inside of us. We found it here. That deserves no further explanation.


VCF Joint Worship Service at the Araneta Coliseum, with Chase, Kessa, Mae and Don.

I bought myself a brand new PC and had cable internet run through the wires hoping that I can start working at home. Well, from the ways things are going, I'm finding that there are as much distractions here as there are in the office. Not that I mind, but they almost always knock the momentum off the supposed daily grind at work. Which I believe is healthy and good for any work life. Yes I WANT TO BELIEVE that. I must admit that there are some times that my new job as a training developer allows for plenty of room for distractions. It doesn't help that I'm in such a cozy corner at the Trainer's Pool with the most awesome set of colleagues anyone can ever wish for. I AM NOT exaggerating. A lot of people can only wish they had this kind of relationship and brotherhood at work. We have our own little protected space at the 28th, free from all the shit and sheltered from all the politicking and nonsense happening on several floors.Possibly even on all floors.Maybe even on both sites.We have our own little personalized spaces, randomly disorganized into different levels of disarray.Well that is if Ate Sanch isn't looking. How many times in the past have we recieved emails from the uber-fab Kaka, our training manager, about the benefits of cleaning up? Uhh, that last statement isn't exactly true. She emails us to rightfully scold us about not cleaning up. Trainers I believe are by nature cursed with the propensity to have messy desks.It directly relates to the amount of work you do at the office. Which, unfortunately also shows how we dont care at all that first-class white bond paper comes directly from hardwood pulp, the primary reason we have massive deforestation. Which incidentally struck a cord of environmentalism within the heart our new Trainer Bogzy. As a way to combat deforestation, she suggests, that we allocate one of Mariah's (office printer) paper tray to recycled paper. Question is, most of the papers are printed on both sides..so how..uhmm...go figure. And then there's the every-couple-of hours-lotion time sessions we do to combat stress. Eye sress at least.Or possibly even skin stress,if there is such a kind. At any moment, Drie and AJ would twist their revolving chairs to declare the catchy phrase "lotion time!!" AJ has a bubble gum flavored tube, I have strawberries and champagne, Drie has this expensive stuff (like most of her things) from Singapore. Slather, smell,chat a little, get back to work. Sometimes Kaka and Joyce (even more stressed out) would come over, and the sessions would last a little bit longer. And then the urge for coffee would kick in, and were off to Starbucks to spend.

Its not all fun at work though. Stress most of the time comes from meeting weekly report deadlines, attending multiple client calls, developing and revising modules, attending meetings, coaching agents (highly stressful), attending classes, dealing with Ops, having classes, being calibrated and constantly trying to meet expectations. The last one is the hardest to achieve. In this kind of job, you are only as good as the materials you churn out. Excitement comes if there is a new project to work on, and new deadlines to fulfill. If the creative juices ebb, so does fulfillment at work. I'm not at that stage yet, and hopefully will not be for a long long time.

So its getting kinda late here at home. In front of my 19-inch flat screen monitor I try not to be distracted by the call to keep on blogging. And to surf. Or watch porn. Or TV. Or play with Hannah. Or to wake Chase up for a hearty meal downstairs. And then I just saw my sister from Saudi going online. The distraction never ends.

The day we all wore RED. 

 Tagaytay FabPoT Outing
Sometime Last Year. 

Even daddy joe looked young back then! 

Trainer's Pool, 28th Floor
Row 2 - Joyce's Station
I'm so diggin'  the view!!

Checking out Sam's Hotdog
Makro Finlandia

I dismissed it with much struggle.

With some sadness, and so much realization, I gathered the courage to say no. The decision I made over the weekend was probably one of the biggest in my life. Choosing brotherhood over money, tenure over advancement in a place I know I can do well, in a place a friend called " the place where everyone else is fighting to get in to".  Realizing how far up in the scale of your chosen career you've come makes you wonder so much about the many paths that lay ahead. The "what ifs" that constantly boggles the mind attacks you with all the venom it can muster until all you can think about are the negatives and the things you dont have. You surrender to the feeling of being at the losing end, and you surround yourself with opinions not your own, until you're so confused and clouded you avoid making the decision itself. In more ways than one, you get that momentary feeling of detachment from the things you hold dear, and the fleeting feeling of your expectations not falling into place. But then when the smoke clears, you'll realize that your brain really is connected to your heart, and your heart plays a big role in the decisions you're making when your very sanity is clouded and confused. The addage "follow your heart" has never been more true, never had much sense, until now. But in times like these its the only thing that will keep the brain from being too logical, being too practical, falling into a trap of being too naive. In the end, what matters is what the heart truly feels like it deserves. The happiness felt when you've made that decision lightens the heart ultimately, and once you realize that the heart is light after that one great leap, is the indication that one made the right choice. The "what ifs" now far outweighs the "what ifs" in the future.   And everything will make sense eventually.

I dismissed it and I refuse to look back.

Nainggit ako kay Ajita at kay Jopay 

UP Stats ko..

 1. ANO'NG STUDENT NUMBER MO?
> 96-61978

2. NAKAPASA KA BA OR WAITLISTED?
>Pasado

3. PAANO MO NALAMAN ANG ENTRANCE EXAM RESULT?
>Nakatanngap ako ng telegram. Pasado daw. Tuwang tuwa ang nanay ko kasi mura sa UP.

4. ANO ANG FIRST CHOICE MO NA COURSE? 
>BS Chemical Engineering

5. SECOND CHOICE?
>BS Biology

6. ANO COURSE MO NA NATAPOS OR BALAK TAPUSIN? 
>BS Chemical Engineering ...Licensed to!

7. NAG-SHIFT KA BA O MAY PLANO?
>Hindi ako nag shift. Ala sa bokubularyo ko ang mag shift kasi ala akong pera!

8. CHINITO/CHINITA KA BA?
>Tisoy po ako. Mukhang Bumbay.

9. NAKAPAG-DORM OR NAGDODORM KA BA?
>Nope. Area 2 boarder for 6 years! Haay, kamusta na kaya si Tita Ming at Tito Efren.

10. NAKA UNO KA BA?
>Oo naman.

11. NAGKA-3?
>Sa Eng'g normal ang 3.

12. LAGI KA BANG PUMAPASOK SA KLASE?
>Minsan hinde. Lalo na pag busy sa org.

13. MAY SCHOLARSHIP KA BA?
>ALA.

14. ILANG UNITS NA ANG NAIPASA MO?
>Madami. 180 ata.

15. NANGARAP KA BA NA MAG- CUM LAUDE?
>Hindi sumagi sa isip ko yan. Normal lang akong Isko.

16. KAILAN KA MAGTATAPOS?
>May 2002

17. FAVE PROF/S: 
>Christian Lopez (Tinuturuan ako sa exams!)
>Mia Pang-Rey (Unang singko ko! Leche ka!)
>Sir Nato (plant design prof)
>Maam Dalida (unang uno ko sa Major)

18. WORST PROF/S:
>Quantum Physics Prof  Abate - Nigerian sya. I simply can't understand him.

19. FAVE SUBJECT/S: 
>Comm1,2,3 (uno lahat), Soc Sci, Integral Calculus with Trigo,

20. WORST SUBJECT/S:
>Engineering Drawing, Statics of Rigid Bodies, Strength of Materials, Dynamics of Deformable Bodies, Chemical Kinetics

21. FAVE BUILDING/S:
>Melchor Hall

22. PABORITONG KAINAN:
>Casaa

23. MAGKANO BA ANG BINABAYAD MO SA JEEP?
>$1.25 IKOT, 1.75 TOKI

24. LAGI KA BA SA MAIN LIBRARY?
>Tambayan namin yan tuwing gabi.  Sarap mag kape at manlait ng tao at the same time sa main lib steps.

25. NAGPUNTA KA BA SA INFIRMARY?
>OO NAMAN.

26. MAY CRUSH KA BA SA CAMPUS?
> Hmm...i can't remember na.

27. ANU-ANO ANG MGA NAGING PE MO?
>SCRABBLE, Table Tennis, Volleyball

28. KUMUSTA NAMAN ANG BLOCK NYO? 
> Nako henyo lahat.

29. MEMORIZE MO BA ANG UP NAMING MAHAL?
>HINDE

30. MEMBER KA BA NG VARSITY TEAM?
>I wish

31. NAKA-PERFECT KA NA BA NG EXAM?
>OO NAMAN

32. DITO KA BA NATUTONG UMINOM NG BEER?
> OO. At nang madami pang ibang bagay.

Im stuck in the office tonight, just like everyone else. Buendia, Pasong Tamo and all other streets going away from the Export Bank Plaza is waist-deep under water. It rained really hard a while ago and we saw it coming toward us from Manila Bay. There was even a tornado that lasted for more than 30 minutes over the sea. Trainer Mayumi thought it was an amazing sight, so she held her phone and took a snapshot of it.

I got back from my doc and my blood results say that my sugar level is back to normal, and my blood pressure is stable at 120/80. So I DONT HAVE DIABETES AND IM NOT HYPERTENSIVE. Well at least not yet. I was getting there! Thank God for that talking machine. And thank God I felt a little bit more paranoid that day, it gave me the extra push to go to Makati Med. I also found out that my cholesterol is not that high. Which is amazing considering the amount of chicharon and tokwat baboy I've eaten recently. So the doc had me stop the medication, instead she prescribed exercise and a healthy diet. I thought I'll only hear that being said to someone in a TV commercial, but there I was on the receiving end of a TV Ad like advice from a doc, "Eat a healthy balanced diet and start exercising again!"

Blood Sugar: 5.0
Cholesterol: 99%

Whatever these results are it meant something to the doc. And I heard the word thats worth all the needle wounds and ultrasound radiation passing through me. NORMAL.

So it was a FALSE ALARM. But a good one nonetheless. It woke me up to the realization that really, everything in excess is not good. Less is indeed more!

I remember talking to my co trainer Drie about callcenter people getting diseases that are normally found on 40 something year olds. Since we mostly work on graveyard shifts, we usually dont take care of ourselves like we normally did. We dont get enough sleep and eat junk most of the time. McDonald's deep fried Chicken Mcnuggets would certainly come to mind. Its an instant hit among the Trainers. 

I recently got the scare of my life after visiting a Mecury Drug outlet, where out of curiousity I  decided to check my blood pressure using a "talking blood pressure machine". Our family has  got a long history of hypertension, and after a few bouts with headaches and dizziness the past weeks I thought 5 pesos to check my BP isnt that bad. And so I did. Amzingly, it didnt only check my BP, it also did my body mass, fat index , height and weight. I just had to stand there and wait. And what I saw shocked me. My BP is 152/90. The normal is 120/80. Where the hell did the extra pressure come from???? The following morning, I went straight ahead to the company clinic to have my BP checked. The nurse told me its 140/90. Still high. Im hypertensive. You see, my dad died from a massive stroke 6 years ago. My younger bro was the only one in the house with him that day, and poor him he couldnt do anything but watch my dad puke and twitch on the kitchen floor dying like a fish out of water. The thought terrified me. Knowing full well my mom's taking medication for hypertension, I went to Makati Med to have myself checked. Thank God..or thank West..for Cocolife!  

So I had a few tests. My BP went down to 120/80, but the doc had my blood tested. Full blood chemistry. She had me do an electrocardiogram and a 2D ultrasound of the heart. She threw in the standard urinalysis for good measure. 4 days after, I returned for the results. Total bill amounted to 10,000++.

In summary:

Heart is normal. No heart disease whatsoever.
Blood pressure is normal.

I sighed a sigh of relief.

Then the doctor checked my blood samples.

Blood sugar is way above normal.
Cholesterol is too high.
Possible kidney stones.
Uric Acid and Triglyceride is high.

To sum it up, Im fucking diabetic, and I have high blood cholesterol to boot. She gave me prespciptions good for a month to lower the sugar and cholesterol, but wanted more tests done. Another round of blood tests, this time around I needed to fast overnight. I just had it a while ago, and now both my arms are sore from the needle punture wounds. I still have to wait for the results. Ill get them tomorrow. Im hoping for the best. 

I also needed  to have an ultrasound for my kidneys and bladder, to check if there are stones in there. Luckily, both are normal. No stones. No weird mass. Everything's working fine down under.

Looking back, I can see what went wrong. I gained too much weight (25 lbs) from eating too much crap. And I stopped exercising.  Its a wake up call for me, but the doc said its a good thing it was detected this early, coz there is a sure chance ill get over it. I sure hope so. Im hoping that this will all go away.

A day to remember.

4:05 PM, Training Room 1. 6 agents reading online modules. They've been at it for an hour and a half now. Oh wow, its been an absolutely hot day. I mean that literally.Temperature soaring well above the cooling power of our big old industrial fan. Poor Chase he had to endure the temperature while trying to catch some zsss.

I've never imagined that Bossa Nova can stir happy emotions in me (i still dont like Sitti though), maybe probably because of the setting, the view from the 28th floor window toward Manila Bay is absolutely superb. Having got used to the site of shanties and all sorts of eyesores of the metro, yeah, I can say in full honesty the view is awesome. Sunshine in full blast, 45 degrees on the western sky just about to set and hide behind the sea. The water gleaming, almost inviting. Boats and ships clearly outlined in the horizon. Im not trying to be poetic. The sight captivated me, and it made me smile. Simple life pleasures are indeed free. 

All this emotions I guess can be best explained by my urgent need to take a LONG VACATION. Id love to go to the beach. Smell the sea and not think of anything else for the rest of the day. Its easier said than done. Wow, if I can only capture the scene. Which give me the urge to buy a digital camera.I cant afford that right now, I just bought a new dog. Gonna name her Hannah, a pure-bred, champline sired lhasa apso. Chase and I are excited. And again, he went on a shopping spree..a new cage, a new playpen.Were thinking its a good investment in the end. If we can breed and sell in the future, how wonderful that can be.

Watched my fave show before goin to work today. Got to see Dilana outperform the rest again, having risen from the flak she received last week for dissing her rockmates. The show's called Rockstar Supernova by the way. And yeah, I got to see Andre Agassi play at the US Open too.

My class is on a break. 15 minutes. I guess I better post. Theyll be back pretty soon. Will just update again later.

We were all so young looking then. Kaka even sported the bangs. 

I figured its a good time to reminisce, given the rainy weather and the busy schedules we all have. Here are some FabPot moments at Galera.

So I guess Im stuck in a cycle. Its been weeks since I last posted here, and to be honest I felt like for some instance I lost interest in doing so. Teaching a class and taking calls after one's shift makes you realize that you really are busy at work. When the only thing you can do when you get home is to brush your teeth, wash your face and doze off to dreamland, you end up questioning if you're living your life right. To borrow Chase's words, "its not fulfilling anymore".  Good thing I spent my money buying stuff that I really dont need. They ended up entertaining me in times like these. We have Sophie, our persian cat. A spur-of-the-moment buy from Cartimar where we ended up shelling more money than we were supposed to spend. It turned out to be an absolutely wonderful decision. At least Chase and I have someone, or something, to wake us up when the alarm is not working. She has this amazing habit of visiting our room every morning to check on us and ask for affection. Her loud moans are a comforting sign we have someone who loves us unconditionally. And then there's the small "garden" we've set up in front of our apartment. Again, an idea that ate up a significant part of our budget for the month. We bought plants at Salcedo square, pots at SM, a plant stand at Cartimar and more plants from Manang Betina. But then the reaction of the neighbors were enough reason for us to forget about how much we spent. They absolutely loved the sight. And so did we...we ended up sitting for an hour just staring at the roses and the other plants we bought.  

Im in the office now and I just ate half of my officemate Chinky's sardine pasta. I absolutely loved it. But i better get back to class and finish everything I need to teach them. Then Ill take calls. Then go home, brush my teeth, wash my face and fall asleep. Everything's happening in circles.

Ive been busy since last week. And yesterday I had to terminate 10 agents. I almost ran out of positive scripts. Finally Barbara was laid to rest, and Kaka had to send a PAN Form for her. We got a new, state of the art printer named Mariah..one that staples and punch holes on papers automatically. Since yesterday night was considered unlucky because of the date (6/6/06), we all decided to take pictures of us wearing black. We called it the Black Shirt Day. 

We all had a blast attending Will and Grace's wedding last Saturday. What made it more special is that almost all of the FabPot dressed up and attended.

FabPot Guest List:

Ma'am Joyce
Iris
Cucci
Daddy Joe
Marj
Chris
Chase
Archie
Bryant
Drie
Jaque (hindi ka na 0 sa team interface)
Chinky (ikaw din, 1 point)
Washington
Al
Perc
Mari
Nina
Mike
Shel

Well, it was the first ever FabPot wedding, so we can't be blamed for wanting to dress up and witness Kuya Will in his full glory. Will in barong. Shaved from head to chin. Reeking with expensive cologne. Looking relaxed, happy and at peace. Ahhh...married bliss.

We started the day at around 10 AM, when Nina, Mari, Cucci and Joyce all went to our place at Buendia to pretty up at a salon nearby. The finished products were nothing less than  outstanding! 

Then we all travelled to the Manila Cathedral, and arrived when the mass was just about to start. But of course, we just had to take more pictures before we went in.

 

And then more pictures inside the church.

On our way to the reception at the Manila Pavillion Hotel, we had to stop by and conquer Starbucks at the Walled City. And when Mari's car broke down we took the opportunity to strike more poses.


And at the reception, we made sure all the other guests noticed us. Table 21, 22 and 23 were the noisiest, rowdiest but definitely the most Fabulous bunch.

 

I just came off from a 5 day vacation, and oh do I feel so rested. Not to mention bloated from all the food I've managed to scavenge from the fridge and cook to my hearts content. I was finally able to do what I've wanted to do in a long while. Simple pleasures we normally miss out as a consequence of working irregular shifts under stressfull conditions, not to mention the intolerable heat not even our big 3D industrial fan can dissipate.

Finally, after a long while, I got plenty of sleep. Almost 18 hours daily for 3 days straight. Talk about catching up!

For the first time after planning for so long, I was finally able to step into the utter chaos of a place called Divisoria. If not for the barong tagalog I so desperately needed, it would have been a nightmare going there. But then again, i had fun doing the rounds, not only because I was with good friends but also because I never imagined cheap to be that cheap. Clothes for less than a hundred. School supplies for 20 bucks. A full meal for 55. A jewel of a barong that I bought for 800. I saw a similar one for P2600 at SM. Looking back, the experience was worth it ! Its just a pity a place as familiar and as vastly visited can be that dirty. Utter chaos. Garbage ridden. Pollution packed. And then I saw men eating balot by a bridge over a river that looked more like a big sewer. Oh well...as they usually say..only in the Philippines.

Another good thing that came up from this unusually long hiatus is that Im almost done reading a book. I can still remember the splitting headache I got reading The Vampire Lestat non-stop for 9 hours . That was back in college, and my intention of making a hobby out of reading never really caught fire. But I guess its not too late to start again. The book is called The Dogs of Babel..something Chase found in a bookshop at Makati Cinema Square for 140 bucks. Pretty compelling read.

I must admit, I missed the office. If not for the National Geographic special about Egypt I was watching Tuesday night, I would have dragged myself to at least check my internal mail on my office PC. Alas, i had to contend reading 150 emails when I finally got back on Thursday night.

The week is again over..tomorrow we're off to Will and Grace's wedding. Im hoping for pictures of me in barong.

Naki-fiesta kami sa bahay ng lola ni Faith sa Hagonoy, Bulacan nung Sabado. Ang mga alang tulog at galing sa shift, alas nueve na umalis sa Export, pero dahil sa ingay ni Faith, alang gustong matulog. Lahat tawa ng tawa sa loob ng na rented van. 
 

                                                             

Sinalubong kami ng mga colorful na banderitas ("gayak" ata ang tawag nila). Contest daw it sabi ni Faith. The best purok wins a prize. I dunno kung anong prize. Siguro supot din, lalagyan ng supot na basura.

Nakadating kami sa Baryo nina Faith after passing by fishponds and ricefields. Pag baba namin ng van...

May banda at Ati-Atihan pa.

And then there's the FOOOOD..Ang dami daming FOOOD...Kain ng kain until were sooo full.

I got a letter from a previous trainee today, written on an index card, with a big bar of Fruittella Cream attached to it. It reads:

Chris,

"During my first few weeks on the floor, I was frequently asked who my Trainer was..to say Chris was a privilege. Thank you lots, Chris. I had a blast working with you. Be good, do proud, stay safe."

I can't believe such a simple letter can spur a profound feeling of contentment for a job that is oftentimes too constant to be taken seriously. I try to believe that there is something out there worth doing all of this for, and sometimes I lose sight of the fact that there are people appreciating what I do, until letters like these make me realize that I might be doing a pretty good job. Afterall, who better to assess a mentor than a student learning from him? Sometimes working too hard makes me wonder why some people who are not working as hard is getting more, and discontent in some ways make me think if movement is the only way to go. But then letters like these make me want to continue with the paradigm I've started. Its sad, but its sweet to know someone remembers the things you did for them no matter how monotonous, repetitive and tiresome the concepts might have been. Its good to know that beyond the Trainer-Trainee realtionship, there is still remembrance of things not taught in a class. That even after several thousand calls, they remain inspired, awe-struck, charmed. The joys of being a Trainer is not how much we earn, or how powerful we are. Its the surprise of somebody approaching you asking how you've been when you can't even remember their face. Its the change in the life of an agent you trained right after they get a coveted promotion. Its in the simple letters they send  telling us they appreciate you teaching them the things they need to know to take their first real steps into becoming part of the overworked-yet-underpaid-workforce. If this agent meant even half of what she said in the letter, I am more than happy. My choice of career isn't as fruitless as I'm starting to believe. But then again, this might all be just stress.

And it happened again. This time with AJ.

                                  

In a Past Life...

You Were: A Happy Go Lucky Spice Trader. Where You Lived: Thailand. How You Died: Buried alive.

Rocky and Sanch's pics at Marinduque made me want to whack my self in the head for not joining the Marinduquenos. I absolutely hate myself today. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE TOO!! 

On a day when sleepiness and envy is getting the better of me, I found a bit of consolation from a pic a friend sent me. It gave me something to laugh about today.

Hahahaha... 

A very long sigh.......When are you guys going back to Marinduque?? 

                                                  
                                               

Dreaming of the Sea.... I miss Bora.

Big Big Big Sigh......

But then again, there's Subic. 

With Kessa and Chase I packed my bags and hit the road not knowing where to go. The hassle looking for a resort to wade into is absolutely worth the adventure. We found one uncluttered, almost deserted beach resort.  We couldn't have enough that we decided to extend one day more.

So we waded... 



And we went down under....



Until everything seems right for just wallowing in our isolation.

It was the second week of February, Chase and I went home tipsy from a Dell Party at Gilligans Malate. 

                                                               

Then it happened. The next thing I knew the fifth metacarpal of my right hand shattered into pieces. I looked at my writing hand with a hazy daze and I couldnt believe what I saw. When I finally realized I broke something, I cried uncontrollably. I guess thats what people do. Natural instinct. But I never cried like that before. Maybe it was the combined effect of the shock and the alcohol, or maybe it was something else. That night I knew I had a mental breakdown of sorts..those tears I cried relieved me of a million other little angst and pains that have been boiling slowly up the surface. Up they went..tears welled up...tear ducts got all worked up. 

Then relief. 

Then the alcohol died down. 

Then the pain went up a notch. I had to run to the hospital !!

Oh my, my first ever trip to the hospital for a major injury. My right hand looked like some freaky thing out of the Twilight Zone. Swollen and red, distorted and dead. But then again, I need not worry for my bills. Good thing my insurance card hasnt expired, coz that made the pain bearable.  I had to wait for 2 hours though. Good thing I like people in uniform. I have a perverted fetish for anyone walking around wearing clean, sanitized blue garbs. My mind played a bit thinking whats underneath all of those sky blue, sheer, almost obscene linen. Then I saw my hand..back to reality.

Doctor came in. Not in blue overalls..so he absolutely looked foreign to me. I mean he didnt look like a doc. I found out he's an Intern. Well..not a full doc yet. He wrapped my hand in a thick nest of white gauze, then encased it in a tomb of sticky white cement. The horrifying thing was to follow.

ME:  "How long should I be wearing this?"
Intern: "Well, it depends on what Doc. So So says tomorrow."
ME:  "You mean I have to come back tomorrow?"
Intern: "Yes he's not around today, you need his opinion if you'll need your hand operated on."
ME: "O-P-E-R-A-T-I-O-N?" 
Intern: "Yeah, coz the fracture on the fifth metacarpal ruptured the......" (I was lost in all the medical jargon)
ME: "Oh Oh.. sounds like real trouble now."
Intern: "Well you might have to wear that for 5 weeks"

Oh sweet Jesus! Now an operation. This is not right. I prayed. I prayed. I prayed. Hard. I even raised my hand up. Not because I was praying but because it was the Intern's advice to reduce the swelling. 

Then the Doctor's appointment came. All it took was 5 short minutes. I guess that's why these guys are soo freaking rich. 5 minutes per customer on an 8 hour shift, at a premier hospital in Makati amounts to WHOLE LOT OF MOOOOLAH!!!!

An Xray and a quick twitch was all it took for him to tell me the same thing I've been hearing over and over the previous day. 

The cast stays for 5 weeks. Expensive medication for 5 straight days. No operation. Follow up checks every week. 

       

The following day I was teaching a class. A week after I was at Redbox partying. In between all of those I got special treatment from everybody. I guess the experience wasn't all that bad. 

I was rummaging thru the many pictures I've stolen from other people's files and I found one that's rather interesting. A shot of me and fellow trainer John on a day when we both wore the same P200 shirt from the exact same store at Glorietta. Talk about an embarrasing situation. Well guess what? I've rarely worn that shirt after the incident, and the funny thing is, I saw John wearing the same shirt for work today while looking at the picture. 

So there...another blog moment. 

                                                                                           

Theme Days at West are the coolest!!!

With the wacky guys of Training leading the way, dressing up and parading for everyone in the company to see is not for the faint of heart. So here I am pretending to be uber-rock star Lenny Kravitz (the slimmer and whiter version). Thanks to Ernest Brookes of Atlanta, GA for the inspiration.



The obvious thing is...we almost always do it for posterity. You can tell we just love bein in pictures!!



The night unravels and more pics are taken...

Here I go again. God knows how many times Ive tried maintaining a blogsite. The closest Ive come to really writing online on a daily basis is thru Multiply. Then it all went to a screaching halt. That was May of last year, and I was still with good old PeopleSupport. 

I've forgotten how to do this...until AJ's site sparked that exact same feeling of wanting to write, wanting to express, wanting to expose your dirty laundry for everyone to read and gossip about. Hmm.. i guess the last one can be fun! Im not keepin my hopes up though. Got myself into this exact same point so many times and then boom...writer's block sets in...disinterest takes hold...then obliviousness wins over. There goes another blogsite. Totally unmaintained and ignored. Write, forget, omit. The life cycle of my sites.

Aside from a few bits of memorable experiences in between my old Multiply site and this one, I've totally lost track of what happened in between. Oh yeah, last entry I recall was me ranting about how slow it is to get promotion at PS. And how good it feels having something to look forward to here at West. Other than that, a Trainer's life is a mix of ups and downs that deserves less Kilojoules of energy than say, having to think about how to pay rent and talking to a Citibank Collections agent wanting you to pay your bills. I just shouted at one yesterday for waking me up just to inform me of my past due. Poor thing. She even gave me her number!

Learning how to work this site can be a bit fun. At least I have a site that works without having to rely on a slow proxy server. Then again, just like in so many instances before, I am crossing my fingers this one will stay updated. Because if not, I guess I'll just have to go through the same cycle, and make the next site my First Time yet again.