RAINY HOLIDAY

The vacation I had to Virac for Christmas turns out to be a big disappointment. Well, really also a mix of a bit of goodness to it. The whole time we were there it was raining almost every single day, and the couple of days it did not it still was gloomy and cloudy. My hopes of visiting at least one beach and soak some sun spiraled into pfft.

We ended up being at home most of the time, either watching TV or playing video games. At night, though, as if to taunt me the weather seemed fine and permitted us to go to the Christmas Cheers, a variety show pioneered by Virac held from the 16th-23rd of December and then again continues to 26th-30th of December. The show is held at the town plaza, and there are no seats provided so you have to stand the whole three to five hours show each night. The venue also is open-air save for the stage, so you also have to brave the elements.

I'm not really an internet person who spends most of the time online, although I have the ability to connect online almost anytime and anywhere with my phones. We also have purchased a Smart Bro prepaid kit, so we can go online with our notebook computer, but then the connection available is nothing but regular GPRS and the almost to a trickle of 3G during the night. It seemed many people from Virac who are now living in big cities, especially Metro Manila, have chosen to come home for the holiday and the massive demand for the 3G network setup by the two telecom networks-- Globe and Smart, couldn't cope up with the demands on peak hours. There still is no HSDPA signal available in the island. The biggest disappointment with connectivity was on Christmas eve when we were trying to have video chat or at least do video calls with some relatives who were not able to come home.

Among other things, we also have hoped to see some old friends we have missed the past couple of years. It's not that we have not been home the past two years, but all those times we have gone home we were too occupied with other things to pay them a visit. This vacation is actually no different than the previous. Well we didn't make an effort this time to contact them at least as our attempts before have been wasted. We then have to be contented only with Friendster.

Before we know it, we again have to be back to the city. I could have stayed for at least two more days, but then again I have given up on the weather ever clearing up.

As I am writing this, I currently am in the office trying to survive the next eleven hours of my shift, and it's only a few hours before the new year comes in. I couldn't possibly aford to be absent from work again as I don't have anymore paid leave allotment. I have used them all up even before the Christmas vacation I took last week.

Anyways, I have to look on the brighter side of things to pull it through today. So, Happy New Year to everyone and hope we all have a prosperous new year.

Kagharong

A long-time tradition comes with the celebration of Christmas here in Virac that is as old as the Spanish times. It is a re-enactment of how Joseph and Mary came house to house in Bethlehem for a quick rest as she was about to give birth. Dialogs are done in singing, but rather it being on a stage, it's done instead in front of houses where there is a balcony. When I was young my parents made it a point to have us see the play as most folks then value the tradition. I also can remember then that it is required that Mary be on a donkey or a horse, while now the whole troupe is transported on a truck with all the necessary equipments. The re-enactment is aptly called "Kagharong", or Housemasters. I heard that the same tradition is also done in Samar, but I don't have an idea how long they have had it. Ours, on the other hand, as evidenced by the songs used, is really old. Last night, Christmas eve, I was able to watch the tradition again and was amazed by the magic of the songs, as it brings back memories of my childhood and thoughts of that of my parents as well back in the 30's and 40's.

Eating Like A Horse

We dropped by some of my wife's relatives when we visited their village in the province. One of which we chanced upon having their dinner, and as customary to Filipinos, they invited us to join them. They were apologetic though about having nothing to offer than "ginataang gabi" or taro leaves in coconut cream and "tuyo" or dried salted fish. We dismissed the apologies and told them that in fact we missed eating such. We actually are too shy to admit that we do miss terribly having those for dinner. Or maybe it was bluntly evident afterwards when we realized we had each four serving of rice. I wouldn't think twice having them for lunch at work if they were available at McDonald's.

Coming Home

I was planning on taking pictures of our island's coast from the ferry on our way home, but the weather was not permitting and my wife an I slept through the whole ferry ride. That is for the fact that we didn't get enough sleep as we have to brave taking a regular non-airconditioned bus. There was no other choice for us as it was a very last minute decision for us to come home. Tickets get sold out weeks even months in advance. The bus stopped four times to fix the gears as it failed, but the main disappointment was the uncomfortable seats that we had to bear throughout the whole 12-hour journey, which should have taken only 8-10 hours. That and the fact that we have to go through the perpetually in repair South Superhighway. We almost did not make it to the last ferry out, as we were informed trips to the capital town Virac were on hold for the meantime. On the ferry, I had to go to the bathroom once and was able to chance upon the opportunity to take the picture above. We made it home safe later and hoped the weather will clear up in the few days we're home to be able to go a beach.

I'M COMING HOME

After much deliberation and weighing of the pros and cons, I finally have decided that we should come home to Virac for Christmas, my wife and I. Our workforce management team has decided to declare the 23rd and 24th of December as critical workdays, so it will be a big offense, earning a step in the progressive counselling, to be absent those days. I guess I don't care that much anymore about the job, what with all the politicking on the floor. Besides I have an alibi on standby, and it is that I will sprain my ankle on a trip to Virac and won't be able to come back to Manila until after the 28th of December. I will have a medical certificate from our family doctor to back it up.

Well, I'm looking forward to basking in the sun on a beach in our island home, if the weather will permit. It was long time coming as I was supposed to come home last May this year. We don't have much money to bring with us, but then we won't be needing that much as my brother whose a bit well off than most of us sibs will be home too.

I need to getaway from American callers who more often than not are spoiled brats, from one of our team managers who's a fashion roadkill, from my supervisor's really sweet sheepish smile, from my bullying team mates who are "pitikeros" and "pitikeras", and most of all from an Avaya callmaster. My head is spinning from the pressure and stress on the job, and that's what I need a quick break from. Well, alongside my daily doses of fastfood meals, road pollution, the more than an hour commute to and from work each working day, addiction to malls, and the sight of the crowded Metro Manila itself.

I have to do this. Not only for myself but for me to get myself together-- I have not been performing good at work lately. Largely because of too much stress and the insensitivity of the client on our plights, which is the refusal not only to upgrade our salaries and incentives to be at least a fourth of our counterparts in the US. I guess being in the third world country doesn't deserve you at least half the respect of what people from the first world get.

Come what may now, I'm going home for Christmas.

Binagoongang Porkchop (Porkchop In Shrimp Paste)

This is one of my favorite dishes and one that I love cooking. It's simple to prepare yet quite tasty. Basically it is a variation of "ginisang bagoong" or sauteed shrimp paste.

You need the following- 1 kilo porkchop, chopped onion, chopped garlic, 7-10 pieces of tomatoes chopped, 7-10 pieces of jalapeno peppers, 4 tbsp olive or vegetable oil, & MSG (optional). Preparations beforehand are to fry until slightly browned the porkchop & to wash the shrimp paste once on a strainer to remove excess salt. In a wok, sautee the garlic, onion, & tomatoes. When the tomatoes are already soft, crush to make a paste.

Put in the pork and sautee for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the MSG according to taste and then mix in the pepper just before turning off the fire. To make the dish more spicy, the pepper can be sliced, or if you don't want it spicy substitute with bell pepper instead. A variation of the dish is to add cream. But if you are to add cream, omit the tomatoes from the ingredients.

WARNING! This dish is not fit for people who are suffering from hypertension or heart disease.

CATANDUANES

Catanduanes is an island off east Luzon in the Bicol region. It is more popularly known for its reputation as the "Land of the Howling Winds", as most storms entering the Philippines either hits this island province or affects it. It faces the Pacific Ocean, thus the susceptibility to storms brewing near its shores. Travellers going to the island are mostly either surfers or backpackers avoiding the usual tourist spots in the Philippines. The islanders doesn't have a traditional culture to boast of aside from that already known of the whole Bicol region, and the festival held annually is nothing but a copy of what other provinces generally do.

The remoteness of the island also makes it not a very popular destination among traveller who only wants a quick getaway. Although there are two airports in the island, commercial flights are only available to one of them and are not so much an option most of the times because of weather related issues. The best way to go there is by bus from Metro Manila to Tabaco city in Albay, and then by ferry boat (Ro-Ro) to either one of the two commercial ports-- Virac and San Andres ports. Travel by bus can be from eight to ten hours, and the the ferry ride to San Andres is for around two and a half to three hours while to Virac, the capital, is approximately four hours. Three ferry trips are available daily from Tabaco, with two going to Virac and one to San Andres. To have a preview of what to expect in the island, the recommended ferry will be the one leaving early morning in Tabaco to Virac.

Transportation options within the island are abound-- from tricycles for short distances; to jeepneys, vans and buses for travelling from town to town. Major roads are paved with a few stretches only needing some maintenance, so going around is not that hard. Most natural attractions though will have you go through rough roads for a few miles. Accommodations are mostly only available in the big towns like the capital Virac, and also the nearby town San Andres and possibly a few of the other nine towns with resorts. Otherwise, you will need a tent and camp out in beaches or near the barangays or villages. Food can be purchased almost anywhere there is a village, but don't expect anything grandiose than just rice and viand. In places near the coast or estuaries, you may be able to get your fill of seafood.

Because it is on the edge of Pacific Ocean, the island is popular among surfers during the monsoon season from around September to January. The Majestics in Puraran in Baras town is known the world over as one of the best surfing spots in Asia, topping even Siargao as the premier surfing destination of the Philippines. Well, Puraran itself is a beautiful place with white sand beach and sparkling clean waters. It has been a setting for some commercial print photo shoot for famous clothing namebrands. An annual international surfing competition is held there sponsored by the local government. It is said that surf in Puraran can rival that of North Shore in Maui during the surf season. There are a few resort operating in the cove of Puraran. It is best to go off-season if you are not into surfing, as the room rates are almost half of what it regularly is. The amenities are pretty basic but liveable. And then again this area is only from forty-five minutes to an hour away from the capital town-- where better lodging are widely available.

Well, otherwise, the island is surrounded by miles of stretches of fine white sand beaches available to you anytime. The nearest of which is no more than fifteen minutes away by car or tricycle. Most beaches are still undeveloped, but those that are either have fully-functional resorts with anything from the basic to at least three-star accommodation. Many of these resorts are in remote locations so it can be a pain to get to. Exploring the undeveloped beaches is also an option if you can get a guide. There is currently no existing tourism company or at least a government-run facility (except the Department of Tourism) to provide you guided tours. The best beaches are actually still not developed so it is a lot better to have a guide. One which I personally have been to was a village called Bitaogan in Bato town-- it can be reached in about an hour by land via rough terrain, or about half an hour with a boat from the shore of downtown Virac. The sand in the beach of Bitaogan is as fine as Boracay, although not as white; and the water is so clear that even on the edge of the reef you can see the fishes down to the bottom several meters below. The sea is so teeming with fishes that seafood is really abundant. At night you can camp at the beach and have the view of Virac shoreline with all the downtown lights.

The waters all around the island is still clean and can be swam to. Even the shore of downtown Virac, the capital, is pretty clean that during summer people flock to them to dip and cool down. Below is a picture of the breakwater adjacent to the port of Virac, which will be what you will first see as you unboard from the ferry.

Pollution is still not a problem in the island. If the sky is clear, expect to see beautiful sunsets and sunrises. At night, even in downtown Virac, the nightsky especially if the moon is full can be breathtaking.

If ever you get too tired of the beaches, the nearest waterfall can never be too far away. Within the capital town itself there are already several options like Danicop, Buyo, Dugui, San Vicente to name a few. The most popular of the waterfalls in the entire island is Maribina falls and Solong falls.

There are likewise a lot of rivers and streams throughout the whole island. It's topography is very rough and mountainous, so there is an abundance mountain for inland bodies of water to source from. There are a few rivers that are wide and deep enough for white water rafting, although this sport has not been heard of in the province. Even underground rivers are abound, but these too have been largely unexplored so it may be dangerous to go to. The waters are pretty clean still for most, but the most popular ones tend to be a bit cluttered comes summer when there are a lot of people going for a swim.

Still a water attraction, there are several estuaries and mangroves in the island where migratory birds can be found. Birdwatching is not a very popular activity in Catanduanes as of yet, because coming of birds from mainland Asia is not very regular. There are some years wherein there are thousands upon thousands of them to be found in estuaries, and then there are some years that only a few or even none comes. Two of the most notable mangrove/estuaries are the biggest in the island-- the one in Agojo Marine Park Sanctuary in San Andres town, and the other in between the boundaries between Viga and Payo towns, where the bulk of prawns and crabs supply sold in the island and imported to nearby provinces come from.

For pilgrims of faith, Catanduanes is haven to several old churches built by the Spanish colonizers. The most notable of which is the Bato Cathedral; nestled up a small elevation near the banks of the Bato River, it provides a vantage point for a great view of the sunset and the length of the river up to its delta by the bay.

The Cathedral in the capital town itself is also an old edifice, and another one is the Viga town cathedral. There is also a church named Batong Paluay in San Andres town where a miraculous stone is enshrined. It is said to be that this stone have been attempted to be taken by the Marcoses in the 70's. The stone was found several or so decades ago and it was just a speck then. It has since grown to be more than five times the original size when it was found. The strange thing with the stone is that it has the Our Lady Of Sorrow painted on it, which did grow with the stone and revealing details in time. Used to be you need to have a magnifying glass before you can appreciate the details, but now it is very much visible to the naked eye. The image was not damaged as the stone grew, for if it had been painted on it surely will have all cracked up.

To the east of the island in the town of Bagamanoc, there are several small islets of historical interest. One of which has been used by the Americans during the occupation as a Long Range Navigation Base. The beach surrounding this islet has fine white sand as well, and the water is crystal clear.

If everything else fails, there's always the forest covers and the rolling green fields to run to. The central part of the island is still in very much pristine condition and there's a big possibility of some places to have been untouched for centuries even. Several years ago, we volunteered for a sort of an expedition into the center of the island where the rain forest is. We were supposed to mark the old trees as properties of the government and can never be sawed for lumber. We saw trees that are so big all fifteen of us then could not wrap around its circumference with our arms stretched out.

There are also a lot of caves in the island. The most popular of which is the Luyang cave in San Andres town. It has on it a park built in and the view of the forest cover and the ravine below it will take you off your feet. Big trees are present despite the area being close to the urbanized portions of both San Andres and Virac towns. This cave joins a labyrinth of caverns leading to several openings and where some underground rivers may be accessed from.

When I was in the island I tend to overlook these things and was more interested in getting out to see other places. As you may have seen yourself from the pictures, I have been a fool all those times.

FastFood Idiot

No more than an hour ago, I lined up on queue Mc Donald's outlet at the PeopleSupport Center in Ayala, Makati for a quick bite. It was my lunch break, but it was very early in the morning as I am on the graveyard shift. I know I don't dress up for work and usually only come as I would if I'm just strolling in a mall, but I don't think I look that bad to be discriminated upon.

The soonest I got up next to the counter, the two crews smiled on me and asked what I wanted to have. As I was on the phone with my wife, I quickly told them I want their Cheeseburger Value Meal with an upgrade to large fries. The cashier sort of mirrored to me what I ordered but I didn't hear it the first time, so I said goodbye to my wife on the other end and verified with them what they were trying to tell me.

"Are you sure you want to have Cheeseburger Value Meal and not Burger McDo (which is of lesser value) instead?", one of the crews said, still flashing a seemingly painted on smile.

"You heard me right the first time", I said thinking they may be only offering it as they are maybe having a promotion with that Value Meal, "--I want Cheeseburger Value Meal with large fries and regular Coke."

Ever smiling, the other crew asked me again, "Are you sure you want large fries and not regular fries instead?", which ticked me right off. I demanded to speak to a supervisor or a manager, upon which they both have profusely began apologize to me.

"I don't know what's on both your minds or if you're insulting me", I said, "but let me just educate you that it is rude to offer a customer to downgrade from what they have originally ordered. If I were your supervisor, I would have terminated you from your job right there and then."

I'm not really the kind who discriminate on people, as we have been taught by our parents when we were young to be respectful of every single person we meet. Those people like the fast food crews from hell I just dealt with simply just makes me wonder what kind of parents they have had to have grown that way. Their parents couldn't have been any better, I think. It couldn't possibly for a reason that they were raised in a poor environment, as I have met people raised in slums but with utter respect towards others unlike these two.

This is not to rant because I have been insulted, I merely am just showing how people can be unwittingly rude because of their stupidity. Definitely, such a practice of offering a downgrade from what the customer originally asked is a big no-no in sales, even with food vendors that do have customers coming to them willingly. And, yes, even if they are as popular as Mc Donald's. This makes me wonder if these crews have been trained at all.

Similar thing happened to me with Jollibee in Farmer's Cubao some months ago. We were on our way home from visiting a relative in Laguna and decided to stop by in Cubao as it was already late to cook for dinner when we get home.

We ordered for two two-piece chicken meals with upsize Cokes. To our surprise, the cashier asked us-- "Do you want to have Sarsi instead (which is a cheaper cola drink), for you to make some savings?" I explained to then, apologetically even, that we both don't like the taste of Sarsi and confirmed with them I want to have Cokes with the meals. That said and done, they have issued us the receipt and they prepared our orders while waiting at the counter.

When they finally handed us our meals, we even thanked them as we're about to go to our table. As a habit, I normally first take a sip on a drink before having my first bite. I noticed the drink tasted different, so I took out the receipt to check on the drinks billed. It was, much to our dismay, a Sarsi. I hurried back to the counter and excused myself to the customer the cashier was attending to. I gave her the drinks and told her I did reiterate myself we wanted Coke and not Sarsi, then asked for her explanation why we ended up being served with Sarsi.

"Sir," she said, "we have billed you already for Sarsi, so we can't change it for you. We only did that because we though you may want to save some money."

I was fuming mad already, so I said, "Are you insulting me? And what right have you got to switch my preferences on me without informing me about it? Where is your supervisor?"
"Sir, she's on a meeting right now, I'm sorry," she said almost with teary eyes. "It will be taken against my pay if we change your drinks to Coke, sir, so if you please have pity."

"Well, to begin with, if you were not stupid enough to mess up my order, I wouldn't be demanding for you to change it back to what I wanted. I only will go if you change it to Coke. Or if you don't want to pay for it, get me your supervisor."

"Sir, we're not allowed to get our supervisor for such a petty complain," she retorted.

"You call insulting a customer a petty complain? It could cost you your job!", I was beginning to feel pity for her at this point. I paused for sometime to get composed. Indeed it may cost her the job if I push through with the complaint. Pulling myself together, I told her-- "Okay, let me pay for large Cokes and you go to hell with these drinks you have given us. But learn from this, you idiot-- do not discriminate your customers for they may be earning far more than even your manager on this site."

I did write Jollibee customer service about that incident, but they responded I need to provide them the official receipt, which I no longer have.

All in all, these things happened because they thought I could not afford to have those upgrades. Basically it is discrimination and maybe due to that I have darker skin tone than many here in Metro Manila. I could take indirect discrimination but not something as in-your-face as this. This strengthens further my observation that Filipinos are getting more and more stupid.

YES To Offshore BPO

US President-elect Obama have explicitly said in his speeches about his being against the offshore BPO industry. He view the industry to be anti-American as it provides employment opportunities to other countries instead of keeping it within the US soil. This pronouncements have sent ripples throughout the outsourcing world, especially in India, and have earned varying reactions ranging from concerns to affirmations.

For the past few weeks, I have been monitoring the situation and particularly am after the response of companies who outsource some aspects of their business offshore. None of them have issued a statement regarding Obama's apparent plan to give tax holidays only to companies who keep all their businesses and human resource needs within the US only. With the current economic condition of the United States, it is quite vague how the government can offer tax holidays; yet it still is something to ponder upon for those companies trying to project an image of being patriotic of sorts.

Well, tax holiday is not that big a break compared to how much these companies can save by outsourcing offshore. Definitely that is a huge factor to consider-- it is known that outsourcing offshore saves these companies at least half the cost of what they otherwise have to spend if they are to stay within the United States for the same services. The Obama administration will have to shell out something more than just tax holidays to entice these companies to return using services from within the US, such as lowering the minimum wage to compete with those offered in BPO giant India, or even the Philippines.

Another question to consider is will Americans be amenable to taking up such kinds of jobs, which they otherwise consider to be less desirable? Whether these companies admit it or not, the main attraction of outsourcing countries are that the human resource are more hospitable than Americans. Americans regards highly of themselves and would not take flak from say a customer raging about a service that was not much to their liking. Filipinos exudes in patience that they will try and continue working with a customer who's impossible to reason with even if the latter themselves have caused the trouble to begin with. Many Americans do consider working in a call center below their threshold, which on the other hand is the exact opposite here in the Philippines. Or at least this is the case for now.

Another thing that'll be hard to compete with offshore for the Americans is the persistence in the case of telemarketing services-- I have read somewhere that the main difference between American and Indian telemarketers is that it is hard to teach the former to at least give one rebuttal and the latter to stop after the third rebuttal. Teaching a certain demographic something it is not accustomed to can cost time and money as it can be likened to learning a new language, or even new culture altogether. It wouldn't be a good thing to invest to knowing that afterwards you still have to cover for higher salary standards.

All in all it boils down to that BPO caters to businesses, and business could only be mixed with so much politics and patriotism-- it still has to survive and be able to generate income. On top of priority of any business is to be able to operate at lesser cost and more returns. Such could not be sustained right now by opting to be inshore, it simply follows the logic of "a bird in hand is worth two in the bush"-- the infrastructure and skills are already set and running offshore, why risk on something you're not too sure about?

*picture taken from http://www.cca.com.ph/

The Manager (True-To-Life Series #1)

INTRO: Sometime ago, I have promised to create a series about how stupid Filipinos are becoming. Although I have not followed it up with any update yet, I have a few scenarios in mind I still am deciding whether it will be offensive to some people or not. With this entry, I am starting another series of, well, as the title bluntly suggests-- true-to-life stories.


Migrant workers have been one of the biggest revenue sources for the government. The word Filipino has become in fact synonymous to a person working outside of his native country. The major cause of this phenomenon is the lack of good-paying jobs available to skilled workers in the Philippines. In most cases those who are immigrating for jobs are parents who want to give better future to their children. This is the very case our story today is about.

I don't have the exact statistical figure to back this up, but it is largely known that OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) are mostly mothers working as domestic helps or as caregivers. Or at least this is the case I always know of. However, even as the mother works abroad and is earning decently, most of their husbands also do have jobs or a business they maintain in the Philippines.

Pat has been working as a domestic helper in Hong Kong for almost two decades already. At this rate, everyone may be thinking that her family could already be well-off financially, which is very not true. During her early years as an OFW, and that was shortly after getting married, she was able to put up an electro-plating business that her husband could manage while they still don't have a child. Her husband was a mechanical engineering undergraduate who have worked on the same line of business for some years. As the business took-off and they have started to get some profit out of it, Pat decided to end her contract with her employer to finally join her husband and start a family of their own.

Shortly after coming home, she became pregnant of their first child. It comes normal with most people, I think, that when you start to do well financially you become sort of extravagant not only yourself but to people around you as well. Elmo, Pat's husband, is fond of liquors and have developed a habit of giving drinking sessions to his employees and friends every single night. This habit took toll on the business and they have soon lost some important contacts and also began to loose money. All the while through her pregnancy, Pat have become wary of her husband's habit that have fueled many fights. The fights were not that violent, and in fact there never were bodily harms transpiring between them. Before the child was even due for birth, they have lost everything that they have ever owned, including the house and the business site leased to them.

The next several months, they have lived off the meager savings they have and renting a small apartment. Elmo, though, still is into the habit and have opted not to look for a job. A few months after she gave birth, Pat decided to go back to Hong Kong again to work, while Elmo stayed jobless with the reason that he has to take care of their child.

More than a decade passed and two more children later, Pat still is working in Hong Kong and have been buried in debts all over. Aside from her regular job, she maintain a semi-permanent job with a house-cleaning service agency, and she also during weekends collects aluminum soft drink cans at a park where Filipinos frequent. Finally, she decided to loan a big amount from a bank so they can put up a small restaurant; with hopes that in time she doesn't have to return to Hong Kong anymore. She have thought of this, with some encouragement from Elmo, as the latter is a good cook. They started off with a few tables and employing three people, while Elmo does most of the cooking and minding the cash register. Business was brisk for some months and they have decided to get three more people to run the restaurant.

Pat went home for a month for a vacation, and seeing that the business is doing well, she advised her employer in Hong Kong that she only will be finishing her next two-year contract and will be staying in the Philippines for good afterwards. The restaurant was earning enough to give her husband and three children a comfortable life; and the earnings she will have for her next contract will just be to pay off her loan from the bank, while the few extra sum will be for saving.

Three months into her new contract, Elmo informed Pat that the restaurant is loosing income and could use some funding to keep up. She readily sent some money to save the business as it was her only hope to finally stop working in another country and spend the rest of her time with her family. However, what was first a one-time rescue become frequent until she already could not pay back the loan. It turns out that two of her husband's brothers are now living at their house including their respective families. All of them have no job at all and have gone to live with their brother when they learned they were then doing well with the restaurant.

With too many people to support, the restaurant couldn't keep up with the demands and finally had to be closed. The two brothers and their families did move out afterwards, but Pat is back to square one and with a wealth of a loan to still pay for. Elmo have become so lazy that even the kids' school events that requires the presence of a parent he would ask for favor from Pat's kins. At times, also, Elmo would loan money from Pat's father but have not re-payed him knowing the old man wouldn't mind.

With too much burden in her hand, Pat called on her husband several times for help, but Elmo moronically reasons every time that the connection is bad and that he couldn't hear what she was saying. Pat have since then gave up on him and have got no choice but to shoulder everything, and leave her no good husband be as he want-- a slob. Her family has been advising her that she leave her husband and entrust the care of her children to Pat's father, but she opted to keep the family intact for the sake of the children. That option may be better for her, as it seemed the one who spends her earnings more is Elmo. The slob has since been called by Pat's kins as either "the mayor" or "the manager".

Pat, by the way, is my sister.

Megacity Of Decay

Yesterday afternoon, amidst heavy rain, two billboards collapsed on top of a bus terminal in Quezon City. This is with just a mild gust of wind. Some two years ago, there was a similar incident that claimed the life of a cab driver. The previous incident prompted the authorities to give directives to the public works department to check on the integrity of these colossal structures dotting the whole metropolis. Nothing was heard of a report about that directive or news of billboards being taken down in the last two years.

The last incident did not result in death, but several have been hurt and there was massive damage to private properties. The incident though leaves a big question about how safe these billboards are- as there are thousands and thousands of them all over Metro Manila alone, and there could be thousands more outside of the metropolis. That may be one freak accident and may happen only once in a while, but still that leaves a possibility of it happening again. Coming into consideration also would be that very often than not, these structures (or most other structures in the metropolis, for that matter- blame it on corruption in our system) are built using sub-standard materials and that most have been built sometime ago.

If you would look around this megacity, you would notice that many structures and buildings are quite old already. These posts danger to the citizens without a question as of course integrity of materials lowers as it ages. There are many buildings that are dilapidated and by international standards may be unfit for occupancy, and even some are dangerous to be close to for humans. Yet, these are still occupied and used. There has never been an incident before in the Philippines of a collapse of a building on its own without factors such as earthquakes or storms. However, it may only because we have been lucky so far and it will just be a matter of time before such a thing happens.

In the crossing between Ortigas and EDSA, just right across the POEA building, a massive hole has been dug for a building construction several years ago. The construction though was stopped when it was found that it was causing some problem to the foundations of the nearby elevated metro rail. The excavation was just a few feet away from the foundations of the rail system and just inches away from the curbside of the highway. It has been a source of anxiety for me every time I pass by the excavation on my commute to and from work, which is four or five times in a week. The hole has not been filled up back and has been widely agape for several years already. A wall made of G.I. sheet has been put up around the excavation to prevent any accidents of falling off into the hole, but it doesn't address the possibility of the sides of the excavation collapsing. If that would be the case, it could bring down with it a portion of the elevated rail system and the highway.

I tried to search for at least information about what are the steps taken or being taken by the government about such hazards in the metropolis, however I did not find any. With such a big risk to safety of the people, there should have been reports available to the public about government undertakings to tackle this issue. As if living with the constant threat of crime is still not enough, city life is further made stressful by these things that are otherwise resolvable.


Photo lifted from http://www.inquirer.net/

Chalk Works

Yesterday, to while the time away, me and my wife painted the chalk casts of Sesame Street characters we bought sometime ago in a flea market in Manila. The result is pictured above. They are not exactly works of arts- well, the casts are actually giveaways for a milk formula for toddlers on a promotion several months ago, and somehow the unused items must have been sold instead. Even the water colors that came in the boxes with the casts have dried-up and would not mix even with hot water. Nevertheless, it provided us a good time together at home and at the same time relieved me of stress from work (blame it on my new graveyard shift). It sure was a delight to see all three casts done well. The activity took no more than an hour to finish, but it was one quality time together that we could be reminded of everytime we see the casts. The only thing is that we couldn't get a cast of my favorite Sesame Street character- Elmo.

A THOUGHT ON A RAINY NIGHT

How come rainy nights makes your thoughts go wild? Last night it was raining hard and while my wife was still in the living room, I already was in bed trying to get myself to sleep as I have work tomorrow. I opened the windows so that I can listen to the sound of the rain to help me get sleepy. Various thoughts run into my head, and one got stuck.

Several years ago, my mother have just died then, I fell into a big depression and have sort of become a recluse. I just finished college then and was in the process of looking for a job. All the time I want to be by myself and I have avoided my friends altogether. My mother's death was such a major loss to me as I was the youngest; and, yes, I admit I am a mama's boy. Well, it can be said for both my parents as they do love me being their youngest child. To while away my time, I got into activities that will not require any companion, and one of them was fishing.

One early summer morning, I was inspecting my motorcycle for a fishing trip to the next town on one of my favorite spots. Our neighbor's son came up next to me watching me as I go about checking the motorcycle. He was a few years younger than I am, so I really am not very close to him despite being neighbors. All the while he kept asking me questions about where I will be doing and about fishing in general. As I was about to wrap up the inspection, he popped the question that I was afraid he was going to ask-- that if he can come with me. I thought he doesn't have classes as it was summer vacation, and I'm pretty sure his parents wouldn't mind. That was a start of a wonderful friendship that sadly only lasted about a couple of years.

We have grown so fond of each other that there isn't a day that passes that we don't spend at least a few hours together. That even during his school days. We are quite confident about our sexuality and I am sure it was not anything about romantic or sexual affection. It could be that I sort of have seen in him the youngest sib I never had; and in me hoe sort of have seen someone to emulate. He took after me not only the love for fishing but other things as well such as skateboarding, nature trekking, and even my passion for electronic music. Through him, I also began to mingle with neighborhood kids. Most of my neighborhood friends my age either already have families of their own and have moved out, or they have relocated somewhere else. That was the reason I don't have many friends in the neighborhood. I do have regular friends though and they always have been there for me all those times.

My neighbor friend however, who goes by the pet name of Tantan, has become almost like a next of kin to me. A little brother, even, which is closer than I could ever get with my friends. Almost the instance we became friends, he lifted me up away from depression and I have become more and more amicable and outgoing.

There was no permanent jobs available in the town then during the course of our friendship, and I hopped from one job to another. Then later I did land a semi-permanent job managing an internet cafe and as a resident dj for a club at night. Having these two jobs though took a toll on our friendship as I rarely have anymore time to spend with him. Soon after he just stopped seeing me and I have then moved out of our house to live on my own apartment near to my place of work. Still furthermore I then met my wife and we have decided to live together. I have completely forgotten about Tantan as we finally moved here in Metro Manila for my current job.

That was until last night. I was thinking if I have been a good friend to him. He helped me out of my depression and we shared so many good times together, and all I did was forget all about him in time. I don't even know where he is now or if he even got married already. I am prettty sure he already have finished schooling by now, or at least in his last years in college. I also don't know if he is already working or if his family still is living in the neighborhood.

Lookie, Lookie!

The trouble with life is that you eventually get old. The promise of fountain of youth of even the most expensive of creams and facial rituals simply cannot hold back the effects of gravity and time on your skin tissues. That unless you are willing to go under the knife and be immortally without age. Throw in stress and vices and you overtime get to look like your parents as you remember them when you were still a young child. It's not that I'm so vain I want to hold on to my youthful self for as long as I want. Simply, appearance does play a big role on how people perceive you these days when self-advertisement is all the rave. By the time you reach thirty you might as well be on your way to retirement in a few years and be a recluse hermit. Although I consider myself luckier than most of my bunch, all because compared to them I still am pretty much in better shape. Many people still say I look at least ten years younger than my real age. They even are suprised whenever I tell them my age, which is mid-30s already. Or at least this is true seeing me within a distance fit for a casual conversation. If they were a bit closer they would have found otherwise. Well, I think you can only do so much, including denial of real age that I seem to be on now, before this reality of life catches up to you. Or else you end being taken for a senile 40 year old.

MUSGLE

Not that I don't have respect for intellectual rights, but I do admit I am addicted to downloading music files from the internet for free. Rest assured though that if I do like the track I make sure i do get an original copy whether through download or a CD. Formerly I use P2P clients like Shareaza or Soulseek, but recently my computer has been acting up for the longest time and I am left with my phones only to connect to the internet. Luckily, I always get very fast connection from our house using Globe Telecom's 3G/HSDPA network. It is amazing to know that I am able to download at least five full tracks ranging from 3 to 7 megabytes in no more than 15 minutes.

 

There are a lot of ways you can download from the internet without using P2P clients. Mostly it is by using free online storage/file sharing sites such as 4Shared and eSnips, but it is a tedious process mostly and you are limited to only to that network's inventory. I have since found a site called Wuzam, which is able to pull a search online on these storage sites and file sharing networks and just simply list them on the search results. You can just then click to download the file. And then again there also are limitations to what Wuzam can find.

 

An online friend indirectly taught me a way to hack into sites using Google by just searching for media indeces with some codes that instructs the Google spider or search engine to look specifically for these indeces. These indeces are otherwise not available for public viewing as websites or webmasters simply choose to present them in more user-friendly interface rather than just bare texts. The codes are flexible so that you also can search for videos and others with specific file types.

 

While using the process one day, I found a site which offers exactly the same process without having to go through typing the search parameters or codes manually into the search field on Google. The site is called Musgle (www.musgle.com), and it does exactly what the search code do. For people like me who are not that good in computer logic it is a big convenience. The way I do it before I found this site is that I have manually configured the codes to look for specific file types, leaving just blank variables such as artist names or song titles, and saved them on an online note so that I can just copy and paste it on the search field. Although I have kept copies of the notes still, I have since used the site to pull the searches for me.

HOME SWEET HOME

With the daily rat race I am on, it is not very impossible to miss home. For all the two years I have lived here I still don't feel I'm cut out for the big city life. I miss the simple and laid back life at home. I don't know. Even back then I have never stopped working since after college, the same nine-hour jobs and sometimes even more, but still it seemed more tiring to work here in Metro Manila. I guess there really is no place like home.

True. My work here allowed me to earn more and acquire more material things; and my wife and I should be living comfortably now. There even was a thought before that in time we'd get over missing home, but I have seen otherwise with most people I know who have migrated and lived here from the countryside. There always will be a yearning to be home for at least a few days at a time.

It's not that we have never been home those past two years. I am allowed four weeks' worth of vacation each year by my employer and we have twice gone home for vacation since. The only reason I am a bit more missing home now is that because we have planned a vacation some three months ago, and the leave I filed at the office was not approved then. The next time I can file for a vacation will still be in December, which is still some months away, and still it is subject for approval. With each passing day I miss more and more the feeling of having white powdery sand in places I can't mention, the freshness of morning breeze, soaking away beneath a waterfall, trekking in forest and mountain trails, and eating my ever favorite home-made "suman sa ibos".

Those simple things that may not amount to any endearment or attachment to if you're back home are seemed the ones you tend to miss most. Even things as simple as your old house clothings and your favorite spot in the house-- when you're away it creates a huge gap that can't be filled in by anything else.

Well, you may argue that I should have stayed home instead if I didn't want to be away from them; take into account, however, the fact that there are more opportunities for financial and career growth in the big cities than in the countrysides. As for my case, the money I am earning now from my job is equal is a little less than the worth I am earning with my day and night jobs back home and also that of my wife's job altogether.

On my commute to work early this morning, the bus I am on was picking up passengers from the bus stop when I noticed this homeless man sitting in a corner with his belongings in two large bags. He seemed cold and hungry and was all grimy as you would expect from those living off the street. From his looks he seemed to be in his forties. As I do usually whenever I see homeless people, I felt very sorry for him. It came to my thought as the bus moved on that he could also from the countryside, like most people here in the metropolis, and also wanting to go home like me. He must have failed to make a success here and now is wanting to go home but have got no money.

Somehow, I though I should feel better having known that there are other people who are more unfortunate than I am. I simply don't have the time to go home, while others don't even have the money for it. Still I feel terrible and quite worried about the man. I should have boarded off the bus and at least bought him something to eat, or even a cup of hot coffee as he was cold. He sort of stirred something inside of me that makes me want to do something about people like him. I always have felt sorry for homeless people and have sworn that if only I am financially well-off I could have helped some. Our parents have taught us to always have respect for others and much more for others' dignity. Certainly, people who are living off the street must be feeling a bit less dignified than most other.

Stories of failure are very common in the big cities from those who came from the countryside for the proverbial greener pasture. There could be many of them who are stuck here and are without the financial capability to go home. Perhaps some have found a way to survive on their own, while some have already given up and went to live begging for alms on the streets. I can't picture myself in the same situation as I have a few relatives here who could readily assist me. During the whole commute to work, I kept my mind occupied on picturing myself in a similar situation. I came to a resolution that I should at least do something about it and make a campaign to help those people in need assistance to go home to their hometowns. For now I don't have the capabilities nor the time to devote myself in such a commitment, but I have since sworn to myself it will be one of my goals to learn and find ways to be able to help them in little ways. I'm starting it with this blog entry and I hope to write to foundations, television stations, politicians, and hopefully I also get to publish an article about this on a major newspaper.

Dead Tired

My wife is one of those people who couldn't exist a few minutes without doing anything. She has to have something to do or else she'd feel worried of not being useful enough. My mother is very much the same. I am not sure if it is hyper-activity or something that needs some kind of a professional attention. It is sometimes tiring just to see her go about as if everything are on same-day deadline. I just let her be, though, as it seems that it is the only way she can get fulfilled with day to day living- just like my mother then. At the end of each day, it is my pleasure to give her a gentle massage just as we are about to sleep, and tell her how lucky I feel to have her and her love.

PROOFS THAT FILIPINOS ARE GETTING MORE STUPID Part I

A few days ago, me and my wife are in Quiapo to buy pirated DVDs for our planned DVD marathon, since it was my restday. We normally just go for pirated DVDs and buy original compies if we end up liking the movie. It is a different story though with CDs, as I would prefer to buy original copies or download legally from the internet. We thought it was a novelty when we saw a stall selling full albums in micro-CDs only. So, we entered the stall and looked for artist that may be of interest. As it ususally goes, a saleslady approached to offer us assistance. "Ano'ng hanap nyo, sir? (What are you looking for, sir?)" I answered I'm interested in some electronic dance music like house or trance. The lady replied, "Meron kami dito, sir, Bob Marley (We have Bob Marley over here, sir)." Me and my wife chuckled, as we perfectly know that aside from the Club Remix of Sun Is Shining, Bob Marley has got nothing to do with dance music. I retorted to the lady exactly that information and further informed her that Bob Marley's music is called reggae, not electronic music. I also added that I wouldn't be much interested into Bob Marley as I already have most of his songs and that he has long been dead. Aghast, the saleslady said in Filipino- "What? Bob Marley is dead? Since when? Oh God, he is really a good singer!" We hurriedly left the stall. The lady even has dread locks and rasta-style shirt and hat on.

2- We live inside University of the Philippines campus (our landlady is a distant relative who is a university employee), so usually on my way home I get to ride jeepneys full of university students. The University of the Philippines is considered the county's premier higher education institution where the brightest of minds come to learn. One afternoon, I happen to be on a jeepney when a group of Korean tourists boarded accompanied by two university students. They must be giving the foreigners a tour, with the students, looking all smart and nerdy, giving them infos about the various places in the campus. Apparently, the ride was sort of a quick preview as they still will be given a tour of the campus on foot. When the jeepney stopped near the famous sunken garden to unload some passengers. One of the students took the opportunity to inform the tourists about it, and in full American accent said proudly-- "That is the UP Sunken Garden, it oftentimes is the venue for concerts or fairs held by the university. One quick fact about it-- it is called the Sunken Garden because it has been sinking for an average of a foot each year." I nearly fell off my seat upon hearing it. I mean, it could be sinking by the meters but certainly it wouldn't be called sunken garden because of that fact. Sunken gardens of course are an economical provision for a sort of open-air stadium and has been used from way back in history. We have a sunken garden in our university back in our province in Bicol and I know of at least ten more with their own sunken gardens, and then there are the famous sunken gardens like that in San Antonio in Texas, the one in UWA in Australia, there is one in the Olympic Green in Beijing, there are a few in New york, and many more. If they have been called sunken gardens because they are sinking, as the UP student claims, this should have been a phenomena worth of investigation by geologists. Apparently, the student from the premier university is dumb enough not to know this. I also have lived inside the campus for more than ten years and there is no indication it has sunk at least five feet.

3- Like most here in Metro Manila, I use the public transportation system to and from work, and it is air conditioned buses I mostly prefer. Due to the nature of my job, my schedules sometimes leave me with very little sleep and I use the opportunity to take a nap on the bus ride home. I do need to feel comfortable, that's the reason I choose to ride airconditioned buses, but usually I turn off the vent as it makes me hard to get some sleep. And then there are some stupid Filipinos who couldn't figure out how to turn off the vent and just direct it somewhere else, and worse they could direct it right in somebody's head. It happens every day and not just once but at leat three to four in every bus I get to ride everyday. I mean how simple could it be to figure that the know in the center of the vent is a way to regulate the flow of cold air on the vent. They were able to figure out how to redirect the vent, didn't they? Could it be that they really know how to turn it of and simply opted to just direct the vent to others? That's really idiotic. Don't they respect other people? Even to ask somebody if they want your aircon vent directed to them is idiotic, what more if you direct it to them without their permission? It's not rude, it's stupid. Any normal human being would know that you don't do to others what you don't want other do unto you. That's a basic ethical knowledge called the golden rule and regardless of race or religion every human being should know it. Are Filipinos really that stupid to not know about this?

That's it for the moment. I still have a few more proofs and am gathering more and I will be sure to post them here. If you are a Filipino, get a life or better yet some education! If you are from another country or another race, get as far away as you can from a Filipino or from the Philippines.

ACTIVISM IN THE PHILIPPINES

Okay, so we did succeed with a peaceful revolution-- or people power. Twice. And we are not content with it we still want to try and overthrow each and every administration with every single move they do? I think that's going over our heads. Filipinos have become so addicted on taking to streets whatever issue they can hurl at the government, disregarding the fact that everytime they do so will have adverse effect not only the image but the economy of the country as well. Thus, further making our lives in this country miserable.

ON WHY I HATE ROCK MUSIC

On my bus ride to work today I was seated opposite to this two friends who obviously are rockers, judging from their clothes, and sure enough they are talking about their music preference. You can blame me for being prejudiced, but from the way they talk and the words they use, even a kid can tell they both have nothing to speak of intellectually. They could well be typified like your neighborhood "taho" vendor. Well, I have seen the worst- like rugby boys in Cubao or Divisoria nodding to rock music, and "kargadors" as well.

It used to be that these kinds of people only listen to the likes of boybands or Filipino HipHop (looking the way of Salbakuta), even those old songs rolled into a medley with just one or two persons singing all throughout. And rock is reserved to those with enough intellect to understand what the bands are singing, at least literally. I admit I have been into rock music for the longest time. You can mention rock bands from way back AC/DC and Iron Maiden era to those of the recent years such as Incubus and Staind, and most likely I have got an album by them either on tape or CD. I grew up listening to rock music.

Somewhere along the way, around the time of Incubus and Limp Bizkit- the early 2000s, I just realized that I am sharing the same preference with most everyone else. I heard the errand boys at the grocery store near our home in Bicol listening to Linkin Park and System of a Down. I'm not being egocentric or something, but I do prefer things that are different from what everybody else has. Somebody suggested that this has been fueled by the proliferation of piracy, which opened the whole she-bang of options for music to those who previously are limited to, well, Salbakuta. So, damn the pirates. I do love downloading through the internet, though.

Along with rock, my other biggest music passion is electronic music. At around that very same time my love for rock is waning, I also am beginning to explore remixing and music production through computers. Well, to tell you the truth, I do dig most kinds of music from classical to pop standards to jazz-- the most extreme probably of which is my fascination for violins and bagpipes traditional music of the Irish and Scotts. Around the same time also, the opportunity to be a resident DJ for a local disco (club for us, westernized) opened up for me to explore further into electronic music by way of house music, and also into urban music. And me and my wife lived happily ever after.

Note: Thanks to http://www.shutterstock.com/ for the image

HUNGER

Last night we were watching a special on TV about the rising cost of the Philippine's staple food-- rice, and its effects to the poor in both the countryside and the major cities. The documentary was very effective in conveying the message to the world about how it has been a blow to most of our populace. We could not possibly remain apathetic anymore, there is no way we still can deny the fact that the country is in crisis. I have my own story to tell about this that have convinced me this is very serious matter.

A few days ago, I chose to ride non-airconditioned bus on my way home, which I thought I have never done so for sometime already; and I happened to be seated with a middle-aged man who apparently was coming home from work like me. I did not mind him at first, and I even was annoyed by how he smelled of sun-dried sweat. Shortly after paying for my fare, I fell asleep and slumped on the seat for sometime. I had my headset on and I was listening to my house music playlist on my phone.

The next time I opened my eyes I was a little less than an hour into the usual one and a half hour trip. The old man beside me was resting his forehead on the backrest of the seat in front of us. I stopped the music player on my phone and took off the headset. From the noise of the bus and those of the passengers, I can barely hear sobs in between heavy breaths. Looking out to see who it was, I found that it was the man beside me who was crying. I figured it will be nosy of me to ask him what is wrong, so I just put back on my headsets again and continued listening to music. This time though I just lowered the volume.

I felt quite uncomfortable having somebody beside me crying for reasons I don't know about. I am beginning to be more annoyed of the man as he could have kept whatever he is troubled of to himself until at least he gets home. But, no, here he is spilling his eyes out to the bewilderment of us around him. A lady who is seated with us in the row, pulled her guts to ask the old man what the problem was. The old man wiped his tears and said it is okay and not to worry. He then apologized saying he just couldn't help himself. He was holding a picture of a family-- with him as the father, his wife and three children.

I volunteered to the man that I may be able to extend to him whatever I can to help appease his emotions. He simply refused and said it is about his family and that he should deal with the problem himself. With a little more prodding, we finally got him to open up to us. Let us call him Larry; and he works in a construction site on a building within my office's block. He said that both he and his wife are working almost round the clock just to make ends meet. With the rapidly rising costs of living, he was fearful in time they will not be earning enough to have their children live comfortably. Larry also disclosed that without his wife's knowledge, he stopped having lunch at work for more than a month already just to save the money for their children.

It rained praises and sympathy on him, with some passengers offering a lunch treat for him. I myself was deeply moved by what I just learned. At home, we often have to throw out food that have long been in the fridge and at work I often just run to the nearest fastfood outlet on my lunch breaks, oblivious of people like Larry's family who are on the brink of having nothing to feed themselves with. Add to the fact that this man and his wife both have a job, how much more troubling can it be for those who are just living off the street? It seemed to me it will just be a matter of time, if this crisis escalates further, that we ourselves who are earning enough to some extent and for the time being will be affected.

I parted ways with Larry on my stop, and despite numerous refusal of taking a few bills I'm handing him out, I managed to slip some into his hands. Those, I said to him, are for his children. The next few hours, even as we are preparing for sleep, I couldn't help but be bothered. We were fortunate enough to still have food anytime we need some, and even throw out those we were not able to consume. And then there are those who barely even have a meal a day.

In the morning, as I prepare to go to work, my mind is firm on what I need to do. It may not put food in the mouths of those who need it most-- but at least this may help alleviate the crisis a bit. I will be advising everyone in the house and at work to just buy the food they can consume. That way, those that are later on just thrown out can instead be hopefully appropriated to those who need it most. On my part also, I will be skipping lunch from now on each working day in hope that this little way will help lessen the pressure on rice demand. Besides, even though I am still several pounds away from going over my recommended weight, I think I need to shed off some pounds.

MISSING NEMO

It has been almost five years already since his parents made the big decision of entrusting care of him to us. They were just starting their family then, and both his parents are saving up to be able to support the barely three month old Nemo then. They can't just yet afford to hire a nanny for him.

Me and my wife at the time was a little more than a year working out our relationship. As with a previous post, my wife have had two miscarriages in our first year together. We were not devastated then, as we have learned to trust whatever God has planned on us. Having Nemo though was sort of like a blessing to us.

Nemo's father is my nephew who is a year younger than I am. He worked then in Metro Manila as a junior engineer for a construction company. His mother, on the other hand, is an employee of the same company. As per the agreement we had, they werre to send support for Nemo every month as me and my wife also barely are making enough for our own living.

We were so delighted upon setting our eyes on Nemo. Yes, he was named after the animation character as he was born in the year the movie was shown (2003). The experience was the closest we had to being parents ourselves. It was quite a job, but we pulled through just fine, or some even say great. He stayed with us until before he turned a year old, and then returned to us for several months more shortly after his first birthday. When he was about three years old, his nanny left and he again lived with us for a month or so.

The good thing about Nemo is that eventhough we have taught him from the start who really his parents are, he always have treated as just the same as he does his parents. Well, sometimes even more, I should say. There are a few times his mother would get jealous when Nemo prefer our company during our visits after we have moved here in Metro Manila almost a couple of years ago. Also, that time when he returned to our care when he was three years old, he did not forget our names and have welcomed us as he would have when he was just a baby.

About three months ago, his father- my nephew, left for work in the middle east where he signed up for a two year contract. Nemo was growing and simply the family needed to generate more income to be able to support him. His mother is still working all these times and was not about to give up her career as well. Nemo had a nanny to take care of him whenever his parents are at work. Before his father left, they moved to a province next to Metro Manila where his mother enherited their old house.

Until this development, we used to be able to just visit Nemo at least once a month as they used to just be in the next city around thirty minutes away from where we live. For the last four months though, including the month before they transferred to the suburb, we have not been able to visit them. Although we are able to call Nemo on the phone, there is no replacement to paying him a visit and bringing him home with us for a day. Recently, also, we have opted to lessen the frequency of calls to him as he is beginning to beg for us to visit him. We ourselves are busy with our jobs, and being in the call center industry, our work shifts are not like those of traditional jobs. For example, my current rest day schedules are from Wednesday through Friday; wherein those days Nemo has school. The last time we called was about a week ago, and it was really hard to hear him cry on the other end begging for us to visit him.

His parents are good, and they always make it a point to give him quality time during weekends. It just so happens that Nemo considers us to be sort of second parents, and he probably needs affection from us too. We do miss him a lot too. The thing is that we just couldn't make time for him right now. With the company, I am allowed total of twenty days of paid vacation per year, but as of now I only have six left and I am saving five of those for our vacation in our province in December, and one day for emergency purposes.

Somehow, we may be able to workout a schedule by the coming week to finally come and visit him. However, it will just be a visit as it will be on a weekday and he won't be able to come back home with us. That poses another problem as he definitely would want to come home with us like he is used to whenever we visit him. We're willing to risk that and offer him anything to appease just to give him a visit and not to bring him home with us for a day.

Stormee Morning

One nice stormy morning, I went ahead to come to the office despite my wife pleading for me to call-in to advise the work force management I will not be able to come to work this morning. But then I gave my word to my supervisor yesterday I will report for work today. The company offered to reimburse me of my cab fare just for me to come to the office. I told them I don't need reimbursement as I can shoulder my own fare expenses, and that I only am worried about the weather I have to brave as the cab couldn't fetch me straight from my house. We live inside a university campus wherein many cab companies refuse to send out cabs for fetching passengers. The only option I seem to have is catch a passenger jeepney out of the university. So, on I went and risked my ass into the storm. Reaching the gas station outside the university I immediately saw a bus going my route, so I thought why not save the company from paying for my fare? Don't I deserve a commendation, PeopleSupport?

Holding On

It has been six years ago since my wife and I decided to build a life together. Life has been good and has provided us with everything we need and a few more. Although there is one thing more that we have not attained yet- that is to have a child. On our first year together, she got pregnant twice but had miscarriage on the second and third month, respectively. People around us, especially our immediate relatives, are quite alarmed that she never got pregnant again for the last five years. We couldn't blame them as we ourselves believe the clock is ticking on us, and add to it the fact that we have a huge age gap- at least ten years, with her being younger. However, we also firmly believe that if God don't see us fit to have a child yet, then so be it, and just the same if He decides for us not to have any children. At least we still have each other and have stood the test of time holding on to the promise we made then to ourselves- till death do us part.

FIRST LINE

I have started a blog about two months ago and promised on the posts that I will keep it running for sometime, unlike the countless blogs i have started before. But then, it met the same fate as the others; and worse, I even forgot the password I used with it.


Here I am, starting another, and hopefully this time I will keep it. Starting this blog has its significance to me because I am back to Blogger, who hosted my very first blog years ago; and I also have recently gone back to using Sony Ericsson phones after some years with either Nokia or Motorola. My new phone has direct acccess to Blogger, which I think now is standard with most SE phones, wherein I can upload pictures immediately as I shot them using the phone. With that convenience, I don't think I will have a lot more reason to keep this blog.



With this very first post, let me just give you the things you can expect from this blog. I am a recluse person and I mostly write random thoughts that cross my mind for the time being. Subjects could be anything from music to short stories. I will try to be candid or open with my emotions, as my wife is anything but techie, and I may write some things that she may be otherwise be indeffirent about, if she gets to read them. I care about here more than any other person, so her not knowing about this blog will give me so much freedom about my thoughts, for there are some things about me she'd better not know about-- some dark secrets that only a handful people and God Himself knows.



Here I am, blogosphere.