::: samahang walang sabado :::

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2010-12-22T00:38:00.000-08:00

Art by Marco, graphics by Leo.

The SWS-TAF friendship games

2010-10-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

The Asia Foundation (TAF) has been mother station's longest institutional partner, going way back in 1980's when TAF gave SWS its first grant.

In my career in social research, my most memorable and fulfilling projects had been with them.

After so many years working with TAF, it was good to see them -- for the first time -- in their sports attire, talk about something else aside from projects, and engage them in a friendly competition last Saturday at the Timberland Nature and Sports Club in San Mateo, Rizal.

TAF did well in the 3-on-3 basketball, free-throw and 3-point shootout, volleyball, and three-to-five-legged race, while SWS excelled in cheering competition, billiards, "going to market", tug-of-war, wall climbing, and pool relay.

By evening, we all shared that love for wine, beer, and videoke (and Glee! Haha!).

Cheers, TAF!

(Excerpts from my personal blog. Photo credits to Mae L.)

Merry christmas!

2009-12-16T01:48:00.000-08:00

Postcard design by Marco Mercado

Not ready

2009-11-12T05:54:00.000-08:00

The news has been out months ago: there will be no Christmas party this year.

No programme. No parlor games. No contests.

And most of all, no costumes.

Just merienda cena/dinner, drinks, and perhaps a little socials.

I was emotionally prepared for that. Marco can enjoy the title of supreme cosplay/costume guru without fear of any challenger this year.

Until Papa O called me for a meeting yesterday.

Agenda?

Mas-Mas Committee.

I guess there are those who are not ready just yet to let this year pass by without the traditional fanfare.

But will others be ready for it?

Will Techie make the cut, and prove that last year's second place was no fluke?

Abangan.

Always a reason

2009-02-16T00:48:00.000-08:00

I'd love to think that there's always a reason when things don't go as planned. It may not always be better than what's intended, but a good reason nonetheless.

When the much-awaited Puerto Gallera Techies trip failed to launch a few weeks ago despite careful planning, I was ready to believe there's a good reason why we're missing the chance to enjoy a relaxing weekend at the beach before the heart-attack pace of the year begins.

Thanks to the fun-loving souls who refused to let that Friday night pass by without something to make up for the lost Galera getaway, we ended up in Pork Barrel along Kalayaan Avenue.

The place may not have the sun, sand, and sea we long for, but it has good-looking service crew, nice drinking ambiance, and, as far as I know, the cheapest beer in that part of Sikatuna Village.

And for that few moments of transparency, I say the sun, sand, and sea can wait.

I'm sure we'll get that dream getaway, soon. Cheers!

Last look at 2008

2009-01-10T18:42:00.000-08:00

Excerpts from my post at my personal blogsite...

The days leading to Christmas were, as usual, toxic at the workplace.

It has always felt like we have to earn our vacation, and considering the length of the holiday break ahead and the deadlines that await us, it’s going to take a lot of work to earn this one.

But I was able to keep my flight schedule intact this time, thanks to everyone’s hard work (I believe we share the same plans of spending a worry-free vacation), and Joan, who booked our flights early on in September.

My sincerest thanks to the two new members of Techies who made our lives easier beginning second half of the year: Anne, for doing most -- if not all -- of the hard work in the project that is legendary for driving any Techie to the brink; and Liz, for taking some of the tech-related stuffs off my hands.

And thanks to Mae and Liz for the last two media releases of 2008 -- it felt good seeing the stories at the frontpage of newspapers that manage to reach our rural hometown.

Looking back at a not-so-good news...

The segment of the year-end report by a TV network featuring my discussion on one of the regular political survey findings of SWS was taken out by producer. About a week before the airing, she wrote me an email informing me about the omission, and apologizing for the inconvenience.

After three postponements in the taping (and the extra days I have to wear smart casuals haha), that 30-minute interview will never see the light of day. *sigh*

I'm just glad I haven't told my mother about the interview. She's got the most active "text life" I've ever seen for someone of her age -- she could spread the word to hundreds and hundreds of teachers and friends across the region in no time. *shudder*

Anyway, at least the public didn’t have to see my haggard face on TV. No amount of studio make-up could conceal the fatigue in my horrible mug back then.

I wasn’t the only one running short on spirit and temper – the pressure of deadlines was eating away at our reserves (pitpitan ng bayag, ‘ika nga), slowly dashing out my hopes of the Techies redeeming its glory at the Christmas Party Presentation Contest. Finding the time and the right mood (yes, mood!) for us to rehearse for the contest was almost impossible.

It’s been years since the Techies won the coveted title of being Champions in the Christmas Party Presentation Contest, with 2007 seeing our worst defeat by far: we ended in seventh place, out of seven competing groups.

Oh, the humiliation!

But my prayers were answered when somehow the Techies pulled off a decent number on the night of December 18, and ended up in second place, besting six other groups.

We’re not the champions, but it was more than I wished for. THANK YOU.

Thanks to this year’s Mas-Mas Committee – Anne, Ched, Liz, Micko, and Pierre – for putting together the party. Here’s wishing you all a fruitful and fulfilling time with the station.

Thanks to our surprise judges, Ate Ana and Diana. The outcome of the contest reminded me of what the competition was like when I joined the station waaay back: more than just dazzle, a presentation has to have substance.

And thanks to everyone for such a wonderful year, and for the equally great way to end it! The Best Costume award may have eluded me again, but at least I know better now than to choose a sidekick/bestfriend character to cosplay. Sanosuke Sagara is a fascinating character and definitely one of my favorites, but cosplaying someone who is barely known among the typical NGO crowd (trust me, I surveyed) was just not worth the trouble.

Next time, I'll stick to someone classic, maybe someone like Son Goku.

Cheers!

...SWS Techies Love SWS

2009-01-05T22:15:00.001-08:00

We Love SWS (The Techie Song)

We love the numbers, we love the percent sign.

We love statistics, and always asking “why”?

We love opinions, and their diversity.

Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada (2x)

We love the sampling, and all replacements.

We love to write the news, even on a weekend.

We love to work late, postponing all our dates

Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada (2x)

We love our Saturdays, working in the office.

We love to go fast, checking all the visuals.

We love the bowling sheet and all its craziness

Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada (2x)

We love tough projects that make us sweat and stink

We love rough clients that take us to the brink

We love the whole world of research and survey work

Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada (2x)

We love to run fast, from here to MM’s room

We love adventure, beating all those deadlines blue

We love FGDs, here, there and everywhere

Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada (2x)

We love respondents who get the questions right

We love the DP and their accuracy

We love the data hiding in the library

Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada (2x)

We love the Admin and all their money

We love the field group and all their bravery

We love the Admin boys and their rush delivery

Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada (2x)

We love Gerardo but we call him Super Jay

We love Tita Da and her pep talks in our heads

We love MM and his urgent requests

Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada (2x)

We love the tough jobs

We love the color blue (isda)

We love survey work

We owe it all to you

Survey world is awesome

That we’re discovering

We love the survey world its a brilliant world

Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada Boom-deyada (2x)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2008-12-26T19:21:00.000-08:00

A month before Christmas, I again spent days after agonizing days of designing the official postcard for the stations.

It's not that I am running out of ideas, but creativity was so hard to come by when you're swamped with a hundred other things to worry about (yeah right. Excuses!).

This year's SWS postcard underwent the most toxic process of revisions I've ever had since I volunteered to do this annual tradition, and all those effort doesn't even show in the final product.

But the whole process reminded me of the things to be thankful for, and ultimately the postcard carried the question that sums up all we've been wanting to say (or rather, ask):

What is the best Christmas gift you have ever received?

Here's what our kababayans answered.

Mine's the gift of life and love.

And just recently... forgiveness.

The year 2008 has been one that makes us appreciate every little blessing that comes our way. Every single lull in between problems, every little good thing -- is a gift that makes up the many best gifts this year.

What's yours?

Wishing everyone a safe, happy, and healthy year ahead.

Fade

2008-12-11T17:54:00.000-08:00

The glory of redemption flashed before my eyes...

Then slowly fade.

Swet, I don't want to end up seventh again.

Again

2008-12-02T07:51:00.000-08:00

Here I go again, begging the stars for inspiration. That the cosmos grant me just a little bit of creativity to get through this.

It's that time of the year again when we have to defy spatial laws, and fit thirty-plus faces in a half-letter sized postcard.

The quest for this year's SWS Christmas card is on.

I hope the smiley in the night sky brings forth ideas.

Time is running out.

Kaya kami pollsters...

2008-11-07T00:42:00.000-08:00

dahil siguro magaling kaming magtanong, makinig, at mag-analyze.

But we're not PR specialists or sales executives which, more or less, involve persuasion, selling, campaigning, among others.

Bakit ko ba naisip ito?

Bago nag-RnR sa Laguna hot springs (blog on this to follow!) about two weeks ago, nalaman ko na meditation session pala ang gustong i-promote ng mga nasa nakatataas (i.e., the VP and the HR).

Pero anong nangyari? Dahil naniniwala kami sa democracy, nag-offer ng isa pang activity para may mapag-pilian ang mga tao.

Ang second option? Hot springs.

Hot springs!

What do you expect people will choose?

Anyway, moving on...

Ngayon, theme naman ng christmas party ang pinag-pipilian.

Ang mga bagong staffs ang bumubuo ng Mas-Mas Committee, at sa tuwing christmas season, itong ang pinaka-makapangyarihang kumite.

In short, ito lang ang kaisa-isang pagkakataon na sunud-sunuran kaming lahat sa gustong mangyari ng mga baguhang staffs. Sabi nga noon ni Papa Bear, "Make it good, guys, this is the only time you could make us do anything."

Pero democratic process pa rin syempre -- kailangang may botohan.

Ang Mas-Mas Comm ay may pet and preferred theme: "MTV Becoming".

Personally, I think it's an awesome theme, at suportado ko sila sa ideya nilang iyon.

At mukhang okay rin ang mga lumalabas na other options: red carpet, masquerade, and others that are of similar complexity, difficulty, and challenge-factor.

But when the routing slip came to me, I died...

Someone placed "Sporty" as one of the options, and it's getting most of the freakin' votes.

Okay na yung iba options: Anime, Masquerade, Arabian Nights, and Animal Costume, eh. But... Sporty?

Oh well.

As I said, we're not very good at selling or promoting an idea.

Pero dahil personally ay hindi ako sold sa ideya na Sporty ang mananalong theme, gumawa ako ng maliit na campaign para sa aking napipisil na theme (see flyer below).

Good luck na lang. ^^ Balita ko puspusan din ang kampanya ng Field para sa "Arabian Nights".

....whois drunk

2008-10-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

office. 12.12 am on my pc clock.

anyone who did not have anything rush rush to do can go home 2 pm. -- thai is anytone but techies, and admin and jeanette and her minions, namely marco and the newbie techie/admin liza.

immediately after 6 pm. the tequilla suddenly found its way on the white table....with the lime following closely.

leo took the 1st 2 shots.

then mae decided to join leo. d along withb leo raided mm's fridge for some food, and the admon kitchen for drinking paraphernalia, like knife for the lime and some "pulutan".

more tequilla.

relatively new tecghie anne was coaxed to take her first sip of tequilla, ever.

and then more tequilla.

more stories...and firstr impressions from anne.

more tequilla..

mear was watchingbth tye telen0vela by abc-cbn.

more tequilla.

and stories about you-know-who and the old guy with the pinkhhj nipples came out flowing

more tequilla. thank not it's cuervo and not the damnable "mojitos"

more stories to share -- who can master whom? who;s more likely to leave when-not if but when? thankfully, not who's heavier, or who's more drunj.

more tequilla.

with chips and pancit canton in between.

more tequilla.

and then the worlddf syarted to swirld.

as in seeing anything and everyone in double vision.

more tequilla.

more stories.

and then the reklativelty newbie anne started to call the "uwak" somewhere around the tech cr.

no more tequilla.

t5hanks to mear, the only one sober to call mcdo for some food...actually the one sober to look after 3 people who consumed about 300 ml each of ci\uervo tequilla, with 38 percent alcohol volume.

no more tequilla..

anne's asleep...and her beloved sergey's suddenly oneline @ ym.

what shouuld 2 drunk techies tell ajother drunk techies' sigfnificant other? -- that she forgot to log-out- that's safer.

no more tequilla

leo's drunk.

mae's dizzy and about to call the "uwak"

sustenance finally arrived.

thanks mear.

anne's drunk to the world, dead asleep.

leo's drunk.

i amm drunk. and i'm blogging...and i can't even spell correctyklyu...who cares..i'm drunk...that's a valid excuse, right?

all thanks to jose 1+liter of jose cuevo..that's about 300 ml of tequilla each for the 3 of us.

god, please no hang-over the next daty.

Happy 23!

2008-08-10T04:06:00.000-07:00

A staffer from a major broadsheet called last Thursday asking me for a one-liner about why surveys are important.

I declined and told her, “For a question as significant as that, I might give an answer lesser than what has already been written, emphasized, and told many times over by Dr. M.”

“Tama ka,” she said, “he is, as far as we all know, the one who fought the hardest for survey freedom. I better try and ask him.”

“Before you call him, read this first,” directing her to the link.

I suggest we all read it, too, again. ^ ^

***

Last Aug. 8 marked the 23rd birthday of the stations, and celebrated it with the traditional pictorials (oh yeah! It’s always fun sitting and waiting under the hot sun for that precious picture-perfect moment), a simple salo-salo, and whatever program our beloved HR can think of.

That “whatever” was handed down to me last, last Friday – a week before the anniversary – while we were all neck-deep with all sorts of deadlines and reports.

A video presentation, she said, something just like the 20th, but this time focusing on the people.

I was staring at her blankly. ”Do you know how long it took me to do that eeny-weeny, little show? Weeks! With an ‘s’!”

But hey, it’s the anniversary. Why not give it a shot like we always do?

And so the little show was slapped together, presented, applauded, protested, criticized, and is now back in my hands for improvements.

At least now I have 18 calendar days to do it.

The most common comment about the show?

Not enough old pictures.

I agree.

Sometimes we have to look back and remind ourselves where we came from, and why we are here in the first place.

Happy 23rd birthday, Mother Stations! Cheers to us all who are, and have been, part of it.

A visit to Coolwaves

2008-05-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

Just when my love for hard drinks was about to be resurrected, along came this so-called tequila to shoot it down and bury it back six feet under.

Here's a shot of the teh-killah that killed us all.

A closer inspection of the label would show that agave is not even in the ingredients.

Anyway, we were in Coolwaves, Bulacan sometime first week of April not to kill our brains cells but to spend some quality time with Lynn who, as of blog time, is now with her hubby in Australia.

It was an evening trip from SWS office in Quezon City to Bulacan (thanks to Ar and Ahmed for the ride) which showcased the outstanding tracking and guiding skills of Vlad, who was then on a separate trip with his wife, in-laws, etc.

With Mike describing our whereabouts through the cellphone, Vlad was able to track us down and finally tailgate us along NLEX. I say it was an amazing feat, considering how heavy the traffic was in that area.

Getting to the resort was a bit tricky (watch for the flags, said Vlad), especially at night. When we got there, the place was so packed it took Mae a while to bag a cozy room for all seven of us.

Lynn did a great job of concealing the bottled goodies in her bags by covering them with uhm swimwear and undies. I guess they were effective barriers against the security guard's poking stick. Peace, Lynn!

The guard did let the harmless-looking local wine through without corkage fee. How kind of him.

And so we drank, ate barbeque, and talked about Lynn's life in SWS.

I blacked out on my nth shot of teh-killah. Shucks, I was hoping to see Lynn cry before I crash, but no -- I was never built for hard drinks, much more for killer teh-killahs.

Maybe the other Techies could fill-in the gap in the story. I was just told the next morning that everyone else took a dip at one the pools while I lie wasted on the bed.

I woke up with a nasty headache and no recollection of how I ended up in bed. This worried me a lot, knowing I have done really stupid things in the past after having too much liquor. It was a relief to be told later that I went to bed quietly and just blacked out.

Everyone who've had the teh-killah suffered major headache that morning.

The resort's main attraction is the artificial waves which, unfortunately, never happened during our stay.

The resort staffs kept telling us, "Ayan na. Paaandarin na." Pero namuti na ang mata at nangulubot na ang balat namin sa kahihintay, walang tinamaan ng kulog na waves.

But hey, forget about the non-existent waves and the killer tequila. It is a nice place, and it's the people around you that makes it better.

Cheers!

And all the best to you, Lynn!

WANTED: Ice Cream

2008-02-29T02:45:00.000-08:00

The Birthday Ice Cream, February 28, 2008, 24 days after my actual 23rd birthday:

Double Dutch yum yum :) Unfortunately, we didn't know that it contains peanuts and almonds. Too bad for Vlad, a fervent lobbyist for the ice cream since my birthday, who can't eat anything with peanuts/almonds because of his gout problem :(

WANTED: ICE CREAM

2008-02-06T00:12:00.000-08:00

-----
From VLAD2 To 15:58.19, wed 06

ICE CREAM SA MINI STOP
Sa ganitong mainit na araw
Ice cream ang masarap kaulayaw
Sa nakaraang nag-birthday
Ikaw huwag malumbay
Dahil ang ice cream sa mini stop ay mura lang
At hatid nito'y saya sa bawat nilalang
Kung kaya't sa iyong bulsa ay dumukot
Upang mawala na itong ating pagkabagot

p.s.

samahan mo pa ng song and dance number, baka magpabili na ako ng icre cream...

mae

Checklist

2008-02-04T22:53:00.000-08:00

... lambanog, sandals, batteries, insect repellant, hard-boiled egg, eaji, spam, camera, vodka, adobo, kumot, paalam sa misis, bus tickets, jacket, bigas, social obligations, ahit ng balbas, spooning, panlaban sa lamig, bomika, flush toilet, nilagang aso, yakap, shotgun, sunblock, bonfire, charger, palay...

The Techies are up to something...

Abangan!

Almost famous in December

2007-12-22T04:19:00.000-08:00

The office Christmas party is considered by the staffs as that single day of the year when everyone can drop everything, let loose and let go, and be anyone you want to be -- just for one evening.

And this year's theme pretty much gives everyone a shot at their most cherished fantasies: "Famous Movies".

Shown in the photo, from left to right:

Papa Bear, as Indiana Jones Sr. The props: leather cowboy hat and a real rope-whip. Good thing he never carries that thing around the Tech area. Imagine this: "Mike, I need that sampling! Hwabish! Leo, where's that media release? Hwooopak!!"

Ooooohh! *shudder* Just kidding! ^^

Mae, as Hermione Granger. The props: a witch's hat made by Ramon, a necktie, a toga, and a wand. Wingardium Leviosa!

Mike, as the rock and rollin' Dewey Finn of the movie School of Rock. The props: plaid shirt, denim jeans, and his very own electric guitar. Melt their faces, man!

Ramon, as the legendary ninja. The props: a complete ninja suit! and a black short staff as sword. You sneaky, sneaky you.

Mear, Lara Croft. The props: all-black kick-ass outfit, leather belts, pistols, and the hairdo that completes that Lara-look.

I came as Eric Draven from the movie The Crow. The props: improvised trenchcoat, all-black outfit, black straps, ropes, a wig, and dog chains. Thanks to Joan for my make-up. ^^

Vlad, as the late Arturo "Bomber" Moran, a huge (literally) villain who was a favorite cast in the 80s to 2002-something Pinoy action-comedy films, best known for his brand of portraying "kontrabidang palpak".

Over half of the staff came as witches from Hogwarts, an evidence maybe of the film's recent hit. The talented Marco put his skills to use and came as Optimus Prime, with armors made of old vertical file boxes and used cardboards (given the chance, I'd award him the Most Environment-Friendly Costume).

The most daring costume would be that of our Field Anchor, Con, who came as Tinkerbell. I need not describe this one. Vegetable salad, anyone?

More about the Mother Station christmas party in the next post! Happy holidays!

Game na!

2007-12-13T20:19:00.000-08:00

Before everyone gets busy with the holidays, let us pause to remember that just this Tuesday, December 11, at 11:30am, time and work stopped at Mother Station. For half an hour, history unfolded as all staff gathered in one room, watched in one TV, and shouted in one voice...

"Go Lynn!"

There she was, on a primetime TV game show -- beaming, vibrant, and seemingly heavier by ten pounds (TV always does that to anyone, they say, so no worries) -- poised to conquer nine other contestants for that coveted cash price and the chance to be lead dancer of "Papaya".

How many of us know which of the first ten words of the song, "Pangako sa 'yo", starts with the letter "N"? Not me, that's for sure, nor anyone of us watching at that time. But, with a fluid swipe at the sensor (or was she just trying to fix her clothes?), Lynn nailed this question to be the very first contestant to leave the elimination round and rise to the next level.

And be the first to be interviewed by the game show host.

The exchange was a blur, but I've never seen the host so star-struck. Way to go Lynn! Haha!

The next level features the "atras-abante" maneuvers. While she was overshadowed by two married contestants and got the nasty "atras" from a gasoline shop crew, Lynn showed a stellar performance by answering the trickiest of questions ("Ano ang tawag sa nakababatang kapatid na lalaki ng iyong Lola?") and showing compassion to fellow contestants (by not using her "Atras" powers).

Cheers to you, Lynn! Congrats for your winnings! And thanks for the blowout (hindi yata lahat nakakain. Isa na ako doon)! The Techies are so proud of you! ^^

Happy!

2007-12-04T00:14:00.000-08:00

The age-old tradition that is the SWS Christmas card just had a breath of fresh talent.

Behold, (drum roll) the art of Marco.

This year we are sharing a question, which personally I think is quite apt amid the turbulent times:

Sa pangkalahatan, masasabi po ba ninyo na ang inyong Pasko ngayong taon ay magiging..? [On the whole, would you say that your Christmas this year will be..?] (Masaya [Happy] code 1, Malungkot [Sad] code 2, Hindi masaya at hindi rin malungkot [Not happy and not sad] code 3)

Wishing everyone a code 1 Christmas 2007!
Maligayang Pasko at
Manigong Bagong Taon 2008!

Telephone Toughie

2007-07-26T01:09:00.000-07:00

Another classic "Lynn moment"...

(Phone rings incessantly. Lynn rushes to her table to pick it up.)

Lynn: "HELLO! SINO 'TO?!!"

(A few seconds of silence.)

Lynn: "Hi Sir..."

Lessons:

- When inside the office, never EVER think, even for a second, that you will not get a call from your boss.

- You only need to remember two voices in the office: 1) your boss' and 2) that of others. You could forget the latter, but the former you must be able to distinguish down to the most minute tone and timbre, in all conditions (imagine choppy cellphone signal and barely audible murmur) and at all times (short of becoming a pre-cog like Vlad who could predict Papa Bear's calls with 99% accuracy).

And so ends the story of Telephone Toughie Lynn. ^ ^

Richie and Lynn Nuptial, March 18, 2007

2007-03-20T02:10:00.000-07:00

Congratulations and best wishes, Lynn and Richie!

Hope!

2006-12-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

Always with HOPE! Ü

Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon sa lahat!

...CAN I GO NOW?

2006-12-04T03:07:00.000-08:00

...another meeting with You-Know-Who

...another reminder that we are "inefficient"

...another reminder that we are not "proactive enough"

...another reminder that we are but their minions, their underlings they can just boss around (although it has been said over and over again that "we don't have a boss here")

...another reminder that if we do our work efficiently and submit the deliverables on time (plus do the "value-added extras"), we don't have to do overtime....

...what the F#*k?!? do you think we enjoy doing unpaid (and unappreciated) OVERTIME?

you give us so many things to do, and yet we only have 8 hours to work...you expect so much of us, and yet you're not giving us enough in return....we try to meet our expectations, and yet, naturally and unsurprisingly, we are always found wanting...yes, you do appreciate our value in this organization, and yet you don't really, really, really give us enough value for the work we are doing....................

i never really appreciated the lyrics of this song until this morning's meeting with You-Know-Who...was singing this on my head all throughout the meeting...

"Can I Go Now"

What's the point of trying to meet you in the middle

You got your point of view

There's nothing I can do

Can't change your mind

Can't leave it all behind

You're living in the past

We talk and talk

This goes on for hours

About how I should be

Why is it all meDon't wanna fight

Don't wanna waste my time

Baby this can't last

I'm moving on, moving on

[Chorus:]Can I go now

Say what you have to say

Happy you've got your way

There's nothing to discuss

Can I go now

Giving your point of view

Say what you wanted too

What's the point in us

Can I go now

Oh say what you have to say

Happy you've got your way

What's there to discuss

What's the point of trying to reach a compromise

When you're the judge and jury

What's the story

I can't make you see that I'm not always wrong

I can't make you right

It's time to move on

I'm moving on

Tell me what's the point of all this

Talk, talk, talk, talk

We could go day and night

Still wouldn't make it right

Can I go nowSay what you have to say

Happy you've got your wayThere's nothing to discuss

Can I go nowYou're giving your point of view

Say what you wanted too

What's the point in us

Can I go nowI'll be on my way

Let's call it a day

Can I go now?

Now, why don't you let it go

Can I go now?

techies.....any volunteer/s?

2006-11-07T02:46:00.000-08:00

Pics (not THAT pics)

2006-11-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

Hi! It's been a while, but here are some pictures taken last June 28, 2006...

Our wedding photos, in their initial layout, courtesy of Ariel Javelosa.

Take care, everyone!

marcus andre g. velante

2006-11-02T01:57:00.000-08:00

...

2006-10-30T03:43:00.000-08:00

to...

SAMAHANG WALANG SABADO
SLAVES WITHOUT SALARIES
SAMAHANG WALANG SLEEP
SAMAHANG WALANG SINASANTO

....i wish i knew how to quit you

Legacy

2006-10-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

(just a quick sharing. some might remember this word as clearly as we know the "eff" word today. Ü)

Last night the night lamp in our living room burned unusually bright. It was so bright we didn't have to use the two other lamps to light up the rest of the apartment's first level.

This morning we found the lamp's bulb busted -- its glass burned black and broken.

Burned out...

"At least it went out in a blaze of glory," I told my wife, "now THAT's a great way to go."

The lowly bulb became the apartment's brightest star, even for just one night, leaving a legacy that earned it a few seconds of conversation over breakfast.

The same phenomenon happens in watch batteries. Their dying moments are usually heralded by the crazy speed of the watch's second hand.

It happens to people, too.

That yearning to stand out and shine, and to perform with unusual enthusiasm and efficiency, in an attempt to leave behind a legacy...

Before they go.

I believe that's the ideal scenario. It may be hard for most of us, and oftentimes it is exactly what's keeping us where we are despite years of planning to move on.

Here's praying that we all leave behind a legacy...

Before we go.

We may not be successful, but at least we tried.

BUUUSSSSEEEEEEET!!!!!

2006-07-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

that was the first word that came to my mind (and, no doubt, to other techies, too) the instant i heard the sound of the vacuum cleaner, at 10:30 in the morning, when all the techies are busy working and that the last thing they would want to hear (aside from MM's [techie], please come over...) is the noise created by a vacuum cleaner!!!!!!!!

i mean, does HE have to do THAT during office hours? is he so s-t-u-p-i-d to notice that we are busy working, too? okay, so he was just doing his job. BUT, can't he do that when no one is around the tech area, maybe before 9 am, so he would have the liberty to vacuum around?????
.....

2006-06-29T03:34:00.000-07:00

28 June 2006

Congratulations Leo and Joan!!!

Hope to see baby leos and joans soon
*wink*wink*

The call...

2006-06-08T03:59:00.000-07:00

To those who read my other blog, this may help put things in perspective. ---> Remember this?

It’s over.

My officemate for over six or seven years (darn, I can’t even remember), my housemate for over two years... a big bro, tatay, and lolo to most of his friends...

He passed away this afternoon...

I received the call in the middle of a project meeting.

It was our boss.

Normally he wouldn’t do that – to call us knowing we are in a meeting.

He asked me to pass the phone to our project director, who was speaking at that time. In a hushed voice, she told me that she has been ignoring her phone ringing repeatedly in her pocket.

But his request was firm, and I have no choice but to interrupt our director, and hand her my phone.

The gasp and panicked voice made almost everyone turn from the meeting table. Judging from her expression, whatever our boss was telling her, it was bad.

Really bad.

When she walked back to the table, she first apologized and broke the news to everyone.

Our Senior Programmer passed away.

Condolences were extended, and the meeting have to go on.

It was hard... To not to shed a tear in front of the meeting. I wanted to break something. Anything.

But I can't.

Under the table, my hand were shaking, and I cannot understand half of what was being discussed.

Darn you!

Darn you! We were playing billiards just last week, you stubborn ox, and not even our bosses could make you put down that freakin’ bottle of beer.

Damn damn damn damn!

Shit.

Sigh...

Peace, King Tot.

Wherever you are, I’m sure you are in a better place.

I’ll dedicate my first bottle of beer to you.

Cheers!

And I'm not done writing about you just yet. More to follow.

...

2006-05-11T22:13:00.000-07:00

aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
ggggggggggggggggg
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

A week after "grand eviction"

2006-05-05T02:51:00.000-07:00

Grabe, tagal ding walang update dito ah.

A repost...

Last April 28 was “grand eviction day” at Kampo.

Kampo is the apartment my housemates and I that have been renting for over two years. The place is near a police camp, thus the nickname.

My fiancee, who found the place in the classified ads, referred it to us in July 2003. By August 2003, five housemates moved in. In a span of over two years, the original five has come down to three.

After the grand eviction, Kampo is left with one housemate – me.

The grand eviction was nothing like Pinoy Big Brother, where housemates get evicted for violations, tactical nominations, and text voting. It was a favor I’ve asked of my now former housemates: that I get to solo Kampo two months before my wedding.

They agreed, and for this I owe them big time.

And so with some beer, Mike’s pasta, and some officemates, we celebrated our last night as housemates. Salamat sa inyo, ‘dre. Tandaan n'yo na laging bukas ang Kampo sa inyo at lahat ng Tetcheeze, anumang oras. Wag n’yong kalimutang magdala ng beer (Hehe. Joke lang). ^^

That night also marked the end of my lifestyle of co-habitation.

For the longest time, I’ve spent my life living with people outside of my family, in places dictated by my choice of educational institution and, eventually, workplace -- a typical lifestyle of a promdi whose permanent address doesn’t even have a street number.

It’s been a week now since I had Kampo for myself. It’s almost surreal. I’ve forgotten the freedom of living in a space that’s totally your own.

Absolute silence and darkness suddenly became things that I command and control, not just something I wish for. Time, for a while, became obscure with the sudden disappearance of other people’s rituals (that explains my sudden tardiness at the office).

I’ll be enjoying these rare, small moments for two months.

One of the tequilla fridays at Kampo. (l-r) penn, vlad, rubs, ai, mae, mike, mear, lynn, mage, and lei.
(Note: Kampo housemates)

weekend blues

2006-01-12T20:41:00.000-08:00

Random thoughts for my weekend wish list:

Friday
Ka Bero's BBQ
Jollibee 2pc. chicken with extra gravy
Mochablends
Last full show
Tapa King

Saturday
Jollibee longanisa meal
Beach house
Isaw
Kwek Kwek/Tukneneng sa Philcoa
Window shopping sa SM
Chowking halo-halo
Eastwood

Sunday
Sleep-in
Pancake House
Mass
Max's Fried Chicken

Sarap talaga sa Pinas!

Twilight Zone

2006-01-05T00:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday...

Pusang ginisa!

Am I in the right office?

Fresh from Pier 15 of South Harbor (in other words, gusut-gusot at amoy kalye), I walked into an office that looked like mother station, all fired up to start my year right.

But wait!

Mukhang may kakaiba.

Madam Modela looks fine, as always, but Jenergizer looks even better!

And that's not all!

May dumaan na sa biglang-tingin ay kamukha ni Gwapong Kuya Mike -- pero japorms, naka-corporate look.

Hinabol ko yung kamukha ni GKM para makasiguro.

And guess what?

You're right!

Hindi siya.

*Joke lang*

It's GKM!!!

OMG.

Everybody's in corporate attire.

Off the hook!

Tapos nabalitaan kong nag-flag ceremony nung Monday.

Kewl!

May flag retreat kaya?

Rediscover

2005-12-21T16:29:00.000-08:00

The crudely handwritten memo posted at mother station's pantry says:

"Because we conserved energy, use microwave on lunchtime only."

That piece of paper never failed to get my attention, even in my half-awake state, every time I fill my half-liter mug with good ol' Mr. Fixit's batangas brew.

It's been there since we came down from Tagaytay last December 15 to discover the meaning of "rediscover".

Memo Master strikes again, and he's getting good at it -- spurred perhaps by the rediscovery sessions where he made sure everyone is reminded how important and hardworking he is (it's probably a gift to be able do that with uncanny ease).

Everytime I fill my coffee mug, I kept thinking if King Tot would have ripped that memo to shreds by now. I guess I'll find out as soon as he recovers from his tryst with pneumonia.

Po*@#, anong gagawin namin pag late kaming kakain? Ipitin sa kili-kili ang ulam? I could almost hear King Tot saying.

But the memo stays posted. I guess it has its purpose.

For me, it's a reminder that such attempt to appear efficient could never replace genuine dedication to continue helping and improving the mother station. It's a reminder, perhaps, to look at my self as well and see my own shortcomings.

Genuine dedication, I believe, is the reason why the office pantry has freshly brewed coffee at 8:30 in the morning without fail for the past 20 years.

Looking back at the whole rediscovery exercise, I say Brother Sangre could not have chosen a more appropriate prayer for it:

"Lord, grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things that I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference."

...mumblings

2005-12-12T00:59:00.000-08:00

...it's so irritating and annoying when you cannot finish what you have do because you're doing something someone is supposed to do....yes, i'm complaining...BUT, do i have a choice? can i say no, for once?

Faces

2005-11-17T19:06:00.000-08:00

My dream of passing the creative torch to the new-bloods died yet another painful death this year, and the task of designing the station's christmas card falls on my lap, again.

It all started when I heard the station wishing for a more personalized greeting card to replace the UNICEF cards it customarily gave out on Christmas. In between research work, I played with Photoshop and Pagemaker, and submitted my first design.

It got approved (aha, madali palang i-please mga tao dito. haha!), marking my first break into (extremely) amateur graphics design, and my unofficial designation as the station's designs/layout artist. It was only a few years ago when my job description got revised to include those functions.

The task gets gruelling each year: now I have to fit 43 people into a half-letter size postcard while trying to make it pass for a decent greeting card. The pictorials get more complicated (thus messier), the designs more demanding, and the deadline more toxic than ever.

I have to find someone to do this next year!! *reminder entered*

Anyway, there's (always) a certain high with designing the station's christmas card, however simple or amateur. Labor of love, maybe, and the chance to see the faces of people I hardly get to even talk to in this workplace -- taking note of the new faces, how the old ones have changed, and remembering those who were once part of this station's motley mob.

Looking back: a draft of my first proposed design. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a copy of the finished product.

OTY blues....

2005-11-07T17:49:00.000-08:00

Unclogged

2005-11-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

The mess at Mother Station must have been THAT bad if management had to declare November 2 and 3 as official clean-up days. Anyway, I agree that our area at Tech had been in a "creative, frantic chaos" for the longest time.

It took me nerves of steel to dump nine years worth of documents into garbage bags, scanning papers by the bunch for any sign of value or worth. My first pile ate up the whole morning, with the nagging thought of accidentally throwing away precious notes (like "Leo, use this format from now on" or "Do not use this!" or "Good work. You deserve a raise"-something-like-that-yeah-right-dream-on).

But no, people change and so does this organization.

By mid-day I cast all worries and loosened my grip on old documents and notes. In no time I was rid of over half the papers in my work area. There's much left to be done, but I say it was good enough for one day.

It was exhilirating and liberating -- throwing away all the mess with reckless abandon. I could get used to it. In fact, I just finished cleaning up our Kampo hideout, and threw (or rather, packed in black plastic bags) a LOT.

I hope the basureros (or rather, their kids) will find use to what's inside those black plastic bags. ^_^

Advance Merry Christmas!

Tsk. I need a bigger box...

share (poem)

2005-09-15T04:40:00.000-07:00

share ko lang. posted without permission from the author.

Breaking Symmetries

Kathleen dg Pador

"An infinite regress of symmetries
underlies the order of the universe,"
a physicist would tell
you, if you'd care to ask if you
happen to see one.

Perfection lies on every
ripple you make each time
you throw a stone to a puddle
and now to the sea.
The stone itself attests
to the symmetry of the right
atoms, particles combined
way before we
begin calling it
a stone

Grab a shell
from any shoreline, you are
holding testimony, its fluid
duplications of ridges that makes it
fancy enough for you to pick
up in the first place.
And we are
layers more complex, replicating
cell to another.
We are substance,
we are not if not
for symmetries.
We are nothing without
but everything because
of symmetries.

I am telling
you who insist
on building sandcastles
when high-tide comes inevitable
every six hours

Will you ever see the point?
This conversation that could not start
when you only half-
listen and only sometimes
do you feign nearing
an utterance, a half-
smile. More intent on letting
the sea, slowly clear away
your sandcastle:
a building or a breaking
is never accidental.

fill in the blank

2005-08-11T05:17:00.000-07:00

stolen from the commercial jingle of a particular brand of shampoo:

"balik freshness,
balik ______, bounce."

waiting for answers.

hmmm...

2005-08-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

wow, ngayon ko lang na-realize na limang taon na pala ako sa tech. ganun na katagal--half a decade of madness, frayed nerves, photo-finishes, meeting deadlines, staff coming and going, occassional (?) sermons, litanies about the thesis of "efficiency" and its antithesis "inefficiency", pao-pao conversations (and sometimes baring of souls), changing hairstyles, stealing time to write a poem or two, and pretty much everything the typical research assistant does.

para kaya itong alak na habang tumatagal ay lalong sumasarap? sa ngayon, palagay ko, oo. pero for the next five years, who knows? di ko naman masasabi talaga kung ano na ang mangyayari. basta, laban lang. may narinig na ako na hindi raw ako puwedeng palagi na lang low-key. well, kahit low-key, i don't mind. hindi ko naman gawain ang magbuhat ng sariling bangko. sabi ko nga sa huling pao-pao conversation namin ng ilang katoto, "i'd rather practice than preach."

'yun na 'yun. and that's what this bad mo'fo's all about.

-mic

Guess who's back

2005-07-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

Hold on to what's left of your sensibilities, mga katotong Techies.

I just heard that someone is going to make a comeback to the Tech. Many have come and left the Techies area, but this is one comeback act that scares me more than pulmonary tuberculosis relapse.

Que horor!

What pisses me off to no end is the reason for the comeback act: "Lagi kasing late eh."

Ulit nga, sa English naman: due to habitual tardiness, there will be changes in area assignments.

Anak ng...

While I hold on to my sensibility, I better keep my mug, food stuffs, and whatever from lying around the white table and other places, lest I get a memo.

A posted memo, no less.

non-sense conversations......

2005-07-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

i just spent 40 minutes talking to someone from a government agency talking and blabbing about some things we already discussed in the 3-4 times she called me in the past two weeks.... all i can tell you is that she is a huge pain in the ass...
while talking to her and listening to her "hypothetical" scenarios, i have to stretch my tired arm holding the handset and transfer the handset from my right ear to the left...once in a while, i have to drink water because my throat is dry and my lips parched of explaining to her, repeatedly, the answers to her somewhat never-ending questions.....i hope she heard me kicking under my desk or slamming my desk or throwing my stressballs around my desk.....
and one time, i took a fleeting look in a piece of paper pasted in my computer monitor, in which a Thai saying is written -- "tolerance, patience and understanding are the highest virtues one can develop" ...well, it did not placate my annoyance and irritation, which has risen to the nth level...i had to control myself not to put the handset down and cut her off....
and finally, she said "thank you"...and i thanked her too...but then she added, "i'll just call you if i have other inquiries"....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr >(

Missing SWS!

2005-07-11T04:01:00.000-07:00

Last July 5, 2005, it would have been my 6th year with SWS. Yehey! Happy Anniversary to me!
How are all of you?! I hope everything is great!

Archie and I are doing OK here Down Under. Nothing much to do here though. We both miss UP isaw, yung itlog sa Philcoa, SM dates, etc. Nakakapulubi ang sine dito... tuwing manonood kami napap convert kami! Pag regular days, $11 ang isa pag Hot Tuesday $7.50 ang isa! So multiply by P40.. grabe no?! naka-ilang sine ka na nun sa Pinas!

Nagbabahay-bahayan nga kami ni Archie dito e, Archie and I both cook meals. :) Pag weekend ako, siya naman pag weekday. Marunong na ako ng mga complicated dishes like adobo, spaghetti, sinangag (yes, kanin), sunny side up, etc. whew! ang dami!!!

Anyway, just wanted to say hi to all! By the way, sa mga bago sa SWS, lalo na sa Tech, na di ko inabutan... pakabait kayo tulad ko! Di ako nale-late, I had no objections to paid overtime, I despised those who go undertime knowing na ang daming trabaho! I loved my work, especially checking visuals, pdts, and the like. I think I actually left a legacy in checking, you guys can ask around.

Oh my God, before I forget, has anyone cleaned the ref na? Baka may kumakatok na sa loob, pakinggan niyo! sus! Sana may nag assume na ng role ko diyan.

Oh well, have to go na. You guys can email me at work aurora.gelvezon@robertsreseach.com.au. Mabilis ako makaka reply since always online naman kami. Hope to see you all soon!

Aileen, ba't ang tahimik mo lately... email ka naman! Cheers!

Macky G. Velante

Sa wakas... SPEED!!

2005-07-07T03:22:00.000-07:00

Hindi na namin kailangang bumili ng isang kahang beer sa tuwing magme-media release kami after six. Hindi na rin siguro natin kailangang mag-sayang ng katakut-takot na oras sa pag-eemail ng kapiranggot na attachment...

At ang post na ito ay ginawa sa loob lamang ng dalawang minuto.

Mother station goes DSL! Yeah baby!

pablo neruda

2005-06-22T04:19:00.000-07:00

when i first read this piece, i thought to myself: "what the fuck?" oh well, this is stephen dobyns at his usual best. i bow at this motherfucker's greatness. i'm not worthy. just enjoy yourselves.

-mic

Pablo Neruda
by Stephen Dobyns

Pablo Neruda stands on a corner next to a poster
advertising quick weight loss diet aids when I
happen by with half my creative writing class.
He wears a black boating cap and blue cloak draped
loosely over one shoulder, and he stands very still
staring at the clouds where he probably sees the
profiles
of famous poets. At his feet lies a small brown dog.
We had heard he was dead and so are surprised and
walk around him several times. He has nice fat cheeks
and after a moment I reach out and touch one, but
gently and he doesn't notice. I look at my students
and I can tell they are ready for anything so I
take out my Swiss Army knife, open the littlest
blade and cut Pablo a tiny bit on the left arm.
He doesn't even blink but I think he begins to
concentrate more intently on the clouds. By now
my students are becoming excited so I open a bigger
blade and carefully cut a sliver of flesh from his
shoulder. I put it on my tongue and it's very sweet
with a faint taste of smoke. I chew it slowly.
Glancing at the sky it now seems a deeper blue.
My students see me smiling and licking my lips
and they too take out Swiss Army knives and start
cutting off small slices, although they don't stay
small for long, because suddenly we are ravenous.
It feels like I haven't eaten for days. I barely
pause to hew my food and I grow angry at my students
for pushing and getting aggressive over the more
succulent bits. One even eats the brown dog.
In practically no time there's nothing left but
a quickly folded pile of clothes on the sidewalk
with the black cap on top. Then we all become
embarrassed and won't look at each other because
we've eaten this famous poet, and even though he
tasted great and we could probably eat another,
and even though the city seems brighter and more
exciting than before, we still feel ashamed to have
surrendered so completely to such animal passions
so we point to our watches and make excuses and
stroll off in our separate directions, but shortly
outside a movie theater, I see one of my students
offering herself to the people waiting in line;
then I see another accosting a crowd at a bus stop;
and a little later in the lobby of a convention hotel
I see a third bothering the legionnaires. And you,
now that I have your attention at last, ignore these
imposters. They're too hungry to be telling the truth.
Feel this arm, this fat thigh. Why would I cheat you?
Even now the moon grows more swollen and the stars throb deep in their black pockets. Bite me, bite me.

...

2005-06-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

"aileen, aileen,wherefore are thou, aileen?"

Close encounter

2005-06-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

Good morning po. May ika-clarify lang po ako about this bluebo...

Here, look at this. In 2004, this was paid by blah-blah blah blah. And in 2005 yackity yackity yak yak yak. Wala pa rin yung hack chop chuck chack chenes arf arf...

I see. Actually I’d just like to check what Big Boss Bear said about...

... it was Jay who went to pay the waayaaaa eeeayyyargh muwala muwa muwa muwa eyow. So ngayon lang dumating itong bratatatatatat tongyaw tongyaw pting pting pting zizboom bah hale hale hoy...

Okay. Pero tungkol po doon sa media rel...

... you know this booga woooga looo is just like the book of cars...

I don’t know that po.

Oh you don’t? It’s that book...

I don’t have a car po. Sige po. Thank you!!

... of the gwwwaaaark uwak uwak uwaaaaaaaaaakkk uuuuuuwwwwaaaaaaaakkkk...

* hurries out of the room *

Good grief. *shudder*

...

2005-06-07T20:52:00.000-07:00

watching horror flicks @ sm cinemas,
81 php;
renting vcds of japanese and korean horror movies,
3 for 50 php;
ghost hunting @ sws,
20 php;
hearing my officemates shriek and
scream in horror of seeing a sadako-look-alike
pop-up unexpectedly in their pc monitors,
priceless...
>:)

Samahan Special Release: Admin in Dismal State; New Techie Shocks Group

2005-06-06T03:45:00.000-07:00

The 2nd Quarter of 2005 found the Admin in troubled grounds with the resignation of its Finance Officer, just barely three months after assuming the post left by uber Admin Officer AAB, following allegations of disharmonious working relationship with long-time External Auditor extraordinaire.

Another fresh face joins the folds of the Techie group, adding yet another afternoon delight to the already wacky ensemble.

One Down for Admin, Potential Trouble Looms

Finance Officer Lorie tendered her resignation last week, barely three months after taking on one of the tasks left by AAB, due to alleged “disharmonious working relationship” with the station’s long-time ExAu.

“Hindi naman kasi trabaho ng ExAu ang mag-mando ng iba,” says King Tot, station’s Master (as in ancient) Programmer. “Si Rene Magbubungkal lang naman kasi dapat ang tina-trabaho niya.”

A new FO reports today to replace Lorie.

In other news, more and more sightings are being confirmed about the “extracurricular activities” of the recently promoted Admin staff, eliciting raised eyebrows among those who are more familiar with staff’s somewhat shady past.

“This brazen display of hanky-panky is just an indicator of loss of moral authority within the group,” observed a Techie in a Pao-Pao convention. “We can expect more of these sightings, as well as unofficial phone calls and possible neglect of duties,” he added, pointing out the staff’s recent request to be assigned as hardware maintenance officer.

Take good care of your computers, Techies. *gives computer a hug*

Tech Group Got Shook

The formerly quiet and camera-elusive Blue Eagle Maf shocks entire Tech, thanks to the ala Ju-On pop-me-out-of-my-seat-while-screaming screensaver which is fast becoming a hit in the station’s local area network.

“Pu******na! Hindi ko ini-expect na lalabas uli siya! “Pu******na!” says Maf, after falling off her chair screaming.

Maf is also a lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University, specializing in political science and industrial relations. She reports at the station in the afternoon.

...finally, but..........

2005-04-29T18:26:00.000-07:00

an ended day
the soothing sanity and blitheness of
completion,
the pomp and hurried contest-glare and rush are
done;
now triump! transformation! jubilate!
-- walt whitman

.....finally,

but,

there's still the judiciary,

which,

will celebrate it's 2nd "anniv"

this september.....

until then......

and hopefully, the end of insanity...

Interview at Australian Embassy

2005-04-26T00:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Everyone,

Last Tuesday, 29 March 2005, was my interview at the Australian Embassy for Spouse Visa. The embassy is at RCBC plaza in Makati. Entering the building, the security at the entrance told me to approach the Australian Embassy information desk. At the info desk, my identity was confirmed for a scheduled interview and was given an I.D. with access to 22nd floor, but was instructed to go the 23rd floor. Their Australian Embassy offices were located at the 22nd-24th floor.

At the 23rd floor, there is a security check by PNP personnel where you have to leave any bags you might be carrying, including your cell phone. After the security check, I was pointed to go downstairs to the 22nd floor to the Australian Immigration Office. There they have a waiting area for applicants, and in front of the waiting area were several cubicles/interview rooms. In the room were already 2 people. I was in their office by a little before 9a.m. and was the 3rd person in that room.

By 9a.m. my name was called and instructed to go inside cubicle number 5. The cubicle is like a counter where you have a clear glass between you the immigration officer, and a narrow opening at the bottom of the glass for the applicant to pass his/her documents. I was surprised to be greeted by a Filipina. I was expecting an Australian national would conduct the interview and thought this could just be a screening part and that the actual interview would be conducted later on. She asked me to pass the application forms, my passport, the required documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc), and supporting affidavits that would prove my relationship with Macky is genuine and continuing. After giving to her all the documents, originals and photocopies, she then segregated them.

Sitting on the other side of the cubicle, I silently prayed that I did not miss out on anything, and patiently waited for her finish what she was doing. Then the interview began. Asking questions such as when did we first met, how did we meet, when did we become engaged, when was out wedding, when did Macky leave for Australia, does she have a job, where is she staying there, etc. Then there was consistency checking, asking again about the dates, but in a random manner. The interviewer was testing if I remembered the dates correctly. As I answered her questions, she typed in my replies on the desktop computer in front of her. After the questioning, she placed all the original documents in one envelope, and the application forms and photocopies in another envelope.

Finally, she instructed me to wait outside and that she would make a receipt for my application payment. I stood up and said "Thank you" with a smile. I went back to the waiting area, feeling heavy and nervous because I didn't have the slightest clue whether my application was approved or denied. Glancing around, there were now many applicants, some old people, some young people, and mostly Australian nationals with their Filipina partners, some with their off spring.

I saw that the time was 9:30am, and realized that the interview took no more that 30 minutes. I found a seat at the waiting area and of course waited. Some applicants, who arrived later than me, were being called, and after being interviewed, readily left. I was bothered and anxious because of this. I was also feeling sleepy as I was not able to sleep well the night before the interview.

By 11am (after nearly 2 hours), my name was called again and told to proceed to cubicle 7. I got up from the chair and slowly walked towards cubicle 7, I saw the person who called my name. She was not the one who interviewed me and was holding an envelope. Inside the cubicle, she placed the enveloped on the counter top. I realized that this was the envelope where the original documents that I brought were placed and that they were being returned to me. I was thinking that she would say “We are in the process of assessing your application, etc., and that we will inform you of our decision thru mail.”

Unexpectedly, she raised her other hand holding my passport. As she lifted it face up, it was on the page where the Visa was attached. I was so surprised that I was expressionless. I could not believe what I was seeing. She returned my passport and other documents. I reached for the passport, and examined the attached visa. I made a sigh of relief! (Whew!) The immigration officer, smiling, congratulated me. She also said that the officer who interviewed me sends her apologies as it took a while. In my mind, it was worth the wait! I thanked her, went out of the cubicle and passed by cubicle 5, where the immigration officer who interviewed me was. I waved at her and said thank you.

I went out of their office, went up to the 23rd floor, passed thru the security and retrieved my bag and my cell phone. I immediately called Macky and told her of the very good news! She was so happy. After our short talk, I called my mother, my uncle, and my parents in-law. They were all happy to hear the news. Just before leaving the building, I received a text from Macky, asking me that I was not joking, and that I should confirm that I was given a visa. (Hahaha! Hindi siya makapaniwala, miski man ako nung nakita ko, I was elated.) So I texted her, confirming I was indeed granted the visa.

I hope to join Macky by the end of May. Wish me luck on my new journey and to our new beginning!

Thank you very much for your support, and most importantly for you prayers!
We will definitely keep in touch!

Sincerely,

Archie

poem written out of boredom and sleepiness in a monday afternoon at work...

2005-04-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

just want to share a poem i wrote in a monday afternoon while trying to write the cultural indicators report and struggling to fend off sleep at the same time....well, i'm still working on the report, and i was unsuccessful in warding off sleep...the poem is unfinished, maybe i will finish it in one of the coming lazy days hehehe :)...

boredom and sleepiness,
a deadly combination
both urging the soul to escape the body,
to drift in the the empty black-filled space.

eyelids drooping,
hopelessly trying to keep it open.
yawning incessantly,
forcing air to the oxygen-deprived brain.
catnap interrupted by a sudden
annoying click of the mouse.

the mind is wandering,
in a far, far land where sleep is permissible.
blank, expressionless, stone-faced
thinking absent-mindedly,
doing everything, yet achieving nothing,
just to impede the longing and desire for deep slumber.

a pathetic state
even liters of hot-steaming coffee could not help,
as the brain has become a sponge of caffeine
in many countless but futile efforts to stay awake
and to keep off boredom.

nor liters of energy drinks
would resuscitate the sluggish
and lethargic remains of a half-awake, half-asleep creature,
for the yellow liquid has permeated the blood stream,
slowly decaying the inner recesses of the anatomy.
....

Salamat, AAB

2005-03-30T20:48:00.000-08:00

Chords: D A Bm G
Matagal ding panahon tayo’y nagkasama
Sa lungkot at ligaya, sa hirap at ginhawa
Sa bawat oras, sa lahat ng bagay
Sa bawat pangarap
Sabay nating hinaharap

Refrain: D A Bm G
Sa araw ng ‘yong paglisan
Kami’y ‘wag mawaglit sa isipan
Ang lahat ng ating pinagsamahan
Sa aming puso lang maiiwan

Chorus: D A G Bm A
Salamat, salamat sa iyo
Ina, kapatid at kaibigan
Salamat, salamat sa lahat

ng ‘di matatawarang kabutihan

Refrain: D A Bm G
Sa araw ng ‘yong paglisan
Kami’y ‘wag mawaglit sa isipan

(Humming) D – A – Bm – G (3X)

Chorus: D A G Bm A
Salamat, salamat sa iyo
Ina, kapatid at kaibigan
Salamat, salamat sa lahat

ng ‘di matatawarang kabutihan

Refrain: D A Bm G
Ang lahat ng ating pinagsamahan
Sa aming puso lang maiiwan

(Humming) D – A – Bm – G (3X)

Chorus:
Salamat, salamat sa iyo
Ina, kapatid at kaibigan
Salamat, salamat sa lahat

ng ‘di matatawarang kabutihan

(G)-----

Lyrics by Vlad
Music by Mic, Leo, and Dennis (honorary tet-cheeze)
Sung by Mear

A mother, a sister, a friend. Yes, that's how I see Ate Ana in over nine years of working with the station. I can add "a mentor", "a master", and a thousand others to describe her, but one thing is for sure -- Ate Ana is all about good things and goodness.

It's been with utmost pleasure and honor to have worked with you, Ate Ana. Good luck and God bless. Ü

The tet-cheeze with Ate Ana, on her despedida party, March 28, 2005.

(2nd from left, standing: Jay -- tek slash DP slash data bank manager slash fellow... whew!)

It's a dog's life after all...

2005-03-07T13:18:00.000-08:00

got this from mic...

A little consolation for the battered hearts & the bruised egos....
A butcher watching over his shop is really surprised when he sees a dog coming inside the shop. He shoos him away. But later, the dog is back again. So, he goes over to the dog and notices it has a note in its mouth. He takes the note and it reads, "Can I have 12 sausages and a leg of lamb, please". The dog has money in its mouth, as well. Thebutcher looks inside and, lo and behold, there is a ten-dollar note there. So he takes the money and puts the sausages and Lamb in a bag, placing it in the dog's mouth. The butcher is so impressed, and since it's about closing time, he decides to shut the shop and follow the dog. So off he goes. The dog is walking down the street, when it comes to a level crossing; the dog puts down the bag, jumps up and presses the button. Then it waits patiently, bag in mouth, for the lights toturn. They do, and it walks across the road, with the butcher following him All the way. The dog then comes to a bus stop, and starts looking at the timetable.

The butcher is in awe as the dog stops a bus by pulling its left leg up and gets in it. The butcher follows the dog into the bus. The dog then shows a ticket, which is tied to its belt to the bus conductor.The butcher is nearly fainting at this sight, so are the other passengers in the bus. The dog then sits near the driver's seatlooking outside waiting for the bus stop to come. As soon as the stopis in sight, the dog stands and wags its tail to inform the conductor.Then, without waiting for the bus to stop completely, it jumps out ofthe bus and run to a house very close to the stop. It opens the big Iron Gate and rushes inside towards the door.

As it approaches the wooden door, the dog suddenly changes its mind and heads towards the garden. It goes to the window, and beats its head against it severaltimes, walks back, jumps off, and waits at the door. The butcher watches as a big guy opens the door, and starts abusing the dog,kicking him and punching him, and swearing at him. The butcher surprised with this, runs up, and stops the guy. "What in heaven's name are you doing? The dog is a genius. He could be on TV, for the life of me!" to which the guy responds: "You call this clever? This is the second time this week that this stupid dog's forgotten hiskey."

Moral of the Story: You may continue to exceed onlookers' expectations but shall always fall short of the boss' expectations.

It's a dog's life after all...

tenemos caras perfecta...

2005-03-06T21:05:00.000-08:00

pero somos inteligentes?

hrmmmph. twelve units of spanish (span I to III, and spanish 20), and still i struggle with basic conjugation. anyway, all these for want of a catchy blog entry. i was simply trying to say "we have perfect faces, but are we intelligent?"

my thought has nothing to do with perfect faces nor intelligence, but perhaps if keep up with the badminton games we might just end up with perfect health. heaven knows how much we need the exercise.

it's been days since we played all-out badminton, with basketball on the side, at the nearby school, and i still can't reach down to touch my toes (ow ow the pain!). thanks to mae and vlad for facilitating the games, and mae for putting down the rules. take note, though, that we still have unresolved situations, like uhm when the shuttlecock keeps hitting lynn on the *bleep*, or when the boys get distracted as lynn freethrows on the other side of the court.

kidding aside, we look forward to our next game Ü.

some other thing...

i'm thinking of borrowing the intern from library and request him to be our photographer on thursday. either him, or ariel, or kuya cerry will do. suggestions?

mae, let's get our cameras ready for our perfect faces. Ü

workplace with a heart

2005-02-14T17:44:00.000-08:00

is it me, or there seems to be an influx of beautiful people (naks!) from LB here at the tech area?

okay, so it's not just from LB, but i do mean it when i said beautiful (naks uli!).

i find it just fair for the ladies here to complain about the station's lack of male staffs. rest assured, though, that this issue -- the station's propensity to be feminine (meaning, having more females) -- has been subjected to scholarly studies by no less than dr. pepe abueva himself and other fellows from the academe.

i have yet to see dr. abueva's full report (done in 1995, if i remember correctly), but i was told that one of the conclusions were "... this organization is feminine in nature".

ahahay!

the world of research, i admit, is not exactly a male-dominated profession. not just by experience (of the total 15+ something in my comm research batch, there were only 4 of us guys), more than a few studies have found distinct relationship of gender differences with several aspects involved in research such as query, numbers, intuition, and human interaction (the word OC comes into mind). just don't ask to me to cite my references now (can reader's digest qualify as a source?).

there's a new catch phrase going around the station lately -- workplace with a heart (no, not the "productive" thingy, that's something else).

the few men here at the station have no complains, really. we may not be the hunky, yuppie-types that lynn is looking for, but just as everyone else, we certainly have big hearts.

happy valentine!!

for editing later ---> post picture of "nasty sisters" here + the new secretary and hr staff. heehee.

word play

2005-02-02T21:40:00.000-08:00

"my plans assume that i'll be around within the next five years..."

how's that for an answer? it doesn't carry much conviction, does it?

practice makes perfect, i say. i've been asked "will you be staying with us in the next five years" too many times that sometimes (just sometimes) i'm tempted to say "i'll be leaving very soon. tomorrow, maybe." just to have something different to talk about.

if you ask me, making a promise for the next five years is quite a feat. i can't even plan my gym or jogging sessions for the next week.

but there lies the uniqueness of the station, or of most NGOs for that matter: it neither has a firing mechanism nor an iron-clad contract binding any staff to a fixed period of employment.

if i go back to my fresh techie years (which is waaaay back), the answer would have been less vague and with absolute conviction. but after seeing people leave -- the same people whom you've heard answer with the same conviction -- i guess i've grown tired of asking "bakit ka mag-reresign? di ba sabi mo di ka pa aalis?".

two things: opportunities change, and so do people.

i had a taste of high-brow art film yesterday at kampo. i guess it's art when even the title makes you want to ask "why that title?"

but i guess that makes "sex and lucia" a good art film, right? it opens to a lot of perspective, giving the viewers so much freedom to explore every bit of symbol and meanings scatterred and stringed beautifully together throughout the film.

but nay, this is no film review, nor would i even attempt to do one. so enuf blabber.

good monday morning, tet-cheeze!

2005-01-16T19:53:00.000-08:00

>Monday, January 17, 2005 9:52:44 AM - Maeh to LEO
>dilbert-stat analysis and dilbert-slow computer in ur databox...good morning d:-)

Am not leaving soon but I do not know why i am staying

2005-01-15T17:46:00.000-08:00

Work for 2005 started on January 3. It took us about two weeks into the new year to "get back to work." Whenever someone called (because some had to use up their leave credits and extend their holiday vacation) and asked how everything was, i'd just say "the bodies are here but the minds are elsewhere." Which was true to some extent.

Ever get the feeling that you make a list in your mind (yes, you do not want to write it down coz you know you'll never forget it) of the things you have to finish for the day or week and just thinking about it makes you lazy and overwhelmed of all the things you have to do?

When everyone from the tech group reported for work, we met to plan the year (or should i say our lives?). We had to warm up by conducting a pseudo-focus group discussion among ourselves with everyone facilitating and participating. The activity asked us to write each of our strengths and weaknesses as an individual and of the group. Then the meeting turned into an open forum.

The objective of the exercise was for us to visualize our plans for ourselves and for the office within the next year and the next five years. The question that kept on coming up was "What if I wasn't planning to stay this year or the next 5?"

I could only think of my short-term plans: finish my MA in order to study in Chicago.

I was asked if the meeting was a success and if it gave me a purpose. All i could say was 'yup.'

AR

conversations (part 1)

2005-01-12T03:22:00.000-08:00

me: hello hello hello!

my cubicle: hi! how's vacation? ang tagal mo ring nawala, 'no? na-miss ko tuloy na nagtatago ka sa likod ko kapag dumadaan si mrs. g para mangolekta ng bowling sheet.

my computer: hoy!!! dumating ka rin. pwede ba, tigilan mo na attempts mo na maglaro ng ragnarok sa akin, eh alam mo namang walang kwenta internet connection dito! at nung ma-frustrate ka sa ragnarok, nag-blades and swords ka naman. panay tuloy hang ko dahil sa laki ng game na in-install mo, hayup ka!

my chair: anak ng... lumamon ka na naman sa inyo 'no? bigat mo na!

me: miss you, too, guys. happy new year!

top ten quotable quotes

2004-12-23T17:13:00.000-08:00

1. "where's my hot and crispy breast?" - lynn to mic
2."oy, picture, picture" - lynn to designated cameraman
3. "ha? ano? ha?" - lynn to all
4. "and now, suddenly we're friends?" - mic to lynn
5. "hindi ganyan baliktad." - mae to lynn
6. "kaninong pagkain ito?"- lynn to all
7. "ano yan? ano yan? ano yan?" - lynn to all
8. "gusto mo lang akong matikman" - lynn to vlad
9. "guys, saan kayo kakain? saan tayo kakain gutom na ako" - lynn to all
10. "may yuppies ba doon?" - lynn to all

songs that made us P1000 richer.....

2004-12-20T16:54:00.000-08:00

these are the songs that earned tek pipol 1000 pesos during last nights christmas party, and the immortal words "well, u used the word efficient twice, so i guess u'll be more efficient next year". W! we actually told them we composed this sws alphabet at 4:30 pm yesterday... i think that, and the "eff" word made us win....

2004 SWS Christmas Alphabet

A is for ACCOUNTABLE that they tell us to be
B is for the BOWLING SHEET we have to do daily
C is for the CALLS (bawal ang personal)
D is for the DP that takes longer than field
E is for EFFICIENCY that we are all not
F is for the FIELD with girls who are all so hot
G is for MRS. G the bowling sheet queen
H is for the HEADACHES na nadanas natin
I is for INEFFICIENT we hear every other day
J is for JAY the JACK OF ALL TRADES
K is for KUYA PENN (hik! Inom pa!)
L is for LIQUIDATION that we should all submit
M is for MM the papa bear we love
N is for NOTHING wala kaming maisip
O is for OTY
P is for PAO-PAOs (kuya penn san ka na?!)
Q is for QUESTIONNAIRE from tech, to field, to DP
R is for RESEARCHERS
S is for SWS…
SAMAHANG WALANG SABADO
SLAVES WITHOUT SALARIES
SAMAHANG WALANG SLEEP
SAMAHANG WALANG SINASANTO
T is for TRANSPO ALLOWANCE that we all look forward to
U is for UNDERTIME si Mackyn lang ang may alam
V is for VERY VIG VLAD
W is for WHATEVER
X is for EXPERIENCES na gagawing libro (abangan sa anniversary!)
Y is for “YES SIR” NA KARUGTONG AY “OO SIR” OR “OK SIR”
Z is for ZIGE TAPOS NA KAMI

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dear Tita Da...
dear tita da
pwede bang mag-request
sweldo namin itaas

dear tita da
pang-shopping din ito
sana ay ok sa 'yo

at sana'y nakikinig siya
malala kaya niya
ang request namin ito
sana ay magkatotoo....

The winners (l-r: aileen, mae, vlad, mear, leo, lynn, and mike)

purple

2004-12-19T05:56:00.000-08:00

i wrote this one for my dead pinkie sometime last year. this was my first poem ever published online (i'm not kidding) without my knowledge though. alex emailed it to the website and it got posted. getting your pinkie banged by a car's door actually hurts. i couldn't pick my nose for about a month because of the damned thing (my other pinkie had a big wart then, and thus, i couldn't use it either). i even remember pulling out the dead fingernail one saturday when i was finishing my laundry and showing it to aileen who was having lunch then (sorry ai, i couldn't help it). she lost her appetite if i remember correctly. this is actually about other things too, not just the dead pinkie, but i'm reluctant to bore you readers with old hang-ups about my pathetic experience with a female friend so i'll just let you read this shit.

p.s. this actually also dedicated to her and i hope to perform it in front of her someday.
someday.

-mic

purple

the big bang of your car's door
nearly severed this finger

i bled
without blood
spitting
i left
without
saying anything
screaming did not even occur to me

now, i’m telling you how it stings
it stings
every five seconds
every five seconds
i complain like a drunk
i am being redundant
i am redundant
this is redundant.

purple fingernail will not be pink

if last night ended with laughter
we would be somewhere else
if last night was an accident
this would be unsaid

but it did not
and was not

if i gave you the last one
these words would be gone
they would be spaces
in some tree
some tree that accidentally
became paper
they would not be
if you managed
to laugh last
it’s just that
i didn’t want to give it up
the last laugh, i mean

and so it went

shouldn’t have tried
to cover your mouth
but it’s too late

the door caught me
on my way out

it looks black
but it does not mean it’s black
i’m pretending it’s beaten up.

it’s dead,
it’s dead!
but i don’t seem to get it
i don’t get it
i don’t take it

they say the dead can’t feel
bleeding doesn’t mean
blood-spitting.

you don’t need
blood to bleed

scars need wounds
healing needs affliction
like people need fiction

faceless
this scarred finger, faceless
this little scar is faceless
a scar in search of a face
obscure, ignored
does it matter?

scary, these hidden wounds
they are not accidents,
they are not accidents.

but futility’s reinforcements

Some Weddings this Season

2004-12-16T21:33:00.000-08:00

Wala lang. Congratulations to Macky and Vlad! Author is in happy mode muna so bear with the mushiness...

Wrote this for two friends of mine (and posted here without their permission. Mak, Rch, ok lang dba? Ü). I think it's a paragraph, chapter, volume, or what say you of their whole life story. Cheers to the first chapter of your lives being married.

Don't really know Vlad's story yet. Next blog.

Ok back to cynical mode. Love is a social construct.

2004-12-12T17:42:00.000-08:00

sound proof

2004-12-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

wala na akong marinig...

kundi ang winamp ko,
o yung tv na binubuksan sa tanghali,
o kung slamdunk na,
o kapag may interview si papa bear,
o si vlad, o si jay.

wala na rin akong makita...

kundi ang asul na pader,
ang wallpaper kong anime,
ang mga papeles na dumadami na naman,
ang mga abubot na hindi sa akin,
ang paligid ko na unti-unting nagiging imbakan.

malakas ba masyado ang winamp ko?
mataas ba masyado ang cubicle ko?
may mga tao pa kaya sa kabilang panig nito?
may pagkain kaya sa white table?
may sinabi na naman kaya si lynn?

wala na akong marinig...
wala na akong makita...

doing nothing

2004-12-07T01:19:00.000-08:00

i'm supposed to "complete several tasks" today but i feel that i'm just floating here, doing nothing...it's almost 5:00 pm and i feel that i haven't accomplished anything...
i have listed quite a number of TO DO things -- i posted one to do list for the cultural indicators project in my monitor and the judiciary to do list in the right wall of my cubicle...
i started working on the materials for the dec 10 cultural indicators before lunch...after lunch, i started working on the judiciary summary tables..but guess what i'm doing now: swr 04-iv marginals!...just received a pop-up message from mm: mae - i put new draft judiciary press release in ur databox. The arrangement of items is a little different from before, so u have to re-arrange the accompanying slides and re-number them. u can email the draft already to marlon if u want. ty-mm W!
lack of focus? maybe...lack of energy to work? probably...tired of working? that's possible...inefficient? i dunno... or maybe i'm just unproductive for the day...or maybe, because we are not rushing anything today, my body is not pumping enough adrenalin into my system to drive me to work seriously...
or maybe, i should just go home, watch tv till midnight and sleep 'til 9: 00 am tomorrow (i have to get up at 9:00 coz amazing race 6 starts at 9:00) and go to work around 12 nn (sshhh)...

-m-a-e-

mumblings of a sleep-deprived tekie

2004-12-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

just some random thoughts around 3 o'clock this morning...

Did you ever feel so tired that your mind just went numb because of too much thinking? So tired that you wish everything would just end at the snap of your fingers? So tired that you did not even notice you've been playing william hung's cd 3x already?
Now i know, that, working at SWS will prepare me for the "next big job" -- call center rep in graveyard shift
Back in my college days (not so long ago), I believed that I would die studying in my little study corner at Men's Dorm (being the grade maniac that I was)...now I believe I will die in front of my pc, editing powerpoint visuals, writing reports, etc...(maybe then i'll join those ghosts lurking around sws at night hehehe)
That after drinking my 5th cup of coffee in the past 24 hours and 2nd energy drink since 12 mn...I'M AWAKE! I'M AWAKE! I'M AWAKE! (the reason I couldn't sleep na; hence, the can't sleep chenes)

m-a-e

darna!

2004-12-01T18:14:00.000-08:00

superhumans, aren't we all?

the most powerful typhoon this year is about to hit the whole of luzon anytime this afternoon. suspension of classes at all levels was already bannered in all morning shows on tv. preparations are in place to meet super-typhoon yoyong.

but both public and private employees carry on with their morning task of going to work. we are up and ready to face anything -- we are waterproof hypersapiens that are used to typhoons, floods, and, for SWS, phone calls from people asking about the weather. *haynngrrrgghhrrr* (gigil)

i say my prayers for all those affected by typhoons. in these trying times, this country could really use the hero in everyone. sigh...

- mutalisk lei

can't sleep

2004-12-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

It's four o' clock in the morning, and yes, I'm still awake. I should be sleeping now, but I can still feel the caffeine and the energy drink flowing in my blood. My eyes are tired and weary, but it would not just close. My hands are numb from typing, but the brain still sends signals to my fingers to type and to click the mouse. I can hear Vlad snoring, even with my headphones on.

ramble on

2004-11-29T03:31:00.000-08:00

a quick background on this one: this was originally a poetry exercise given by my best friend alex wherein we identified six elements in which the piece would revolve. they call this type of poem a sestina. i had originally planned to write this in spurts but as it turned out, i managed to finish it in one day. i actually started to write at about 11pm (a couple of days before the new year of 2004, if i remember correctly), i emailed the draft to my friend for remarks and then i edited it once before submitting it to a poetry website. looking back, i can't really explain how i managed to get away with this one; it's like another one of those visions that pop into my head whenever i'm idle (and that's quite rare, sometimes only during vacations). the title itself would tell the reader that this writer was actually at a loss for ideas during that period; it just happened that i was on leave when i actually wrote it (this is the most non-showbiz explanation that i can come up with). the website actually bought this crap and i got published sometime in january of 2004. i'm not really that confident about my writing abilities that's why i seldom show my output to people (that and i really do not have a lot of material to show anyway). what surprised me was that they actually posted/archived some of my works online (originally, i just wanted to see if i could actually be included in any of their issues). it turns out that they liked some of the material i sent (i'd like to believe that that's the case). i guess my hang-ups provide me with enough inspiration to disguise myself as some sort of writer. and maybe depression has something to do with it too.

i'm wandering right here. i'm cutting this short for you people to find something better to read. besides, i'm going back to work tomorrow (putang-inang ulan 'to).

p.s. just in case you don't believe me, i pasted the links right here (and the piece is right under the links):
-mic

http://dalityapi.tripod.com/vol5_issue01.html
(old link)

http://makata2005.tripod.com/archives.html?1103085959230

Makata Issue No. 1

(new link, but still down)

On Leave

From this side of the room the blue sky turned gray
And by looking out the window strafed with black mud,
You ask why the only glitter in this forgotten basement
Was lamplight refracted through a bottle of beer on a Friday.
Trudging the moist earth was a forgotten pet turtle
Whose only consolation is devouring worms and their juice.

Dry leaves exist beneath it, their bodies devoid of any juice
Splashed in God-made puddles that dried up and went gray,
Ravaged slowly and scratched by black claws of the beast-turtle
Or turtle-beast burrowing in the seemingly prehistoric mud,
Oblivious to mortal sorrows consummated on alcohol-Friday
Night drinking binges and death wishes in the basement.

Give me something to dwell in, not the past, but the basement
Instead of the deadly aroma of Satan’s gin and poor man’s juice.
When Bathala decides to eventually turn me into stone on Friday,
Bathe me in the marijuana smoke haze that made your heart gray.
And quietly I’ll kill the memories then bury you in the cold mud,
Where your porcelain skin and amber eyes won’t matter to the turtle

Whose only need is to feed and not being able to mate with another turtle,
His ill fate is just as cursed as mine. Dwelling in a dank basement
Is as self-fulfilling as burrowing, feeding and killing someone in mud
Which nobody notices until the body floats like ice in a glass of juice
Spiked with the Devil’s brew, so lethal it could turn all your hair gray
In a span of seconds, like a blowjob making a schoolboy come on a Friday.

Smell of dead leaves, damp soil and rotting fruit tells me it’s Friday,
The 13th day of the trudging, the searching, the foraging, the turtle
Finally coming full circle to where it once dwelled in, unmindful of the gray
Puddle attempting to drown the cold-blooded inhabitant of the basement,
Drags it under, where the half-eaten fruit shelters a dead beetle and the juice
From the once desired fruit turns sour, becoming one with the mud.

The image of a woman once loved takes shape, rising above the mud.
Her eyes sparkle, as if wanting to tell her man to come over on a Friday
Night instead of spending it with friends who do nothing but drink juice
Drowned in poor man’s gin, telling the same old stories like a turtle
Walking the same path over and over, around an empty basement
Whose sole dweller’s soul is still possessed by a past love turned gray.

Her lips were strawberry juice, oblivious of mine that felt like a turtle
Drenched in fresh mud after a tropical storm that came on a Friday
Night, flooding the empty basement, turning the white walls gray.

nothing and everything

2004-11-28T09:35:00.000-08:00

just when you think everything is ok, you realize that it's not. lately, work has been some sort of distraction from all the other problems in my life. it feels (felt) good just waking up at 7, getting ready for work, work til 6, 7, 12, have some dinner, go home, get some sleep, wake up, then do the whole thing all over again. it may sound like routine but i think anyone who does start working comes to a point in their life when that routine is what you look forward to each and every day. but then what happens when you want to break that routine? what happens when you wake up and realize maybe this job is not exactly what it is you want to do for the rest of your life (i wanted to become a doctor, for god's sake!)?

since this is my first blog, might as well give some history. i graduated in 1999 after three and a half years in college. i am far from being a genius. my idea then was to finish my BA, get my BS then go straight to med. but i got tired of studying and looked for work. i can go back to school anytime i wanted to, right? so barely three months after "graduating," i applied and got accepted to where i am in right now. beginner's luck? i guess. twas not exactly my "ideal" job. both my parents worked for the government so i thought i'd do the same thing. even then, it wasn't about the money. i have my parents and education to thank for that, i guess.

on february next year, i would have spent five years working for the first job i have seriously applied to. i have friends switching from one job to another. and there are those who have higher salaries than i do. so why don't i leave? i really do not know. when people do ask me, i say "i love what i'm doing" or "i love the people am working with." plus, with all those unemployed, why would i want to leave my job?

anyhow, this is just the beginning. medyo hindi ko na ata natuloy ang inumpisahan ko sa first paragraph ko. i'll continue it soon...

AR

ps (pwede bang PS? hehe... lei, salamat sa paggawa ng blog!)

good advice (?)

2004-11-22T00:21:00.000-08:00

last week i saw my young friend browsing the classified ads of manila bulletin, and he asked me for some advice regarding his job-hunting, and the prospect of working for an NGO.

it took me awhile to respond -- i know that he's been to two jobs just these past quarter, and both didn't work out. the first was a call center: the pay was good, but he had trouble staying awake. i guess he was not quick enough to adapt to the nightshift lifestyle demanded by this line of work. the second one is a magazine: at first it looks promising because it offers the chance for him to write (he's a journalism graduate), but later disillusionment got into him because the boss kept him stationed at the sales department -- a sort of training so the staff would get to know the product better, so his (ex-)boss says. he didn't show up on the second week.

having been working with an NGO for my entire adult, conscious life, there's naturally hardly anything i can find in what measly wisdom i have about work and career. i do remember that modern HRD technique dictates that employers or mentors should present the true and most negative aspects of the institution to an applicant or newbie.

so i told my friend, in the words often used by my wise officemates -- "work will not adjust for you. it is you who must adjust for work."

my friend's idealistic mind is hard to bend, because he is still rummaging the ads for an "investigative journalist" and "tv/news reporters", and kept ignoring the ads calling for "proofreaders", "copywriters", "editorial assistants" , and so forth. i decided to add more to what i just told him:

"you know, back when i was starving and looking for work, i was looking for an opening for 'mass media and communication researchers', or something to that effect. after months of fruitless search, i went to check an ad looking for a research assistant, and got hired. just like the call centers, i adjusted my lifestyle and gave up most of my weekends and sleeping hours. just like the magazine, i didn't feel like a research assistant at first -- it was more like a files organizer/xerox operator/reports binder/fax operator/labeler/shredder/etc etc. but you see, unless you already have a specialized working experience, you don't find the job you're looking for in the ads -- you earn them. for a fresh graduate like yourself, you'll just have to adjust to all the work that comes your way. it's all part of learning, anyway. eventually you'll find the chance, that big break, to do what you want to do."

finally, i told him to visit the dark, dusty, and obscure college bulletin boards at up-diliman. it's where i found the job i'm in now.

-- chemical zergling lei

Erik Mana on Nov. 22

2004-11-15T23:06:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

On Nov. 22 Erik Mana, the Philippine's top magician, will be performing at our event to help us raise funds for Sheel. I am hoping that you can all attend as this is also our last event for this year for Sheel. We will resume again in January so a big gathering this November 22 before the
holidays would be in order.

Kindly invite other friends so that we can take advantage of Eric Mana's presence in the event. It should be a fun evening as Erik will be joined by his other magician friends and will be doing close-up magic as you see it happen on GMA 7's Naks! every Sunday at 7pm (o, may plug pa!) Angel Aquino who is always present in all the events we have done so far (medyo late lang daw siya kasi galing sa shoot) will co-host the show.

Maraming salamat sa lahat! See you all on Nov. 22 (Monday) at Fiesta San Miguel - Dusit Hotel Nikko, 6-9 PM (Drink-all-you-can for P500 -- P200 goes to Sheel's Fund). After 9pm, continue enjoying beer at buy-1-take-1.

--Joy
(posted by Lei)

2004-11-15T22:36:00.000-08:00

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

go ahead...

2004-11-15T21:51:00.001-08:00

let thoughts run free beyond the blue limits of the cubicles that hold us captives six days a week.