i felt the earth move

. . . and so it's signal number 3 in the entire metro manila today for typhoon milenyo. Classes were suspended. Three agents here in the office already have cough and colds, and that includes me. I was late for work this morning due to the foul weather and my sandals broke again since it was drenched in heavy rains. Good thing I brought a spare. So enroute to the office I slipped into a different pair of sandals. Voila! Still, I came to work soaked to the skin! There was a power failure here for like a dozen times and we were all restless. To top it off, I thought I was experiencing another vertigo episode while I was sitting in my workstation since I felt dizzy and my chair was moving. It occured to me that there may be an earthquake happening at that moment, so I turned to my workmate sitting next to me and asked him if he felt it too. Then everybody confirmed that the building itself was swaying! Turned out that it was caused by the heavy winds outside! Can you just imagine that?! It felt like I was in a hammock being put to sleep. Still, it was kinda scary because who knows what will happen. I could hear sirens in the streets way below when the entire building was shaking. I don't even know how I'll be able to go home. I'm crossing my fingers. If only I could change into a costume and be superhero so I can just fly. . . yeah right.

the case of lonelygirl15 solved!

so I was almost duped by lonelygirl15 on YouTube like many, many others. She's not really the wide-eyed 16-year old girl in her 'personal' videos as she portrayed herself to be. Widely-known as bree in the internet circle, her real name is jessica lee rose and she's 19 years old, born in maryland. I was skeptical about her supposed platonic relationship with 'daniel' , but I was almost convinced. I thought it was a cute story -- being home-schooled with daniel as her only best friend, has a purple toy monkey for a playmate, and discusses her 'religion' in a vague way. Up until recently, I didn't know she exists. I was never aware that her 'videos' had already made a cult following of some sort. So it was all a hoax...

you think your job sucks?

sure there are a lot of things in our current job that we might be bitchy about. This always happens when we feel that we are stuck in a rut somehow. We always whine about our workload, deadlines, bosses and all. It seems that we are missing out on something and we get envious of other people's achievements that we aspire to become one of them someday or in the near future. But how about those people who are not lucky enough to land their dream job? We might think we are never given the best opportunities out there, but what about them? Here are some examples of what could be considered the WORST JOBS :

1) telemarketers - since I am in the BPO industry, I could very well understand and sympathize with these type of salespersons. It is a thankless job and if you happen to be a telemarketer, you would readily admit that 95% of the entire population hates you ~ for bugging them, calling them endlessly, asking for their personal information, trying your mightiest to patronize whatever products you're trying to sell them. What could be worse than convincing people to buy stuff they would never have any use of anyway?

2) store clerks doing demos - I'm sure you've seen them in the mall with their mock set up-slash-worktable with the numerous kitchen/home gadgets spread out. It's like watching one of those infomercials ~ only you see it live. They show you how to remove stains from clothes, carpet, rugs, etc. They show you simple kitchen recipes done in minutes or kitchen remedies for that matter. They'll teach you how to operate a miniature vacuum cleaner, a sawing machine, a blender, a meat grinder/fruit-slicer, etc. And all this time, you see them doing it all day, saying the same spiel over and over again~ even when there's no one watching at all. And yet there they are, standing in the same spot the entire time, doing their miserable job.

3) promodizers - from my understanding, they're the ones who are stationed at supermarkets, holding a sample of their products, convincing you to try their brand. As mentioned above, they do their work standing all day, dressed in those colorful outfits ~ the same color of their products' packaging, I might add. I have one funny incident involving them recently. I was doing my grocery shopping and these two girls/promodizers from competing brands pounced on one hapless 'victim'. While the customer was talking to the other lady, this girl from the other brand interrupted the conversation rather rudely and proceeded to 'hard sell' the hapless customer. In the end, the customer was swayed to buy the other girl's brand ~ to the detriment of the other lady. Oh she was fuming mad and started lecturing the other girl that she wasn't trained that way~ to steal other people's customer. The other girl was just amused and took it in stride, she got the sale anyway. Talk about competition.

4) security guards - they risk their life and limb for a measly salary, and they're not even properly trained to handle difficult situations like robbery or theft. They merely stand at the entrance of a commercial establishment looking bored, most of the time distracted, and sometimes they merely sleep at their jobs. Their primary function is to open doors to customers entering/exiting the establishment and greet them with 'good morning maam, sir/thank you for coming maam, sir'.

So you see, we have a lot to be thankful for, for not ending up with a job that would surely bore you to tears ~ or will kill you...

the bandwagon effect (the blue pill or the red pill?)

i don't believe that people should plan their lives according to what the society dictates, nor they should pattern their lives out of others, hoping they would get lucky too. I have news for you people : that's bullcrap. Just because your peers have all gone and are already moving on with their lives doesn't mean you're meant to do the same. Talk about peer pressure. I mean, don't get me wrong, if your friends have started branching out to other stuff, then good for them. It's what they've always wanted to do. But for other people to model themselves out of their peers and trying the same thing just for the heck of it, I think there must be something wrong there. And don't tell me they're just going with the flow. C'mon. I believe no one should take charge of their lives but themselves. You should be the one who would be able to know if it's already time for you to move on or not. You should be able to dictate what happens in your life. Of course what with fate and all, I guess whatever/wherever you end up with would be the result of that. Then again, it was probably because of the choices you made with your life.

My destiny is different from other people. If I choose one path it's because I chose to be on that path and not because someone else have decided for me. If bad things are bound to happen to me, then it's because I made the decision. I should be able to own up to my mistakes, right? If I feel that it's not the right time for me to do any major decisions in my life then I won't probably do it. I usually just trust my instincts. Gut feel. I don't wanna go where everybody else goes, because what if it's not for me in the first place? Then I would probably end up being unhappy. I have observed that most people map out their lives early on, right down to the very last detail as if everything depends on it. Of course, it's not bad to prepare for the rainy days but most of the time, people don't realize that however you plan ahead, surprises are bound to happen. You don't always get what you want in the end. If you were expecting to achieve the same goals you aspired for 20 years ago and don't get it, you just end up being disappointed and/or frustrated. Maybe you thought what you wanted was supposed to happen. Sometimes you realize it wasn't what you wanted after all. Maybe fate has something else for you all along.

Maybe I should try to stop analyzing what I'm supposed to do with my life, and just let fate take over . And now I'm contradicting myself. Who am I kidding anyway?

learning chutzpah

as much as I hate to admit it, I wasn't a very studious person back in college. I don't read textbooks religiously (not unless it's a really, really interesting subject) and would usually cram for exams. I would only read my notes on the night of the exam or even the day itself, an hour before an exam is scheduled. It's a miracle that I've passed all my subjects. Math subjects were always a bit of a problem for me. It's always been my waterloo. I had to befriend the class geek just so I can be mentored on complicated formulas and the like. But I faired well enough in most of my subjects ~ even spanish. Although I eventually un-learn my spanish after I graduated. I couldn't practice the language simply because there's no one who speaks spanish in my circle. How was I to know that I would be able to use it in my current job? But anyway, I've enjoyed going to school, meeting up with schoolmates after or in-between classes. I've tried to stay away from campus politics ~ unsuccessfully I might add. I was forced by my adviser to run for a noted class position since no one wanted to challenge the other party. I eventually lost simply because my heart wasn't into it in the first place. I didn't have the reese witherspoon competitive complex that time (reese's character from the movie Election). But then again, most of my posse that time were active in campus politics. I even attended their meetings once or twice.

Anyway back to my story, I never considered myself a role model or a perfect student. I was merely trying to finish my education, coping with the day-to-day demands of professors, co-existing peacefully with my classmates ~ and of course just enjoying my carefree student life. Now that I'm finally on my feet, living independently away from family, I have come to realize the importance of learning and knowledge per se. Though it is true that you don't learn everything within the four corners of a classroom. When you graduate, you're on your own. Eventhough mentors provided you with the necessary tools~ and advise for surviving the real world, it's still up to you which direction you want to take. They can only do so much. Acquired knowledge gets you a decent job. Learned skills gets you promoted faster, although not in some cases.

I have come to realize that whatever knowledge you have gained from school will never prepare you for the real thing. The real deal is, other factors affect your advancement, professionally and personally. It dawned on me recently that however I keep myself up-to-date with the rest of the world and however I prepare myself from the onslaught of globalization, never-ending industrialization and creeping consumerism, I always find myself cramming to learn everything~ or at least know a little bit of something. But of course that cannot be done all in one day. Then again the next day, something new has developed and other matters would materialize and has to be learned again. And so the cycle goes on. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the world that's forever rushing forward. Like I said, nothing will ever prepare you, you always have to keep your head above the water because the world will always evolve . . .

being capt. jack sparrow

like captain jack sparrow, you don't abandon your ship just because everyone in your crew started jumping ship ~ not even if the flying dutchman is hot on your heels. . .

bracing myself

so now i'm sporting my new braces and i'm finding it hard to speak and pronounce certain words since the metal brackets gets in the way. I totally feel hesitant to flash a grin or a smile. What's worse, I can't properly eat. I feel like there's a metal grinder shoved in my mouth everytime I try to eat something. My dentist advised me to eat soft foods and mostly liquids at the moment. Hopefully, I would lose weight because of this. . .

playuh

so my beau just gave me this spanking new mp3 player the other day. I must say that I am quite satisfied with it, given the fact that it was a replacement from the original thing he wanted to give me. I almost threw a fit when he showed me the first one. To say the least, I didn't like it. I know I may sound like a beyotch for being so picky and petty about the whole thing but I thought what he picked that time wasn't practical since I could only download a few songs. It wasn't even user-friendly to say the least. Sure it has an FM radio, a voice recorder and such but I figured it wasn't all worth it. I didn't get the value for what it's worth. So I refused to take it. But the other day, he returned the damn useless mp3 to the seller and replaced it with a new one, a better one. And I'm happy with it. I must admit though that I am not a gadget freak. So I am not really updated when it comes to the latest gadgets or gizmos. I'd be totally lost without a manual, he he he. I haven't really mastered the operations of my new mp3 player but it's not rocket science either, so... And just so you know, I am not a high-maintenance girlfriend so I value what my boyfriend gave me.

just another episode

I almost came in late for work today. Do you ever have that feeling that the forces of nature seem to be against you? Well, I just experienced it today. It seemed like everything was going wrong. The driver of the tricycle I was in got into a fight with another driver just as I was nearing my destination. Then the jeepney I happened to ride was sooo damn slow, stopping at every corner to get passengers. Then I had to take a long walk to the bus stop since the jeep didn't go to the usual route this morning. And of course, I couldn't get a bus ride along edsa as always. I was tempted to hail a taxi already when lo and behold, an ayala bus came in sight! It was almost full but I took my chances and got on the bus. And when I got to the office, all the seats were taken! Of all the... I had to wait for some people to log out before I can get a damn seat. To top it off, my office tools have gone bonkers. I couldn't seem to log into the system. I have to wait for some directive from the NY office! Just another reason why I don't like tuesdays. . . sigh!

My Topmost Pet Peeves :

1) When you're walking at a public place (street, mall, etc) and the person walking in front of you is sooo damn slow

2) When people stop to say hello to one another in the middle of the street (or mall) thus blocking your way

3) When store clerks follow you around when you're just window shopping

4) When store clerks follow you around suspiciously as if you're going to steal something

5) When store clerks go bonkers when you're just looking around the shop and don't buy something

6) When your nosy neighbor curiously looks at your grocery bag as you pass them to see what you've bought

7) When your neighbor decides for a videoke night wailing like a banshee till 4 o'clock in the morning thus preventing you from getting a good night's sleep

8) When strangers ask you personal questions (i.e how much you're earning from your current job, etc)

9) When you ride a bus/jeepney/FX and the person sitting next to you has a foul odor/didn't take a bath/is sweating profusely/farts

10) When people don't respect your personal space, figuratively and literally

11) When people stare at you from head to toe

12) When people eavesdrop and interrupts you in the middle of a conversation with another person

13) When bus/jeepney drivers don't know how to park properly along edsa or any other street for that matter

14) When taxi drivers ask for more than what's on the meter

15) When men don't give way to women/children at a public place

16) When store clerks ignore you just when you need to ask them something even though they are aware of your presence (the irony of it all!)

17) When people impose their views/beliefs on you

my song of the moment

Someday
by nickelback

How the hell did we wind up like this
Why weren't we able
To see the signs that we missed
And try to turn the tables

I wish you'd unclench your fists
And unpack your suitcase
Lately there's been too much of this
Dont think its too late

Nothin's wrong
just as long as you
know that someday I will

Someday, somehow
gonna make it allright
but not right now
I know you're wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)
Someday, somehow
gonna make it allright
but not right now
I know you're wondering when

Well i hoped that
since we're here anyway
We could end up saying
Things we've always needed to say
So we could end up stringing
Now the story's played out like this
Just like a paperback novel
Lets rewrite an ending
that fits
Instead of a hollywood horror

Nothin's wrong
just as long as
you know that someday I will

Someday, somehow
gonna make it allright
but not right now
I know you're wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)
Someday, somehow
gonna make it allright
but not right now
I know you're
wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)

[Solo]

How the hell did we
wind up like this
Why weren't we able
To see the signs
that we missed
And try to turn the tables
Now the story's
played out like this
Just like a paperback novel
Lets rewrite an ending that fits
Instead of a hollywood horror

Nothin's wrong
just as long as
you know that someday I will
Someday, somehow
gonna make it allright
but not right now
I know you're wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)
Someday, somehow
gonna make it allright
but not right now
I know you're wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)
I know you're wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)
I know you're wondering when

hooked on you

I must confess that you got me hooked. When I discovered your existence, I have been addicted ever since. Like a moth to a flame, you got me mesmerized, hanging on every scene that unfolds before my very eyes. I could not believe that I have waited this long to appreciate another tv series! Lest you mistake this entry on a different topic, let me clarify that I am merely referring to the hottest tv show of the moment, Lost. Seriously, I find myself in tenterhooks whenever I watch this show. I savor every episode. It's my favorite show at the moment. Gawd! I can't wait for the next episode! I even surfed the website for advance reading of future episodes. I know it's a spoiler but I've only cheated for like, a few advance episodes. The best part of this show is the gorgeous hunks! I mean, cute guys in one show?! C'mon, you gotta be kidding me! I am loving it!

Reminder to self : Must get that book, The Bad Twin which is written by a fictional character based from the series...

i dream of lindsay

I had a brief taste of fame the other night when I dreamt that I was friends with paparazzi-magnet lindsay lohan. So what's it like to be lindsay's friend? It wasn't really grand. If you're the type to party, divulge secrets and pull pranks, then that's what it is. But it was fun to be part of a hollywood crowd even for just a nonasecond. It was kinda cool, reminiscent of alicia silverstone's Clueless days ~ sans the blonde locks. At least, it was better than being friends with the dumb bimbo jessica simpson... ugh!

melt with you

i could list a lot of things to be bitchy about these days, things that are mostly irrelevant and condescending. But mostly, I am pissed about the humid weather. Yesterday was no exception. I left the office early in the afternoon and the sun was beating down on me. It was punishing, I tell you! So I went to my usual route after work ~ meaning, I had to pass glorietta. Since it was a sunday, the mall was packed. Every conceivable human types were all there basking in the coolness of the airconditioned mall. Mind you, there wasn't any sale going on whatsoever. But the mere fact that MI:3 has just opened that means the cinemas were jampacked as well for this big budget movie.

I was able to watch the movie already, and since I am aware of the fact that it was directed by JJ Abrams (creator of tv series Alias and Lost), I somehow recognized some familiarity in the execution of some scenes. At some point in the movie, the background music was awfully familiar-sounding. To summarize, it made me feel like I was watching a great episode of Alias on the big screen. In fact, some cast members from the said series was on the movie as extras. What do you expect, even one of the female cast was an alumni of Felicity, another series from JJ Abrams.

So anyway, back to my original story, I was bumping into a lot of people at the mall yesterday. Turned out there was also a sort of story-telling session for kids in the activity area. lots of kids were loitering around chasing one another, and that made me irritable as well since it hampers my progress to get home in the shortest possible time. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against kids per se but thrusting them into the arena of adults is kinda annoying. I mean, kids should be playing in parks, gardens or picnic groves ~ not in the middle of the mall where accidents are bound to happen. Of course, it would be nearly impossible since this country lacks parks or lush recreational areas where kids can just run around all day in the vast greenery. Besides, majority of this country's population seems to treat mall-hopping/mall-lounging as a past-time activity. I can't really blame all these people, they had nowhere else to go.

Some girls my age already have kids of their own, but I don't feel my maternal instincts kicking in yet. I don't feel inclined to get married or get pregnant at the moment. I'm not really one of those women who gush whenever they see a baby. Sure, they're cute and cuddly, but that's all there is to it. I am not overwhelmed with emotions when I see one. To me, they're just kids : playful at times, annoying when they're kicking and screaming. My throat was so dry from the heat when I got home ~ merely surviving the maddening crowd at the mall.

burn baby burn

summer is not my favorite time of the year. The idea of staying under the scorching sun even for a fraction of a minute is not exactly sexy-- especially to your exposed skin. Hitting the beach? Forget it! Too crowded already, no matter where you go. Personally, I would like to go to the beach during off-season, when it's almost deserted. I want the ocean all to myself-- not that I have excellent swimming skills to boast of, but you know, you don't have to deal with people peeing in the water. Gross, I know. The hot weather also makes me irritable, like you wanna pick a fight with anyone. I could become a mean beyotch for no reason.

spring in june

here's something to look forward to :

The French Film Festival on June 8 to 18 will be shown at the Shangri-la Plaza Mall as part of the French Spring in Manila 2006. Also, there will be a staging of the play 'Waiting for Godot' by Dublin-born writer Samuel Becket. It would be staged in Tagalog and will be collaborated by French director Alain Timar with four Filipino actors. Hmm, I remember this play in college when we were required to read it. It would be nice to get re-acquainted with the play. 'Waiting for Godot' will be shown at the CCP Little Theater on June 23 (8 p.m.), June 24 (3 and 8 p.m.), and June 25 (3 p.m.). Lest I forget, there is an exhibit of works by French fashion designer Christian Lacroix at the Ayala Museum which opened last April 1. I hear the collection was very impressive... and of course, the all-night street party Fête de la Musique on June 18 will be held at El Pueblo, Ortigas Center, 4 PM onwards...

song from the broadway musical, Rent

many thanks to jayna for the lyrics...

Seasons of Love

Company :

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand

Six Hundred Minutes

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand

Moments So Dear

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand

Six Hundred Minutes

How Do you Measure - Measure A Year?

In Daylights - In Sunsets

In Midnights - In Cups Of Coffee

In Inches - In Miles

In Laughter - In Strife

In... Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand

Six Hundred Minutes

How Do You Measure

A Year In The Life

How About Love ?

How About Love ?

How About Love ?

Measure In Love

Seasons Of Love,

Seasons Of Love...

Soloist # 1 :

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand

Six Hundred Minutes

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand

Journeys To Plan

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand

Six Hundred Minutes

How Do You Measure The Life

Of A Women Or A Man ?

Soloist # 2 :

In Truths That She Learned
Or In in Times That He Cried

In Bridges He Burned

Or The Way That She Died

All :

It's Time Now to Sing out

Tho` The Story Never Ends

Let's Celebrate

Remember A Year

In The Life of Friends

Remember The Love

Remember The Love

Remember The Love

Measure In Love

Soloist # 1 :

Measure, Measure Your Life In Love

Seasons Of Love. . .

Seasons Of Love. . .

viva la boheme

For anyone out there who loves the 'theatuh', don't fail to watch the movie version of Rent, the musical. It's only being shown this week in two cinemas, Glorietta 4 and Greenbelt 3. 'Love all the songs... it's definitely worth watching... and worth every penny. I might consider buying the original soundtrack...

Which LOST character are you?

i relate to hurley? how the hell did that happen?!

Hurley

You scored 46% kindness, 34% courage, 31% seedy past, and 51% secretiveness!

"For the record, my belt HAS dropped a notch. I'm a big guy. It's gonna be a while before you're going to want to give me a piggy back ride."

Dude, you are Hurley. You are a kind soul with some terrible luck. While you're always lending a helping hand, you're not exactly the bravest guy on the island. What you do is even more important - keep people entertained. The only problem you've got is that whole jinxed numbers thing. You're so secretive, no one on the island even knows that you're a multimillionaire! Let it out, dude. There's no use trying to keep it all bottled up inside, man.

Your polar opposite is: Jin. You are similar to: Claire and Sun.

this little missy went to the dentist

one hot day, during my time off, I went to the dentist for an appointment. I was a bit early so the lady dentist was still attending to another patient. Naturally I have to wait for my turn. I was casually leafing through a copy of cosmo magazine when I heard the dull whirring sound of the dentist's equipment, you know that thing they put inside your mouth. It wasn't a pleasant sound. It sounded like she was actually drilling hard! I almost winced as if I was the one on the dentist's chair at that moment. I just wish I won't walk out of that clinic all bruised and swelling, you know. I hoped she wouldn't be that clumsy or hard on her patients. Well, I didn't hear any loud screams from the other patient so I thought I was safe. Surprisingly, when it was my turn, the dentist's hands were actually gentle. So I was in capable hands and I was able to relax. I just kept thinking she wouldn't make a mistake since she kept on yapping while she was doing prophylaxis on me. I always dislike going to the dentist. It's like submitting yourself to some kind of a barbaric torture, especially if the dentist is a caffeine addict & doesn't have steady hands. I usually put off making a dentist appointment. Well, the trip to the dentist almost always ends well for me~ unless the dentist told you some bad news. As for me, I have clean pearly whites now, and a clean fresh breath, it's almost a sin to eat something...