Why So Expensive?

I can't afford culinary school :(

Me on TV?

My first job was with government: contract work, low-paying, no benefits. But in that more or less year and a half stint, I was able to expose myself to a host of learning opportunities. The office was kind, that way. My boss even recruited me into a program sponsored by a think-tank in Hawaii wherein they gather "up-and-coming" analysts the world over to well, analyze things. Lol.

Yeah, I was "up-and-coming" and I was a "young leader." My only beef was that I didn't want to be one. There was something about analyzing things and talking about them that just didn't cut it for me. Being an armchair analyst was frustrating. All recommendatory, nothing much done.

And so I decided to shift gears and that's how I ended up where I'm at.

Last week, I was surfing channels when I came across Al Jazeera and thought I saw a familiar face. Here was a Taiwanese guy talking about their elections and the overall security environment in the region especially vis-a-vis China. That familiar guy, could it be Rocky? It might be Rocky or I could be wrong. I mean, the guy's over a cable news channel, taken in as an expert! Seriously, it can't be him... but then again, he's talking Taiwan stuff and that square jaw, sleeked back hair and barely there glasses are all too familiar!

I waited for about ten more minutes, listening in, trying hard to find clues as to this guy's identity and then there it was: "As Rocky mentioned...." One of the other guests referenced him. Yep, it was him alright.

I'm not one to live in regrets and much as I still haven't doused that nagging I-could-be-great-but-why-am-I-stuck-here feeling, I'm finally feeling my inner self settle. But then again, I wonder how it feels rambling over cable news... international superstardom anyone? Lol

Give Me Bags!!!

WHEN: 15 January 2012, Sunday
TIME: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
WHERE: Sunken Garden, UP Diliman

1. Friends, please rummage your closets for old bags. I'm sure you have some to spare.

2. I'm also sure you received bags and office supplies as corporate giveaways last Christmas. This is a great way to re-gift!

3. And think of how many pads of paper or notebooks a hundred pesos can buy. Just a hundred pesos friends! Or even fifty or even twenty!

Let's pitch in whatever we can. Please, please, pretty please!

SENDong Kids Back to School!

iExist

The nightmare of valid IDs has haunted me for quite a while already. For the longest time, I relied on my school ID and from time to time, my passport. Needless to say, a lot of transactions require you to present at least two government-issued IDs and so when my passport expired, I resolved to get as many IDs as I could possibly get.

Right before the year ended, I went on a mini-ID spree.

First stop was passport renewal. Toiletots has a more detailed account - complete with DFA links and whatnot - on this so better to just read him up. But I totally agree with him that the DFA did great on this one. My sked was 8:00 am and they require people to be there at least 30 minutes before. I got to the DFA Aseana Office at around 7:15 am and they opened counters at around 7:20 am! I was done by 8:10 am considering that there were probably about a hundred or so people before me. What's best, I think, is that everything's so transparent and streamlined. No red tape at all here. It was really awesome.

Next, I headed to the SSS for an ID. Sadly, they just had one counter processing ALL transactions and needless to say, waiting time was long and tedious. I visited a field office, by the way. For an SSS ID, just fill out the form online, print it and have it processed in a branch with image capture facility. First time applications are free of charge and they'll mail your ID to the address you noted.

Incidentally, when I was on my home, I passed by an LTO field office. And so I decided to apply for a student permit. Yes, at age 27, I still don't know how to drive. Lol. Process is again quite easy: fill out the form, have it processed, wait for them to call you for image and signature capture, wait for them to call you to the cashier for payment and again, wait for your name to be called in the releasing section. (Funny thing about this is that in the afternoon, I got a text message from an unknown number. The message said hi and I replied back, who's this? The reply said, she's the girl who released my SP. I asked, SP? Apparently, that's Student Permit. Cringe! A girl took my number!!! But all that vomit-inducing feeling washed away when she finally made mention of her being an agent of USANA. So there, all's well! Buti na lang kasi when I saw her making in LTO, the first thing that crossed my mind was: wow, matangkad and payat, pwedeng mag-pageant... sana lang maganda! Lol.)

Prior to this ID-field day, I had a postal ID processed. Ask your neighborhood postman about this. He'll gladly process everything for you... of course for a fee, which to my mind is worth all the hassle! I remember just giving three 2x2 ID pictures and P450 for all the fees - postal, notarial, etc. The postman delivered the ID after a day or two!

My only concern right now is my TIN card. Apparently, my records are not yet updated. I first secured my TIN ages ago when I first applied for a student permit to drive and the BIR issues TIN cards only to those employed or already paying taxes. After the office updates my records, I'd probably have to go back to the BIR field office near our place. But again, the process is very simple: you approach a counter, present an ID with your TIN stated in it and they'll print you a card.

So far that's that. I'm just waiting for everything to be delivered: my passport to the office and my SSS ID to our home address.

And yey for getting through this post. Hope it didn't bore you to death. Lol

:p

Holiday Loot

I have a very low EQ. Give me a gift and I'll unwrap it as soon as you hand it to me. Perhaps it's because I'm not used to receiving stuff or maybe it's because I'm just naturally impatient... or OC that I want to quickly see how my new "acquisitions" fit into "my life." All the same, this year was really fun because I received quite a handful. Hehe

I love boxer briefs and some were thoughtful enough to give me some. Lol.

I was really really really happy to receive this huge bottle of Physiogel from a colleague. Remember my love affair with O? 'Nuff said. Lol

And the vanity continues... Hehe

But what really got me all excited were the things I bought with my - erm, now my nanay's - bonus. Item number 1... a travel toothbrush. Haha

Item number 2... a new lunchbox! Seriously, I had to convince nanay to buy me this. I was all smiles when I opened it and saw two "compartments" inside! Nakakaiyak! Haha

And one of our bosses gave us new one-peso coins for doing an awesome job with the Christmas party presentations. Lol

I also rallied the family to clean up yesterday. Yes, our Christmas was spent cleaning the house, thanks to me! Haha. Found this clutchbag I gave tatay for his birthday a couple of years ago. It's still unused! Finders keepers. Hehe. I just swapped it with some new car mats for him. Lol

And after working for around 7 years, I finally gifted myself with a savings account. Thank you Lord for the means to open one. God really provides. He does make ways.

In other news, a lot of establishments have been mushrooming around Antipolo lately. Yesterday, I saw a mini-mall right outside the church with a Starbucks branch. Yardstick of progress much? But the kasuys and sumans and kalamays still line up the plaza though! :)

Anyhow, thank you to everyone who remembered. Some of the gifts are now neatly lined on my office desk or were much enjoyed by my and my family's tummies. Hehe

Here's too 2011!

Let's go 2012! End of the world! Joke. Hehe

:p

Phone Call Blues

Everyday I try my best to be nice which isn't really that difficult since I'm a very non-confrontational person and I've got loads of patience. One of my colleagues at work even said that if I get ticked or if I lose my cool, then it must be really serious. Lately, perhaps because things ultimately do add up, I found myself sighing a handful of times as I talked to a "client" via phone. It's one thing to spoon feed "bosses" but it gets elevated to a whole new level when they're wrong yet still have the gall to throw their weight around and be arrogant about it.

C: Hi, I want to clarify some things.

D: Sure ma'am.

Round 1...

C: I want to know how many responded to this study.

D: (Hmmmm....) Ma'am, if you noticed, in the first slide, we placed there n=xx.

C: Ok... But there are other things I wanted to ask.

Round 2...

C: Like for this item, you asked whether they give this out or not. But so what?! You didn't even ask about the exact rates!

D: (Hmmmm.... hmmmm....) Ma'am, if you noticed (I'm beginning to love this phrase!), right below that chart is another graph with the percentages and ranges of rates...

Round 3...

C: But how about this one? You asked for the mean when you should have asked for the average, 'di ba?

D: (Hmmm... hmmm... hmmm...) Ma'am, the arithmetic mean IS THE average...

C: Ah, so median iyong middle point?

D: Opo...

And finally, round 4...

C: Pero ito, you asked if they give out this birthday benefit but you didn't ask how many times they give it out in a year?!

D: (Hay...) Erm, ma'am, 'di ba po isa lang naman ang birthday ng isang tao sa isang taon?

C: Hindi kasi ayoko mag-assume, dapat exact... (at this point, I was no longer listening to her. magpapalusot pa eh.)

D: Sure ma'am, next time I'll try to refine the questions further (Ho hum).

C: Oo kasi bakit iyong XXX may ganitong details, kayo wala!

D: Sure ma'am, next time we'll ask those things (but what my raised eyebrow really wanted to say was: Duh, you pay hundreds of thousands for the studies churned out by XXX, I'm giving you these results for free. Kung maka-demand ka naman eh parang hindi mo naman naintindihan iyong mga studies na iyan.)

Sometimes work really is frustrating. The thing I'm scared of is that there are already instances when I'm close to losing my cool while talking to a "client" which is really not a good thing... and I don't want to be like that. I'm cool, calm and collected... at least that's what I aspire to be.

*****

Anyway, in other news, I really felt for KC when she was asked from where she's getting strength and she answered something like, "I've never prayed this much in my life." Hay, I know the feeling. When matters of the heart get me sad or broken, we really do cling our hardest to prayers.

*****

It's the first of December! Merry Christmas! =)

Read

Where I'm at in this world has yet to sink in. Being recognized for something you detest doing. Making ends meet by peddling something you abhor. It's ironic really, a wonder if you must. But then we make do with what life offers. You bounce through time's breeze... holding down your heart though the wind's every cough, praying that the next gust will find you in your cradle of peace. And you create ripples as you tip toe through tenuous tracks. Seeing your eyes lodged in your co-pilgrims' grimaced face. You realize that again, you must own your story... for in the end you possess nothing but that. Nothing earthly nor intangible to boast of. Everything's borrowed. At times, stolen. And in the end it's just that. Being recognized for something you detest doing. Making ends meet by peddling something you abhor.

*Thank you to my book missionary who made me re-discover - after a long time of dodging - the thrills of reading :)