Global Pinoy

The past few months looked particularly bleak knowing that some of my fellow Filipinos are at their best trying to oust our incumbent president. Sigh. It's difficult to utter the phrase "I'm proud to be a Filipino" these days.

But God must've heard the faith of other Filipino hearts crying for change. for transformation. for hope. and decided to bring lit'l blessings along our way.

Last sept. 15, Manny Pacquiao brought pride back into our country by relinquishing his throne after being crowned the new WBC International Super Featherweight champion.

And just this Monday, another world title was bequeathed to our beloved Philippines as Precious Lara Quigaman was crowned the Miss International 2005, besting contestants from 52 other countries.

To Manny and Lara, thank you for being our "heroes"--you allow us to face the world with our chins held a little higher and our shoulders a little straighter.

Go global pinoys!

add another pride, click here to vote:

what a girl wants

(this happened a month ago)

It was a particularly turbulent afternoon. The sky was grey when I left the house and a storm was starting to build up. I only have three days in Manila and I have to make the most out of my stay. I called up long-time friends and decided to meet up with them in a new mall at the heart of Quezon City.

As I was finishing up lunch with my first friend, the lights unexpectedly went out. Within just a few minutes, the generator was up and running. My second friend arrived when my first was about to leave.

We agreed on watching a movie. We paid a premium for the tickets since the theatres have reserved seats.

We entered right before the movie was just going to start when a personnel announced that we had to transfer to another hall due to some “technical problems”. All of us were already heading towards the exit when a student shouted “How about our seats?” The personnel must have unheard the comment. (or probably… did it on purpose). I quietly thought to myself “To our original numbered seats, of course.”

Apparently, we were transferred to a smaller theatre. Everybody was on a ruckus when we got inside and I overheard patrons whispering “the seats are now first come first served”.

What?!! That didn’t seem right. I had to clarify that with their staff. And clarify I did.

The rumor is true. People can sit anywhere they want.

That’s unfair! That’s when my temper began to rise. So what was the premium for? I asked to talk to their superior. He did all his best to explain, but I wouldn’t budge. Even if my friend was clamming up, I was determined to get my money’s worth. It wasn’t our fault that their equipment conked out (which was most likely due to the power failure brought about by the lightning and thunder). The cinema theatre officer was already offering me another movie. No, the only movie I wanna watch is “Must Love Dogs”. How about watching it another day? Can’t. I’m leaving for Ilocos tonight and I am not returning til the following month.

The senior officer must have figured out I’m beginning to be a pain, he finally conceded. Haha.

He gave us a full refund and led us inside to watch.

Between me and the college girl, who do you think got what she wanted?

p.s. I’d like to thank the many subscribers we have in the province. Without them, I wouldn’t have practiced the art of complaining.

discovering dad

Since dad lacked organizing skills, he tasked me to sort through his files—real estate, vehicle properties, business magazines, and some work related documents found in between. Each paper I unearthed revealed some things I have not previously known. I discovered truths about the family business—
a number of them are common, and others shocking… even to the point that it hurts. It stings. Plain cruel. Labor complaints. Closures. And the like.

As I put myself in his shoes, I feel the pain. I imagine the sleepless nights he must have had—the turmoil of facing your employees and breaking the news.

That’s why I admire him. Never in my life have I seen him break down. He always has this happy countenance. He always looks at the positive side of things. I wish I was like him. See, I have pessimistic tendencies. But whenever I’m around him, he changes my perspective. Suddenly, this world becomes a little better place to live in.

can't leave home without 'em

the power of words

Wanting to hear what our staff has to say about their work, my sister came up with a “survey” requiring them to fill in the blanks. The sentences vary from: “The best part of my job is...”, “I will stay long with the company because…”, “I don’t like it when my superiors…”

When the results came out, the replies varied from the usual (“higher salaries”) to the expected (“allowing us to grow by sending us to trainings”) to hard core truths (“they always see our mistakes and miss out on our accomplishments”).

After reviewing their reactions and comments, little by little a part of me was being crushed. Why is the truth painful?

I admit words can hurt. They are powerful. And they stay. No matter how much I want to shake it off me, it manages to cling to every part of my being… when I reflect by myself… during lunch break… in the bathroom… before I sleep… I am so tempted to look away. Turn a blind eye…a deaf ear.

But, we brought it upon ourselves. We asked for it. We got them. Straightforward. Without any pretensions.

Looking back, I like to think that I picked up a lesson attached to it.

Aside from the fact that I have some character flaws to iron out, I saw it the other way around: how I tend to complain to God (with Him being the boss, and me being the employee). I am turned off by what I saw. I can get filthy. And I can clearly imagine how God must be hurt with my demands. “Compensate me for my overtime pay praying.” “Give me more blessings, like a trip to Russia.” “What’s in it for me when I read the Bible?”

Such an unsightly sight (forgive me for being redundant), but definitely an eye-opener.

The next time I hear myself whining, maybe I should go over and review the staff survey.

That would bring me back to my feet. And keep me grounded.

i love photos

it's on my floor...





my door...





and on my cabinet.





i can't get enough of it!!!

blog-unication

In the School of Leaders module, I read that there are 4 Levels of Communication:

1. “Cliché” conversation: it is superficial. Greeting, exchange of words without entering into detail, there is no acquaintance with people


2. Conversation about others: Viewpoint is shown but one talks about circumstances or other people.


3. Conversation where ideas and judgments intervene. Subjects are raised but there are no deep chats.


4. Frank and sincere conversation where feelings are seen and one talks in detail. We should aim for this level.

I think blogging is a perfect way to reach the highest level at any time. You are not forced to pass by the lower levels of ostentation normally found between chatters which can sometimes be draining and time-consuming.

You go directly to your point. Write what you feel and seize the moment… while your emotions are high and the feelings are fresh…

Lately, I’ve been finding it quite cathartic.. therapeutic.. specially when there’s no one around I can talk to. It’s like having so many thoughts and feelings shouting at each other inside my head, but the moment I write them down, I slowly let each noise go.

And perhaps leave a piece of myself behind.

two cents worth

while i went about my routine check to visit other systems outside of town, i was left alone with nothing but my thoughts to mull over.

1. any of you want to get me a present? all i want for Christmas (or new years, or my birthday, or no-occasion at all) is a map of the world. i would pin it up in my room where i can mark places i've been to and would want to visit. hmm, i think even a globe will do.
2. that reminds me, these are countries included in my "to visit" list:
   
• russia (specifically st. basil's cathedral)
• afghanistan (i've been seeing emotional photos of this war-torn place. i would love to take them first hand)
• any tribal place in africa (i particularly dream of being face-to-face with dark-skinned locals whose necklaces are as bright and colored as the rainbow)
3. with the plentiful time i have to kill, i'm glad i brought my notebook with me. i realized i have downloaded so much mp3s that i never had time to listen to them. it rekindled my passion for easy-listening music. i am such a sucker for acoustic guitar. the strum.. plucking.. the tweaking sound.. just love every bit of it.. specially on STEREO.
4. is it me or am i just a godchild magnet? one of our staff in La Union recently gave birth. the baby is due to be christened on December. she asked if i could be one of the child's godmother. "Sure," i replied and let out a faint smile. How could i say "No?" At some point when i was younger, i wondered why no one ever makes me their child's "ninang". sigh. i spoke too soon. now, i simply stopped counting.. can't keep track!
   
5. with the price of oil and diesel soaring every minute, i am totally considering an alternative. like getting myself a bike. a mountain bike. it would make my short trips to and fro the metro more interesting. plus, i could use some exercise anyway.
6. on my way home, i commuted on a bus and was fascinated when we passed by a group of farmers preparing for harvest. as i was peering through the window, one of them impulsively and candidly waved his hands at the moving bus. it put a smile on my face. i was tempted to wave back. that definitely made my day.

brown beauty

lifted from
The Philippine Star 09/09/2005
By Sheila Crisostomo

Only five percent of Filipino women consider themselves beautiful, according to a study released yesterday.

But despite this, the study...concluded that "Filipinas exhibit a strong sense of happiness and satisfaction with their bodies and their lives."

"When it comes specifically to beauty, again satisfaction varies by country, and to some degree by marriage and children. Filipinas top the beauty happiness scale with 87 percent saying that they are satisfied with their beauty..."

disciplinary action

today, i had to confront two of our staff. theirs was a case of theft and tampering official documents.

my mind is made up. the code of conduct states that these offenses are tantamount to dismissal. i just need to get their statements as part of the "due process".

the first one came up. he pleaded guilty. even if he is the team's senior technician, he revealed that it was the younger tech's idea.

when it was the junior tech's turn, he pleaded the same and acknowledged their fault. they were downright broke that day.

while they were speaking, i never sensed any hint of shame nor remorse. i thought, "that's tough". how could they pull it off?

alright. wait til they get a Termination Letter from me.

just as i was about to pack my things and leave, the senior tech gently asked if he could consume his compensatory leave the next two days. "Why?", i asked. "it's my son's birthday tomorrow", he replied.

then... everything just became a blur. thoughts kept pouring over my head, wondering why these things happen. i suddenly felt compassionate and thought how he's gonna feed his family after i terminate him.

yet, i begin to ask again why i have to terminate him? why is it in my hands to judge? to decide? i console myself, thinking i have been put there for a reason. people need to be disciplined, and as long as you don't discipline, they will never learn in life and keep on doing the same things over and over again. and not disciplining means you don't care enough to bring it to their attention and do something about it. all it takes is one decision. and whatever i decide upon will bear its effects on the two technicians' lives.

life is perplexing. i wish i was a teacher who just has to mark her students' grades. then, life would be simpler, wouldn't it?

veranda

this is the view from my room's veranda. i come out here during lunch break to de-stress and contemplate. reflect and process my thoughts.



looking out my window, i am suddenly transported to the vastness of this world of which i am a part of.

in an instant, all the cares of my mundane life seem to be fleeting. a speck of dust-- reduced to nothing compared to my reason for living & higher purpose in life.

all it takes is a 10-minute gaze.

i return to the office with a refreshed perspective.

err favor

why is it that everytime i do my sister a favor, i end up being in trouble?

when she asked me last week to buy for her chocolate blocks for her baking, i was caught by an MMDA officer for violating traffic rules. thanks to the many changes in Manila by the way, that i can't keep track of the MANY one-way lanes and the u-turn slots.

the last time i did her a favor, she wanted me to shop for items she failed purchasing while in hongkong. in return, i missed my flight when i reached the airport an hour late.

maybe i should stop doing her favors. that way, i lessen my risk of being ripped off. haha.