tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59954377842386296262024-03-14T18:24:29.204+08:00Stories from the Simian CreaseThese are my stories. Someday time and inspiration will meet, and I will have written my novel.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.comBlogger209125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-19796646975261888152013-06-21T04:51:00.000+08:002013-06-21T04:52:37.012+08:00Can't What Now!?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE03UlgchfRXMco8iuDlqRwnqKYwLCoiGmRF1yP_x2J_PZksqgXSPufRoFr1pYPrlqFOR3-umqzOzDKdXliSzXLbgPRxYJVW-2hxq3xHDUkjVg2cbFQG6zhWExMBIL4NoNowARZ2pgcCE/s1600/photo-2013-06-21-04-45-15-283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE03UlgchfRXMco8iuDlqRwnqKYwLCoiGmRF1yP_x2J_PZksqgXSPufRoFr1pYPrlqFOR3-umqzOzDKdXliSzXLbgPRxYJVW-2hxq3xHDUkjVg2cbFQG6zhWExMBIL4NoNowARZ2pgcCE/s200/photo-2013-06-21-04-45-15-283.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This isn't exactly the spectacular literary comeback that I was hoping for, but posting from a mobile phone on a dinky wireless connection is not one of my brightest ideas. Frankly, I was just checking to see if blogging-on-the-go was even worth the effort. The typing experience does leave much to be desired, but unfortunately, my computer's sort of in pieces right now. I love that old bucket of bolts, but just like yours truly, it's far too old and too tired to be of any significant use now. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Well, that's my excuse.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-3264531656021138632012-04-02T07:02:00.000+08:002012-04-02T12:57:04.472+08:00The Hunger Pains<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God I missed this. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been quite a while since I last wrote, owing largely to the fact that there wasn't really much to write about; nothing I would personally consider publish-worthy at least. But for those who care, I've recently quit my job for reasons I am not at liberty to publicly discuss. Besides, I'm sick of talking about it anyway. And I've been happily bumming around ever since, although that empty wallet in my back pocket and this growling stomach hints at another life of humdrum subservience in my very near future.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, I've picked up on an old habit. I have started reading again. I figured, since JK Rowling's new book isn't coming out any time soon, and I haven't illegally obtained my copy of Dan Brown's latest page-flipper yet - a situation which will shortly be corrected - I decided to run my fingers through the virtual pages of Suzanne Collin's hit in PDF format, <i>The Hunger Games</i>.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Truth be told, If I could put the book down I would, but I couldn't. Not because I'm enthralled by the fast-paced action the book has to offer, but for a less thrilling reason: I just have to see it through to the end. That doesn't mean I like the book, in fact I would describe my feelings towards it as somewhere between slightly amused to utterly revolted.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You see, I hated the <i>Twilight </i>saga with a passion even before I read a single word of it. Judgmental as it is, I've seen plenty of movie trailers and read enough book reviews to know that "the saga" is just oozing with something I'm not too fond of - teen romance. I see <i>Twilight </i>as the unholy spawn of <i>Underworld </i>and <i>Sweet Valley High</i>. Yakfest written all over it. All you little girls out there may hate me now, but you'll thank me when you get older and eventually grow out of your teeny werewolf fantasies. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So when I started reading <i>The Hunger Games</i>, I was at a point then where I had little to no expectations about this particular trilogy. Big mistake. From the odd little bits of information I've gathered, <i>The Hunger Games</i> was supposedly a story about survival, and fighting against oppression. And yes, it was. What I didn't expect was that the whole action-adventure scheme revolved around a sappy love triangle between sixteen year-olds. I mean, everything draws from how the heroine, <i>Katniss Everdeen,</i> struggles to find direction, and a sense of certainty about how she felt towards two strapping young dudes, <i>Peeta</i> and <i>Gale</i>. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First of all, who gives names such as <i>Peeta</i>, <i>Haymitch</i>, or <i>Cinna</i> to their kids? And to be honest, reading the whole thing feels like reading <i>Katniss'</i> diary because it is written from a first-person perspective, thus spewing heart-stopping lines such as:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Impulsively, I lean forward and kiss him, stopping his words. This is probably overdue since he's right, we are supposed to be madly in love. It's the first time I've ever kissed a boy, which should make some sort of impression I guess, but all I can register is how unnaturally hot his lips are from the fever.</i></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For crying out loud! They were in a fight for their lives, and the boy had a freakin' fever! And Suzanne Collins thought it was obviously the perfect time for a first kiss. This more or less confirmed my suspicion that <i>The Hunger Games</i> was nothing more than a teen romance novel cleverly disguised as an action flick. This might be one of the few times I'll ever like the movie more than I liked the book. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those who loved the book though, I offer my sincerest apologies for my rant. Don't get me wrong, <i>The Hunger Games</i> does make for good reading, but it doesn't place high in my top ten list of reads. I'd sooner wipe my ass with it if it weren't in PDF format, and I know I'd look stupid wiping my derriere with my phone or my laptop. But as I said, I'll give it a fair shake and I'll read it all the way </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">through</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to book 3, </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mockingjay</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Who knows? I might even like it. I'll just be ready with my barf bag for now I guess. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ-xLHwIQbws-vY6dt9ui0IX6YIo968WKioXW4wN4SdJxL6H9EmgNCrJwuv3F4y8nhutGlt4wP4naP_dPVr3lDcbs4mCh6bN0odHGnZC5wOrAMp_KE6rIUDNuQugfdhyphenhyphenN3GkmQJkBBoag/s1600/family-guy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ-xLHwIQbws-vY6dt9ui0IX6YIo968WKioXW4wN4SdJxL6H9EmgNCrJwuv3F4y8nhutGlt4wP4naP_dPVr3lDcbs4mCh6bN0odHGnZC5wOrAMp_KE6rIUDNuQugfdhyphenhyphenN3GkmQJkBBoag/s400/family-guy.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh God they're kissing again!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-87200670051967323642012-02-13T21:16:00.007+08:002012-02-13T21:50:41.214+08:00Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is another one of those moments when I find myself caught between a rock and a hard place, and all I could do right now is bury myself in tacky cliches and idiomatic expressions as a way of telling myself <i>"I told you so!"</i>.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here I am, again in an uncomfortably familiar situation. It's that time of the year when I once again look at my career options, and with the utmost disgust and self-loathing I go <i>"Ugh, not again."</i>. Things at work have gone from bad to just plain awful, and I am once again staring down that fork in the road. One path has a sign telling me to stay, while other one says go. To be honest I'm inclined to take the latter. I'd like to believe that I am not the kind of guy that just calls it quits when the going gets tough, but I honestly feel like l may no longer have a choice.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I do at work is relatively easy, so it's not like I'm completely overwhelmed with stress and stuff. What bums me out - or should I say, one of the things that bum me out - is the repetitive nature of this business. Sure, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to explain why some old lady's cable bill went up this month, or why some sweaty perv can't watch their smutty adult pay-per-view, but to do it over, and over, and over, and over every single day can seriously burn one out. Maybe I just bore too easily, or that I'm simply a lazy old fat-ass that can't keep a job for longer than two years, but I think I've had it this time. Plus, it doesn't help that my boss is an absolute <i>plant </i>when it comes to motivating people and creating a fun and pleasant working environment.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So my boss isn't exactly everybody's favorite person in the office. She can sometimes be a bit overbearing and condescending, but I know she has a good heart. I understand that she's making an effort to be more people-friendly, at least that's what I've been told, but it might just be a tad too late for me now. Don't get me wrong, she is a very competent and knowledgeable team lead with years of call center experience. When it comes to company policies and the intricacies of call center management, she definitely knows her stuff. It's her people skills that bother me. Or, her utter lack of it. I know she means well, and she's probably gravely misunderstood by a lot of people, including yours truly, but I can't shake the feeling that the two of us just can't seem to get along professionally. But I'll take a big chunk of the blame on this one. I haven't exactly been around often enough for us to really develop a harmonious working relationship, with the sick leaves and hypertension and all.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I won't be a hypocrite and say that I have zero fault in all this. This is as much my shit as anyone else's. Okay, so maybe it is more my fault than anything. I'll even go on record and say that I am probably the worst agent a team lead could ever have. But shouldn't that be all the more reason for a team lead to take it upon himself to try and help this pathetic excuse of a human being? Come on, don't we all love a challenge every now and then? But hey, I won't pretend to know how to do your job. I don't want <i>both </i>of us to fail in all this.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it's really not about allocating blame. I just want to get all this behind me and just look towards the future. Problem is, there isn't really much of a future to look forward to. Tell me, what does a college undergrad, who has worked for more than ten years of his life without a single penny in savings to show for himself, and by all standards is getting a little too old and sickly for the fast-paced call center lifestyle, going to do when he finally puts down and retires his headset? Fallback? I guess I must have called in sick too on the day they taught us the meaning of the word. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could lose my job this Tuesday, so Wednesday ought to be a very interesting day for this tired old fool. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO72Az-Vbdosv2ECjC6zGRXzcJIfiFSBjl5cGVVVXe9zeiGBfB7SDc_hbjRF8fHCHmLfV4pZLcbUqY2HcZDDpKduQCODddJzK6T-md7H5CeQD_I9eJVmtxWl2Ezjf5XnCU5WhtaDsm8B4/s1600/frustrated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO72Az-Vbdosv2ECjC6zGRXzcJIfiFSBjl5cGVVVXe9zeiGBfB7SDc_hbjRF8fHCHmLfV4pZLcbUqY2HcZDDpKduQCODddJzK6T-md7H5CeQD_I9eJVmtxWl2Ezjf5XnCU5WhtaDsm8B4/s320/frustrated.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So what the fuck now?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com5Salvacion, Quezon City, Philippines14.6262261 120.9940847000000314.6229776 120.99083570000003 14.6294746 120.99733370000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-18575835312673560112012-01-10T12:40:00.000+08:002012-01-10T12:40:31.138+08:00In Retrospect<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was gonna do it anyway so stop nagging! I'll write that obligatory 2011 recap post! Seriously everyone, don't yell at me all at once! Seriously. Anyone?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8L-Ntna0Exzyz-enlQbiP0ubYvM9XupLuwBkaKjuV4gTqFaiIbu4hWV200JvSKKAJxPKzCUxFVddupVtowrL2MP1sMYHOB5kjyv0K3NtVEWbgtgM-TdHJgNqR3Fx3Emtw9TnCcyIokM/s1600/shoulder_shrug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8L-Ntna0Exzyz-enlQbiP0ubYvM9XupLuwBkaKjuV4gTqFaiIbu4hWV200JvSKKAJxPKzCUxFVddupVtowrL2MP1sMYHOB5kjyv0K3NtVEWbgtgM-TdHJgNqR3Fx3Emtw9TnCcyIokM/s320/shoulder_shrug.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe next year.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nah, there was no clamor, no insistent public demand, not even a whisper asking me to write again. Not that I was looking for some reason or motivation to start writing again, but I just thought this blog could use some fresh reading. Yeah right, fresh.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So twenty-eleven wasn't exactly the spectacular year I was hoping it would be. If anything, last year to me was a year of comings and goings. In a sense, it was just like every other year for me. People came and went. I earned stuff, I lost stuff. I'm just grateful that I was blessed with another year, and I have to say I'm looking forward to another 365 days of adventure. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So in line with that thought, I came up with my personal up's and down's in 2011:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">UP's</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Became a team lead intern and had the chance to handle my own team</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Won an HTC Surround Windows phone</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regained some degree of athleticism by joining a basketball team</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New career-high: made three 3-pointers in one quarter for a 100% 3PT FG clip in one game. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Met new people and built lasting friendships</span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DOWN's</span></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Zune closed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">XBox closed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lost above-mentioned phone</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Got separated from team mates</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Health issues resurfaced</span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All things considered, 2011 should have been a great year for me. I guess you really can't have it all. With that in mind, I'm looking towar 2012 with an open mind. I'm starting the year rough, what with this blood pressure at an all-time high, but I am hoping that the good balances out the bad, just like the bad evened out the good in 2011. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yeah I didn't get that last sentence either. Nobody does.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-38299760887984265652011-12-21T19:26:00.001+08:002011-12-21T19:29:08.877+08:00Cyborg Me<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John Connor has failed us all! Skynet has taken over over! The machines have taken over! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, wait. It was just me. Sorry. We're not really going to be used as batteries for a race of sentient machines while we live in a world that we <i>think </i>is real, no. What? Oh, wrong movie reference. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the next 24 hours, I will be going about my usual business with a machine strapped to my arm and waist. Yes, I have finally invented a machine that replicates superhuman strength and I have decided to test it on myself because I am strongly against animal testing. No seriously, I have what is known as an <i>ambulatory blood pressure monitor</i> hooked up to me, which as the name implies, is supposed to monitor my blood pressure for a duration of 24 hours. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_LlcJx1dsnQqGvfLRGBCXtiDg9G_lyPQ2BT0UZ4gNlTu1xYzw7xluaKP8VOGfW0w8eRVW_N9YcsCNrpa2KaWBpCOketvQeohTuQhAvX7oRknrLBSaW1VCgxDVL89UENaIPtcqHQs7f4/s1600/abpm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_LlcJx1dsnQqGvfLRGBCXtiDg9G_lyPQ2BT0UZ4gNlTu1xYzw7xluaKP8VOGfW0w8eRVW_N9YcsCNrpa2KaWBpCOketvQeohTuQhAvX7oRknrLBSaW1VCgxDVL89UENaIPtcqHQs7f4/s320/abpm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They did say I looked thinner and <br />
less Asian back then. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wearing it feels kind of weird. The device vibrates as it silently pumps the blood pressure cuff every half hour, then the readings get saved in it's hard drive. Amazing what technology can do nowadays, right? All I have to do now is wait for the data to be collected and have my cardiologist read it tomorrow. Hopefully we can find a way to eventually bring my blood pressure down. Otherwise I may have to quit my job again. No, that would definitely not be good. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well I'm hoping that visiting four doctors in a span of two weeks will help me finally find a solution to this hypertension deal. I'm absolutely sick of being sick. You know, if this keeps up then there's no way that I'm gonna live on to a hundred. Oh wait, these days nobody does anyway. Bah humbug. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com0Salvacion, Quezon City, Philippines14.624193445873573 120.9923231241150514.620944945873573 120.98907412411505 14.627441945873572 120.99557212411504tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-42716579545775533592011-12-09T12:18:00.000+08:002011-12-09T12:18:18.712+08:00Rain Bane<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9zjEX7oK2h2ZkOaneZhMLcAqGzQgFRbt1Ahbg01Sa15XwPSHiKenLcoLtTbYUTwsc3cbYYlvQJXqhTzITKKsji_YN377TLf9e7Yyq3kWyQvqkLGp-bW7NwEJwLQals7k4PRNwa2kjNgU/s1600/rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9zjEX7oK2h2ZkOaneZhMLcAqGzQgFRbt1Ahbg01Sa15XwPSHiKenLcoLtTbYUTwsc3cbYYlvQJXqhTzITKKsji_YN377TLf9e7Yyq3kWyQvqkLGp-bW7NwEJwLQals7k4PRNwa2kjNgU/s320/rain.jpg" width="240" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Say what you want about the rain, like it being a melancholic symbol of sadness or a joyful shower of blessings from up high, for me it's the cause of my pain - at least for the past couple of days. Pain, not only because getting rained on had me shivering down to my boots and giving me the sniffles, but also because it's one heck of an inconvenience. Just when I thought I've made a hard-fought, psychological commitment to not be absent from work, this hits me. What's worse is I'm sure I'll get that angry unbelieving look from my boss again when I come back to the office. Oh boy.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the other hand, this rain does seem fitting in a sick, cosmic kind of way. I do feel a bit disheartened, now that I had just found out that the hand I held so smoothly not so long ago had already been held by someone else. She's off the market, and the fight was over before I even had a chance. I guess it was for the better, though now I have to find some other way to keep myself going. Apparently, <a href="http://binchee.blogspot.com/2011/12/dance-of-fools.html" target="_blank">this</a> dance was over ten prom nights ago. </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com0Salvacion, Quezon City, Philippines14.624153416734012 120.9923479333801914.620904916734013 120.98909893338019 14.627401916734012 120.99559693338018tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-60479434947631315152011-12-05T21:04:00.005+08:002011-12-06T21:29:22.705+08:00The Dance of Fools<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here we are again for another edition of the <i>"me, me, me"</i> show. I was thinking of writing about stuff other than my own thoughts that was actually worth reading, unlike the <b><a href="http://binchee.blogspot.com/2011/11/eleven-hell-heaven.html" target="_blank">11-11-11 fiasco</a></b>, but I came up with zilch. Nadah. So before I post another entry about sucky calendar dates, I've decided to go back to flinging my usual rants.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
</br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last night marked our company's first solo Christmas party ever, and I have to say that despite the fact that I didn't win a single freakin' prize in the raffle, I still had a Glam-Slamming time at the event. Well, sort of. There was a second when I found myself surrounded by friends, reveling in a night filled with <i><strike>crappy</strike></i> good food and great music, with beautiful people dancing and prancing about, and yet I felt like I have never been more alone in my entire life. I realized I miss my old friends. I know that in life, friends tend to come and go, but my </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">creepy </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">current dance partner sort of sucks. He's a lazy, opportunistic <i>sonofabitch</i> that's just as screwed up as I am, <i>(if not more screwed up than me)</i> which is probably why we get along. He's also one of the biggest <i>know-it-all's</i> on the face of the planet. Sometimes I honestly just can't stand the guy. But still, that's more than I could say for some people. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
</br>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXc7K7NpvPkgqq5sS7B4TzSokOXLqZ0MGz6Qu6FNBY5I3KfdYRenc_sNswBvGipYnY3EoSeOQYiVuYW2K_4GRNHoUpBUtz-O1jckjrXVyGcI5C5B-3Pae_deGCGJB49hlVEHKCSK66MU/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXc7K7NpvPkgqq5sS7B4TzSokOXLqZ0MGz6Qu6FNBY5I3KfdYRenc_sNswBvGipYnY3EoSeOQYiVuYW2K_4GRNHoUpBUtz-O1jckjrXVyGcI5C5B-3Pae_deGCGJB49hlVEHKCSK66MU/s320/images.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I realize the fewer friends I've got, the fewer inside comments I can squeeze into this blog, so in time nobody will ever understand this piece of literary excrement that I'm shamelessly trying to shove down their pie-holes. That also means I'll have to start writing about stuff that's rated-PG, or things that <i>everybody</i> will appreciate. Oh boy. To be mundane is to sin. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
</br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As usual, I'm only making sense mostly to myself again. I think I'm falling under another depression spell, and I have to find a way to get around it or else. Maybe another dance? There! Another inside comment! And despite what you might think about the photo, I still hate Twilight.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
</br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Her hands felt smooth as silk, and her eyes sparkled against the clear night sky. We danced, and it felt like magic. Not even the cold air could keep the warmth of her touch away. But as the song faded, so did my dreams."</i><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com1Salvacion, Quezon City, Philippines14.624121121174047 120.9924239154663614.620872621174048 120.98917491546636 14.627369621174047 120.99567291546636tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-6688274110640099272011-11-11T20:34:00.000+08:002011-11-11T20:34:58.939+08:00Eleven Hell-Heaven<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
For the believers, today is a very significant day. Today is November <span style="color: #cccccc;">11</span>, 2011, or more commonly seen as <span style="color: #cccccc;">11</span>/<span style="color: #cccccc;">11</span>/<span style="color: #cccccc;">11</span>. Some believe that either something very good, or something very bad will happen on this day. Well, I'm anxious to see if anything will happen at all at <span style="color: #cccccc;">11</span>:<span style="color: #cccccc;">11</span> PM tonight since nothing out of the ordinary happened at <span style="color: #cccccc;">11</span>:<span style="color: #cccccc;">11</span> AM today. </div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
The idea that today would be some sort of magical or mystical day basically came about due to the mathematical implications of the rare date. For instance:</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
(2 digits) <span style="color: #cccccc;">11</span> x <span style="color: #cccccc;">11</span> = 121<br />
(6 digits) 111111 x 111111 = 12345654321<br />
(9 digits) 111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321</blockquote>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Geeky cool, right? For what it's worth, I believe in making my own destiny. There may be some omnipotent and unseen force controlling our actions and decisions, but ultimately we make our own decisions, we are in control of our lives. Or at least everything that we can control, we do with impunity. Stuff beyond our control is up to The Big Guy. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bottom-line is this: There is no harm in believing in superstition as long we don't end up relying on it for major life-changing decisions. We make our own fate, and we owe it to ourselves to not let some random sequence of numbers tell us whether we are gonna be lucky or not. I don't really think there's anything special about these dates that line up in a weird and funny way, but did you notice that the number <span style="color: #cccccc;">11</span> appeared exactly eleven times in this post?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZO6cqp5tIMZAOaIAhm8Bm3xGLhxQslwEDtzlWYRwrUjhYYbg95_kAoN_FxfE9-uUYWS7zwwSoBabkX0yT8GcR_myA3TjEW-MwinuDYvB9dOQH3NJGVhKbNgKYSpIEqb_c-H7SHm0pY4/s1600/dice_drawing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZO6cqp5tIMZAOaIAhm8Bm3xGLhxQslwEDtzlWYRwrUjhYYbg95_kAoN_FxfE9-uUYWS7zwwSoBabkX0yT8GcR_myA3TjEW-MwinuDYvB9dOQH3NJGVhKbNgKYSpIEqb_c-H7SHm0pY4/s320/dice_drawing.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeling lucky tonight?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-42465802248846959272011-11-07T18:10:00.003+08:002011-11-07T18:20:14.750+08:00A Chapter On Continuity<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Guess who's back after more than five months of virtually inexcusable and painfully prolonged dormancy? Yes, this snowbird is ready to pick up his quill again and continue scribbling mental malevolence towards life, love, and anything that involves freaky little garden gnomes and low-budget Filipino movies.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As much as I would like to make up flimsy excuses for my extended absence, such as my computer belly-flopping on me, or my internet connection being severed due to a pitiful lack of funds in my Gringotts account, I will choose not to. I won't even say that I was too busy or too lazy to write, no sir. Yeah, this soldier wasn't born to make excuses. I'm just that sort of straight-up guy. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'll have to admit, a lot of my evil schemes and ill-conceived plots fell flat in those five grueling months of inactivity. I thought my dreams of ruling over the galaxy one day had finally gotten its much needed jump start when I got promoted to a pseudo-team leader position where I handled my own team for a while. Actually, I got promoted a number of times before that. I became a subject matter expert <i>(Whoa! I know, right!?),</i> providing floor support to the agents on the floor. Then I became a training intern, which basically allowed me to help not just the team I was assigned to, but everyone on the floor. I knew I've always had my heart set to training people and helping them develop their potential, but life threw me a curve ball and I was promoted yet again, this time as a team leader intern. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While I enjoyed my stint as a coach, it simply was not meant to last. As I had mentioned in an <a href="http://binchee.blogspot.com/2011/05/z-legacy-season-finale.html" target="_blank">earlier post</a>, the account I was in back then folded, and I had to start from scratch all over again. At first I thought I could handle the stress of it all. I thought I got promoted once, I could do it again. It was a few weeks later when I realized that it felt like I had won the lottery, lost the money, and was trying to win the lottery all over again. It was a long and arduous climb back and I felt my work legs were already giving out. Then a funny thing happened, the new account that took us in folded too, with it's green box of fun for everyone shredded. I can still hear my inner bully's loud and meaningful guffaw. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So now I am in my third account, desperately trying to explain to some old lady why her cable bill went up this month, and I find myself again at the foot of the proverbial pyramid of hierarchy staring up at my goals. But something's different. Somehow this time the goal seems so much higher and harder to reach. I am at the brink of giving up and I don't know how much longer I can hold on. To be honest, the strain's starting to affect my already deteriorating health. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am currently on a sabbatical, for which I am very grateful for, because I am trying out some new medication for my hypertension. The doctor panicked the other day when she took my readings, and my blood pressure shot up to 200/120, the highest it has ever gone. But this respite isn't solely for medical reasons. I know I also have to prepare myself mentally. In the next 10 days or so, I need to find a way to motivate myself. Yup, that old story again.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the years that I have served the masters I always seem to come to a point where I get tired of the redundancies of work, and to this day I have yet to find an answer to this lack of motivation. Maybe I need some sort of therapy or job counseling. Whatever.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Anyway, this is it for now. I will write again soon. For now, please forgive this poor attempt at reviving my non-existent writing career. I'll get better, I promise. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTsBnn7T9ioStPW3wfb3mlIfzsEo0pRXpaGoyrUg3JE3sB1BSzCzlgsdfwPffKvJeVRQwI0DFTnKrGQ47V3Rj6Mt_qmCTqDf8v-siL23kzYybjbckWGSRCh5dqd7b2rLbg9BhyphenhyphenFOfy2pA/s1600/deadgnome2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTsBnn7T9ioStPW3wfb3mlIfzsEo0pRXpaGoyrUg3JE3sB1BSzCzlgsdfwPffKvJeVRQwI0DFTnKrGQ47V3Rj6Mt_qmCTqDf8v-siL23kzYybjbckWGSRCh5dqd7b2rLbg9BhyphenhyphenFOfy2pA/s400/deadgnome2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow White never did like the way Dopey kept ogling her bazongas. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-86448090031479014092011-05-11T20:55:00.001+08:002011-05-11T20:55:35.261+08:00The Z Legacy: The Season Finale<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"The thing about a good organization is that at first you become a part of it, then it becomes a part of you."</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- TL Chee Carrasco</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my not-so-illustrious 5-year-or-so career as a professional dial-a-geek, I have never been more proud to have been part of a business organization than I have been with Zune CVG. Working for the company has truly been such a great experience, and I am deeply saddened by the news that our account is pulling down the proverbial curtains. We had a great run, but as the old worn-out cliché says, all good things must come to an end. So as we get closer and closer to the final song in Zune CVG's long playlist of success, I thought I'd mention some of the things that made me appreciate how great it was to have been part of this family.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Coolest Managers Ever</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has often been said that us front-liner's are the lifeblood of any call center. While I generally agree with that thought, I would gladly make an exception for Zune CVG. From the Team Leaders all the way up the Senior Operations Manager, I have never seen a more dedicated bunch of cool people running the show for an account. If there was a quantifiable way of measuring gratitude, with the way our managers taught us the ropes, mine would still remain immeasurable. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>My Awesome Colleagues</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Five generations of awesomeness best describes the friendships that were developed amongst the ranks. From Wave 1 to Wave 5, everybody was easy to get along with. Kudos to everyone for doing such a wonderful job of performing the herculean task of keeping our heads above water despite all the adversity that we've faced throughout the months. I know it has been mentioned before, but I am really proud to say that for a 6 or 7-month old group of over-achievers, we outperformed the competition who has been in the business for more than 3 years. Chin up guys, there is abso-effing-lutely nothing to be ashamed of.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Greatest Basketball Team Ever Assembled</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the short run that our underdog of a team had in the recent sports fest, we literally ran the gauntlet. Beating 4 teams en route to the Finals, life was never easy for us. I wanna say thanks to our version of the Zen Master, Coach Gil, for making our near-Cinderella finish a reality. Oh and I made 3 out of 3 three-pointers in one game. Oh come on, you know I was gonna say it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are a gazillion other reasons why I think this family is awesome, but i thought it was best to keep them off-pixel and forever in my memories. I'm looking forward to making more memorable events as the days run by, but for now all I can say is that my stay with Zune CVG was a complete blast. While it is sad to say goodbye to something so awesome, it comforts me to think that we went out on top. That we are going out in style.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turn in your pinks 'cause we're going neon green baby! See you on the other side!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgoTmF8T7FknD7nknN7oTxxO7TCVeCNg-t3NSHJk-zaENwlt0f7MARMSlzuX8gSORk4E0q7qBGvkOyaVgL6YKM_iEoABg8I0_3XdZErJR7bTtDPOVoMzT7Gpu8qmLgiEDS_UGsDBMstA/s1600/225624_10150180460118578_836998577_6981658_7326123_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgoTmF8T7FknD7nknN7oTxxO7TCVeCNg-t3NSHJk-zaENwlt0f7MARMSlzuX8gSORk4E0q7qBGvkOyaVgL6YKM_iEoABg8I0_3XdZErJR7bTtDPOVoMzT7Gpu8qmLgiEDS_UGsDBMstA/s640/225624_10150180460118578_836998577_6981658_7326123_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-90669234512082853462011-02-13T16:49:00.001+08:002011-02-13T16:50:33.881+08:00Writing Blanks<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I need to write.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know that life is a best-selling novel waiting to be written, yet I find myself staring at my computer screen for hours, with only a measly sentence to show for all my effort. Inspiration, will you ever come back? Seriously, I've heard about writer's block but I never thought it would bother me for so long. I must admit, it's been a good couple of weeks since I had the urge to write about anything. I don't know if it's my utter lack of time management skills or the fact that nothing really publish-worthy happens to my life that brings me down, but I am in a deeply depressing slump. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Passion.</i> There's a word that I rarely get to use these days. I know that if I put my mind into it, I can write something that's worth the five seconds that people actually spend on this blog. Boy, a writer writing about his inability to write must really sound so sad. This sucks. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe I should enroll in a creative writing class. Maybe I should just put my pen down and admit defeat, face the fact that I'm no writer. Maybe I ought to shift my focus towards other things, such as work or my personal life. Maybe I should just put an end to this blog.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That book that I was planning to write about my grandfather will never write itself. How am I supposed to write about another person's life when I can't even make heads or tails of my own? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have to get over this slump. One way or another, the <i>Stories from the Simian Crease</i> must continue. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjUzk99e64WxDJ8xb1s1xhEE1bPE0-TyU2_upVQZQflu4nvC7zTYdOOSTq8SQRFUx54Ln1zWxIFbvCcD4pLdGRBL_xAtRnJ4lTG6f8CfqCyIcoEfA8hn84iE1cUWKJxtyDaAk3RLW2fY/s1600/bincheeria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjUzk99e64WxDJ8xb1s1xhEE1bPE0-TyU2_upVQZQflu4nvC7zTYdOOSTq8SQRFUx54Ln1zWxIFbvCcD4pLdGRBL_xAtRnJ4lTG6f8CfqCyIcoEfA8hn84iE1cUWKJxtyDaAk3RLW2fY/s320/bincheeria.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
Blank. Bored. Blurry. Beat. Binchee.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-64998799256072378932011-02-07T19:26:00.000+08:002011-02-07T19:26:06.976+08:00Finding Time<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay... so I've been off to a bad start.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I haven't been writing as often as i had wanted to. For one, I am no longer pleased by how the layout of my blog keeps self-destructing every now and then. I keep telling myself, <i>"It's not about how it looks, it's about what you write! And rainbows and unicorns!"</i>, but just looking at the hideous distortions on the face of this blog called CSS and HTML makes me wanna hit <i>Alt-Tab</i>. Even <i>Ctrl-F4</i> sometimes. It's not that I've lost faith in Blogger, or my profound HTML editing skills <i>(sarcasm intended)</i>, it's just that for some odd reason I find myself running out of time, most of the time.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I own a computer shop, but I don't time myself when i use the PC. I also blame FOX and television.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having said that, I intend to find some time to either fix this HTML dilemna / dilemma <i>(See what I did there? I had always been taught to spell it "dilemna", and I'm positive many of you have been taught the same way too. Also, this paragraphed digression is waaay too long)</i>, or jump ship to Wordpress. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just kidding Blogger. I'm still saving up my ten bucks to buy my custom domain. Do you have any idea how steep ten bucks is where I'm from!? Donors would be greatly appreciated folks.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also need to find time for the other stuff that I wanna do, such as hitting the gym, finding true happiness or saving the world. It's ironic, because I had decided to drop a hefty salary for the sake of making more time for myself. I did said dropping of hefty salary and said making of more time by uprooting myself from my old job and finding employment at a conveniently much nearer locale. Indeed, travel time was cut down significantly, and almost regrettably so was my paycheck, but heck, I thought all the free time I'd get would be worth the sacrifice. Now I'm beginning to wonder where all that supposed free time went. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm gonna have to work on managing my time better. As soon as I find time to do that, I will.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Bw5HDJsl8LcnU2L90zXDkJa6SwgxOAzuz5aJKvWj_UEJQVIsYVFkH9Uv50x1TdgZBFBJU9J1EV194PhBquU_BcwLtfEO3UavSE5dHl6X1A6jykgAyIxR_wYHbP4_J2MmfmLgCblPfFs/s1600/timetwirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Bw5HDJsl8LcnU2L90zXDkJa6SwgxOAzuz5aJKvWj_UEJQVIsYVFkH9Uv50x1TdgZBFBJU9J1EV194PhBquU_BcwLtfEO3UavSE5dHl6X1A6jykgAyIxR_wYHbP4_J2MmfmLgCblPfFs/s320/timetwirl.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All this time management makes me wanna...<br />...oh pukes. My shoes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-11628419690517394982011-01-16T13:33:00.002+08:002011-01-16T20:40:52.022+08:00Better Late Than... What?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well this isn't exactly the new year post that I was hoping to write but as the old worn-out adage would say, better late than never.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As much as I'd want to recall everything that happened to me last year and sum up how 2010 was for me, I simply don't feel like my chemically abused brain cells are up to the task. So I'll just bullet down the most notable Stories from the Simian Crease in 2010.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess one of the most significant highlights of 2010 for me was the opportunity to write for a living. Though it wasn't the creative endeavor I was craving for it still more than made up for the fact that I was unemployed at the time. I sincerely appreciate the chance I was given, and if I had my way I would love to continue that sweet gig. Come on, who wouldn't want to be earning big dollars while sitting on his bum all day? Yes, dollars. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1f8GHH69jT9X1UUCqoco2g241oRdcvia7-MNI4YOoyAoAjBifTuWWTA2Fi-g0LvLGT-na56yKCKBeHw-9Yimea_WueMz5_JJ7HZFktzP7WSYXGs1P4SHuK5MUV_JMJGiLJHlTrg5Q6E/s1600/chklst.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1f8GHH69jT9X1UUCqoco2g241oRdcvia7-MNI4YOoyAoAjBifTuWWTA2Fi-g0LvLGT-na56yKCKBeHw-9Yimea_WueMz5_JJ7HZFktzP7WSYXGs1P4SHuK5MUV_JMJGiLJHlTrg5Q6E/s1600/chklst.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to put things in order.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next memorable event of 2010 was when I signed up with one of the country's most prestigious call center companies. I know last year I had been very vocal about my aversion to coming back to the industry that I had so badly loathed, but my experience with this company now had almost completely changed my mind about that. Well, almost. While I do not resent coming back and doing what probably is the only job I'm ever gonna be good at, I am starting to feel a bit lost and uncertain of what direction my career will take in the next few months. I sure hope its <i>up</i>.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly, last year wasn't all about the good and the happy stuff. There were also some dark and dank situations which I would gladly undo if I had a time machine. I got reacquainted with an old evil that had haunted me for years. For a good part of 2010 year I had been struggling to win <i>this </i>battle, and I'm ashamed to say that I have hardly made any headway. This year I honestly intend to kick this nasty oversight. Maybe I ought to start reading that Nic Sheff book that I've been holding on to. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So 2010 was far from being the all-out party that I wanted it to be, but hey, can't have it all now can we? I just wish 2011 brings in more opportunities for growth, peace and prosperity not just for me, but for all of us. And oh, we all grew older again. Why couldn't I just stay 19 forever?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New Year post - <i>check</i>.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-8296264325877352442010-12-06T21:32:00.000+08:002010-12-06T21:32:37.988+08:00All For A Life Well Written<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Am I truly a writer?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For years man had always found ways to recognize and immortalize history as it unfolded. From the dawn of human kind to the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">modern</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">age of computers, from the prehistoric cave drawings and ancient sea scrolls to the Internet, man has always - <i>albeit sometimes unreliably</i> - been capable of keeping records of his works, his discoveries, his triumphs and defeats, and even the tiniest and seemingly most insignificant details of his life.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefiYEBSCwtcMFfwAZNRT58eZJLIeOBio2BO5sg5hm0zWJS7WWZ9IyXXjHTcM_M0Z3kMJxG5WVBpOeEhsY7S-OkYGng1RaqFwSYbtoXQ9NL62Nf95L415bD8wNvWE-RMPiXT7MkjuogJg/s1600/evolotion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefiYEBSCwtcMFfwAZNRT58eZJLIeOBio2BO5sg5hm0zWJS7WWZ9IyXXjHTcM_M0Z3kMJxG5WVBpOeEhsY7S-OkYGng1RaqFwSYbtoXQ9NL62Nf95L415bD8wNvWE-RMPiXT7MkjuogJg/s400/evolotion.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evolution, as it really happened.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But writing isn't just about keeping records or documenting history. While it is true that writing is an efficient way of preserving facts and the chronology of events in history, writing also happens to be one of the most enduring arts that encompasses the originality and profoundness of man's imagination. It fosters creativity and allows one to reach into the deepest recesses of his thoughts, allowing him to translate ideas and turn them into words, prose, poem or lyric, which he can then share them with an interested audience. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I looked back at some of the topics that I had written about in the Stories from the Simian Crease, and while there are a few publish-worthy material which I am proud to say are of my own imagination and creativity, I noticed that many of the posts in this humble blog centered on me and the hum drums of everyday living, being me. It made me wonder about whether I had been maintaining a blog that was actually worth publishing or is this just an online public diary that barely requires any intellect for anybody to understand. And so I pondered deeply upon that thought, and my keyboard fell silent as I stared at the steady blinking of the mouse pointer on my screen. Should I even dare continue this whimsical yet overly dramatic attempt at literary greatness, or should I just admit defeat and accept mediocrity?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Someone once told me that the greatest novel any author could ever write is the story about his life. Unfinished for most of the author's existence, his life story consists of a series of events that reaches as far back as all his childhood memories will let him, and continues up to the present. No two individuals ever waltz through the exact same sequence of events in their individual lives, and it is this individuality of experiences that assures us that our life's novel will be unique, with all the makings of an epic best-seller to boot. If it is a crime to put the seemingly mundane and worldly routines of yours truly into writing, in an effort to create my own saga - <i>my</i> greatest story ever told - then I say strap them old cuffs onto my wrists and lock me away for good, because I intend to continue living and writing for as long as time and inspiration allow. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I only hope that by the time the twilight of my existence looms near I shall have already written the last few chapters of my life's novel. At that time I will face those people who have helped me finish writing the story of my life, along with those whom I have helped write theirs, and ask them with all humility...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Was I truly a writer?</span></i></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-79786449055509890832010-11-25T15:01:00.004+08:002010-11-25T16:42:56.003+08:00Punk Eye<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8gfSV3v-SALt7AwnJSRG_ASePrVA0vTwVDF9MHaT26zUP2XZKO-DU0vT5y4nZLy5qmu0pHN_VnNdukRgT3t2MnzfLmYny8Og5zekw5RU0i5gFbHXaLGnkqPBZyuxh2ixGFmC2i38StU/s1600/washer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8gfSV3v-SALt7AwnJSRG_ASePrVA0vTwVDF9MHaT26zUP2XZKO-DU0vT5y4nZLy5qmu0pHN_VnNdukRgT3t2MnzfLmYny8Og5zekw5RU0i5gFbHXaLGnkqPBZyuxh2ixGFmC2i38StU/s320/washer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honey you can wash my windows any day.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is often said that a person's eyes are the windows to the soul. If that's true, then my soul needs some serious heavy duty window washing right now.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For two straight days I have been <i>"down with the sickness"</i> (say that with a growl). Those who I've told about my uncanny ability to get sick at some of the most opportune and convenient times will be able to appreciate the irony of my current situation: I honestly <i>want </i>to go to work but I can't because I happen to have <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjunctivitis">conjunctivitis</a></i>. Acting has never really been my strong suit but I sometimes do get away with it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, seriously, this one's real. I went to work the other night and they sent me home less than an hour later because apparently, I posed the risk of infecting everybody in the office with pinkeye. Now I am quarantined at a safe house, whose location is highly classified. In other words, I'm stuck at home again.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I honestly had no intentions of posting today, but since I was so <i>abso-fucking-lutely</i> bored I decided to go ahead and write anyway. After all, what's a blog without rants, right? So forgive me if this post seems less interesting than a <i>Jinggoy Estrada</i> movie. My red, swollen, pus-encrusted eyes are tired of staring at the screen all day. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boy do I need a life.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-34671367855323814012010-11-18T15:45:00.001+08:002010-11-18T15:46:56.063+08:00Harry Potter and the Magic Tofu<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So believe me when I say that this is a compliment - Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows wasn't as big a disappointment as I thought it would be. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got out of work this morning and was pleasantly surprised when my friend and colleague Jie told me that one of our other co-workers, Elmer, was asking if we wanted to go see the latest installment of the Harry Potter movie series. So we went, and were part of the crowd that gathered early at the cinemas waiting to see the much anticipated movie. I have to say, apart from the usual bad casting of characters and the expected departure from the storyline, this movie didn't do so bad. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHd_ptxmwyIqbRofLLgqABWJ1RUOum9ZE0Slm0MEPbjmdGDYz-h-MRcYY399X9_a_DLX5m3mmh0vz6uHGWxPok1Al4uCYLprtzWKeYTeYDwVqaa-Tjt8_xL6-l5u6jP-eDh0eP4Z4whU/s1600/hpgay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHd_ptxmwyIqbRofLLgqABWJ1RUOum9ZE0Slm0MEPbjmdGDYz-h-MRcYY399X9_a_DLX5m3mmh0vz6uHGWxPok1Al4uCYLprtzWKeYTeYDwVqaa-Tjt8_xL6-l5u6jP-eDh0eP4Z4whU/s200/hpgay.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the scene I was talking about.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was this scene though that really bothered the behjeezus out of me. Ron had just left the group after a heated and horcrux-infused verbal tussle with Harry, and Hermione was obviously distraught. In an effort to cheer her up, Harry took her by the hand, led her up and danced with her inside their tent. I seriously don't remember reading this part of the book, where Harry danced like a faggot at a fricking gay pride parade. Once that scene hits Youtube I'll post it on my Facebook, just to make you guys laugh out loud. I've got nothing against the gay population, by the way. So please do not misquote me. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I sincerely liked that scene though, where Hermione obliviated her folks to make them forget that they even had a daughter. It was very touching. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of touching, Emma Watson looked oh so stunning. That scene where the horcrux-locket went berserk and showed Ron its corrupted version of Harry and Hermione kissing made me think about whether they did that scene entirely with computer animation or if they actually shot a scene with Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe and just edited it. Either way, evil Hermione was h-o-t.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the trend of badly miscasted characters continued. If you thought Professor Slughorn didn't look the part in the last embarrassment of a movie, wait until you see the actors that played Rufus Scrimgeour and Pius Thicknesse. If you've read the book more than seven times like me you'll know what I mean.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thankfully, Dobby's death was just as I imagined it would be. Rest in peace dear Dobby, a free house-elf. Just between you and me Jie, I did cry. Don't tell anyone. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So after the movie we ate, and this plate of tofu magically appeared at our table. As if some wizard conjured it up from nothing, which incidentally violates one of the basic wizarding laws. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfU5-pqyZ357BxdEkfhfBS6WSjNUoPhoJlG8tWSET2VdfMy0uyLkoQwjTu-JKQQf2j8SzJw3Hh0iPeTQ-NKfDe0oAMaO5JRxtrIcu1wByBgFV6YDBzRt9ZAcj2A4jDndYKbbMcauJhBA/s1600/Image009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfU5-pqyZ357BxdEkfhfBS6WSjNUoPhoJlG8tWSET2VdfMy0uyLkoQwjTu-JKQQf2j8SzJw3Hh0iPeTQ-NKfDe0oAMaO5JRxtrIcu1wByBgFV6YDBzRt9ZAcj2A4jDndYKbbMcauJhBA/s320/Image009.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tofu, anyone? Anyone?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't wait to see how well they'll do the Battle of Hogwarts. Epic or bust. Here's to waiting out another few months for the completion of the Harry Potter film series. Wingardium Leviosa!</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-41794455666076533842010-11-11T19:08:00.000+08:002010-11-11T19:08:14.007+08:00Counting Trains<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm posting this now, before all my braincells stop working. I just feel too tired to write right now. Say it again, "write right". Boohoo. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday, a friend of mine celebrated her birthday. It was fun, for the most part, and it became sort of a mini-reunion for me and one my fallen colleagues. The place was near a train station, and all the revelry was held just a few feet from the tracks. No kidding, anybody who's seen Final Destination would have thought twice about sitting with us that afternoon. Every now and then, a commuter train would zip past us with horns blaring and we wouldn't have a care in the world. It was a peculiar sight, now that I think about it, to see a table full of party-goers at such an odd and potentially dangerous location. Maybe I really do love living on the edge. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZcw9v1pVL5LW3QBLztUItGsXoNToUJg_waF_z3Gc4L0FO4RUUrVFaDeXLptAmN8_0115ErnO6H5J2MyBmuk-Q6TZhkoH-ynR0DKussBz-j_1nkmiTmSuQJtoChKtbAXxktFGQrAuEUM/s1600/Manila13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZcw9v1pVL5LW3QBLztUItGsXoNToUJg_waF_z3Gc4L0FO4RUUrVFaDeXLptAmN8_0115ErnO6H5J2MyBmuk-Q6TZhkoH-ynR0DKussBz-j_1nkmiTmSuQJtoChKtbAXxktFGQrAuEUM/s400/Manila13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the actual location, but close enough.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Train after train passed by, and the heavy shower that drenched us hardly dampened our festive spirits. I watched as passengers and onlookers stared quizzically at us while we were throwing back glass after glass of ice-cold beer. I seriously would've stayed longer if not for the fact that I had to go to work later that night. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes folks, you heard right. I - the beer-guzzling gorilla from China - walked away from a party because I had to go to work. Can you believe it? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can you spell <i>"self discipline"</i>? </span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Xbny6X3q1Zu9OwEAFypNPqVk-57mCrE_vp7hsRzP7uVKzG71aE8S_nUFMDQeR0XiaAORcRqjS0pBkX0a0Y4MHHWRDFBM1SZqUMkIUOO8owOtEvQ2VzFALBikILcFDmYT4n48c-1jWWs/s1600/Image008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Xbny6X3q1Zu9OwEAFypNPqVk-57mCrE_vp7hsRzP7uVKzG71aE8S_nUFMDQeR0XiaAORcRqjS0pBkX0a0Y4MHHWRDFBM1SZqUMkIUOO8owOtEvQ2VzFALBikILcFDmYT4n48c-1jWWs/s320/Image008.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Binchee, The Captain, and The Love.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-80654634858299400532010-11-05T19:22:00.005+08:002010-11-08T19:26:37.019+08:00Click START<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so the ride on this wonderful happy train continues, although somehow the journey does not feel like an entirely joyous one.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjVbnSphuj4cA3IUhFSQ1PNusrAPWdnYmtNX82XioqlNHkLFA9vkQ9ahoXCMRm5z1zmaxRYbNl57DtZDqKximeP_oOi1aISpfETDz9BvXbuFg8pbzZvoUAqOPX4U00NzrhROBEUwbNpc/s1600/start.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjVbnSphuj4cA3IUhFSQ1PNusrAPWdnYmtNX82XioqlNHkLFA9vkQ9ahoXCMRm5z1zmaxRYbNl57DtZDqKximeP_oOi1aISpfETDz9BvXbuFg8pbzZvoUAqOPX4U00NzrhROBEUwbNpc/s1600/start.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjVbnSphuj4cA3IUhFSQ1PNusrAPWdnYmtNX82XioqlNHkLFA9vkQ9ahoXCMRm5z1zmaxRYbNl57DtZDqKximeP_oOi1aISpfETDz9BvXbuFg8pbzZvoUAqOPX4U00NzrhROBEUwbNpc/s200/start.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next week marks the start of me taking on new responsibilities at work, and while I humbly appreciate the trust and confidence that <i>the powers that be</i> have on me, I could not help but feel that this happy bullet came with a rather bitter pill to swallow. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As much as I would like to celebrate and write my name in the sky with fireworks, I can't. This blog may be fueled by witty sarcasm and powered by pure, unadulterated euphemisms, but I am completely and totally sincere about how I feel towards my friends. You see, while this faithful soldier was promoted to lieutenant, others were relegated to the sidelines. Others still, face an unknown fate. What I'm trying to say is that a personal victory feels so empty when your colleagues are unable to share in your triumph. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKX2SfZD9TxqwQqXLGj0Xl3i9HmsCcwoBu6fr7g_s6BVgoSJUmGQcFhb-kF4InnfkDMCnV_CROA9RXslcfyXwRqJriib5ERjHizgazB8nmTZ4WKi04X4784gAFTd1g5-DOT0EaP1KHZsQ/s1600/dumbledore's+memory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKX2SfZD9TxqwQqXLGj0Xl3i9HmsCcwoBu6fr7g_s6BVgoSJUmGQcFhb-kF4InnfkDMCnV_CROA9RXslcfyXwRqJriib5ERjHizgazB8nmTZ4WKi04X4784gAFTd1g5-DOT0EaP1KHZsQ/s1600/dumbledore's+memory.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's like LeBron James winning the MVP award, while he and the rest of the Cavs watch the Lakers win the championship. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know I sound awfully selfish in this post, so please forgive me folks. I just had to let this out or else, I would've absolutely gone nuts trying to scream inwardly. For those who are reading this (thank you!) but are not part of, or are not aware of the holocaust that I am implicitly trying to refer to in this piece of trash (thank you still!), I also ask for your forgiveness. There has simply been too many personal issues in my life right now that I felt the urgent need to pull my wand out, take these memories from my head, and dump them all into my digital pensieve. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The seventh Harry Potter movie's coming out this month. Like, I know, right?</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-41622614251709999112010-10-28T01:03:00.001+08:002010-10-28T01:06:15.925+08:00How a Couch Potato Celebrates Life<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For as long as I can remember, this small piece of Internet space has so often been my place of refuge, my fortress of solitude so to speak. This is where I dump all my pent-up emotions, mixed in with the mushy, the mundane, and the malevolent hodge-podge of feelings that this humble author experiences every now and then. And I'll say it again - often.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This time however, I am here to simply make my declaration of how awesome life is. I rarely get that feeling where I just want to climb Everest and thank God personally for giving me such a good life. I realized today that there are so many things that I should be grateful for. I have friends and family close by, and even though there are times when we don't always seem to get along, I appreciate the fact that they have stood by me through thick and thin. Right now I'm leaning towards "thick", because I just finished a bag of chips and some soda all by myself while watching Megan Fox bounce around in the desert in a dirty spaghetti strap tube top. Hello calories.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXM_Huy2AkFgbW0pjOM4C0kBMEIz2VdSsXMuLIXwV73LzZtKHdOLVvOxU_5kVHVkwaRjAl7Wt2Mc14blbYV8gPb_WjKHs_Wuq80c5vf-RoMIDqlZ37sas2NUTFgSCkiTdrD02sUE-KqmY/s1600/Dreamer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXM_Huy2AkFgbW0pjOM4C0kBMEIz2VdSsXMuLIXwV73LzZtKHdOLVvOxU_5kVHVkwaRjAl7Wt2Mc14blbYV8gPb_WjKHs_Wuq80c5vf-RoMIDqlZ37sas2NUTFgSCkiTdrD02sUE-KqmY/s200/Dreamer.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Things seem to be finally looking<br />
up for you now Binchee!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another happy bullet in my gratitude checklist is the fact that I have a job. Not only do i have a job, I am also proud to say that I seem to be in an excellent position to prove my worth and go places in this gig. For once, I can truthfully say that I love what I do for a living. I can almost hear Lady Opportunity moaning softly at my bedside. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are so many other things that I want to thank my Creator for, but I just don't want to be splitting hairs here. I'll just sum them all up with this: I am happy to be alive. All the life experiences I've had in the past - good or bad - have brought me to where I am now, and I am just starting to appreciate that fact. If not for all the trials and dead ends that I've run into before, I wouldn't have learned how to get here in the first place. So thank you oh Omnipotent One for the gift of life, good health and free will, and for Your continuous guidance.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever life had me take, I'm loving the rush right now. I gotta say, this high is so much better than what any god-forsaken drug can give, and I ain't planning on getting off this happy train just yet. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No sir, no.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-72714098779206692152010-10-24T16:45:00.005+08:002010-10-24T19:10:37.086+08:00Dragonflies<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnivlm6JPTp6vmHlgcWffeiv_M95c8T_U49pyD_EAo9o-UVSqK2UKyKYwKw7K0M_RR1dM-_UQugVgk6df6ApsfiWWmpFyWTqF-IPMIT0U3Ny_SEv2Csvy9F0xIhXqgh9ZxSf2zFweeRE/s1600/balcony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnivlm6JPTp6vmHlgcWffeiv_M95c8T_U49pyD_EAo9o-UVSqK2UKyKYwKw7K0M_RR1dM-_UQugVgk6df6ApsfiWWmpFyWTqF-IPMIT0U3Ny_SEv2Csvy9F0xIhXqgh9ZxSf2zFweeRE/s200/balcony.jpg" width="150" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I stood there watching from atop the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> third floor </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">balcony of the apartment. A swarm of dragonflies hovered playfully through the tree branches and power lines across from where I stood, while the rest of the world went about their everyday business on the busy streets below.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I flicked the burnt cigarette butt out onto the street, I realized how high the dragonflies were flying. With nothing but their flimsy little wings propelling them, the tiny little creatures seemed to float effortlessly through the maze of tree limbs and power lines. It reminded me of how hard work and determination can propel us to those proverbial greater heights, regardless of how small we think we are in this world. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes we feel that in the grand scheme of things, we don't mean much. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We can feel insignificant, unimportant. There are days when you just want to end it all and start over. Sadly, there are no take-backs and start-overs in this game. We just have to play on and keep working our way up. Then one day you look down to see how high you've flown, and the realization hits you. You are not as insignificant as you thought you were. You have talent, You have skills. You mean something in this world after all.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I look down and I see that I have come a long way. I light another cigarette, and take in the view.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-41665223772191937022010-10-17T17:52:00.004+08:002010-10-18T10:19:06.004+08:00Rock And Roll, Mother Father!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The title of this post is the by-line of one my closest friends at work, who was unceremoniously shown the way out last night. Consider this post as both a tribute to a fallen colleague and a lesson in fair play.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He was a colleague, a friend, a rock star, a comedian, a dancer, and a drinking buddy. More importantly, he was a <i>brother</i>. In the few short months that we've known each other, he had already been there for me through thick and thin, whether we've had a few hours of sleep or not, drunk or sober, allergy or no allergy. Along with two of our other friends, the four of us soon formed what was arguably the closest bond among all of the trainees in our class. In fact, we even went out to have a few beers right on the very first day of training, where we all had just met for the first time. Now, there's hardly anything that we don't know about each other, and we accept each other's faults and imperfections. Plus, two of the top graduates during our time in training emerged from this awesome foursome, which is why it saddens me to think that the group that I had been so used to seeing nearly every god-forsaken day will be missing a considerably integral member. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will be one of the first to admit that he wasn't exactly employee-of-the-month material. On the outside, he didn't seem to take his responsibilities at work seriously. He was always goofing around. But when it came to the nitty-gritty, he pulled through and proved that he deserved to be in the company. Well at least to me, he did. I saw how he improved in his performance at work, and how he began feeling good about resolving technical issues for strangers who call from the other side of the planet. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly, the damage has apparently already been done. The powers that be have determined that they had already accumulated sufficient reason to graciously show him the door, pulling him out in the middle of the shift and escorting him out of the premises. I understand that rules are rules, and that violation of said rules will lead to termination. I just wished they had shown more consideration. I mean, he wasn't THAT bad. Some of his errs are those that could have only been afforded a warning and a stern talking-to. At least that's what the other teachers did. There's a difference between strictly enforcing the rules and trying to make a name for yourself. Respect is earned. It is never borne out of fear and intimidation. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what can we do, right?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just wish that he can forget about this entire ordeal and move on. I believe that he should take the lessons of professionalism with him and bring them over to much greener pastures. I hope he can see the silver lining in this dark situation, and be able to use this experience as a way for him to become a better person. So until we meet again, my brother, have a cold one on me. You will never be forgotten.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBJWbPNJOLGAzhkDcAp_L6SBGYvrxyKAUR4V4CWDs5omSBhuQN2yk25DDKrDYLeLnOCWxdsYVAdWPlppFI_Op2dXuOhhsl3MI3gf4HeCfjhCNida3caegwPvGWENdtiD7zUekTwFA9fU/s1600/SPM_A0143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBJWbPNJOLGAzhkDcAp_L6SBGYvrxyKAUR4V4CWDs5omSBhuQN2yk25DDKrDYLeLnOCWxdsYVAdWPlppFI_Op2dXuOhhsl3MI3gf4HeCfjhCNida3caegwPvGWENdtiD7zUekTwFA9fU/s400/SPM_A0143.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock and roll mother father!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-26729410250293765852010-10-05T17:56:00.001+08:002010-10-05T17:57:52.674+08:00Swish!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Three... two... one!</i> Just as the last few seconds of the fourth quarter of the season's final game ticked away, I let loose a tough fade-away three-point shot from left field that burned the net at the buzzer, which gave the Boston Celtics a resounding come-from-behind victory over the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the 2011 NBA Finals. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy68JsxgWNBBAaPECwTTbUqNMVncKEKSGqzckYvE5qR89XBf9Zbe8a1WnCa0ZdCbuBJBobLLv5WXjiVi0jiik4hGRVZZNmNKXeXkfZxG28xyUGbeIMC70RzoAVpBfCMgQltAYyyc_pU0I/s1600/swish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy68JsxgWNBBAaPECwTTbUqNMVncKEKSGqzckYvE5qR89XBf9Zbe8a1WnCa0ZdCbuBJBobLLv5WXjiVi0jiik4hGRVZZNmNKXeXkfZxG28xyUGbeIMC70RzoAVpBfCMgQltAYyyc_pU0I/s1600/swish.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay fine. So it was more like a pick-up game that was played on a roadside basketball court located along one of the more highly-traversed thoroughfares in the city of Manila. It wasn't the NBA Finals either, but I did get to hit a game-winner, and it felt awesome! _\m/ </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last time I played ball was a couple of months ago, when I participated in our church's annual sportsfest. We lost then, and I only scored a solitary undergoal stab off of a looseball scuffle. Before that, I seriously can't remember when I last shot hoops with anybody. So it was kind of a pleasant surprise for me to see that somehow, after all these years of keeping my big fat behind tucked snugly inside swivel chair after swivel chair, I still have "the touch". As conceited as that might sound, one would have to understand that I am nowhere near optimal playing shape, and that I am way, way past my prime. So for me to be able to shoot that proficiently this late in the game is in itself a huge achievement. It took a while for me to get a feel of the shot, but when we started running all over the place I felt like I was 23 again. Well, at least for a few seconds I did. Then the reality of it all hit me like an elbow to the breadbasket, and I realized I was having trouble catching my breath after a few plays. It almost made me think about quitting smoking. Almost. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's to what is hopefully the beginning of a resurgence in my interest in sports. Now if I could only stop my leg from cramping up.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-19129060524886714092010-09-28T08:08:00.001+08:002010-09-28T08:08:56.183+08:00Slumber and Sobriety<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ugh.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkou3yI022j7jWGBd8RLVk2YrK_k04jMNwLR4EQ304aF1r2LQe4BDqEk9WOfTZXWGFM7mti9xf5Qsn0EQ_gxvteyqK8d_oeo_W6rLZneaSzPciJAQ6wc0-_tXQOVNC76KjbdHfN55OG0/s1600/09072008531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkou3yI022j7jWGBd8RLVk2YrK_k04jMNwLR4EQ304aF1r2LQe4BDqEk9WOfTZXWGFM7mti9xf5Qsn0EQ_gxvteyqK8d_oeo_W6rLZneaSzPciJAQ6wc0-_tXQOVNC76KjbdHfN55OG0/s200/09072008531.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Wake up sleepyhead!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slumber and sobriety are just two of the things that I often take for granted. I have never felt the repercussions of trying to force a depleted supply of brain cells to function normally while in a severely sleep-deprived, zombie-like state than I did last week. I was a disaster waiting to happen. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have always believed that the consumption of alcohol should go hand in hand with a sufficient amount of sleep. After a night out on the town guzzling down pint after pint of the local clubs' finest booze, one should see to it that he not only gets to sleep it off, but one also needs to make sure that he sleeps at home. The general idea is to go home <i>then</i> sleep, not sleep <i>then</i> go home; although I have often found myself violating this relatively simple concept. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week I intend to allow my brain to recuperate, even attempt to grow a few brain cells if possible. We're deep into the nitty-gritty of training now and I really need to absorb as much information as I can. So off I go into Lala-land to grab a few Z's. I'll try not to snore too loud.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, and I better get started on that book real soon. </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-33231447721604543992010-09-20T00:25:00.021+08:002010-09-20T02:44:49.020+08:00About Being Rigged And Multi-Purpose Holes<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay I admit, the title of this post's a bit of an inside joke. Somebody I know syllabicated the word "RIG-GED" and another blushed profusely after saying <i>hole</i> instead of <i>hall</i>. But I still love them both to bits. What I really just wanted to write about was how I feel about my new beginning. For me, it seems as though my career has finally come full circle, and I am once again that wide-eyed newcomer hoping to make it big in this industry.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As many of you <i>(I often optimistically envision an increase in the number of people that read this blog)</i> may have already surmised, I am currently undergoing training at one of the more prominent yet less financially rewarding call centers in the country today. I still have a few weeks to go before I officially start mentally lambasting people from across the other side of the planet because of their stupidity, but the here and now says I am having the time of my life.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite all my personal prohibitions against ever putting on a pair of headsets again, for once I find myself actually smiling at the thought of going to work. I will probably end up burning out again eventually, but I believe I have found something I haven't had at any call center for a very long time - <i>hope</i>. I can sense an air of positivity, especially because the chances of me finally moving up the corporate ladder are pretty big. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last time I felt like this towards my employer, my colleagues, and myself was during training in the very first call center that took me in. Friends felt like family and work seemed more like recreation rather than duty.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many online dictionaries would define the idiom <i>"come full circle"</i> as to <i>return to the same situation or attitude one originally had</i>. Before I came running back to the industry with my proverbial tail firmly tucked between my legs and my pride thoroughly trampled on, I told myself that this will be the last time I'll ever work for a call center. It will be my last hurrah, so to speak. Every time I told myself that this will be the last time I'll have to put my headsets on and solve other people's problems, I kept wondering about where I'd go next or what career I would likely be involved in if not this. Now that I've come full circle however, I realized that maybe I don't have to go anywhere else. Maybe this is what I was meant to do.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe, I'm finally home.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMzHDMH-DRJMNZvXU8RZl2fpCQQTibLsWcq3bvWi4F97_8vDutK85_ejuiCOulzWc7_PBys5Me8uSm60ZpZekXzhloh-mHvR7SdPdKUjWRAGc66rdBnz244dHhQi1vb0TxPgtVJ-iBkw/s1600/wave2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMzHDMH-DRJMNZvXU8RZl2fpCQQTibLsWcq3bvWi4F97_8vDutK85_ejuiCOulzWc7_PBys5Me8uSm60ZpZekXzhloh-mHvR7SdPdKUjWRAGc66rdBnz244dHhQi1vb0TxPgtVJ-iBkw/s400/wave2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Home. Finally.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995437784238629626.post-28362143342613608092010-09-10T14:15:00.010+08:002010-09-10T23:48:32.294+08:00Bitter Sweet Bitter Gourd<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">I saw the Disney Pixar movie Cars the other day, and I recalled how rookie race car Lightning McQueen hit the brakes and stopped dead in his tracks just a few short feet from the finish line, in the last lap of the most important race of his life. Instead of going on to become the first ever rookie to win a Piston Cup, he shifted gears to reverse and went back to help The King, who had just crashed and spun out of the track. The life lesson here may be a bit juvenile, but that particular scene got me thinking: If that had happened to me, would I have done the same thing? What would the movie had been like if Lightning McQueen simply ignored The King's mangled chassis and continued racing towards victory? Would that have been a <i>real </i>victory?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">I recently won my first <i>"Piston Cup"</i>. In a class mostly consisting of call center virgins and registered nurses, I managed to achieve the honor of being class valedictorian. I aced most of the written exams and passed the oral assessments with flying colors. Sadly though, my <i>"Piston Cup"</i> story also came with its own version of <i>"The King"</i>.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Last night, Zune CVG Wave 2 celebrated our last day of communication and culture training. The night was filled with fun, food and booze, and everybody seemed to have had a great time. But the celebration was tainted with sorrow, or at least it was for me. Everybody from our class will move on to product specific training on Monday, all except one.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Arleen, who was my partner during the latter stages of communication and culture training, failed to make the grade. She was a first-time call center trainee, and she was still struggling with her confidence and English communication skills. But she was determined, which is why it felt terribly sad to see her fail. It felt like part of her failure was my fault; that I had not been able to help her enough, being the tenured veteran that I am. Guilt found itself a tiny little nook inside my heart and I think it plans to stay there for a while.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">If I could've only stopped before crossing the finish line like Lightning McQueen did, maybe I could have helped her. Hands down, this tops my list of bittersweet victories.</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsab0xQHNfMrMFVWqyNqw7u8mbuz8VPkLJZgovXpMMf8CrhzGo2o3ZTNBXPnDJyupMsyowsYdl8IF9gNIyE8hMT4r2YVVoxxWVI1Z5pS_ozAOnlZ_lBFJsf54oABL9ofToFJQ5LUO9ytM/s1600/wreckedking2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515177453823541682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsab0xQHNfMrMFVWqyNqw7u8mbuz8VPkLJZgovXpMMf8CrhzGo2o3ZTNBXPnDJyupMsyowsYdl8IF9gNIyE8hMT4r2YVVoxxWVI1Z5pS_ozAOnlZ_lBFJsf54oABL9ofToFJQ5LUO9ytM/s400/wreckedking2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 225px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I wish I could've gone back and helped you.</i></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-4114549380397069";
/* 728x90, created 9/10/10 */
google_ad_slot = "9690634923";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959355187355371354noreply@blogger.com4