The Corporate Ghost(s)

Ghost - a disembodied soul; especially : the soul of a dead person believed to be an inhabitant of the unseen world or to appear to the living in bodily likeness. - Merriam-Webster Online

In the corporate world, there are a lot of ghosts roaming around. These are people who carry with them things of the past: ideologies, things, people... The corporate beings find it hard to move on and accept the changes that are facing them.

Just like ghosts. They say that ghosts are here because they haven't moved on to the next dimension. Either they died of a traumatic death, they haven't fulfilled their mission, or they haven't accepted the fact that they are already dead. Think about the movie Ghost.

Here in the office (we currently moved in), which remained uninhabited for two years or so until last week, I, among a few others, personally saw a physical manifestation of a ghost in its truest sense. I know that someone Anonymous will comment that I am probably just imagining things, that it is a result of my fanciful mind.

Well, let me tell you this. I am not the only one who saw it. And all of us who saw it recounted very similar sightings. It is of a man, probably in his mid-adult stage, wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt, sitting on one of the sofas in the reception area. Even the receptionist saw it a few times, not just once.

And there is also the story of the Accounting personnel who, aside from the man in white sitting in the reception area, saw a silhouette of a man (making him appear wearing black) walking to and fro the hallway.

Another accounting personnel recounted how she heard knockings inside her manager's office while working overtime and seeing someone inside in her peripheral vision. She merely shruuged it off, fearful of what she might actually see.

And then there is the IT personnel, who made sure that the door to the IT room was closed before she went to the other department to fetch someone. Upon passing by the IT room, she noticed that the door was now open.

Finally, the story of one of our artists, although not as significant as the other manifestations, felt someone walking past by him while he was washing his face in the Men's Room.

This is very much post-Halloween, but it happened to us. People may not believe it, especially the sceptics. But I believe what I believe. I know what I saw. I have seen a lot of corporate ghosts before, I'm probably one of them, but all were merely metaphorical corporate ghosts.

This time, they're real.

Categorically Imperative

A few posts ago, there was an anonymous comment who dissed my personality and the things that happen in my life. Someone, thank heavens, came to my defense. Her name? Categorically Imperative.

Contrary to what the anonymous comment said in the previous post, she is no slut. In fact, she is one of the most intelligent people I know. Yes, she is adventurous, but she has her limitations when it comes to exploring the unexplored. She knows her boundaries.

Categorically Imperative has been, for several years now, been a good friend to me and to our other classmates in the graduate school of business. She has shared with us bits and pieces of her life that she treasures most. She is one of the very few people I would call a true person, who shares her mind on just about anything and everything under the sun. She is the epitome of the woman of today.

So here's to you, Categorically Imperative. Thanks for being a good friend (one of the best I've had in graduate school).

To the bitter anonymous...

It's saddening to note how some people see my accounts for the day as a form of idolitry, or stalking, or an uncertainty of gender. I recently got a comment (see previous post) that goes as follows:

"if i were The Best Friend (or the wife of The Best Friend), either i'll be totally annoyed or i'll be really scared. the way you idolize him borders on stalking. & to brag about it on your diary? man, that's scary! or downright gay... hmmm... and why the heck would you need or wait for your family's invitation to join your family's vacation? that's soooo loser talk."

I just can't imagine how writing about what happened to me and the reasons for such happenings can be tagged as stalking or idolizing a person. I have lots of best friends. They are the select few who have been with me through the tough times. It just so happens that I have, by far, connected the most with The Best Friend. I just write it as such to identify the person among the rest, no idolitry or stalking intended. And the gender issue... well, it's just plain bull.

I didn't brag. I just wrote.

And, it was not a family trip. It was just my parents and my little sister. I just wanted to go to the province myself. My other brothers were here with me in the city as well.

So to you, anonymous, this one's for you. This is a blog that's dedicated for your effort to dis my blog and me. I am supposing you are one of my best friends. Don't worry, you still are. Despite our differences, amidst our opposing points of view, you will always be one of my best friends. My life, after all, would lose its color without a best friend like you.

Sleeping in the Office

I got to spend 2 straight nights in the office recently. We transferred buildings, you see. I volunteered to help out, but my best friend was spending the night, so I figured to spend the night there (here) as well. He might need some assistance.

It is quite funny to spend around 23 hours or so in the office (I had to get out about an hour or so each day to go to the gym or to get something to eat). I never imagined myself to be doing so. But it was a welcome thing for me because I got to bond with The Best Friend.

Notice how I wasn't able to post in such a long time? Well, all our servers were down during the entire weekend and the holiday Monday. I am still here in the office with The Best Friend and the wife of The Best Friend (who also happens to be one of my best friends) setting up some PCs and doing whatever we can to be able to officially start work tomorrow.

I am just resting, that's why I got to squeeze in this blog.

I haven't seen my parents for a long time. I won't be able to see them tonight as well, I'm afraid. They would probably be fast asleep when I arrive. I went home yesterday and the other night but they went to some provincial district that my grandmother calls home. I wanted to go with them, but they never invited me.

I guess, I will have to get used to those kinds of things, my family leaving me behind, I mean. Sooner or later, I will have to leave them as well to settle down and have a family of my own. But at the rate I am going, I guess I'll be the last one among us siblings to get settled down.

I need to get back to work now. There are still a number of PCs to set up. The Best Friend beckons! Ciao!

That's Weird!

I came up with two blogs recently, and, realizing they were very negative blogs, decided to delete them. I figured my friends would get very angry at me with those entries.

Apparently, my friends were able to get a glimpse of my feelings of frustrations and loneliness that night. Even my best friend read it! My best friend who never reads my blog (or so he says)! I wonder why. I really find it weird.

Very weird!

Trick or Treating

It has been my personal tradition to go Trick or Treat every year with my sister at a posh village south of the Metro.

Three years ago, I just accompanied her with several of my kid cousins doing the rounds inside the village. I, myself, had a loot bag of my own. It was fun. It was the same two years ago when we visited several of those houses with their huge Halloween displays and mini House of Horrors.

Last year, it was more memorable, I suppose. I got to dress up in a scary costume and join my sister, who dressed up as Sadako of The Ring. She was spectacular in that costume, so realistic. People even posed for pictures with her. As for me, I was a dead person who died getting run over by a ten-wheeler truck. Well, because I was sweaty, the foundation wore off just as I boarded the car going to the village. I ended up looking like a faggot wearing lipstick.... a faggot who doesn't know how to apply lipstick very well because it is smeared around my mouth and just a little above my chin. I couldn't be a clown because I didn't have anything on my eyes and my cheeks.

I believe the costume was very much alright despite the draw back. At least, I got to be dressed up as something other than me, although unintentionally--a freaking idiotic faggot. Bah! Who cares? At least I got more candy than I did two or three years ago!

This year, I was very much looking forward to making the rounds again! In fact, I had a costume planned out. I would be going as Count Dracula! Yep, I know it is the lamest thing that someone could think of going as. But I firmly believe that I could be the sleekest Count Dracula you would be seeing this side of town. However, my sister was hesitant to go. For one, she--according to her-- is too old for such child's play. Second, she is sick. I counted on my friends who would be bringing their "adopted" kid brother along. They, however, weren't able to send me an SMS. They had to be elsewhere that day.

I was so frustrated by the idea that I would end up trick or treating alone, I decided to hit the mall with a few friends. I didn't even bother to don a costume. In the mall, I saw children walking in and out of the shops. They were Trick or Treating!

I mustered enough courage and walked in a shop. I fell in line and I proudly said, "Trick or Treat!" They asked me what I was dressed as. I told them that I was a kid dressed up as an adult! And for that, they gave me two lollies and some chewy candy! Not bad for a kid trapped in an adult's body!

Happy halloween to all of you!