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.
Friday, November 19, 2004
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).
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).
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
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:
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.
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."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 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.
Monday, November 15, 2004
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!
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!
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!
Monday, November 01, 2004
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!
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!
Sunday, October 31, 2004
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!
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!
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Fighting Fire With....
...Construction workers. Yup, very un-stereotypical. It's like answering the question "how many people does it take to change a lightbulb?" (I don't quite see the similarities of the incident and the cliche, but I have this feeling that they are very much similar.) How? Why? Shouldn't it be the job of the "Brave Men of Ladder 49?"
I woke up at 4 a.m. and got hold of my towel for a morning shower. I wasn't quite sure why I woke up that early without bothering to look at the time piece. All I can recall was my brother waking me up, telling me to do so. As I neared the bathroom, I realized that I was shook off my bed for a different reason. There was an emergency.
Throwing my towel on th bedroom floor, I rushed upstairs to see what the problem was. And then, before anyone could answer, I heard firecrackers.... or were they gunshots? So again, I asked what the problem was. Apparently, during the night, an overhead powerline just in front of the house beside us broke, exposing a live wire in the process--a live wire that immediately caught fire.
My father went outside to look into it, as did my brothers and me, and several of our neighbors. It was New Year's Eve in a cold October dawn! The sparks created by two strands of wire touching each other provided a luminosity of a floodlight and a bang comparable to firecrackers (think Judas' belt). I rushed inside to call for emergency, while my brother switched off the main power source in the house. Leaving them on would put our house in more risk if and when the fire reaches the main cable.
I called the fire department and they informed me that it was not in their jurisdiction to put off flames caused by electrical wirings! So, does this mean that there are several kinds of firefighters? Hmmmm..... There's one for big flames, one for those caused by candles, one for putting out the flame of a match stick... etc, but none for a flaming live wire. So they told me to call up the local electricity provider.
For 30 minutes or so, I called them thrice just to follow up on when they could--ASAP--send someone over to fix the problem. If the fire reaches the main cable, which, based on my estimate, would take about 20 minutes, the whole street would be engulfed in flames. My father, realizing that desperate times call for desperate moves, commissioned my brother to get sand, and together, threw sand at the live wire. Great idea, although the flaming wire was way beyond their reach, nor the reach of the sand thrown. They were successful, though, in coming up with a sand rain.
It was a good thing that several construction workers were working on a house two houses away from us. My father asked for their help and they immediately got hold of three long slabs of wood. They managed to separate the two wires whose contact with each other were causing sparks and fire. The other one put off the flame by pressing against one of the slabs with his slab. It was also fortunate that there was an electrician on hand to cover the loose ends with electrical tape.
We were all relieved by this turn of events that each of us slowly went back inside our house. At this point, when everything was already alright, the electricity company's lineman came.
Now that's what I call fast reaction to an emergency situation. What has this country gone to? I really don't understand how one country, capable of coming up with the brightest of ideas, be so lagging in technology. A central company could have immediately directed the call to all relevant departments and dispatched someone close to the scene immediately.
So how do you fight fire the next time you encounter one? Don't call emergency hotline numbers as it will only prove futile. Rely on yourself and probably a handful of neighbors to think instinctively on what to do. Rely on construction workers.
How many construction workers does it take to put off a fire? Three. Just make sure to have my dad these to instruct them what to do.
I woke up at 4 a.m. and got hold of my towel for a morning shower. I wasn't quite sure why I woke up that early without bothering to look at the time piece. All I can recall was my brother waking me up, telling me to do so. As I neared the bathroom, I realized that I was shook off my bed for a different reason. There was an emergency.
Throwing my towel on th bedroom floor, I rushed upstairs to see what the problem was. And then, before anyone could answer, I heard firecrackers.... or were they gunshots? So again, I asked what the problem was. Apparently, during the night, an overhead powerline just in front of the house beside us broke, exposing a live wire in the process--a live wire that immediately caught fire.
My father went outside to look into it, as did my brothers and me, and several of our neighbors. It was New Year's Eve in a cold October dawn! The sparks created by two strands of wire touching each other provided a luminosity of a floodlight and a bang comparable to firecrackers (think Judas' belt). I rushed inside to call for emergency, while my brother switched off the main power source in the house. Leaving them on would put our house in more risk if and when the fire reaches the main cable.
I called the fire department and they informed me that it was not in their jurisdiction to put off flames caused by electrical wirings! So, does this mean that there are several kinds of firefighters? Hmmmm..... There's one for big flames, one for those caused by candles, one for putting out the flame of a match stick... etc, but none for a flaming live wire. So they told me to call up the local electricity provider.
For 30 minutes or so, I called them thrice just to follow up on when they could--ASAP--send someone over to fix the problem. If the fire reaches the main cable, which, based on my estimate, would take about 20 minutes, the whole street would be engulfed in flames. My father, realizing that desperate times call for desperate moves, commissioned my brother to get sand, and together, threw sand at the live wire. Great idea, although the flaming wire was way beyond their reach, nor the reach of the sand thrown. They were successful, though, in coming up with a sand rain.
It was a good thing that several construction workers were working on a house two houses away from us. My father asked for their help and they immediately got hold of three long slabs of wood. They managed to separate the two wires whose contact with each other were causing sparks and fire. The other one put off the flame by pressing against one of the slabs with his slab. It was also fortunate that there was an electrician on hand to cover the loose ends with electrical tape.
We were all relieved by this turn of events that each of us slowly went back inside our house. At this point, when everything was already alright, the electricity company's lineman came.
Now that's what I call fast reaction to an emergency situation. What has this country gone to? I really don't understand how one country, capable of coming up with the brightest of ideas, be so lagging in technology. A central company could have immediately directed the call to all relevant departments and dispatched someone close to the scene immediately.
So how do you fight fire the next time you encounter one? Don't call emergency hotline numbers as it will only prove futile. Rely on yourself and probably a handful of neighbors to think instinctively on what to do. Rely on construction workers.
How many construction workers does it take to put off a fire? Three. Just make sure to have my dad these to instruct them what to do.
Friday, October 29, 2004
Fighting Fire With....
...Construction workers. Yup, very un-stereotypical. It's like answering the question "how many people does it take to change a lightbulb?" (I don't quite see the similarities of the incident and the cliche, but I have this feeling that they are very much similar.) How? Why? Shouldn't it be the job of the "Brave Men of Ladder 49?"
I woke up at 4 a.m. and got hold of my towel for a morning shower. I wasn't quite sure why I woke up that early without bothering to look at the time piece. All I can recall was my brother waking me up, telling me to do so. As I neared the bathroom, I realized that I was shook off my bed for a different reason. There was an emergency.
Throwing my towel on th bedroom floor, I rushed upstairs to see what the problem was. And then, before anyone could answer, I heard firecrackers.... or were they gunshots? So again, I asked what the problem was. Apparently, during the night, an overhead powerline just in front of the house beside us broke, exposing a live wire in the process--a live wire that immediately caught fire.
My father went outside to look into it, as did my brothers and me, and several of our neighbors. It was New Year's Eve in a cold October dawn! The sparks created by two strands of wire touching each other provided a luminosity of a floodlight and a bang comparable to firecrackers (think Judas' belt). I rushed inside to call for emergency, while my brother switched off the main power source in the house. Leaving them on would put our house in more risk if and when the fire reaches the main cable.
I called the fire department and they informed me that it was not in their jurisdiction to put off flames caused by electrical wirings! So, does this mean that there are several kinds of firefighters? Hmmmm..... There's one for big flames, one for those caused by candles, one for putting out the flame of a match stick... etc, but none for a flaming live wire. So they told me to call up the local electricity provider.
For 30 minutes or so, I called them thrice just to follow up on when they could--ASAP--send someone over to fix the problem. If the fire reaches the main cable, which, based on my estimate, would take about 20 minutes, the whole street would be engulfed in flames. My father, realizing that desperate times call for desperate moves, commissioned my brother to get sand, and together, threw sand at the live wire. Great idea, although the flaming wire was way beyond their reach, nor the reach of the sand thrown. They were successful, though, in coming up with a sand rain.
It was a good thing that several construction workers were working on a house two houses away from us. My father asked for their help and they immediately got hold of three long slabs of wood. They managed to separate the two wires whose contact with each other were causing sparks and fire. The other one put off the flame by pressing against one of the slabs with his slab. It was also fortunate that there was an electrician on hand to cover the loose ends with electrical tape.
We were all relieved by this turn of events that each of us slowly went back inside our house. At this point, when everything was already alright, the electricity company's lineman came.
Now that's what I call fast reaction to an emergency situation. What has this country gone to? I really don't understand how one country, capable of coming up with the brightest of ideas, be so lagging in technology. A central company could have immediately directed the call to all relevant departments and dispatched someone close to the scene immediately.
So how do you fight fire the next time you encounter one? Don't call emergency hotline numbers as it will only prove futile. Rely on yourself and probably a handful of neighbors to think instinctively on what to do. Rely on construction workers.
How many construction workers does it take to put off a fire? Three. Just make sure to have my dad these to instruct them what to do.
I woke up at 4 a.m. and got hold of my towel for a morning shower. I wasn't quite sure why I woke up that early without bothering to look at the time piece. All I can recall was my brother waking me up, telling me to do so. As I neared the bathroom, I realized that I was shook off my bed for a different reason. There was an emergency.
Throwing my towel on th bedroom floor, I rushed upstairs to see what the problem was. And then, before anyone could answer, I heard firecrackers.... or were they gunshots? So again, I asked what the problem was. Apparently, during the night, an overhead powerline just in front of the house beside us broke, exposing a live wire in the process--a live wire that immediately caught fire.
My father went outside to look into it, as did my brothers and me, and several of our neighbors. It was New Year's Eve in a cold October dawn! The sparks created by two strands of wire touching each other provided a luminosity of a floodlight and a bang comparable to firecrackers (think Judas' belt). I rushed inside to call for emergency, while my brother switched off the main power source in the house. Leaving them on would put our house in more risk if and when the fire reaches the main cable.
I called the fire department and they informed me that it was not in their jurisdiction to put off flames caused by electrical wirings! So, does this mean that there are several kinds of firefighters? Hmmmm..... There's one for big flames, one for those caused by candles, one for putting out the flame of a match stick... etc, but none for a flaming live wire. So they told me to call up the local electricity provider.
For 30 minutes or so, I called them thrice just to follow up on when they could--ASAP--send someone over to fix the problem. If the fire reaches the main cable, which, based on my estimate, would take about 20 minutes, the whole street would be engulfed in flames. My father, realizing that desperate times call for desperate moves, commissioned my brother to get sand, and together, threw sand at the live wire. Great idea, although the flaming wire was way beyond their reach, nor the reach of the sand thrown. They were successful, though, in coming up with a sand rain.
It was a good thing that several construction workers were working on a house two houses away from us. My father asked for their help and they immediately got hold of three long slabs of wood. They managed to separate the two wires whose contact with each other were causing sparks and fire. The other one put off the flame by pressing against one of the slabs with his slab. It was also fortunate that there was an electrician on hand to cover the loose ends with electrical tape.
We were all relieved by this turn of events that each of us slowly went back inside our house. At this point, when everything was already alright, the electricity company's lineman came.
Now that's what I call fast reaction to an emergency situation. What has this country gone to? I really don't understand how one country, capable of coming up with the brightest of ideas, be so lagging in technology. A central company could have immediately directed the call to all relevant departments and dispatched someone close to the scene immediately.
So how do you fight fire the next time you encounter one? Don't call emergency hotline numbers as it will only prove futile. Rely on yourself and probably a handful of neighbors to think instinctively on what to do. Rely on construction workers.
How many construction workers does it take to put off a fire? Three. Just make sure to have my dad these to instruct them what to do.
Thursday, October 28, 2004
To Anonymous
Dear Anonymous,
I noticed that you have been posting comments on my blog for quite some time now. It may be better if you post your email address as well so I could personally thank you for your comments.
I actually ask my friends to view my posts and comment on them but very few actually do. Believe me when I say that I was surprised to see some people other than my close friends post comments on my blog site. And you, Anonymous, are one of the many who have always made my day complete.
It is very inspiring to note that my sentiments and practically my entire life reaches out to people other than those I have close contact with. At least now, I can say that I am already a true celebrity (technically, not yet, but I think I'm getting there).
Anyway, I would like to know you better. Are you, by any chance, related to Mr. Snuffalupagus (did I get the name of your relative correct?)? Coz it sounds the same....
To Jo-em, Emmerdale and the other comment poster, thanks for making my day brighter! But to you, Anonymous, you just seem to add more mystery to my everyday.... I hope to actually meet you one of these days.
Cheers,
City Slicker
I noticed that you have been posting comments on my blog for quite some time now. It may be better if you post your email address as well so I could personally thank you for your comments.
I actually ask my friends to view my posts and comment on them but very few actually do. Believe me when I say that I was surprised to see some people other than my close friends post comments on my blog site. And you, Anonymous, are one of the many who have always made my day complete.
It is very inspiring to note that my sentiments and practically my entire life reaches out to people other than those I have close contact with. At least now, I can say that I am already a true celebrity (technically, not yet, but I think I'm getting there).
Anyway, I would like to know you better. Are you, by any chance, related to Mr. Snuffalupagus (did I get the name of your relative correct?)? Coz it sounds the same....
To Jo-em, Emmerdale and the other comment poster, thanks for making my day brighter! But to you, Anonymous, you just seem to add more mystery to my everyday.... I hope to actually meet you one of these days.
Cheers,
City Slicker
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
To Anonymous
Dear Anonymous,
I noticed that you have been posting comments on my blog for quite some time now. It may be better if you post your email address as well so I could personally thank you for your comments.
I actually ask my friends to view my posts and comment on them but very few actually do. Believe me when I say that I was surprised to see some people other than my close friends post comments on my blog site. And you, Anonymous, are one of the many who have always made my day complete.
It is very inspiring to note that my sentiments and practically my entire life reaches out to people other than those I have close contact with. At least now, I can say that I am already a true celebrity (technically, not yet, but I think I'm getting there).
Anyway, I would like to know you better. Are you, by any chance, related to Mr. Snuffalupagus (did I get the name of your relative correct?)? Coz it sounds the same....
To Jo-em, Emmerdale and the other comment poster, thanks for making my day brighter! But to you, Anonymous, you just seem to add more mystery to my everyday.... I hope to actually meet you one of these days.
Cheers,
City Slicker
I noticed that you have been posting comments on my blog for quite some time now. It may be better if you post your email address as well so I could personally thank you for your comments.
I actually ask my friends to view my posts and comment on them but very few actually do. Believe me when I say that I was surprised to see some people other than my close friends post comments on my blog site. And you, Anonymous, are one of the many who have always made my day complete.
It is very inspiring to note that my sentiments and practically my entire life reaches out to people other than those I have close contact with. At least now, I can say that I am already a true celebrity (technically, not yet, but I think I'm getting there).
Anyway, I would like to know you better. Are you, by any chance, related to Mr. Snuffalupagus (did I get the name of your relative correct?)? Coz it sounds the same....
To Jo-em, Emmerdale and the other comment poster, thanks for making my day brighter! But to you, Anonymous, you just seem to add more mystery to my everyday.... I hope to actually meet you one of these days.
Cheers,
City Slicker
Monday, October 25, 2004
It Is Not Me
I looked at the mirror at the men's room today and I saw a different person. It is not me that I am staring at! (Cue Twilight Zone theme.) It must be stress or fatigue, but it really just didn't happen overnight.
It all started last Friday, when I crammed myself with too many things to do in so little time. Saturday, I took some of my colleagues out for a few drinks and got home at around 4 am. I wasn't able to go to the gym nor play badminton over the weekend. Yesterday, I started acting differently. It was an entirely different me that I dare not acknowledge. But I have no choice because that is the life I am currently living.
Last night, the starkest manifestation of my evolution presented itself to me as a shock. I brought one of my friends to a local massage parlor, the one where you get "extra service." He offered to treat me to a "massage." Alas, I declined! Me?!? Decline such an offer?!? Since when??? Well, since last night. I never imagined it would happen but it did. I was beyond myself last night. I was so tired and stressed out that I didn't even bother if the "massage" was free. I just wanted to go home and get some zzzs.
That alone shouts that I am not myself anymore.
And it didn't stop there. This morning, I woke up rather irated over the fact that my brothers didn't want me to go with them to pick up my parents and my grandmother from the airport. They wanted me to take our little sister to school instead. I figured, the driver could take her to school and I could absent myself from work in the morning. I would rather be there welcoming my parents and salivating over the chocolates they brought home.
And so it was that my entire morning became so affected by my morning rush of ire that I unintentionally wrote a very rude letter to our general manager. Talk about insubordination. The letter asked me when is the most convenient time for us to meet. I replied with a very staunchy, "I think we have to meet some other time...." Good grief! I thought I had to prepare myself to get my last paycheck by tomorrow. I guessed I had to pack my things immediately! It's a good thing that our general manager is so forgiving that she brushed the rudeness aside.
I tell you, right now, I feel funny. I don't feel like me. I need to hit the gym to regain my oldself. I don't even know who I have become!
So if someone asks me now who I am, this would be my reply:
"Who am I? I'm Spiderman."
It all started last Friday, when I crammed myself with too many things to do in so little time. Saturday, I took some of my colleagues out for a few drinks and got home at around 4 am. I wasn't able to go to the gym nor play badminton over the weekend. Yesterday, I started acting differently. It was an entirely different me that I dare not acknowledge. But I have no choice because that is the life I am currently living.
Last night, the starkest manifestation of my evolution presented itself to me as a shock. I brought one of my friends to a local massage parlor, the one where you get "extra service." He offered to treat me to a "massage." Alas, I declined! Me?!? Decline such an offer?!? Since when??? Well, since last night. I never imagined it would happen but it did. I was beyond myself last night. I was so tired and stressed out that I didn't even bother if the "massage" was free. I just wanted to go home and get some zzzs.
That alone shouts that I am not myself anymore.
And it didn't stop there. This morning, I woke up rather irated over the fact that my brothers didn't want me to go with them to pick up my parents and my grandmother from the airport. They wanted me to take our little sister to school instead. I figured, the driver could take her to school and I could absent myself from work in the morning. I would rather be there welcoming my parents and salivating over the chocolates they brought home.
And so it was that my entire morning became so affected by my morning rush of ire that I unintentionally wrote a very rude letter to our general manager. Talk about insubordination. The letter asked me when is the most convenient time for us to meet. I replied with a very staunchy, "I think we have to meet some other time...." Good grief! I thought I had to prepare myself to get my last paycheck by tomorrow. I guessed I had to pack my things immediately! It's a good thing that our general manager is so forgiving that she brushed the rudeness aside.
I tell you, right now, I feel funny. I don't feel like me. I need to hit the gym to regain my oldself. I don't even know who I have become!
So if someone asks me now who I am, this would be my reply:
"Who am I? I'm Spiderman."
Thursday, October 21, 2004
I Crush You!
I remember a few years ago, when I picked my kid sister from school, I heard her male classmate say, "Mary Anne, I crush you!"
Believe me, I was fascinated and overwhelmed, not so much by the gesture but by the way the kid composed his sentence. Who could blame him? I mean, crush is love in a lesser degree, right? And you would typically be saying "I love you," so why not say "I crush you?"
Nice going kiddo, but you have to get past three older brothers before you could actually crush my sister into loving you!
Speaking of crushes, I was working out in the gym last night, biding my time before going home. Lo and behold, who do I see? It's my crush from way back in high school. Believe it or not, there is still something in me that says, "Go on, tell her that you like her!"
She is a batch lower. Back in high school, I would always go out of my way just to catch a glimpse of her. I know she takes the train going home as I do, but we were always waiting on opposite tracks. I would stretch my neck like a giraffe just to see her from the other platform. She's not that tall, but she is, for me, one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen in my entire life who is a non-celebrity. She is a Rose McGowan deadringer.
Last night was no different. I just looked at her from afar, thinking how I could start a conversation with her. But as many of you who know me may have guessed, the torpedo in me worked its way out.
If only I could ask her out for a date. If only I could ask her for a small talk over a cup of tea. If only I could muster enough courage and tell her upfront, "I crush you!"
Believe me, I was fascinated and overwhelmed, not so much by the gesture but by the way the kid composed his sentence. Who could blame him? I mean, crush is love in a lesser degree, right? And you would typically be saying "I love you," so why not say "I crush you?"
Nice going kiddo, but you have to get past three older brothers before you could actually crush my sister into loving you!
Speaking of crushes, I was working out in the gym last night, biding my time before going home. Lo and behold, who do I see? It's my crush from way back in high school. Believe it or not, there is still something in me that says, "Go on, tell her that you like her!"
She is a batch lower. Back in high school, I would always go out of my way just to catch a glimpse of her. I know she takes the train going home as I do, but we were always waiting on opposite tracks. I would stretch my neck like a giraffe just to see her from the other platform. She's not that tall, but she is, for me, one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen in my entire life who is a non-celebrity. She is a Rose McGowan deadringer.
Last night was no different. I just looked at her from afar, thinking how I could start a conversation with her. But as many of you who know me may have guessed, the torpedo in me worked its way out.
If only I could ask her out for a date. If only I could ask her for a small talk over a cup of tea. If only I could muster enough courage and tell her upfront, "I crush you!"
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Ship Without a Captain
Yesterday was our first day to physically have no captian on board. We were steering a ship without our skipper.
Sad to say, last week was officially our former boss' last week with us. She will be coming in occasionally, but it will be different. They will merely be apparitions to us who continue to thrive and live in the real world we call our office. Each time she will be passing by, we will most likely be able to smell flowers or candles or.... hmmm.... I guess it is a different being altogether.
As early as now, we are already feeling the emptiness of being orphaned so suddenly.
Personally, I just think of it as her being away for summer in a camp. Or being away for merely a week, and that next week, she'll be back.
Until the new skipper comes along, I guess we'll just have to learn to steer the ship on our own, with the voice of our captain blowing in the wind into our ears every now and then.
Sad to say, last week was officially our former boss' last week with us. She will be coming in occasionally, but it will be different. They will merely be apparitions to us who continue to thrive and live in the real world we call our office. Each time she will be passing by, we will most likely be able to smell flowers or candles or.... hmmm.... I guess it is a different being altogether.
As early as now, we are already feeling the emptiness of being orphaned so suddenly.
Personally, I just think of it as her being away for summer in a camp. Or being away for merely a week, and that next week, she'll be back.
Until the new skipper comes along, I guess we'll just have to learn to steer the ship on our own, with the voice of our captain blowing in the wind into our ears every now and then.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Aloha
Aloha, in Hawaii, means both hello and goodbye. That's what I learned from watching Miss Congeniality. It even pulls off an aloha joke which goes, "So when you answer the phone, you say 'aloha.' But when you end the conversation, you say 'aloha,' and the conversation starts all over again." Or something to that effect. Ms. Rhode Island definitely found it to be funny.
Anyway, this piece is not about a Hawaiian or about pineapples. It is about hellos and goodbyes.
Just recently, we all got word that our boss resigned from her work to join another company. I still quite remember how she welcomed me to the team not so long ago (it was just, in fact, under a year when I joined her team). I have grown accustomed to the way she does things around the office, her "coaching" style of management, so to say. She is not much of a talker, but she has her funny moments. And to me, and to all of us I suppose, more than a boss, she has become a very good friend.
And now, she is saying aloha to me once again. Not the hello aloha but the goodbye aloha. When I first got wind of her decision to resign, I was devastated. I thought, "Where in the world will I ever find another boss as good and as understanding and as ideal as her?" But hey, who can stop her? She is, after all, transferring to greener pastures. And when I say greener, it is definitely greener, with all the green money she will be earning.
Gone are the days when we would prod her to join us for a late-night badminton game. Gone are the days when we would go down to get some breakfast at McDonald's. Gone are the days when we would go get coffee in a nearby cafe. Gone are the days when I could freely do my blog to relax my mind for a while.
I will definitely miss all those things. I will miss my daily msn chatmate. I will miss saying my daily good mornings and goodbyes. She was, and will forever be, one of the best bosses I've ever had. She will always be my elder sister. She will always be my friend.
So I'm saying aloha to her. Not aloha goodbye, but aloha hello. Because now, despite the fact that she will be leaving the company, she will be coming back not as our boss, but as our friend.
So roll out those coconuts and pineapples. We'll be having a luau!
Anyway, this piece is not about a Hawaiian or about pineapples. It is about hellos and goodbyes.
Just recently, we all got word that our boss resigned from her work to join another company. I still quite remember how she welcomed me to the team not so long ago (it was just, in fact, under a year when I joined her team). I have grown accustomed to the way she does things around the office, her "coaching" style of management, so to say. She is not much of a talker, but she has her funny moments. And to me, and to all of us I suppose, more than a boss, she has become a very good friend.
And now, she is saying aloha to me once again. Not the hello aloha but the goodbye aloha. When I first got wind of her decision to resign, I was devastated. I thought, "Where in the world will I ever find another boss as good and as understanding and as ideal as her?" But hey, who can stop her? She is, after all, transferring to greener pastures. And when I say greener, it is definitely greener, with all the green money she will be earning.
Gone are the days when we would prod her to join us for a late-night badminton game. Gone are the days when we would go down to get some breakfast at McDonald's. Gone are the days when we would go get coffee in a nearby cafe. Gone are the days when I could freely do my blog to relax my mind for a while.
I will definitely miss all those things. I will miss my daily msn chatmate. I will miss saying my daily good mornings and goodbyes. She was, and will forever be, one of the best bosses I've ever had. She will always be my elder sister. She will always be my friend.
So I'm saying aloha to her. Not aloha goodbye, but aloha hello. Because now, despite the fact that she will be leaving the company, she will be coming back not as our boss, but as our friend.
So roll out those coconuts and pineapples. We'll be having a luau!
Thursday, October 07, 2004
That's What I Need
I have heard so many songs in my life and I have related to pretty much a lot of them. That's what makes music so fascinating. It really mirrors the reality of life: the way we feel, think, act, what we experience in our day-to-day living. The following song done by a local artist has been around for a few decades now, and yet its lyrics never seem to cease to haunt me. Maybe because I often feel that way. And I have always been in search of people who will be able to fill the void that I often feel, normally during my suicidal state of mind. Note that the term I used is people. I am not in search of a particular person but several people who will be able to do the things stated in the selection.
A Friend
I've still been searching
And long have I waited
For someone to like me as me
To laugh with, to cry with
To be just beside with
A friend that's who I need
To fight with, make up with
To know that you need them
Believing that they need you, too
To walk hand in hand with
To argue to talk with
A friend that's who I need
And even thoughI make mistakes
And never do anything right
A smile, a hug
Can change all that
And everything will be alright
Someone who'll share all
my dreams and ambitions
Someone who'll love me as me
I need this person
Someone to rely on
A friend that's who I need
A friend that's who I need
*************
Come to think of it, a girlfriend will fit perfectly into that description. However, for a girlfriend, what the song doesn't state (but is very much required in my standards) is that someone who will not burn your credit card down to a crisp, or someone who will not drive you nuts. Does someone fit that description perfectly? I'm not sure if such a being exists. Until then, I will be waiting..... and waiting....
....still waiting.....
A Friend
I've still been searching
And long have I waited
For someone to like me as me
To laugh with, to cry with
To be just beside with
A friend that's who I need
To fight with, make up with
To know that you need them
Believing that they need you, too
To walk hand in hand with
To argue to talk with
A friend that's who I need
And even thoughI make mistakes
And never do anything right
A smile, a hug
Can change all that
And everything will be alright
Someone who'll share all
my dreams and ambitions
Someone who'll love me as me
I need this person
Someone to rely on
A friend that's who I need
A friend that's who I need
*************
Come to think of it, a girlfriend will fit perfectly into that description. However, for a girlfriend, what the song doesn't state (but is very much required in my standards) is that someone who will not burn your credit card down to a crisp, or someone who will not drive you nuts. Does someone fit that description perfectly? I'm not sure if such a being exists. Until then, I will be waiting..... and waiting....
....still waiting.....
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Weird Sighting
The last time I saw squirrels was two years ago, in my aunt's backyard in Long Island. So imagine my surprise when I saw a couple of squirrels doing a High Live Wire Act in my sister's school this morning! I mean, you never see wild squirrels running around in this country, do you? Our driver thought it was a big rat. When I looked harder, I noticed it had a bushy tail, and it had a companion! They must be squirrels! Unless, of course, the local rats have evolved into much graceful and amusing creatures.
Hmmm..... It's really very weird. What will I expect next? Snow in this country? When will that ever happen. Hmmmm..... maybe there is a possibility that we'll be having a white Christmas after all!
Hmmm..... It's really very weird. What will I expect next? Snow in this country? When will that ever happen. Hmmmm..... maybe there is a possibility that we'll be having a white Christmas after all!
Rip Van Winkie
I've never felt more refreshed my entire life (or for as long as I can remember).
I went home quite early yesterday because of a very bad stomach. Immediately after arriving home, I took a trip to the throne room with much success. I logged on my computer and felt another urge. So I made a trip to Jerusalem once again, and I felt so exhausted after that.
I intended to attend class last night after my first ordeal. After the second one, however, I felt too exhausted. I sprawled on my bed, aiming to just take a nap. My stomach still felt queasy. It was still 5 in the afternoon.
Imagine my surprise when I woke up. It was already 6 in the morning! The stomach ache was gone and I felt extraordinarily refreshed. It's as if I slept for a hundred years!
Well, there goes my school attendance for the night.
I went home quite early yesterday because of a very bad stomach. Immediately after arriving home, I took a trip to the throne room with much success. I logged on my computer and felt another urge. So I made a trip to Jerusalem once again, and I felt so exhausted after that.
I intended to attend class last night after my first ordeal. After the second one, however, I felt too exhausted. I sprawled on my bed, aiming to just take a nap. My stomach still felt queasy. It was still 5 in the afternoon.
Imagine my surprise when I woke up. It was already 6 in the morning! The stomach ache was gone and I felt extraordinarily refreshed. It's as if I slept for a hundred years!
Well, there goes my school attendance for the night.
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