A day in the life…

Realization for today:

Brian McKnight isn’t the first foreign artist who’s sang in Tagalog. Ha! Julio Iglesias beat him to it.

As I was listening to the radio this morning, I heard one of his old songs… sung in Taglish. Uh-huh. A lot of the stanzas were in Filipino, while there were some lines in the chorus still sung in English. The song? "All of You," a duet originally done with Diana Ross.

And no, it wasn’t Diana Ross singing with him in Taglish. Some other woman who emulated her kinda breathy voice. Hmm. I have to Google this one, though.

Mr. Iglesias did fairly well in pronouncing the Tagalog words. Guess he kinda learned the language since he had a Filipina wife.

O diba, showbiz ang entry. Wala lang, ala lang akong masulat.

Well, it sounded better than the "haym so so-ho-rih" song.

Mood: itching for internet connection. Now I got it. So there.

Ah, it’s nice to take a break even for just a short while. Well, actually… it’s not a real break. For my LOA week, I’ve done (really) early Christmas shopping. Finished half of it, in fact. Scoured the whole of 168 Mall to buy some stuff. And now, after the gruelling walking and carrying of all those heavy stuff, I’m just here to check out my emails, which have reached a whopping 200++ of inbox and junk mails combined. Damn junk mails…

Anyway, I’m on a really random mood right now so… first up, congratulations, again, to Bastard Nelz for another successful exhibit, which was a lot quieter than the Pablo launch. But hey, all’s good. Nice gimmicks. Cool buttons…

Second… while at the Chunky Far Flung gallery, I noticed this funny poster on one of the walls… it was a picture of a matchbox. The brand? "Power Brand Impregnated Safety Matches (made in Japan)." Impregnated matches? Hmmm, makes you wonder…

Third… nothing. No third anything. Just want to write stuff. Whaddaya care?

Now I’m in the mood to go to Greenhills…

Next week I’m back to normal (sort of). So I have to take advantage of my leave. Well, see ya when I see ya.

"People can’t read your mind."

So my boss tells me.

It was a wake-up call, actually. Because honestly, I’ve always expected people around me to know if I don’t feel good, if my smile belies what is inside, if my words mean otherwise. Maybe it’s because of the fact that I can be (overly) sensitive at times that I think their cheery outlook is a disguise of what they really feel. Guess I’ve always had this knack to dissect the hearts and minds of people around me that I expect them to do the same.

It’s a good mantra to apply in life, not only in relationships with loved ones but also with friends, family, acquaintances, or whoever.

Thing is, when you begin to accept the fact that you had to speak what’s on your mind, what are the chances of not earning the ire of some people when you say what you want… and when you know they don’t wanna hear it? How can you speak out and lessen the possibility of not hurting anyone?

Ah, well. I guess there’s no easy way.

The buffer is back.

Yep, I really dunno if it’s a good thing or otherwise, but somehow people find it easy for them to tell me about stuff that’s going on around them, whether it involves me or not, directly or indirectly.

Sometimes it’s good to hear two sides of a story. But then again, it makes me feel uneasy, knowing these sides of the story which would involve people in your circle. You know, you try to stay safe, neutral in fact, but most of the time you just can’t. And it’s driving me nuts.

Thinking forward, you try to make a solution, but all that happens is that you know it’s gonna make things worse. Or at least unpalatable to your taste.

So nothing to do but listen and stay on the fence. Once it gets broken, I guess that’s the only time I’m getting my hands dirty.

See what it’s doing to my head? I’m writing gibberish again…

——–

Good thing it’s the middle of the week already. That means It’s just two more days before I get a much-needed vacation… from work.

Four years and not a single vacation leave spent (not even used half of my sick leaves, how diligent, duh). Lahat pa-encash. I’m excited actually. Because it’s the first time I’m gonna enjoy this privilege, while my officemates work their butts off. Wahaha! Evil me…

But not only do I deserve this. I also need some time off. I admit, lately my work’s been pretty sloppy. I’ve not been thinking straight (but in this business, you shouldn’t think straight). I’ve been losing concentration. And somehow, I think my brain has increased its short-term memory space. That’s bad.

So for a week starting the 23rd, you won’t be seeing much of me. Unless of course I find myself itching of an internet connection. But ’til then, I’ll be taking care of a lot of stuff, particularly for the Yuletide. Too early Christmas shopping, hehe. And of course I’ll be relaxing, stretching my muscles and do some brain exercises before I get really demented (now I’m confused… what am I supposed to do by then?).

Well, like Governor Arnie says, "I’ll be back."

——–

Meme: yep, we got a lot of babies coming… o, ikaw naman. Your turn!

Ah, it’s nice to talk about something positive for a change…

Early this morning, my college friend gave birth to a baby boy. Her husband texted me (which I read four hours after he sent it, sorry I was asleep) and I can feel his excitement about it.

Why not, it’s their first baby. And it’s a boy. Who wouldn’t be excited?

They’ve already chosen a name for him. Yeshuakim. Kinda sounds Hebrew. As my friend explains, it comes from Jesus’ name, Yeshua. Nice, isn’t it?

Can’t wait to see the baby and the proud parents.

Just a problem. I dunno where Delgado Hospital is.

What the hey… congratulations to my friends She and Mike. I know you’ll be really good parents (sniff!).

Hmm… I’m going sentimental. So not me…

My "other" boss tells me my memory’s failing.

Probably because of that stupid look I gave him upon his inquiry of the task he asked me to do yesterday. And not just plain asking. May kasamang tonong kinaiiritahan ko talaga. Say, bordering into condescending.

"Nakalimutan mo na yung pinag-usapan natin? Tsk, your memory is failing, woman."

Truth to tell, that particular moment, my mind was going, "What? Teka, ano ba’ng pinagsasabi mo? Madali naman kasi yun debba? You stressing me out kesyo may deadline din ako ngayon na iba at inuuna ko yun?"

I rummaged around my table, flipping the numerous bond papers when my voice box activated and said the closing phrase of my thoughts.

"Wala ka namang binigay na JO diba?"

He walks out.

Duh.

Okay, so maybe I forget a few things because of the stress this job is giving me (buti na lang I’ve applied for LOA on Oct. 23-27 already… and I’m not revoking it).

Or maybe I’m just not used to the new "system" yet.

I’m taking my sweet time. Bear with me. Or face my bastardly wrath.

Sweet. Very sweet.

UST Men’s Basketball Team bags the crown for this season. Against the much-favored and more consistent Ateneo.

I guess it’s safe to say that never in the minds of amateur basketball analysts did they see this coming. Given the forecast of finishing in, if I’m not mistaken, SIXTH place, the team, under the leadership of first-time UST coach Pido Jarencio, went on to become the unlikely heroes of yesterday’s game.

And the Tigers had lechong agila for dinner. Yum!!!

——–

This is the day all Ateneo jokes come pouring in.

Just like the heavy rains that almost spoiled our night, er, last night.

I remember Zeth saying, "baka nagpa-cloud seeding sila." Hmm, come to think of it, they could afford it…

But then, no amount of rain can ever spoil UST’s parade. Kahit ba magkanda-putik-putik pa ang mga tao dun. Di naman sila coño e.

——–

From sweet to bitter.

Another bastard is leaving this place. After almost five years of the hard and fun times.

It was just odd, the way my boss related to me how he had received this news. I was trying to disguise my laughter as he gave his speech while looking out the window, his eyes denying sadness.

Clincher: "…someone who meant a lot to me…"

Wow. My boss is getting dramatic.

But yeah, it’s gonna get a lot quieter around here after October. Happy for him, though somehow this room won’t be the same. Too many have gone… all of a sudden it’s a lonelier place.

Oh well. Nothing to do but swallow the pill that leaves an aftertaste of warm pale pilsen in your tongue.

Storms give me the shivers. And I just don’t mean literally. See, when I was really young then, our house got flooded almost up to the ceiling. As a kid it was kinda traumatic to see, from your neighbor’s room in the second floor, your bungalow home and the car slowly disappearing in floodwater.

That’s why I hate heavy rains. Most especially typhoons.

Plus the fact that I got bored to death in the house, what without electricity. Good thing there’s the transistor radio to keep us abreast of what was happening outside.

Hmm, falling billboard frames. Tsk, tsk. An effective way to communicate, yet a possible cause of lives lost. An odd way to die.

Electricity came surging in the following morning, in our part of Pasig. I cannot say the same thing about Cubao, by the Aurora area, where my friend held her baby shower. It was only at 7:30 PM, Saturday, when power supply in their place returned to normal (in which at that particular time her husband kept cheering and yelling along Miami street celebrating the return of electricity).

It was also that day that my dear alma mater forced a do-or-die game against the blue birds. Which is today, by the way. That’s why I’m wearing yellow today.

But before that, my SO and I visited the Transport Show yesterday at Megamall. Despite the good-looking cars, there ain’t nothing new. Especially with the promo girls. Shucks.

And now, everything is back to normal. Sort of. Because at my workplace, there isn’t anyone who’s normal here. So there.

I must stop typing before I write more gibberish. Chourvah blah blah blah ekeklavuuh.