A day in the life…

Got to watch the finale of Heroes yesterday. It just sucked.

After 11 episodes, the only thing that made me smile was Sylar getting back his powers (and him without a shirt).

All the others were like DUH!

Can you tell me how Caitlin is in the virus-less future? Peter still has issues? Nikki’s story winds up just like that? Will Adam get out of his 6-feet-under prison? That’s the Company? Why the hell is Hiro acting like a schizo (okay, so his dad died — that it?)? Why does the young Kaito Nakamura look like Jet Li?

Man… just give the writers what they want and let everyone be happy, okay?

Jeez, sure hope it doesn’t go about to be like Lost…

Subject: KFC Emerald Ave., over at Raffles Bldg.
Date: December 1, 2007
Time: 1:45AM

SO wanted to eat goto before we go home, but apparently GoodAh! ran out of it and the arroz caldo. We went to KFC because they were the only one who had what he wanted to eat that was nearby.

I was third in line, at the first counter nearest to the wall. It was a bit crowded, since it was the breaktime of the call center agents. The girl being served was taking too long, and this inspired me to use my stopwatch to determine how fast this KFC’s service is.

We all know that KFC is one of the slowest fastfood in terms of placing and serving orders. I’ve always blamed it on the kitchen and counter layout. Hmm, maybe the time is also a factor. But aren’t they supposed to work double-time during peak hours (in this call center age, 1AM is a peak hour)?

After one girl and one boy, it was my turn at the counter. I pressed the START button once she said the magic words, "Good morning, ma’am…" and placed my order: one Arroz Caldo meal and one Go-go Caesar meal. She started darting here, there and everywhere.

At last, my order was complete. Then she gave me my change and said "Thank you". Then I stopped my timer.

Time elapsed: 2 minutes, 12.8 seconds.

Not counting the time I spent in line.

Don’t know if this is an isolated case. But knowing KFC, this is probably average.

Hmm, next subject…

Twice the Magdalo has taken over a hotel in Makati, twice they failed to succeed in their mission to overthrow the government.

Why? Why hasn’t it been a roaring success like the People Power 1 and 2?

My opinion… they weren’t held in EDSA. Kidding.

Really… basing it from the two previous "revolutions", it seems that what the Magdalo group lacks is the full support of the whole military and defense arm of the country. In my opinion, if you have the big bad of the military on your side, you have a greater chance of winning.

Look at the first EDSA. Military plus National Defense. Same with the second EDSA. The generals and the secretaries of defense were instrumental in their success.

Look at EDSA 3, those were just the unarmed masa using brute force. But where was the military?

How about the Oakwood mutiny, and now the Manila Pen hullabaloo? The Magdalo is just a small fraction of the military who lacked the charisma to make the bigwigs of government, military and business join them, however noble their cause seems to be.

We haven’t even healed ourselves of our past hurts and mistakes. Now there’s another new mess to iron out. Plus a glass door and lobby to fix.

Just a suggestion — why don’t we all just get along?

My mom used to tell me this story about her experience during the dawn of Martial Law.

That fateful day of September, my mom and her officemates were concentrating on their respective jobs that they did not notice something was amiss until they went home.

The streets were empty, she said.

She only knew about the declaration when she got home. That day, the curfew was also imposed.

I’ve always thought about what if I was there, what if I got to experience the same thing my parents did during Martial Law. Little did I know that I’d be as close to what they felt then.

When I had lunch with my dad at home, I didn’t bother to open the TV. I only knew of Trillanes’ "walkout" when I met my officemate this afternoon, at about 3PM.

By about 4PM, we turned on the TV as text messages of an alleged takeover was received (good thing there’s TV in the office). We watched the footages on ANC, Channel 2 and Channel 7.

Freaky, even BBC and CNN was covering the news simultaneously. Nakakahiya, we went international!

Trillanes, with a host of supporters, were at the 2nd floor of the hotel. Civilians were requested to leave the area; even a bride having her wedding preps at the Pen was told to leave.

We also saw on TV the APC ramming against Manila Pen’s front door and the news people running, ducking, and covering their faces against the tear gas.

‘Ika nga ni Guingona, upon seeing the international press, "we are being tear-gassed". Never knew it was a verb already…

Going back, Trillanes then announced his surrender (haay, di man lang panindigan ang pinaglalaban) followed by the "arrest" of the media people by the military. Then the announcement of a one-day curfew from 12MN to 5AM next morning.

Wait… first of all, our shift ends at exactly 12MN. Second, there is a street party going on.

With this situation, we choose to stay in the office until morning. Plus I heard that the Ortigas street party was given a leeway, meaning they are exempted from the curfew.

Swerte talaga ni Danding…

So we’re here at the 9th floor, sitting in front of our computers, finishing our work (and me blogging), listening to the noise down there, just after relishing the fireworks display that was just exactly at eye level. Since the crowd at the party was told that they will be safe in the area notwithstanding the curfew, we might go there later.

This is such a thrill.

Dammit. The weather has spoiled my Thanksgiving.

Yes, it did not rain. That’s why it spoiled my Thanksgiving.

See, me and my officemates were supposed to spend our Thursday holiday in MOA.

And then, when I woke up yesterday morning, PAGASA announces that the storm will become a supertyphoon.

I thought, if we pushed through, we might get stuck in MOA. So the trip was suspended.

But at 3PM yesterday, the skies were fine.

Dammit! What happened was the exact opposite of what your "reputable" company just said.

I ended up going to the night market in Greenhills at 5PM to buy stuff for my inaanak(s). And went home at 7.

I just wasted my holiday. Bummer.

Another year with lots of changes and numerous blessings.

And no candles to blow.

At least there was a cake.

——–

And it’s the time of the year to send my gratitude to the following:

My family (special mention to my mom for the wonderful paella) and grandma (with whom I share this special day a time zone apart);

my cousin, Kae;

high school friends Ma and Rocha (early greeter);

college friends Judel (early greeter, too), Shiella, She and hubby Mike;

Varsi Amihans Dex and Marlon;

former officemates Mama Ewe, Mama Mich, Aye, Flo, Mike, Pol and Doods (thanks for the song);

Friendster Chic (who’s forever pretty);

Multiply buddy Dahrel;

my colleagues from Lauren Silva (for the cake, the Zen table centerpiece and the Barbie doll) and PC Med Orlan (ganda ng timing mo talaga);

and my SO, my baby, the shade of my heart.

——–

Another year to enjoy. More challenges to conquer. A lot of happier moments to look forward to.

Despite the fear of uncertainty, aging ain’t so bad after all.

Browsed for some horror flick titles yesterday over the Net. I stumbled upon TIME Magazine’s Top 25 Horror Movies and found out a lot of nice things.

TIME actually counts Bambi as a horror flick. Check out why.

The shark in Finding Nemo got its name from the shark in Jaws.

And TIME lists a very interesting #1 50-seconder "horror flick".

Really, really interesting.

Went home from the Gundam competition in Megamall to find my bro watching a Jet Li flick on DVD. The movie ended at about 10PM, so we ended up watching the Tagalized Shutter on Ch7.

We were already enjoying the movie (kahit Tagalog ang VO, naman) and as the film approached the climax, the lights went out.

Brownout! Naman!

Lights went back after 30 minutes. By that time, the movie has ended. Flash Report na.

So does that mean we have to buy the DVD just to know the ending?

Hmm… shades of me watching only the first half of So Close… in all those three times I’ve viewed it. Never knew what happened after the other sister died.

Real bummer.

It amazes me how this quote rings true. And how many people do not understand it.

Case in point: when you are given a higher position than others, you are also given more responsibilities to fulfill. The title is just a bonus.

What is a rank written in a byline, a business card or a signature, when you are unable to meet the expectation that comes with it?

What is an appellation attached to your name when you allow yourself to drown in its delusion of grandeur and therefore beget the loss of respect from your peers?

What is a title when you lack the wisdom of its purpose?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Mom and bro heard mass at 6AM today. The chapel was unusually crowded, she said.

Probably the folks bought 8AM tickets to watch the bout at the nearby cinema.

Me, I went to church at 7:30AM, ate breakfast then slept again.

Only to be roused by Kyla’s voice echoing the last four lines of the national anthem at 1PM.

At least she got the lyrics right.

——–

Ever since I was a kid, I loved watching boxing matches on TV. Whether it would be Lewis on TV or Espinosa, I’d sit on the couch with my folks and cheer (or jeer) on.

Today, though it would be a sort of a holiday in the household, watching boxing felt different.

Boxing commentaries today are a far cry from what it was then.

Call me mean, but really I’d prefer hearing the original commentators give a blow-by-blow account of the bout.

I cringe every time I hear Quinito’s voice. Too biased. Just like how he does his commentary when Alaska battles it out with whatever team in the PBA.

Their scorecards aren’t right, either. By my scorecard, Barrera would have won more than 2 out of the 12 rounds (this after asking my dad of the results and then watching on TV how it happened – feeling expert). But of course Pacman wins this one, with or without the minus-one-point from the Babyface Assassin.

——–

Barrera, Babyface Assassin?

Dela Hoya, during his prime, was a lot cuter, in my opinion.

——–

Quinito: Pacquiao has a lot of respect for his opponent.

Me: WTF?! It’s a boxing match, for crying out loud! You don’t respect the dude, you punch ‘im in the face! Jab-straight combo! Haller!

——–

It’s always been said that if Pacquiao is in the ring, there is no traffic jam, and there’s zero-crime rate in the country.

If that was the case, hope he had a bout everyday.