Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana): my side of the story!

It started Friday, Sept 25, 2009, when I went to my bebe's office to give a package that he's asking for me to let his officemate bring with her to Florida. He asked me to buy a Cory Aquino stamp, 2 boxer shorts and to include the religous books he left. I bought and brought those and put it inside a little white box. I coated it with scotch tape and wrote his name and placed LLMMAAA at the back. LLMMAAA means Laboo Laboo Miss Miss Amoo Amoo Amoo! After dropping it off at his office, After that, I walked from Boni to Crossing since there's no rain and I didin't know that there's a strom coming.

It was also pay day so why not buy something for myself. I chose to go to shangri-la since it's near and it's right next to the place where I can hail a jeep or fx. I window shopped and eventually bought something! It took me almost 5 hours to see which clothing will bring fireworks! That's how I shop by the way! I need to hear a big bang or even applaus before I buy something! Hahaha!

It was already raining when I went home and I was also expecting someone to come over to check Mumuy, our dog. Two friends came, Dave the vet and lava James. After the check up, we went home! To Malate that is! We went to Obar and drank and drank and drank! The vet and lava was able to bring someone home. Three went there and then suddenly five went home. They dropped me off at our gate and they went on with a very productive night!

I was really drunk that night and I even have a shift on saturday night. So i went straight to bed and slept. I had a good nights sleep since it's raining and it was a really cool day. i oftentimes woke up and need to vomit because of a really really bad hangover.

When I woke up come 3pm, I heard splashes and my dog barking! what the f@ck! Then I saw water on the floor and I sprang up and checked outside! Wow, water level is rising! OMG!

At first I didn't know what to de. After 4 years of staying here, this is the only time it happened I chose to carry our tv, dvd and other things that were there. Good thing we have a 2nd floor. I did some quick naps and checked the ground floor from time to time and the highest level that the water reached was my knees!

The sofa was wet, and paper was floating all over! I decided not to go to work and I was lucky that I was still able to send a text message to my boss. Eventually cellphone signals were down because of the typhoon.

I had no food for almost a day and I was only able to go out when the rain stopped but the water level haveb't subsided yet. I bought 1.5 liters of coke and 1 loaf bread with palaman!

I listened to the radio and I found out how much damaged was made. Severe flood happened in Rizal, Pasig, Muntinlupa and Laguna. Many people were calling radio stations to tell their families that they're ok, some are looking for friends or family members and even asking for help.

Everythins changed since that day. Many people were traumatized, some people were helping flood victims, there were many group who gave food and other things to the victims. I was really amazed with what I saw and made me think that the Bayanihan spirit I still within us Filipinos.

A few days after the incident, other countries also started helping. We thank them for being there for us too.

Eventhough I wasn't badly affected, I realized that all of us are still not ready for these things to happen. There's no one specifically to blame. It's all of us who caused this. Tragedy or no tragedy we should still help each other no matter what! We should help avoiding these things like not throwing garbage in place we sholdn't, stop cutting trees, recycle, plant more trees, prayand be more discipined!

Quarter life Crisis!

July 16 came, I became a year older then suddenly I realized, I'm 25! Where am I? What have I become... Do other 25 year old's have something that I don't? When I was a bit younger, I never thought of what I would be when I reach this age.

But since I'm 25, I think I like what I've done so far! I was able to save something for a rainy day, got my first plastic and of course I still have my bebe, my family and the best set of friends!

Career wise, I may not have an impressive CV but I think all is well. I'm. a slow-poke when it comes to work! I don't know why I tend to keep up with all the goals at a very slow pace. I'm not like this before and If you're going to ask me why, I'll answer you with "i think it's because of anesthesia!" Hahhahaha!

I can really say that I'm Filipino because I just try to laugh at my problems and just go with the flow. I don't think it would lead me into bigger problems but I wanted to make sure what i'm doing is right and that I comply with what they're asking from me.

What's on my mind right now

I've been trying to keep things to myself these days. I can't keep it to myself any longer. Just enjoy reading this!

First, I'm sick of feeling tired of working. When will it sink in that I have to do this not only for myself but for other people (e.g. Bebe, Mom, sisters). I've worked with other companies in the past and it seems like I haven't learned my lesson yet. I'm tired of asking, when will I learn?

With work, I've always been inconsistent. For a short span of time, I'm really motivated but most of the time, i'm at my lowest. I don't know what's happening. What's worse is that my work is being affected by it. I wanted to make it work and I have to figure out what's stopping me from doing it.

Having a job theses days means only one thing, to earn money to survive. I want to formulate even more "reasonable" why's. Why am I doing this...

I wanted to feel good when I help somebody financially. What I earn is a blessing. It has to be shared. However there's one thing. I hope they'll learn to think for themselves so that they can feel a sense of accomplishment of providing what needs to be provided, not just by asking for favors. I also have to learn this. I admit!

Catching Up!

It's been a long time since I wrote my last blog. I was trying to write two months ago but I wasn't able to finish it because I had a hard time uploading pictures. I just deleted three paragraphs of that post.

There's a lot of things that happened from the time I wrote. My bebe left the country last March 27 which is a day after I started my employment with a new company. By the way, I'm now working in a bank. The saddest part was, I wasn't able to bid farewell personally to my bebe because I have to go to work at 1:30 pm. He left by 9:20 pm and my shift ends at 10:30 pm. Too bad! The last time I saw him was when me, his brother and nieces met up with him, his mom, sisters, nephew and grandson in Mall of Asia.

I didn't have much time to say a proper goodbye because everyone was there. All I can do is look him in the eye and sa goodbye. I wanted to hug him but there's nothing I can do. I just thought, since we had the chance when I went to Lucena with him 4 days before his departure. We had the time to have ourselves ready to part ways temporarily and promised each other to be online as often as possible. We still do it until today. The only thing I hope is, hindi siya magsawa kaka-online.

I miss my bebe so much. It's a bit ok thanks to technology! Internet made everything a bit easy for us to adapt, we're still trying to adapt since he's been there for a month and a half.

i try to be online almost everyday, but there are times when I tend not to because of somethings that happened and kailangan ko nang ipagpabukas ung internet. I know my bebe understands and as much as I wanted to speak with him everyday, sometimes I get tired because of work, or I have to be with my mom to look out for her.

I'm happy that he's been doing well so far. When he got there, his apartment is semi furnished, and he only has to buy a few things because all the things he needed to survive is almost complete there. I'm happy also because he was able to have internet connected, bought a washing machine plus dryer and a flat screen tv. At least he won't be going to work with dirty clothes and he doesn't have to have a laptop infront of him all the time since he can also watch television.

Knowing those things made me not to worry too much. The only thing I worry about is, he might get homesick all the time. It might affect his work and of course, on how he'lllive his everyday life there.

It's good that whenever we talk, he was able to let them out. All I can do is listen, understand and comfort him. I don't eant him to feel lonely. I want him to feel that we are just here for him. I'm even encouraging him to have new friends there para naman maaliw siya. May mga nakilala na naman siya pero hi and hello pa lang nagaganap. Siguro kung matagal na siya doon, in 4 mos ok na siya.

Sana makapag-ipon ako para mabisita ko siya in a years time. I wanted to see where he lives, how he lives and which places he can go there.

I know it's not easy for him. I just want him to know that we're just right here in the Philippines. We're just a Ym, Fb or text away. He just have to think that he's in a province here and we're in Manila.

I hope he does adapt. I just wanted him to be safe there.

Countdown

Some thing's coming and I think it's going to be of the saddest days of my entire life. That is, me "bebe" leaving. He's not leaving because we're breaking up. He's leaving because he's going to work in the U.S. for three years. It might not only be for three years; if evening's turning out well, he might stay there for five years.

It's the 8th of March, a Sunday. I went to the Bureau of Internal Revenue in Quezon City. And as for him, he went home to Lucena in Quezon Province. I'm alone now, even though he hasn't left for the states, I can already feel the loneliness. I don't know if I'll be able to make it in three years.

During the past few weeks, he goes to work and study Capella. That's what his job is going to be. Running some software using the Capella application. I don't know and don't understand it but he showed me and I just nodded as if I'm understanding everything as he showed it to me a few weeks back.

There are so many things I'll miss when he's around. His company, jokes, his smell, his smile, words of encouragement, his kisses, his hugs and just the sight of him in the flesh.

It all came to me that he's really leaving when we bid farewell to a friend who went to California two Fridays ago. Bebe is supposed to leave the country with him on the same day, but his boss requested to extend his stay here. I was happy about that!

I'm sad because he's leaving but I'm also happy for him. This is a one time opportunity for him and I told him not to think twice and accept the offer. It's not only going to the US but he'll also have a chance to go and see different places which is at his age, he should be able to experience it.

I will miss him. Three year is a long time and thanks to yahoo messenger, it may be just a very short while.

Where to stay?

He's leaving in a month's time. He's going to stay in Florida for 3 years. I'll be in a long distance relationship and I don't know if we'll be able to work it out that way. Where will I stay while he's gone?

We've talked about it, when I told him that I wanted to stay with my mom in Las Pinas, he got sad. When his friends asked him where will I stay he old them it's up to me. I'm confused! I already asked somebody what's their take on this, they told me to stay in Las Pinas to avoid troub;e with his family. I'm just looking at the worst case scenario.

Totally, I'm a stranger to this house. They don't know where exactly my house is. They only know me as Vince, his friend who doesn't have a place to stay whenever he has work, To some, his boyfriend of almost 4 years.

I stayed here because of him. I wanted to be close to him everyday. I wanted to know what it feels like to have a man in my life in which I haven't experienced growing up. I wanted someone to guide me and to support me in everything I do. You know what, thats what I get here in this house.

Now that he's leaving, I'm alone again. Will i be able to go and live my life without him around. Knowing that there's YM, but is it enough? WIll I be able to get the same things through that?

I don't know why we can't talk about these things seriously. I sometimes think that I'm not a part of his decisions. Like what happened last night, he told his friends that he's going to Lucena tomorrow. not that i don't want him to go, but at least tell me that he's going.

There are time that his friends tell me that I should know this or some things that's been happening by now. I just tell them maybe he'll tell me about teh whole thing later, in which he didn't.

I wanted to confront him, or just tell him what I feel about this. But I'm afraid that he'll take it in another way. Or he might misunderstand what I'm trying to say.

I wanted to tell him that I'll be ab;e to tell him where I'll be staying once I find a new job. That I'm going to make things right for my life. That I'm tired of how things are and I wanted to change it. I wanted him to know what I feel and why these things are happening.

I realized that where to stay is not just the problem. It's us. There something wrong with everything and I'm not sure if he notices it, or i'm the one who's taking everything for granted.

Call Center Life... in gist!

Gising sa gabi, tulog sa umaga, inuman at 8am, lasing sa tanghali, social life score -100, holidays (wala sa bokabularyo), weekends off (luxury), split offs (parusa), rotating and shifting schedule, shift bid, sched swaps, 10X4 shifts, night differential, transpo and meal allowance, rice allowance( dapat!), 13th month pay, double pay, RD OT, OT TY,

Inbound cs, inbound sales, outbound sales, collections, financial cs, telecoms cs, healthcare, travel, transcription, technical support, email/chat support, business processing, payroll, hr, accounting, web design, techie stuff,

Chicken sa ministop, , 24 hour fastfood (Jollibee at Mcdonalds), coke, Starbucks, baon (pagnagtitipid at kung nagtratraining)

2 yosi sa 15 minute break, sakay ng elevator, 1 hour lunch… tawad 45 minutes… final offer 30 minutes… wag na lang.

auto-in, aux, coaching, log out, head set, Avaya, Plantronics, sup call, aht, queuing, avail, petiks, quality scores, CSAT! VOC! Sales rate, LPH, calls per day, per month, per year,

limpak limpak na jacket, shawl, spill proof mugs, makapal na curtain (black dapat),

training, Can 8, role play, call simulation, interview, competency assurance, Neutral English, evaluation,

taxi, jeep, ordinary na bus, lakad, peppermint spray, kotse

How may I help you today? Was I able to solve your inquiry? Is there anything else for today? May I verify your name, dob, acct number and last four digits of your social? To make sure I understand it correctly you said your concern was… We don’t tolerate the language your using… this is my second warning… I’d like to repeat we do not tol…I’m sorry I have to release this call… thank you for calling. Good morning! I’m sorry to hear that. Let me help you with that. I’ll wee if my supervisor is available. I would like to inform you that we’re offering… oh I see, maybe some other time. Do you have kids? Maybe you can give them a birthday gift or something… I’m sure you’ll be interested when you hear the details. This is for security purposes.

NCNS, excessive absences, excessive tardiness, call avoidance, drop call, inappropriate transfer, low quality scores, economic crisis, pull out, center closure, illegal phone, activity

Termination!

Back to start!

Do you remember playing board games when you're a kid? I was carzy about those. My friends and I always play board games like the game of life, monopoly, millionaires game, snakes and ladders and all board games from Disney. In all of those games there's always a box that says "Go Back To Start". Once your "pamato" goes there, there's nothing you can do but go to the start.

Growing up is like playing board games. There are times you loose and there are times you win. Don't forget that there are times you are asked and sometimes forced to go back to start.

We are the ones rolling our own dice. Minsan pabor ang number na lumalabas and we're snuddenly going to the right direction. But there's a time when it doesn't go our way. Do you think destiny can be compared to rolling a dice? Or the number that comes out once it's rolled and stopped? For me yes.

We can control our destiny. There are moments when everythings going our way because of the choices that we made. Those choices made peoples lives happy and full of purpose. Sa buhay ko, nung bata ako ganyan ako pero nung lumaki na ako, hindi na.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit? Nawalan na lang ako ng drive to be successful. It's like every decision that I made in my life turn out to be worst decision of them all.

Now, I'm trying to stop making decisions first. Put everything on hold and compose myself. I think this is the best thing for me. Tigilan ko muna ang kakaisip at kakakilos.

Di naman sa tinatamad ako or anything. I spent 2 year of making bad decisions. I will allow myself a couple of weeks to regroup. Think things through. There's so many things going on in my life that I forget what my priorities really are.

It's time na mag-isip ako. Hangga't may oras pa. Sana naman e may ma-pala ako sa pahingang ito. Para naman gumanda na ang lumabas na number once it's my turn to roll the dice again. I don't want to go back to start again.

New Work!

I just started with my new work two weeks ago! I'm now a part time technical customer care representative. It's new and I'm not sure if I'll be able to pull it off. I found new friends and promised old friends from my old work not to forget about them. I will and I do promise you guys that I'll never forget you guys!

I miss my old colleagues. I regret leaving and wasting all opportunities given to me. But there's nothing I can do now and I realized it very well.

Looking At The Bright Side...

I'll be able to look for a school to continue my studies. It makes me excited just thinking about it!

I'm still getting myself ready for this new chapter in my life. Hope everything goes well. Nothing can stop me now, especially those k*re*n idiots that busted me out of my second job.

I'll move on!

Year of the Earth Ox

It doesn't start on January 1st but it will start on January 26, 2009. If I'm going to use the chinese calendar, I'm still on the year of the rat which I think made me fortunate. I can say that I ended the Chinese New Year with a bang and started it full of hope.

Kung Hei Fat CHoi guys!

Disastrous 2008

I never thought 2008 will end in a disastrous way. I though being born in the year of the rat will be lucky for me since 2008 is the year of the rat as well. But no!

I went to a friend's baby's baptism in Lucena, Quezon Province one Sunday. I have to go home the same day because I have work the next day. I promised my team leader not to miss work since i already have 2 suspensions at my back. I'm supposed to ride in a van to the bus terminal. We just left the house when we had problems with the van. I just stopped. The driver can't stop the van. So we have to push it in order for it to jump start. Nothing happened that's why we have to push the van all the way to the house which is 2 blocks away. This experience made me feel not well.

I just hailed a jeep going to the terminal. rode a bus and went to Manila, which is a 3 hour trip.

I arrived home at midnight. A friend is asking me if could join them at Ortigas. But I told him I won't be able to join them because I have work the next day. There was a part of me that don't want to go to work but I wanted to because I'll be in trouble if i dind't. Morning came, "Bebe" is trying to wake me up. I appreciate my "Bebe" for doing this. But I didn't wake up. When I woke up, I realized, it is already 2 o'clock in the afternoon.

OMG! I'm absent and I didn't even inform my TL. I'm in trouble. I sent a text message to my team leader and I apologized and told her that I didn't mean it. Maybe I just got too tired, but really I was too lazy to get up and go to work.

I thought that day if I joined my friends in Ortigas, I wouldn't be absent and for sure I still have my job with 24/7.

With all the things that is happening in my life, I have to celebrate Christmas right? Since I still have four thousand pesos in my savings account, I withdrew everything and almost closed my account. I left fifty pesos in it.

I bought a cake, gifts for my nephews and nieces and also for my god sons. All of those purchases left me only one thousand to spare. The clock struck midnight and my mom was singing her heart out using the DVD I bought for only one hundred fifty pesos.

The days after Christmas go by and it was hard. No gimmick, no money and no hope.

The clock struck midnight which marked a new year! it's already 2009. My mom still sings her favorite song and mine of course. I was thinking what is in stored for me this yeat!

I hope nothing disastrous. I hope god will give me challenges that I can overcome. This year, I'll overcome everything and change the routine. No more laziness, no more sickness and no more "Oos". I'll just go and take life by the balls! Balls is what I love and that what I'm gonna do this year!