Archive for December, 2005

31
Dec

Welcome 2006!

January 1st 2006. It’s raining today. Glad it didn’t rain last 12 midnight. I hope that is a sign of more blessings to come for this year. I spent the early minutes of 2006 with my family and I couldn’t ask for more. I don’t make new year’s resolutions coz I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep. I just want to think that this year is another chance to make things better, right Lau? :)

A friend sent me this and I wanna share this with you all:

My 12 wishes for you and your family:

1. Happiness, deep down inside.
2. Serenity, at every sunrise (or sunset).
3. Success, in every facet of your life.
4. Family beside you.
5. Caring friends around you.
6. A love that never ends.
7. Good health within you.
8. Beautiful memories of yesteryears.
9. A bright today, with so much to be thankful for.
10. A pathway leading to better tomorrows.
11. Dreams that manage to come true.
and
12. A great appreciation for whatever you do.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Pictures taken on New Year’s Eve:

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
fireworks light up the night sky

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
(L to R) my bro, Ma, me and my Pa

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
(L to R) my bro, Ma, Pa and my sis

More pictures in Multiply and Photobucket.

29
Dec

Rizal Day

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
Dr. Jose P. Rizal
national hero

Today is Rizal Day here in the Philippines. Remember his works, remember his teachings, remember his life. Today, there are no offices for most of the employees… but I’m not one of them. I still have one more shift to go before my rest days… and before New Year’s Eve!!! Woohoo! Looking forward to it! :)

28
Dec

2 days

..before New Year’s Eve… a few more hours before we finally say goodbye to 2005. I know the celebration is going to be (definitely) noisier than Christmas and more fun too. We’re planning to prepare lots of food and (hopefully) watch beautiful fireworks. I won’t get to go out of town, but I sure hope the Batangas swimming with my officemates pushes through on January 7.

Am I looking forward to 2006? Absatively. :)

28
Dec

24 hours later

What happened after this? Nothing really. I just wasted another hour of my day and spoke to two more agents with one hanging up on me while I was on hold. No, it is not appreciated. I was told to wait three more effing (working) days! Then why the f*ck tell me yesterday to call back after 24 hours?!

No, this is not funny at all, but I still kept my calm and still did not ask for a supervisor. We’ll see after three days. If I still have to wait for a week more then that would be too much waste of time, effort, phone minutes and saliva.

Finally crossed a couple of things off my wish list. I know, I know, I didn’t keep an actual wish list anymore coz I just get frustrated of those things I wanna buy. But of course, the mind is a many splendored thing (not just love, mind you) and I can still mentally list them down. I know she won’t get to read this, but to my officemate who picked me and gave me the best of Savage Garden CD (Truly Madly Completely), thank you, thank you so much! :)

Lastly, I bought an Aiptek DV 3300 on sale. It’s a video recorder, an MP3 player,a digital cam and a voice recorder in one. It has a free USB, batteries, TV connection cord, earphones, mini tripod, the works! (Email me if you wanna know the price. Hehe!)

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
I got the silver one

I know buying this will make my chances of buying a Nokia 6230i pretty much slimmer than before, but that was too good a bargain to pass. I don’t know when I’d be able to buy the cellphone. I know this unit is cheaper compared to the new ones but I really like its features. I have wanted this for months now. *sniff* But yeah, plans don’t always push through. Again, we can have everything, but we can’t have them all at once. *sigh*

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
the best gift I could have this year

Any volunteers? ;)

26
Dec

30 things guys should know about girls

(written by a guy after years of experience)

taken from this journal. I have to agree with this.

1. Whatever you do, don’t just show up at their house…they run around in their underwear just like we do.

2. DON’T CHEAT ON THEM. It may seem foolproof, but girls tell each other everything about everything. Trust me, they WILL find out and you will be mud.

3. Beware of every single male relative and all guy friends. Any of them would kick your ass at the drop of a hat, and a lot of them wouldn’t even wait for the damn hat.

4. Never miss an opportunity to tell them they’re beautiful.

5. Don’t refuse to kiss in front of your friends. If they laugh at you, it’s because they’re jealous.

6. If they slap you hard, you deserved it.

7. Don’t be afraid to touch them if you want to. If they’re going out with you in the first place, it’s because they like being in your arms.

8. If you don’t sleep with them, do not tell your friends that you did.

8.5 If you DO sleep with them, don’t tell your friends that you did.

9. You can be dirty minded in private, really…most of them are not offended by it…

10. Not all of them eat like birds, a lot of them can eat like whales.

11. Most of them don’t mind paying half of everything, but they do discuss these things with their friends. Realize that if you make your girlfriend pay half all the time, everyone will know about it and your friends will know you’re a pussy…

11.5 Do you honestly need all your money that much? Be a man, pay all the time!

12. Every girl should eventually get three things from her boyfriend- a stuffed animal, one of his sweatshirts, and a really pretty ring. Even if it’s not a serious relationship.

13. Make sure she gets home safely as often as you can. If you’re dropping her off, walk her to the door. If you aren’t dropping her off, call to be sure she’s home safely.

14. If a guy is bothering her, it is your right to beat the shit out of him.

15. If you’re talking to a female friend of yours, pull your girlfriend closer.

16. Never, ever slap her, even if it’s just in a joking way. Even if she swats you first, and says, "Oh, you’re so dumb" or something, never make any gestures back.

17. Go to a chick flick once in a while. She doesn’t care whether you enjoy it or not, it just matters that you went.

18. You’re dead meat if you can’t get along with their pets, parents, and best friends. Be prince charming to their friends, Mr. Polite to their parents, and make sure to be nice to their animals.

19. Don’t flirt with their moms…that’s just freaky.

20. Don’t be freaked out by PMS. It’s not gross, and it really does make them feel like shit, so be understanding.

21. If you don’t like the way they drive, you do it.

22. If you’re officially dating and you’re introducing her to your friends, you’d better damn well introduce her as your girlfriend.

23. Don’t stress where you go for every date. They really only want to be with you.

24. If they complain that something hurts, rub it for them without being asked.

25. Girls are fragile. Even if you’re play fighting/wrestling, be very gentle.

26. Memorize their god damn birthdays. You forget her birthday and you’re basically screwed for life.

27. Don’t marinade the cologne, but smell good.

28. Don’t give her something stupid for her birthday or Christmas or Valentine’s day. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it has to be meaningful.is always nice.

29. If you think the relationship isn’t going to last, don’t wait to find out. It will only hurt you more if you draw it out.

30. After you’ve been dating for a while, realize that they really have started to trust you. When you have a girlfriend who truly trusts you, you have a lot more responsibility, privilege and control than you would think. Be careful with it, most guys would kill for that kind of power, and it can be lost in a nanosecond.

26
Dec

system maintanance, my ass!

I have worked in a customer service long enough to know every damn excuse these big companies have taught their customer service reps whenever they don’t deliver. Yeah, when they screw up, white lies are being said to pacify irate customers. Now, I found myself (yet again) on the other end of the spectrum. Although I am the irate customer, I did not ask for a supervisor nor yelled at the agent. Well, not yet anyway.

I have been a subscriber of their service since the first time I held a mobile phone, so that’s roughly 7 years now. I am not a post-paid subscriber but I have to admit I use up at least Php1000 a month for texts and calls and wap. I also take part in their promos and stuff but the downside of all these "cheaper rates" and promotions is actually sacrificing the quality of service.

I remember a few years back when I upgraded my SIM. They told me I’ll be getting a signal, which means my SIM will be activated, in about 24 to 48 hours. I finally got to use the stupid SIM after dozens of customer service phone calls later and after 5 days. That sucks since I already learned to depend on mobile phone for communication. I know I have several case numbers and notes in their system and I don’t care.

They have this text non-stop promo that I have been availing for more than 3 months now and a couple of days before Christmas, I cannot register. Therefore, I had to pay every text I make. I was able to register only after Christmas eve after trying lots and lots of times to register. Wise huh? But that was fine with me. It’s Christmas and I’m not making a big deal out of it. But it doesn’t end there.

Earlier today, I decided to share prepaid load to someone. It was just Php60 plus the Php1 transaction fee. I didn’t mind coz I have been using that more often now especially since most of my family are Globe subscribers too. I got an error message stating that the system is being updated. So, I tried it again. I send the Php60. Again, I received the error message. I checked my balance and Php122 was removed from my load. It was ok if that amount was sent to the intended recipient, but NO! Nothing was received. Since I just ended my shift, I was sooo mad I called their customer service number to complain (again)! I was on hold for over an hour and finally got a representative after I got commuted from the office, got home, changed to my house clothes and had breakfast. Then all the rep said was that they’re having system maintenance! Whatthefuck?!

Alright, I was not harsh on her as I expected. But straight English made her voice quiver and since I am mad, I expressed myself more in English (got that behavior from my mother, I think). I asked her a lot of questions and she told me to call back after 1 or 2 hours to check if my transaction was cancelled or if it pushed through. We’ll see. But I got her name (of course!) and if I still don’t get credited or the load still doesn’t reach my intended recipient, hell will break lose. Well, not really, but I’d be demanding for a supervisor. I won’t accept their "We are going to research on this for you" crap and make me wait for a week or so ‘coz they are a multi-million peso company and they can definitely afford to give me back my Php120.

Yes, I do value my hard-earned money and my consumer rights.

25
Dec

Humanitarian?

New quiz posted in ::scribbles:: !!!

25
Dec

Christmas 2005

Been busy for the past few days and today is Christmas day, so I’ll start up with a greeting…

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

The whole family spent the evening in Church and we got home and shared a simple but wonderful meal together. I can’t ask for anything more. Thank you for all the greetings sent to me through SMS or through the phone or emails. I wanna share this message a friend sent me:

Over 2000 years have passed, but love endures…
And wise men still follow His star…
May all will be led to the everlasting love of Christ our Savior!
Warm wishes for a blessed Christmas from my family to yours!

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
Happy Birthday, JESUS!

25
Dec

ready for Christmas?

I wonder why people need to often be ready for Christmas. We all know that Christmas comes and goes every year. Why do we have to be ready for it? Is it because we all should need to prepare for something bigger than ourselves? Is that why people often get stressed instead of sitting back and enjoying the season’s festivities? Is it because Santa knows who is naughty or nice and we’re trying to be nice at the last minute? Is it just an excuse for people to show off or to get broke? After the hours, energy and money spent in the crowded malls, is it all just that? Or is it a time for family and moments spent together as warm as eggnog in our stomachs? Or children and their anticipation that lights up their faces like magical Christmas lights on a tree?

I fear that Christmas day will just come and go like an ordinary day in my year. Like last year, I will probably go to church and spend the day with my family at home. Hopefully, we’ll enjoy our Christmas dinner together. By Monday, I’ll be back at work and earn back the money I spent.

I am looking forward to 2006.

How about you, what are your plans for Christmas?

at ngayon
di pa rin alam
kung ba’t tayo nandito
puwede bang itigil muna
ang pag-ikot ng mundo

~"Spoliarium" by Eraserheads

20
Dec

right kind of wrong

I noticed that all these budgeting and hectic work schedule in the midst of a supposedly merry and exciting season has placed a worry wrinkle on my forehead. The person I picked at work for our exchange gift has not placed anything on his wish list. So, who am I to guess what he wants? I’m not Santa. Then there’s more things to do in a short span of time I haven’t felt more stressed! Oh wow… this is not good. I think this is just a bad case of "so little time so much to do" syndrome.

Got to read this during a few brief down time moments at work and this is for those who are members of SMP: Samahang Malalamig ang Pasko

Love… it makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens your heart and it means someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses. You build up this whole armor, for years, so nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life…

You give them a piece of you. They don’t ask for it. They do something dumb one day like kiss you, or smile at you, and then your life isn’t your own anymore.

Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so a simple phrase like "Maybe we should just be friends" or "How very perceptive" turns into a glass splinter working its way to your heart.

It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It’s a soul-hurt, a body-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. Nothing should be able to do that.

Especially not love.

I hate love.

(Rose Walker in The Sandman: The Kindly Ones)

Read it here.