MY NEW BLOGSPOT ADDIE!

Hi guys!

I had all my blogs re-transferred to a new blogspot URL.
Subsequently, please check out all of this page's posts as well as my new posts in this ff. blogspot URL:

http://jazchan.blogspot.com

Thanks much!

没人性的我....

我今天真是太急了。
由于工作的烦脑，发了一大脾气，说出一些不应该说的话，不故意伤了一般同事们的心。
说道歉看起来也是太迟了，因讲出的话并不能收回。。。

A Match Made In The Badminton Courts

Last Sunday’s badminton game was prolly my bestest ever….It was the first time for me then, since starting with the badminton craze about 8 weeks ago, that I didn’t miss more than 5 shots in any game that I had my butt into…..and that’s considering I had only about an average of 4.5 hours of zzzz’s over the entire week! That’s pretty good already for someone who gets to successfully return a shot only about 5 times for an entire 3 hour session, haha =) So is this the beginning of my badminton career? Yeah, yeah, In my Dreams!

Of course, I don’t wanna sound like an incessant badminton braggart now, so I guess I have to spurt out the fact that I was paired up with relatively good players. Uhm…no, not just good, but rather, GREAT players. You know, those types that could easily tackle on 2 worthy adversaries all by themselves and are still able to emerge victorious afterwards? Actually, they’re soooo darn good that I don’t need to do anything anymore (‘cept to act like a dummy partner) inside the court haha! Nah, of course I did my part! Am actually getting the hang of the game already and my volleyball skills are starting to reveal and establish itself in terms of the badminton game. Not long now, am sure I’d be able to smash shuttlecocks the way I smash my volleys. =) But till then, mangarap na lang muna ako ng gising hehehe.

Now, speaking of my partners (all of whom happen to be guys), one of ‘em had the same getup as mine….not entirely….but extremely CLOSE. I was wearing a dark blue shirt with neckline & sleeve-ends of the color red matched with gray jogging pants with white linings on both sides, while he was wearing a black shirt with the same red neckline & sleeve-ends paired with gray cutoff shorts with white linings on both sides like mine. Considering that my getup is not what’s usual, especially on the color combination, it really is kinda weird for me to see someone with my “almost-identical” getup. But what’s really funny is that we both didn’t notice our getups until all of our other friends started hooting the uuuuyyyy’s and the yiheee’s at us. Someone even joked that we might have prolly communicated our attires with each other beforehand…to which we both exclaimed “Hindi nho! We just met!” in collaboration, which of course led to more raucous and hoots from our mentally-wicked friends. Haay, intriga nanaman!

From our “near-likeness” ensembles, to our blushing visages & more than similar reactions and responses, down to our winning ‘doubles’ game streak, we both weren’t spared of the “matchup” intrigues. While having our game, some friends of ours were already playing matchmakers & were continuously yakking that the reason why we kept on winning was because we’re both inspired with each other! Hello!!! The guy’s relatively good kaya with the sport…..siyempre, with an itsy-bitsy help from me on the backroom, haha! Feeling! But seriously, I think the reason why we kept on bagging the winning crown was because we pretty much have the same wavelength…..well, just look at our attire and you’d know that we prolly have the same beautiful minds (cough cough!) hehe…plus the fact that we do help each other out…..I stay on guard in front while he does his work at the back. Good teamwork, right? Sure is. Well, of course it wouldn’t hurt if we do think alike, right? I guess, we are a match made in heaven, este, in the badminton courts pala. =)

…Uh oh, I think I shouldn’t have said that! Oh No!! Am never gonna get away with all the badgering this’ll cause! =P

Incredible Incredibles

Ever heard the line "No man is an island" ?
And do you know how true this statement is?
If you don't, then, I suggest you go see the flick "The Incredibles"
It's a super-hero action animated film packed with moral lessons to enlighten confused and egotistic views that we, human beings as well as heroes, have in common....such as, swallowing our pride and acknowledging that we can't possibly do everything ALONE, and that we do need the help of others every now and then.
Of course, the movie isn't just about ego and stuffs like that, for it doesn't lack in terms of comedy and romance to relax, soothe and entertain one's soul.
Great for peeps of all ages if I should say! Truly incredible these Incredibles!

Blissfully Single...

yet quite miserable....

yeah, you heard me right, and this is also prolly the first time you're hearing it from me.....that, am obviously blissfull with singlehood yet inconspicuously miserable within.

Most of you who know me personally would prolly start thinking that there's no way that those lines could have come from me, literally, as I was, for some reason, epitomized as a "MANANG IN THE MAKING".....sigh....oh well, am a Fashionable Manang In The Making naman nho! haha!

Then, some of you would mayhap go further down the drain and declare that the blogger blogging this sh*t here is a mushy & sappy version of me that I am not in reality. But guys, this is really me blogging this sh*t, and sh*t it really is as I am not comfortable with the idea that am turning into one freakin' sentimental fool myself. Inconceivable huh? Believe it or not, but I've been trying to shroud the emptiness that I feel on yearning for that one right person to come along into my life with my pretense that I am single & loving it.....and that I am one tough lady who doesn't need a man to complete her life. And just as I like to taunt people who turned 360degrees on the words that they initially let out with "Isaksak mo yan sa baga mo!" , I guess then that I, too, would have to take a wedge and pierce myself for eating my own words. Sheesh!

To be honest, I don't know what came over me these past few days/months that I should feel soooo......sigh....Maybe it's Jerry Maguire's "You complete me!" line being replayed over HBO that instigated it all; or maybe it could be mother's constant nagging that an ancient old prune like me should be well-settled already; or maybe it was me attending too much weddings of late that clearly suggested that the number of my "single" and "unattached" friends are near the boundary of zilch, in addition to gaining a multitude of toothless little tyrants who would yak and call me "Auntie" or "Ninang" as soon as they learned how to speak. Actually, it's not really bad.....that last one, but I prefer to be called "Achi" rather than Auntie or Ninang, as both seem to stress the word "old" in my face, haha. It could also be the result of seeing too many "attached" passersby with blooming countenance that hinted on the warm, gushy-mushy-squishy feeling that is quite contagious (maybe, they should have been quarantined so that I couldn't have contracted all these mush that am talking now....sigh!) Oh well, I guess I've been struck by a BIGGER stone or something this time to be affected the way that I am now (note: it's STONE for you, not cupid....so don't go assuming that I have fallen in love)!

Still shaking your heads in disbelief that I'd been metamorphosed from one "manang-wannabe" to a "not-so-single-wannabe"? Better get used to it guys, as all these mush is just the beginning of more mushes to come. And as if I don't know, but I think you guys are extremely ecstatic over my sudden change of disposition and are prolly celebrating over the fact that the former love icequeen is starting to melt its ice. I just hope that whatever caused my change of heart would be worth the trouble! =)

Am just a Small Tuna Fish in an Ocean Full of Sharks

Well, sort of...

Or at least that's what I consider myself to be in this politically marred, ethically skewed self-serving world of corporate existence.

From the purportedly simple HR process down to the unpleasantly entangling nature of the macabre “under-the-table” approach to anything and almost everything involving corporate affairs, politics seems to play one hell of a major role in our working environment. It sucks, doesn't it?

As my friend puts it: “That's corporate life for you, dear. A cutthroat dog-eat-dog world. You can't choose which game you wanna play; it's the game that chooses you.” Not a good thought huh especially for someone who's pretty much stubborn when it comes to dealing with choices.

I basically grew up believing that we are afforded with the right of choice; that each one of us can opt to pursue one course of action over another, be it good or bad, for as long as we are able to bear the consequences of such a choice. So, when you parade the words “NO CHOICE” in front of me, it's like asking me to throw my birthright out of the window. No, siree! Will not tolerate such absurdity!

I've been employed for over 6 years now and have had my own share of experiences in this dog-eat-dog corporate set-up. I've been enticed....almost, but not quite....by some offers that I'd be easily accommodated into a good starting position and package of companies in which these enticers (my family acquaintances) either have connections or are more or less influential to be capable enough of dictating the employment process. This is what we Pinoys usually term as “lakad" or “palakasan system". I could have worked as a high-post high-paid but morally clouded employee for an international company out of these supposed arrangements, but I chose to go against the flow of this ‘palakasan system’ and worked my way up the corporate ladder.

Unfortunately, some co-employees of mine don’t see it as such. What I keep on incidentally hearing is that I was only able to reach my status because I happen to be a friend of the daughter of a former “cornerstone" employee. Little do these taleteller colleagues of mine know, I had the worst interview process of 'em all! I spent an entire afternoon then (roughly around 5-6 hours) in the interview chamber that is now my boss' office. And of course, it had to be the President, the EVP and the VPs who took turns in questioning and dissecting my capabilities and my character before finally ruling that I am fit to take on the responsibility being assigned to me. Once accepted, I busted my ass in meeting the executive's expectations and carried on to make a name for myself and to prove my worth....all without kissing asses and indulging in office politics like some of these taletellers do. In short, I've earned my place! Now can you imagine their chutzpah in accusing me of sweet talking & politicking my way up while trying hard to conceal their own stench?!! They shamelessly solicit for favors from suppliers and customers in return for some “under-the-table" arrangements that prove to be disadvantageous to the entire company; they coyly influence the hiring committee to take in their “alagas” despite the latter's obvious incompetency, so that they could have more of their kinds around to help them perpetuate “office politics”. Now, who do you think is engaging in politics huh?!


This is my life on the corporate setup. And as tempting as it is to join in on such ‘politicking’, I clearly refuse to associate myself with the word. Now, don't go telling me that I have no choice but to go with the flow, ‘coz I damn well know that I do! Call me a naïve or a stupid little tuna fish swimming in an ocean full of sharks, but this is my choice, my prerogative, my freewill.

Spidee Meets Super Mom

I was taking a leisurely bath one Sunday morn, when, out of the corner of my hazy eyes, I saw something creepy crawling at our bathroom floor. I turned towards it to find it gone, but was more than freaked out when I completely saw the creature about an arm or two's stretch away from me on the bathroom wall! A gigantic spider, the size mayhap that of Shaquille O'Neal's enormous hands....blackish brown in color but with some specks of yellow & red accentuating the hideous mass of a creature scientifically classified into the arachnid family! Where the hell did this grotesque creature come from?!! We sure don't have any trees near our place where it could have hidden and grown into one goliath of a spider! And what merits this unwanted guest's call?!!

EEEEEEKKKKKKKK!! The monster literally moved on all eights and has adjusted its position so that it seems as if 4 pairs of eyes are now fixated on me! Bloody hell! Am not sharing my shower with that thing! With shampoo dripping and all, I quickly raced out of the bathroom. Wait, did I just imply that I was stark naked?! No, no, correction....I was able to grab my towel naman along my speedy way out of the bathroom, though of course I can't conceal the fact that am practically bare beneath it....good thing, i don't have any male family members....or else it would be one twisted source of entertainment for them while one great embarrassment for me (whew!).

Spiders don't usually unnerve me before....that is, until now. The one inside our bathroom is as big as a crab. Actually it really looks like a crab, only with black mass of fuzzy hairs, 8 eyes and all.....but crabs (no matter how big they are) aren't scary enough since they don't spring on people, spiders do however. And this particular one seems to have THAT perverted thought in mind.

Positive thinking...Am not allowing myself to be daunted by this creature, No, no! Taking a deep breath, I slowly peeked inside our bathroom to check whether my 'unwanted guest' changed its mind and left (through the bathroom windows) my bathroom and I, our peace. Nope, no sign of it on the walls......on the ceiling, nada. Coast is clear. Maybe it got bored of our plain bathroom & left entirely. I gave out a sigh of relief and proceeded on to finish my bath. I started humming a melody and AAAACCCCKKKK!!!! It's on the floor next to my feet! Damnit! What have I done to you to deserve this freakomania that you're causing me?!! Have I killed any of your family members or relatives that you came here to avenge their deaths?!!! I never touched any spiderlings, how much more kill it (uh, unless you consider the incident wherein I accidentally squashed one with my rubber shoes, as a pre-meditated murder!)

As if goliath spider can read my mind, it inched closer to me as I tried backing away from it. This scene continued on until I eventually had my back against the wall. Knowing full well that there's no more room for me to draw back to, I gathered all my courage to finally lift one leg in an attempt to crush it behind the soles of my slippered feet.....only, the bastard's too quick as it swiftly swung itself a nigh breath space to my bod to land on the side of the bathroom wall close to me.

EEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! Help! Am gonna be webbed!

Within a couple of seconds, Super Mom charged in on my rescue....or was it? She barged in our bathroom door so loud that it'll prolly make a deaf cringe and demanded me to explain why am shrieking loudly enough to startle even the dead! I pointed to the object of my fright while trying hard not to tremble while saying "the...the...there's a GGGIIAANNT spider b-bbe-si-dde mmm--eeee!"

Oh that! mom exclaimed while trying to hide her obvious amusement over my paled terror-stricken face. '' ei sus, it's just more than a handful....you're a hundred folds larger than that!" and continued to add " you can slap a bigger person silly and take them head-on, but you can't manage an overgrown spider?!"

"Ma! Spare me the lecture and get this arachnid out of the bathroom, Please!"

What she did next truly amazed & grossed me out....she picked up a small handtowel (since she can't find a broom) and unsuspectingly grabbed hold of the spider with her hand & towel! It struggled and broke free from her grip and leaped unto her chest.....Yikes, I'd sooner fall down dead at the thought of goliath spider on my chest! But my mom....well, she just calmly brushed the helluva of a spider to the side and proceeded to play "patintero" with it. After a minute or so, she stood up grasping the cringing creepy thing & claimed victory.

"You go on right ahead with your bath as I see that your shampoo had already frizzed your hair into tangles. I'll just put this bastard away from you."

"Oh, ma! What would I ever do without you?" I smiled and kissed her lightly on the cheeks & gayly stepped into the shower to finish my bath. So long, Spidee! There's no other way for you but down now that you've met your match in the form of my Super Mom! haha!

Brouhaha

Just can't contain my sort-of wrath any longer, so, here I am, ranting my heart once again on my blog. You know what's causing my ire this time? Well, how many of you have friendster accounts? Do your friends bombard, spam and clog your bulletin posts with meaningless chain letters and all? Well, mine do! As a matter of fact, my bulletin is always full of these "pass this unless you want something bad to happen to you" or "pass this so that friendster wouldn't delete your account" nitwitted glut!

My God! Are these people really that gullible as to believe that those chain letter brouhahas are for real?! Get a hold of urselves, dudes! We aren't living in the Middle Ages where witchcraft, sorcery, & necromancy abounds (that is, if there's any truth to those ancient middle age tales of black magic and stuffs)! You know it's quite funny to think that scientists consider modern people (like us) these days as shrewder and more level-headed than to be easily deceived and led to believe such hoaxes & nonsenses in comparison to our past counterparts. False notion, I guess, as most peeps still don't excercise or they choose not to excercise their reasoned judgment. They just hop in on the bandwagon of clogging and spamming bulletin posts and inboxes of friends & acquaintances without thinking whether the message that they are sending are completely true & accurate. Pardon me for saying this, I don't give a damn whether you are a conformist by nature or by choice, but being one doesn't mean that you have to dispense with your brains and reasoning. As long as you can't prove the validity of that what you are communicating or claiming, then, in my opinion, be kind enough to keep it to yourselves lest you confound your viewers & listeners! But if you really feel like sharing the message, then by all means do so, this is a free country....BUT confirm first the message you are sending with a credible and a proper source (note: credible AND proper....as a friend could be a credible source but not necessarily the proper source....got that?). If it turns out that the information on what you want to send out can't be vouched, and still, you persist on the act of sending it, then, again, be kind enough to put a short note saying that it is not a fact but rather just a thought/opinion. But, in my way of thinking, who needs your damned opinion when it's not requested for anyway?!

And as for those who believe that a piece of scribbles could actually do you any harm, PULleease, quit the bullsh*t. God forbid! But I really want to beat some sense into you guys! However, if you're not daunted by my crisp words and vile temper, be more afraid of the One who could make even the devil cower in fear and in terror. Don't make Him come down and beat some sense into your stubborn mind and soul!

Nostalgia

Today's one of those days wherein am wearily stuck inside my ice-teal colored car along the jammed northbound Edsa road. Its Seven-ish in the morn on my watch...Sigh. Traffic is getting much more worse these days. Before, there's practically just a handful of cars out on the streets at this time of the day, but now, there's prolly a thousand times fold! Talk about 'Pinas being a poor country.....just look at these cars left and right, how could a poor country have so much automobiles?! Makes you wonder, huh?

Well this traffic is starting to get on my nerves now. Didn't had a good night's sleep and I was up relatively early this morn (well, I have to get to the office earlier today to do some UNfinished business) so that prolly explains my precarious mood & nerves. Oh buggah! I hate being stuck in traffic....if I'd known I'll be stuck this early, I'd prolly be rolling in bed for a couple more hours of zzzzz's to complete an 8-hour beauty sleep regimen!

What could be causing this traffic? Could it be that there's an accident somewhere along the way? Could it be public utility vehicles like buses, FX or taxies greedily occupying 2 or more lanes by positioning their autos diagonally (some even horizontally) while competing for the attention of passengers over the vertical route of Edsa? Or could it be an MMDA officer or two causing mayhem to the existing traffic rules? Haayy...there's no hope for 'Pinas in this area of responsibility. Might as well open my radio and relax.....As I switched on my car stereo to some unknown station behind the continued rumbling of engines stuck in the length of Edsa, I was immediately caught on hold by a feeling of nostalgia from the music coming out of the frequency.....back to the 80's and songs of past. Yea, I still remember those songs being played over the air....."Hold On" by the former sylph Wilson sisters & friend Chynna Phillips tandem known as Wilson Phillips, and the virginal strain "Let's Wait a While" by the now scantily clad, boob exposing persona of the previously chin-to-toe ensembled Janet Jackson. The 80's were, I guess, my looniest times (well, of course, I was only a little fry then, so festive & loony I truly was)....I distinctly recall just sitting over my grandparent's terrace each summer eating "binatog", "japanese mango", "santol" and "macopa" while enthusiastically singing along with such songs. I also remember now that I used to dance to the "Never Gonna Give You Up" dance craze of Rick Ashley and had persistently tried imitating Madonna's Mickey Mouse voice & getup in "Material Girl" and her striking poses in the video "Vogue". Haha, siguro if you could see me back then doing all those, you'd prolly be having laughing fits for the rest of your life!

I guess I can say that I really miss those good ol' days.....the memories most especially and not the huge, highly tissed hair & the ill-fitting clothes that we had (uh, was it T-shirt tucked into full-blown flowery or polka-dot tablecloth skirts with matching white rubber shoes?!)....yeah, definitely not those. haha.

Hmm...so nice to be reminiscing the days past once in awhile.....I admit, I don't usually do this nowadays with all the piles of work and stuffs that I have to do, but the fondness of all those memories surely puts a curve on my lips now....and this panorama that I have today....will be prolly another nostalgic event in my years to come when I shall have to sit & reflect back once more.

Inferential Hysteria

Step 1: State the null and alternative hypothesis
Step 2: Determine the level of significance
Step 3: Set criterion
Step 4: Compute for the related statistical test (Z-test: One-tail Left End Test; One-tail Right End Test; Two-tail Test)
Step 5: Conclusion: Accept or Reject Hypothesis

Oh! Hi guys! Sorry bout that. I was just trying to refresh my memory of our stat lesson “Steps in Hypothesizing” in preparation for my quiz tomorrow. Uh, I wonder, what will be the probability of me passing that exam given a 90% confidence level? And how many percentage of our class would score above the grade 2.0 taking into consideration a 0.50 population standard deviation? And what if….er, wait guys, let me get a hold of myself, I think I've gone overboard with my stat review this time.

Relax…Breathe Jaz…Now, do you guys know that we can make statistical inferences on almost anything? (Uh, sorry guys, I can’t seem to get the stat out of my mind.)

Take for instance, moi, that there's only a 50% probability that I'd pass tomorrow's exam, to which a grade of 2.0 could well be stated as 1:8 chance for me and my classmates....to which the percentage of our entire class getting a passing score of 2.0 could be imputed to either the professor or the student himself....to which the probability that the professor either released an exceedingly difficult exam or is not really a good mentor should be taken into consideration as much as the student's lack of preparation or just plain stupidity in understanding the subject matter, and of course, to which the impending results would justify either the prof or the pupil's expulsion, a 50:50 chance of success yet again. Confusing? Wait till you try drawing out a Decision Tree or that Bell-Shaped Area of Inclusion/Rejection Diagram from all these inferences.....Egads! That reminds me, I haven't browsed through my notes on those Regions of Inclusion/Exclusion Diagrams involving the Z-Tests for One-tail or Two-tail Test! Oh No! Panic mode! My level of confidence and significance would have to be re-adjusted & lowered to fit the circumstances! Blah blah!

Am sure sounding like a statistical oddball now, aren't I? Poo Hoo…can't help it, all these business statistic lessons is sure driving me nuts with all the seemingly perpetual inferences that I have to make. Oh well, I better quit this blog of mine for now ‘coz I bet you all seem to be on your shoes ready to clobber me out of my wits and save me from complete inferential hysteria! Haha! Till the next statistical blog, Chow! =P

Paparapapa....I'm Lovin' It!

Sounds familiar? Yep, it's the latest one-line catching ditty of McDonalds that am partially singing & humming to. And I bet it's not just me who's doing it, but a lot of other McDonald champions & non-supporters are too. You see, the past couple of years were not that good for the establishment….in the States alone, the company fell short of Wendy's & Burger King's sales, while in Hongkong, customer brand loyalty shifted in favor of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). And of course, here in the Philippines, Jollibee's consumer brand recall was far more powerful than that of McDo. But that was some couple of years ago….Not this time. Recently, the company has been garnering a good deal of feedbacks from customers and was said to generate a record-breaking $9B for the first half of the year alone (that's according to an article of The Economist). A major business turnover! Imagine, from selling only burgers & fries, McDonalds now expanded into serving salads and a wider variety of breakfast, lunch & dinner meal options….with improved process techniques & procedures and an equally improved workforce.

I am not really a die-hard McDo fanatic, but am quickly getting the hang of their meals and their gimmicks. Most of their outlets are now open to serve consumers as early as 6AM to cater to the growing ‘early bird’ crowds, like those going to the gym or those who need to grab a quick breakfast while rushing off to work. I usually grab one myself….either the soft Sausage & Egg MacMuffin or that tasty Longganisa Meal….yum yum! And although salads are not being served yet here in ‘Pinas, am sure I’ll be one loyal customer should it be released here any time soon.

McDo's ingenuity & consumer-orientation is surely making waves globally and is definitely making consumers like me sing: “Paparapapa….I'm Lovin' It!”

License Express!

Who says that the renewal process of driver’s licenses here in ‘Pinas is as slow as a snail? I do…that is, until I got the surprise of my lifetime yesterday when I had mine renewed. Here’s my recount:

As I stepped out of the cab right in front of the Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) – Capitolyo branch, my cautious eye immediately caught sight of the numerous men standing right outside the darkly-tinted office building…hmm…Fixers. Definitely gotta stay away from them. I’ve been warned by a colleague of mine that they are usually up to no good….either they charge you an unreasonable amount for a speedy processing of your affairs, trick you with a fake license, or both. Knowing this, I quickly marched up the front steps leading to the office’s main entrance completely ignoring all the “psst…Miss, new license or renewal?” questions flung my way. As I reached the entrance, I overheard some fixers commenting “Sayang, ganda niyo pa naman sana, pero suplada!” Oh, how I felt the urge to glance back and glare at them, but rationality kept me from doing just that.

Inside the dimly lit LTO office (prolly because I arrived during lunch break), I was surprised to see admin assistants & officers up and about. One lady assistant immediately approached me and asked what my purpose is, to which I warily replied “License Renewal”. She then directed me to the front desk where I was asked by a cheery “Manong” of an officer whether I have any necessary changes to my personal & that of my license’s info. I replied with a curt “None” and he then explained that all I needed to do was to proceed to their Drug Testing Center & their Health Center for exams. I was initially hesitant since I remembered that I had filled up some forms during my 1st renewal 3 years ago. As it turns out, form fill-ups are no longer necessary (except when there’s any change to one’s personal or license information) as the licensing computer systems have already been completely & properly implemented over a year ago. Well, that’s good! At least I don’t have to spend 5 or more minutes filling up multiple pages of information sheets.

Since I didn’t know where the drug testing center is, I took advantage of asking cheery “Manong” the details of how am supposed to get there. I was more than shocked when he offered to accompany me to it personally. I declined graciously but he was insistent and persuaded me with “Naku, Iha, dapat lang na samahan kita dahil baka naman kulitin ka ng mga fixers sa labas. E, pansinin ka pa man din!” Hmmm…good idea!

As it turns out, the drug testing center was over to the back and side of the office where a number of fixers are making ‘tambay’. Boy, was I glad now that cheery “Manong” went with me. We entered the air-conditioned testing center and he proceeded to instruct the guys there to take care of me while I was filling up a form & tendering my payment, then, he went on his way back to his post over at the main building. While the personnel was checking my form & payment, a petite girl named Emilou came to me and handed me a vial for me to contain my body fluids for testing. When I was done, I gave the vial back to her and she proceeded into her small lab to generate the results. Since there were a couple of others there, no seats were available for me, so I had no choice but to stand and wait for my results. That was when Personnel Jun saw me and he immediately asked his colleague Mark to bring me a chair. I was like ‘Ok, How come the other girls standing & waiting for their results weren’t offered one? What’s so special with me?’ Hmmm….it must be something I’m wearing today…anyways, Jun & Mark kept me company while I was waiting for my results. They even kid me that I look like singer Rachel Ann Go. Well, prolly because we’re both of Chinese descent & that we both have the chinky mestiza features.

I got my results from Emilou shortly after 10 minutes. Clear, no indication that I am a drug dependent. Now all I have to do is to go to the Health Center for my medical. I sweetly asked Emilou where it was and she gave me a couple of directions. Of course, knowing me, I got confused with the directions and had this “blank” stare when asked whether I got all the directions clear. Upon seeing my “blank” stare, Emilou gave a hearty laugh and asked Mark to accompany me to the health center. It was raining that time (and no, am not wearing light-colored outfits today) and since I didn’t bring an umbrella along with me, Mark took one of theirs and shared it with me. Naks, may taga-payong pa ko ngayon. Divang diva! Upon reaching the health center, Mark arranged for my test with a female doc and I was ushered in almost instantly. The checkup was relatively simple as it didn’t take more than 10mins. After paying my dues and getting my certificate, Mark then guided me back to the main office for document processing and picture-taking. We had quite a chat on our trudge back to the office & I remembered telling him how shocked I was about the massive improvement in the LTO processing.

Back at the office, the line was like a meter long. I unabashedly gave out a loud sigh and thought I’d probably be stuck here on this line for 2 hours or so. Luckily, the line was moving relatively fast against my expectation. Wow, major improvement from way back where you have to wait sooo long before moving an inch! A few minutes passed and I saw Mark again as he motioned for me to drop the line & go to window 3. I shook my head in opposition & replied “ Ok lang, mabilis naman gumalaw ang linya e.” Of course, I don’t want to cause a stir among the people falling in line right? Good girl huh? =) But another surprise followed when my name was literally called out from the speaker system “Ms. Jasmin Chan, please proceed to the admin office.” I was like “Huh? What for?” but I followed the order nevertheless. As it turns out, Mark & cheery “Manong” arranged for that speaker system thing so that I’d no longer have to wait my turn amongst the testosterone-filled room. I was literally ushered in to the restricted admin office where my pic was taken & my license given to me in just 10 minutes. License Express!

What have I done to deserve this special treatment, I wonder? What do you guys think? Hmm...my guess is prolly, women have a partial advantage over men in these circumstances. We just give our genuine smiles and men instinctively can’t help but notice and offer us assistance (whether we word it out or not). Of course, it does pay if you wear something sexy to go along with it! Haha! But seriously, my heartfelt thanks to Emilou & Jun for keeping me company; to Mark who literally became my “alalay” & who offered his assistance even when I didn’t request for it; of course to cheery “Manong” of the licensing department who made me feel as if I am ROYALTY; and to all the licensing team of LTO-Capitolyo branch, I salute you all for shortening the license renewal processing time (in general) to 1 hour (in my case, to a little bit over 30mins only) and for truly being helpful and accommodating….even without receiving any kickbacks and all! Gracias!

BUSH IN, KERRY OUT

If you were an American citizen, who’d you vote in this year’s presidential elections? The incumbent & incompetent Bush or the incoherent & inconsistent Kerry? Tough choice huh….but prolly not as tough as our very own presidential race here in ‘Pinas where we had 5 presidentiables involving one stubborn incumbent & corrupt midget, one ailing & ‘PaiHua’ legislator, one naïve clergyman, one iron-fisted ex-PNP chief, and last but not the least, an uneducated doofus of a moviestar. Presidential races seem to be one heck of a joke nowadays, isn’t it? Where are the more capable leaders? Are they too daunted to come out in the open? Haayyy…what’s the world turning into?

Now looking closely at the 2 American president wannabees, Mr. Bush was quite inspiring in the way he grasped the magnitude of his challenges. His response in Afghanistan was not like the poorly lashing that ex-president Bill Clinton had used after Al-Qaeda destroyed 2 American embassies; it was a resolute effort that achieved quite a deal…the Talibans were removed & Al-Qaeda lost their bases & camps & Afghanistan has held elections that bring a tinge of hope in a country needing stability & prosperity. But the biggest mistake prolly (for me) of Mr. Bush was in attacking & conquering the sovereign nation of Iraq using only as legal basis the latter’s supposedly hidden weapons-of-mass-destruction, to which, there was none found towards the end of the bitter strife. Iraq, a country torn by an unnecessary war, now lay in shadows. True, Saddam’s Hussein regime has ended in Iraq but only to be replaced under Mr. Bush’s regime as he promises to rebuild the nation. Is that what the Iraqi people want? I don’t think so. Before the hypocritical war, Iraqi families were living peacefully, now, what remains with them are cold ashes of their homes and rotting bodies of their loved ones. I believe Mr. Bush needs to learn quickly that civilians are always the major casualties of war….and that these lives are irreparable no matter how much promises you make. Now on the other hand, we have the challenger, Mr. Kerry. The American people will have to make sense of him first before he’ll be of any true challenge. His oscillating position on a variety of topics and issues is deeply unsettling, proving thus that he is a vacillator. On one instant, he claims to seek out & destroy all terrorists and on another, he seemed to just hold back and regard such acts as mere questions of law and order. This oscillation of Mr. Kerry then is a worrying sign, especially when a president is expected to firmly deal with crises here and abroad.

Today, the American people have spoken….Mr. Bush & his campaign team has attained victory over this year’s elections. Is this a proof that the Americans prefer a coherent but incompetent ruler? Well, Mr. Bush will have 4 more years to disprove that. Just one question though Mr. Bush, who’s next on your list of nations to conquer? Oh well, we have 4 more years to witness that…but for the meantime, Mr. Kerry, you’re Out!

RainDrops Keep Falling on My Head

Have you guys ever experienced being caught offhand by a rainfall? If you haven't, then lucky you! I almost always get literally soaked through and through by these sudden outpours. Imagine me walking in broad daylight wearing light-colored slacks & high heels one minute and the next minute you see me all drenched up in dingy slacks & squishy heels....Goddamnit! Why does it always have to rain on me when I'm wearing light-colored clothes?!!! Sheesh!

Well anyway, today's no exception...I got out of my newly-washed & waxed auto wearing another light piece garment, checked the sunny weather, grabbed my thingies & proceeded to walk out of the open parking lot. Just as I was wounding up the corner of the parking lot into our adjacent office building, you guessed it! Droplets, no, make that bucketfuls of rainwater poured down the clear blue sky! What the?!?!! It ain't suppose to rain this time of the year and besides there's not even a single hint that it would on this clear day! Man, I can't believe this! I feel as if the song "Raindrops keep fallin' on my head" was made just exactly for me....sigh...

Cemetery Chills

Never appreciated horror or suspense flicks, as a matter of fact, I can't even stand hearing their damned creepy compositions that give me the chills! Yeah, yeah, yeah...am such a coward right? Well, if you guys have even just an itsy-bitsy piece of my imagination, you wouldn't say so, I think. Uh, I have this weird imagination thing going on...I mean, my mind replays everything I hear or watch during my waking hours when I go to sleep...that's just about ok I guess, 'cept for the fact that am morphed into the film's victim & that I'd have become the subject of interest of the film's slayer. Bloody Nightmare!! Now you still suppose I'd dare watch or listen to any horrendous themes? You've got to be kidding me!! Not in my Life!!

Now since am not into horror flicks, isn't this just odd that am actually writing something eerie here on my blog? C-E-M-E-T-E-R-Y Chills....sounds spooky? Read on...

I bet most of you went to the cemetery this Nov.1. For some of you, maybe on Oct. 31st or a couple of days earlier so as to avoid the extreme traffic & aggregation. As for me and mom, we usually drop by grandma's grave on the wee hours of the 31st morn. As I help mom arrange the flowers that we brought into an old vase, I noticed that there aren't too many people around our part of the cemetery just yet. Passive, I should say. I asked mom if we're gonna go home shortly for if not I would like to take some time strolling around. I haven't been back the cemetery for ages and I'd like to see if things are still the way it were as I used to recall 'em. She shook her head slightly saying that she'd like to spend a little more time on grandma's burial chamber. It's what she calls her once a year "to-do", so I eagerly informed her that I'd be back in less than an hour & grabbed my towel & bottle of mineral water & skidded down the alley towards my sort-of adventure.

The morning breeze was soft & cool as the sun was slowly peeking its way up the horizon emanating pleasant rays of gold and pink all throughout. I continued on my stroll towards a path I usually took during the early years of my grandma's burial. It was a narrow path leading to more burial grounds where wild flowers usually grow in abundance. Hmm...what flowers would I see this time, I wonder. I was so preoccupied with these thoughts that I didn't even notice the air becoming thick & foggy with each step I take. Only when some pungent smell enveloped me did I begin to feel utterly sick. Worse, I began hearing clanking sounds ahead of me. Yikes,panic tells me to turn back but curiosity nudges me to go right ahead. Nearing the opening of the alley where the fog & smell seems to thicken, I saw some shadowy figures moving about in uncharacterized manner with picks & sledges in hand....Gulp! Do I wanna see what those are? Maybe I should go back now, but before I could decide on that, a light tap on my shoulder & a shivery whisper echoed 'Padaan naman, Ini' surprised the hell out of me. I almost jumped out of my wits then & there....buti na lang it was just a Manong who wanted to go ahead of me...prolly in a rush. As I followed him toward the opening, I noticed that the foggy air and pungent smell came from the various incenses, candles & Chinese paper money being burned continuously over the urns of some tombstones and that the clanking sounds were from workers digging out an abandoned grave...the exact same workers that projected the shadowy figures earlier on. Now am really glad I didn't freak out or something, 'coz if I did, I would probably look stupid.

Continuing on another path, I found a couple of less than reserved families enjoying a sort of a picnic over their dearly beloved's graves. There were even some beer bottles lying left & right side by side the drunken bodies oblivious to the glares of each passersby. They have turned the solemness of the holiday into one lousy drinking picnic! God, I hate the living sometimes!

Not far from the drunken fest, something or rather somebody caught my attention. There sitting on top of a grave was a guy (prolly drunk) belting his heart out to the tune of an old kundiman. Man, if you could just hear him sing! C-H-I-L-L-I-N-G!!! The hairs at the back of my neck and on my arms rose up like tiny little spikes! The man's singing was a LOT more chilling than that of my near false encounters awhile ago. And as if it weren't enough, another not so sober guy stood atop of another grave & belted his own version of "My Heart Will Go On" complete with "Mic test, Mic test" even as he shift his microphone from one hand to the other. Is this a KARAOKE BAR or somethin?!! What happened to staying sober & remembering our dead on their special day? Good grief! The dead are prolly rolling in their graves this instant from having to bear with all these sacrileges. Worse, we living have to suffer too and bear with all the boozy & shiver-sending-down-my-spine type of singing while attempting to remain calm & restrained from putting an end to their miserable lives, so that we & our dead can have some peace & quiet!!

Walking farther away from the spot & from all that singing rumble (which still gives me the chills), I realized that the essence of the holiday seemed so perverted nowadays. That instead of sobriety, we have all these cacophonic nonsense. We disrupt the peace of our neighbors & that of the dead by building picnic spots on top of graves & work our lungs out in chatters & celebrations when we should be commemorating our passed loved ones. How can we expect to find peace for ourselves when we disregard that of the dead?! So, unless you want to feel shivers down your spine (and I'm not referring to a couple of off-keys on your singing fest), better learn to keep things in perspective!