First day ko kanina sa NEC Telecom Software, Inc. and the only thing that comes to mind now is "Gusto ko na sumweldo!" and of course some stuff na nagulat na lang ko:
- 2 hour net allowance (on the pc... without yahoo messenger... ... ?_?)
- no headphones during work hours (on the pc... without music... ... ?_?)
- no games (although pwede yung Microsoft Gaming Suite... big whoop...)
- 4 personal items per work area (so dragon, poring and vietnam girl are comin' to work...)
- no toys (what?!? so ano pang-decor ko? calendar?)
- no sticking stuff to the cubicle walls (kakadownload ko lang nung bagong g-men calendars T_T)
... so there goes one of my many work-related fantasies: getting a cubicle with lotsa cool stuff na naka-patong. I appreciate minimalism, pero sobra naman ata yung 4 lang pwede ilagay sa table?!? Kelangan lang siguro dugasin to, naisip ko pa lang:
- yung picture frame na maraming paglalagyan ng pichur (somethin' to smile about)
- ring binding yung calendar (somethin' to keep ya goin')
- something to fiddle with habang naglo-load yung pc (... ... puro toy naiisip ko, takte)
- coaster para sa baso na sobrang astig... yung may built in na brick game... may ganun diba?
... medyo pilit, pero mukhang matagal naman ako mags-stay dito sa NEC kaya isip lang ng isip. Pero nalungkot talaga ako na walang tugtog habang nagtatrabaho. Nainis pa ko dun sa isang nag-orient samin, nagkwento nagdo-dota sila noon nang lunch. Parang nagkwento ka ng liempo sa gutom.
Basta kaya yan. Ayos naman ang aking colleagues. Nakaka-inlove nga e, haha.
... more like: the week -- which felt like a year -- that still is. I feel like I'm everywhere again, another spree of city-hopping madness. It really has been a road-worthy week, let me count the ways:
Sunday, 22 years ago, I was born. And here, at the most un-aesthetic number between 20 and 30, I've decided to spend some quality time with the 'rents in the most traditional -- at least for my family -- way we know: window shopping. A whole day spent in SM MoA wasn't so bad, especially since my Mom kept s-mother-ing me with stuff. The count so far is 5 shirts, 1 pair o' gray pants and a swatch. I kept telling her the Euro trip 2 years ago was grad-gift enough for me, but when she offered to card the watch... corporeal temptation won out. I can't wait to max out my first credit card.
I've been hopping from train to fx to bus this last few days for job requirements, too. I've got this week to get everything (SSS, NBI clearance, police clearance, barangay clearance, cedula, etc) and so far all I've got are 2 claim slips and a poor excuse for a government document called a cedula. It's been fun though, meeting the system running the gears of the Philippines. My rendezvous with the powers that be wasn't all that glamorous though. It felt more like a long line to a vaccination: a terribly boring wait for something you're not sure you terribly want.
And as for graduation, that's next week: Tuesday. Weather forecasts include scattered thunderstorms and a whopping 91°F. I'm all smiles though since my professor mouthed the sweetest words ever to be mentioned on campus: cleared ka na. Informally, sure. But on paper, I've still got 5 signatures to go, 4 book-binds, 1 approved proposal and an installation CD to pursue before I can afford myself the luxury of "ctrl+del"-ing every file on my pc directly or indirectly connected with my Thesis. Gently caressing the rented toga outfit beside me keeps me sane though. Kinky.
Anyway, before the week ends, I hope to have organized some kind of party where we can all pig/booze/hang out. There's plenty of stuff to talk about, and zounds more to celebrate (read: get drunk) for.
To the unlimited potential of youth!
To tricky paths made smooth!
To never-ending opportunities!
To songs from the fifties!
To the Holograms and Jem!
La Vie Boheme!
By 11:30, nagsimula na umalis ang parents ko. Unti-unting nilalagay sa innova lahat ng (relief goods) gamit, gulay, prutas, cake at kama para dalhin sa Tondo. Kasama ko ang Mum ko lumabas ng pintuan ng bahay at tinitignan muna namin yung pusa namin nagbeau-beautiful-eyes. Usap konti. Hinatid ko si Mum sa car at nagbiruan pa ng konti at nagbilin ng kung anu-ano. Lumabas ang car unti-unti sa araw at sinara ko ang gate ng garahe.
Tumayo muna ko doon, kumakaway habang unti-unting papalayo ang kotse nila. Tumalikod ako at bumalik sa pintuan. Pinihit ko ang knob. Hindi siya bumukas.
Puta.
Umiikot ako sa garahe at baka iniwan yung gate sa outdoor kitchen bukas. Malaki ang lock. Nakasara ang lock.
Puta.
Umiikot ako sa kanan ng bahay. May isa pang gate dun papunta sa backyard. May nakaharang na yero at mga lumang upuan doon sa tambayan ng mga aso. Meron ding malaking kandado doon.
Holy Shit!
Frantically, binuksan ko ang bintana malapit sa front door, nagkakalansing ang bakal ng blinds habang pilit kong inaabot ang knob sa kabilang side ng pintuan.
Lagot ako.
Si Mum kasi. Tulak ng habit, nasanay nang i-lock ang door paglabas. Kasabay ko pa siya palabas.
Lagot. Lagot. Lagot.
Tumayo muna ako dun at nagmuni-muni. Bumalik ako sa tambayan ng mga aso at inakyat ang puno doon. Kaso, hindi tipong balete yung puno, parang anahaw lang, kaya nde ko pa rin abot yung bubong. Sinundan ko na lang yung pader, ingat na umiiwas sa mga bubog, at ginawang hagdan ang gate na ayaw magpapasok sa akin kanina.
Mainit din pala sa bubong at parang masarap tumambay. Yung view nde ko nga lang na-enjoy dahil sa panic at kaba na mabutas ko yung nangangalawang na bakal na niyayapakan ko. Naglakad ako papunta sa water tank at nakitang magpapaka-cliffhanger jump ako dahil malayo. Pwede din ako tumalon sa bubong ng kapitbahay, wala naman kalawang.
Natakot ako, takte. May fear of heights ako at kung san-san na ko napupunta.
Buti na lang talaga dun sa isang tabi, nakita ko yung puno namin ng duhat at may gate sa tabi nun. Bumaba ako dun at tumalon sa backyard-tambakan ng bahay namin.
Oh please, Lord, sana bukas yung pintuan sa kitchen. Kundi, magbabasag ako ng bintana.
Sa mga ganitong panahon na wala ka nang magagawa kundi umasa, dapat mahinahon ka lang siguro. Pero LINTEK YAN tumakbo ako papunta dun sa pintuan; yung pusa tumakbo sa pagkabigla.
Nasalat ko ang bakal ng knob. Umikot ang kamao ko. ~Click~
Siguro kung observant ka, alam mo na kung anu ang nangyari. Mapapansin mo ang date at oras ng post na to or napansin mo na patapos na yung post dahil malapit na maubos ang scroll bar (at pwede mo ring interpret exactly yung title). Basta yung oras, yun yung saktong oras na nahawakan ko muli yung mouse ng PC. Syempre, naghugas muna ako ng kamay. Syempre, tinawagan ko muna si Mum para magmura sana... pero ginawa ko na lang missed call.
Syempre, back to "real" life na uli: sa thesis, graduation at work. Pero kung tutuusin... parang masarap rin pala mag-akyat bahay. Exciting. Parang life or death.
Malayo pa ang Disyembre at halatang hindi naman ako Amerikano, pero gusto ko lang magpasalamat para sa lahat ng kung anu man:
- salamat sa mabait na pamilya
- salamat sa mga tunay na kaibigan
- salamat sa magandang trabaho
- salamat sa masakit na derma
- salamat sa murang tsinelas
- salamat sa tamang fit na damit
- salamat sa patapos nang Thesis
- salamat sa Robot Chicken
- salamat sa masarap na lumpiang ubod
- salamat sa malambing na labrador
- salamat sa swimming kapag gabi
- salamat sa siopao galing Ongpin
- salamat sa DSL
- salamat kay Nerubian Weaver at kay Panda
- salamat sa mga Penny Brown moments
... at syempre:
Siguro naman, God, kung nasaan ka man, meron rin siguro diyan internet. Kaya kung mabasa Mo man ito:
- pasensya na sa kabastusan
- pasensya na sa pagmumura
- pasensya na sa pagtulog pag sermon
... at siyempre:
- pasensya na sa karne kapag Lenten Friday
At sana, nde Ka muna magtampo sakin. Hindi pa tapos thesis ko e. Hehehe...
Happy Holy Week!
The Bishop says "I'm afraid you've got a bad egg, Mr Jones". Apparently trying to avoid offense the curate replies, "Oh, no, my Lord, I assure you that parts of it are excellent!"
It's been a hectic week of boons and blights, a couple of my new pimples agree. With so many things going on and so many things moving on, I can't help but sympathize with gale-caught leaves. And here, at the end of such a driven week, I don't know what to conclude: I don't feel happy, but I'm not unhappy about it either.
The first puff of air was when I found out the professors have absconded their duties for more worldly pursuits: out-of-town, week-long vacations. A quick trip to school resolved any conflict, but that odd 4-hour commute between panic and instruction was one for the memoirs.
The next draft was the inter-school competition at NEC. Turns-out, my fellow applicants came from UP Diliman. The feeling of inadequacy was bad enough; it didn't help at all that the current employees passing us by kept remarking "Uy, nag-aaply ka pala dito! Ayos dito, tsong!" You guys have until April 4 to pray for my hopeful application.
All the while, a steady breeze blows. I've been helping my mom around the office all week long, moving the occasional box and helping oversee the transportation of office documents. I don't regret helping my mom. Instead, I think of it as my way of paying back the good luck I've been wearing lately, but it SURE is tiring. I've lost 6lbs this week.
The final gust that sent me skyward was my sis' new job: she's found a job in Singapore and is relocating. She just left yesterday on a PAL plane with her luggage and our best wishes. I'm really happy for her -- the practical voice in my head kept whispering great things -- but the bare truth of the matter is I won't be seeing my sister for a long while, 'cept of course for the occasional online instant message. I guess I should hate Yahoo Messenger for somehow eating my sister.
It's been the proverbial curate's egg of a week. It's great and awful at the same time. I guess that's just how it is when change happens in your life: it leaves you tired and bewildered, but with this small comforting thought that you've grown somehow.
