Affirmation

STUPID!
STUPID!
STUPID!

Mama said.

i am,
i am,
i am,

Son thinks.

WHORE!
WHORE!
WHORE!

Papa said.

i am,
i am,
i am,

Daughter thinks.

Title: Missed Conception
Date: c. 1993

An old friend updated his Friendster blog today. As you know, when a friend in that social networking site updates his or her blog, a notice is sent to your email. I clicked on the link, and a new tab on my browser opened the blog. Although what caught my eye was a previous blog. You see, my friend is a Family Counselor in CEFAM (Center For Family Ministries) and just earned his Master degree at the Ateneo.

One entry on his blog had this paragraph:

"I have met many families in the three years that I have been in the program. I can no longer remember the names of the members of each family that I have counseled but I still have the lessons I have learned in my heart. My best case this semester may be my best case in my PD program. It was this family that realized that it is easier to complain and criticize members than to give words of affirmation. This has become my advocacy now - to speak more affirming words."  

And so I thought, wasn't that the whole thought of my poem way, way back! Don't get me wrong, I grew up under a very tender and loving family. I never heard any disparaging remarks from my parents nor my siblings (hmmm, that could be the reason I grew up conflicted - I couldn't blame anyone in the family for what or who I turned out to be*). 

The only thing I discovered belatedly was that I didn't know that a joke my Mom told me could leave an imprint in most of my growing up years. She said, although she denies this vehemently, that my grandfather, upon seeing me a few weeks after I was born, picked me up from the bed, and quipped, "This is an ugly kid." 

Trust me, the Tagalog equivalent is much too garish to say. But I took no offense at that time when my Mom recounted it. After all, I was just 11 I think at that time and my Mom was combing my hair in preparation for school.

In fairness to my Mom, she had to tell me that because she had a rejoinder right after the joke. "Your Lolo is mistaken!"

Anyway, things became different when I was in my adolescence. Of course, pimples, body odor, pants you just can't wear anymore because you've outgrown them (but had no choice as there simply is no new pair to replace it with), and a whole lot of changes in the body - unwelcome at it is as it was getting in the way of my playing Jedi action figures. Translate: I didn't want to grow up yet, but it was just too embarrassing to be seen playing action figures while making sound effects (imagine me doing an impression of Darth Vader's voice with this dialogue - indulge me please - :

Darth Vader: You may dispense with the pleasantries, Commander, I'm here to put you back in schedule.

Commander: But what you're asking is impossible!

Darth Vader: Perhaps you can tell that to the Emperor when he gets here?)

But I digress.

So physically, I was growing old. My mind, however, refused to. So when I was 22 years old, I was actually 15 then. I was still playing plastic toy soldiers. Sometimes I would still play with the Jedi action figures when I'm thinking of a new plot, then had the plastic toy soldiers act it out. And they were such good actors. Would you believe, all of my 200+ pieces of Made in China toy soldiers or tau-tauhan as we call it then, had their own names!!! I christened each one of them!** (I miss them.)

Did you notice I digressed again? Well, I didn't.

Only when my life wasn't turning out right, this was my 23rd year on this colorful world did I think, "Hey, my grandfather was right after all! Pangit nga ako. Pangit na tao!" I concluded, my grandfather meant the whole thing!  My, he was holistic. And this is made worse when you hear relatives saying our grandfather was wise! No chance to appeal my case, then, huh? 

When I turned 31, I had entered the seminary - I had my noble reasons but I learned a couple of months after joining that man could have hidden reasons, too - I had the good fortune - no, I was blessed!! - to take a workshop entitled, "Healing you Inner Childhood."

There, I learned who I was and why I am! I have forgiven my grandfather, more so myself for "unknowingly" been putting the blame on my grandfather who  was never there! I mean, I made him to be there when he's long in peace! Funny because I had almost written a short story about a teen-ager who had a face to face encounter with his "supposedly" wise  grandfather, who's long been dead! 

So who am I now? I'll tell you in ten years.

So when you think about the quoted paragraph from my friend's blog, the words we say to each other can have a very lasting impact to the recipient. Ironic, physical wounds can heal over time, yet the hurt inflicted by the words we say can stay on for a very long time! And when it's remembered, recalled in the mind, that very long time is indeed an eternity for someone hurting. 

_________________

* Regrets, they say, is for poets. I've had mine but not that major. The statement above that said, "I couldn't blame anyone in the family for what or who I turned out to be" only shows that who ever I am today, it was because of my choice, or lack of it depending on who's looking at it, and that it was definitely my life to lead. I just don't want anyone to get the idea that I'm still in the fishbowl, under the watchful eye of the cat!

 ** I promise I'm going to write about my toys soon!

Wimbleydoom!!!

Track: Circle of Friends by Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians

i shall

drift
over the souls that
moved me and
instilled in me
nothing but yearning and
insecurities; i shall haunt them
countless times.

anger is not within me
greed was nothing like me; i
court depression, and i
attract those of no use to me.
over and over, i am
inspired by those
loveless idiots and
imbeciles.

Title: Untitled acrostic
Date: November 24, 1993 @ 11.20 pm

I'm not actually a tennis fan. I'm not into sports. The only foray I had in sports was in grade school when I became part of the soccer training team of San Beda. I lasted one school year simply because I didn't realize we were supposed to practice in summer, too. Natch! I could have been a great full-back! My brothers are all seasoned basketball players. My only interest in basketball is watching it with the hope of seeing a brawl - between teammates! You know, players from opposing teams getting into a brawl is old school. Why not two players from the same team slugging it out? That would be a hit!

Anyway, back to tennis. Last year, I learned who Roger Federer for tennis fanatics. I admired the guy and his humility. So when he lost to Rafael Nadal on the clay court, I got sad but was optimistic that on the grass, he'll bounce back. He did! I was happy. Happier still when I read in an interview this quote from Federer:

"He (Nadal) is a fantastic player and is going to be around for so much longer so I am happy with every one I get now before he takes them all."

The excitement builds up once again because here, you find someone so humble. In my excitement, I did something stupid. Well, I later found out it was a stupid thing to do because of the reaction of the person involved. I searched for the website of Philippine Tennis Association just to drop them an email asking them to bring in Federer, Nadal and Andy Roddick (yes, the ex of Mandy Moore). You know how fans are, they'll simply write to authorities thinking these people gives a hoot!

And this is what this blog entry is all about. I emailed them just so I can have my release. Others would have theirs in chocolate, some in Starbuck, still others in masturbation, or all of the above (not necessarily doing it in Starbucks), mine was to let someone know about how I feel. So I emailed, quote:

"I'm excited because my idol Roger Federer has won the championship again at Wimbledon. Don't you have plans of bringing him over for an exhibition game? Bring Rafael Nadal, too. And Andy Roddick.

Thanks.

It was an honest-to-goodness inquiry. I know it was a long shot, but hey, we're talking about a person who had applied for a promotion five times in a span of 19 months and failed every time. So odds don't bother me! 

Imagine my surprise when a couple of hours later,  I got a reply! My, I was excited. I know, they'd probably say that would be expensive, but thank you for taking the time to email us. Now, let me just refresh your memory, I work as a Customer Service Representative handling emails sent by customers to our client. Mostly it's disputes and I must say I have this knack of delivering bad news in a not so negative way. So email ethics is not something I am unfamiliar with. I was hoping they'd say, you know, very diplomatically, that they can't because that would be asking for the moon, but no! Here's what I got as a reply, verbatim:

"Fyi, bringing top-ranked tennis players like Federer, Nadal & Roddick entails enormous amount of budget even if it will only be for exhibition only. Their tight schedules which normally is prepared well ahead of time by their respective managers and/or private coaches/parents is also one factor which will make the proposal not feasible.

"Why not just try and go watch Grand Slam events like the US Open, French Open, Australian Open, etc ??? Tickets for these tournaments can be purchased thru their respective websites."

Regards,

Loxxx Mxxxxre
Administrative Assisant
Philippine Tennis Association

Ok, I just imagined middle aged administrative assistant laughing their assess off with my email. You know, office workers who, the moment they get to their desk, would kick their shoes under their table and start wearing slippers that should only be worn in the bedroom (imagine red fluffy slippers). Then re-touch their make-up and start gossiping with each other! (Ok, that's utterly unfair, they are not government office after all, but I simply imagined that the instant I finished the email!)  Anyway, I knew how expensive it is to bring international celebrities to Manila. I worked for an public relations firm a few years back and, well we never brought any celebrity here, heck!, we never produced an event at all! So my point is, if we who never produced an event find it expensive, imagine how much it would be if we actually did? (The joke got lost in the semantics, I know, so..)

I never thought they can just douse my enthusiasm like that. So I wrote back with:

"Thank you for your kind reply.

Although I am aware that bringing in top seeds like the three mentioned players entail a lot of money, it was more of a suggestion. After all, in the 80s, they were able to bring in top seed players to stage an exhibition game entitled Fire and Ice here in Manila. At that time, no one told tennis fans like us to buy ticket a ticket and watch their games somewhere else.

You totally missed the point, if I wanted to I can watch them in cable. It was more of hoping that PTA has plans of making public and accessible to Filipinos tennis court titans like Federer and Nadal. Obviously, your sarcasm got in the way of the whole point.

But thanks anyway, your reply by the way is now posted in the internet for the whole Filipino tennis fans to read. Nice job!

Ok, I was lying. I couldn't find a single Filipino forum where I can vent out my disappointment (not at the thought that they can't bring in Federer, but the way it was said in their reply).  So I posted it instead in my Friendster bulletin and here. Or maybe I'm this frustrated because as an email CSR, I'm used to replying with niceties and when I get a reply for an email at that kind of tone.. well, makes me feel convinced that customer service is something Filipinos can give to foreigners but not to the natives! (Hmmm, but if I make a bogus email, used a fictitious foreign name and inquired about the same thing, they'd state it in a very positive way, I bet!)

So there, I sent that reply. An hour after, I got another email from them! In big red, like 18 font size, all caps letters, it said:

GOD BLESS YOU!!!

 Poor girl…. she thought I was picking a fight! 

Yet another dream..

Track: Here Comes The Sun by George Harrison

Dare follow your dream,
Take flight and capture the scene.
Moments are fleeting and so are chances,
So seize this moment and dare follow your dream.
Lead the way and dictate the pace,
Take that step and start the chase.
Go and see, you are meant for bigger things,
So open up your heart, dare follow your dream.
Bring with you courage and strength,
Pay no heed to the journey's length.
Yet, forget not that aside from these, you need one more:
Remember Love, and only Love opens the door.

Title: Dare Follow Your Dream
Date: c 2001-02

The above poem was written for John David (Jhed) Manlises. He's dead. 5 years now. He was a young man when he left us. And that poem was written months before his demise. It was inspired by him. In fact, I remember telling him that I was so grateful for him. Because without him, I wouldn't have been able to bring myself out from a dry spell. You see, before this poem, it was a struggle for me to come up with verses and I was unemployed at that time. So it had been months since I had a decent article or verses strewn together to come up with a, well, poem.

It's but fitting that I find this poem as the intro for this post. I was rummaging through my old verses when I found this poem. I was intending to write about a recent development in the office that led me to dream once more, so I picked it for today's introduction, together with George Harrison's "Here Comes The Sun." At the same time, I was having a YM chat with Elmer, Jhed's best friend (who after the burial had lived with Jhed's family since then), and were talking about prurient things (not ours, by the way) when I simply had to ask Jhed's death anniversary. He said, July 14. 

So now, the poem above has two significance for today's blog. Jhed and the, yet again, the nth time, never-say-die try for a promotion. A new section was created, the Transaction Monitoring Team. 12 Evaluators (TME), all promotion for mainbank's agents, and the Supervisor (TMS) position was opened last week. My teammates in Cyberesponse applied for the TME, I applied for TMS. 

It was weird as an email to my present supervisor said I lacked the necessary requirements. The Transaction Monitoring Coordinator said I failed a Quality Evaluation just last April (which means I'm not qualified). Yet 20 minutes after my supervisor received these emails, a got a text message from recruitment saying my interview was for the next day. And it was for an interview for TME. Then 20 minutes after that, an email came to my supervisor again, this time from another recruitment officer, saying I was lined up for TMS. Weird!

So then my interview came, I was asked by the Head of the Transaction Monitoring for our program, "Why apply for the Supervisor when there are slots for the Evaluators?'

My answer was calculated, I said: "I've been asked that many times. And my answer has always been the same: Why not?"

Whether he liked my Ms. U-type of answer or not, we'll know in two weeks. I'll keep you posted.

Where have all the flowers gone?

I'm going to break tradition and leave my own poetry behind for a while. I was just surfing through the web and thought of "Googling" Peter, Paul and Mary. The video here is the second video i watched on YouTube and well, I almost cried. Seeing them so old…

Yet so committed to their music and peace advocacy! And when the audience joined in on the singing, I just felt so, human and mortal.. And if you just listen to the words, it's all about the cycle of life, our mortality. And I thought, someday, I'll be old, too. And what will this generation think of my generation?

I still feel like crying when I watch this video. And led me to download 4 other versions did by different artists, namely, Joan Baez, The Mama's and the Papa's, Bruce Springsteen and would you believe, Earth, Wind & Fire. 

Touching Lives

I held your hand and suddenly I was warm
Clothed by the certainty of your touch, and
I forget who I was and only knew why I am.
And there were no questions anymore but only
A single knowing of what is to be at that moment -
I simply had to be in love.

Title: -
Date: February 15, 2003

 For 5 days, our PLDT was comatose. At first I thought it was because of the extension phone that my cousin himself hooked up to the main wall jack. But when the phone company's contractor technicians came for the service call, I later learned it was the main box itself. Main box? Whatever.

Anyway, what's funny is the experience we had just to get the truck roll. The problem started June 16. Since it was a weekend, there was a family gathering, I thought I should just spend time with my family and have it reported the next day, Sunday. I thought I'll just e-mail customer service as my DSL is a stand-alone SkyDSL. Convenient, come to think of it, when PLDT is acting up. I went to their website, found customer service's e-mail address, and hopefully, just like in my work, every e-mail has a service level and will receive the courtesy of being looked at and have a reply. 

Monday, Tuesday no reply. But as a precaution, since we don't have a phone line, I asked my sister to call 171 to report the issue. Not only that, on Sunday I asked a frequent-PLDT victim co-worker to call 171 and have my problems reported. We do that usually, whenever a cable is stolen in their area, which happens every two weeks, they'd lose phone service as well as myDSL. So when that happens to her, I call on her behalf. And you all know it costs to call 171.

On Tuesday my sister called them up and the rep said, it's already reported and we're lined up for a truck roll. My sister asked for the date. No date. We're just lined up. Now my co-worker is closely monitoring my case. As she learned that when you report an issue to PLDT they'll tell you that they need to do a test on their end to see what happened. That takes two freaking-effing days.  Only then will they issue a truck roll. So what if my issue is the wall jack? Naturally the test would turn out fine! 

Wednesday, Thursday, no word from PLDT. No reply to my e-mail (which is sad because when I was still in North Fairview, I applied for a Tele-tipid and one e-mail, I got my order number, took 24-48 hours, but that's normal I believe). Friday, I was frustrated. I'm on a fixed income and a breadwinner. When you're billed for something you're not using, the ATM comes to your mind and you imagine drawing money from your account only to throw it away to the trash bin. Because that's just what's happening. You're throwing money to the garbage having to pay monthly service you don't get to enjoy!

Friday night, I have had it. I scoured the net and looked for an e-mail address, any e-mail address of any top PLDT executive. I found one for a VP. He'll stay anonymous, but if you need it, message me! I told him the problem. Even went emo on him saying I'm a breadwinner and the only entertainment my mom has is GMA 7 and the phone to call my sisters and their respective kids.

Today is Sunday. My mom, who just dialed my sister's number, is sitting next to me excitedly telling her that a PLDT technician just came a-knocking to fix the phone!

What’s in a name?

Across the excess baggage
I found myself
mirrored in your image,
yet this reflection
is but a vague figure
of what I am,
more so, on what you
really are.
I put meaning on
your construed form
yet what I really
have is nothing
but what I really hope for,
and I have nothing
then.

Title: Noel X
Date: April 14, 1994, 3 am; written "somewhere in Luzon", on the road going to Cagayan.

Track: She Talks To Angels by the Black Crowes (Acoustic)

Ok, it's ironic that whenever our system, that means the system we use at work to look up and review customers' account, goes down, we at the Cyberesponse team have to take in calls. And for what?

To apologize. "I'm so sorry Mr. Jones, our system is currently having its regular system maintenance so I can't possibly pull up your account."

So there goes, we take calls to say sorry. Because we can't possible do anything without the customer's account. Ok that's a lie. I mean, if it's troubleshooting, sometimes we don't need their account in front of us. But seriously, when our system is down, then we can't do much with customers' question sent through e-mail just the same. So we take calls at least to free up more phone lines for customers.

So anyway, for three days now, as soon as 12.15 noon comes around, we go Inbound, receiving calls. While surfing the world wide web. (Side note: Did you know that the World Wide Web is the only phrase that has an abbreviation - www - that has more syllables and harder to say than the word abbreviated?)

And so I was entertained to know these:

My Elvish name is Elladan Minyatur.

Hobbit name is Fredegar Frumblefoot of Bywater

You can find out yours by going to http://www.chriswetherell.com/elf/

And then, there's my Smurf name. It's Evil Smurf, would you believe that?

 
The fun didn't stop there. I have a Mafia name. It's Bugs, The Brain Brasco. Not bad. At least it sounds like my ultimate idol, Johnny Depp's character in one of his films, Donnie Brasco.

I also have a superhero name. The Awesome Defender!! Nice. I'd like to think that's true. I'm awesome! He he! No really, we had a team meeting which was preceded by a group dynamics. We were to write the positive image of each other and one wrote I'm the group's defender!

Anyway, since everybody in the team were asking for theirs, I was so busy researching theirs that even my two supervisors pitched in and researched theirs and some of the teammates'. Then one teammate pitched in and gave us our porn name.

Mine was Nikki Jiggler!

Although if we follow the game that went around a few years back, it would be different. Here's how the game is played. Your porn's first name would be the name of your first pet. The last name would be the name of the street where you were born or grew up.

So what's my original porn name?

ELVIS QUIJOTE.

Any mental image there? A mustachioed 30something, well endowed, sweats a lot during a sex scene. And oh, it's the 80s porn, so right up the alley of Randy West and films like Debby Does Dallas and the like.

Not a nice picture there. Did it turn you on? Nah!

—-

Know your Smurf, Mafia, dating names at quizopolis.com

Again, again, again….

Track: Billy Joel's "(For The) Longest Time"

 I hate poetry,
and its cruelty.

Title: (untitled unfinished poem, although filed as "A line from a blue checkered notebook")
Date: c. early 90s

Watched the last installment for the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Really now? A giant? Well, that photo here on this post… just thought of taking that.. simply irritated that Johnny Depp was out-exposed by Keira Knightley. 

Anyway, nothing to post today. I just wanted to make sure I'm posting after 3 days of "system downtime." My monitor quit working. Apparently because of a faulty power cable. I'm now surfing courtesy of a borrowed cable!

Dakilang Fan

Take off
your clothes.
Go on, strip!
Let me see your
body, and let
me feel it, too.
Let me touch
your beautiful contours,
then let me breathe
on you.
You always do this,
I know, nudity becomes you.
But don't ask
me to strip, too.

I never said nudity is always me.

Title: Nudity Is Always Art
Date: c. 1990-91

The picture on the left is of Reymond Sajor, a contestant in the firt Philippine Idol reality show. He didn't make it although he was one of the first contestants that Mr. C and the rest of the judges felt was a great singer. 

I saw him once, a week after the grand finals where Mau Marcelo eventually won. He was walking at the Araneta Center with Arms Cruz. I stood up from where I was, grabbed a paper place mat, grabbed a colleague's pen and left them in the cafe where we were dining al fresco. I ran after Reymond and asked for his autograph! Simply because he was in Philippine Idol and that my partner thought he's cute.

He is!!! And very friendly and accommodating. He signed the paper, and asked for my name. I gave my partner's name. It was to be a gift for him. So, if ever he remembers that incident, he'll have to call me by my partner's name. Anyway, he invited me to his gig. I apologized and told him that would be impossible as I work graveyard shifts as a call center agent. He understood and that was the end of it.

Or so I thought! Last Saturday, as I boarded JAC Liner at Kamias going to Sto. Tomas, Batangas (although the JAC Liner Bus is headed to Lucena - which makes a stop at Sto. Tomas), I saw him there as one of the passengers on the same bus I was on. He had make-up on, smearing in fact the collar of his cream jacket. He is absolutely cute!!! Nobody in the bus actually realized we were in the midst of an idol!

He is still looking cute. He was eating Mr. Chips, I think. And was just sitting there, and taking a nap from time to time. Now, do I approach him and introduce myself as, well, using the name of my partner? Or do I start all over again?

The problem was, I was seated 5 seats behind him. Next to him is big guy who I believe would make a scene if I ever so stand or sit on his arm rest to have a chat with Reymond. So I searched my travel bag and looked for a piece of paper so I could once again ask for his autograph, this time giving my real name.

But I couldn't muster the courage to do so. In fact, the only piece of paper I had was a bookmark that my partner gave as a gift to me. And here was what I planned. I will scribble this note:

"I didn't want to intrude on you privacy so I'm doing exactly the opposite - I'm giving you my "autograph." Could you please, please, please, text this number 0917.320.4xxx for your next gig and I promise I will be there. I will pay for my tickets, of course.

(Signed) Your pre-stalking-phase fan,

Yannick"

I planned to drop this to him before my stop. And here was my rehearsed lines (tell me what could have worked):

"Hi, Reymond. I didn't want to disturb you so I've written all I needed to say on this paper. Please read it carefully. Thanks!" Then as I leave I make that sign on my fingers to "call me!'

Another would have been, "Hi Reymond. I don't know if you remember me from the last time I asked for your autograph. I have this uncanny ability to show up on your most uncomfortable situation. Here, please read this. Thanks!"

That whole trip, I was so sleepy coming as it is from my shift. Normally, I would have slept the whole trip. In the end, nothing happened. As we reached my stop, ready with the bookmark, and as I passed his seat, I saw him there, asleep….

absolutely cute.. but asleep… all the rehearsal came for naught…

My heart was broken… as is the bookmark.. shredded into pieces.. scattered somewhere in Sto. Tomas, Batangas! 

Camera phones & wishing bridge

Just because the mind
would not write, you
rationalize with every smoke
you blow.

The inconvenience of a
mental block hides
behind the butt of a
cigarette, how convenient.

At the end of every
expired Winston is
a tag that says "writer",
and how you need the
inspiration for the mind
to explore, so you
swim on the thought of
dipping your pen in
malt, or vodka…

You ponder on the
required conflict
that tears the
poet apart, seeing
none that volunteers
itself at the moment,
you reach for a stick and

judgment swing like
a pendulum….

Title: Smoke Again Bohemian
Date: September 15, 1995

I took this photo using my camera phone during my lunch period yesterday, while waiting for my food to be served at Box O' Rice. I just have to mention that now they listen to customers. Whereas before they simply disregard request to cook eggs "well done", now they dutifully take note of requests like that. Anyway, it seems my camera phone has magic.

After my lunch, the Tic Tac disappeared. No trace at all. Now, if I take pictures of those a-hole mentors using my camera phone, will they disappear too? Without a trace?

This reminds me of Alex's and mine's favorite spot in Commonwealth Avenue. That footbridge in Ever Gotesco. For so many instances, while Alex and I wait for our respective rides home, we talk about certain people working in Convergys, then when a few minutes that person will simply show up! We now call it our wishing bridge.

So this gives me an idea. I have this major grudge against some mentors in the Cyberesponse team. I'll take pictures of them using my camera phone. They'll disappear. When I'm done with the grudge and the vengeful mode, I'll stand next to Alex near the footbridge and we'll talk about the missing mentors.

However, the catch is, it only works if Alex and I both know the person we're talking about. And since Alex is not familiar with the a-hole mentors…..

Scottish Fantasy

Loyalty & Piolo and Regine

Keep still,
Be strong.
The tide will pass.
The morrow gestures,
And she, in brightness clad,
Will embrace you with
Hope! Be glad!

Title: Musings #1
Date: c late 2001

Ok, this weekend my partner and I watched Pano Kita Iibigin. I'm assuming you guys already know who's starring in that movie. It's megged by Bb. Joyce Bernal. This is not actually a review.. So… ok…. There were a lot of crying. Both from Regine and Piolo. 

I can relate with Regine… I mean, that part when she's having a bad day because of the bills that needs to be paid and you're getting a customer who's so unreasonable. Only, we waited in anticipation how their first encounter over the phone would be played up later. But no. Just like in real life where you'll never know if that stranger you're staring at in the elevator could actually be someone you've encountered before in a not so pleasant way, both Regine and Piolo will never know that they once had a not-so-lovely conversation over the phone even before they met in Zambales.

Yeah, that's a thought. What if you're girlfriend now was someone who actually had a hand in that embarrassing fall in a manhole back when you two were just in grade school? 

Anyway, we watched the said movie at SM Lipa. I'm not much of an SM fan, for reasons I myself do not know. I am partial to Robinsons and the Gokongwei malls, although I must admit, most Robinsons have limited shops. I live near Robinsons Mall in Novaliches and I must say, I find it more convenient as the Big R is so spacious and you don't have to wait more than 10 minutes to be served for the check out. Boutiques are very few and the only thing I believe sustaining that mall is TeleTech (my former employer!). And movies, oh I just love watching a movie there. No long queues and no standing room only! 

I believe Robinsons serve me well! I love malling, but I simply hate the crowd.

Their department store in Novaliches has packed up and left. When I asked for a supervisor once because of a customer service complaint, I was told that the department store still rents space from the mall. Makes sense. The mall is operated by another arm and Robinsons Department Store by another business unit, so it is not surprising that they rent space from Shopwise too, at the Festival Mall in Alabang.

I did my Christmas shopping for '06, at the 11th hour, in fact, at their department store, before they made their swan song, and (don't you just notice my figures of speech there?) I enjoyed it so much. No large crowds, check out's a breeze, and there are shirts that I don't normally see at SM department store.

At Robinsons Lipa, you can say it's the usual Robinsons crowd. Not so many people there. Which surprised me as where did all the people in SM Lipa came from?? Mallers simply doubled!! 

What I like with Robinsons is the boutique called Sand. Good casual business clothes great for office dress ups. I don't think SM City has them. Haven't tried any clothes from Sand though but design is good.

I think that's nice. You know, if I have my own clothing line, I'd like to stay away from SM. I know that's not a good business decision. But just the same, I would like to have a certain exclusivity on my clothing shop. Again, not a good decision. I'm just being partial. I simply don't know why suddenly I found myself a Gokongwei loyalist. Same with C2. When I learned they had to open up more factories due to the demand for C2 Iced Tea, I admired how the Gokongweis can come up with a brand and made it click so fast.

It's something freaky I know, being so loyal to a company or a tycoon who doesn't even realize I exist, but I'm known for my strange loyalties (or loyalties with unknown origin, like my being a Kapuso loyalist!!!).

Ok, enough of this. My YM status says, "E-mail na sa trabaho, intenet pa sa bahay!!" My eyes are complaining, my fingers are numb! And here I go, surfing and blogging!

9 more e-mails and I won't need the help of those a-holes who sit there and text simply because they're wearing high-heels!!! Some kind of mentors!!!! 

- Screen capture of the movie Paano Kita Iibigin. 06/3/2007.