A fire drill

It happened yesterday afternoon and it was good, now I know where the exits are. Also, if a fire does break out, I know better than to stand around and wait for everybody else to make a move. It's best to be among the first ones out of there than exit with the crowd because it takes so long to get out. If panicked, it's easy to see how a slow orderly exit can turn into a bloody stampede. I realized why my officemates hesitated when they heard the alarms go off. We were all the way up on the 20th floor. Some wanted to stay behind, complaining about the disturbance, knowing it was only a drill. Curious, I joined the obedient sensible ones and descended twenty flights of stairs with people from the other floors. By level 12, my legs were shaking. Although it was no surprise, I was distraught to discover how much weaker and more out of shape than I had previously thought. When I reached ground level, my legs were a spasmodic mess and I fought to keep my knees from buckling.

The entire drill took a little over half an hour and my legs were still trembling by the time I got back to my desk. It gave me little comfort to know that everyone else had the same problem. I really should sort out this lack of exercise.

I've just rubbed ointment on the backs of my legs. They burn each time I flex them. Oh how they burn!

And I know it's off topic but Saddam Hussein has been executed.

Internet disruption

My internet connection at work has been shockingly dreadful for the past two days. Several sites I use for translation don't work at all, including Google. It takes an eternity for one page to load, if it does work. I was using WebCrawler to do my research for crying out loud! And Alta Vista! Yes, it's still alive! Yahoo works very very slowly and it doesn't yield as many results as Google does. Then again maybe I'm just biased. I've also started using a ratty book dictionary! It was in such bad shape that I spent over an hour taping pages because they actually crumbled when I flipped too fast. It was literally falling apart. Teehee.

Since I can't surf the net properly and read anything, I only just discovered the magnitude of the damage caused by the recent earthquakes earlier this evening. My connection at home is fine but the one at work is truly fucked. According to our tech people, it's going to take at least three weeks to have everything fully operational. Three weeks! The misery I feel right now is beyond description.

Chrismiss, merry enough

I spent a quiet and very productive Christmas with my parents. We worked on my mom's project for three days and I was staring at the computer for so long that my right eye started twitching and wouldn't stop for two days. It would have been funny if it wasn't hindering my sight so much and I was actually worried that it might have been a developing psychosis.

It's strange spending the holidays without my sisters. They both got married earlier this year and for the most part I've felt like I've gained two brothers instead of losing both sisters. They've moved out since and I thought I took it all in stride. However, not having them around never had the sense of permanence that I felt over this past weekend. It was slow and took me completely by surprise. Without a warning, I just felt so depressed and I started thinking that maybe I did lose them after all. I guess that's probably why everyone's been solicitous towards me all year. Good thing there was that project to finish which kept me suitably occupied. Thegan arrived the next night and we had another dinner and while we still weren't complete, I took solace in the fact that we can still spend time together, albeit infrequently.

A book: American Psycho

I don't know what to say about this except:

Oh my god I think I'm going to be sick. I had a ham with lettuce and tomato sandwich for a late lunch and I thought I was going to throw it all up. I kept imagining the ham to be raw human flesh and the tomato had the squishy quality of an eyeball or any human part that would feel slimy after being skinned. Ugh. I still feel ill. Brilliant and utterly insane. I want to see Christian Bale as the evil psychopathic Pat Bateman.

Three things and their lessons

Thing 1. I have a broken tooth that needs urgent attention. It's been broken for over a month now and it's beginning to hurt. It's going to cost me a lot of money. I consider it a lot since I expect to spend an amount roughly equalivent to zero on my health.

Lesson:
To chew food carefully and to take special care when dealing with tough bits of bacon. Oh but bacon, you hurt me so good.

Thing 2. I tore my left contact lens last night. It's a special one because it goes in the eye that has a scar on the cornea. A corneal ulcer developed in my left eye in 2005, leaving me with a scar right smack in the middle of the cornea. Therefore, everything that I see with my left eye comes with a fuzzy dreamlike appearance. The only way I can see clearly is if I get a corneal transplant, which carries a lot of risks. The replacement contact lens is going to cost me a lot of money.

Lessons:
a. Always take your time when putting in contacts.
b. The water in Boracay is swimming with all kinds of vicious organisms.
c. Do not swim with your contacts in.
d. If you insist on doing so, do not leave them in overnight.

Trust me on letter d, you do not want to get corneal ulcer. Without immediate treatment, it will make your cornea rupture until it eventually explodes. The treatment involves taking injections of special medication to your eyeball. I took two. It made my eye horror-film red for over a week.

Thing 3. I bought a little digital camera last night. She is called The Bitch. Yes, that is her common name. We have a loving relationship. She needs an SD card. I am getting one for her tomorrow in Quiapo. Why am I going to Quiapo in this season, you ask me? Because:

1GB SD card in Manila = 3,000
2GB SD card in Quiapo = 1,700

Lesson: If I am willing to go over the budget to get me a lovely little toy, then I am certainly not above trying to remedy the situation by doing something extremely stressful, possibly unproductive and totally asking for Murphy's Law to be all over it.

Malaysia: A holiday destination part 1

Paula and I booked flights to Malaysia last April with AirAsia. I did it on a whim, I had no idea where I was going to be in January, I was in the middle of changing jobs and I felt lost in the transition to Actual Growing Up. And I cringe (so violently it hurts) when people say, "Oh, are you having a quarter life crisis?" Yes, that's right I'm going to live to a hundred, insert derogatory term here please. In short, I was probably drunk when I decided with ironclad resolve to go. Best move ever. Anyway, the year has been extremely kind to me. I'm happily out of credit card debt, I know, I must have said this a thousand times already but I'm absolutely swimming in pride and love for myself for having accomplished this and I haven't gotten over it yet. I'm really full of myself about that, so just leave me alone. I've made plans and have surprisingly been consistent in following through on most of them (I'm normally one of those full speed ahead and then lose steam halfway through a project types) and I've got more planned till June 2007. All this is so unlike last year's me when I didn't know what I was doing the coming weekend and couldn't care less. Ed said I looked mature at lunch today (not old but mature haha) and sounded pleased. I vacillate between being pleased and being worried so much that I think I'm going batty. But the growing up wagon set off ages ago so I'll just have to sit back and enjoy the ride. I do miss spontaneity and that's where the Malaysian adventure comes in! We're flying from Clark (Pampanga) so Paula and I need to get up bright and early to catch the bus that takes us there. And as soon as we arrive in KL, her friend (my friend now too!) is picking us up and we're driving north to Cameron Highlands. Woohoo! Go go go!!! I'm so excited I want to start packing. I probably will start doing so next week even though it's over two weeks away, I love packing. It's all so very exciting.

I want to know if Malaysia is truly Asia.

Budget: USD 500 / PHP 24,700 / MYR 1,770
Spent so far: USD 106 / PHP 5,200 / MYR 375 (on plane tickets, MLA-KL-MLA and Langkawi-KL)

Elevator Stories #4: Goodies and a can of Sprite

Yesterday during our break, I met Hairboy outside across the building for a smoke. He's leaving in January! So many people are leaving the company this month and next month too, but there are loads of newly hired...hirelings. Hihihi. Anyway afterwards we went to the building canteen to get something to eat. Nothing ever looks appetizing there (although I do dine there quite often) so I just bought a can of Sprite. We dallied in the elevator lobby while waiting for our ride. There were several people walking around carrying large gift packs and we griped about how small and light ours were. We talked about how we expected to have a difficult time carrying them around at the party last weekend before they were distributed and imagined how we would strain under the weight of the goodies. We even devised elaborate plans of getting them home successfully. One of the gift pack carriers was particularly burdened by his basket, it was full of yummy chips and fruit and loads of canned stuff, I think I even saw a bottle of cheap wine in there. HB and I were very envious indeed.

So we got in our lift and tried to laugh off our envy. By this time, my hand had gotten very numb from the cold can so I shifted it to the other hand that already held my phone and wallet. That can was freezing cold. Our lift had only a handful of people in it and there was room to move around. I wasn't sure if popping open a can of soda is considered rude but I feared my fingers would start falling off. Loudly I asked HB if it was okay for me to open my can. He said it was fine but looked a little doubtful. The others glanced at me briefly and looked as if they would frown upon this sort of thing. I was going to wait till we got off at our floor but I wanted to know if they would say anything and more importantly, I wanted to know if the pressure from the can would interfere with the smooth elevator operation. Hehe. I popped it open. I took a sip and it tasted like Sprite. Nothing happened to the elevator. I got frowned at though. I did discover that the popping sound is a lot noisier and more intrusive and I felt rude for not having waited. So now I know better. You really do learn by doing.

Partied out

I skipped two parties tonight and went home straight after work. Parties I actually would love being at because close friends will be there. I think I need rest more though. Work was a bitch (although I did have free pizza for dinner yay) and I've been having trouble sleeping of late. Ugh I feel older. I need to recharge. I can't wait for the weekend.

Office party

I went to my office christmas party last Saturday dressed in a cheongsam as planned. I tried putting my hair up in a bun and sticking a chopstick in, you know, to look all cool and everything. But loads of waiters were bustling about and they kept bumping and messing up my lovelily coiffed hair. I thought it might make my hair look sexily tousled. But really I just looked unkempt. Frustrating, I know. So anyway, we ate heaps of food and participated in heaps of games and singing and dancing. I won a box of swissmiss which Hairboy swiped later that evening, by accident he says. It's fat free! Everyone wants a box of that! Anyway he gave it back to me this morning. Swissmiss for chrismiss yay.

Then someone suggested going to a karaoke bar, which I thought was a brilliant idea. There were over a dozen of us lugging our gift packs and raffle prizes (some won oven toasters and rice cookers hehe) to Music 21, where we spent hours singing and dancing and drinking beer. I think we split the cover of one of the seats, I felt the foamy insides tickling my feet at some point. Whoops. I blame Like a Prayer. Sweet Madonna in the midnight hour.

What audacity!

Someone has defaced my sign! (if confused, read previous post Such villainy!)

What cheek! I am beginning to take this as a personal affront. Some joker has taken it upon himself (or herself, as I suspect) to write a suggestion for me! It is here:
Loose translation: "Get another one (tissue roll) from the restroom"

Of all the impudent things! (I must say, I am a little amused by this turn of events). I will not tolerate this!

And I didn't. My reply is the bottomest line, in Tagalog no less! I mean business!

Loose translation: "And turn me into a thief as well?"

Notice how perfectly my handwriting reflects my rage? Well, it was more like the crouching position I had to maintain to be able to write my response. But indeed, raging I was!

This cannot go on. I believe I know who this brazen writer is but I do not think it is she who has made off with my precious tissue. Although I deduce that several members of my team are privy to the identity of the culprit. I fear that they are turning it into a joke. Cruel cruel joke.

A book: Haroun and the sea of stories

It's a cuddly book! I was very wary at first because I'm not a big Rushdie fan (I thought Shame was a disaster) but Paula is and she lent me this book, probably to change my mind. Well good on her (good on you, Paula!) because it has and I am very grateful! I was very tough on it too but after a few chapters, little giggles of delight kept bursting out of me, forced their way out really, despite my best efforts not to be amused. It's got a The Little Prince feel to it, for me anyway, but it holds its own.

Such villainy!

Despite my mother's insistence that I stay home and convalesce properly, I decided to go to work. I got to the office without incident. I sat at my desk and got settled in. I reached into my drawer to take out the supplies I was to use for the day. To my utter horror, I uncovered that a miscreant has inflicted a malicious act on my person. I am appalled that this malefaction can take place in this office! To think that a company of such high standing in the international community (At least that's what they've been telling us. Telling me. Has it all just been a bunch of lies? Lies, LIES! Scoundrels!) could employ such a vile reprobate! This debasement, this wicked deed, cannot be allowed to happen again!

Someone has stolen my tissue.

Thief! Rogue! Brigand! Plunderer! Marauder (I've always wanted to use that word)!

Now I don't actually care about the lost item. I could just as easily take a whole roll from the restroom. But the point is, there was no need for me to pilfer one as I had my own. It's the principle. And now this. This this. I have decided not to let this slide. Obviously I'm not about to go around accosting every single employee on this floor like some madwoman. Okay maybe I would for fun. But not for this. I shall not be distracted.

I taped this sign on the bottom drawer of my desk, the scene of this dastardly deed.


I will NOT be terrorized! *shakes fist*

No time for being ill

Maybe this is payback for calling in sick last Friday when I wasn't actually physically ill. I've been running a slight fever and feeling generally weak since the start of this week and I've been conserving energy because I get so tired with the littlest things. I've refused to call in sick till today. Well I said I would try to come in and work the second half of my shift. I can't call in sick as that may jeopardize my trip to KL next month for a week. Paula and I booked our flights ages ago (last April) with Air Asia because flying with them is dirt cheap. 4k for a roundtrip fare! Score! Anyway so yeah, I'm really excited about that and I'm supposed to behave like a model employee until the supervisor approves my leave. I was supposed to talk to him about it today but forget that, I'll have to wait until next week. He's just come out of a management training seminar/conference as well and he's been walking around with folders in his hand and looking very serious and busy all week. I wonder if this affects my chances of going on holiday ever again.

I've got a nice dinner tomorrow night and I get to dress up and I can't be ill for that! And the big company party is on Saturday and I have to go! We get to wear costumes and everything. I was supposed to go as Chun Li but my cheongsam looks nothing like hers and because her thighs are unbelievably ripped in a I-can-kill-you-with-these-big-mommas-so-don't-even-try-it way while mine are nice and they wobble in a friendly way from time to time. Come to think of it, it could very well be one of those cosplay conventions I keep hearing about. Not sure how I feel about that now.

Catching up on Friday and Saturday

Last Friday, I called in sick at my family's insistence. Well I did have a tummyache the night before and I am sick of work after all. Anyway my family and I spent the entire afternoon together as we went to Eastwood to go bowling, play billiards and have dinner. At bowling, I was best as Mildred but I would have to say that Bertha is definitely my favorite bowling name. I didn't even break a 100 as Helga so I may never use that name ever again. After nearly tearing my arm out of its socket, I stopped to play billiards against Donoval as I teamed up with Dad. I still suck but I'm relieved to note that there are signs of definite improvement. I intend to play a little more regularly and a little bit better next year.

We had a lovely dinner at a Japanese resto. It has a good reputation but we had a major miso soup misunderstanding with the staff and there was a little bit of commotion that could not be sorted for the longest time. In any case, we finished our meal, paid the bill and left without leaving a tip, to my dad's dismay.

--

I was too lazy to get up early on Saturday plus my body was sore from the previous night's activities so I had to skip getting beauty services done, resulting in me looking like a complete troll for a party I had later in the evening and most likely for the rest of this coming week as well. I went shopping in Market Market! (I think that exclamation mark is a nice touch), thinking the crowd would somehow be thinner, but I was dead WRONG. Furthermore, I don't think some of them bothered to bathe. I did still manage to get presents for my exchange gift person. I made it to the party pretty much on time despite a little bit of rain and the rush shopping. Brought a friend with me and we changed into evening party wear in her car on the way over from the mall. My officemates were funny and we drank beer and ate loads of food. There was a bunch of parlor games with prizes for the winners (I snagged myself a cutie photo album which I will try to use but honestly hardly anyone prints photos these days) and people performed dance numbers. I had to participate in a guitar-accompanied, offkey-singing number and smoothly avoided playing the guitar. There was a pool and I went swimming with a few people and hugged dry ones whenever I was out of the pool. Of course a Filipino party is not complete without karaoke singing and dancing but I left early because I was too frightened to take a cab home and public transport going my way doesn't operate all night. I just found out that one of my sister's officemates was a victim of the taxi modus operandi going around this season, where the cabbie drives a bit off your route and two men get in and robbed you of everything. I really should sort out renewing my driver's license but a couple of nights at the beach set my detox period back so I will need to start over again. So wait I must, unless I decide to drink a glass of vinegar a day. I don't really know why that fixes everything but I'm very impressionable and heaps of people have sworn to me that it works.

--

I've also started getting very obsessed with increasing my fan ranking in the The Amazing Race Asia forum, which has risen from number 2500+ to 382 in just a few days. I accomplished this mean feat by uploading a lovely photo, voting for photos and videos and posting comments that are designed to instigate conflict, all with a cutesy attitude. Bearing in mind that most of the forum posters are 12 to 16 year olds hahahaha. It's all amazing in a very sad way. I feel strangely loved in that community of badly written English.

A book: Suite Française

My sister borrowed it from her library in Melbourne for me. They're leaving this evening and I've only gotten as far as chapter 20. Nooo! It's really amazing how consistently the author (Irène Némirovsky) depicts the depth and range of emotions the refugees go through as they flee Paris. Also, the clarity of insight in this story is mind-boggling, it means she was writing this story, which is a work of fiction but steeped in history, while it was unfolding. A kind of clarity that is normally found in hindsight. I don't know why I didn't make time to read it all the way through. Huhuhu! I have to wait for bookstores to re-stock before I can get a copy now.

Film: Hard Candy

Saw this about a week ago and I'm still thinking about it. Psychologically intense and painful but so worth watching. Google it if you want actual information. There's enough information about it online.

After talking about it with friends, we decided that it was a Canadian film. Lots of good, obscure and disturbing films are Canadian for some reason. Like Cube. Hehe. Anyway it's an American film set in the US, the director's British (David Slade) but the girl character is Canadian (Ellen Page). Aha!

Watch it watch it, it's goooood. Never thought much of pedophiles before this film but have long hated rapists with a passion. They should all have their balls cut off.

Mad month of December

So I'm back and December craziness has begun. Work has been understandably harrowing because I was away the first two days of this week. I haven't done any Christmas shopping at all and I'm putting it off knowing full well that I'm making it worse. Traffic is worse and a short trip to the mall can be very daunting on account of the crowd. Donoval are leaving this Sunday so there's a lot of mad dashing around for last minute dinners/talks etc. There's a lot of pipe installation going on where I live and although it's progress, it's really annoying the way they're making a lot of noise tearing up the roads. They'll probably be at it for another couple of months. There are heaps of Christmas parties to attend and I'm on the drinks committee for the one (office thing) on Saturday. They want me to play guitar at the same party and although I'm not looking forward to it, I'll probably still do it. And I need to buy presents!

I'm panicking!

Beached

I'm back and brown and bone tired. But happy. Real posts to follow.

Weather update: Reming is a wild one

Honestly I've never been as giddy about going to the beach as I have been about this weekend's trip. I've been so excited that I've been partially packed for about two days now. I didn't realize that I've missed the sun, the sand and the water so much.

Then this stupid typhoon comes, threatens Manila, turns into a supertyphoon, an indecisive one at that, threatens other parts of Luzon, and now I read this article:

‘Reming’ weakens, heads for southern Luzon

This is what's pissing me off:

"The storm will rip through Mindoro island and Batangas province south of Manila this morning."

and this, too:

"Reming has changed course. The ultimate targets are now Batangas, Marinduque and Mindoro,” said Cruz at a news conference."

Ugh. Apparently it's so bad in Batangas that our resort had to cancel our reservations.

Reming is a spiteful fucker. Who knows where it is tomorrow. I'm very annoyed but I'm going to go to the mall to buy beach provisions anyway.

Weather update: Slow ass super typhoon

He sure is a slow one. He doesn't appear to have moved since Tuesday. Aaaaaaaaaargh!!! Move it and get out of Luzon already, I want to go to the beach this weekend! I'm so annoyed. I mean, COME ON, Reming was predicted to hit Manila yesterday. But noooo, it's just a little bit windy and dark and humid today. That's like every other day in Manila.

UPDATE, 7:48PM:
This is at least 7 hours old. Typhoon2000.com should be updated early tomorrow, if doesn't get affected by the typhoon.

EYEWALL PASSAGE FORECAST TIMES (EPFT):
+ Catanduanes: Ongoing until 1PM today
+ Camarines Sur: 10AM until 7PM today
+ Camarines Norte: 3PM until 11PM today
+ Southern Quezon: 7PM today until 7AM tomorrow
+ Metro Manila: 4AM until 4PM tomorrow

Note: The EyeWall - is the ring of rain clouds surrounding the "EYE" of a Typhoon. It is here where the strongest winds and heaviest rain of a typhoon can be found. EPFT will show what local times on a given area the most damaging winds and heaviest rainfall could be experienced. EPFT changes everytime a new warning synopsis is issued. Important: This is only an estimate analysis, do not use this for life or death decisions.

Marriage of birthdays

My parents are celebrating their birthday today. That's right, they were born on the same day. When my sisters and I were growing up, we concluded that that's how people decided whom to marry. It was clear and made sense. Little did we know that things get a lot murkier in time.

I'm trying to remain hopeful about this weekend. Spirits are flagging.

Weather update: Durian stinks

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

The tropical storm east of Visayas has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and was named "REMING" (international name "Durian").

Location of Center (as of 10:00 a.m.): 870 kms east of Samar
Coordinates: 11.4°N, 134.0°E
Strength: Maximum sustained winds of 95 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 120 kph
Movement: west northwest at 26 kph
Forecast Positions / Outlook:
Wednesday morning: 350 kms east northeast of Samar
Thursday morning: in the vicinity of Catanduanes
Friday morning: in the vicinity of Metro Manila

---

I'm going to the beach this weekend in Batangas. All Durian needs to do is to stay on its fucking path and everything will be just peachy.

UPDATE, 10PM: WOOHOO!

I obviously need to chill out.

Elevator stories #3: Elevator code of honor

From the moment that I board the elevator in our building, it takes me less than 10 seconds to get to my floor. In a matter of a few seconds, complete strangers are forced into a common (yet very unnatural) environment. They are suspended in time with nowhere else to go, temporarily trapped in a box with other strangers. I actually enjoy this little bit of time. While everyone is busy looking at their phones, checking their reflection in the mirror, gossiping with their companions or just plain staring off into space trying to avoid eye contact, I like looking at who I'm momentarily stuck with, trying to gauge what kind of life they lead, if they like their jobs, if they're claustrophobic, if we get stuck inside the elevator for hours, who would flip out first, that sort of thing. I find that I am fascinated by such speculations.

Everyone is mindful of personal space (very rare in Manila), trying not to annoy the others by taking up as little room as possible, avoiding making any gross bodily noises (particularly phlegmy throat clearing) and being sufficiently embarrassed in instances when it cannot be helped. Most importantly, there seems to be a strict rule, an alighting/boarding etiquette that seasoned elevator passengers adhere to. The Elevator Code of Honor if you will. Only shameless people disrespect this code.

Hairboy and I usually come across each other during our afternoon break. Today was no different. We took the down elevator together and chatted for a bit while waiting to alight on the ground floor. As soon as the doors opened, three smartly dressed girls were right outside. Briefly, I asked myself why I never ever look like they did. Then I rebuked myself, well if only you brushed your hair once in a while then maybe you can look a little bit more presentable, and no, running your fingers through your hair a couple of times doesn't count.

Now, this is the crucial moment when elevator etiquette applies. But the girls had no such respect for the ECH. They marched straight in, not waiting for us to exit the lift before they occupied it, not even stepping aside as they moved forward, making it difficult for the 5 or 6 of us still inside to get out. They knew they were being inconsiderate, but I guess they deemed it too late to backtrack without losing their composure. This kind of blatantly inconsiderate behavior annoys me. To be fair, they weren't pushing to get in but they were overpopulating the doorway and being very obnoxious about it. So as we were trying to get out and they were trying to get in, I said to them loudly, "Let us out first". No response. I should have added 'you hoes' at the end. Hardened souls, the lot of them. We finally stepped away into freedom. A man, who was with us in the lift, said, "They just walked right in, didn't they?" We were immediately bonded in our righteous indignation.

So one may be dressed impressively in a flashy corporate suit but any elevator passenger knows that it only takes a few character-stripping seconds in the elevator lobby...

A book: Freakonomics

I've always been fascinated with economics but have never been able to go beyond a basic course because the information comes all at once (it seems that way to me anyway) -- the type that gets very boring very fast, and in frighteningly large amounts of it too -- so I give up. I'm still interested in it and I've tried learning it on my own since and have made incredibly slow progress.

Given my pathetic background on the subject, I was apprehensive to pick up this book but was surprised to have read it with ease, I understood more than I thought I would. Some of the data (there's simply too many of those freakin' name statistics to absorb) went over my head but the things in this book, while probably pretty useless if you expect this knowledge to effect considerable change in the material aspect of your life, are worth at least being aware of.

German update: Deutschlernen ist echt schwer!

So I've been taking German classes once a week for over a year now and I still can't speak it. I feel shitty admitting it but it's true.

One day, our ever patient professor was trying to teach us accusative reflexive verbs and dative reflexive verbs and the darum, darauf, worüber stuff (absofuckinglutely no equivalent in any language that I know) when I finally couldn't take it.

I slam my pen down, lean back in my chair and heave a great big sigh.

Me: Ugh this is so hard!

Dramatic pause. I wait for everyone to shut up and pay attention to me. They do.

Me: I'm sorry I'm having trouble keeping all of this straight. I've been studying this language for a year and I still can't express myself properly. I'm beginning to feel very discouraged.

Professor Greg: It just takes some getting used to. This is the stage where, in my experience, most students give up because it gets too hard. I think you guys are making a lot of progress, and if you think about it, I hardly ever have to speak in English anymore and you understand most of what I teach in German now. Besides you only come in once a week and learning German really takes time. It's something that you need to keep doing. Once you get past all the main rules and exceptions and actually remember them, it's all pretty much the same.

I went on to say that I couldn't remember having this much trouble when I was learning French but then again I studied that nearly everyday while I was at university. I also have a terrible memory so chances are I am unable to recall just how much I really suffered. I'm really shit at French too anyway.

Some of my classmates also expressed feelings of disheartenment. Greg let us grumble like the long suffering amazing person that he is and eventually managed to lift our spirits up. If I keep at it long enough, I'm bound to get better, right?

Beach

I used to take trips to the beach all the time. I just realized that I haven't been to the beach at all this year. 2006 had me preoccupied with changing jobs and acquiring new skills.

But a plan was hatched last night in the office.

I am going to the beach.

I communicate with various people on text. They are going to the beach. I want to come. I decide to approach Whiny Boss and say I want to take a couple of days off in December. WB hesitates and I swear I see him wince at hearing "vacation leave". He checks the days on his desk calendar and looks at them intently. He is stalling. He is only pretending to think hard, I see right through him. In a manner than can only be described as frightened, he looks up and asks if I have pending files for translation. As brightly as I can muster I say, "Actually I finished the last file a few hours ago, I am just waiting for new files to come in". I watch him shrink into his plush armchair as he digests the disappointing news. Yes, I am on top of it bitch. He has no grounds to keep me at work. He picks up a clipboard with the holiday dates on it. Asks me to come in either on Christmas or New Year's Day. I shake my head no way. Those are family days, my man. He retreats slightly but then attacks again and places his finger on the 26th. Boxing Day. "What about on that day?" WB is also Sneaky Bastard. I'd like to box you, I think to myself, carefully maintaining my deferent stance. Aloud I say, "I'll see about that one sir, I might be able to come in for a couple of hours but I can't commit to that right now". He is still hesitating. He does not feel like he has won. Then he sits up straight. I think he has me. He ends our meeting by saying, "Let's make sure that there are no files pending next week. I can't make a decision now, ask me again next week".

I am going to the beach.

I was at the mall on Sunday...

And this here was begging to have its picture taken:

Manny Pacquiao: Badass Boxer and Umbrella Holder

Initially I thought he was endorsing a brand of umbrella. Ridiculous yes, but he's selling pretty much everything else, I can't be expected to know any better. Hehe the sales people wanted to take the umbrellas out of the shot and I had to insist they keep them there as that was the whole point I was taking the photo in the first place.

Of course I caught the match on TV, like millions of others. I expected the Pacman to kick ass but I did not wish such a humiliating defeat for his opponent. TKO in 3 rounds! Of 12! I thought that maybe they'd still be at it by round 5 at least. Poor Morales was in tears.

Hardcore fans who went to venues airing the match on large screens waited for at least 4 hours before the big event finally came on. And then it was over in about half an hour. I'm pretty sure the singing of the national anthems took longer. He won yes, but most people felt cheated anyway because it was over so soon.

Elevator stories #2: Elevator and music

I was on my break earlier and I got in an elevator headed towards the ground floor. Strange that it is called an elevator, considering that it doesn't just go up. Anyway, it was semi full and people were respectfully silent except for one man who must have been playing his music at full volume, because we were getting blasted by yearning guitar strumming and equally yearning vocals. I didn't know whether to laugh because he was listening to All Out of Love by Air Supply or cry because I recognized it.

A volleyball default, airport arrivals and beer talk

Last Saturday, Donoval arrived with presents in the form of chocolates and clothes and books. I couldn't join them for a family dinner at home because I had that big volleyball game. My team was in the running for third place. I was actually looking forward to it, I've really enjoyed moving around and getting sweaty more than I expected I would. I've even looked into joining our building's gym and I have never worked out in a gym before. Hah. The match was at 6 and I went to the office to hitch a ride with my other teammates who were still working. We thought we had enough time to get to the place but no one knew that there was a huge midnight madness sale over the weekend and Makati was packed with mad traffic, presumably till midnight. We arrived at the game at a quarter to 6, the opposing team were all there already waiting. But the rest of our team didn't show up, who knows why. One of my teammates was on the verge of tears. So we lost on a technicality. We decided to play the 5 sets anyway, race to 15 points. We won without really breaking a sweat. Our team actually did pretty well, only losing once but then we got defaulted twice... Hehe sob sob.

I met up with friends for dinner. Ever since half my regular group migrated for a "better life" or for study abroad (deserters!), I've been going out with friends of friends. So I've been a party add-on for most of this year. But people have been kind enough to take in a drifter, a group extension, a loud and drunk one at that. And I am usually surprised to have such a spankin' good time. So I celebrated with a gazillion coco lychee drinks and heavily watered down cherry beer.

Some HC (hospitalityclub) people from Poland who had arrived in Manila a few days ago decided they wanted to join the fun but couldn't find the place. I was trying to communicate with them, and in my inebriated state kept fat-fingering my keypad. It was all good in the end, a super duper friend said we could take her car to pick them up. Hihi she was only a few drinks behind me after all.

Then it took a while for things to settle down as introductions needed to be made and new orders needed to be placed and people needed to get acquainted.

Got home at past 3, found my little sister at home and still awake. We haven't had a chance to talk since she moved out and it was good catching up with her from serious plans to the latest amazing race asia episode (Thegan know the rock climbing couple that just got eliminated). Yeah we knew which topics needed to be discussed. Finally got to bed at half 4, swimming in and out of sleep and feeling the onset of a hangover headache, which has persisted all throughout yesterday and is dying a very slow and agonizing death today.

Christmas in Manila: Taking before giving

Christmas preparations start at least 2 months before, well, christmas. Cops have become more vigilant in harassing traffic violators, for their "christmas collections". I've been hearing about a lot of mugging incidents lately, more rampant than usual. Just last week, my former professor in German was riding a bus from Laguna to Makati. Just as she was about to disembark at Ayala, four gunmen got on and started waving their weapons wildly and gesturing that everyone hand over all their valuables. My professor had 8k on her and she managed to slip 5k in her shoe unnoticed. She handed over the 3k and her cellphone. I consider hiding that money a brave thing, although if she had gotten caught and shot and killed because of it, most people would say it was stupid. After collecting everything there was to collect, one of the gunmen instructed the bus driver to take them to Cubao, where the thieves finally took their leave. No one was killed. My professor took a cab back to Makati because she had a class waiting.

Also I've been hearing reports of lone passengers hailing cabs and upon getting in, the driver asks them to move to the center "to distribute the weight evenly". The passenger, probably tired and absent minded, complies. When the cabbie stops at a dimly lit corner or a traffic light, two people appear out of nowhere and get in on either side, flanking the passenger, leaving no room for escape. They take what they can and drop the poor passenger off somewhere, sometimes giving him just enough money to get home, if they feel that they've gotten enough cash. Compassionate bastards.

If you haven't got enough cash on you, then they drive around till they come across a cash machine and instruct the victim to clean out the account.

This is very worrying considering I ride cabs all the time.

Keep your eyes peeled people. Buy pepper spray or something. And look poor. I don't know.

Regularization, part II

So I signed the papers. According to my supervisor, I will not be moved to the other department. Basically whatever I trained one whole week for means absolutely nothing. I said as much to him and he was quite unbothered by my insinuation of the training's futility and the company's inefficiency. He simply said yes. I suppose living a life of ineptitude and earning a fat salary leaves one complacent and indifferent to anyone else's concerns. I'm kind of depressed about it because it was really interesting and promised career growth. I'm not very big on career development anyway but if the opportunity is there, I wouldn't mind a piece of it. Hence the kind of depression. And it is beginning to look like there is nowhere else to go but laterally in the company.

I am going to plan an escape in 2007.

A bet on Borat

Earlier this week, at work and in training but on a coffee break, J and I were communicating via text and our conversation went something like this:

J: Hey! Do you know about this Borat movie that's showing right now? It looks hilarious, let's watch it!
Me: Of COURSE I know about it, I've known about it for ages (I think I communicated eye-rolling effectively)
J: I think it's by the same guy who did Ali G, Sacha something...
Me: Nonono it's by a British comedian who's only pretending to be Kazakhstani.
J: Yeah exactly, he did Ali G too. I bet you!
Me: Ali G's a real person. 500 pesos says you're wrong.
J: You're on! I know it's him, I'm going to check online later.
Me: Haha you just lost yourself 500 pesos.
J: I'll be the judge of that.

I got back to my desk after break and started my Borat research. It took less than a minute to realize that I was a BIG idiot. And that I lost a bet yet again. I have never won a bet on anything but I keep doing it anyway. I really thought I was right.

Damn you Sacha!

A plug: The Waste Trading Markets

Just passing it on.

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THE WASTE-TRADING MARKETS

• Every first Friday of the month at the Gold Crest Car Park, Ayala Center (along Arnaiz Ave. Makati )
• Every third Friday of the month at the Alabang Town Center (Alabang - Zapote Rd )

WHAT THE WASTE MARKETS OFFER

• Trade scrap paper for new (office/ mimeo) paper!
• Trade used ink cartridges for new!
• Sell your electronic waste (junk computers) and old / broken appliances
• Sell your used lead acid batteries
• Redeem the following for cash: PET plastic bottles and other plastics, aluminum/tin cans, scrap glass

Drop-off points also provided for junk cell phones / cell phone batteries / styrofoam

The Waste Markets aim to make recycling convenient and accessible, especially for those who frequent commercial shopping areas, and also to show that Filipinos CAN make recycling a habit!

Please help spread the word and forward this announcement to friends, family and colleagues.
For more information, contact Nancy Pilien at the Philippine Business for the Environment, telephone: 6352650.

Thank you!

Philippine Business for the Environment (PBE)
2F DAP Bldg., San Miguel Ave, Ortigas Center Pasig City
Tel: (632) 635 3670, (632) 635 2650 to 51
Fax: (632) 631 5714
Mobile: 0917 4059265
Email: ctem@csi.com.ph
Website: www.pbe.org.ph, www.iem.net.ph

RevoStyler

So my mom got herself a RevoStyler, the Amazing Rotating Hairbrush. She showed it to me this morning. I guess she saw me struggling with my tangled hair and decided to put me out of my misery. I wasn't really struggling with it, I think she was more afraid that I was going to go out looking the way I did. I fully intended to, in any case.

The brush is actually quite good but it takes a while to get the hang of it. I've seen the infomercial and have always wanted one. Infomercials have this mesmerizing power over me and I always feel compelled to buy whatever product they're selling, from car engine coolants (I don't have a car, but I rationalize that I can always give it as a gift) to black ant extract (potency for men, I was afraid I was frigid at one point but I realized much later on that a lot of the girls I knew were just loo-- erm, liberal hihihi) to magic ironing boards (I don't even do my laundry). I even get sold on the "if you call within the first 30 minutes you get this special cap/tshirt/another one for free" deal. I especially love them badly dubbed and poorly subtitled. The best is when they're endorsing breast enhancing products and the TV people put a floating flower where the model's nipple should be so as not to offend viewers. And each time she moves, the flower follows. It's absolutely hilarious.

The RevoStyler has got this amazing anti-tangle feature, where it stops automatically whenever great big clumps of hair get stuck and basically this feature stops the brush from rotating and keeps it from ripping your hair at the roots. Makes a horrible sound though. I never saw those TV girls struggle with the product though, and that disappointed me a little bit. Anyway, my hair did come out shiny in the end although I suspect the brush succeeded by tearing out all the dull ones. But whatever gives the desired effect right?

Regularization

I've been working at this job for 6 months now and I was called up to HR yesterday to sign the regularization papers. I haven't yet because I'm unsure about where this training is taking me. It's completely different from what I'm doing now, the only thing that links them two tasks is that some of the contracts that are covered in this training are in French and they need someone who will be able to understand them (little do they know that business French is a real bitch and is a different language really). But it's quite exciting in that tediously boring way. I've seen my dad and his colleagues get like that after dinner and it's usually best to take a French leave, because they wouldn't notice anyway.

Okay I'll have to continue this later, I'm already a minute late for my meeting. Your fault for getting me all chatty.

Training

The higher ups have decided to put me in training. I'm on a temporary work schedule at the moment, I have been starting work at 9 in the morning since last Thursday and will continue to do so till Friday of this week. All I can say is, I hate morning traffic with a passion. Well I was more resigned to it today, I think I'm adjusting well to it really. It only took me 2 hours to get to work today after all. Precious precious time. Anyway none of my immediate superiors seem to know what's going on, they told me I was training for one thing but so far we've been learning about something entirely different. It is quite interesting but definitely not a preferred topic of conversation when you're chatting up a hottie at a club on Saturday night. Not that that happened to me last weekend, I actually had a clubbing night of unimaginable horror. Very upsetting and I wish to never speak of it ever again.

This can't be a comprehensive post as my training schedule today starts at 10 and I need to at least pretend I'm looking at my translation files for the day. It's piling up and I'm not even the slightest bit concerned about it. I'll probably end up working overtime a couple of nights this week but it is all worth it after seeing the worried look that appears on my incompetent supervisor's face each time he sees me leaving my desk to go to training. Yeah that's right, that's your problem isn't it? Mwahaha.

Fake coins!

Unlike most of the nation, I am not in a cemetery lighting candles today. I went to work a little after lunch with a hangover headache. Anyway I only worked for 3 hours or something silly like that and I am back home now.

I'm a little late with this but I just found out today when one of my workmates showed me a couple of fake 10 peso coins. They look exactly like real ones and the only way of telling them apart is with the use of a magnet. I suppose any regular magnet will do, and I've decided to take one of the refrigerator magnets with me whenever I go out. Paranoid, right? Hell yeah. I don't even want to buy anything now and risk getting fake money in change. Anyway what you do is, you take your coin of questionable authenticity and then touch it with the magnet. If it sticks, then it's fake. Real ones don't get attracted to the magnet. Apparently there's a shitload of fake 5 and 10 peso coins floating around the country. And if you should be unfortunate enough to have fake coins on you, you have to surrender those to the proper authorities. I suppose going to a bank would be the thing to do. BSP's going to try to take all the phoney ones out of circulation. It's absolutely crazy, here are two links that have more to say about it.

The News Today article

PDI article

Halloween

I am at work now but will be out and about in less than an hour yay! Then I'm going to a halloween party yay! Only things that dampen my spirits right now are my baby hairs. No matter how long I stand in front of a mirror and despite my best efforts at staring them down, they remain defiantly upright. Stubborn little fuckers. They shall meet the business end of my tweezers tomorrow.

Volleyball and beer

I am in a lot of muscle pain right now. I made it to our company volleyball tournament last night. I was in our white team attire, the official sports jersey of extremely heavy fabric and short shorts with a basketball logo on it. I wore shoes that matched my outfit horribly, a mistake I'll be sure to avoid next Saturday. Volleyball is my most favorite sport to play and I played quite a lot of it in highschool. I was, in fact, obsessed. But after I graduated, I just didn't seem to have the time for it anymore. I took it up one semester in university but that wasn't proper playing, the professor always reminded us to give the guys a wide berth because we just might "get hurt". So for the duration of our sessions, I mostly fantasized about slamming a ball in her sexist face. I never got the chance but anyway, I've had time to get over that.

We played 3 intense sets. Our team lost the first set, then won the second. I was getting very tired and sore (in the muscular sense) in the middle of the second set, I was so out of shape. Well to be fair, I don't go to the gym and the only exercise I get is from walking. Anyway the third set was agonizingly long, the closer we got to 25, the more difficult it was to score each succeeding point. And each one was countered by our opponents. They were good, damn them. In the end, we had 23 on the board and the other team had 24. One of our guys was up for service. He'd been racking up points for us, but I guess he lost steam because his ball met the net and that ended the game for us. My service had been very inconsistent throughout the game, so I wasn't about to blame him. We lost. But it sure was a lot of fun haha. I'm actually looking forward to the next game.

After that, I needed to relax and unwind before heading home and a friend suggested we meet in Beers Paradise.

Beers Paradise is located on Polaris Street, close to Makati Ave and Jupiter. It's a bit in the dodgy part of Makati, well it is in the P. Burgos area after all, very red-lighty area, and just down the block from that infamous Handlebar, er, bar. But if you're looking for fun with the DOMs, by all means Handle is a prime requisite. Well maybe Ermita is. Or Café Havana. IIII wouldn't know. Oh dear now I've made a mess.

Hastily moving on, I just tried accessing that url listed below the telephone numbers, and have found that it doesn't exist. Hm. The bar boasts 100 kinds of beers (sic) but regulars complain that a lot of those are not actually available. That may disappoint some but not me, the place is clean and I was surprised that it wasn't at all seedy, considering its location and there was none of that greasy food smell that sticks to you, long after you've left the place. Their beers are quite pricey, but then they are imported so that's to be expected. The staff were very friendly and pleasant, definitely made it easy for my friends and I to just kick back with our beers and have an hours-long conversation.

I'm not a big fan of any kind of beer, I don't go out of my way to look for it but I have had beer that I actually drank all of. So I started with a Cherry Kriek, very sweet and cherry-ish (of course), almost not a beer really but it brought back memories of Belgium and Amsterdam where I had my first taste of it. I took to it so much that I bought myself a six pack when I found it in a supermarket in Brugge, and polished off every single one on the train to Amsterdam. It was a very pleasant ride indeed.

I only had one more after that, also a Kriek but the St. Louis one. I forget that beer makes you feel bloated and full very quickly. It also made me feel heavy and tired, probably from all the volleyball action I had earlier that evening. So we called it a night at a very reasonable hour and I was home by 1 am.

Today, I haven't done much except to spend time online, listen to Fantaschtischen 4 (who are good) and drink my Coke. Pressing priority is to see about getting a massage, I'm in so much paaaain.

Working on a holiday and half a job rant

I like working on holidays. Well sort of. Ok maybe not really. But I can work for 2 hours instead of the full work day if I so desired. It's quiet and lunch is free which is nice (and greasy). But I think the company's cost cutting because it feels like none of the airconditioners are switched on. It's really really hot! Well okay I think one's on just now but it's so not enough. So I'm probably going to take off within the hour and go to the lovely cafe down the road with its free internet connection and have some of its cold cold drinks and lounge in its cold cold interiors.

A book: Streetwise French Dictionary / Thesaurus

I bought this over the weekend and started reading it straight away. So far, so good. This is my first slang dictionary and it's exciting. I don't know why it's taken me this long to develop a proper interest in the language, considering the fact that I studied it in university. I can't remember exactly what I was so preoccupied with. It certainly wasn't French studying. Better late than never, I suppose. I'm finally going to understand those damn expressions with animals in them but almost never involving any.

Saturday and the first of its series job rant

Last Saturday after German class, I met up with some friends and we went to Salcedo market for lunch. Whilst looking for food and a table, I slammed my face into a metal post. I spent several minutes with my icy drink pressed against my cheek where a red mark was beginning to develop. My friends said it looked like I was trying to drink through the top of my head. Hmph. It only hurts a little when I press down on it now. I think my ego was lot more bruised.

That night we had dinner and went dancing at Government. Loads of fun, (it was Madonna night and they played Like a Prayer!) but my friends and I had to stand outside the club for over an hour because my guy messed up the list we were on and we had to wait till he sorted things out. It was horrible. It was worse than trying to get into Embassy and it's never my idea go there.

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Our company is currently having a sportsfest. Our team already won the men's basketball tournament. Last Saturday was the first round for the volleyball games. We won it but since the rules say that there should be 3 men and 3 women, we lost that round. Everyone's kind of wondering why I didn't show up on account of period cramps. Granted I went out that same night after the worst was over but it's not like a million pesos is at stake here or anything and I wasn't the only girl who could have played. And while we're on the subject, the GC that I was supposed to get for that design I made that placed third, well, I still haven't gotten it. So I quickly lost motivation to participate in any of the games. I'm also a little annoyed at the fact that I'm getting asked to do translation for Italian, German, Spanish and even Thai, which doesn't use the Latin alphabet so I can't even begin to make sense of that. Sure I can probably work on the Spanish and German translations, there are loads of available resources online and I am a resourceful girl. But that's not the point. First of all, there are translators for all these other languages. Most people decide to come to me just because the respective translator has taken the day off or their desk is too far away. I'm sure they're thinking oh she's a translator, maybe she can do this for me. At first I used to feel bad about it like oh I'm not helping out, I'm not a good employee etc, but it's happened enough times and even as I'm saying no sorry I can't help you, I don't know that language, they ignore me and say well have a look at it anyway and tell me what you make of it. And then when I repeat myself, they look shocked and at times, and this really gets my goat, hurt. It's really begun to irritate me to the point where I can't help myself and point out to them (and not very gently) that my job description covers only French translations. Hopefully that'll learn most of them because I don't like being rude, even when it seems to be the only way to get my point across.

Films: The Castle, The Experiment

The Castle
Directed by Rob Stich, stars Michael Caton as the main guy (the dad).

This came out a long time ago (1997 I think) but I didn't hear about it till Donny forced us to watch it to "learn more about Australians". If you liked Napoleon Dynamite, you might like this. It's a lot more painful. Hehe. I'd definitely watch it again, given the chance.

Highlights: A young Eric Bana. The entire Kerrigan family really.

The Experiment
Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, stars Moritz Bleibtreu (he was in Run Lola Run) and other negligible people.

German film, came out early 2000 maybe. Reminds one of The Cube but a bit more intense. I had to remind myself to breathe during the more suspense-filled bits. It really keeps you on edge. The presence of a love interest served absolutely no purpose but to confuse. Forgivable.

Highlights: Moritz Bleibtreu hardly wears anything in this film. Yes, that's it.

Light bulb moment and Cleopatra

Aha, I can't post videos here from YouTube because I switched to beta and they haven't sorted that out. They could have told me that earlier on. Anyway I thought Google bought YouTube. So what's up with that? Tch slow slow.

Anyway it won't be the same but this here is a link to the video I've been struggling to put here. Ghita is a song by 3 year old Cleopatra Stratan. According to my friend, the girl is singing about waiting for a guy named Ghita. I don't normally like children but she's adorable. And from Romania. Any country who comes up with a song like the numanumaei (Dragostea din tei) is okay in my book. Hehe. Heh. Hey come on, it's funny.

Traveller Dainius Kinderis

I know Dainius from Hospitality Club (HC). It's a site that brings people from all over the world with similar ideas about travelling together. It works like this: Traveller 1 (the guest) is going on a trip, he gets on the HC site, starts looking and talking to members living in the place where he is going to, finds Traveller 2 (the host) who is willing to host him for free (that's the spirit of HC). Traveller 1 arrives, meets up with Traveller 2 and they have a grand old time. It's very good. I've been a member for a number of years now and have used the site from time to time. It's really good and educational and the members I've met, through being a host as well as a guest, are friendly and very helpful. It's a different experience when you've got a local showing you around. Anyway, I hosted Dainius here a couple of years back when he went around the Philippines and he stopped by Manila for a bit. He was travelling a lot before I met him and he's been at it ever since! I heard from him recently and discovered that he's starting a trip to Africa. He's got a site documenting his progress and all. Check it out when you've got time: Africa4corners.

Blogging YouTube videos

I've been having trouble trying to blog YouTube videos. All day. It's really frustrating, and I was so excited about this video I wanted to put here. Harrumph.

Lull

I've been lazy, folks. Sorry I've been...well I don't want to say depressed because that's not accurate. Moody, more like. I'll be back and chatty soon. Maybe even in a few hours, who knows when the swinging will stop.

Melbourne: 9 days of holiday

Overdue post:

Day one. Arrived in Melbourne airport an hour delayed. Also the Wedding Day but we had enough time to claim our baggage and hail a cab (I made the mistake of trying to get in the driver's side) and get freshened up. Lots of smiling and posing and photomagraphing. Lunch at a swish resto nearby. Spent most of the day confused and disoriented with the new environment, meeting so many new people straight away and having another sister married off. Lots to process but was too fatigued to do anything but nod and keep my eyes open. Good food, lots of wine, lots of champagne. Went back to the apartment to take a nice long nap.

After dinner, I went for a walk on the beach with Thegan and a still very drunk Donny.

Day two. Parents flew out early morning (they arrived a week ahead of us). Drove on over to Waterfront City to see the Da Vinci exhibition. Brilliant man, brilliant exhibition. Ate fast food, average price is 7 dollars (36 pesos to 1 Australian dollar at the moment, I think). Discovered that food portions are huuuuge and that they call ketchup 'tomahto sauce' down under. Drove up to Donny's mum's house just outside the city and their friends were there for a rugby final but the Melbourne Storm lost...to Brisbane something I think, can't remember what their team is called. During the match, the male half of Thegan (you should know by now that I refer to my younger sister and brother-in-law in the collective) and I found ourselves deep in conversation with this guy who inundated our heads with Australian wildlife info. Both humbling and dismaying to realize I knew jack shit about it.

Day three. Long drive to the Great Ocean Road with stops along the way and back home. Spectacular view. Thegan slept through most of the ride. Froze our asses off, as I have mentioned in a previous post. Marvelled at the very efficient road system. Incredible day. It should look spectacular, only my cam phone is atrocious.

Day four. Big tourist day for Thegan and I. Also known as the hottest day ever, all 30 degrees of it. But I put on the warmest clothes on earth because the day before traumatized me. It was boiling hot. At least it was windy sometimes. Went to the Shrine of Remembrance. Got on the tourist shuttle bus (free), fun until loads of annoying tourists got on. It got amusing when some kids started bickering. Tried to set myself apart from all the others, but it's pointless when you're on a tourist bus. Went around once then got off at Melbourne Museum (entrance 6 bucks only). I would totally go back to that place, definitely worth another look. Then got on the City Circle Tram, slowest tram on earth but it was free and looks really cool when other people get on it. Found an incredible curry place on Flinders Street or Lane (street signs are very similar to each other) and had a 9 dollar lamb biryani that could serve a small battalion.

Day five. Started the day on my own, which means a late start really. But I was on holiday after all, so back off hihi. Successfully deciphered the public transport system. Went to NGV (free, except for special exhibitions), very nice place. Went to the park to get some reading done, but it was freezer cold, spoiling my attempts at a Melburnian thing. Hmph. The wind was howling too so I decided to do more walking around instead, to keep my blood from coagulating. Tried going to Fed Square but it drizzled and I got even colder so I went back to the apartment, sat dangerously close to the radiator (smelled singed hair at one point) and, as soon as I was warm and toasty, promptly fell asleep. Met my sister at the public library (apart from getting off one stop early, I got there on my own again!) and borrowed books.

Day six.

...

Hm.

For the life of me, I cannot remember what transpired on this day.

Day seven. Drawing a complete blank on what happened during the day but in the evening we went on a major bar/club crawl. New places are fun. Alcohol is not as expensive as I expected (a regular sized beer and a glass of champagne can be had for 5 dollars, mixed drinks as much as 12) and several cool places that did not charge entrance as I had thought (one place we went to charged 10 dollars for guys but free entry to girls, possibly because the place was in dire need of women, dj was terrible though, maybe that's why). Verdict: Excellent nightlife!

Day eight. Old Melbourne Gaol. Grateful to discover online that the night tour was fully booked. It was a warm and lovely day. We were all very spooked by the coldness of the place, but especially so by the numerous death masks littered around the place. This photo is too nice to have been taken by either me or my phone.

Day nine. Up at 5 am for a 7:25 flight. PAL was unreliable as usual, the plane didn't take off till nearly 10. Stuck in Sydney airport for a couple of hours as well. Both times for 'maintenance and servicing'. Dunno what that means, but taking off and landing filled me with a lot of fear. Didn't start taxiing till well past 12:30 and everyone was starving. Uneventful flight, the cabin crew people were very efficient. Arrived in Manila at least 3 hours later than scheduled. Exhausted to the bone.

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Things and places of note but I can't remember on which day they were seen/observed:

- Victoria Market (lots to see, lots to buy)
- ACMI (Australian Center for the Moving Image)
- People are called Steve-O or Kev-O. Well only those that are called either Steve or Kevin. You know what I mean. They do that to objects too, like barbie for barbecue or footy (maybe footie) for football.

- Fed Square (banged on drums with an amazing group of African musicians + white girl and random people from the crowd, ended up with very purple fingers)

- Lots of funny and very painful to watch TV commercials.

- Redundant doors (doors leading to doors leading to the actual room you mean to be in)


- Several bathrooms come equipped with boxes for used syringes (I guess if you can't beat 'em, at least make sure they clean up after themselves)

I'm sure there's more I wanted to write, but I can't be bothered to remember now.

- Oh yeah, and the water does drain the other way. I want to know why.

Books read recently

Got loads of reading done while in Oz:

Utterly Monkey by Nick Laird

I liked the writing and the story was nicely told but I couldn't warm up to the characters properly. Set in the UK and Northern Ireland (I think, can't really remember now).

4.2 chrismiss stars


Animal Farm by George Orwell

I don't know why I haven't read this before. I give it 5 red-hot and sparkling chrismiss stars. It's thought-provoking but adorable first.

5 chrismiss stars yay!


The Sandman Volume 5: A Game of You by Neil Gaiman

Gaiman is amazing, as usual, although I still maintain Smoke and Mirrors as my favorite but then I haven't read all of his works. But I do love the pretty pictures.

5 chrismiss stars

Lady Snowblood Volume 3 by Kazuo Koike

Hot japanese female assassin, born for the purpose of avenging her mother's death by killing her (mother's) sworn enemies. I've been dying to read her story for as long as I can remember. They're always in Japanese when I come across copies in restos and beach resorts here. I don't know why it never occurred to me to check the local bookstores. It just made me want to learn Japanese.

Did I mention that I like pretty pictures accompanying amazing stories? A whopping 5 chrismiss stars.

The Autograph Man by Zadie Smith

Big disappointment since I loved White Teeth and On Beauty. Couldn't stand the protagonist, Alex-Li Tandem. Just like I couldn't stand JD Salinger's Holden Caulfield. Smith still writes well and to be fair, I speed-read the thing because I was running out of time, so I give it:

2.7 chrismiss stars

Back from a short holiday

Am back in Manila. Must now work to make money. Going through 3 feet of paperwork right now. Huhuhuhu poor me. Adventure stories to follow shortly.

Drive on the left

Good thing drivers here in Melbourne follow road regulations, otherwise I'd have been run over by now. I keep forgetting that cars come from the right when I'm crossing the street. It's a bit unnerving.

Arrived last Saturday, flight was an hour delayed but we had enough time to get freshened up before heading to the wedding. Aside from a little cab situation (loads of people turned up in the city for the weekend because of a big football final), everything went smoothly.

Have done a little bit of touring so far. Last night we got back from a long drive on the Great Ocean Road to see lovely things like the 12 Apostles. Saw lots of cows and sheep and a glimpse of a wallaby. We stood on the edge of the cliff and I'm pretty sure I saw Antarctica from where we were standing. Hihi. Breathtaking view, it was windy and cloudy as well so our faces stung from the cold. Even my teeth hurt. Yeah one thing I noticed here is that the weather can be very tricky. Slowly getting used to it though. Over the weekend we went to see an exhibition featuring Da Vinci's inventions which was on-going when we arrived. Brilliant man. I plan to visit the NGV (National Gallery of Victoria) to see more arty stuff.

Food portions are huge and I already ask for the kiddie sized ones. Cigarettes are very expensive.

Will be back soon with more to write.

Super Typhoon!

It was sunny all week! Why storm now?! Curse you, Milenyo/Xangsane! Ack, trusty PAGASA is down!

Ooh Japan Meteorology Agency has nice colored pictures with rings. Pretty. Useful weather info on the Typhoon2000 site.





Thegan (my sister + brother-in-law) and I are supposed to fly out tomorrow night. Aaargh the suspense!

But oh, we can come to work in jeans. Yay.

Oh and if Milenyo continues on its path, then Manila should be back to normal by tomorrow afternoon. Phew. But IF.

Whoa something large and heavy just thudded on our neighbor's roof! I'm supposed to come to work in this weather?! What is this?!

Oh I can't stand this emotional rollercoaster!

UPDATE I (a few minutes later, maybe 930H)
I ventured out in my jammies to check how the roads in the immediate area are. It was drizzling oh-so-slightly. The neighbor's dogs were eerily silent. Hehe they're probably scared shitless, snivelling furballs. Serves them right, they terrorize everybody else on any other day. That's right, I don't like dogs. Can't stand them, they ate my pet rabbit when I was 6.

But then during breakfast, more objects fell on our's and our neighbors' rooves. It's gotten really windy now and it's raining a lot harder. I watched some news and discovered that several provinces are flooded and many of the main roads deemed impassable!

Power cut!

Hmm maybe it is too dangerous to go to work today after all.

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UPDATE II (1216H)
This is the second time I've come to work soaking wet. This is the first time I've ever gone out in weather this bad. Felled trees along the way, flying corrugated iron sheets, lamp posts broken and weighing down on telelphone lines, it's not even funny.I actually feared for my life. I can't remember the number of trees I saw scattered in the middle of the road (I have a picture! Will upload that when I have the chance). On C5, on Kalayaan Avenue, everywhere we drove past. One car had the misfortune of having a tree smash into its windshield. Mum actually rang me from Melbourne to ask about the weather and if there's a chance our flight tomorrow will be cancelled. I may have to crash at Thegan's tonight, they live only a few blocks away.

Now they're moving us to a different section of the office, because there's a dangerously swaying large iron sheet on the rooftop of the building next to us.

UPDATE III (a few more minutes later)
We just had a meeting. We are now free to go home. It's prolly safer for me to hang out here for a while. Typhoon is expected to really hit later this afternoon. But it's coming down now and it's coming down hard.

UPDATE IV (1240H)
My colleagues and I have been looking at the situation outside. We just saw iron sheets fly off like paper from a pile on the rooftop of another building and nearly hit a car down below. A large piece of tree was moving up on Paseo. Power cuts everywhere and people texting us that billboards on EDSA have been ripped off by heavy winds. This storm means business. Traffic down below has begun to pile up because of debris.

Hehe no one's working.

UPDATE V (1256H)
Our building is swaying. I'm scared. We have to shut down our computers now.

UPDATE VI (1346H)
Back in the office. We were instructed to descend to the lobby and hang about. Hairboy and I occupied our time by chatting to other stranded employees, having a cigarette in a suffocating room because the vent fans weren't working and looking for provisions. Our shared spoils include peanuts, a cloud 9 bar and soda. The skies look relatively clearer now. The eye of the storm must be nearing Makati. Phew. That was an adventure. Now the challenge is getting home through the floods. Some brave souls have decided to head on home. I think I'll hang around for a bit until I find a phone charger.

LAST UPDATE (1410H)
Winds are picking up again in the south, it'll prolly get crazy again in the next hour or so but forecast says Milenyo's still moving northwest and it's expected to be in Zambales by tomorrow evening.

Btw Jax, your precious Sam Milby's billboard just killed someone: Falling billboard kills driver

Okay I really have to work now.

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A VERY LATE PHOTO UPDATE 9 Oct 2006, 2257h

I was trying to get to work but this huge tree was in the way and some bystanders were dissuading me from moving on because the winds might whip the tree backwards and smack me.

Along Paseo, on my way home from work. This was around 5 PM.

The entrance to our subdivision.

Other places in Metro Manila: