Thursday, November 30, 2006

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.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

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

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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.

Monday, November 27, 2006

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...

Sunday, November 26, 2006

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.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

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?

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

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.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

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.

Monday, November 20, 2006

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.

Friday, November 17, 2006

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.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

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.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

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

Thursday, November 09, 2006

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?

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

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.

Monday, November 06, 2006

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.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

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