To OJT I bid adieu

Its 4: 53 pm, February 24, 2009, I have emailed my last assignment for today and for the entire OJT to our supervisor but since we’ll get home at 6:30 pm I will make use of these last precious times to write a post, to feel the well cushioned chair, to look at the manila skyline outside the window and to imprint in my mind this entity where we spent the last 140 hours of our OJT.

I can’t believe that it’s over. I can’t believe that we’re already done although I will still come back here next week. It will only be to get my papers and to receive the allowance.

The journey we had for our OJT is truly amazing. All the hard work, sweat and tears were all worth it. I’ve felt like I’ve won a feat.

When a TV show ends the hosts give thanks to their sponsors. When a movie displays the fin credits are displayed. I would like to do my version. After all the ojt we had can be considered a tale in its own right.

 I’d like to thank:

My parents of course for fueling my pocket, for supporting me and trusting me that I know what I am doing in my life and for constantly asking if I am alright here.

The household (Kuya Ronie, Ate Vi, the twins and baby Ynah, Kuya Roger and Manang) for adopting me while I am here in manila. They’ve been more than considerate for my welfare.I can’t complain anything.They made sure that I am alright. They even made me not worry of dishes to clean or clothes to wash.

Although I was saddened in the beginning while I was still searching because I thought they weren’t fully helping me find a company I have no hard feelings about it now. I understand that they were just trusting on me. Nonetheless I’ve proven to myself that I can do it on my own.

Sir Gerald and Ma’am Sonia for assisting us and supervising us in our ojt in QC.

Philippine IT Offshore Network. For the experience, for everything. I learned a lot from here.

ASCOT. my classmates. Sir Marmol, Sir Joseph, Sir Gudoy, Mam Mae. Annie, Yorick, Alvin, Justin.

Aimee. my ojt buddy, my friend and companion, my make up model.

Friendster. it served as my pressure outlet and source of social life.

To all the nameless faces I’ve seen in the streets, the fellow passengers I’ve had in the jeepneys and mrt, the professionals i’ve been with in the elevators, to the bosses, the janitors, to Koya, to Kahlil, to Steven, to Albert…thanks…

Above all these, I thank HIM. I owe everything to YOU,my LORD

 

 

the perfect car

written on: Sunday, February 22, 2009 5pm

I didn’t do any of the things that I thought of doing before the weekend. I just felt too tired to want to get out of our house. All I did was sleep, eat, and read, text, some internet surfing when there was a wifi signal, take a bath and sleep again.

Saturday morning I woke up with an aching back and nape. I thought I might be having either a high blood or low blood pressure. Before the day ended, ever dependable Manang massaged my back. Her diagnosis was that the back pain was brought about by “lamig”. I agreed. I said maybe it’s because of the extreme temperatures. It’s very cold inside the office the whole day but when I go home at night it’s so hot.

I planned to visit my brothers but they were gone. The three of them drove to Tarlac to bond in the name of sabong. When I learned that all of them left I just sighed aloud “daya, di man lang nila ako sinama”. Anyway, it’s for the boys…

The weekend has been great for me. It helped me to clear my head and to get on with my decision to take things in a stride. I have my friends to thank for. While I was reading a magazine I saw an ad of Fundador, it says “Pain is nothing when bound by true friendship”. I can’t help but to agree. It’s really a blessing to have friends that will always be there especially when the going is tough.

While I was looking for something to shift my attention to I found a magazine. It’s Top Gear mag of kuya Ronie. I expected the magazine to contain nothing but technicalities about cars but it wasn’t. There were many articles that are very easy to read. It’s a good variation to read on from the male perspective. I usually read articles written by females since I can relate to them more easily. The stories were awesome, made me want more to have a car for myself someday.

I liked the article entitled “The perfect car”. The article talks about the authors search for the perfect vehicle or first of all if one do exist. He said there are cars that are fast and nice to look at but have low fuel efficiency and are high maintenance. There are cars that help save on gas, environment friendly but the driver may want to quickly get away from it the moment he has parked it because he doesn’t want people to know that it’s his car because the car doesn’t look good.

So I wonder what sells, is it the looks or the qualities?

Choosing which car to buy can be a tough decision to make, especially when the money that will be used is a hard earned cash. Money is harder to spend when it was earned the hard way. That is one of the things that I have learned in my OJT.

Anyway, back on the car, before, when it comes to car I only look up to the European high end brands like Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, and Jaguar, also of course on Chevrolet. But when I read on the mag about the dependability of Honda my view was changed. Honda has sold more than 10, 000 units in the past years but until now, not a single warranty was claimed. It only means that Honda is a good choice. It is guaranteed to last at a fraction of the price.

I also gathered that a Ferrari costs more or less 37M pesos. Ok. I’m very much contented with the Ferrari Enzo wallpaper in my computer back in San Luis. I will never ever spend that much for a car. Even if I have no high hopes in having that much money in the first place.I think its unreasonable and a display of injustice to sport that uber expensive car in the poverty stricken streets of the Philippines.

One of my hobbies here in Manila is to look in the inner lanes of the road especially along Edsa and in Shaw. I look at the cars and count how many cars I can guess its brand correctly from a distance. If it has a silver peace sign in front it is a Mercedes, if a golden plus symbol it is a Chevy, if it has a circle with a blue and white combo it is a BMW.

Those three brands are the luxury cars I often see here. I saw a Jaguar just once and gosh, ang ganda. When I looked around the jeepney where I was I saw the other passengers looking at the car too.

When we were in QC my main mode of transportation was the MRT. I would always look outside when the train is along Ortigas and Santolan because the showrooms of Porsche, PGA, Audi, Mazda, Subaru and Ford are lined up there. In my mind I say, one day, I will be in one of those shops choosing my car. Well, I was just doing some wishful thinking. Nothing’s wrong with having dreams, right? I am not sure whether it will ever come true. But for the mean time I am contented having it as a past time.

WB kuya Joel!

Yesterday while I was having my usual moments of silence, while I was thinking and keeping myself busy doing nothing I received a surprise call. I was ecstatic. Kuya Joel is back! I talked loudly over the phone while I interrogated him about the details of his arrival. He is really full of surprises.

Just recently I have been getting worried since I haven’t heard from him for quite sometime. The last thing I knew about him was that he already wanted to come home. After that he wasn’t texting or replying to my messages on YM even if he was online via sms.

I was hyper while talking to him. I asked him questions incessantly then suddenly he halted me. He told me “Easy lang”. I was really glad to hear his signature lines again after more than a year.

I must have really missed him. He is the youngest son in the family. He is not just a brother but also a friend and tropa to me.

He came back here in Manila the other day after working for a year in General Motors in Doha Qatar. He is now in his own family that he hasn’t formally introduced to us in Bulacan.

He promised to come by here in Manila this week. I really would like to see him and get to know her wife and son.

Maybe I got excited, later on, some of my fondest memories of him flashed in my mind again just like a movie.

Before when we were both in elementary, when classes end our parents bring us along with them in our house in San Ildefonso. San Ildefonso is more commonly called as Dalugan.It is an island in the Casiguran Sound. One time, being small kids then, I and Kuya Joel had a fight. We had a disagreement that led to a fist fight. I cant remember anymore if i really did get hurt but i cried aloud and said “di ako makahinga, tubig…” until now i can still picture in my mind how he looked like that moment. He stopped, his face flushed white. He hurriedly took a glass of water and gave it to me. Ten seconds later I was well and very much ok again. He said “umaarte ka lang yata, patubig tubig ka pa dyan!” haha..naisahan ko siya.

Then when I was in Grade two and he was in grade four if i remember it right I had a boy classmate who kept on bullying me. His name was “Pindot”. I reported the boy to him. Then one time, during recess, he with his classmate Joric “assaulted” the boy. From then on Pindot never ever messed up with me again.

As we got older, when I moved to Baler for my high school, we began to meet seldom. Out mother always complains that he is “masyadong mabarkada, di nag-aaral ng mabuti”

From before until today there are many things that haven’t changed about Kuya Joel. He is down to earth and maybe he’s got charm thus he has countless friends whose age ranges from 0-70. He is naturally good natured. Every time he comes home in our own village in Casiguran his schedule is always full. From picnics to inuman to sabong. The notorious elderly sabungeros in Bianuan adore him. He is lucky in sabong. My parents attribute it to the fact that he was born enveloped in a sac.

When he wasn’t there his friends keep on asking our parents when he’ll be back.

I treasure the moments that we’ve shared. The times that he would invite me in “Sargo” to play billiards with him when he has no one else to play with. When he went away he left his beloved cue stick to me.

Kuya Joel didn’t go to college. He had a vocational course and fortunately he immediately began to earn money. But he did want to study but he wanted to do it in a big university here in Manila. But because of the reputation that he’s made for himself in terms of studying and the strict financial circumstances that we’re in our parents didn’t let him. The choice they’re giving him was ascot but since maarte siya he chose the vocational course.

When he started his apprenticeship in GM Shaw through our another brother and had big names under the list of his clients maybe he got contented and didn’t pursue further studies anymore. When I was in first year in college, it was an English class, he texted me. He said”Pam, katabi ko si John Lloyd. Road test ko Suburban nya”. I thought siguro kinikilig din siya kay John Lloyd just like me kaya tinex nya ako.

Another funny thing about him is when he becomes very talkative, when he will tell a lot of stories, I or our elder sister had to beware because before the conversation ends uutangan nya kami.haha..

Until last year he went to Doha. He said he will not come back there anymore, instead, he’ll try his luck in Australia.

Time really flies. It seems like its only yesterday that we were like little ita boy and ita girl swimming day in day out while throwing seaweeds to each other or walking through the coral reefs of Dalugan, and now, he already has a family of his own.

Welcome back kuya Joel, pasalubong ko..dami ka utang sakin.haha..♥♥♥

oh well…

kunwari may nagbabasa talaga ng blog ko..well..meron naman, 2 sila.. kaya magsusulat parin ako..
magulo ako nitong mga nakaraang araw pero hindi halata kasi pinipilit kong itago pero nahahalata parin dahil sa mga sinusulat ko dito.. kung bakit, kung anong dahilan ayaw kong sabihin, ayaw ko ng pag usapan. basta gagawin ko na lang ang lahat para tuloy pa rin ang buhay. kunwari walang problema, kunwari walang dahilan para magalit ako. kung ipapakita ko ba ang nararamdaman ko may magbabago? kung sasabihim ko kung ano ang gusto kong mangyayari masusunod ba? hindi naman di ba..kaya wala na akong pakialam. tuloy lang…
hindi ko rin alam kung hanggang kailan ganito ang sitwasyon, pero habang ganito pa sige lang…hindi naman hihinto ang mundo para sa akin.
ok sige i will stop talking in puzzles now baka masyado ka nang naiintriga..
friday na naman, ito na ang last friday namin dito sa company. sa 25 kami matatapos. by march makakauwi na ako sa Baler.. can’t wait… masaya dun.. oh well.. lagi namang ganito, pag andun ako gusto ko pumunta dito, pag andito ako gusto ko pumunta dun, ang gulo ko talaga. sa ngayon, di ko magawang basahin yung post ko nung dec. 27, 2008. parang di na sya applicable…

pag balik ko sa baler madami akong gustong gawin, ewan lang kung magagawa ko nga..

a. tumambay sa beach
b. magdisco sa freddie’s saka uminom ng red horse sa bistro
c. makijamming sa mga friends,kasama ko sana sila in doing numbers 1-2. baka sakaling mabago nun ang sitwasyon ko ngayon
d. picnic sa clemente kasama mga pamangkin ko. (namimiss ko na sila, lalo na si cedric. kahit ganun pa lang xa kabata napapasaya nya ako. namimiss ko na yung out of the blue bigla nya akong yayakapin habang nakatalikod ako o kaya magapapakarga)
e. kumain sa bay’s inn, kahit mabagal ang service dun pag minsan feel na feel ko pa rin dun.
f. meet joana, mae, faye at harold. para na rin mga kapatid tingin ko sa kanila.

ah wait..march pa nga pala ako babalik sa baler..
these weekend gusto gawin ang mga nasa ibaba. sana di ako tamarin…

a. ipaayos ung Rolex ay..Timex watch ko..sayang din yun. si manang kasi pati relo nilabhan
b. ipaayos yung isa kong cellphone, di tumutunog kahit di nakasilent..pucha lahat na lang sira
c. bisitahin sila kuya.. at makisakay sa bagong sasakyan.wooh..feelingera
d. bumili ng damit – shopping:the ultimate destresser. hay money..
e. smile as if everything’s alright..goodluck to me

whatever

let thy men be men






this is just temporary..i’ll be back soon..
the harder I fall the further I bounce back….
I will not let anything get the best of me…

comfort room

Everyone wants it, a “comfort” room. A place where one can find refuge, a place where all the worries drift, where all the positive thoughts are kept intact.

As much as I don’t want to change, change is hauling me, chasing me. In a little time I might get into the dead end and embrace that change altogether.

This morning a blog post awe struck me, taken me aback and hit me right through. It made me think and to reevaluate myself.

I’ve always been the good girl. Never fights with anyone. Never argues. Never insists. I could pass for a saint. But darn those days seem to end soon. However I want to keep myself that way I need to toughen up. It will be for the better. I am beginning to get tired of saying yes. I want to put myself first this time. I don’t want to be a push over anymore.

Top Ten things I do when bored, when blue

1. Eat fatty, carbohydrate rich, grease fortified food.

2. Read random personal blogs.

3. Look at old pictures of happy moments.

4. Have brutally honest conversations with my intellectually stimulating close friends.

5. Comb my hair, as if straightening the strands will straighten the problem.

6. Look at my toenails and notice how they have been poorly taken cared of lately.

7. wish that I have lots of money to splurge for shopping

8. Wish that I have a yellow Porsche, a red Jaguar or a black Chevy Suburban.

9. wish that I am in New Zealand, Switzerland or Tokyo

10. Wish that I don’t have the reasons to do/think of numbers 1-9

10. Wish that someone will understand me and stay by my side even if I am not the best me.

a call

In this years’ Valentines Day I saw a love that can be far noble and divine than any other kind of love. Valentines day is not only a time to celebrate that romantic love but more importantly it is a time to take a look and to notice the love that is more real but is often taken for granted.

In the night of February 14 we went to a hospital in Las Pinas to visit Gino. Gino is the nephew of my brother’s wife. It was heartbreaking to see him in his hospital bed. I didn’t manage to say a word the entire time that I was there. I was silent the whole time but inside of me I feel like crying not only for feeling sorry but more out of anger.

Gino has been in the hospital for months already. Gino met an accident. He was run over by a truck. He had a cranium operation. A week after his first operation the doctor told his family to take him home. Then he had complications. His skull has to be opened again. He is comatose. The bill surges to almost 2 million pesos.

He looks very different from what I can remember of him in the few times that I have seen him. He was tall and robust and is about the same age as mine.

His family amidst the enormity of the problem in front of them is still holding on and are doing their best to stay strong. They are doing everything to cling to Gino’s life.

What about LOVE?

As what we all know even if some wouldn’t want to notice tomorrow will be Valentine’s Day. I don’t care about it anyway but I have nothing against those who will tear down their wallet or scrape off their cards for the sake of V-Day.

Relationship topics are something I don’t usually talk about much more share to a lot of people. This is the first time that I will reveal what I have to say about it here in my blog.

Liberation is something I would like to have being 21. In which I should be able to assert myself, to express my thoughts and ideas and to be open to other people. I want to achieve that goal responsibly.

I am not someone who talks a lot personally. It’s hard for me to open up. I am better read than heard. Maybe to share my thoughts regarding this kind of topic is a good step to take to achieve that goal.

Love or should I say romantic relationship is complicated. Needless to say that’s why there is a very well used status tag in Friendster, It’s Complicated.

Love is something that is felt but relationship is a decision that is made.

ouch…

ouch…

hotdog

Haha! We’ve let ourselves get under the rain in the name of hotdogs! At 3pm after beating the deadline for the tasks assigned to us this morning I felt like craving for mini stop’s chicken hotdog, Aimee wanted a hotdog too. We went down the building and there walked (run) through the rain.

We’ve added noodles to complete our meal. Now I feel like I have a headache. That’s all in the name of hotdog!

I don’t have much to say today. We’re doing fine. We’re getting the hang of things around here.

it has just begun

Our new venture right now is pressuring and challenging but at the same time it’s very rewarding. As the task is assigned to us I would feel a rush. Each one is a new challenge and I know they don’t want excuses they want results. Inside of me I feel like screaming in panic and excitement but I can’t do it aloud so I will type in the friendster bulletin as if it’s my Twitter to release the tension. I hope my friendster friends will not be annoyed with my frequent postings. I hope you understand.

Each day is like a battle. The moment we head home we feel tired as well as triumphant because another day of learning and getting through the process of becoming not only a better apprentice but as a person as a whole has been completed.

In the four days in this new phase I know I need to be confident more especially in the way I speak. I need to change some of my attitude. It includes becoming more expressive, spontaneous and maybe just be cool.

It is not that easy here but it’s good. I know this will make me better.

Justin, Happy Birthday!

best of both worlds

Since Monday we’ve been going to Ortigas for our OJT. I and Aimee are still together. We often joke that we might already look alike when we go back to Baler. Nonetheless, it’s a good thing that we’re together. We have each other as we take on more challenges of the metro.

What we have right now is entirely different with what we used to have before which is a good thing. I think we’re lucky enough to get the chance to experience two types of workplace, in the government which is conservative and here in the private sector which is liberal.

I wouldn’t like to compare the two all I can say is that they are both helping me to be a better me. I am doing my best to live it up by absorbing what is good and abstaining from what I consider not so nice.

I am happy with what we are experiencing right now. It feels like God is paying off all the hard times we’ve been through as we went along the ojt journey. Our experiences are somehow preparing us for the more challenging world ahead when the time comes that we can already seek official employment.

Another thing that I like with our new ojt venture is that what we are doing is in line with some of my interests. It’s going to be a great learning experience.

In the last two nights that I and Aimee have walked through the pathways of Ortigas along the high rise buildings in our way home we have smiled the smile of triumph. What we’ve got started off from scratch.We took on the process. It was a painful process but still we have survived.

I am just hoping that we’ll be able to get pass all the difficulties that will come our way. I am really willing to learn and to make the necessary adjustments in order to fulfill the things that the company is expecting from me.

OJT twist

I and Aimee’s ojt journey took a new turn. Wednesday morning we were contacted by the human resource officer of the company we applied for and had an exam at last December.

Australian Open Finals

It was heartbreaking to see Roger Federer in tears after he lost the championship over Rafael Nadal. It was a 4 hour and 23 minutes of tennis action. Nadal beat Federer after five sets. The score was 7-5 3-6 7-6(3) 3-6 6-2

Last night I watched the final match over Star Sports. It was so hot in the court not only because of the high temperature in Melbourne but also because of the scorching heat of the rivalry between Nadal and Federer. The Australian Open 2009 was not the first time these two great players have met. Both Nadal and Federer tennis skills are at par but still i am a Federer fan. I love the swiss man, dude!^^

Meanwhile, the championship match in the women’s category was won by Serena Williams over Dinara Safina of Russia. Williams swept Safina with a score of 6-0 and 6-3. Serena is now among the legendary figures in women’s tennis alongside Stefi Graf, Martina Navratilova and others. However, her sister Venus reached only the second round in this years’ Australian Open singles category after being defeated by Dinara Safina.

But the Williams sisters won the doubles finals against Hantuchova and Sugiyama.

My other favorite player since 2003, Andy Roddick lost to my ultimate favorite Roger Federer in the semis.

I will watch out for the next grand slam event.

Fun, action, drama – all these and more in Tennis!