Gisingin Ang Donya!

Bakit kaya ganun, ang malas ko talaga sa helper?

Since part time lang ang work ng helper ko, I give her an hour of lunch break to rest and short breaks for merienda. Pagbaba ko ng 1:30 pm, nanood pa ng TV. Okay, fine. Around 2:15, aba, tulog ang hitad! Alas tres na tulog pa rin! Ginising ko na, "Ginalyn, Ginalyn..." Aba, parang tuod lang, di man lang naalimpungatan.

Pagdating ng alas-tres medya, hayun, bumangon na ang donya. Meanwhile, tambak pa rin ang labahin at di pa rin natitiklop ang mga fresh clothes.

Gusto kong pagalitan, but I didn't kasi ang init ng ulo ko and I get shrill pag iritado. Bukas na lang pag kalmado na ako.

May Day Peeve

Hello! May natirang readers pa ba ako? Anyone? Someone?

Sorry, palagi akong MIA this year. So, so, so busy.

So ganito lang, I'll recap my May na lang.

Birth month of TheHusband. We went snorkeling in Dauin. Sayang, no pictures. I think it's high time I buy an action camera na. I've always wanted to buy one, but I am always held back by the fact that I'm not exactly mahilig sa action. Lazy ass with a capital L. Parang di ko ma-justify na bumili ng action cam. BUT the marine life in Dauin is begging for pictures. Imagine, it's teeming with colorful fishies and corals at 3 ft. Hindi ako nai-stress mag-snorkel kasi mababaw lang. So I'm seriously considering one. Any suggestions aside from GoPro? Yung mura lang.

A week later, we went to Leyte via Cebu. We left midnight and arrived in Cebu early in the morning. We went to SM Travellers' Lounge for a quick shower (the shower was quick; the line wasn't) and to leave our things. Sayang, meron pala sa newly opened Robinson's, konti lang tao, free pa. I picked up my PRC license, where I also met with a buyer. I love that buyer so much, as in. She's very kind and easy-going. She's been buying from me since last year, and unang transaction pa lang namin, she showed consideration and kindness na. *Sana lahat ng buyers katulad nya.* Oooopppsss...nawala na naman ako. Anyhoo, we mostly spent our time in Ayala (hello Daiso!), then before midnight, we sailed to Leyte.

Hmmmm...Leyte deserves a post of its own. Will kwento about it next time.

We left Baybay, Leyte, very early on Sunday. We were in a rush to get to Ormoc and we didn't eat breakfast anymore. Result: HANGRY. Before we left Ormoc, I went to the restroom. As I was zipping up, someone tried to open the door by twisting the doorknob, which was broken. Eh naka-bolt lock. It seems the person on the other side didn't hear me say "wait" and pushed the door forcibly, ruining the bolt lock. I asked, "Bakit mo tinulak? Nasira tuloy ang lock." Ang sagot ng bruha, "Kasalanan mo kasi!" Nag-init agad ulo ko, "Anong kasalanan ko, ha?! Nakasarado pinto, tinulak mo ng malakas. Panong naging kasalanan ko?!" Eh ihi-ihi na yata sya, di na sumagot at pumasok na ng CR. Lessons: Huwag magpakagutom. Saka huwag manisi ng iba.

We rode a fastcraft to Cebu and arrived  mid-morning. We went to the newly opened Robinson's Galleria, which, while expansive, has very few stores. The National Bookstore branch there was pretty sad. Parang mas malaki pa bahay namin. S was so disappointed and left immediately. BUT they have very nice restrooms, with each cubicle separated fully from the next, hence you can do your, ehem, private business privately. Oh, speaking of National Bookstore, nnnnnaaaaakkkkuuuuu...pinainit ang ulo ko ng saleslady ng Schaeffer pens sa National Bookstore sa SM. I was looking for a fountain pen in Parker for TheHusband, eh wala ang saleslady ng Parker, so etong si Shaeffer saleslady "swooped" in. Well, exagge naman ang swooped in, pero she talked me out of buying Parker kasi daw walang pang-engrave ang Parker, eh I badly wanted it engraved. So she showed me the options sa Shaeffer, which are more expensive. Admittedly, Shaeffer has nicer fountain pens available. Kaya nga lang, Mahalia Jackson, and the one I chose was more than twice the amount of the Parker fountain pen I was initially eyeing. Pikit-mata ko nang binili. After I paid, I returned for the engraved pen, pero hindi pa nagagawa and I heard her say to another saleslady na hindi daw pwedeng i-engrave yung binili ko -- has something to do with the design of the barrel. But she wasn't telling me. Eh ang tagal ko nang naghihintay. I asked her what's wrong and she said that I have to choose another daw kasi hindi pwedeng i-engrave yun napili. Nakuuuu, I was so annoyed and and unabashedly said so. Kasi naman, alam naman nya that I needed it engraved, and she talked me out of buying Parker kasi nga walang pang-engrave ang Parker, then sasabihin nya na hindi pwedeng ipa-engrave yun napili ko -- after ko nang mabayaran. Kung hindi ba naman sya tanga. Sorry, not sorry. Ang talim-talim na ng tingin ko. I insisted that I wanted it engraved, kahit initials lang ni TheHusband. She called her supervisor na and yun na kinausap ko. Thankfully, her supervisor has more sense and was able to figure out a way to engrave the initials. Yun ang kwento ng Shaeffer pen. Must everything be a struggle? Engraving lang, ang simple-simple, took me more than half an hour to finish. Ugggghhh...

Anyhooooooo...


We arrived Monday morning in Dumaguete. Nagmadali kaming umuwi because of the election. Like yung isang boto ko eh mag-ma-matter, ano? Hehehehe. Infer, nakadagdag ang isa kong boto for Leni Robredo. *Ma'am, congratulations!* Muntik pa kaming di makaboto. Malapit nang magsara presinto nung makarating kami dun.


Again, yung usapang election kailangan ng sariling post.

May flew so fast. Napansin ko na lang patapos na ang month.  Pero huwag ka, may humabol pang trahedya. Ninakawan ako ng helper ko ng moolah. :( So sad. Sad for the money gone, sad having to do household chores again.

Bwisit na bwisit talaga ako. I left my bag downstairs when she came in. Pagbaba namin ni TheHusband, bawas na ng 3K. Akala yata dahil burara ako sa pera hindi ko bilang. Twice nang nangyari yun eh. But in the first instance, hindi ko masigurado kung kinuha ba nya or kulang ang sukli kay Sharkteeth sa 7/11. But this time, alam na alam ko ang pera kasi kaka-withdraw ko lang. She was acting oddly pa. When I told TheHusband (within her earshot) that I was missing 3K, biglang pasok sya ng bahay at kung ano-ano tinatanong kay TheHusband. Parang hysterical at manic. Tapos kanta ng kanta ng malakas ng spiritual songs. Baliw lang. Bwiset na yun. May linya pang "swear to God." Swear nya her face. Di na nahiya sa Diyos. I guess she lost more than I did. She was supposed to attend school again this coming school year and I was planning to shoulder her books and uniform. *May karma ka ring bruha ha.* Haaaayyyy...

O sya, I hope to update more often. Laters!

Ghost Month Extravaganza

Warning: A lot of whining up ahead.

Sabi ghost month daw from August 14 to September 12.

From Wikipedia:

As the ghosts and the suffering spirits will come out from the hell to visit their homes during the 7th lunar month (the ghost month), many things should be avoided during this month including the ghost day.
1. Don't stroll at night. Guilty.
2. Don't swim. It is said that drowned evil ghosts might try to drown people in order to find victims for them to rebirth. Guilty. Thankfully, hindi kami nalunod.
3. As the month is considered to be inauspicious, don't move to a new house, start new businesses or marry.
4. Don't hang clothes outside at night. Guilty.
5. Do not pick up coins or money found on the street and if one does, never bring any home.
6. Do not step on or kick the offerings by the roadside. If one were to step on any offerings by accident, he or she should apologize aloud to ameliorate the situation.
7. Do not wear red because ghosts are attracted to red. Guilty.
8. Don't sing and whistle as these may attract ghosts. Guilty. Kahit hindi ghost month, pag kumanta ako, maglalabasan talaga lahat ng multo.
9. Keep away from the walls as it is believed that ghosts like sticking to walls.
10. If someone is born during the ghost month, avoid celebrating birthday at night. It's better to celebrate during the daytime. Guilty. 

 Kyeber lang. Hindi naman ako superstitious. 

Episode 1: After we came back from Manila, sunod-sunod kaming nagkasakit. First, TheHusband. Next, Sharkteeth. Grand finalé, yours truly. To think fully vaccinated ang entire Team KoKo against the flu, well, except TheDog.

Kyeber lang talaga. Hindi ako superstitious. 
 
Episode 2: Three joybidders and three complete a**hole buyers in Ebay. I was supremely peeved. Ikukwento ko na lang ito in another post solely devoted to my (good and bad) Ebay experiences.
Hmmmm...not so kyeber anymore...could it be true?

Episode 3: My freelance client is cutting outsourcing by half. It took me by surprise and I was so shaken -- to the core. You might think I'm being overly dramatic (again!), but you have to consider that they pay well and are very consistent in sending me work and that I have a very good relationship with my production editor/contact. In short, mahirap humanap ng ganyan na client. The client emailed me minutes later, saying I won't be affected by the cut. Which didn't comfort me much. For me, it's a cold reminder that all this work is fleeting. All the world is fleeting, if I might add. Boom! Anyare? A simple email brought out not only pragmatic concerns but philosophical as well, and I don't like thinking philosophical (and existential) thoughts -- they make me sad and I was downtrodden for days.
Teka lang ha...parang naniniwala na talaga ako sa ghost month eklavu na yan.

Episode 4: When the weekend came, TheHusband got ill, and upon checkup, he was admitted due to dehydration. His stomach was cramping so much and his temperature very high. We all slept in the hospital, which was not comfortable at all and I woke up all sore. Thankfully, he was discharged last Tuesday.
*Kapit lang, TPS.* Teka, teka, teka, si TheHusband ang may sakit, yet ako pa ang mas emote. Hehehe. Me, me, me, me, me. *Glad you're well na, TheHusband!*

Episode 5: But no, it ain't over till it's over. On the morning of our last day in the hospital, I briefly went home to get Sharkteeth's stuff for school, and on my way back, TheHusband and Sharkteeth called me, saying that S's schoolbag got wet. I was wondering why they had to call me for that and I snappishly replied, "Eh di ilipat nyo ang gamit sa ibang bag." Well, pagdating ko sa hospital room, I understood. The entire room was flooded with ~1 inch of water. S was under the shower for about 30 minutes and the water overflowed. *Anak!!! Hindi eto hotel! Not exactly the time or place for luxurious baths!!!* Basa ang bags! Basa ang chargers! Basa ang laptop! Basa ang shoes! Basa lahat! *I think you need more training, my dear Katara. Water-bending skills aren't learned overnight.*

May isa pang particularly bad na pangyayari, but it's not my story to tell. Needless to say, I was saddened by it immensely. Haaaaay. Saturday, you can't come fast enough. Pagod na pagod na ako.

Feeling The Warm Fuzzy Welcome

Image from SomeeCards

Rant Na Naman?

I was pretty late in having Sharkteeth's uniform made. I was getting desperate too, kasi June na nun. While buying fabric in a local store, thankfully, another mom buying some fabric herself recommended a tailoring shop that specifically sews uniforms. PHP150 per blouse daw ang charge.

When I went there, the guy owner said they can finish it in a week. Eh di kampante naman ako kasi S still has her uniform from last year and kasya pa naman, albeit getting a bit tight for her na. Still, the old uniforms would do for the meantime. I confirmed the price. Nagkasundo naman kami.

When we got back from Bacolod, nagka-gastroenteritis ako and I wasn't able to pick up the uniforms on the date they specified, June 30. On the Saturday of that week, when I tried to pick up the uniforms, wala daw dun. Wala rin dun yung owner. Hindi ko naman alam kung saan yung main branch nila. When I returned on the next Monday, July 7, andun yung asawa nung tailor, and di pa raw natatahi ang uniform. Jusko naman. Naiwala daw nila yung measurements. I didn't wanna argue anymore 'cause I was getting tired na of arguing with them and with another shop (a laundryshop, another story). I just had S remeasured, and the lady promised I can get two uniforms after two days. Unfortunately, I hurt my back, which restricted my mobility. Long story short, kanina ko lang na pick up.

I was actually expecting the worst, i.e., hindi pa rin tapos. Buti naman tapos na. When I paid, naghihintay ako ng sukli sa 1000, kasi PHP600 ang total, tapos, wala, deadma lang yung lalaking sastre. When I asked for the sukli, wala daw kasi PHP250 per blouse. WUTTTT???!!! I told him na sabi nya sa akin PHP150 lang yung blouse. Sabi daw nung wife nya eh PHP250. But my point is, sya (guy owner) ang kausap ko in the first place, hindi yung wife nya, and he told me na PHP150 per blouse. He was sort of denying na sya ang kausap ko, asking, "Tayo ba ang nag-usap? Parang hindi naman."

@#@#%$%!!!

No matter how much I promise to avoid cursing, parang the whole of the universe, o sige, the whole of Dumaguete's service industry is conspiring to make me curse, and curse loud. I really tried to hold my temper in check, and I actually succeeded. Pero kung inakala nya na papayag akong hindi makuha yung pera ko, well, he was sorely mistaken. I just told him, despite his protestations that his wife told him to charge PHP250, we agreed on PHP150 and I told him that, in fact, he was the one who first took S's measurements. Eventually, he must have realized I wasn't going away till I get my money and relented.

Pero, grabe, bakit kailangan ko pang makipag-argue? To paraphrase my friend M, why do they have to draw this out of me? I was getting angry, I was close to the point of yelling, and I felt terrible because I was behaving like a bad person, for what, 400 pesos?! I know I could just have let it go, it's just money, but I know I'd get angry at myself more if I let bad services have their way.

This isn't the first time I've encountered bad services, kahit saan naman, merong ganun. It's just that sobrang frequent talaga dito. Nakaka-bother na. The laundy incident I mentioned above, it was awful, but I won't talk about it yet 'cause I filed a case sa DTI. Abangan ang susunod na kabanata.

SHARKTEEEEETHHHH!!! Water, please, saka gamot sa alta-presyon!

Rant

I was asking for my ultrasound results...

Radio staff: Ano yung ultrasound mo?

TPS: Thyroid and TVS.

Radio staff: Heto. [handing me my thyroid ultrasound results]

TPS: Yung TVS?

Radio staff:  Meron ka bang TVS?

TPS: Yes.

The radio staff disappeared to the next room, presumably looking for my TVS results.

Radio staff: Di mo pa ba kinukuha yung TVS results mo?

TPS: Hindi, kasi walang release ng results ng weekend, di ba? Gusto mo balikan ko na lang tomorrow, hanapin mo muna?

Without replying, she disappeared again, then returned. She handed a piece of paper to me, but she was looking shifty about it. Buti na lang ni-check ko kasi copy lang yun ng thyroid result ko.

TPS: Same lang eto ng thryroid results. 

Radio staff: Di mo pa ba kinukuha ang TVS result mo?

TPS: #@%$! OO! OO! OO! NAKUHA KO NA ANG RESULTS NG TVS KO! I AM JUST HERE TO ANNOY YOU, THE WAY YOU'RE ANNOYING ME NOW. #%#%$@%# ANG KULIT-KULIT-KULIT-KULIT MO! NAKA-ILANG TANONG KA NA KUNG KINUHA KO NA AND SINAGOT NA KITA! DO YOU THINK I'D WASTE MY TIME HERE KUNG NASA AKIN NA YUNG RESULTS?! @#$$#

Hehehehe! I didn't actually say that; it was only in my mind. But, gaaaaahhhh, how it would have satisfied me to let that one out.

♥♥♥

A similar incident happened before, when we were still living in Laguna. I had a bag and a wallet repaired. I sent the bag and wallet via a courier and just went to the shop in Sta. Ana, Manila, to pick them up. Pagdating ko dun, okay na yun bag, but they couldn't find the wallet.

Shop owner: Di ko makita yung wallet. Sigurado kang may wallet kang pinadala?
TPS: Oho, meron. Pakitanong na lang dun sa anak nyo kasi sa kanya ko ni-address.
Hanap, hanap, hanap...
Shop owner: Di sumasagot ng text si Noli eh. Baka naman nakuha mo na? O kaya pinadala na sa iyo ni Noli?
TPS: Hindi pa ho. Usapan namin ay pi-pick-in ko dito sa shop.
Hanap, hanap, hanap...
Shop owner:  Sigurado ka bang hindi mo pa nakukukuha?
TPS: [please, pasensya, pasensya, pasensya] Hindi ko pa ho nakukuha.
Hanap, hanap, hanap...
Shop owner:  Baka naman nakuha mo na? Wala dito eh.
TPS: Ano ba?! Ilang ulit ko nang sinabing di ko pa nakukuha, tanong ka pa ng tanong? Galing pa ako ng Laguna, sa palagay nyo bibiyahe ako papunta dito para kuhanin ang wallet kung nasa akin na?!! Naiwala nyo ba yung wallet? 

And that time, I really said it. I tried to be as patient as I could, pero, wala, my patience ran thin and snapped, especially since more than an hour na kami sa shop. Long story short, dumating yung anak nya and finally nahanap nila yung wallet.

♥♥♥

It's so frustrating when people are all too quick to wash off their stupidity from their hands and dump the dirty water on you. It especially galls me when they insist that, since they couldn't find the result, item, or what-not, I already have it. What kind of logic is that? 

Tempering My Temper

I was buying a few stuff for the home. Seeing a shorter line in another cashier, I made a beeline for it. I immediately regretted my decision because she moves ever so slowly. I thought, "meh, the one ahead of me is just paying for two umbrellas. How long would it take?" VERY LONG, apparently. My face fell a little when the cashier line I was supposed to queue in in the first place cleared up, and when I was about to transfer, two other customers beat me to it. So I stuck on my line, after all, the umbrellas ahead of me were already rang and paid for. Did you think the cashier proceeded to ring up my purchase? NO! She looked around languidly, seemingly unaware of my impatience. Then she looked at me and said, "Ma'am, lipat na lang kayo sa kabilang cashier kasi babalutin pa yung umbrella." That's when I lost it. I really did. "ANO?! PALILIPATIN MO AKO?! NGAYON?!!! AFTER I WAITED FOR YOU NA MA-PROCESS ANG DALAWANG UMBRELLAS, WHICH TOOK YOU A VERY  LOOOONG TIME? BAKIT, IKAW BA MAG-PA-PACK NYAN? MAY PACKER DYAN DIBA? RING MY PURCHASE AT AKO NA MAG-PA-PACK NG PURCHASES KO." My voice is naturally loud and high-pitched without any trace of lambing; combine that with my [natural] bitchface and you now have an unpinned grenade in your hand. The cashier must have sensed my irritation (to say the least) and immediately rang my purchases. It was over in a few seconds. May ibibilis pa naman pala ang kilos ng cashier na eto, kailangan lang ng konting, ehem, "prodding."

Related thought: I should do something with my temper. Ironically, for someone with an explosive temper, I am surprisingly very patient. As in napakahaba ng pisi ko. Napakahaba. But give me inefficient, illogical, or plainly stupid service, I really crack. I remember getting terrible customer support from Unionbank a few years back, and in my fit of anger, I castigated the agent with so much vehemence that my daughter said that it was like I was breathing fire into the phone. In fairness, in a matter of minutes, naayos nila yung problema. Which again brings up the point, magagawa naman pala ng mabilis, bakit kailangan pang i-prod. Next time, cattle prod gagamitin ko eh. Makita nila. Hmmmppp.

Grumble. Mumble. Tumble.

Although the recent increase in prices left me grumbling and whiny, I never really let it get to me. I mean, que sera sera. Until last night. Last night, the bus charged me more that it charged me in the morning, and when I asked the ticket guy for an explanation, he gave me lip, the bastard!

TG: Eh bakit nyo pa pinakuha ang fare matrix, yun lang pala itatanong nyo. Napunit tuloy! [He was so loud and rude! As in!]

TPS: Kasalanan KONG napunit MO?

Then he gave me a lame-ass explanation.

TG: Magkaiba ho ang singil sa Carolina at sa Magsaysay Avenue.

TPS: Alam ko. Ang tinatanong ko eh bakit ako china-charge ng full distance till the terminal eh bumababa ako 3 km before.

Then came his "almost-lightbulb" moment.

TG: Eh yun ho ang utos ng LTFRB.
TPS: Utos ng LTFRB? Eh binasa mo ba ang fare matrix na ito na galing sa LTFRB? Sabi dito, fixed ang price ng first 5 km, then additional fee for each kilometer. So bakit mo ako sisingilan for 25 km eh 22 km lang ang isinasakay ko.

Then came the hand-washing.

TG: Eh ganon ho ang sabi nung nag-orient sa amin.

TPS: So bakit mas mababa ang charge kaninang umaga na ayon dun sa kunduktor eh per kilometer na ang charging? Magkaiba kayo ng orientation? Ganon?

Then came the palusot moment. By this time, he was already scratching his head and eating his humble pie.

TG: Bago lang ho kasi ako dito.

TPS: So? Sige, kung hindi mo maipaliwanag, sabihin mo sa driver na siya ang magpaliwanag sa akin.

TG: Nagda-drive po eh.

TPS: Di ko sinabing now na. Sige, pagdating ng inspektor, papuntahin mo dito at ipaliwanag nya sa akin.

TG: Sige po. Sasabihin ko po. [Hurriedly left. As in hurriedly, di tuloy nabigay ang sukli nung iba.]

So the ticket guy told the inspector, but the oh-so-brave inspector tried to pass me by, not acknowledging my question and I had to call him and make him explain, but apparently, he couldn't explain it either. It's quite funny, in a mean kind of way, to see an astig-looking guy mumbling excuses and looking all fidgety and dodgy. However, by this time, I was already bothered by my conscience for bitching on the now-hapless guys. It's like picking on the weak. And it's a no, no! Never pick on the weak. But then, they had it coming. I really don't know what ticked me off more, the rudeness, the "cheating," or the incompetence.

On a happier note, I've been on Ebay Addictus maximus mode recently, and just yesterday, I got myself a brand new pair of Tony Bianco shoes. So why am I making all this fuss? Well, as I said, it's brand new, and it's patent leather (so shiny!) and in my favorite style (peeptoe wedge) and color (light blue green), and the clincher? Its SRP is 40 euros (~2800 pesos), and I got it for 305 pesos! Score! Happy much? You betcha! Whoever said money can't buy happiness doesn't know Ebay. *Pipe in some blissful music please*

Uh-Huh...

The househelp is hitting me for a loan to "pay" a priest to bless her house, because, according to her, her dead husband is haunting them and pulling their youngest son's leg when he's asleep.

Uh-huh.

Why do I have a feeling that it's my leg being pulled? And awake at that.

Word of Warning

I shopped at Watson's in SM Sucat last Saturday, and because the cashier rang up my purchase away from my sight, I checked the items listed. I don't usually do this, check the receipt, but, thankfully, I did, because when I saw the receipt, there was a call-out for a soap that I neither ordered nor is in my shopping bag. Sure the soap was cheap, just 25 pesos or so (less than half a dollar), but still. When I asked the cashier where it came from, she told me that it was for the soap I bought, to which I replied that although I bought a soap, it was another brand and was rightfully called in the receipt. She apologized briefly, as in briefly(!) and told me to just get another item of the same price. I know I can demand a refund, but I was in a hurry and did not want to raise a fuss, and I ended up buying the darn soap.

Sharkteeth's First Day of School

'Twas Sharkteeth's first day of school last Thursday, June 14, 2007. TheHusband and I waited by the corridor, and we saw how she easily got bored when none of her classmates seemed to be as enthusiastic in going to the playhouse that HELLO! HAS A TOY COOKING RANGE! WITH DIALS THAT ACTUALLY TURN! and HELLO! HAS A CORDLESS PHONE! And I could read that imp's mind: "What are they waiting for?? How could they not want to play? How could they want to just sit still when the slides, the playhouse, and the swing are all beckoning us?! Why, oh, why, oh, why?" Finally, she was able to coax another kid, the sister of one the students, and that's when the fun started. Thing is, she wouldn't stop...not even when the classes were already starting! She kept on sneaking out of the classroom and going to the playhouse. Oh, foreboding of things to come.

The second day was a bit harder. She had a touch of a cold and slight fever and not a bit of inclination of going to school. When we got to the school, she wouldn't let go of me and wanted to be carried and was all-around bleak. Not even the playhouse could entice her. And this inopportune time was chosen by an intrimitidang babae [very nosy old woman] (the Tagalog just sounds so much more apt, don't cha think?) to drop an advice on how to mold the character of a child, my child, if I may add! "Don't carry her always. That's why she's spoiled!" She managed to give an advice and pass judgment on Sharkteeth in less than 10 seconds! Beat that! And Sharkteeth hasn't even bitten and chewed on her ass yet.