Mga Istoryang Sinauna: Commuter Queen

I miss riding jeepneys. Mostly trikes kasi ang usual public transpo dito sa Dumaguete. Back in my mid-twenties, I was working in Parañaque. So everyday, Mondays to Fridays, kung minsan pati Saturdays, Bulacan to Parañaque ang kino-commute ko -- north to south and south to north. Bus/jeepney-LRT-FX. I had a flexible schedule, so there were times I leave home very early or kung minsan naman I get home very late. 

I was so sleep-deprived that I'd instantly fall asleep once I sit down in the FX, LRT, or jeepney. Minsan, sa harap ako ng jeep nakasakay, and just about 8 kilometers from my home, naisipan kong pang i-bundle up yung windbreaker ko and use it as head cushion...I thought I wouldn't fall asleep because the music was blaring and the gaudy lights were shining so bright. Next thing I know, "Miss, gising na. Nasa terminal na tayo." Haaaaaa??? Buti na lang the driver was on his way home and malapit lang sa amin ang bahay nya. Otherwise, baka pagsakay ko pabalik eh makatulog na naman ako and end up sa Monumento where I started.

I like riding in jeepneys the best because the manner of seating forces you to look at other people, and what better way to while away the time than to study (and speculate/judge?) other people. Iba-ibang klase talaga.

• Merong masungit, kahit anong paabot mo ng pamasahe, deadma. Kung pwede lang akong maging si Lastikman.
•  Merong chikadora, kayang makipagdaldalan kahit kanino. While admittedly madaldal, ayokong may kasabay at kausap sa byahe. I consider it my me-time and the perfect moment to contemplate on existential thoughts. Meganon?!
•  May lovey-dovey. Nagsusubuan pa ng mani, butong-pakwan, butong-kalabasa, itlog ng pugo, shingaling, fish crackers, chicharon, and what-nots. Syempre inggit ako. NBSB pa ako nun eh.
•  Kung may lovey-dovey, may kadiri. Minsan ba naman, may couple, uber-PDA talaga. The guy grinned at me lasciviously, clearly showing off that he was fondling his girlfriend's breast in public. Juskopo. 
•  Kasamahan pa yan ng mga manyak na nanghihimas ng boobs, braso, hita, [insert body part here]. Spell P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C naman.
•  Mawawala ba ang mga nag-ro-rosaryo at novena sa mga byahe? Syempre hindi.
•  May nakasakay naman ako, kadiri. Kumakain ba naman ng lanzones tapos tinatapon sa floor yun balat and seeds. Uggghhh...
•  Merong antukin (*ehem*). Pagdikit ng puwet sa upuan eh tulog agad. Magigising na lang tumutulo na ang laway or leaning on the shoulder of his/her [visibly irritated] seatmate. *Sorry sa mga nasandigan (or natuluan ng laway? eeeewwwwww) ko dati. And thank you na rin.*
• Merong mga babae na mahaba ang buhok na di man lang maisip na itali ang buhok nila, every strand flying to her seatmate's face. Kainez. Sarap sabunutan. Masama pa nyan eh you're wearing your very pretty lip gloss, tapos madidikit sa lips mo yung buhok nya. Kadirrrrssss...
• May mga masipag na estudyante na nag-aaral.
• Of course, may mga mandurukot at holdaper. Thankfully, di ko naranasan yan. Although minsan, sa bus going to Laguna, may nakasakay na akong sindikato. Yung isang group ng lalaki, lahat sila eh nakaupo sa seats na katabi ng aisle, LAHAT SILA AY NAKABUKAKA. Buti na lang nagduda na ako kasi pagpasok ko ng bus nagulat ako sa hitsura nila, kasi nga lahat sila ay nakabukaka. I was thinking, "What's up with that? Are they trying to, uhmmm, aerate their private parts?" Then pagdating nila ng Buendia station, bumaba sila sabay-sabay. Yun pala, kaya sila nakabukaka eh para you'd have trouble maneuvering your way, and all the while, dinudukutan ka na nila. 
• Marami pang iba...

Minsan, I was sitting across a guy -- good looking and neat, mukhang disente. Halos puno na yung jeep, but there was still a space on his side of the jeep. Then may sumakay na girl -- pretty and very modest, parang girl next door. I don't know if he knew her before then or yun ang first time na nakita nya yung girl, pero the moment she stepped in the jeepney, I immediately saw that he had been hit by what Sicilians call the "Thunderbolt." He kept on discreetly (or so he thought) looking at her, who was three seats away. All throughout the time she was in the jeepney, he kept on looking at her. Kung napansin ko, napansin din syempre ng ibang passengers. So ang lolo mo, nagkunwaring tulog, nakasabit ang kamay sa ceiling bars, his head leaning on both his arms, pero huwag ka, pasilip-silip. Nung pumara na yung girl, disappointed yung guy, and as the girl was getting off the jeepney, you can see the longing on the face of the the guy. By that time, I was really rooting for him to gather enough nerve and get off as well and introduce himself. In retrospect, good thing he didn't, kasi, aside from psychos, sino ba ang susunod sa iyo sa madilim na kalsada para lang magpakilala?

Trials And Tribulations

Oh, hi, dear blog-friends! Buhay pa ako. Yay!

I was just so busy. I had to learn a new tool in a matter of hours and turn around urgent files quickly. How quick? The turn-around time was 6 hours! Grabe, muntik nang mag-total eclipse ang heart ko. Corneeeeyyyy. Sorry. Kulang sa tulog.

Needless to say, medyo nataranta ako...medyo naloka ako...medyo nangilid ang luha ko habang nag-wo-work. Sa isang eye lang. And I wiped the tear even before it can fall. I'm hard that way. Hahahaha! Pero diba nga, thankful ako for this work? So I sucked it. There was no choice but to march on. And march I did. For six days. For freaking six days, I barely cooked. I barely mumbled. I barely went out of the house. Okay, tama na. OA na ako. The important thing is tapos na yung project na yun. I can breathe easier.

Or so I thought...

May bagyong padating. Hagupit! Pangalan pa lang takot na ako.

Back in Thursday morning, Dumaguete was included in the list of projected areas that might be affected. Nataranta ako. I bought a powerbank and canned goods. Seems every other Dumagueteño had the same idea. Isang kilometro yata ang haba ng counters. Exagge ako. Hehehehe. Pero very long talaga ang lines. Friday classes were cancelled. Sayang, mahina lang naman ng ulan today. I guess the city government wanted to play it safe. Mahirap nga naman pag inabutan ng ulan ang mga kids. I think Yolanda traumatized all Pinoys, not just Taclobanons.

So far, wala pa namang malakas na ulan. I hope magtuloy-tuloy na ang good weather. And sana wala namang tamaan ng malakas. We all deserve a happy Christmas.

Grace And Thankfulness

It's Thanksgiving next week in the US. Of all the American holidays, it's the one Western holiday that I want to celebrate here in the Philippines. Never mind Halloween (especially since I just get stressed with all the costumes). I just think that we don't say "thank you" often enough.

I have SO MANY things to be thankful for. So many. But there is one that particularly stands out because it brings food to the table, among other things, and lets me earn without needing to leave home. Now the latter remains debatable as a perk, but when you're a mother of a child who is susceptible to all sorts of respiratory infections and gets feverish with every bout of cold, being able to stay at home is a huge benefit.

Back in 2011, I replied to a LinkedIn ad from a company in Europe -- on a lark, mind -- not really expecting anything to come out of it. So I was pleasantly surprised when the editorial manager (EM) replied immediately. Things went pretty fast, and soon I was already receiving steady work from the company, which, for the sake of privacy, I will refer to here as "Castle."

Like I said, Castle provides steady work, although of course there will always be lean times -- even scientists and authors have to rest. Another wonderful perk is Castle's fair rate. I know, and have long accepted, that it is lower than my American or British peers; after all, why would Castle subcontract something if they're not going to have any financial benefit out of it? And yet, Castle's rate remains the highest among my clients. And the most important of all is the gracious EM. There are times (not often!!! *defensive*) when my work isn't as good or when I miss my deadline, yet she's always professional and understanding. Last February, I was midway on a book when Sharkteeth got sick, and ever so gracious, she emailed me, asking me not to worry about the book and to focus on S first. While other EMs would be freaking out by that point, Castle's EM was calm and collected. And have I mentioned their fair rates? I have?! LOL! Well, I can't stress it enough, Castle's rate is very good. So good that it inspires me to work harder. Hahahaha!

It has been more than three years (no jinx please!!!), and I still marvel at this grace I received. Thank you, Castle and your ever-so-gracious EM.

Mga Istoryang Sinauna: Kastilyong Buhangin

2004. Company outing. Sandcastle building. Competitive people. Stuff of legends.

I don't even remember the name of the resort. It was in Batangas -- the far side of Batangas. Parang mas matagal pa ang trip kesa dun sa stay sa resort. Sharkteeth was still a baby then. Ang cute-cute-cute-cute-cute nya nun. [Pagbigyan nyo na ang nanay.]

Diba, ang cute?! Anak, saan napunta ang kulot mong buhok?

Anyhoo, this isn't about Sharkteeth. This is about the sandcastle-building contest. If I remember correctly, mayroong cash prize. Not that we care about the money. It wasn't about the money. It was the bragging rights.

It was a team of copy editors and systems something chienes. The copy editors? Well, what can I say, we were (still are) an enthusiastic and competitive lot, and like good copy editors, we researched online on how to best keep the sand together. One resource recommended starch.

We scheduled a meeting to discuss our strategy. Yes, merong strategy meeting! Para sa sandcastle. Everybody dutifully attended. We had notes, for goodness sake! Everybody was excited. But the excitement level of the copy editors was disproportionately high. In retrospect, I think the systems something chienes guys must have been snickering behind our backs because of our overflowing enthusiasm. Because seriously, aside from kids and Sand Masters, who gets THAT excited over sandcastles?

Heto na! Beach outing na! Sandcastle building na!

Gawgaw? Check! [Pinabili pa ni Tsokoholik yun sa nanay nya.]
Timba? Check! 
Flaglets? Check!
Plastic cups for the towers? Check!

Aba?! Ano eto? Nagdala pa si Onyxx ng small sculpting tools! Artistry? Malaking check!


Isip-isip ko, shoo-in na kami. We researched and planned. We had the necessary tools. The artistry. The confidence and enthusiasm. Sure na sure na sure na eto! Gow!

Kaso the sand wasn't holding up well. *Gawgaw, you had ONE job! Only one job!* Dagdag lang kami nang dagdag ng sand. Dapat pala we shoveled everything into a pile then carved away. But we were nothing but persistent. May puso!

Eventually, nagkaporma rin. We were thinking of adding a foot more of sand to make up the center of the castle. Kaso umulan. Pinatigil na. We didn't have the time anymore to add another foot of sand. Hayun -- ginawa na lang dome. I'd like to believe that it was the dome of a mosque, but honestly, it looked like a solitary boob.

The legendary sandcastle

Long story short, we didn't win. Some other group with a tall castle won. Bitter ang mga copy editors. Yung mga systems something chienes, kyeber lang.

We avoided talking about it when we got back. We avoided talking about it like our lives depended on it. Like if we do NOT talk about it, it must NOT have happened, it did NOT happen. What sandcastle?! I don't remember any sandcastle. Sandcastle? What does that even mean?!

Ang pait-pait.


A couple of years later, nakaya na naming pag-usapan. And when we did, nagpipigil kaming humagikgik kasi naaalala namin ang timba, ang gawgaw, ang flaglets, ang sculpting tools ni Onyxx, ang aming overflowing exuberance. Hanggang ngayon, pag napaguusapan ang sandcastle, lakas pa rin ng tawanan namin. Perhaps to cover up our bitterness.  Hahahahaha!


So there.

Ten years ago. Company outing. Sandcastle building. Sore losers. Stuff of legends.


And I leave you with this song...

Sumpang kastilyong buhangin pala
Pag-ibig na pansamantala, 
luha ang dala
'Yan ang pag-ibig na nangyari sa atin
Gumuhong kastilyong buhangin 

Not Counting Sheep

Dumaguete Capitol

• The bad news I was expecting didn't turn out to be bad after all. 
• Walking, and being lost, led me to discover new shops.
• Preparing for an editing battle.
• Received a new MAC foundation from mother.
• Sharkteeth was overjoyed with the Beanie Buddies book I got from the flea market.

Plans, Planners, And Nonplans

Oh, 2011! I'm not feeling you yet. Your first few days are a series of small miseries, but no matter---I have great plans for you. Hopefully, my undiagnosed ADD wouldn't get on your way too much.  Yes, I have so many plans, yet it is rivaled by just as high a level of laziness and complacency. Anyhoo, here are a few of my plans for January. Let's see who's gonna triumph. *Team Will Power*


1. Get my freelancing website up and running.
2. Get all government paperwork and bureaucracy out of the way.
3. Finish THE project that I've been putting off since forever.
4. Finish THE OTHER project that I've been putting off since forever.
5. Sew a couple of dresses for C, who's happily infanticipating. Sana girl!


I'm hoping to change the look of this blog, but it's not really a priority. My real priority this year is to reduce weight. There, I've said it. Acceptance is the first step, I guess. Anyhoooo...

Speaking of plans, what good is a plan if there isn't a planner? Or is it the other way around? Never mind. I want to share with you something I bought for this new year!

I got it from a seller in Facebook. Lovely, right? I was hesitant at first because I don't know the seller. At all. Long story short, it's one of the few times I gambled on buying something from an online seller with no track record (i.e., Ebay feedback). It's way too expensive for my anguished wallet's taste, but the heart wants what the heart wants. And besides, it's one of my last frivolous buys this year, I hope. My mantra, resolution if you will,  this year is to steadily let go of my material desires. (Ironic, right? To buy something not quite relevant before letting go of material desires.) Can I do it? I'll try. Trying, in fact. Back to the planner. It has charming illustrations and excerpts from Anne of Green Gables. Along with the planner comes a plastic cover with slots, monthly stickers, and a passcase. My only beef is that the dates aren't printed, and my penmanship sucks---years spent learning Paulinian* writing down the drain---and I had to resort to stamping each date one by one. Yes, one by one, all 365 days twice over. And oh, the paper is thinner than I expected. But no matter, it is soooo very pretty, and for me, whose depth of shallowness knows no bounds (why, that oxymoron is simply beautiful), it's the only credential it needs. Of course, it has a calendar, separate annual, monthly, and daily planners, basic monthly finance log, and spaces for notes, grids, and lists. Oh, lovely.


*Paulinian writing: cursive writing, but a Paulinian worth her salt won't be caught dead calling it otherwise.

View From My Window

I worked early this morning, and 'twas one of the few times I pulled the shades up, and the view was breathtaking. Makes me wish I'm a work-at-home mom. Careful what we wish for.

I Was Planning On Posting This Yesterday

You know what the P stands for in TPS? P for procrastination. It's my middle name, you know. Heck, E[k]s and I might even be related.

I was procrastinating a bit on a work I brought home, and you know what I did to procrastinate? I researched on procrastination! Well, here's a flowchart I found that describes the, uhm, "process" (click to enlarge).

From ProjectSideWalk.com. Sorry, my PayPal has zilch moolah at the moment, so here's an IOU on that drink.

Batshit Crazy

I got a much-awaited email yesterday (has something to do with my previous post) and immediately forwarded it to my boss, along with a not-so-nice-but-not-overly-snarky comment about the sender. My thoughts were on something else when I hit the [send] button, and only after a moment did I realize that I did not hit the [forward] button in the first place, but the [reply] one. Ooooopppps. Too late. And this was the precise moment when I got batshit crazy! I must have scared my boss a little (he might even have regretted hiring me in the first place! hahaha!) when I barged into his office, my hair all frizzy, uncombed, and unkempt (just got to work, opened email first), my arms flailing around like Heidi Montag singing Higher, and with my power of speech taking a leave of absence and all that got out from my mouth were graaaaaaaaachhh baaaaaaahh whheeeeeeeeeekkk, which kinda makes a sheep more coherent than me.

I Heart Adverbs!

'Twas a terribly, horribly, freakingly fucking day at work!
No one to blame but myself though.

Tangent thought: I made a cup of cottage cheese last weekend. Cool, right?

More Than Two Weeks Later

It's been more than 2 weeks, and it's only now that I surfaced for the much-needed air. October has been sluggish, work-wise, and it made me so restless, and now that there's so much work to do, I can't seem to see the end of it. Well, I'm not really seeking for the end, God forbid---just a brief pause. You'll have to bear with me, but I promise to post something soon. I'm thinking of making a Madonna/Whore Diary for my dear friend in New Jersey, which I hope to finish before Christmas.