i'm engaged!

oh yes, i am.

the big day is set february next year.




unknown even to my closest friends and family i met someone a month ago and i never thought we'd be engaged this soon.

you wouldn't believe it...



you better not.




because, today is april fool's day!



hehehehe....


(alam ko wala rin naman akong napaniwala haha! but i thought it would be the biggest joke if it were true... :-) wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! thursday na bukas!)

even dora grows up...

if not for the downloaded recordings i got from chico and del's top 10 courtesy of ate, i would not have known that Dora the explorer, my cousin jeri's favorite, is now all grown-up...dati rugrats lang, ngayon pati si dora, hehe :-)

sobrang huli na ako sa balita hehe... the corny in me strikes and i suddely hear the music to the 1980s ad for a sanitary pad, dalaga ka na, hindi na bata.... hahahaha!

time to grow-up mean!

hay lahat na lang sila lumaki na :-) ako na lang hindi hehe...

galing kay grasya (aka wace): walang kwenta pero nakakatawa!

I got this from an email... pamabawi sa nakakakulo ng dugo na entry ko kaninang umaga. iyong iba, medyo luma na, pero meron din namang bago...ang lahat ng sumusunod ay dahil sa laughter daw is pagtawa in tagalaog...haha...

the subject reads: walang kwenta pero nakakatawa :-)

Motto of the day: "Masarap magmahal kung ang minamahal mo ay masarap"
****
Makabagong kasabihan: Kagandahan edition
1 ) Para sa magaganda: "aanhin mo ang ganda, kung wala ka namang papa."
2 ) Para sa gustong magpaganda/retokada : "kung gusto mong lumandi, tiisin mo ang hapdi"
3 ) Para sa mga feeling magaganda: "talbog ang matigas na tinapay sa tigas ng mukha ng nagmamagandang inday"
4 ) Para sa mga walang ganda: "mabait man daw at magaling, ang chaka-chaka pa rin"

****
Words to live by ng mga bading (hehehe)
"Walang kaibi-kaibigan pag agawan na ng dyowa ang usapan"
"Sa hinaba-haba man ng prusisyon, bading din pala ang magiging karelasyon."
"Walang matinong lalake sa malanding kumpare"
"Aanhin mo ang guwapo, kung mas malandi pa sa iyo?"
"Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling dyowa, sa mga bath houses naglipana."
"Matalino man daw ang bading, napeperahan pa rin."

***
T: Ano ang pinakamasakit na maramdaman kung matanda na tayo?
S: 'Yung paggising mo, tapos, pagtingin mo sa tagiliran, matanda rin ang iyong katabi.

***
Symptoms of a CERTIFIED SINGLE:
· Mahilig kumain.
· Panalo ang social life. Alam lahat ng gimikan at mall sale.
· Hayok sa tulog.
· Gadget-addict.
· Sa cellphone, group message nang group message ng quotes.
· Ngumingiti kahit nag-iisa.
· Tumataba.
· Porma to the max.
· Mukhang happy kahit hindi naman talaga.

Symptoms of a CERTIFIED TAKEN:
· Walang pera.
· Mukhang ngarag at laspag.
· Kuripot.
· Blooming, kasi, kailangan para hindi iwan.
· Walang social life kundi dyowa niya.
· Boring kausap.

***
Mga PAMATAY na HIRIT
"Kumain ka ba ng asukal? Ang tamis kasi ng ngiti mo!"
"May lahi ka bang keyboard? Type kasi kita!"
"Ipapupulis kita! Ninakaw mo kasi ang puso ko!"
"Are you a dictionary? Kasi, you add meaning to my life."
"Meron ka bang lisensya? Kasi, you drive me crazy."
"I lost my number. Can I have yours?"
"Angel ba ang name mo? Kasi, you look like one."
"I forgot your name. Can I call you mine?"
PAMATAY na REPLY
"Excuse me, kumain ka ba ng mais? Ang corny mo kasi!"

****

7 tips para maiba naman ang araw mo:
1. Sikmuraan ang unang taong kasalubong at humingi ng sorry.
2. Uminom ng pampatulog labanan ito, magexercise.
3. Tibagin ang bahay gamit ang kutsara at buuin muli.
4. Himatayin kunwari sa daan, tiyaking may tao.
5. Tahiin ang puwet at magpatingin sa doctOR
6. Kurutin ang nakababatang kapatid pagkatapos unahan mong umiyak.
7. Makapagtitigan sa isda. Huwag titigil hanggat hindi ito kumukurap...

****
MISTER: wala akong tulog dahil naiisip ko P500K na utang ko kay pare.
MISIS: madali yan! Tawagan mo si pare, sabihin mong hindi ka makakabayad sa utang mo para siya naman ang hindi makatulog!

****
JUDGE: isa ka palang pusher, kidnapper, gun for hire, gambling lord,swindler at bugaw! Wala ka bang matinong hanapbuhay?
ACCUSED: meron po. Pulis po ako.

****
JEEP PASSENGER: manong bayad.
JEEP DRIVER: saan galling?
JEEP PASSENGER: sa akin.
JEEP DRIVER: papunta saan?
JEEP PASSENGER: sayo.

****
Babae: Doc, kumusta na ang asawa ko?
Doc: Sorry ma'am. Mula ngayon, ikaw na ang magpapakain at magpapaligo sa kanya, kasi, putol na ang kanyang mga kamay at paa.
Babae: Hah?! Hin di nga?!?
Doc: Hehehe! Ninerbyos ka ano? Joke lang! Patay na sya!

****
Mrs: Naniniwala ka ba na ang babae habang tumatanda ay gumaganda?
Mr: Oo naman.
Mrs: Sa tingin mo, gumaganda ba ako?
Mr: Sa tingin ko, hindi ka tumatanda.

****
Son: Itay, pinagalitan ako ng titser ko!
Dad: Bakit?
Son: Hin alikan ko po ang seatmate ko.
Dad: Tong anak ko, manang mana. Hehehe. Eh, masarap ba?
Son: Opo, pogi po sya eh.

****
Lasing: Hoy! Sinong matapang?! Labas!
Lalake: Ako! Bakit? Lalaban ka?!
Lasing: Pare, ihatid mo naman ako sa bahay, natatakot ako kay misis eh.

****
Tatay: Asensado na talaga ang anak natin sa US . Ito, nagpadala ng picture, nakasandal sa kotse. Basahin mo nga ang nakasulat sa likod.
Nanay: Inay, nagpapasalamat ako, kasi, kung hindi dahil sa kotse na ito, natumba na ako sa sobrang gutom.

****
GREAT FACTS
Regular naps prevent old age, especially if you take them while driving.
Having one child makes you a parent; having two makes you a referee
Marriage is a relationship wherein one person is always right and the other person is the husband.
They said we should all pay our taxes with a smile. I tried but they wanted cash.
The human brain functions 24 hours/day, 365 days/year until you fall for someone...

****
BERTO: Ano ang mas mahalaga, pera o asawa?
ROMY: Syempre, pera! Kasi, ang pera, habang tumatagal, lumalaki ang interes. Ang asawa, habang tumatagal, nawawalan ka ng interes, tapos, inuubos pa ang pera mo

****
2 Mag-amiga naglasing. Paguwi natae sila at sa sementeryo inabutan. Ang isa ginamit ang panty pamunas tsaka tinapon. Yung isa, nakakita ng bouquet ng flower sa puntod at ginawang pamunas. Kinabukasan, sabi ng mga asawa nila:
JUAN:Pare, bantayan natin mga misis natin...Misis ko umuwi kagabi walang panty!
PEDRO: Mas grabe misis ko pare...Merong card nakadikit sa puwet na may nakasulat "We'll never forget you. From all the guys at the OPERATIONS DEPT."

****
Guwapo nagtext: Luv, p load nman P100.
Bakla: Ok! (Nagmamadaling naghanap ng loading station).
Bakla: Narecieve mo na luv?
Guwapo: Hu u?

****
In the middle of a baptismal rite, a bishop officiating said:
"Ang lambot naman ng ulo ng bata..."
The pretty mother replied: "Father...dede ko po yan!"

****
Ama: Bading ka ba?
Anak: Opo, dadi
Ama: (Dinuldol sa harina c jr). Ano?! Bading ka pa ba?!
Anak: Hin di na po.
Ama: Eh anon a?
Anak: Geisha na po! (Ang taray!)

Mary Grace A. Calingasan

Project Development Specialist

DMCI Homes

5th Floor DMCI Homes Corporate Center

1321 Apolinario St. , Bangkal

Makati City

i hate to ruin your monday

i was hoping for a better week, until i ran into this article. i thought this deserves every Filipino's attention. this man knows nothing about Filipinos. i am affected because he doesn't have the slightest idea of the magnitude of the sacrifice our fellow Filipinos have to endure to keep living decent lives even if they have to be subordinates of people like this writer.

NB: article copied directly from HK magazine online

***

The War at Home
March 27th, 2009

The Russians sank a Hong Kong freighter last month, killing the seven Chinese seamen on board. We can live with that—Lenin and Stalin were once the ideological mentors of all Chinese people. The Japanese planted a flag on Diàoyú Island. That’s no big problem—we Hong Kong Chinese love Japanese cartoons, Hello Kitty, and shopping in Shinjuku, let alone our round-the-clock obsession with karaoke.

But hold on—even the Filipinos? Manila has just claimed sovereignty over the scattered rocks in the South China Sea called the Spratly Islands, complete with a blatant threat from its congress to send gunboats to the South China Sea to defend the islands from China if necessary. This is beyond reproach. The reason: there are more than 130,000 Filipina maids working as $3,580-a-month cheap labor in Hong Kong. As a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter.

As a patriotic Chinese man, the news has made my blood boil. I summoned Louisa, my domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, hung a map on the wall, and gave her a harsh lecture. I sternly warned her that if she wants her wages increased next year, she had better tell every one of her compatriots in Statue Square on Sunday that the entirety of the Spratly Islands belongs to China.

Grimly, I told her that if war breaks out between the Philippines and China, I would have to end her employment and send her straight home, because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day. With that money, she would pay taxes to her government, and they would fund a navy to invade our motherland and deeply hurt my feelings.

Oh yes. The government of the Philippines would certainly be wrong if they think we Chinese are prepared to swallow their insult and sit back and lose a Falkland Islands War in the Far East. They may have Barack Obama and the hawkish American military behind them, but we have a hostage in each of our homes in the Mid-Levels or higher. Some of my friends told me they have already declared a state of emergency at home. Their maids have been made to shout “China, Madam/Sir” loudly whenever they hear the word “Spratly.” They say the indoctrination is working as wonderfully as when we used to shout, “Long live Chairman Mao!” at the sight of a portrait of our Great Leader during the Cultural Revolution. I’m not sure if that’s going a bit too far, at least for the time being.

Chip Tsao is a best-selling author and columnist. A former reporter for the BBC, his columns have also appeared in Apple Daily, Next Magazine and CUP Magazine, among others.

***

of savior siblings and designer babies

disclaimer: I am no expert as far as this topic is concerned but coming across this topic sure fired up my interest in what i am doing here in this fish bowl (aka, RA's room). i am beginning to revive the sense of being relevant again. (charing! hehe)

*****
here's an excerpt from one of the articles (Sheldon & Wilkinson, 2004) i am using for my report:

"Recent high profile cases in Australia, the UK, and the USA have brought to the public’s attention a new kind of embryo selection. By using HLA (human leucocyte antigen) typing, popularly known as ‘‘tissue typing’’, in conjunction with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), doctors are now able to pick an embryo for implantation which, if all goes well, will become a ‘‘saviour sibling’’, a brother or sister capable of donating life-saving tissue to an existing child. In the UK, the most recent case to reach the courts and the newspapers
is that of the Hashmis. Their son, Zain, has b-thalassaemia, a blood disorder which could
be cured using tissue from the umbilical cord of a sibling, but only if the sibling is a tissue match.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority gave permission for the Hashmis to
select a saviour sibling for Zain. This decision was swiftly challenged in the courts, with the UK High Court finding that the selection of a saviour sibling was unlawful. In May 2003, the Court of Appeal overturned this decision, declaring that tissue typing can be authorised under current legislation."

****

the issue is surrounded by controversies. in my own limited understanding, saviour siblings are babies which are successfully developed from an embryo that a doctor picks out from among several other embryos (meaning fertilized na), hoping that this saviour baby would be a perfect tissue match to his or her older brother or sister. their purpose for making sure that there would be a genetic match, is for the "saviour sibling" to save his ate or kuya from certain conditions, say bone marrow transplants, or in the case presented in the article, beta-thalassemia (a genetic blood disorder wherein the person has reduced hemoglobin levels in blood; hemoglobin is important in making sure, different parts of the body receives oxygen, kumbaga jeep sya at ikaw un oxygen, haha what a lame metaphor!).


for lay people like us, it would appear that the saviour baby is "manufactured" to benefit his or her older sibling, although the intention is to save a life, these babies could soon be nothing less of a mere commodity. furthermore, what some experts in embryology fear is the fact that it could be a dangerous first step towards allowing parents to choose other characteristics such as hair color, sex and eye color of their babies--or the rise of the so-called designer babies.


issues like these deserve a proper venue for discussion. it is not enough for ordinary people like us to hear about these stories and do nothing. we can always educate ourselves to understand these issues. sometimes, both knowing too much and knowing too little can be dangerous. those more knowledgeable could not blame those who have limited grasp of issues like these when we get caught up with fear of what we do not fully understand. we are all part of humanity and i guess it is only proper that we get involved in matters that concern our life. and we should always make an effort to stay informed before passing any judgment on certain matters. it may sound cool in the beginning, until we realize, what lines are we crossing?

sufferable vs insufferable

for someone who is trying to be optimistic, i must be more pessimistic (i think there is a similar quote which goes, for a pessimist, i am quite an optimist? something like that)

i'm struggling to stay positive. today is monday. that is why. i want to believe there is still hope for me and the work that i do, haha that is a bit overdramatic :-)


here are garfield images i got from google and photobucket which can hopefully make our monday a little less insufferable... make that more sufferable (i chose sufferable because although it sounds negative, it is more positive than the negative unbearable, hehe...)


have a sufferable monday everyone! and again, better days after today! :-) otherwise, you will find me posting a similar entry, for tuesday, and wednesday, and thursday, and friday... and you wouldn't want that :-) hehe

sa totoong buhay

when i was small, make that younger (i've always been small in height, i sadly am gaining weight :-D), well when i was a kid (that's more like it), i remember always starting my questions with, Mama, sa totoong buhay ba ganun din? Ate, sa totoong buhay ba etc. I have forgotten what the questions were about but i distinctly remember that phrase i always used.

sa totoong buhay.


maybe it was because of the television, it seemed that i had the impression that the things i saw on TV were not of the "real world". that the cartoons, the actors and everything else were just made for TV.

but then what is there sa totoong buhay?

sa totoong buhay...

• you don't always get what you want. unlike the many hollywood movies we've seen, our lives are not made for the movies :)
• lagi pa ring huli ang mga pulis dumating sa crime scene
• hindi laging orange juice, hotdog, bread, bacon and eggs (na pagkadamidami kahit na 3 lang ang nasa screen na kumakain) ang almusal. para sa ibang tao, sapat na ang pan de sal na sinwsaw sa kape (yumme) para sa isang masayang almusal
• inaapi lang ang nagpapaapi (hehe!)
• when sombody dies, they are really gone for good. you don't just see them dead and the next day dancing on tv to promote their film
• we have to learn to make big and small decisions ourselves, and more importantly, to stand by those decisions, whether or not things end up okay or otherwise
• walang superheroes, bagong bayani lang hehe, and seriously, real life heroes who make a difference in other people's lives
• hindi lahat ng tao ay nakakaranas ng maliliit na ginahawang tinatamasa mo
• failure is NOT fatal. it's true, we can always try until we make it good.
  

• cancer does not cause hair loss. the radiation does this. (i then had the silly notion that cancer patients automatically lose their hair). and many people have proven that cancer can be beaten
• children grow up, really fast, yun rugrats nga naging all-grown-up :-). i guess both parents and kids should savor each moment of childhood ;-) before it's all gone

• monsters are everywhere! in the guise of bad leaders in government and other institutions, corruption and greed, poverty and senseless killings. these are some of the monsters reality brings us. darn, we sure hope we can do something about them
  

• you can't expect everyone to treat you fairly, but it should not keep you from dealing with others fair and square
• kelangan mo mag hanapbuhay :-) kaya stop the rambling mean hehe! back to work!
  

happy weekend sa lahat! sa totoong buhay man o sa alternate reality ninyo!

image credits:from google image search :-)

this could be the secret to your happiness... hehe

wherever you are, be there. -
ralph waldo emerson





image from: http://tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:jcETSLpvSiBvxM:http://rlv.zcache.com/wherever_you_go_there_you_are_tshirt-p235865069431082749yfjj_400.jpg

the crazy case of meanjamin mutton (haha!)

just like most of you today, i can hardly focus on work. i've had enough sharing of frustrations so i will spare you the rants, besides, today should be another happy friday the 13th. (the second of the three we are having this year)

in the middle of my busy-busyhan (i was actually working on a report) my friend and former teacher (oh yes! hehe), shares a creepy photo of me with button eyes. you can make your own button eyes and do the same for the rest of your friends in the movie's web site.

i have some variations for the title of this entry:

- bawal na gamot (willie garte)
- model employees (dahil sa kalokohan namin)
- mumu (kasi natakot talaga ko sa itsura ko nun una)

i hope everyone who reads this will have a great weekend... and better days ahead!

in closing, this is the picture of the culprit who told me: wag nang labanan ang friday madness (aka, natatamad nang gumawa, hehe)...ayun!

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

words and music by Eric Idle

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...

And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...

If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing.

And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...

For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow.

So always look on the bright side of death
Just before you draw your terminal breath

Life's a piece of shit
When you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true.
You'll see it's all a show
Keep 'em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you.

And always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the right side of life...
(Come on guys, cheer up!)
Always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the bright side of life...
(Worse things happen at sea, you know.)
Always look on the bright side of life...
(I mean - what have you got to lose?)
(You know, you come from nothing - you're going back to nothing.
What have you lost? Nothing!)
Always look on the right side of life...

Kamunimuni (hindi kamuhimuhi)

curtain raisers :-p

"muhi" is bad... let's just settle with pagmumuni and no more pagkamuhi :-p no matter how bad some people can prove to be... let us just look on the bright side of life ika nga...

***

i remember giving a copy of Desiderata to Ate, just when she was getting really toxic at work. i know how she is. she's always been dedicated. you should see her working late kahit nasa bahay na tapos maaga papasok the next day. kahit nasa biyahe palang kami papuntang makati, iniisip na nya yun mga gagawin nya para sa team nya... work work work. I've always wished i could have the same focus and direction that she has. sabog kasi ako eh. i am proud of my sister for everything she is and i really wish she takes desiderata by heart (and i want to do the same, i think she has embraced it already). love you ate :-)

*******

Desiderata

by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

by Max Ehrmann

what's your pick-me-upper?

sabi nga ng lumang komersyal... kunsumido yun mamang pulis dahil sa mabigat na trapik sa siyudad... (na nakaka-miss rin lalo na un maiingay na busina, tahimik kasi rito sa probinsiya hehe...)

may lalapit sa kanyang mama at magsaabing:

"times like this... you need a juicy!" hehe...

sa gitna ng sari-sarili nating pagsubok na pinagdadaanan (naks!) we can all use a good pick-me-upper :) alot of these actually...


sokoleyt....

kopi...

musika...

comforting hug...

maraming dasal...

taos-pusong ngiti...

saganang happy memories...








siguradong marami pang pang pagaan ng loob na tinatago kayo... (wag nang ipagdamot kasi we can all use a good pick-me-upper ;-)

today is thursday

i am supposed to be writing for "official business" but i couldn't help to ramble on today...especially on a thursday, my favorite day of the week (for the main reason that tomorrow is friday! i don't like fridays too much because sooner it'll be monday again hehe)

i previously had an entry about counting the days. these days, i have been counting the days a lot for many reasons, and you probably know the MAIN reason, but let us not dwell on that.

let us talk about how you can tell the day of the week without really knowing. (huh?!) sometimes, we just haul ourselves to work for the sake of getting the day over with, unaware what day of the week it is. when you count the days like i do, i unknowingly pay attention to the little details of my week. and i always get mixed feelings every time another week is over. time really flies fast, it has been almost six months since i moved here for work, but i still want to click fastforward. (although when i realize and think about what would happen next when i do fastforward time, it hits me, like cold halohalo in a warm summer afternoon, idon't really know what i want to happen next... i guess, i should just let it be...)

maybe it's best to just live the days...pick up a lesson or two along the way... make somebody smile...touch other lives because life is never just about you and you even invite good karma by doing so hehe...

i'm rambling again just to clear my thoughts... i think it's becoming a habit; before once again plunging into another month of cerebral-constipation induced by the work i do. (i'm guessing you could now tell how much i love what i do, haha!)

here are some of the "indicators" of which day of the week it is in the life of me. :-p

Today is thursday:

• the tip of my fingernails begin to show white :) it means i need to cut em really short again over the weekend
• slept late last night because of the American idol performance night
• i will be watching the results later, hehe...
  
• i'm thinking of wearing my rocker shirt tomorrow (dress

down friday ba ang tawag dun? but i am always dressed down, hehe)

• clothes in the hamper are piled up. we might load our laundry tonight.
  
• i should be finished with the preparations for the next paper i am supposed to finish
• that's why I am rambling :-)

i hope everyone I know is having a great week! i wish the same for me...

on motivation

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

--Marriane Williamson (from thinkexist.com)

Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice.

--Wayne Dyer

too late...

i just learned jason mraz is having a show tomorrow. had i known much earlier, napagipunan pa sana hehe... nek time na lang :p

Details:
5 Mar 2009
Thur, 08:00PM
Singapore Indoor Stadium
Standard ticket prices - S$145, S$100, S$85, S$75

re-post from the sistic website:

Here’s your March music remedy. International man of melodies, Jason Mraz is yours on March 5th at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The Grammy nominated singer-songwriter returns as part of a world tour, in support of his third album “We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.”

As many would attest, Jason Mraz is as brilliant live as he is on record, if not better, hooking new and die hard fans the world over. Witty and engaging on stage, the acclaimed artist is one of today’s most exciting musicians, weaving his musical tapestry with often poetic lyricism.

Mraz released his 2002 breakthrough album, "Waiting for My Rocket to Come" with hits such as "Remedy (I Won't Worry)," "You & I Both" and "Curbside Prophet." In 2005, he returned with his Grammy-nominated, “Mr. A-Z," which continued his chart success with "Wordplay." Since then, he has been packing small to major venues, sharing his passion, his life and stories through his music.

So get onboard people, on this incredible musical journey you can’t miss.

is this good or what?

I’ve been wrestling with my thoughts about what happened yesterday at work.

I was in a meeting with my supervisor to receive feedback regarding the report I submitted (from where several other papers are bound to be developed). We discussed for more than an hour and he wanted me to have 3 satellite papers based on the initial report I submitted. He tried to be generous with positive feedback about how well written the report was and had his own comments that I needed to address to improve the paper. Everything was okay. I was able to take in everything and I asked for a reasonable deadline of 3 months for the 2 papers. He wanted it sooner.

In my head, I started to feel like telling him that I am no research paper factory. That I am here, bearing the sadness of being away from home, to work under reasonable deadlines and produce results. I know I am someone who can deliver; I’ve known that from the short work experience I’ve had of five years. I would like to believe that my former supervisors could tell that I am capable of doing good work. Although I got myself into this knowing that there is not much of a career path in the academe for me, I have always believed in experience as the best teacher. Every pebble I pick up in this journey shall find its use in the future. I know it can lead me to better opportunities eventually.

The straw that broke the came’s back was this. After the bombardment of having me accomplish two review papers which he intends to publish in two different journals [he sugarcoats this with promises of using these publications to boost my chances of getting an outright entry into one of their PhD programs—something I’d rather see happening before I can believe], he takes an A4 envelope and asks me to do him a favor.

He takes out one survey form from the envelope and tells me to help him input the answers to a data management program.

No problem, I thought, I can do that, I didn’t mind doing extra work for as long as I feel that I am not taken advantage of. (except for the monotony and the eyestrain from doing repetitive clerical duties). I’ve had my share of issues dealing with the “abuse” from too much work and the other “players” of a particular work environment. There was I time, I took everything in, and I ended up a huge basket case. I did not want that to happen again.

Then he takes 18 more envelopes from his back. I counted them today, 300 survey forms!!!! And he calls it a favor. I am forever searching for motivation, and he gives me this load of call-it-how-you-want. What I do not like is how he penny-pinches, not getting extra manpower to do other things that he needs done, and simply dumping work to his able staff (we are 3 research assistant under him). I was hired for a particular project and here I am encoding for another. Then he doesn’t stop there. He asks me what analysis I can do on the data afterwards. Your supervisor believing in your capabilities and hoping you would develop more skills is one thing, using you for his own benefit is an entirely different thing. What he did yesterday was totally screaming of the latter.

I have always wanted a supervisor who could be mentor material. It has always eluded me for one reason or another (a couple of times, I did not stay long in the job, but I’ve had good ones). It is simply frustrating, being under the reigns of people who do not understand what they want, and asks for things he does not even understand.

To cut the story short, I agreed to do the coding and encoding, and try my best to give him at least a descriptive analysis (he wanted to do factor analysis, and I am not familiar with it although I can study and learn the theory and techniques). I told him I could not carry all the stuff because of my bad back. I asked him if he could have somebody deliver it to the RA’s room to the building across his office. As he is short of man power, for more reasons than his stingy ways would allow, bigger ones which I will no longer mention as it would only devalue my point—he carried all the stuff himself.

When we got to our office, he was telling me again to do the factor analysis, then, to the surprise of my friend who was sitting on the adjacent cubicle, she heard me say, in an obviously upset tone, “I can only do descriptive analysis!” , I was not even aware that my tone was different. I felt that I just had enough of him for the past two hours and it showed. He calls my friend to his office and asks her under confidentiality what made me upset. He told her he was worried.

Then I got more upset about being upset, because I was never like this. I can put up with things, but my previous experience of being overworked told me, I had to set limits. I had to assert without actually saying that there is a monetary price for everything I do, that I do not want anyone to take advantage of me. I just don’t want anybody to do that to me, because I know I am fair in my dealings with people. But I know that in reality, we cannot expect others to be fair just because we are fair. That is one dreadful bite of reality.

I hope I am still okay. I hope that I did not become less of who I am because of what I did (the whole thing about showing my dismay and disappointment without me being aware it actually showed), I was able to express something I am not used to letting out—was it annoyance, exasperation and frustration? My greatest fear about what happened is having done something offensive, kung naging rude ba ako o bastos for having done these things. My friend tells me, it only shows that I am human and that it is okay to have unpleasant reactions. Normal lang daw ako nun mga panahon na iyon.

I only wish I can take out the bad feeling sooner. I just had to let it out through writing.


I think now, I can work again.

on friendship...

image from: http://allthingschill.com/img/calvin_et_hobbes_2.jpg

"Always set high value on spontaneous kindness. He whose inclination prompts him to cultivate your friendship of his own accord will love you more than one whom you have been at pains to attach to you."-- Dr. Samuel Johnson