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