Sa Mga Panahong Ito

Sana kasya pa rin ako sa planggana
Magbababad ako rito maghapon
Kapag lubog na ang araw
Saka lang ako aahon
Kapag wala na ang hunab ng panahon

Sleep and/or Slurp

Kids have a great, amusing way of solving problems.

Siemens' Shitty Service

Me: It's been two weeks. Do you now have batteries for M65?
Saleslady: No. They haven't arrived yet.
Me: But you said you placed your orders two months ago!
Saleslady: We're still waiting...
Me: Can you give me a definite time when it'll arrive?
Saleslady: We'll notify you IF we get them.
Me: (one decibel higher) What do you mean "if?"
Saleslady: Our supplies are automatically sent to Pasig.
Me: Why in Pasig?
Saleslady: Because that's where our repair office is.
Me: You mean all the supplies are in Pasig?
Saleslady: Yes. Our determined clients get their supplies in Pasig.
Me: I am "determined" to get my battery. That's why I've been to every cellphone store here in the mall and they're out of batteries, too!
Saleslady: You have to go to Pasig.
Me: (Smarting up a bit) Wait a minute, you mean to tell me if I live in Dagupan and buy my Siemens phone there, I will be directed to Pasig for my batteries?
Saleslady: Yes ma'am.
A couple of customers heard this part of the exchange, shook their heads and walked out. "Huwag na. Maproblema pala kayo."
The unrelenting me again: Wait a minute, where's your manager?
Saleslady: That will be me, ma'am.
Me: Okay. You placed your orders in February, it still hasn't arrived and it's nearly May. What's being done about it?
Saleslady-who-turns-out-to-be-the-manager: I just follow it up.
Me: No letters to the CEO? No memos to head office? No proposals to change the system?
Manager: I told them during a meeting.
Me: That's it? That's not gonna change anything. Can I write to your CEO? Can I have his name?
Manager: I don't know his name, ma'am.
Me: Will you at least call or text me if you get your supplies?
Manager: We will ma'am. But most likely it can be found in our Pasig office.
Me: You have a lousy after-sales service.
Manager: That's our system, ma'am.

I bought my unit almost two years ago from the Siemens store at SM City. It's so un-feminine. Like Jimny the Cricket. So me. It can store up to a thousand names, multiple entries for each name, plus emails plus birthday plus notes, which to my mind is so journalist-friendly. Water resistant. So fishing-addict friendly.

Months later, Time magazine reported that Siemens was acquired by a company called BenQ. And that the new owners are putting up new systems, new directions, new policies, new products.

BenQ? What kind of a corporate name is that? It sounds juvenile. Like names you'd see spray-painted on walls in some ghetto or back alley of some dangerous neighborhood no one who can afford rent would want to live in.

BenQ. Sounds like a company some drugs syndicates put up.

BenQ...

F-Q!

Naisip Ko Lang...

* Tama si Koryn. Pumapasok ako kahit day off ko hindi dahil required ako, kundi dahil nature ko ang mapraning kapag may nakatenggang gagawin.

* Ang sarap na masakit ang katawan mo dahil sa trabaho pero ang kapalit ay nagawa mo lahat nang nasa listahan mo.

* Ang sarap magtrabaho at mag-move forward ng ideas.

* Ayokong-ayoko sa mga taong nakadikit ang ego sa detalye ng trabaho. Iyong kapag hindi nasunod ang ideya, akala personal.

* Ayokong-ayoko sa mga taong sampung taon na, iyon pa rin ang problema.

* Kung walang music sa isang tenga ko, naiinis ako sa ingay.

* Hindi na nakababawi ng kredibilidad sa akin iyong mga taong nakita kong sadyang nanakit ng loob o nang-api ng kasama sa trabaho.

* Hindi umaasenso sa trabaho at buhay ang mga taong masasama ang ugali.

Hay. Ang sarap nang may trabaho. At ang sarap magtrabaho. At ang sarap maging productive. Salamat po, Big Boss Up There.

Kasmooooooottttt!!!!

iyan. iyan ang naging tawag ko sa mga nag-oovertake nang alanganin. iyong isa sa kanila, iyong kotseng nissan na nasa opposite lane, sa harap ni jimny the cricket napunta. wala naman kasing pupuwestuhan sa unahan ng lane niya. ang ending ni nissan? sa shoulder ng lane ko. buti na lang malayo pa lang naka-menor na ako.

iyan din ang tawag ko doon sa mga nag-oovertake kanina sa akin na wala rin namang pupuntahan at sa harap ko biglang nag-brake.

iyan din ang tawag ko doon sa mga nasa opposite lane na pulgada na lang ang pagitan sa akin bago makapasok ulit sa sariling lane.

kasmot. kaskaserong kakamot-kamot. kakaripas ng takbo tapos motmot pala.

anim na oras ako sa kalye noong martes. anim na oras ulit kanina. nagpunta kami ni jimny the cricket sa la union. nag-alok ako na magsusulat ng wento tungkol sa la union kapalit ng libreng gasolina at konting bayad. excuse para ma-eksperience ko naman si jimny mag-isa. para mabura iyong daga sa dibdib ko tuwing nagmamaneho. once and for all, hinarap ko lahat ng takot ko sa kalye. salamat sa Big Boss Up There, buhay pa naman ako. intayin niyo na lang iyong artikol ko.

balik tayo kay kasmot. sila iyong bilib sa bilis ng sasakyan nila. sila iyong walang pakundangan kahit karga nila ang buong angkan, at kulang na lang ilagay si beybi sa bubong para makahinga sila sa loob. pero kung magmaneho, parang gustong burahin sa mapa ang buong pamilya. at idadamay pa ang ibang gusto lang namang makalayo sa manila ngayong semana santa.

kasmot. isa ka ba sa kanila?

Holy Week Reflections

That's one of the books I'll be reading this holy week. Courtesy of a surprisingly thoughtful doctor who just got back from Appleland. Ambaet! Salamat po, doktor! I am amazed how you got the book delivered to me. Ang galing mong maghanap ng konek sa network. Wagi ka!

Since I started working in the media, I have long accepted that only holy week is THE week. At least three glorious days of rest. Guaranteed. I plan those three days like the landing at Normandy.

I always remember holy week by the places and the books that figured that year. Boracay and that moldy but well-researched book about the Mossad. This remote and by-invitation only resort in Subic and the book entitled "I, Judas." Siquijor and that lousy book written by this lady royalty from Iraq. (The book should not be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown against a wall, with force).

Last year I brought just one book. Fried Green Tomatoes. And finished it in one sitting. Dang. There was nothing else to read in the resort but some German and Dutch books. Hence I volunteered to wash the dishes and wait on tables at the resort. Humility. And discounted food. And a little lesson in social graces. Not bad.

This year, I am making sure I won't run out of things to read. I have a double-issue of Newsweek, Time, Oscar Wilde's "Picture of Dorian Gray" and that Eugen Kogon book from the surprisingly nice doctor from Appleland who wouldn't give little David his email address. Back-up is Nikolai Gogol's "Diary of a Madman and other stories."

I've been looking for "The Theory.." for years now. I saw it on one of those shelves along Recto. I just paid my tuition and payday was a long way off. When I finally had the money, it was gone. The bookstores don't have it. For years, I kept bugging bookstores to order it but they all say it's no longer in print. And since I shun credit cards, (Ilokano ako, ano'ng magagawa ko?) Amazon is not an option.

Till the nice doctor who just returned from Appleland.

I really believe nice things happen to nice people. Hahaha! (There. I am in need of lessons in humility. Naubos na. Isang taon na kasi nang last akong mag-waitress at dishwasher.)

Again, salamat po, Doktor!

Prayers

(Ate says you were praying here)
Except for those years I quit smoking (and was able to climb level 3 mountains), I've never been able to breathe as freely as I did today- when your dad made it out of ICU, after hitting 512 in blood sugar level. I prayed so darn hard that you'd have him for long. Longer than I had my dad. A lotttttt longer.

There's A World Outside Your Window

*from a song whose title escapes my mind right now.

I should have had that deal vetted by the bosses...
Wonder how I'd go to that meeting outside the office later...
How can I pull down the cost of the episodic OBB of...
How will I have that docu run....
That project has not moved the past three days....

Funny how a short walk to the other end of the hallway where the toilets are becomes an opportunity to mull over problems. Like a tsunami, a surprising wave of worries snatch me away and drown me everytime I take that route.

"Nasaan na ba iyong sabon dito? Dito ko lang inilagay. Paano ko lilinisin ang banyo ninyong mga girls ngayon? Baka itinapon na. Baka nahakot na iyong basura..."

The alarm in her voice punctures all my confused thought bubbles. Right that minute, nothing in her universe mattered but that soap. Like the fate of humankind rests on the missing soap, and how only that soap can set things right.

I smiled. My problems are minute.

And everything fell into place. My world is set aright.