Tao of Alba

TAO OF ALBA

Thursday, September 30, 2004 9:38 AM

I do think that my blog needs a major overhaul. Although this template is the one that I've used for the longest time.

I also think that I need the time to do that and unfortunately, I have trainings, conferences, and seminars to organize and study for.

Hay naku.

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Monday, September 27, 2004 8:06 PM

someone is trying to tell me something

Take this quiz to find out what celebrity you're going to kill in the future.

Turned out that I'm going to kill both Legolas and that Aragorn dude. How? I'm going to run them over with a car!!

Hmmm... and I just got pulled over by a policeman 10 hours ago... *contemplating

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11:27 AM

It's not even lunchtime and there's already a lot of excitement going on. After combing cityland for long white folders to encase the sacred Mexican visa application, Bembol and I took a nosedive in Makati traffic to get over to Dasmariñas. (Btw, Bembol has a new set of shock absorbers and rack ends --> to be blogged in another entry).

It turns out that the Mexican consul has the same birthday as mine! And he just approved my visa right there and then. I'll get my passport back on Thursday. Yey!

Of course, I had to rush back to the office since I didn't file for an official leave. And in my haste, my insane-driving-skills-slash-stupidity possessed my brain and I got caught by Makati traffic police (you know, those yellow people) for reckless driving. There's a Php 2,000 fine, and a seminar to redeem stupid people like myself.

Unfortunately, I have to leave for Mexico on Saturday, and my driver's license is my only proof of identification aside from my passport since my SSS card hasn't been given, so I did what any desperate-crazed-woman-driver would do: LIE.

I was never an actress all through the time that I headed the theater org in college, but I deserved an Oscar this morning. Especially the teary-eyed, cluelessly lost girl I pulled off. (I told you having a provincial address really, really helps). I got to the office 5 minutes before my self-imposed deadline.

I really should start convincing myself to go to confession before the trip.

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Friday, September 24, 2004 9:26 AM

Two weeks ago I was at a critic's night of Viare's Subtext. I had to go and give inputs since I trained the Audience Development team for the production. Anyway, I was horribly late for the first play and when I sat with a friend (whom I haven't seen in a long time), I loudly asked, "who is that?" Unfortunately, because of my condescending tone, everybody heard me and practically gaped, "that's Victor Neri, pa-picture ka?"

Oh so that's him...

That was the last thing I heard about the guy until this morning when my cousin told me he got into a car accident last night. Three of his friends were in critical condition, or so I was told.

Although I have no comments about his live acting (there is a difference between live and onscreen), I just hope he and his friends will survive this.

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Wednesday, September 22, 2004 1:12 PM

that's what you call PR!

A fax from Mandarin Hotel was addressed to me. My boss couldn't stop laughing for ten minutes. The staff giggled. The IT person was horrified. The President ordered me to "blacklist" the hotel.

Why?

Instead of putting Institute of Corporate Directors as the company name, the Conference Services Manager placed Institute of Corporate DISASTERS.

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Tuesday, September 21, 2004 1:28 PM

At this day in year 1972, Martial Law was declared. That was how Marcos assaulted Philippine Democracy. And then everything went crazy after that. The seeds of corruption were sown. In fact, these seeds grew into super-weeds that we can't seem to get rid of.

The problem in this country is that we can't acknowledge these super-weeds as reminders of the amount of work that we still have to do to make this nation all that it can be. All we do is cut the blades and leave the roots alone until they sprout up again, the fiscal crisis and the GOCC-GFI salaries hullaballoo as the latest guises.

What to do... what to do... sigh

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Monday, September 20, 2004 11:15 AM

another "enlightening" moment

I've reached into another moment where I realize and therefore acknowledge change and growth in myself and the people around me.

I won't let readers of this blog suffer by writing down a long and boring post, but I'd like to drive my point into one very vivid sentence: Never in my childhood dreams did I imagine myself to come this far, so how in the world did I get here?.

Nothing always turns out the way you plan them. Life is exciting that way. And did I ever think of working in an NGO and advocating corporate governance while I was 12? Of course not. I was battling the demons that usually haunt twelve-year-olds and not really concerning myself with financial, economic, political, or even fiscal crises. Yes, despite what people think, I did have a normal childhood.

Who would ever think that Bundi would start a company with his peers? Or Cris would work in an ad agency four floors down my office? Or who would ever think of blogging 6 years ago?

Okay. Defining moment over. Back to work, people.

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Friday, September 17, 2004 11:31 AM

I think this is the start of the crazy boss series. The new training director just came in this month and I thank God everyday that he has a brilliant mind, a kind heart, and a great sense of humor! Even staff meetings are funnier than usual now that he's in ICD. Like this morning, it was so obvious that everybody needed some sleep because of the overtime last night and the early breakfast function we had about the fiscal crisis. When we got to the office we were cracking jokes about the ~~stupid~~ unenlightened navy person that tried to stump the Jesus Estanislao but failed miserably. (I've asked this before: What in hell do they teach in the Philippine Military Academy???). Anyway back to my boss, we were talking about the French language and what RSVP means, when he suddenly shared:

Marc: Do you know how to say "are you going to Cebu" and "yes, I'm going to Cebu" in French?

Me: Um no...

Marc: Pah sil vous kah? Oui, pah sil vous quo.**

Hehehe... corny I know. And it 's simply stupid to see it written. But hey, it's better to start the work day laughing rather than whining about it.

**Oh in French, it's always a rule of thumb not too read the last letter of each word. Maaksaya sila sa letters pero matipid naman sa pronounciation.

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 8:51 AM

Did you know that there's a bottle of Listerine in the Tower Club female restroom that women can use? Wow, now women who wine and dine at the Tower Club can finally order shawarma or onion rings or dishes that have huge amounts of garlic in them, because, hey, they can just gargle in the bathroom afterwards. It promotes good oral hygiene too.

Applause for the Tower Club! They certainly know the value of minty fresh breath!

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Monday, September 13, 2004 3:01 PM

Oh great. Just fabulous.

I'm going to an honest-to-goodness, real live, Board Meeting at the Tower Club, and a button on my green shirt just decided to pop out as if it committed suicide.

Oh well. It's the people-who-are-going-to-look-at-me's problem. Of course, I still have the decency to put double-sided tape.

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Friday, September 10, 2004 11:48 AM

a letter of apology

To Professor Torres,
Head of the Math Department
& my statistics professor, summer of 2002
University of Asia & the Pacific

Sir,

You may not remember me but I was one of the students that you generously gave an above average grade of 1.75 despite my horrible track record when it comes to mathematical concepts. We can indeed safely conclude that I do SUCK at math and yet you still gave me an appalling 1-point-something rating. I am grateful tremendously… but I have something to confess.

And no it’s not that, sir.

The thing is, I now regret convincing you to give us a free cut because Spiderman 1 then just opened in the cinema. I knew you loved movies and I am ashamed to have taken advantage of this information. (Although, I do hope you enjoyed the movie as much as the class did). I also apologize for laughing in class not because of your jokes but because of how innocent and gullible you were especially when you thought we were laughing at your jokes. That was, I know now, very cruel.

I want you to know that you were right. As a graduate of political economy, and now an employee of a very respectable NGO instituted by a former secretary of finance, I am now forced to recall my statistics, the very realm of averages, means, medians, z-tests and f-tests, and what else have you. My dilemma has brought me down to my knees and remorsefully sought redemption so I can just understand what my superiors talk about when they collate the evaluation sheets of the training courses that my job entailed me to organize.

Next week, I shall do penance by taking the statistics class my boss is going to give out of pity.

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Friday, September 03, 2004 9:57 AM

How should a person feel when she's happily typing away on her desk when a cockroach suddenly bolts from nowhere across the computer screen?

You can't scream because the executive director conveniently placed the new training director's desk beside yours because... well... the new guy is your boss! Where else in hell would he be?

At least he killed the cockroach the second time it showed itself. My hero! (sigh).

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Thursday, September 02, 2004 10:28 AM

the intern, coffee, and jazz

The intern emailed... :-D

And guess what? He emailed me on the plane, which I can therefore safely conclude that he thought about me during the plane ride! Ha!

As for the contents of the email, no I'm not going to post it here. It's ~~sacred~~ personal. But rest assured, that although there were gratifying moments, I am once again reminded that he does have a girlfriend.

Let's digress, shall we? I'd like to comment on how wonderful Gloria Jean's coffee beans are. Not as strong as Starbucks' beans, but taste-wise, it's really good. The taste doesn't change despite the sub-zero temperature here in the office. Aroma-wise, Starbucks still makes my toes curl up in delight, but GJ still gives me the much-needed caffeine boost. Was it GJ that said, life is too short for bad coffee? I definitely agree. I may not have the usual caramel macchiato anymore because of the price hike Starbucks suddenly imposed, but at least it tides me over until the awaited moment I find myself in Starbucks again.

Last night, I ended up watching the last few minutes of the Chicago Jazz Quartet concert in the Shangri-la Plaza. The concert was free which made the forty-peso parking fee soooo worth it! It was great, great music, truly talented performers, unforgettable experience. Reminds me of those Seattle or Chicago jazz clubs that the intern volunteered to take me when I get to visit him... nyahahaha!

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Wednesday, September 01, 2004 10:38 AM

Of course for every assistant training director, there should be a training director, right? I mean what good is the title "assistant" if I don't have a superior, right? Well... my new superior came in today. We even arrived at the same time and took the same elevator. And we're still trying to feel our way through the organization.

He seems nice. He laughs (and it's a nice laugh) and that's always a good sign.

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