Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Out of Shape

Early this morning around 1:30am, some officemates and I were pushing my friend's car down Valero Avenue so that it would jumpstart. After 3 tries and half a kilometer later, we managed to get the motor running. It left me breathless and cold - a strange feeling I was not accustomed to. Usually, I would be breathless and sweaty but the cool night air kept us from sweating.

But I realized that I was way out of shape. Though the other two guys were winded, they weren't heaving like I was. When they dropped me off at the bus stop, I felt sick and thirsty. I couldn't understand what I felt. It was as if my body couldn't sweat or find someway to compensate for the exertion.

As I got to work, I went to the company clinic and weighed myself. Two hundred and twenty-four pounds. Same as before. I found this curious because people have been commenting how thin I've gotten. Is it possible to be thinner without losing weight?

Thursday, November 25, 2004

Transportation Strike

I had difficulty going to work today but I made it on time. There was a transportation strike that made it hard for commuters to get to their destination. Hard but not impossible. Namely because the only vehicles that went on strike were jeepneys. Add to the fact not all of them joined in - which I'm very thankful for.

Strikes happen so often that it's commonplace. So much so that the government has taken steps to work around them by providing free rides in major routes. People use other forms of transportation that are available such as buses and FX too. And if their rides don't go all the way to their destination, they walk.

To be honest, I don't see the logic behind going on strike. Sure, it sends a message that jeepney operators and drivers are (mostly) united. But to what effect? In the end, it doesn't really change anything. Prices for fuel and commodities will still go up. The governement will still have incompetent and corrupt officials. And the public will still be indifferent to the plights of laborers.

We can't blame the transportation groups for going on strike. Oil prices have been steadily increasing over the past few years since the government overturned the law for subsidizing it. In response, basic commodities have risen in price as well. Though rollbacks are a welcome respite, they're rare and not as compelling in reducing the price of basic commodities as it is in increasing them.

In my opinion, going on strike is ineffective; it doesn't hurt the oil industry, which is the main target. In a business model, the oil industry is not the employer and jeepney associations are not the employees. In other words, a strike will not work because the relationship between one and the other is not the same as in occupational relationship. In fact, strikes do more harm than good.

Strikes hamper commuters - the main source of income for jeepney drivers - from going to where they need to go. The public will be inconvenienced at least, and irked at most. But the worst hit will be the drivers themselves who won't have earned a living to support their families - which is why not all of them join-in.

Do these people really think the executives of gasoline manufacturers use public transportation to get to work? Heck, these businessmen might even be thanking them for keeping the roads clear of public utilities as they drive off in their SUVs. It might interfere with the work schedule of their employees. But, ultimately, those people are not the decision-makers of the company.

And should strikers say that they are doing this in order to make the public aware of their situation, then they are wasting their time. The public is already aware of their condition because they are going through the same thing. We are all struggling to make a living as prices soar to new heights. If anything, they are turning public opinion against them.

If the transportation and militant groups really want to make a change, they should start with themselves - specifically, their choice of actions. They fail to realize that they are consumers. As such, they empowered with choice. It is their money that supports the oil industry; they are dependent on them for their income. Perhaps that is the business model they should be applying instead.

They should play both ends against the middle. In other words, patronize one oil company - for a time - with their business rather than all of them. This will enable jeepney associations to ask for discount rates and other perks, compelling the competition to give them better offers for guaranteed sales.

If the strike today is any indication of how persuasive associations are with their members, then they can take a large chunk out of these company's profits. Unlike a strike, this is a long term endeavor that can make executives of oil companies take notice.

Pillow Talk

The day is almost done,
The sun has almost set.
Place your head 'pon the pillow
And rest your weary head.

Let the days cares,
Fade with the golden light.
As your eyes close
At the approach of night.

Like a lover's touch,
He cools your skin.
To ease the pain
You've held within.

He kisses your brow
To which you smile,
As he whispers to you,
Tonight, you're mine.

He holds you close
And says, sweet dreams.
For tomorrow again,
You must begin.

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

For 37 cents

I enjoy reading comics because, once in a while, I come across an idea or a statement that inspires me to write. Like this one.

Essentially, the question is, "If God already knows everything, do you need to tell Him?" My answer would be "yes". Not because He needs to know but because it's always a good idea to let Him know what's on your mind. And because our friends and family can't read our minds, then letting them know seems necessary.

Just imagine a world where no one said "I love you" because they assumed you would already know. Or a musician who didn't compose a song simply because everyone knew that love is a wonderful feeling. Or an artist who did not paint a picture because everyone knew that flowers were beautiful.

It's our way of reaching out to others and letting them know that they matter to us. For 37 cents, i think that's a bargain.

Saturday, November 20, 2004

Openning Doors for a Friend

Freedom. It's a strange feeling, really. I don't think I've ever really felt this way before. Most people take it for granted. Heck, most people don't even know it exists; they don't know how free they are. They have no idea what opportunities lie before them. I feel so stupid that I wasn't able to know this before. But now I do it and feels...great!

I feel so free that I can do anything I wanted if just put my mind to it. This feeling didn't come from nowhere, though. It could be the Holiday Season or the end of the year is fast approaching. Maybe I'm just going insane. Who knows?! I do know that it's been building up to a head. A lot has happened recently which would explain the sudden need to see what's out there for me.

Just recently, I had the opportunity to do something I enjoy and something that would help out a friend. Roberto (aka Bit) is my best friend from high school. He and I share a lot of qualities. But what I enjoy about our friendship is how we compliment each other. I am a writer; Bit is an artist. During high school, we made our own comics based on the trend of super heroes such as the X-Men and WildCATs.

But what really caught people's eye was his stunning art work. Even I was blown away by the pencils he rendered of our characters. It was as if a a professional had done it. So i sent his outwork out to the major publishers here and in the US. But for some reason, they never replied or the package was sent back. And so, he never got the recognition he deserved.

Fast forward a several years later. Bit and I lost touch for a while during college and work. I've checked up on him now and then but it was rare, at best. But recently, I've found more time to devote to my friends. So I thought of looking him up just as a "project" landed in my lap. It's not really a job, it's more of a hobby. And I automatically thought of my bud when the question or art came up. I thought that it would be a good opportunitu for us to reconnect as well as exhibit his talents.

We can't say much for now. Not that it's hush-hush but more of "I don't want to jinx it". Hopefully, I can give an update here and there. Check back every now then, ok?

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Truth and Honesty

If you're ever seen the movie "Liar, Liar" starring Jim Carrey, you might be wondering how come he just doesn't shut up if he doesn't want to tell the truth? I've wondered that myself. I guess it wouldn't be as funny if the character just shut his mouth.

I find myself thinking that there is a difference between being honest and being truthful. The former is telling the truth only when you're asked. Whereas the latter is telling the truth regardless.

Most people are honest but not always truthful. Apparently, being honest can be done so long as you're not telling a lie. Which means if someone asks you a question, you can refuse to answer and you would still be considered honest. But if you were being truthful, you must answer if they ask. In fact, you must tell them even if they don't ask.

I don't know what our world would be like if we all became truthful and not just honest. There are a lot of reasons why we choose to withold the truth. Mostly, it's just to make sure we don't hurt anyone's feelings or get in trouble. Would the world be a better place? Probably not.

The irony is that the definition of a lie is "not telling the truth" which could mean being honest or simply saying nothing at all.

Monday, November 15, 2004

Forgive & Forget

Is it possible to forgive but not forget? A friend once told me that she would forgive me for any any transgressions against her but she would not forget. I didn't really know what reprecussions were for either of us back then. But now, I understand.

I don't think you can truly forgive anyone without "forgetting". And by forgetting, I don't mean not remembering what they have done in the past. Because that would only lead to making the same mistakes over and over again. Whoever coined the phrase should have used a better word but I don't think it would have been catchy if it were "forgive and let go". That's what I think the phrase really means.

We have to let go of our anger, our pain, and our fear of being hurt. Because, even if you were to forgive but not forget, you will end up holding their sins against them. In a sense, we have never truly forgiven; we have simply put off our emotions until the next time.

I'm not saying that people don't have the right to be mad, hurt or scared when someone betrays their trust. But if they truly wish to absolve someone of their sins, then they should wait until they are ready to let go of their pain and start over.

Sunday, November 14, 2004

I Hate Working in a Contact Center!

Well, my friends are luckier than I am. They have a three-day weekend to look forward to because the President declared that it would be a non-working holiday this Monday. But because I work at a call center where our client is located in the US and we provide 24-hour support for its customers, I'm stuck here in the office. We don't have holidays or vacations, just our days off.

I hate this job.

Thursday, November 11, 2004

Time to Call it Quits

They say that falling in love is a matter of chance; being in love is a matter of effort; falling out of love is a matter of choice.
I took a chance.
I made the effort.
And now, I've made my choice...



I've always told you how beautiful you are. But it's sad that I can't describe you any other way.

Not considerate.

Not thoughtful.

Not affectionate.

It isn't because you're none of those things. I know you are to other people. But I've never felt those same things from you.



I came across an album of photos I had taken of you. You were smiling in most of them; your happiness captured in a snapshot. A few of them had you giving me weird or funny look. I didn't delete them because they were still precious to me even though they weren't "perfect".

As I looked at all of them, a strange kind of emotion washed over me. I'd never felt it before seeing the pictures one after another. But seeing them all at the same time...

We shared some good times. I wouldn't trade my souvenirs of them for anything in the world.



Time has a funny way repeating itself. The circumstances maybe different but this has happened before. I'm sure you remember. And if frequency is any indication, it will happen again and again.

I don't want it to happen again; I want to move on. It feels like we're stuck in an amusement park ride going up and down but not really going anywhere. It was fun the first few times around but it's really getting old. I want to get off.

And yet I'm afraid to leave you behind...


You sent me an SMS the other day. I didn't know what to make of it. I assumed that you had been reading this which would have prompted the text message. After all, you're not the type to send a text message out of the blue. But you said you hadn't visited this site in a long time so I wonder how you managed to get to the heart of what I was feeling.

I shouldn't be surprised though. We've always had a connection that existed even before we were close. You could tell what I was thinking and I knew what you were feeling. People might scoff at it but there are still somethings in this world that can't be explained. Not the least of which is love.

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Talk About Stupid!

As I was coming home from overnight with some friends, I saw a guy riding his scooter. He had his cap on backwards as he was cruising along. But the sun was in his eyes so do you know what he did? He used one hand to shade his eyes. I guess in order to look cool, you have to look stupid.

Too bad I wasn't able to take a picture of him and post it here. That would have been really funny.

Friday, November 05, 2004

Introducing my nephew, Tristan!



It's hard to believe that this little guy was the same baby who could hardly move and had his eyes closed when I last saw him. Now his eyes are wide open and he's crawling around! It's funny how just making him smile makes me happy. Children truly are God's gift. Now, if they could only stay that way! LOL