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Showing posts with label My thoughts. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Since I just got back from my work off, I needed a day to get my work mode on. So I volunteered for a task that I know that would take up so much of my time. Sometimes you get caught up with work that you forget how much time you have already spent in the office. I already spent four hours sitting and not even pausing for a coffee break. My stomach was growling. So I ask my colleagues if they wanted. Good thing they were hungry as well. Food doesn't taste good if you're eating it alone.

So started the normal 3 minute debate on where to eat. We didn't want to eat what I call "Recycle Food". The fried chicken today would be part of a different dish tomorrow. We haven't eaten in KFC in a while. We don't normally eat there because it's so far away and we would be hungry by the time reached the office. But we still decided to eat there.

So we ordered, got our food, and sat down at a table next to the entrance of the KFC. I was about to take my first bite and then Bam! The glass door was so squeaky clean that a guy didn't notice it. He really tried to stop. His hand print was testament to that and not to mention what seems to be a print of his cheeks. The squeaky clean glass door is now filled with smudges.

So I turned away as fast that I can and at one synchronize motion everybody bowed their heads. I think I was the last one to raise my head since I could really stop myself from laughing. A full minute or more has passed and I decided to raise head. What happened next was a surprise.

Normally a person would simple laugh and walk away. But this dude is something else. He was standing in front of us. It seems like he was waiting for someone but he was definitely staring at the glass door. I wondered if he was asking himself why he didn't see the glass door.

The next 10 minutes of eating was brutal. He was just standing there. It seems like he is waiting for someone to laugh. I was asking myself why I am the one embarrassed. I am not the one who hit the door. But after an agonizing attempt of not laughing or even smiling, he finally left.

We almost forgot it since we were trying so hard not to laugh then. We were quietly walking back to the office, when the silence was broken when my colleague started to laugh. It was contagious. We were laughing all the way until we got to the office. I haven't laugh that hard for years!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Technology has gone a long way. It has made the life of human beings a lot more easier. Now that we are accustomed to the comforts that technology has given, can we survive without it? Just imagine if all sources of energy suddenly ran out. Everything that runs on electricity or fossil fuels are rendered useless. What would you miss most?

I could survive without a TV or internet access for a long period of time. I guess I would have to read books to pass time. I think food would be a problem. We would have to grow our own food or hunt to eat. Canned goods would eventually ran out since electricity is needed to power the machines needed for its production.

Text messages and Email would become obsolete and we will once again rely on snail mail. For us to travel, we would have to use bicycle, horses, carriages or ships powered only by the wind. For us to cook, we have start to make our own fires. We would not be able to refrigerate food.

I got the idea about this topic while watching Survivor Philippines Celebrity Edition a few hours ago. Joining the show would mean that they won't be able to use any sort of gadgets for thirty days. They would have to find their own food. They would have to build their home manually. And instead of taking a ride to go to their destination, they would have to walk. Health care would also big problem. Technology has made it possible to make cure for certain disease. If medical machines like MRI machine, Xray or Ct Scan, finding cure for disease would be difficult. If somehow I was able to go back in time during the Middle Ages, I think it would e really hard for me to survive. Since I am already accustomed to the comforts technology has brought, It would be harder to adjust.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

I used to be addicted with Facebook. Everyday I used to play mafia wars and vampire wars. I stop because it was taking up too much of my time. Before I usually spend at least two hours in Facebook. Recently I have lost interest and rarely access my Facebook account. I don't even post any shout outs. I normally access my account when I upload pictures and view the comments. I recently pictures of new born daughter.

Two days ago I received a text message from my colleague saying that my Facebook account was hacked and messed up my profile picture. Normally I wouldn't react but the profile picture that I am currently using is a picture of my daughter. I was really upset. It was around seven in the morning when I received the text message. My work shift has already started and I really couldn't leave my work just to access my Facebook account. I text my officemate asking her what did the picture look like and what were the comments. It took time before I received her response. I was about to go to out decompression room to check my account but another officemate has left post. So I decided to wait for her to come back. Three minutes has gone by and was become restless. I decided not to wait for my officemate and check my account. I was about to open the door when I received a text message from my friend. She said that it was only a joke. It is one of those text messages that you have to scroll down to see the whole message. She got me. I am glad that I receive the text message before I got to decompression room.

My other officemate who left her post earlier returned after 10 minutes. She also receive the same message from the person who texted me. She was really angry. It turns out; she immediately went to the decompression room when she received the text message. We were not the only victim of her prank. Several officemates also receive a SMS and was not that happy. One of officemates was sleeping when she receive the message. She had to wake up just to access her Facebook account. When she found out that it was only a prank, she called up the sender and really scolded her.

I never thought that I would be upset with such a prank. I don't think I would react that way if my profile picture was not my daughter's. My other officemate wouldn't be that upset if she receive the text message at later time or she wasn't awoken by the message. Lesson of the story. Check the whole message first before reacting.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Life is about winning battles every single day. It doesn’t matter how small or big it is. Everybody is fighting their own battle every single day. It may be beating your own sleepiness in the morning to get to work or school. Or it may be beating your own Laziness to get some work down.

My battle today is time. I woke up late and I was on the verge of being late for work. Normally it would only take 30 minutes to get prepared for work and an additional 30 minutes to get to work. But since I visited my parent’s place which is quite far from my workplace, I had to an additional hour to my travel time.

I was supposed in the office by seven in the morning. I woke up at around 04:30 in the morning but had to put the alarm in snooze mode five times. I finally got up at 04:50 in the morning. Since I was still half awake and half asleep in toke me 20 minutes taking a bath and an additional 10 minutes to dress up fix my hair. I took another 10 minutes to eat breakfast. So I was leaving my parent’s house at 05:30. I needed at one and a half to get to my workplace. Good thing the morning rush has not really started. There still a few people commuting. By the time I got to the MRT, it was around 06:31 am. I estimated that I need at least 25 minutes to travel but I was surprised that I got in station that I am supposed to alight at 06:50 am and had at least 10 minutes more.

I had to take another Jeepney ride to my office. It would only take at least two minutes to get to the office. The only problem is that I have to walk for at least 3 minutes to get to designated loading station. By 06:55 am, I was already in Jeepney waiting for it to depart. There was no traffic and I was confident that I would make in time.

There is only one thing that I didn’t count on. The driver of the Jeepney that I rode was really greedy. The driver would stop at place that isn’t even I designated pickup point. He made several stops that really lengthen my travel time. It was 06:59 then and I was only a few meters away from my workplace. I already told the driver that I was getting off. He ended up dropping me a few buildings away which required me to walk a short distance. I normally don’t mind walking but I was really trying to catch the time.

When I got to the office, I am ready punch in my time in. I was running then. I was still a few steps away from the security guard when I asked him the time. He replied that it was seven in the morning. I was relieved but my relief was taken from me as fast as I received it. Panting, I was about to clock in. It took less than a second for all my efforts to turn futile. As I was about to press the button, the clock registered 07:01 am. I swore louder than I had expected. Everyone turned and I just returned their bewildered look with an awkward smile.

It has been a habit for me to be tardy before. But I have changed that habit and have been rarely late in the last three years. Last year I was late only for three times and this year this is the first incident of tardiness. Seven months of being early went down the drain that Monday morning. I won’t feel this bad if I was late for 5 minutes or 10 minutes. Being late for a second would ruin anyone’s day. I would prefer being late for thirty minutes than being late for a second. I don’t know who to blame. I blame myself for waking up late and then again the Jeepney driver is also to blame. I just have to forget it. There is no point on blaming anyone. Damage has been done already.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Time flies fast. I was excited a few months back when I learned that my wife is pregnant. And now, She is only a few weeks away from giving birth to our first child. I am more excited now when I found out she may give birth within the next few weeks. It still feels surreal that I would be a father soon.

My wife visited her new OB-GYN last Monday. The doctor is new because we just decided to have her deliver our baby in her hometown. We have been planning it for months. She is now staying with her parents so that somebody would attend to her needs. When I am at home I always take care of her of course but when I at work she is all alone.

When she visited the doctor, she was told that she is 37 weeks pregnant. I read in some articles that the ideal number of weeks is 38 onwards but on articles 37 weeks is considered full term. Her doctor told her she could deliver that baby anytime soon and that she is on full term. She was told to walk for at least two to three hours a day so that baby would get into the right position.

Now the bags have been packed in case she starts labor anytime. Everything that she and the baby needs are already in that bag. I can't wait to see her. After months of waiting, we will start welcoming our baby girl to world.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

The title sounds weird right? While I was riding the Metro rail transit (MRT) with my pregnant wife, we opted to ride the first couch which is dedicated for the elderly, disabled and women. It felt weird for me since I was the only guy in the couch but I couldn’t subject my wife to the crowded couches. As we entered the train, there were no available seats. My wife was 7 months pregnant at that time and I expected that someone would give up their seat for her. I was surprised that no one bothered giving up their seat. They were like the men on the other couch that pretended to be asleep or pretended that they didn’t notice her. When I am riding the MRT I always give up my seat to the women, the elderly or those travelling with their children. So I asked my wife if there is such a thing as a gentlewoman or to better put it, would another give up their seat for someone who needs the seat better? She said there is no such thing. I really couldn’t believe it. Maybe I was just because the people who were seated that time were simply not willing to give up their seat.

After that incident we did ride the MRT again twice and in both occasion, nobody gave up their seat. Could it be coincidence that the people we encountered were not willing to give up their seat or is this an acceptable social behavior? I guess I just have to see the next time we ride the MRT.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

When I was young, I hated taking my afternoon nap since I wanted to play. Now with everything going in my life, I don’t get enough time for sleep. When I was in high school, I couldn’t wait to turn 18 and get my driver’s license. When I finally got my license, my mom always asked me to take her somewhere to run an errand. During those time I wish never had a license to begin with. Now I don’t own my own car and I miss driving. When I was in college, I wanted to finish my studies quickly so that I could earn my own money. Little did I know that earning money is not that easy. It was easier back then when I was not aware how hard it is to earn and just had to wait for my allowance. When I was still in college, I use to hate summer vacation because I got bored really fast. Now that working, I long for a long vacation away from work.

Ain’t it funny? Our worries when we were younger were so trivial that I now realize that it is not even worth worrying about in the first place. Life is way easier when we were younger. Free of all the problems in the world. Free from responsibilities, bills and worries if there is not enough food in the refrigerator. The only problem that I was worrying about when I was six was how long would I have to pretend sleeping or would I get the chance to watch my favorite afternoon cartoon show? When I was in college, I worried about the deadline for the submission of my turn paper or thesis or would I be able to graduate.

Everything was so simple back then and now I wonder I have spent enough time when I was younger having fun? Did I spend enough time being a kid? I remember this line from a movie called 10 things I hate about you. I goes something like “You won’t know what you want until your forty. And When you do you’re too late to use it” I can’t remember if that was the exact line. I guess everyone has to learn to enjoy the ride. If I knew back then how life really works, I would have spent more time having fun but of course fun with limits. Too much fun is not good for anyone. Too much of anything is not good either.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

When I first heard that my wife is pregnant, I was filled with joy. I was so happy because having a baby is what my wife and I have been praying for. We are lucky to be blessed with a child. I always thought that marriage is incomplete without a child. And I still do. We are now both eager for our child’s arrival to the world.

Three years ago, I wouldn’t have expected that I would be a father at this stage of my life. I have changed so much and have given up a lot of things. I have grown a lot more mature and lot more responsible in the last couple of months than I have in the last few years.

Now I also feel fear because everything is so new to me. Fear that we might not be ready to raise this child. Fear of what is to happen in the next few months. But I think I am afraid because I don’t know much about pregnancy. My wife and I have been reading up about pregnancy and have been watching a lot of videos on what to expect. And off course the advices from our friends and family helps a lot. Learning more about pregnancy and what to expect lessens my fear.

My wife is now five months pregnant and in a few months, she will give birth to our first child. She is very eager to buy things for our baby. But since we still do not know the gender of our child, we decided to wait. Tomorrow we will be visiting our OB and hopefully we will have another ultrasound to see how the baby is doing.

During her last ultrasound, the baby was so energetic. First it seems that the baby was not facing forward. I really wanted to see the movements so I asked our baby to turn around. And the baby did. The baby must have heard me. It was so exciting and seeing the baby through the monitor is such a delight.

We are also excited to know the baby’s gender but it is too early to know at this stage. My wife told me that if the child is a boy, chances are high that the child would be more attached to the mother. And if the child is a girl, it would be probably more attached to me. I don’t really mind if it is a girl or a boy. What matters to me is that the child is healthy. A friend of mine decided not to know their child’s gender until her wife delivers the child. He wanted it a surprise. I am not sure if I could have the same restraint though. I am so eager to know since this is our first child.

There is no greater joy than being a father. My friends have always told me once the child is born, you really can’t wait to go home. All your worries would be flushed away once you see your child. I can’t wait to see my child. We still have to wait about four more months.How I wish time could fly.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The office has just installed new air conditioning machine which are on full blast almost 24/7. After 8 long years the company has decided to upgrade their old equipment. It is great escape from humid weather outside the office especially now that the Philippines is currently on a dry spell. It is so hot outside that could turn crispy in less than 10 minutes if I am under the sun. It is like somebody is pointing a big magnifying glass on me when I am not under the shade. How sweet it is to be in confines of my workplace.

One downside though, since I forgot to bring my jacket, I am freezing and can’t think properly. I could feel the headache coming but I am still far from having a brain freeze. I wonder if that would be possible. I also fear that I might get sick from the extreme changes in my body temperature when I go home later. If electric bills are not that expensive, I might consider having an air conditioner installed in my home. But if the drought continuous, having an air conditioner might become a necessity rather than a luxury. I guess will just have to see.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

This was back when my wife was still my girlfriend. We were just a few weeks in our relations and I haven’t met my girlfriend’s parents. I went to Boracay, which is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Philippines, for our yearly team celebration program. Before I left Manila, my girlfriend was experiencing back pains. It was still bearable at that time.

First thing that I did when I got to Boracay is to get a Henna tattoo. It would only last for two weeks so I didn’t mind having one. My girlfriend texted me that the pain was getting worse and she feared that it might be appendicitis. She was staying with her cousins during that time while her family was in Pampanga.

In the morning, she was admitted to the hospital. I was so worried and couldn’t fully enjoy my trip. The next day I went back to Manila. After arriving, I just dropped off my bag in my apartment and went directly to hospital after. I didn’t have the chance to freshen up. I had long hair back then. As I was in a cab, I noticed that I have a henna tattoo. I didn’t know anything about my girlfriend’s parent and I was not sure where they stand with tattoo.

I started to fear that they may not approve of me because I had long hair and a henna tattoo. I know not much of a deal but since her parents are from the province, I thought that they might be conservative. I wanted to make a good first impression after all.

Good thing I had a jacket so I wore it all through my visit. It was hot in her room and I was starting to sweat but I had to put it on. I removed it eventually good thing that her mother didn’t mind and was very accomodating. Hehe.

Monday, January 18, 2010

There is this Mcdonalds’ commercial which is currently airing about a Boy who is starting to date. The boy asked his parents to stop the car because he is getting out. His parents argued that the Mcdonalds is still far but the boy was ashamed to be seen with his parents. His date is already is waiting outside the store when he arrived. He saw that his parents are still driving around the store and he tried to cover the girl’s vision. While ordering, he found out that he didn’t have any money. The cashier whispered that it was already paid. His parents paid the bill through the drive thru window.

I was eating lunch with of my officemates and I asked her opinion about the commercial. She could really relate. Her kid is twelve years old now doesn’t want her to come to school. She said that time goes by really fast and how she wishes that it slowed down.

It was a touching commercial. Everyone went through the same scenario when they were young. I think everybody at one point was the boy in that commercial. At one point we were somehow ashamed to be seen with our parents. I never really knew how my parents felt when I did something like that. Now that I am to become a dad, I wonder how fast it would take for me to encounter the same scenario. I wonder how I would feel.

I think a person would only understand a parent until the person becomes one. I look back on my childhood and I ask myself if I was a good son. I look on all the things the hurtful things that I have done to them. How I hope that they understand that I didn’t know what I was doing or what I was saying.

I am not a morning person. Even when I was still in college, when my classes were way too early, I end up being late most of the time. A few days ago, my two week work schedule was released and I didn’t get the schedule that I was hoping for. Instead I got a shift schedule that starts at seven in the morning and it would end at four in the afternoon. One of the perks of this early schedule is that I get to go home early. The downside is that I have to wake up early.

The day started like any other. I woke up late because it took me five snoozes to get up. I took a bath really fast and I didn’t have time to eat breakfast. It took me a while to choose what to wear and I took me a while longer to fix my hair. And then I left the house

When I got to the Jeepney terminal, the line was so long and was I was starting to think that I wouldn’t make it to work on time. Jeepney by the way is the most affordable means of transportation in the Philippines that could sit at least twenty people depending on its size. I had to take three rides to get to the office. It would only take me 30 minutes to get to work but since there is no direct route, I had to transfer from one Jeepney to another.

It was around 06:54 AM when I was able to catch the last Jeepney ride that I had to take to go to work. The driver took a detour to the gas station which took at least four minutes. When I reach the office, I was running like hell to make it on time. It was 06:59 AM when I punched in.

I was so happy and I was smiling all the way to the pedestal. And then something happened. All of my colleagues as me the same question, “Do you have work today?” Boom! I checked my schedule and it is confirm. I am not scheduled to come to work on that day. Waaah!!!! I wanted to scream and shout @!#$! I learned my lesson the hard way!

Friday, January 15, 2010

This is a continuation of the post that I published on Dec 18 last year. After 3 weeks of medication, my wife had her second ultrasound. We decided to change our OB since a maternity clinic near our residence has just opened up. This is beneficial because the clinic is just walking distance from our place and is more affordable than our first OB.

We made the right decision on changing OB. Our new doctor is more accommodating, explains better and she is a lot more thorough than the first. My wife went through several blood test, pap smear and urinalysis. Since her clinic is still new and she still doesn't have an ultrasound machine, we had to go to a nearby hospital that she referred.

My wife had her second ultrasound on Jan 12 in MCU hospital in Caloocan City. It is amazing how much the baby has grown in a span of a few weeks. When she had her first ultrasound on Dec 17, 2009, the baby's Crown rump length (CRL) was just 1.2 cm. The baby's heartbeat is rose from 145 beats per minute to 156 beats per minute. During our first ultrasound, the hands and feet and the baby's head is stil l not visible. But now, those body parts are very distinguishable. The baby was very wriggly. It like the baby was trying to find a comfortable position.

I felt so much joy when I saw my baby moving around so much. It is almost the same joy that I have felt when I first heard my baby's heartbeat. You may have noticed that I don't use him or her when I am referring to the baby. I want my first born to be a boy because if we will have a second child, I want the child to have an older brother. So that he may protect his y But his younger sibling. But I am happy either way. All I hope for is that the baby is healthy. I think it is all parents could ask for.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Yesterday my wife was craving for a Filipino dish called Chicken Adobo. She is on her first trimesters and was craving badly for that particular dish only. I have the ingredients that I need to prepare the dish. But there is only one problem. I don’t know how to cook Adobo.

My wife was sleeping at the time and I wanted surprise her by cooking the dish all by myself. So I turn to the Internet for information. I saw a lot of articles about cooking adobo. You could cook it using chicken or pork. It was really late then and I had to learn to cook it really fast. And then I remember seeing a video in YouTube.com that showed how to cooked adobo. I searched for all the videos related to Adobo. I found Travis Craft’s video called American Adobo. I am a bit embarrassed learning how to cook a Filipino dish from a foreigner. But I had no choice. It was the video which was most viewed and the other ways of cooking adobo required marinating the chicken for 30 minutes or more. I didn’t have the luxury of time.

I was able to finish the dish within 30 minutes. I took me a while to get the right mixture of ingredients so that it would taste like chicken adobo. I need more practice that’s for sure. My wife said that it was delicious. I don’t know if she was just being polite or she really liked it. Then again, pregnant women are very choosy when it comes to food. I guess she really did like it. Thank God for the internet!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

I have been working for a company that operates on a shifting schedule for the last 8 years. I am more accustomed to work for shift that starts from one to four in the afternoon. Today is the beginning of my two-week early morning shift that starts from seven. I have never been a morning person even when I was still in college. It is hard for me to wake in the morning because I sleep late. The earliest time that I sleep is at eleven in the evening. I don’t drink coffee either. My head is starting to spin from the lack of sleep and I am might doze off any minute now.

I have been told and I have read in some articles that sleeping at night is much healthier than sleeping in the morning. I do agree with the articles. Sleeping 8 hours in the morning is not as refreshing as sleeping at night.

The only consolation is that morning shift are a lot busier and time seem to pass really fast. Another upside is that I get to go home earlier. Only 28 minutes have passed and I am so sleepy. I plan to sleep early tonight to avoid this happening again. Chances are that I will still be sleeping late and I would feel more or less the same tomorrow. I still time to adjust with this shift.
As I have anticipated, I dozed off for a minute or two writing this article. Hahaha

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

I just got married a few months ago. Being married without a baby seems incomplete. It's like being in a girlfriend-boyfriend relationship playing house. We were planning to have a baby for months. And at last we were blessed.

I was on a graveyard shift which starts from 10 in the evening and ends 7 o'clock the succeeding day. I was tasked to wake up my wife since her work would start at seven. I was supposed to wake her up at four thirty in the morning. Before I got the chance to call her, I received a text message asking to call her immediately. It seems urgent. When I contacted her she said that she use the pregnancy test that I have purchased a few days back. One line means negative. Two lines means positive. And if there were no lines, that means the test was void.

She said that the test had the two lines but the second line seems faded. She seems a little doubtful but I could tell that she is really excited. We decided to meet after my shift to get a doctor's opinion. Even though we haven't confirmed that she was really pregnant, I had to tell someone. I was too excited to keep my happiness to myself. I told a few of my officemates about the good news. I called my parents and asked my dad a question that I have always to ask him. Are you ready to be a grandfather? They were both happy for me and like any parents, they both gave my advice.

My wife still went to work. She told me that she was disoriented and could not focus on the training that she was attending. She asked permission to go leave work early so that we may visit a doctor.

It was around twelve in the afternoon when we met somewhere near the clinic. We had lunch first before visiting the doctor. I was really sleepy then since I was up all night because of work. Good thing that the doctor did not have any clients during that time and we were accommodated immediately.

She asked a few question and had my wife examined. She was then asked to have another pregnancy test. We waited for the result to be ready. And the doctor said the words that we wanted to her. "Congratulations. It is positive!"

I was euphoric. I did not know where the energy came from, but all the sleepiness and the headache was washed away. And I couldn't help myself form grinning. We were supposed to come back after a few weeks to have the ultrasound and other test.

T minus 7 months and 3 weeks

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Why don’t you stay for a while and witness my becoming
Deceit me with your unclean hands as you wash away my blood
Why don’t you stay for a while? Are you not entertained?
The very pleasure of seeing me in misery is the only thing I could offer
For my world is too small and my insignificance to conquer
It is the irony of my existence
Why don’t you stay for a while and embrace fruit of your lies
Little do you know it is only glass. It shatters and brings me pain
Why don’t you stay for a while and witness your creation?
Watch and taste the tears falling from my chest.
I let myself feel the love in every touch of your hand.
It feels so good I can taste it. It feels so good it made me blind.
It feels so good it takes me away then I burn

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