New place....new faces

I woke up at 2 A.M. and found myself looking at the ceiling of Tiyo Dodong's house. Now I'm leaving this noisy but happy place I've come to consider as my home for the last two months. I couldn't bring myself back to sleep and so I've decided to turn on my phone and listen to the songs I downloaded the time before I left Baybay...

Nostalgia... a feeling so inevitable for emo-type individuals. And this is just what I feel whenever I hear songs of the past...Songs that has been a part of my journey. I thought about the times I spend my weekends in the port...just talking about anything with a bottle of redhorse...I thought about my cousins in the province...how we enjoyed the summer. Hahay.

Dreaming of You revived by Lovi Poe
Can't Help falling in Love by Richard Marx
Please Remember by Leann Rimes

These are among the songs that were included in my playlist.

Another hour passed..still I couldn't make myself fall back to sleep. So I started texting my officemates...probably there's someone who, like me, has been used to waking up on graveyard. And here comes a reply from Grace...chika here and there til I wasn't able to notice that it's already 5 in the morning.

Now, I'll be packing myself up. I'll be leaving for Cubao. A place much nearer to my workplace.But first I gotta hear the mass.

The Gospel was then about Lazarus...

And here's what I got from Father Mario's homily:

Being rich was not the very reason why the rich was judged to spend his eternal life in hell. But because he did NOTHING on Lazarus. Despite the fact that in front of him was a suffering man.

Two things that we have to do to be worthy of eternal life then:

1. Do something good to your brethren. Something your brethren can NEVER REPAY.

and

2. Do it FROM THE HEART.

Whoah... from Father Mario's homily I've come to realize that I myself haven't done anything great to anyone...something that cannot be repaid of....shocks!
I guess now is really the time for me to do great things... in this new place... with new faces to meet.

"The Funny Norman"

PHOTO: seated from left are: Jazz, Grace, Norman, Steve,
Andrew, Mark, Marvin, and Ai





I went home yesterday at 2 in the afternoon. Feeling a bit tipsy and nauseated after a drink with my fellow contractuals of CIC --- a drink for Jazz despidida (She'll be leaving for Davao by Monday or Wednesday and will be staying there for a couple of months or so.

"Sir, Pasig Palengke na po tayo, saan po ba kayo bababa?". Feeling embarrassed, I turned to see where on earth I am. And consequently felt even more embarrassed to know that I was the only passenger left inside the FX. Haha. It was then my first time to catch a sleep inside a PUV in a broad daylight. Perhaps it was because of the long hours without sleep, not to mention the drink that we had, adding up to the intolerable sleepiness. Though we only took 2 cases of RH, still it was enough to bring out all the issues and concerns that we all felt about our work. Enough to know a person worthy of praise. And enough to know a person who deserves not our loath or revulsion but of our pity---pity for his soul.

Little by little, I'm coming to the point of knowing the individuals that I am working with. And I believe, this is the very essence of "Tagay". In a way, through these drinking sessions, we get to know a person more. No wonder, I was successful in the project I was into just a few months ago. Hehe. I couldn't believe I got all the information I needed in one single setting. To drink and get drunk -- That's all it took for me to get all the hidden problems, issues and concerns that the Project Implementation Unit of Bayombong had encountered.

Anyways, back to tagay...Tagay sessions somehow strengthens the bond among friends although there's always been a negative connotation of the word. But still it has been our ritual of fellowship back when I was in college. And I believe that from drinking, we tend to get more close and personal. We tend to delve into knowing the persons we are with, the people around us, and most especially, the friends we have. During tagays, we tend to disclose our every fears, pains and sorrow which often leads us into developing a deeper level of friendship.

And the people...I mean the individuals whom I now consider my "new-found friends"(I just hope they regard me as the same) of the Certeza Infosystems Corporation (CIC) is of no exemption. After about 5 bottles of RH, Marvin, and the rest of the group started talking about our bosses, their qualities and personalities... and things about them that we should beware ourselves of.

The variety of personalities found inside the office just amazed me.
I was surprised to know of the revelations about a certain individual in the office. Oh, how harmless the facade he possessed...but how uncertain and deadly the intentions of his heart are. It was just a confirmation of the fallible senses that we as human beings possess.

The silent could be fatal, and the riotous could be more tolerable.

Nothing is really certain.

Lucky are we to know a person's character in a matter of 2-3 meetings or conversations. However, some individuals are just superficial, or "plastic" as we call them to be. And this makes the matters worst. Finding it hard to know the person you're facing.

But however bad or good the people around us may seem to be, we are ought to do good to them---so great a challenge our Master has called us to take.

"Pag binato ka ng bato, batohin mo ng tinapay."
"Kung sagpaon ka sa aping, ipasagpa ang imong pikas aping."

Popular sayings, right?

But how stupid it is to be stepped on by someone. How stupid it is to be beaten with so harsh a word you could actually break the person's nose through one hard punch.
But Norman took it all. The "funny" Norman took it all just the other night.

Norman as I knew him for about a month in the office, is a person full of humor. So funny he could create a punchline from a single word you'd say. But here he is. Showing his other side. The side he's genuinely blessed with. The sign of humility.

I couldn't exactly phrase out the words he got from our Team Leader - the notorious LOven, but the very words that rang my ear were "Putang Ina mo" and "Hayop".

How could anyone pull those words out of his mouth and throw it to someone who's far more humane than him? I, myself have raised a brow from what I've heard. But still, what came through my mind was the fact the Master will judge us on how we react to things. And I was glad Norman did the right thing. And that was to remain humble.

Norman was even the first person to ask for forgiveness despite the fact that it wasn't his fault to draw a suggestion. Suggestion that the manager consequently took as a negative one. He...literally swallowed his pride and begged for forgiveness to the person who belittled him.

I believe Norman already got a 2-point passes (or more) for heaven from what he did.

For the rest of my stay in the company, I shall expect to hear a lot more of humiliation from our bosses' mouth. I'm just praying that our great Master will guide me and my new-found friends (friends whom I know I can trust) through the whole journey. That He give us the wisdom to do the right thing just as what Norman has successfully done.

To this, I'm reminded of the words of the song...


ANIMA CHRISTI

Soul of Christ
Sanctify me
Body of Christ save me
Water from the side of Christ
Wash me, Passion of Christ
Give me strength

Chorus:
Hear me Jesus
Hide me in thy wounds
That I may never leave thy side 
From all the evil that surrounds me
Defend me
and when the call of death arrives
Bid me come to thee
That I may praise thee With thy saints forever 

These we pray.

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'WAG MO'NG IPAKITANG DI KA MARUNONG"

These were the very words that the infamous Loven has told me last friday night. A tip that he has shared with me...a tip for a more convincing and positive impression for the bosses, he said grinly.(I guess this is just what he's done during his juvenile stages in the company) And see what's he's become now. A dreaded Team Leader. Though friendly, he's at most times, annoying.

Overconfident. This I guess is the best word to describe him.

After 3 weeks in 3D, Loven has decided to transfer me to the 2D department for me and for Lara (my fellow new hiree) to experience both 2D and 3D. Lara has been with the 2D Department then for whole 3-week duration. But being the sensitive me, something in my mind tells me that perhaps it was my slow performance that directed him to transfer me to the 2D.

Through the whole saturday morning, I reflected on every word that he said. I started to think of the positive outcome of the change that I'm planning to make. To pretend that I know the task would be a disaster, I thought. But the other side of me, tells me to try it.

"Wag mo'g ipakitang di mo alam" equals to "Ipakita mong alam mo" and in totality, would only sum up to "PAGMAMAGALING".

PAGMAMAGALING...Being boastful. This is just the attitude that I'm always trying to avoid. I hate bragging about myself. But sad to say, it is necessary in this world of competition. The meek are put aside, while the show-offs succeeds.

I was on the verge of dipping my toe to being the person that Loven has suggested me to become until I heard HIS word last sunday.

PHOTO: The Interior of the St. John the Baptist

Church, Pinaglabana, San Juan City. I was then fortunate to attend a mass celebration as solemn as the mass celebrations in ViSCA or in the Carmelite Monastery in Lahug.

Meekness is not weakness.

These words had somehow enlightened me and provided me with the right and better direction.These were spoken by the presiding Priest of the 9:30-mass celebrated in the St. John the Baptist Parish in San Juan last sunday.

He's mentioned the downfall and mishaps of the persons who've acted like they are "somebody". Individuals who acted like they own everything they have... and individuals who boast and refuse to humble themselves.

Reflecting and relating these words to my situation, I've come to think that indeed it would be a disaster if I would pretend to be all-knowing with the task... task that I'm just beginning to learn. Pretending..is just synonymous to lying, I realized. And this, would only generate more problems or dilemma to the situation.Remain humble--this is what I'm always telling myself.

When you choose the lowest path,
there is no place for you to fall
and the only way is UP.

I've heard these words from Father Fernando Suarez and Father Mario so many times on TV, and the Priest in Pinaglabanan has mentioned it once again.

"We don't own anything in this world.

Therefore, we don't have anything to boast ourselves of."

Indeed, all our talents, skills, wisdom, properties, beauty, and just about anything we're holding right now are all HIS. The air we breathe, the clothes we wear and above all, the LIFE we have belongs to the POTTER's HANDS.

He owns it, and we live to please Him, not ourselves.

For the times that I've forgotten about humbling myself to HIM, I'm asking HIS forgiveness. And I'm thanking HIM for being there always.

As I departed from Leyte 4 weeks ago, I've decided not to let go of HIS hands for I am afraid that I may end up like I've been before when I was working in Cebu.

I've made a song I've entitled: " BE MY LIGHT". And I've played it with abai erwin singing while I'm strumming the chords then. I just hope abai er has added more stanza to it. It'll do just fine with only one though.

I'll be posting it soon when I finish all its lyrics.

I'VE ALMOST FORGOTTEN

It's been about 3 months since my last entry on this blog. And here I am dealing on this new experience--The Life in the City.

PHOTO: FX Terminal (Pasig-Robinson Route),Ortigas


Tonight's gonna be my 13th day or should I say 13th night on my new job. I was hired last August 3 by the Certeza Infosys Corporation (CIC). A reliever actually for Carren's (a close friend and classmate in college) post who's now expected to deliver her first baby boy this month. Carren by the way, looked more beautiful now than during our college years. Perhaps because of the child she's carrying in her womb. Being preggy they say can either make you look good or the contrary.

Anyways,..A new job. And that definitely involved a whole lot of adjustments. I was then planning to apply to be part of the Remote Sensing Team of Pintor Surveying. But after weeks or should I say months of waiting for the equipments to arrive (as what has been their alibis), I gave up waiting and decided to try my luck in city.

I took the 3D exam of CIC and passed (at least that what the examiner told me) and was told to wait for the call (the common line used by most companies, of which we all know has a certain implication). From that, I thought of trying out applying in the call center (Magellan Solutions). After a series of exams and interviews, I was scheduled for contract signing. I've waited for a day for the confirmation and ended up with much frustrations. Fortunately, by 7PM, I was called by Mam Mary of CIC scheduling my first day of work.

I took the offer from the CIC, though the rate has been lowered. The rate, Mam Mary had told me would only increase according to my performance (a wise move by the company then). This is what's giving me the pressure now. Hehe.

The following day, Miss Wendy called me three times, but I didn't took the time to answer not knowing what to say or how to refuse the offer.

PHOTO: One of the applicants waiting for the Final Interview in
Magellan Solutions call center

Anyhow, my first week in CIC has been good...going in at 9:30 AM and out at 7:15 PM. Later, I was told that I'll be part of the team doing the night shifts. With people like Norman, Steve, Jonathan and the rest of the gang, I thought that I would do just fine and that it'd be so much fun.
No big bosses walking down the corridor...no supervisor...and with the radio turned on loudly with the whole team listening to Papa Jack's "Wild Confessions" program, well... who wouldn't feel ecstatic about that.

Indeed, it's been fun and with the weekend spent drinking and videoke, I couldn't ask for more than that. "When love and hate collide" and "I miss You"...it's become an LSS in the office after I sang my heart out in the videoke with the team. It was my 2nd drinking session with the gang after we spent my first saturday in Mike's space in Taguig.

PHOTO: Tagay in Muchos along Julia Vargas Avenue, Ortigas

And now my 13th night.
I'm now done with digitizing features like buildings, trails, etc, on the the photo images. . I just hope everything I've done is good or at the very least not bad at all.

I would give and offer all of my work then to HIM who's giving me strength. Lately, through everything that happended, I must admit that I've almost forgotten about Him. But when I was on my way to the office last Monday, I experienced a sudden feeling of emptiness... a feeling I've experienced not so long ago when I decided to let go of HIS hands.
And just when the rain have started to fall on that Monday afternoon,...HE came to my mind. I was inside the FX then when I started to key in my phone a lyrics of a song I have in mind.

La la la...
I just couldn't exactly tell how the melody would go...but I know the lyrics would be like this:


As I went on my way to the office
Making my way down the streets and the heavy traffic
I felt an emptiness inside me growing
And I know something in me is missing

It's you Lord, I've forgotten
It's you Lord, I've forgotten
I've forgot to thank You
I've forgot to think that You're the very reason
Why I live today and for 50 or 100 years coming
It's You Lord that I miss
It's You Lord that I miss
I miss my only God

And then the rain started to fall
And I felt You're very presence that moment more
As the rain fell from the sky
Tears roll down my eyes
Cause I know there's Someone I'm missing
I know there's someone I'm missing



And that's the lyrics...and I'm working on the melody. I hope I could hold a guitar this weekend so I could work on it.
I am so thankful that through the problems I have within me, He shows His light and directs me to where I could feel HIM.
Last Tuesday, I was told that within the Greenhills shopping center, a chapel is situated in the center of it. It was nice to know that through the busy life in the city, a place so solemn (but not so as compared to the Carmelite Monastery in Lahug, Cebu) will be found.



PHOTO: Chapel of the Holy Family found inside the Greenhills Shopping Center

Praise to Our God!
He is always good.

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