saturday night - i went home from the office, changed into my beloved blue mickey mouse night shirt and started filling up a credit card application. a little later, my left eye started getting itchy. it must have been the chicken i had for lunch. i gave in to the temptation and gave it a good rub.
around an hour later, i noticed that my left eye was feeling weird. i took a look in the mirror and saw that a part of it had swelled abominably, to the point that it was a bit hard to close my eyelid. so that was where the weird feeling came from! i showed it to my mom, who told my dad to take me to take me to the nearest hospital. so there we were, driving to the shockingly orange (yes, orange) building that housed the las pinas city medical center at half past 11, while a very fine drizzle was falling.
the doctor who attended to me diagnosed it as an allergic reaction to dust, or some other small particle. he forbade me to wear contacts and put on eye makeup until the swelling subsides, which will take 2-3 days (true enough, my eye is still a bit red). he also gave me eye drops and antihistamine tablets. all i could say is, thank God for our maxicare coverage and medical reimbursement benefit.
sadly, doc also forbade me from eating all of the food that i'm allergic to. not an easy feat, considering that my allergens are chocolate, chicken, cheese, eggs, nuts, crab and shrimp. manigas siya! i won't let myself suffer that way. hehe... ;)
Monday, July 31, 2006
Monday, July 24, 2006
missing student life
it's raining cats and dogs. a few hours ago, classes were already suspended in all levels in NCR. but because i am already part of the work force, this bit of news does not bring thoughts of rest and recreation.
while i'm proud that i already have the means to provide for my needs, i sometimes find myself wanting to go back to being a student. for one, heavy winds/rains = no classes. another thing is that while i packed my college days with both academic and extracurricular activities, i still felt so much less pressure then than i do now.
i remember that before, i was able to manage quite well though i did not usually stay up til late in the night (partly because i didn't go out a lot, and i did my best to put breaks in between all of my classes so that i can squeeze in some studying). now, i find myself at the office at 7:30 am (though work officially begins at 8:30) til 8, 9 or even 10 in the evening. slowly but surely, shadows are finding their way under my eyes.
to say that i'm beat is an understatement. i can only pray and hope that this is only temporary.
while i'm proud that i already have the means to provide for my needs, i sometimes find myself wanting to go back to being a student. for one, heavy winds/rains = no classes. another thing is that while i packed my college days with both academic and extracurricular activities, i still felt so much less pressure then than i do now.
i remember that before, i was able to manage quite well though i did not usually stay up til late in the night (partly because i didn't go out a lot, and i did my best to put breaks in between all of my classes so that i can squeeze in some studying). now, i find myself at the office at 7:30 am (though work officially begins at 8:30) til 8, 9 or even 10 in the evening. slowly but surely, shadows are finding their way under my eyes.
to say that i'm beat is an understatement. i can only pray and hope that this is only temporary.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
kahapon...
inasar ako ng HR. dahil lagi raw akong late umuuwi, may possibility na magaya ako kay ma'am glo ng accounting. matandang dalaga siya. workaholic din - yung tipong inuumaga sa office, at pumapasok pag sabado. kaya...
me: sige na, hanapan niyo na ako ng boyfriend! parang awa niyo na!
ma'am ting: grace, ang boyfriend, hindi hinahanap. pinag-iipunan yun. tingnan mo ako, magre-renew ng loan sa coop para makabili.
(the whole HR laughs)
harhar.
kagabi, naglalakad kami ni elcie pauwi galing ng sm harrison.
(a pregnant woman walks by, wearing a really nice top)
me: (points to woman) pag nabuntis ako, magsusuot rin ako ng ganyan.
elcie: humanap ka muna ng bubuntis sayo bago mo sabihin yan.
supalpal na naman. grabe, dalawang beses sa isang araw.
pero seriously, ayoko pa. pagpapahingain ko muna ang puso ko.
me: sige na, hanapan niyo na ako ng boyfriend! parang awa niyo na!
ma'am ting: grace, ang boyfriend, hindi hinahanap. pinag-iipunan yun. tingnan mo ako, magre-renew ng loan sa coop para makabili.
(the whole HR laughs)
harhar.
= = = = = = = = = =
kagabi, naglalakad kami ni elcie pauwi galing ng sm harrison.
(a pregnant woman walks by, wearing a really nice top)
me: (points to woman) pag nabuntis ako, magsusuot rin ako ng ganyan.
elcie: humanap ka muna ng bubuntis sayo bago mo sabihin yan.
supalpal na naman. grabe, dalawang beses sa isang araw.
pero seriously, ayoko pa. pagpapahingain ko muna ang puso ko.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
just remembered...
...may utang pa pala ako kay sarah.
a month or so ago, sarah had this thing in her blog where she was given a letter and asked to write ten words that begin with that letter, along with a short description of each word. all those who wanted to do that also were instructed to reply to her post. the ones who replied were given letters. she gave me the letter h, if i'm not mistaken.
so here goes, 10 words that begin with h:
1. hope. they say that the worst thing that could happen to someone is to lose hope in life. right now, hope is what keeps me going. i don't know what the future holds for me, but whatever it is, i'll keep holding on.
this word also reminds me of this 50-page article by marcel that we had to read for calasanz's philo of religion class. title: phenomenology of hope. the sheer length of the article almost made me lose all hope of passing his class.
2. hard. thinking of words that begin with h is hard. damn you, sarah, of all letters! why not c or e or a?! :)
3. honesty. in our kris kringle last year, connie gave me a mirror because i am "very frank and honest...what you see is what you get."
4. hazelnut. i love hazelnut spread! nutella and crumpy are my tried-and-tested brands. :)
5. housewife. close friends have told me a couple of times that i'm "housewife material" because i can cook very well. however, they also say that "sayang naman ang talino mo kung magiging housewife ka lang". trisha andres has predicted that if i become a housewife, the only things that i will have to think about are what nice folds to do on the table napkins. papu, on the other hand, has threatened to kill me if i decide to go domestic full time. there go my dreams. haha... :)
6. happiness. through the years, my definition of happiness has evolved greatly. before, it usually involved me getting the highest grades in my batch. now, happiness for me means being with the people i care for and love.
7. hall. all the old buildings in ateneo are called halls. i have fond memories of most of them:
* bellarmine hall - i remember how everyone groans when they find out that they have a class in bel, which is as far as you can get from most of the college buildings. but the christmas lights in bel field more than makes up for the distance, in my opinion.
* eliazo hall - the ladies' dorm. i stayed here for one and a half months during ajss, which was before fourth year high school. the rooms were still done in a greenish tint that was reminiscent of hospitals, but i didn't care. i certainly loved my first taste of freedom, and i felt lucky that i had such smart and funny roomies - lou, kate and calai. we used to climb over the ledge outside our room to cut our travel time. once, we sneaked a guy into our room through the ledge. wahaha!
* cervini hall - the boys' dorm, where the chapel, recreation area and canteen are. there go my excuses for frequenting this particular hall. :)
* schmitt hall - named after a jesuit who died in recent years, schmitt, more popularly known as the chem building, is the site of many weird experiments. the most notable one that i have participated in involved gathering our saliva into a beaker and measuring one ML into a graduated cylinder. gross.
* colayco hall - the now nonexistent building that used to house most of the org rooms. this is where i met most of my college friends, who i still keep in touch with until now.
8. hugs. i love hugs! (both the gesture of affection and the chocolate)
9. hurt. a feeling that's been more than familiar to me lately. but i know that if i hold on a bit more, the pain will eventually subside into a dull ache that will easily be overshadowed by the happy memories.
10. heels. all my office shoes have heels that range from one to two and a half inches. do i really have a choice but to wear heels, with my 4'11.5" frame?
whew, i'm done! for those who don't have much to do or have much to do but don't feel like starting yet, reply to this post and i'll give you a letter to work on. :)
a month or so ago, sarah had this thing in her blog where she was given a letter and asked to write ten words that begin with that letter, along with a short description of each word. all those who wanted to do that also were instructed to reply to her post. the ones who replied were given letters. she gave me the letter h, if i'm not mistaken.
so here goes, 10 words that begin with h:
1. hope. they say that the worst thing that could happen to someone is to lose hope in life. right now, hope is what keeps me going. i don't know what the future holds for me, but whatever it is, i'll keep holding on.
this word also reminds me of this 50-page article by marcel that we had to read for calasanz's philo of religion class. title: phenomenology of hope. the sheer length of the article almost made me lose all hope of passing his class.
2. hard. thinking of words that begin with h is hard. damn you, sarah, of all letters! why not c or e or a?! :)
3. honesty. in our kris kringle last year, connie gave me a mirror because i am "very frank and honest...what you see is what you get."
4. hazelnut. i love hazelnut spread! nutella and crumpy are my tried-and-tested brands. :)
5. housewife. close friends have told me a couple of times that i'm "housewife material" because i can cook very well. however, they also say that "sayang naman ang talino mo kung magiging housewife ka lang". trisha andres has predicted that if i become a housewife, the only things that i will have to think about are what nice folds to do on the table napkins. papu, on the other hand, has threatened to kill me if i decide to go domestic full time. there go my dreams. haha... :)
6. happiness. through the years, my definition of happiness has evolved greatly. before, it usually involved me getting the highest grades in my batch. now, happiness for me means being with the people i care for and love.
7. hall. all the old buildings in ateneo are called halls. i have fond memories of most of them:
* bellarmine hall - i remember how everyone groans when they find out that they have a class in bel, which is as far as you can get from most of the college buildings. but the christmas lights in bel field more than makes up for the distance, in my opinion.
* eliazo hall - the ladies' dorm. i stayed here for one and a half months during ajss, which was before fourth year high school. the rooms were still done in a greenish tint that was reminiscent of hospitals, but i didn't care. i certainly loved my first taste of freedom, and i felt lucky that i had such smart and funny roomies - lou, kate and calai. we used to climb over the ledge outside our room to cut our travel time. once, we sneaked a guy into our room through the ledge. wahaha!
* cervini hall - the boys' dorm, where the chapel, recreation area and canteen are. there go my excuses for frequenting this particular hall. :)
* schmitt hall - named after a jesuit who died in recent years, schmitt, more popularly known as the chem building, is the site of many weird experiments. the most notable one that i have participated in involved gathering our saliva into a beaker and measuring one ML into a graduated cylinder. gross.
* colayco hall - the now nonexistent building that used to house most of the org rooms. this is where i met most of my college friends, who i still keep in touch with until now.
8. hugs. i love hugs! (both the gesture of affection and the chocolate)
9. hurt. a feeling that's been more than familiar to me lately. but i know that if i hold on a bit more, the pain will eventually subside into a dull ache that will easily be overshadowed by the happy memories.
10. heels. all my office shoes have heels that range from one to two and a half inches. do i really have a choice but to wear heels, with my 4'11.5" frame?
whew, i'm done! for those who don't have much to do or have much to do but don't feel like starting yet, reply to this post and i'll give you a letter to work on. :)
Monday, June 19, 2006
Monday, June 12, 2006
a quote stolen from sarah's blog
Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love.
- Neil Gaiman
= = = = = = = = = =
point taken, mr. neil gaiman. but while my love life is far from being peachy at the moment, i am not about to denounce love. sure, the events of the past few months have finally started to sink in, and i'm starting to feel the pain of being ripped apart. the present offers no solace, and the future seems bleak. yet for me, hating love would be synonymous to forgetting that the 52 months i devoted to my former relationship gave me more happiness than hurt.
i feel anything but strong at the moment, but i don't want to get mad. i also don't want to feel bitter. nothing in what i'm in right now is easy, but i'm still grateful that i went through this. after all, not everyone can say that they've been loved by the one that they love.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
wala lang...
may nagsabi sa isang kaibigan kong: ayoko yung ginawa nila sayo. basta ka lang nila itinapon. buti na lang, lumutang ka.
gusto ko ring may magsabi sa akin na buti na lang, lumutang ako. ngayon kasi, hindi ko pa nararamdamang maayos na ang mga bagay–bagay. sa totoo lang, nararamdaman kong nakalubog pa ako. minsan nga, nararamdaman kong patuloy pa akong lumulubog. naitatanong ko tuloy, tama ba ito? patas ba ang ganito? parang lahat na lang ng bagahe, ibinigay sa akin ngayon. may bangka nga ako, wala naman akong sagwan.
gusto ko ring may magsabi sa akin na buti na lang, lumutang ako. ngayon kasi, hindi ko pa nararamdamang maayos na ang mga bagay–bagay. sa totoo lang, nararamdaman kong nakalubog pa ako. minsan nga, nararamdaman kong patuloy pa akong lumulubog. naitatanong ko tuloy, tama ba ito? patas ba ang ganito? parang lahat na lang ng bagahe, ibinigay sa akin ngayon. may bangka nga ako, wala naman akong sagwan.
= = = = = = = = = =
kausap ko ang isang kaibigan ko kahapon. tinangka niyang payuhan ako. (bakit ko sinasabing “tinangka”? kasi matigas ang ulo ko, hindi ako madaling pasunurin.) may punto siya kaya susubukin kong sundin ang payo niya. sana lang, kasabay ng pagtatangka kong ito ay tumibay ang loob ko, upang kayanin ko.
= = = = = = = = = =
isa pang mensahe mula sa isa pang kaibigan: kaya mo yan gracie. kaw pa…labo din talaga, no? may mga taong minsan lang magmahal pero nasasaktan pa. may madaming beses nang nagmahal, di pa rin makita yung para sa kanya.
bakit kaya ganito?
bakit kaya ganito?
Sunday, June 04, 2006
reminders
last friday, i had dinner at shakey's glorietta with a couple of friends from gabay - guiller, chi, bel, de-anne and nina. it was nice to see them after so long. it was even better that tonight reminded me of so many things and feelings that i haven't encountered in a long time:
...the feeling that i could just "chill" and be "me"
for a couple of months now, i've been so harrassed by things at work - by the volume of the vacancies that we have to fill, and the pace at which things have to be done. from start to end of each day, i have to be on my toes, lest i do something that will make the situation even worse. but tonight, i was able to let loose in a way. i was able to goof around with the people that i'm with, without fear or apprehension.
...the feeling that it's okay to make mistakes
it's okay, and it could be funny too. and it would not have an effect on my performance appraisal for this year, or on my career, in the long run.
...the feeling that the people i'm with know me
sometimes, they say that the small things are the ones that matter. being the OC girl that i am, the little things do account for much. it comes as no surprise then, that i like it when people remember the small things about me, that other people do not even notice. small things like how i can compute numbers in my head fast, and that i dab tissue on my food to lessen the grease. small things that make me feel that i'm really with people i can call "friends'.
...the inspiration i got from SOA
on the way home, nina and i rode the bus to alabang together. though we were an aisle apart, we were able to talk some more. we reminisced on our SOA times (she was the education formation pillar coordinator, while i was the executive officer). i told her of how SOA changed my perspective. while i was in the gabay, i felt that i was giving my all already, and that i was one of the most committed members of the org. SOA changed that, thankfully. through the example set by my co-officers, i saw that there was so much more that i can do, if only i will transcend what i thought were my limits.
...knowing where i'd want to be
while we were having coffee in gloria jeans, nina asked us where we would want to be in 20 years. i replied that i'd want to have a family by then, with two to three kids, and a husband (of course). i also said that i'd want to be teaching industrial psychology by then.
it was a wonderfully long night, that extended a few minutes into the morning. thanks guys, for granting one of my birthday wishes. now you know that you can ask me out, once in a while. ;)
...the feeling that i could just "chill" and be "me"
for a couple of months now, i've been so harrassed by things at work - by the volume of the vacancies that we have to fill, and the pace at which things have to be done. from start to end of each day, i have to be on my toes, lest i do something that will make the situation even worse. but tonight, i was able to let loose in a way. i was able to goof around with the people that i'm with, without fear or apprehension.
...the feeling that it's okay to make mistakes
it's okay, and it could be funny too. and it would not have an effect on my performance appraisal for this year, or on my career, in the long run.
...the feeling that the people i'm with know me
sometimes, they say that the small things are the ones that matter. being the OC girl that i am, the little things do account for much. it comes as no surprise then, that i like it when people remember the small things about me, that other people do not even notice. small things like how i can compute numbers in my head fast, and that i dab tissue on my food to lessen the grease. small things that make me feel that i'm really with people i can call "friends'.
...the inspiration i got from SOA
on the way home, nina and i rode the bus to alabang together. though we were an aisle apart, we were able to talk some more. we reminisced on our SOA times (she was the education formation pillar coordinator, while i was the executive officer). i told her of how SOA changed my perspective. while i was in the gabay, i felt that i was giving my all already, and that i was one of the most committed members of the org. SOA changed that, thankfully. through the example set by my co-officers, i saw that there was so much more that i can do, if only i will transcend what i thought were my limits.
...knowing where i'd want to be
while we were having coffee in gloria jeans, nina asked us where we would want to be in 20 years. i replied that i'd want to have a family by then, with two to three kids, and a husband (of course). i also said that i'd want to be teaching industrial psychology by then.
it was a wonderfully long night, that extended a few minutes into the morning. thanks guys, for granting one of my birthday wishes. now you know that you can ask me out, once in a while. ;)
Sunday, May 28, 2006
thank you's
thank you to all the people who greeted me on my birthday. i took notes, so i hope that i won't miss anyone. if i do, i beg your pardon, senility must be catching up with me.
in person: elcie, bene, roxy, aisha, robbie, my family, ms. princess, ms. eva, ms. myra, benj, connie, sarah, the whole HR, & the whole accounting department
through text: bene, badz, nina, benj, deirdre, tiny, roxy, connie, justin, sir jun, chi, aiza, tin & coco
through phone: guiller & sir oliver
through lotus notes: kris
through yahoo: pat
through my blog: papu, ate cla, chi, deirdre, & chris
belated birthday greetings: atom, ate anna, kuya mike, trina, ate roselle, shai, rocel & rica
so to all of you, thank you/gracias/salamat. to those who failed to greet me, you can still make it up to me. just refer to my previous entry. haha!
'til next year! : )
ps. sorry for the late acknowledgment. believe it or not, i had no load at all on my birthday. i am such a cheapskate. hehe!
in person: elcie, bene, roxy, aisha, robbie, my family, ms. princess, ms. eva, ms. myra, benj, connie, sarah, the whole HR, & the whole accounting department
through text: bene, badz, nina, benj, deirdre, tiny, roxy, connie, justin, sir jun, chi, aiza, tin & coco
through phone: guiller & sir oliver
through lotus notes: kris
through yahoo: pat
through my blog: papu, ate cla, chi, deirdre, & chris
belated birthday greetings: atom, ate anna, kuya mike, trina, ate roselle, shai, rocel & rica
so to all of you, thank you/gracias/salamat. to those who failed to greet me, you can still make it up to me. just refer to my previous entry. haha!
'til next year! : )
ps. sorry for the late acknowledgment. believe it or not, i had no load at all on my birthday. i am such a cheapskate. hehe!
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
birthday wishlist
| Birthdate | : 5/23/1984 |
| Age | : 21.95 yrs. old |
this is according to my profile in https://www.mypayroll.ph, our online payroll system. 21.95 years old na ko! hehehe! :)
in true chi fashion, i will simulate a static post by postdating this entry to may 23, 11:45 pm (my time of birth), so that it will stay on top for a while. friends, kindly condone my self-centeredness for a while as i dream of the things that i want to have on my birthday. here goes:
...dark brown shoes with low heels
...dark brown slacks - para ka-terno ng shoes
...comfy black flats (that i could wear to the office)
...pink shoes (na pwede rin sa office)
...ultraelectromagneticjam CD (original sana. support OPM!)
...the anne of green gables series that comes in a box
...small miracles II
...a cup of comfort for women
...einstein's dreams
...any book by bob ong
...the devil wears prada (sige na, bago ipalabas yung movie!)
...da vinci code tickets
...lunch at kopiropi (tomas morato)
...breakfast or dinner at heaven and eggs (G4)
...a trip to ateneo, complete with tuna casserole and green mint tea from healthy kitchen, and chicken strips from beef teriyaki
...CD's or DVD's of gilmore girls, from season 1 onwards
at siyempre, nasa wishlist ko rin ang ilang abstracts...
...happiness
...friendship
...love
...fulfillment
...peace of mind
and...
...world peace.
gracie lou, logging out. : )
Monday, May 22, 2006
blogging, and other things
this afternoon, a friend said: bakit ka pa nagba-blog, e pwede mo namang i-text sa friends mo yung mga nangyayari sa buhay mo?!
i think it was the way this comment was delivered that almost made me want to double over in laughter. i might have given in to the urge, if we weren't within sight and earshot of around a dozen people.
to answer that, well, i blog because i miss writing. all throughout college, i had practically no time to weave words for a non-academic purpose. as i emailed my fourth year high school class sometime ago, i feel that whatever writing skills i might have had are already rusty. words don't come as easily anymore and i'm scared that if i don't do anything now, i could find myself completely unable to express myself on pen and paper (or through online outlets, for that matter).
so here i am, blogging away, at the same time trying to coax the deities of the arts to shower on me their blessings once more.
i think it was the way this comment was delivered that almost made me want to double over in laughter. i might have given in to the urge, if we weren't within sight and earshot of around a dozen people.
to answer that, well, i blog because i miss writing. all throughout college, i had practically no time to weave words for a non-academic purpose. as i emailed my fourth year high school class sometime ago, i feel that whatever writing skills i might have had are already rusty. words don't come as easily anymore and i'm scared that if i don't do anything now, i could find myself completely unable to express myself on pen and paper (or through online outlets, for that matter).
so here i am, blogging away, at the same time trying to coax the deities of the arts to shower on me their blessings once more.
= = = = = = = = = =
our subic trip gave birth to another round of firsts in my life: my first time to slide (through ropes connected to trees), my first time to jet ski, and my first time to kart. hurrah! (pictures to follow soon, hopefully)
= = = = = = = = = =
i'm turning 22 tomorrow. i do not dread the additional year that i have to declare on forms that ask for my age, thank God.
and while i'm not the HR "bunso" anymore, i still feel like a kid once in a while when i go around working, wearing my little corporate attire. but hey, i am STILL young anyway.
and because i'm still young, i will sleep already though it's still a wee bit early. who knows, i might just grow taller this year if i keep this up. hehe!
Thursday, May 18, 2006
subic outing itinerary
i'm so excited to go to Subic! here are our plans, as narrated by drummer boy robbie:
details for the Big Day
= = = = = = = = = =
details for the Big Day
ROSTER:
Semi pupunta: Kris (kung makatakas), Rina (kung makapagpaalam), Jonah (kung makidnap ni Connie)
TRANSPORTATION:
under the assumption that there will be nine of us going, we have two possible transportation schemes:
The other four or five will have to take the bus. Sarah is now diligently researching on the Victory Liner schedule for the 20th. Robbie will fetch this contingent at the Olongapo bus station.
Scheme B (The Demonic Plan of Kris): Robbie and his band of angelic travellers will not be affected by
PAY OUT:
After three months of rigorous training in forcing money out of other people's pockets, Kristina and Cecilia have grown rather adept at attracting money towards themselves. It is because of this talent that theyhave been chosen to be the collectors of the fund. Each MT will be forcibly requested by these two people to shell out P2700 by tomorrow, May 16, 2006.
For your safety and that of all your loved ones, please exhibit submissive compliance.
N.B.: Depending on whether those who are unsure will actually join us, the price might fluctuate. Pero basta kahit P2700 lang muna bukas. The excess, if any, will be returned at the end of the trip. Kung kulang naman, sa Friday na uli maniningil sila Cecilia.
BATTLE
Arm yourselves with the following:
1) the usual stuff for outing- clothes, toilet stuff, extra cash, jacket, swimming gear, medicine, camera, etc.
2) mga pwede gawin at night- poker chips, cards, whatever
3) TOWELS please!
Actually, I still have much to say. But Aishabelle is behind me, pressuring me away from her unique, advanced (for a 1998 model) computer. I shall continue when I can in the future.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
the undomestic goddess
sophie kinsella just veered away from becky bloomwood's world of sandals, bags and astronomical credit card bills. in "the undomestic goddess", we are teleported to a new scenario, one of constant deadlines and of days divided into neat six-minute chunks. we get a glimpse of it through the eyes of samantha sweeting, a top city lawyer whose current life has nearly driven her past the border of sanity and into insanity.
she rides a train to escape her pressure-filled london life, and finds herself in an unfamiliar place in the country. she knocks at a door, meaning to ask for a glass of water and a place to stay for the night. just minutes later, she is seated in front of a couple, answering interview questions for a housekeeper position.
enough of the synopsis. what struck me in the book was this excerpt, where trish talks to samantha, now her housekeeper:
"Here we are..." Trish puts a cup of tea down and scrutinizes me. "Are you homesick?" She sounds triumphant, as though she may have cracked the mystery. "Our girl from the Philippines did get rather blue from time to time...but I used to say to her, cheer up, Manuela!" Trish pauses thoughtfully. "Then I found out her name was Paula. Extraordinary."
it seems that despite the large number of filipinas who hold professional and technical positions in countless parts of the globe, we could still not escape the brand of being domestic helpers. so much for our gains in education and culture. makes me suddenly wish that i did not shell out 315 bucks to buy the book.
she rides a train to escape her pressure-filled london life, and finds herself in an unfamiliar place in the country. she knocks at a door, meaning to ask for a glass of water and a place to stay for the night. just minutes later, she is seated in front of a couple, answering interview questions for a housekeeper position.
enough of the synopsis. what struck me in the book was this excerpt, where trish talks to samantha, now her housekeeper:
"Here we are..." Trish puts a cup of tea down and scrutinizes me. "Are you homesick?" She sounds triumphant, as though she may have cracked the mystery. "Our girl from the Philippines did get rather blue from time to time...but I used to say to her, cheer up, Manuela!" Trish pauses thoughtfully. "Then I found out her name was Paula. Extraordinary."
it seems that despite the large number of filipinas who hold professional and technical positions in countless parts of the globe, we could still not escape the brand of being domestic helpers. so much for our gains in education and culture. makes me suddenly wish that i did not shell out 315 bucks to buy the book.
Friday, May 05, 2006
tagged by pitt and sarah
the first player of this game starts listing six of his/her weird habits. the people who get tagged need to write a blog entry regarding their six weird habits, as well as to state this rule clearly. in the end, you need to choose six people to tag and list their names. don't forget to leave a comment that says "you are tagged" and tell them to read your entry.
1. i still have difficulty in keeping myself awake at night, even when i have tons of work to do. and, a dose of extra joss is not enough to keep my lids open. neither is red bull nor lipovitan effective. i need a minimum of two packets of extra joss or an entire can of red bull barako before the caffeine starts to kick in.
2. i can "shop" for 6 hours but end up buying only stockings. no kidding. (this actually happened last october.)
3. up to now, i still eat using the plate that i had since i was five. thus, i am not used to letting my food touch each other. (for starters, i can't stand having gravy on my rice.)
4. i eat all the food that i am allergic to. (read: chocolate, chicken, cheese, eggs, nuts, crab, shrimp)
5. i hardly watch tv. i'd rather read a good book or sleep.
6. according to my sister, i snore with my mouth closed.
people i'm tagging: badz, ate cla, kuya rolls, ate kamille, ate ria & kuya rev
1. i still have difficulty in keeping myself awake at night, even when i have tons of work to do. and, a dose of extra joss is not enough to keep my lids open. neither is red bull nor lipovitan effective. i need a minimum of two packets of extra joss or an entire can of red bull barako before the caffeine starts to kick in.
2. i can "shop" for 6 hours but end up buying only stockings. no kidding. (this actually happened last october.)
3. up to now, i still eat using the plate that i had since i was five. thus, i am not used to letting my food touch each other. (for starters, i can't stand having gravy on my rice.)
4. i eat all the food that i am allergic to. (read: chocolate, chicken, cheese, eggs, nuts, crab, shrimp)
5. i hardly watch tv. i'd rather read a good book or sleep.
6. according to my sister, i snore with my mouth closed.
people i'm tagging: badz, ate cla, kuya rolls, ate kamille, ate ria & kuya rev
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
i'm back!
last week was quite busy. we all deserved a break. so during the weekend, we went to sagada!
i'll post pics when i get them. but allow me to say that this vacation is unlike any that i've ever spent. it definitely pushed me beyond what i used to think were my limits. mostly in the physical aspect, but this did wonders to my ego as well. :)
i'm looking forward to another vacation like this. this as in one that doesn't entail much cost, but offers more than enough opportunities for sightseeing and adventure. can't wait for next year's vacation! :)
i'll post pics when i get them. but allow me to say that this vacation is unlike any that i've ever spent. it definitely pushed me beyond what i used to think were my limits. mostly in the physical aspect, but this did wonders to my ego as well. :)
i'm looking forward to another vacation like this. this as in one that doesn't entail much cost, but offers more than enough opportunities for sightseeing and adventure. can't wait for next year's vacation! :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
