start anew

decided to rearrange stuff in my house for the new year...  result?  the previous setup was better...  :"O

now i'm too tired to put things back the way they used to be...  : }

if it's not broken don't fix it...

honor

clan christmas party...  children playing with the videoke...

<song 1>

<song 2>

<song 3>

...

<song n>

suddenly, 'lupang hinirang'!

huh?!

family members automatically stood up, my mom and my aunts complete with hand on the chest...

after the song, my aunt walked over to my nephews on the videoke and gave them an impromptu briefing on the solemnity of the national anthem...  you don't play it just like that...

anyway, all these years it has never occurred to me that the national anthem is in videoke songlists...  ' turns out it is and yeah, little boys looking for a song they know could come across it and press the corresponding code...  i don't know whether schools teach them that just because it is sung daily during the flag ceremony does not mean it's okay to sing it anywhere else as if it's just some ordinary song...  it is a cut above the rest and should be accorded proper respect...

light and shadow

on the phone with my aunt...  i was thanking her for the pillow gift she sent me.  it has the word 'dream' on it and it's in my favorite color blue.  i love it!  <3

she said she was choosing between two.  she decided on this one because the other's message was somewhat negative while this one was positive.  aawww!  my type exactly...  :")

some people are like rain on your parade.
others, like sunshine on a cloudy day.
let the sun shine in...  : )

mine

friend standing on queue.  i'm seated not too far away.

he has my phone.  he knows my screen lock.

then i saw him tapping and scrolling.

i dash to his side and go, 'hey!  what are you doing?!'

he gives me this puzzled look and i suddenly realize he was scrolling on his own phone.

me:  'hehe...  sorry...  i thought you were fiddling with my phone...'

:"}

imagine

guy:  'i have an officemate who knows you...'

me:  '<toot>?'

guy:  'yes...  i told her you were my girlfriend before...'

me:  'whaaattt?!  did she believe you?!'

guy:  'of course!'

me:  'and what did she say???'

guy:  'she said we're a good match...'

me:  'hahaha...  insane!'

to set the record straight, the guy was never my boyfriend.  he courted me, yes.  but we were never sweethearts.

i never said 'i love you' back.
we never held hands.
we never embraced.
we never kissed.
it must be a really sad day for romance if sweethearts were like that.

the greatest

seated at this table with these two guys who were trying to one-up each other...

guy 1:  'what can i give you, cynthia?  hmmm...  house and lot...  you want a house and lot?'

i chuckle and flash a thumbs up...

guy 1 turns to guy 2 and asks:  'you, what can you give her?'

guy 2:  'love!  love is all i can give her...  is that okay with you, cynthia?'

i smile and flash two thumbs up...

love.  is.  all.  that.  matters.

♩ ♪  faithful and forever
keeping us together
love is all we need  ♫ ♬

<3 <3

suit up

friend has weekend overnight overtime work...  from our place, he tells me he's going home first before he proceeds to the site...

me:  'why do you still have to go home?  why don't you go straight to the site from here?'

friend:  'i'm going to change clothes...'

me:  'why do you still have to change?'

friend:  'look at me, i'm wearing slippers and a shirt now...  i'm going to change into slippers and a sando, hahaha...'

me:  'hahaha... business attire!'

; )

pampered

my phone rings...

caller:  'you want chocolate?'

me:  'of course!  what sort of question is that?'

caller:  'you want to buy?'

me:  'hahaha...  how come you're selling to me now?'

caller:  'i'm not selling...  i'm just here...'

me:  'where?'

caller:  '<place>...'

me:  'why do they have chocolates there?'

caller:  'they have a sale...  in case you're in the area you might want to drop by...'

me:  'oh...  haha...  okay...'

for years now whenever he calls to ask whether i like something it means he's going to give me, as in, for free.  for a while there i thought i'm suddenly not worth it anymore...  ;"p

love and marriage

friend:  'how many years have your parents been married?'

me:  'hmmm...  my age plus one...'

friend:  'oh!  your mom was not pregnant when she got married...'

me:  'haha...  no...'

friend:  'mine was...  so whatever my age is, that's how long they've been married.'

fun fact...  ; )

overjoyed

last friday, i ordered 9 items online.

this morning, i received a text message telling me to anticipate delivery of my package today.

i got excited...  i was sooo happy...  : D
(yup, i am shallow like that...  ;") )

this afternoon, the courier arrived.  guess what, he was delivering only one of the nine.  the rest will be sent later.

hahaha...  throughout the day i had joy proportional to nine.  turns out i'll get just one.

oh, well, happiness extended and multiplied.  keep smiling...  : )

do something

while on queue to pay at shopwise araneta this evening, i saw candy wrappers on the floor near a shelf beside the cashier...  i took a couple of pics then looked around for security...  i saw one and waved for him to come over...  he did and i pointed to him the candy wrappers on the floor...

he immediately picked them up!

eh?!

do not touch the evidence!!!  preserve the crime scene!!!  (okay, okay, it's just candy...)

he went out of sight very quickly then when he passed in front of me again i asked, 'did you throw the wrappers?  i called you because someone might be eating without paying...'

he said something i didn't really get (we were on opposite sides of the cashier's counter) then walked away...

last time i had a brush with shoplifting was when this girl in front of me suddenly shoved this row of batteries into her bag then so casually walked past the cashier.  this was at the supermarket at SM megamall years ago.  so many of us saw her yet none of us stopped her!  i did point her out to the cashier but apparently that wasn't enough.

ugh!

for evil to triumph, all good men have to do is nothing.

fear factor

friend:  'how's <toot>?'

me:  'huh?!  i dunno...'

friend:  'you didn't even show him to me!'

me:  'i didn't see him!'

friend:  'hasn't he arrived?'

me:  'i dunno...  but i did have missed calls from <hotel> last month...  the number is in my contacts list from last year yet so i know it was <hotel>...  i just dunno whether it was really the hotel calling me or him...'

friend:  'it might have been him!'

me:  'maybe...  maybe not...  last time we talked i told him if he rings me one more time i'm going to report him to his wife...  that scared the daylights out of him he finally stopped...'

had i known that line would be effective i would have used it long ago...  anyway, better late than later...  ; )

pen pineapple apple pen

sister eating hawaiian pizza...  then she stood up and got apple juice...

me:  'you should get a pen, too...'

sister:  'i have a pen...'

me:  'i have a apple...  uh!  apple pen...'

;")

positively negative

i make a call...

girl:  'hello...'

me:  'hello...  is this <online store>?'

girl:  'no.'

me:  'no?'

girl:  'yes.'

me:  'yes?  yes, it is <online store> or yes, it is not <online store>?'

girl:  'yes, it is not <online store>.'

me:  'aw, sorry...  thanks...'

i dunno if it's supposed to be clear but this sort of yes-no's always confuse me...  :"}

same feather

me:  'is he gay?'

friend:  'O M G!'

me:  'he is?'

friend:  'no!  he's married...'

me:  'you can be gay and still be married...'

friend:  'he's not gay...  he's a maniac!'

me:  'oh...  just like you...'

; p

in another life

talking reincarnation...

friend:  'what if in the next life you're a man?'

me:  'no...  i'll still be a woman in my next life...'

friend:  'you can't choose what you'll be when you get reincarnated...  and oftentimes people don't even know that they've been reincarnated...'

me:  'i'll know...  and i'm sure i'll still be female...'

friend:  'okay...  but what if in the next life <toot> is a deer and you're a cow?'

me:  'what the...?!  no!  we'll both be humans in the next life and we're going to end up together...'

<3 <3

improve

i have a beautiful mom....  yes, i mean physically...

a former officemate used to repeatedly tell me my mother is prettier than me  ->  which could mean a lot of things depending on how you see me, ahahaha...

anyway, every now and then she likes to get a perm...  uhm, it doesn't suit her...  : }

years back when my nephew was  still young, she came home with wavy hair.

the little boy intently looked at her then went, 'you're not pretty, grandma.'

kids.  don't.  lie.

my sisters tell her she does not look good with curly hair.  i tell her.  we all tell her.

that doesn't dissuade her.

her reason?

for a change.

ugh!

you don't go for change for the sake of change.
you change for the better
otherwise just remain the same.

naughty and nice

supposed to order these items as a friend's gift for his officemates...

me:  'how many?'

friend tries to count:  'so-and-so and so-and-so and so-and-so...  so-and-so, so-and-so, so-and-so...  of course, you, too...'

me:  'i'll be ordering, too, so don't buy me anymore...'

friend:  'what prize do i give you?'
->  for specially good behavior, ehem, ehem...  : D

me:  'leche flan!'

friend:  'how many do you want?'

me:  'just one!  wait...  up to you...  depends on how many you want to give me...'

don't lower the bar...  ;"p

long and short

crossing the street yesterday, an SUV drove in front of me...  i noticed the driver's belly...

i thought to myself, 'this guy's belly is so big...'

then i looked at the face...  ei, i know the guy!  :O

he recognized me, too, and we waved at each other...

i posted a status update in facebook without of course naming the person...

then it just occurred to me, i was wearing a long, loose dress...  he was driving slowly...  he must have seen me from afar and thought to himself:  'this woman looks dowdy...'

wahaha!  quits!

and some sort of redemption for me, if i may add...  one time we saw each other at a gasoline station...  uhm, my shirt was longer than my shorts that time...  :"}

i was supposed to be out just very quickly so i didn't change my house clothes anymore...  i wasn't expecting to run into anyone i know nor did i think i would have to get off the car at the gasoline station...  but then the attendant said my oil needed a refill and my usual was not available so he made me choose a substitute from their shelf (as if i know anything about oils, wahehe...)

anyway, at least now the guy knows i have a balanced wardrobe...  ; )

cheap

i'm not a coffee drinker...  for some reason i usually get this feeling of discomfort whenever i drink a cup...

i got a barista badge in pre-swarm foursquare though...  i earned it because of my starbucks check-ins where i was actually going to the place for cakes and not for coffee...  : }

anyway, last week my sister-in-law gave me a starbucks coupon for a complimentary tall beverage.  i was offering it to my sister but she declined.

the coupon expires today and i didn't want it to go to waste.  i therefore took a jeepney to the mall (P7 fare), claimed the beverage, roamed around a bit, then went home, again by jeepney.  ta-daan!  in effect i shelled out only P14 for the normally P150 caramel macchiato!  : D

the freebie junkie that i am was so happy i didn't feel any discomfort at all, hahaha...  ; )

anyway, tomorrow i'm back to hot choco <3

assess

at an intersection...

me to mom:  'last time it was just 4 seconds before the light turns red and yet these pedestrians crossed while the light was still green...'

mom:  'were they run over?'

me:  'no...  but then they were risking it...  imagine, 4 seconds and you won't have that risk anymore and still they went ahead...  i would have waited...'

in risk management, you have options:
1.  eliminate
2.  reduce
3.  transfer
or
4.  accept
risk...

4 seconds?  i think the choice would be a no-brainer...

either these people's risk appetites are so high or they're not making use of their brains...  : }

duty

i was at the bank of the philippine islands branch at ali mall this morning.  so there i was waiting for my queue number to be flashed onscreen and in front of me was one of the two guards assisting a customer in one of the BEA machines.  (the other guard was standing at the entrance.)

the BEA machines are  positioned against the right wall of the room.  if you are using the machine, you'll be facing the wall.

i wasn't able to keep track of how much time exactly the guard spent assisting the customers.  at least three minutes maybe?  whatever, it seemed too long to me.

i used to head security, IT security.  the security guards were not under me but they were our concern, too, as they formed part of the overall security complement.  i couldn't help thinking, this is a security guard, he's supposed to secure the place.  how can he do that if he is facing the wall with his back to practically everything and everyone?  he is supposed to be on watch.  how can you watch what you cannot see?

being helpful and multi-tasking is good but we all have our functions.  when we take on other tasks, we should ensure that it won't be at the expense of our primary assignment.  otherwise there'll be gaps.  and at times gaps can be dangerous.

take a break

asked directions from a traffic enforcer...

traffic enforcer:  'there's a con there...  you enter the con...'

me:  'what's a con?'

traffic enforcer:  'the orange!'

then he forms the shape of a cone with his hands...

me:  'ah, cone!  ok...  thank you.. '

E is the most used letter in the english alphabet...  he gave it a rest...  ; )

heads-up

driving along a uni-directional long straight road...

waze:  'watch out <inaudible> on road ahead...'

me:  'what did it say?'

mom:  'watch out.'

me:  'after that?'

mom:  'road ahead.'

me:  'hehe...  what did it say in between?'

mom:  'i just heard 'watch out road ahead'...'

me:  'i heard 'watch out,' too...  and 'on road ahead'...  what's the complete warning?'

mom:  'what does it usually say?'

me:  'it varies...  but there's no point in saying just 'watch out road ahead.'  there really should be a road ahead.  if suddenly there's none, then that's really grave...'

and then i heard a thud  ->  i drove over this depressed drainage grill on the road!  :O

oh, ok...  question answered...  ; }

man and machine

waiting for the green light at an intersection...  i'm in the middle lane; my aunt's vehicle to my left...  she rolls down her window...

aunt:  'you're turning right!'

me:  'oh?  i'm waiting for waze to speak...  it hasn't told me...'

aunt:  'it might be on mute...'

me:  'it was talking earlier...'

i checked...  i have a connection error...  :O

technology failed; a human saved the day....

all is well...  : )

transcend

so yesterday i received a birthday greeting from someone who will always be special.  greeting was almost a month late.  guy explains he got sick plus he forgot the password for his files.

oh...  ahahaha...  so i'm in the 'protected' list, eh!  understandable.  some things cannot be.  some things shouldn't be.

he wanted us to meet up.  actually, i've years back told him that i'm not going to see him anymore.  that hasn't stopped him from asking me out every now and then (♩ ♪  i find myself wondering about you baby  ♫ ♬  wahaha...).  to my credit, i've managed to say no (take a bow, self <heartbreak>).

anyway, this time i told him to take a rain check and collect NEXT LIFETIME.  i reminded him to make sure he remains free in the next lifetime until he meets me.  that way it won't be too late.  the timing will be perfect.  it won't be sad to belong.

pass it on

at a burger place...

me to mom:  'i'm still full...  let's just share an ultimate...'

mom:  'no...  let's have separate orders...'

me:  'you can't finish one...'

mom:  'we can bring home what's left over...'

oh...  ok...

we ordered three ultimates:  two to-go; one dine-in for my mom.  since i wanted us to have different orders (for plate-surfing purposes, hehe), i tried the supposedly spicy 'burger from hell' (it didn't turn out to be that spicy to me though).

i finished mine; my mom had half left.

hmmm...  i make it a point to finish what's on my plate unless it's really unpalatable.  i learned it from my grandma  ->  my mom's mom.

i'm thinking if she taught it to her grandchildren then she also must have taught it to her children.

1.  but yup, seniors do get exempted.

2.  bringing home your leftovers is equivalent to finishing your food.

all is well...  : )

payback

me to nephew: 'oh, have you been naughty? all your children are girls... they say you'll pay through them, right?'

nephew: 'just like grandpa [my dad]...'

ahahaha... toinks! ; p

wait, i do have a brother... does that mean my dad was a little nice? ; )

inertia

picking up my sister...  as i was approaching the gate of their office, the guard motioned for me to turn left...  and then he assisted me as i squeezed my car in the remaining space with a tree so close to my right and another one in front (no, it's not really supposed to be a parking area but there are so many, too many, vehicles there )...

once settled, i told the guard:  'i'm picking up <sister's first name>...'

guard:  '<first name> <last name>?'

me:  'yes...'

guard:  'you should have told me earlier!  i would have let you in...'

eh?!  i didn't have a chance to talk!  he right away directed me up the pavement from afar!

oh, well...  i'm already ensconced in nature...  soil under my wheels; trees i so carefully avoided hitting close by...  the only time i'll again break sweat to navigate out of this slot is when my sister and i are ready to go home...

i rolled my window all the way down...  might as well enjoy the wind in my hair...

try again

mom's friend:  'it's been so long since i last saw you!'

me:  'when did we last see each other, tita?'

mom's friend:  'at your wedding...'

me:  'oh!  hehe...  so long ago...  see you at my next wedding...'

;"p

fair deal

i hate it when people change arrangements at the last minute.  it's fine if something cropped up.  but if you change it just because you suddenly changed your mind, i think that is rude and inconsiderate.  it annoys me and turns me off.

i like to schedule my to-dos in the most efficient way possible.  you know time-motion studies?   well, not that level but something close.  i like to do things in the minimal number of steps.  i don't like wasted effort.  i don't like wasted time.  (btw, i do believe that time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.)

last minute change of scheds irk me most, especially if you suddenly move it earlier, e.g., afternoon to morning, tomorrow instead of a day later.

a close second is change of venues.  i'm a sieve for locations.  i get lost navigating supposedly simple routes.  if i'm going someplace unfamiliar then, i like to check out maps and directions beforehand.  if you suddenly change the venue, that means all the googling i did are all for naught.

fine if you just switch venues within the same place.  for example, you change venues within a mall, i don't mind that at all.  at least i'd still be driving to the same mall.  maybe parking at a different wing or walking farther but i'm ok with those.  what i don't like is expecting to drive from point A to point B then suddenly being told it's now going to be from point A to point C.

tip, therefore:
next time you're going to ask me, just tell me something is tentative.  don't act like everything is definite only to switch to something else at the last minute.

warning though:
my response will also be tentative.  i say yes because i am given this set of information.  if the set changes, then my reply might not be a yes anymore.

now or never

i was about to clamber up the sink in my laundry area to take pics of the supermoon when i heard my brother calling at the door.  i walked over and there he was returning one of my memory cards.

he mentioned that they have no internet and the light on their desktop wouldn't turn off even if he has unplugged everything.

really?

i put down my camera and followed him to their place.  there i tinkered with the cables and modem plus network settings.  ta-daan!!!  we traced the light to the monitor plus got the internet working.

i went back to my place and when i looked up the sky, it was all just clouds!  whaaattt???!!!  closest in 68 years and i missed it?!  my, my, my, my (sharona! ;"p)...

oh, well...  i do have snaps taken from my parents' place earlier (not with the settings and composition i had in mind though)...  plus i did see it sans cam  <-  that is what matters.

nevertheless, reminder/note to self:
some things can wait.
some won't.
know your priorities.

man on the moon

supermoon!

♩ ♪  can you read my mind?
do you know what it is you do to me?  ♫ ♬

;")

second opinion

afternoon dad asked me to check the directions for Ensure Gold.

i read aloud:
"... put 195 mL of cold water in a glass..."

dad:  'cold water?  not hot?'

me:  'it says cold.'

dad:  'cold...'

i resume:
"Gradually add 6 level scoops (scoop enclosed) or 53.5 g of ENSURE GOLD powder, while stirring and mix until dissolved."

ok.

nighttime my niece came over.  dad again asks her to check the directions if it's really cold water.

eh?

hmmm...  okay.  just like when your team loses.  you say you'll watch the replay as they might win there.

; p

ppap

sister asking what dad wants to eat...

sister:  'there's grapes, papaya, pineapple, apple...'

me:  'pen!  pen pineapple apple pen!'

;"p

wrong tree

i call Dusit...

staff:  'sawasdee ka...'

me:  'good afternoon...  could you connect me to Flavors, please?'

staff:  'flavors?'

me:  'yup...  Flavors...'

staff:  'what flavors, ma'am?'

me:  'the restaurant...  oh, wait, The Pantry!'

staff:  'oh!  i'll connect you to The Pantry, ma'am...'

me:  'no, no!  sorry...  i was supposed to call Holiday Inn...'

:"}

what's in my bag

going out with my mom...

mom:  'this is not what i was supposed to wear but i had to change...'

me:  'why?'

mom:  'the first one didn't go well with my bag...'

me:  'why didn't you just change bags?'

mom:  'i'd rather bring this one...  it's lighter...'

haha...  lighter alright but heavy still...

mine, that is light  ->  really light...  it's not even a bag...  it's just a pouch the size of my phone...  the contents?

1.  a credit card
2.  an ATM card
3.  an ID
4.  my keys
5.  my phone
6.  a comb the size of my palm

sometimes i bring
7.  cash
->  P200 max
my mom is horrified, wahaha...  ; p

well, i've zoomed in on what's essential and don't carry excess weight.

baggage is optional.  travel light.

: )

life hacks

on the phone with a friend of my mom's (yup, they call me...)...

so we were having a pretty good chat and my mom's friend told me that she talks to me because she likes me (aw...  thanks...  :") )...

she says she's picky about the people she talks to...  she says she attended charley barretto's science of mind and man seminars years back and one of the things she remembers is the principle of osmosis  ->  'be careful about the people in your periphery for they affect you...  if they are negative or stress you out, stay away...'

me:  'oh, i go by the same, tita!  one of my favorites:

"not everyone deserves a seat at the table of your life."'

you don't have to associate with everyone.  you don't have to get involved in everything.

learn when to walk away from people and situations that threaten your peace, annoy you or hurt you.

life is simpler that way.  and better.

more than meets the eye

going back and forth from the bed to the balcony...

me to sister:  'you know why i keep on going out?'

sister:  'you're breaking wind?'

me:  'whaaattt???!!!  no!  i put the pocket wifi in the balcony and i'm repositioning it to get a better signal!'

sister:  'oh...  all the while i thought you were expelling air...  you keep on going in and out and there's nothing at all in your hands...'

oh.  my.  goodness.

:"}

boo

sister:  'what are you playing?'

me:  'nothing...'

sister:  'i heard tuko-tuko...'

me:  'yeah...  'twas the gecko...'

sister:  'a real one?'

me:  'yup!'

sister:  'how big is it?'

me:  'i haven't seen it...  i've just been hearing it...'

sister:  'i thought it was just something you were playing...'

me:  'nope...  it's a real gecko...'

sister:  'where is it?'

me:  'i dunno...  somewhere near?'

sister gets up and closes the bedroom door...  ; p

looks like

wearing a gingham dress...  stopped for lunch at a no-frills eatery...

me to niece:  'do you know why they don't have tablecloths?'

niece:  'why?'

me:  'because i'm wearing it...'

;"p

prank

i was walking past when this guy suddenly jumped at his friend and pulled down his pants exposing the friend's butt...  the friend was red-faced with embarrassment while the guy just kept on laughing so hard.

i don't know what it is about guys that make them pull such pranks.  i remember when we were young, there was this phase when my brother and his friends did that to each other a lot.  they play basketball, someone makes a layup and boom!  someone else pulls down his shorts.

there'd be laughter and embarrassment but curiously, no one gets mad.  they simply find it amusing.

i can't recall any instance when i've seen girls do that to each other.  i'm thinking if ever girls would flash or moon, they'd expose their own bods not someone else's.

oh, well,

"sugar and spice
and everything nice"

vs.

"snips and snails
and puppy dogs tails"

it figures...

clear and complete

i went out with a friend last night and he dropped me off at my place around 12:45 a.m.

12:47, i texted him that my phone batt's already empty and i just connected to a powerbank to send him a message.

then i went to sleep.

9:17 a.m., i received a message from him telling me that he was already home.

eh?

i asked whether the message was just late or he really just got home that time.

he said the latter.

whaaattt???!!!  why???

i know traffic is really terrible these days but eight hours in the wee hours of the morning for a distance of not even 15 kms. is way beyond too much!

maybe he went on a 'detour' and spent the night at some other place?  ; p

well, it turns out he got home around 1 a.m., fell asleep right away, then went out again in the morning to attend to something.  the 9:17 a.m. message is actually already for the second going home.

okay.

some information are material.  if you leave them out, the message will be misleading.

needle in a haystack

my mom asking me to buy this versatile pair of pants you can wear from home to a casual day out.

me:  'what color?'

mom:  'black.'

me:  'what material?'

mom:  'i dunno...'

me:  'where'd you see it?'

mom:  'online...'

me:  'what store?'

mom:  'i didn't notice...'

oh!

keywords:
versatile black pants women

google search results:
1,810,000

; p

you oughta know

depositing checks at the bank of the philippine islands branch in blue ridge...

the teller told me one of the checks will be on-us while the other will be local.

ok.

then she asks me:  'does <supposedly on-us check issuer> know you'll be depositing it today?'

me:  'aw, i dunno...  that's my mom's...  she just told me to deposit it...'

teller:  'can you ask your mom whether <issuer> knows the check will be deposited today?'

me:  'is that necessary?  the check is dated october 15.  it's already 24th.  that should be funded already.'

teller:  '<issuer> might not know you'll be depositing it today...'

me:  'do you know <issuer>?  has he bounced checks before?'

teller:  'i don't know <issuer>, ma'am.'

me:  'neither do i.  i'm just running an errand for my mom.  just deposit it.  if it's not funded then let that be a lesson to the issuer that he should fund his checks on time.'

teller:  'is it okay with you if i just process it as local?'

me:  'you were the one who told me it's on-us...  why will it be  local now?  what will happen if you process it as on-us?'

teller:  'it will be blocked, ma'am...'

me:  'really?  why will it be blocked?'

teller:  'because the issuer does not know that it will be deposited today...'

me:  'are you sure?!  how would the system know the issuer does not know the check will be deposited today?'

teller:  'i'll just call <issuer>, ma'am...'

me:  'ok.'

then teller comes back and tells me she could not contact the issuer.

me:  'is it really your policy to inform the issuer of every check deposit?'

teller:  'it depends, ma'am...  if the amount is big...  if...'

i blurt out:  'so P10,000 is big?!'

teller:  'no, ma'am...'

me:  'then why did you have to call the issuer before processing the deposit?  is that really your policy?'

teller:  'it varies, ma'am...  in this case we have to inform the issuer because it's on-us and it's interbranch.  if it's local there'd be 3-day clearing.'

me:  'actually, it doesn't really matter whether you process it as local or as on-us because my mom's not going to withdraw the money anyway.  but because of the things you've been saying i wanted it processed as on-us because i could not make sense of your policy and i want to test it.'

teller again asks me whether she can just process it as local.

me:  'okay.  but you better be sure that's really how it's supposed to be because i'm going to blog this.'

teller says yes.

my errand is complete.

whew...

stay away

sister:  'i bought chocs...'

me:  'i thought you're not supposed to eat chocs anymore?'

sister:  'it's for you...'

me:  'yeah?  but if it's in the ref it would be too easy for you to get some, too...  don't test yourself...'

it's easier to avoid temptation than to resist it.

last minute

i was supposed to go out today but i cancelled because my mom will be seeing her doctor and i was going to accompany her.

thursday i was asking her what time we'll leave.

she said she hasn't made an appointment yet.

ok.

friday i again asked.

she said she has yet to text the secretary.

ok.

this morning i asked again.

mom:  'the doctor will be there at 1 p.m.'

me:  'so what time do you want us to leave, 12:30 or 12:45?'

mom:  'actually, i can go by myself.'

eh?

cue alanis:

♩ ♪  it's like rain on your wedding day
it's a free ride when you've already paid  ♫ ♬

; }

listen

picking up my sister at the office...  i was maneuvering to park when the guard approached me...  he said their vehicles are arriving soon and will be parking there...

me:  'aw, sorry...  where can i park then?'

guard:  'you can wait at the lobby, ma'am...'

me:  'yes...  but where do i park?'

guard:  'just wait at the lobby, ma'am...'

me:  'does that mean i have to park outside?'

guard:  'no, ma'am...  the lobby is inside the building...'

me:  'haha...  i know...  but then i'm alone...  if i go to the lobby, what happens to my car?  i can't bring it inside...  do i have to park outside the compound?'

guard:  'no, ma'am...  you can park at the side...  just go straight then turn left...'

whew!  that was my question from the start...

proper

phone call from a friend of my mom's...

mom's friend:  'thanks for coming...'

me:  'my pleasure...  thanks for inviting...'

mom's friend:  'you were so pretty...

<i grin...>

you had no makeup...

<i smile>

you had no bra...'

whaaaatttt???!!!!!

me:  'i was wearing a bra!'

mom's friend:  'were you?'

me:  'yes!!!  but then my nipples are so perky sometimes it seems like i am not...  i need a thicker pad...'

mom's friend:  'the dress that you were wearing, it was ok not to wear a bra...'

me:  'maybe...  but i did...'

actually, i'm not a fan of bras...  i forgo them at the house and when i'm going someplace where no one knows me...  but a gathering with friends of my mom's?  i definitely would wear one!

as they say,
you eat for yourself;
you dress for others.

\m/

response

for the first time since i blogged last october 7 about my not so pleasant experiences at the Philippine National Bank branch at the corner of Lauan St. and Aurora Blvd. in Proj. 3, Quezon City, i went back to the bank again to make another interbranch deposit on behalf of my mom.

so i entered the bank and went to the counter to fill out a deposit slip.  whoa!  the branch manager walked over and made small talk with me as i was filling out the slip.  (she had actually called me last october 11 profusely apologizing for what transpired.)

then when i sat down to wait for my queue number to be flashed onscreen, one of the tellers, who i suppose was on break as she invited me to eat, approached me and was getting my slip for processing.

i said it's ok, i'll go through the regular process and just wait for my turn.  (actually, initially i was the only customer at the bank but another one showed up while i was filling out the slip so i became second.)

both the manager and the teller were very friendly, solicitous and apologetic.  they were telling me not to be angry anymore.

oh!  i told them i wasn't angry.  i said i simply blogged about my experience and it was basically just a factual narration.

anyway, i am not asking for special treatment.  that was not my objective at all.  what i want is for the process to improve not just for me but for every other customer as well.  from the looks of it, they seem to have started taking action.

thank you and i wish you success.

shooting and sharing

caller:  'friend!  you're uploading decades-old pics!'

me:  'that was thursday...  throwback!'

caller:  'the non-throwback?  when are you going to upload our pictures?'

me:  'i've uploaded the one at the house...  i posted it on your birthday...'

caller:  'how about the ones after that?  our pictures in <place>?'

me:  'haha...  i'm still in august 2015...'

caller:  'so you'll post the 2016 pics in 2017 yet?'

me:  'maybe...  or if it's your birthday again then i'll post one of ours ahead again...'

i have a LOT of pictures and i want them posted chronologically as much as possible...  exceptions are when there's a time element or someone might want to see it right away...

i also prefer to post just one place per day...

plus i don't want to bleed the feed...

the consequence therefore is that my uploads are super-late...  it's already october 2016 and i'm just now uploading august 2015 pics in my facebook account...  #ThrowbackEveryday...  ;"}

i actually cringe everytime i see 'late upload / late post' captions in facebook...  seems to me like it's an obligation to post pics right away...  i take pics to capture moments and things that i like...  the posting is just something like an afterthought...  it's optional...  actually, the most special pics i don't even post...  they're just for certain eyes...  and in my heart...  <3 <3

pics of others i do post (in other accounts) soon enough...  it's just me-stuff that i've been uploading really late...  it's my timeline anyway...  i can take my time...  i don't see any urgency in having to show people my pics...  for all you know they're not even interested...  wahaha...  toinks!!!  ;"p

this is not about logic

today i took apart my broken washing machine (yup, i like doing traditionally manly things around the house)...  nope, not to repair it...  i wanted to keep the inner stainless steel and plastic tubs before disposing of the rest...

guess what, i think my hands thickened and hardened the equivalent of ten years given all the screws i had to remove!  i never thought that thing had so many nuts and bolts!

after what seemed like forever turning this, this, this and separating that, that, that, i thought i could finally pull up the tubs...  well?  i could have torn a muscle trying to raise that cylinder!  it was so heavy!

i flipped the thing upside down and unscrewed the bottom...  ta-daaannn!!!  there i saw attached to the tubs what i think is the motor plus this very heavy steel thing that could have anchored a ship!  (okay, okay, exag!)  what more, there were several screws, the types that did not have grooves!  waaahhh!!!  how do i unfasten those things?  pliers?  wrench?  ugh!

when i think of all the effort i will have to put in again, i'm inclined to do away with the tubs...  but when i think of all the effort i've already put in, all the more that i'd like to get them...

bottom line, is it worth it?  depends on how much i want it...  how happy will i be having it?  how sad will i be without it?  hmmm...  hmmm...  hmmm...  i'll have to rest and think awhile ->  then listen to my heart...  ;")

keep distance

guy inviting me to lunch, dinner, whatever...

i decline...

he's persistent...

i'm adamant...

guy:  'ok...  so what i'll do is i'll just inform you where i'll be...  i'll be having breakfast at <place> or i'll be having lunch at <place>...  in case you want to join me, just show up...'

me:  'haha...  you do that you're erasing all probability that we'll bump into each other...  i'll make sure i stay away from the area where you are...'

guy chuckles:  'that's precisely why i'm telling you...  so you can avoid...'

hahaha...  deal...  ; p

take it easy

finalizing the date for some dinner...  the original reservation was for a friday but, taking into consideration possible overtime work and the turtle-pace traffic, i was inclined to move it to a saturday...

my friend, however, wanted to stick to a friday...  he texted me for confirmation so, he said, he could file a leave already...

whaaattt?!  OA!

it's just dinner!  well, kinda, sorta, somewhat special but not THAT special...

we've had other dinners before, he's never had to file a leave...  at least as far as i know...  wait, now i'm not sure...  has he?

he does know i hate waiting so he makes it a point to be punctual, sometimes even too early...  hmmm...  suddenly i'm wondering what it took for him to make it on time the previous times we went out...

announcement, friends...  i value punctuality but i am a reasonable person...  i understand if people are late EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE...  just don't make it a regular thing and we'll be fine...

blabber

talking about septic tanks (of all things!  ugh!)...  segued...

friend:  'you know what the worst-smelling part of a person's body is?'

me:  'what?'

friend:  'the belly button...'

me:  'huh?!  the belly button does not smell!'

friend:  'it does!'

me:  'it does?!  well, if it does it shouldn't smell bad...'

friend:  'when you clean your navel, smell the dirt, it smells awful...'

me:  'haha...  why on earth would you smell it???  anyway, i'm sure mine doesn't...'

friend:  'because your navel isn't deep...'

me:  'who told you my navel isn't deep?  it is...'

friend:  'you know they say if your navel is deep your v_ _ _ _ _ is also deep...'

me:  'so?  is there anything wrong with that?  that's really how it's supposed to be, isn't it?'

;"}

don't sweat the small stuff

asked my sister whether this dish in front of us is good...

sister:  'i didn't like it...'

me:  'oh...  ok...'

sister:  'try it...'

me:  'no...  you didn't like it...'

sister:  'the ones i find delicious, you don't like...  the ones you find good, i don't...  that means we have different tastes...  try it, you just might like it...'

me:  'the ones you find delicious, i don't...  what more the ones you don't like?  pass...'

hmmm...  not sure whether my inference is valid...  anyway, i'll just apply stringent logic when there are no other dishes on the table...  ;")

quickly

i entered a bank...  then suddenly i remembered that i forgot (haha...  'remember' and 'forgot'...) something in the car...  so out i went again...

and then as i was about to re-enter the bank, ta-daaann!!!  the 'Closed' sign was already up!

eh?!

well, good thing the guard opened the door for me and i got in again...

imagine,  i was parked just a few steps away from the door and i think it took me less than a minute to pick up what i forgot in the car.  but yup, things can change in a moment, in the blink of an eye, in an instant...

feedback

for the fifth time today, i encashed a check at the Philippine National Bank branch at the corner of Lauan St. and Aurora Blvd. in Proj. 3, Quezon City.

i am not a depositor of the bank.  my parents are and i basically just go there to encash and to run errands for my mom.

i really haven't done a lot of encashments in my life.  i usually just deposit checks to my account.  traffic, however, is unbearably awful these days i've deemed it better to just encash the checks at a nearby bank instead of enduring the slooow vehicle crawl to my bank.

well, guess what.  i was able to avoid the traffic crawl but i have had to contend with slowness of some other kind.

so i go to PNB to encash a check in the morning and every single time i've done so (five times from july 1 to oct 7), they ask me to just come back for the money.  yes!  as in, i give them the check and my ID, wait for them to photocopy the two, get my ID when they're done, then go home and come back to claim the money after i receive their text message.  (their notifications have ranged from an earliest of 10:36 am to a latest of 3:34 pm.)

this morning i asked the teller whether they do that for every single encashment.

she replied, "ganu'n talaga." -->  that's really how it is.

she said some customers opt to wait though while others go out in the meantime.

i asked what the average processing time is.

her reply?  minimum of two hours, maximum of four.  whoa!

as far as i know, check encashment is a party-waiting transaction.  i never thought it was a come-back-when-we-text-you one.

i'm not really sure whether the problem is with the system or with the people.  i did notice that even just the photocopying of my ID they take quite a while.  as in, five minutes to as long as around twenty five minutes!

the times i've been there the bank is not at all full.  there'd just be a handful of customers and there was even a time there was just me.

you'd think being slow they would be thorough.  unfortunately, no.  there was this time i made an inter-branch deposit.  my fault, i did not check the receipt at the counter.  when i got home and scanned it, i noticed that they got my mom's middle initial wrong.  i told the teller about it the next time i came back.  i was surprised at how nonchalantly she brushed it off saying it's the account number that matters not the name.  wow!  coming from bank personnel that is alarming.  aren't they supposed to be a  stickler for correctness and accuracy?

they also should not be careless, right?  guess what, they just lost the plastic jacket of my ID!  i usually give them my driver's license but given their slowness, today i decided to just give them my TIN card.  when after five minutes they still were not done with photocopying, i told them i would just leave the ID with them and just get it when i come back for the money later.

i have had that TIN card since 2005.  i've shown and left it with so many offices and buildings before.  this is the first time the jacket got lost!  at a bank to boot!  ugh!

they actually have this feedback mechanism near the door.  it's a transparent box where customers are supposed to drop their queue numbers in one of the three holes:  Happy, Neutral, Sad.  all the queue numbers are in the Happy slot.  the Neutral and Sad slots are empty.  i do not believe that paints a truthful picture.

one time i was transacting with the teller, the guard walked over and picked up the used queue numbers on the teller's desk.  i didn't really think much of it.  i thought he was just going to throw them away.

then before leaving the bank, i asked the teller for my queue number as i was going to drop it in the box.

he said the guard has taken it.

i therefore asked the guard for my queue number.

the guard said he has dropped it in the box.

me:  'huh?!  where'd you drop it?'

the guard points to the box where only the Happy slot has contents.

me:  'why'd you drop mine in the Happy?  i wasn't satisfied with the service.'

the guard tells me to just get another queue number and drop again.

eh?

i wonder how many of those slips were actually dropped by customers themselves.  i further wonder whether the Sad slips are actually left intact.  lemme therefore just express my feedback through this blog.

may your process improve.

one and only

guard:  'where are you going, ma'am?'

me:  'to <brother's name>...'

guard:  'your husband, ma'am?'

me:  'no...  my brother...'

guard:  'you look alike, ma'am...'

eh?  waaahhh!!!

hmmm...  actually, he is my handsomest brother  ->  uhm, because i have no other...  ; p

peace, bruder... mwuah!!!  <3 <3 <3

aim high

me to counter crew:  'what's your name?'

crew:  '<ih-sau>...'

me:  'the food?'
->  isaw is a philippine street food.  it is grilled intestines of chicken or pig.

crew:  'the one in the bible, ma'am...'

me:  'ah...  esau...  what's his brother's name?'

crew:  'jacob, ma'am...  i have a twin named jacob...'

me:  'wow...  who's the good one, esau or jacob?  sorry, i don't remember...'

crew:  'esau, ma'am...'

me:  'oh...  good for you...  make sure you live up to your name...'

and then i saw him write his name on my order form...  it was 'isau'...

me:  'oh!  yours is I...  the one in the bible is E...  you're closer to the food...'

and then i thought, the food is W, the one in the bible is U...

hmmm...  a difference of one letter either way...

ok...  go for the loftier one  ->  he is not street food; he is a heavenly man...  0: )

one step at a time

postman cheerfully handed me a letter:  'here...  this one's yours now...'

me:  'haha...  thanks...'

last week, all the deliveries he was showing me were for the neighbors not ours.

i blurted out, 'wah!  i rushed downstairs and even cut a phone conversation when you called at the gate and then not even one letter is for us?'

he chuckled, 'next time...'

guess what, when i checked the letter he handed me, it wasn't really for me, it's for my mom.

oh, well...  closer and closer inch by inch...  ; p

special memory

aunts and uncles testing my 91-year-old aunt's memory...  each of the siblings was asking their eldest sister when their birthday is...

my aunt is able to answer every single one correctly...  : )

and then an uncle pulls me...  he asks my aunt, 'how about bong?  when is her birthday?'

me:  'she doesn't know my birthday!  that would really be surprising if she suddenly remembers it now...'

guess what, she got my birth month and was close on the date!  wow!

we're a BIG family, over two hundred:  blood descendants from my maternal grandparents plus spouses.  i remember my relatives' birthdays mainly because i have a list and, of course, now there's facebook to remind you...

i am so touched and impressed my aunt knows such details.  she's in her twilight years and it would be understandable if she forgets.  but no, her heart remembers...  <3

mission accomplished

my mom asked me to buy cakes...

ok...  off to the bakeshop i went...

i ordered the cakes near the chiller and then at the cashier, i made additional orders of my fave almondine cookies...

after paying, i picked up the cakes at the counter behind me, one box on each hand, then left.  nearing home, i suddenly realized that i do not have the cookies.  waaahhh!!!

i thought of going back but then it was so hot i decided to just call and tell them i'll get the cookies some other day.

it was very disappointing because i've been looking forward to munching my favorite almondines...  huhuhu...

there i was feeling down and then suddenly i perked up...  why?  it occurred to me if it were the cakes i forgot, i would have had to go back, rain or shine...  :O

i have the cakes...  that's what's most important...  everything else is just, well, icing...  ; )

hear the heart

at mass earlier, i joined in the singing of the hymns as usual...  and then i noticed that the guy behind me had such a beautiful voice!

suddenly i felt embarrassed to sing...  i was thinking my offering to God was so mediocre and very inferior...  :'(

immediately the widow's offering entered my mind...  Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:2-4...  it's one of my favorite bible verses  <3

i started singing again ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

my voice may not be as good as that of the other churchgoers but it is the only voice i have and i am humbly and wholeheartedly offering it to God...

i'm sure He will understand and i pray He will be pleased...

keep it short

singing on loop:

♩ ♪  i love you like a love song, baby
and i keep hitting re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat  ♫ ♬

sister:  'why are you singing that song?'

me:  'i dunno...  LSS?'

sister:  'it's old...'

me:  'well, yes and no...  selena gomez...'

sister:  'the 'peat-peat-peat-peat' part is annoying...  just sing up to 'i love you'...'

me:  'just that?!  not even until 'like a love song, baby'?!'

sister:  'no.'

eh?

okay, okay, i get it...  when it comes to my singing, the shorter, the better...  ;"p

to each his own

my niece and i were walking at a hotel lobby...

she blurted out:  'it smells like medicine!'

simultaneously i went:  'it smells like a spa...'

one man's meat is another man's poison...

clothing

passed schoolchildren in philippine costumes for Linggo ng Wika...  sooo cute!!!  :")

almost all the boys were wearing red pants and white camisa de chino...  i saw only one in this colorful bagobo outfit...

the girls' dresses had more variety and color...  there was a maria clara plus patadyongs and balintawaks...

i don't really know whether the practically uniform look of the boys were from teachers' orders...  i could imagine, however, a teacher telling the girls to wear a baro't saya and still the outfits will come out varied...

clothes-wise i think it is more interesting to be a girl...  am i glad i'm one...  : )

reassuring

i started driving in college (a long, long time ago :"} )...  up to now, however, i'm still not good at parallel parking...  i usually end up not quite close to the curb and / or a bit diagonal instead of straight...  actually, i would rather park far and walk rather than parallel park...

well, today, mainly because there was ample space, i was able to parallel park perfectly, in one go at that!  i was sooo happy...  i was sooo thankful...  : D

i excitedly opened my door and suddenly there was a loud thud!  huh?!  the door would not open all the way!  turns out i parked beside a cracked pavement that has risen and the elevated part hit my door!  waaahhh!!!

i ace something i rarely get right and in the process i scratch my car?!  ugh!  life is not fair!!!  :'(

but hey!  God is good all the time...  :")

safe

chatting on the phone and mentioned that i wanted to go to this mall because my combs were on sale...

caller:  'the comb <toot> gave you?'

me:  'huh?!  you remember he gave me???  ei, he gave me just one, ok...  the rest i was the one who bought...'

caller:  'you know it's not good for couples to give each other combs...'

me:  'we're not a couple!'

caller:  'even just suitors, they should not give combs...'

me:  'he's not courting, hello!'

caller:  'yeah...  maybe you're just friends...'

me:  'yes, we've been friends for years...  that's as far as it will go...  anyway, what will happen if you give a comb?'

caller:  'you will separate...'

me:  'haha...  there's nothing to separate because nothing was joined...'

hmmm...  i want another massage comb, please...  ; )

half-and-half

me to nephew:  'your hair looks like that of...  hmmm...  wait...  not johnny rockets...  johnny...  johnny...  ah...  johnny tango!'

nephew:  'johnny bravo!'

me:  'oh...  hahaha...  yup...  johnny bravo!  well, at least i got it half-right...'

uhm...  and also half-wrong...  :"}

innocent

guy wearing a shirt with the print:

'If it's a sin to be handsome,
SORRY'

oh...  no need to apologize, guy...  no need...  ; p

just keep it inside

my dad wanted a sunny side up so the kitchen wiz that i am (hahahahaha...  verbalize to materialize!), i set off in the kitchen to indulge him...

break the egg, check...

cook the egg with the yolk intact, check...

transfer the egg from the pan to the plate, waaahhh!!!  the yolk broke!

i decided to just stir it coming up with a swirly not quite scrambled egg...  :"}

take two  ->  i got another egg...

break it, check...

cook the egg with the yolk intact, check...

transfer the egg from the pan to the plate, ta-daannn!!!  i did it!!!  : D

i served the good egg to my dad and, even if i didn't feel like eating, gobbled up the scrambled egg so he won't see...

burp!  ;"p

just because

shared with my sister a chocolate bar my sister-in-law gave me (thank you!!!  <3 <3 <3 )...

sister:  'it tastes like cookies and cream...'

me:  'it is cookies & cream...  it's printed on the wrapper...'

sister:  'oh...  i didn't look...'

me:  'you just put it in your mouth without checking the wrapper?!'

sister:  'it's chocolate!'

oh...  haha...  yeah...  that is reason enough...  ;")

clueless

my niece and i paid her tuition this afternoon...  so we were on queue and when our number came up, the guard called us to one of the windows...

ok...  i gave the enrollment slip plus my credit card to the woman at the counter...

she took them and then proceeded to count and check a wad of one-dollar bills...

so there i was watching her through the glass window and, not really noticing that i was thinking aloud, blurted out, 'how come she's counting dollars???'
[local currency is the philippine peso]

the guard overheard me and asked, 'are you paying in dollars?!'

me:  'no!  mine's credit card...'

so she was checking the dollar bills and looking at this slip where i think serial numbers or whatever was listed and then she stood up and disappeared!

in the meantime, the guard has already called two payees to the next window...

i told the guard, 'next time a window opens up transfer us there...  the cashier here left...'

the guard peeks through the glass and goes:  'she's still coming back...'

me:  'even then!  she's not processing our payment...  she's still attending to something else...  you shouldn't have called us to this window if she's not yet ready to attend to us...  just transfer us...'

guard:  'but your papers are already with her...'

me:  'then get them and bring them to another window...'

and then the woman came back...  she was still checking the wad of bills, one dollar each!

me, noticing and aligning my mouth to the speaker that would allow her to hear whatever i was saying behind the window:  'what's she doing?!  it's so rude to be calling someone comfortably seated to stand in front of you then make them wait while you take so long attending to something else...  people might even think we're the one holding the line...'

she suddenly glances at me then puts the dollars down...  she then processes my niece's payment...

gah!  some people are not able to recognize rude things on their own...  you have to point it out to them before they remember to be considerate...  >: }

face it

joining my mom on a lunch out (actually, i'm primarily just a driver)...  i was wearing a dress that was business in front but party in the back  ->  not a wild party, just a little fun mid-back plunge...

my mom sees me and goes:  'there's going to be a priest there!'

me:  'mom, it's a restaurant not a church...  and it's lunchtime and it's hot...'

besides, people are not really supposed to talk behind your back...  ; p

gone too soon

saleslady offering me a P1,600 bar of soap...

me:  'aw, thanks...  the organic soaps i buy cost so much cheaper...'

saleslady:  'but this is really good, ma'am...'

me:  'yeah, i've tried it...  no, i didn't buy...  my sister bought it for me...  i won't buy such an expensive soap myself, hehe...'

saleslady:  'but this one will already last you a year, ma'am...'

me:  'one year?!  how come mine lasted just weeks?!  not even a month!'

saleslady:  'maybe you were soaking it?'

me:  'no...  but i do take hour-long showers...'

saleslady:  'that long?  even then...  you're supposed to use this just for the face...'

me:  'nyeh!  i used it all over...  for both face and body!'

waaahhh...  ignorant user...  wasted resources...  :"O

love is in the air

checking out beddings...  i only need a queen but the designs i liked kept on turning out to be for kings...

me:  'actually, i want a king bed, california king, but there's no more space in my room...'

: }

= = = = =

crossing over to another store, rihanna's song played in the airwaves...

'♩ ♪  in this california king bed
we're ten thousand miles apart  ♫ ♬'

me to companion:  'wow!  i was just telling you about california king and then we hear that song?!  telepathy!'

: D

= = = = =

deciding on drinks at a food court...  i saw a 'goto king' outlet...

me:  'what do they have at goto king?'

companion:  'goto!'
->  porridge / congee

me:  'not king?'

; p

= = =

three kings all in a day...  does that mean valentine is just around the corner?  <3 <3

through the years

i have this denim dress that i wear A LOT...  it's long and loose and comfortable and it has pockets which is perfect given that i don't like to carry a bag around...

so my phone rings and blah blah blah blah blah blah blah...

then the caller tells me that she just might show up where i'm going...

caller:  'maybe you'd be wearing your denim dress again...'

[ #uniform  ;"p ]

me:  'haha...  i dunno whether you saw the throwback pic i just posted...  the one driving...'

caller:  'the 2003?'

me:  'yes!  i posted that because i was just wearing the same dress and then i saw that pic and i was surprised the denim was so dark...  i've forgotten it used to be dark blue!  it's so light now!'

old clothes never dye...  let them fade away...  ; )

a long while

i called this office...  i was told the one i was looking for just went out...

me:  'awww...  do you have other phones there?'

OJT:  'none, ma'am...'

me:  'there's only one phone in your office?'

OJT:  'yes, ma'am...'

me:  'in the whole ground floor, are there other phones?'

OJT:  'none, ma'am...  why?  have you been calling awhile?'

me:  'i've been calling for weeks...  the line is always busy...'

actually, i was already wondering whether the phone was out of order or, uhm, even hung...  one time i was there i noticed the phone was not properly put down after a call...

anyway, good news...  just as i said i'd rather wait on the line lest i be unable to connect again, i was told the one i was calling just came in...  whew...

be careful

the doctor gave my mom a stress ball that looked to me like a heart but i wasn't sure...

me:  'is that a heart, doc?'

doctor:  'yes...'

me:  'she has stress balls...  but they're round...'

doctor to my mom:  'so you have stress balls...  let me have that back...'

mom:  'you've given it to me...  you're not supposed to take it back...'

me:  'that's a heart, mom...  hearts can be taken back...'

you bruise it, you lose it...

my way

i cooked breakfast...  danggit, sunny side up and fried rice...

i am admittedly no cook but my sister who whips up delicious dishes and likes to improvise in the kitchen said my danggit was crunchy and my fried rice was good...  : D

me:  'oh?  how do you do it?'

sister:  'i fry the garlic and then i put the rice...'

me:  'me,
i fry the garlic [lots of it, until it's off-white, not brown]...
then i take it out of the pan and put it on top of the rice i'm gonna fry...
and then i cook the egg on the oil where i fried the garlic...
and then i remove the egg...
then i take out the oil leaving just a bit of grease on the pan...
then i put the rice...

the egg has a garlic flavor...

the rice has an egg flavor...'

: )

solved

dinner done...  sister transferring leftovers to a plastic container...

me:  'use the glass!'

sister:  'they're too big...'

me:  'that's ok...'

sister:  'there's no more space in the ref...'

me:  'wait...  i'll wash a smaller one...'

sister:  'this will do...'

me:  'no...  if there's glass, use glass...'

sister:  'don't bother...  i'll just eat this...'

and she did...  : }

now and forever

i arrive at my parents' place...

mom:  'i'm going to [hairdresser]...'

me:  'you want me to accompany you?'

mom:  'no...  i can manage...  [aunt] will be there, too...'

me:  'what time are you leaving?'

mom:  'now...'

me:  ''now,' in a while?'

mom:  'no...  right now...'

oh...  i therefore opened their front door and also their gate and waited for her to go out so i'd also be the one to close them for her (actually, she can do it herself...  i just wanted to assist her a bit as she broke her arm and it is still healing)...

so i waited and waited and waited...  5 minutes...  10 minutes...  15 minutes...  she still hasn't stepped out...  : }

i decided to just close the doors and proceed upstairs...

well, it was only after 20 minutes did she go out...

wahehe...  define 'right now'...  ; p

no-brainer

traffic light green...

me:  'why are they crossing???'

sister:  'there are no vehicles...'

me:  'regardless!  we should develop good habits...  if it's go, you don't cross...  that's risky...  what if a car suddenly appears?  me, if it's stop i don't proceed even if i don't see pedestrians...  automatic, no more thinking...  some risks are just not worth it.'

others might say i'm being impractical, illogical or whatever.  well, i just try to develop good habits and make certain things second nature.  i think it serves you well.  i think it makes life easier.

firsthand

my mom slipped in the bathroom and broke her arm.  she underwent an operation wherein metal plates were used to connect the bones together and she's scheduled to start therapy soon.

she was asking my sister who two years ago also underwent therapy for a fractured arm about the facilities, the procedures, parking, etc., etc.

my sister was unsure about her answers saying she doesn't clearly remember so i kept on butting in to give definite answers.

my mom then turns to me and asks, 'were you with her then?'

me:  'of course!  i was the one driving her and accompanying her during therapy.  why would i butt in if i were not around?'

: }

PDA not allowed

a song played in the airwaves...

i squealed:  'aw!  'secret love song'!  you want me to send you that?'

reply:  'no.'

me:  'that's consistent with the hugot ek [pained stuff] you've been posting lately...  check the lyrics...'

reply:  'why?  how does it go?'

and i sing, wahaha...  ; p

'♩ ♪  why can't you hold me in the street?
why can't i kiss you on the dance floor?
i wish that it could be like that
why can't it be like that?
'cause i'm yours  ♫ ♬'

there's more:

♩ ♪  why can't i say that i'm in love?
i wanna shout it from the rooftop
i wish that it could be like that
why can't we be like that?
'cause i'm yours  ♫ ♬

</3

make good

my mom had lab exams wednesday morning and was told the different results will be available at different times that same afternoon.

instead of waiting or coming back later, i told my mom i'd just return for the results the next day.

turns out i'll be running some other errand at the hospital today, friday, so instead of going yesterday, i just went this afternoon.

guess what, when i was claiming the lab results i was told i'd still have to wait awhile as they haven't been signed.

me:  'oh?  my mom was told they'd be ready last wednesday yet.  it's friday and it's still not available?  good thing i didn't go yesterday.'

my sister had a very similar experience also today.  she brought something for repair to the seamstress and it was supposed to be ready for pick up last wednesday.  she went there this evening and, well, it still is not yet finished.

isn't it supposed to be 'under promise and over deliver' not the other way around?  : }

good to better

nephew busy with his phone...

me: 'maybe you'd play pokemon go once it's rolled out here...'

niece: 'it's already here, tita... we saw [neighbors] and they were looking for pokemons...'

me: 'well, you can get it but officially it's not yet rolled out here... you'd have to resort to a workaround to play now... create a non-philippine account or download an APK... i'd rather wait...'

niece: 'you're going to play, tita?'

me: 'not really... i just want to get a pikachu... i don't intend to catch them all... just one pokemon, a pikachu, then that's it...'

niece: 'it's hard to get a pikachu, tita...'

me: 'i read somewhere it's easy... you can get a pikachu as your first pokemon...'

niece: 'oh? others have had to climb mountains to get a pikachu...'

me: 'well, according to what i read, the trick to getting a pikachu is to pass up the three pokemons that you see when you start playing the game... don't catch the starter pokemons... walk away... and then you'll see them again... walk away again... you keep on doing that until they become four... pikachu's the fourth... i don't really know if that's true but if it is then the lesson here is you don't get something just because it's there...'

learn to pass... : )

points

gassing up...

gasoline attendant:  'you have a value [rewards] card, ma'am?'

me:   'yes...'

and i checked where i usually put it...  suddenly i remembered it's with my sister...

me:  'aw!  wait!  wait!  don't fill it up...  i don't have my value card...  just pump the minimum...  what is it, P500?  P200?  just pump P200...  i'll just come back when i have my rewards card...'

tail wagging the dog...  :"}

tell me your name

getting stickers for my parents, my brother and my sister.

i submitted their one-page forms to the processor.

the processor went:  'bear with me, i'm going to ask you repeatedly.'

me:  'ok...'

processor:  'are you their representative?'

me:  'yes...'

processor:  'what's your name?'

me:  'cynthia [middle name] [last name]...'

processor:  'how are you related to [dad's name]?'

me:  'he's my father...'

ok.  she wrote five lines on the sticker:

- 3-digit branch code
- date
- two amounts
- her signature

then she proceeded to my brother's form...

processor:  'you're the representative?'

me:  'yes...'

processor:  'what's your name?'

me:  'cynthia [middle name] [last name]...'

processor:  'how are you related to [brother's name]?'

me:  'he's my brother...'

ok.  again she wrote five lines on the sticker.

then on to my sister's form.

processor:  'you're the representative?'

me:  'yes...'

processor:  'what's your name?'

me:  'cynthia [middle name] [last name]...'

processor:  'how are you related to [sister's name]?'

me:  'she's my sister...'

ok.  again, five lines on the sticker.

transactions D, O, N, E.

whew!

talk about the spirit and letter of an order.
talk about efficiency.
talk about logic.
talk about common sense.
talk about technicalities.
talk about quick name changes...  ; p

eat

this morning my mom told me she's going to have a lab exam tomorrow.

ok.

then right before dinner she told me we're not pushing through with the hospital trip tomorrow.

me:  'oh?  why?'

mom:  'look at all those...  i don't want them to appear in the lab results...'

on the table were tilapia, sisig and chicken skin chicharon...  : D

sister:  'then don't eat those...'

mom:  'i don't want to restrain myself...'

;")

out with the new

my mom slipped in the bathroom and broke her arm.  she underwent an operation wherein metal plates were used to connect the bones together and now she wears a sling to support her arm while it heals.

last week my sister told me my mom wanted to hear mass at a new timeslot.

huh?!  why?  we've been attending the same mass from as far back as i can remember.

my sister said my mom wants the new time so there would be fewer people in attendance.

oh!  ok.  i therefore accompanied her on the new sched.

this morning my sister was telling me my mom wants to hear mass at our usual timeslot.

eh?

i told my sister i'm fine with going to mass twice.  (last week i attended our usual plus my mom's new preference.)

my sister said my mom doesn't want the new sched anymore.

oh?  hmmm...  i think i know why.

1.  there were so many more attendees in the other mass.

2.  she bumped into people she knew.  first was a goddaughter who approached her right after the mass.  second was an acquaintance who saw us as we were about to leave.  both greeted her with a, 'what happened to you?!'

hehe...  my mom was trying to stay under the radar and instead bumped into people she does not really normally see.

sometimes life plays tricks on you...  ; )

go as you are

knocked at my sister-in-law's door in my shorts and 'comfy' top (my friends know what that means, hehe) and handed her a cake...

sister-in-law:  'you were so quick!  how did you go there?'

me:  'i just walked...'

sister-in-law:  'you just walked?!'

me:  'yes.'

sister-in-law:  'like that?!'

me:  'yes.'

sister-in-law:  'that was what you were wearing when you went there?!'

me:  'yes.'

and she seemed to believe me, hahaha.

nope, i was wearing a dress and was 'decent' when i walked to the restaurant / pastry shop 850 meters away.  i changed clothes when i got home after which i knocked at her door.

had it been someone else it would have been obvious that that was a joke.  with me, given my track record, uhm, you cannot be too sure...  :"}

fat fingers

on the phone with a friend of my mom's... she was asking me something and i was trying to explain it to her...

me: 'i'll send you examples...'

mom's friend: 'how will you send?'

me: 'through facebook...'

mom's friend: 'are we friends in facebook?'

me: 'yes... unless you've unfriended me...'

mom's friend: 'why would i unfriend you?!'

me: 'haha... unintentional? i noticed that [mom's friend 2] blocked me... i was thinking she just might have clicked something she didn't mean to click...'

mom's friend bursts into laughter: 'oh! you can be sure that when that happens to us it wasn't intentional, too!'

me: 'haha... i know!'

i myself have pressed keys and icons i never intended to press. more so my mom... and, i suppose, her friends... ; )

peace, titas... mwuah!!! :*

big little things

i was encashing a check at the bank and when the teller handed me the money, he went, 'that has excess, ma'am...'

me:  'it has excess???'

teller:  'i don't have 93 centavos, ma'am, so i gave you one peso...'

me:  'oh, hahaha...   i was gonna return it but i don't have 7 centavos...  you want the peso?'

teller chuckles:  'keep the change, ma'am...  bear with me...  that's all i can afford to give you...  '

me:  'oh, appreciated!  thank you very much...'

"little drops of water
little grains of sand
make the mighty ocean
and the pleasant land..."

: )

reassuring

june 30, 2016...  the country has a new president and vice president.

from president rodrigo duterte's inaugural speech:

"As a lawyer and a former prosecutor, I know the limits of the power and authority of the president. I know what is legal and what is not.

My adherence to due process and the rule of law is uncompromising."

from vice president leni robredo's:

"Naniniwala ako na sa panahong tila may mga matitinding hidwaan na nangyayari sa mundong kinagagalawan natin, ang hamon sa atin ay magsama-sama, paigtingin ang ating pagkakaisa, at gawing lakas, hindi hadlang, ang ating pagkakaiba."

whew!

yes, things are going to get better...  : )

upside

i was paying at the cashier when a good-looking guy walked over.

guy:  'is there a number?'

cashier:  'none but there's a queue...  just sit at the end...'

and then the cashier and his workmates started gushing about the guy...

me:  'attend to the others slowly so you could see him longer...'

a workmate chuckled:  'tell them the system is slow...  it really is anyway...'

true...  processing took longer than usual and the staff were blaming it on the system...  well, every cloud has a silver lining...  ; )

emergency

i heard the blaring of a siren and saw in my rear view mirror that an ambulance was in my lane. i immediately tried to merge left to give way. ugh! the drivers won't let me!

when the ambulance was already just one car behind me, a space finally opened up but two cars, in spite of my signal light, accelerated and closed it! grrrr!!!

i rolled down my window and made a hand signal to the third car to let me merge. the driver obliged, thank you very much.

i gave enough space for the car previously behind me to get in my new lane but it did not.

anyway, guys, please. the brain is for thinking and the heart is for caring. don't put them to waste.

beneath the surface

i was at a wedding reception and there was this game.  guys had to put colored strips on their lady partners' body parts that start with P;  girls, on the guys' body parts that start with T.

i had in mind thumb and tongue and palm and pore.  i was thinking pore was already clever.

guess what, one of the pairs had trachea and thoracic cage and tibia and pancreas plus this nerve on the side of the neck whose name i don't anymore remember.  wow!

i was like, 'are they doctors?'

nope, but the girl was a nurse.

haha...  ok.  so much for skin-deep.

hear ye

the other day, i received a text message from someone telling me she's coming over to the house yesterday.

ok.

i moved my to-dos to today.

guess what, she did not show up yesterday and instead came over today.  ugh!

something similar has happened before.  i received a text message from her telling me she's coming over in the morning.  well, she came late afternoon.

unilateral changes for no compelling reason piss me off.  i find them rude and inconsiderate.

let this serve as notice therefore.  if you stand me up a certain day, please, please, please do not come over unannounced the following day.  the wound, so to speak, is still fresh.  don't aggravate it by unexpectedly showing up and again messing up my sched.

scheduling

so today, june 22, 2016, a courier delivered to me sales invoices for items i ordered from this "one stop online destination for everything fashionable in the Philippines."  ;"p

the invoice dates?
-  december 13, 2013
-  january 7, 2014
-  december 2, 2014

eh?

good thing the items were delivered sooo much earlier  ->  less than a week after i placed the orders...

hmmm...  someone practicing effective time management inefficiently in the store?  ; )

my orders were important and urgent and they came on time.

the invoices really are immaterial to me.  uhm, they came one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half years later.

positive spin:
they got their priorities right...  ; p

no boundaries

me:  'what time do you want?'

reply:  'later...'

me:  'what time later?'

reply:  'later...'

me:  'what time?'

reply:  'just later...'

ok...  i'll come back today...  ; )

invisibly visible

passed in front of this bank where a former classmate is bank manager...

me:  '<classmate 2> and i went there when she was here...  i accompanied her to see <bank manager classmate>...  the pics that were uploaded, i was the one who took those...'

schoolmate:  'i had a feeling when i saw the pictures that you were with them...'

me:  'huh?!  why?  you can't see me in the pics...'

schoolmate:  'because the shots were nice...'

;")

confidential

mom couldn't log in to her e-mail...  she calls me...

mom:  'what is my password?'

me:  'huh?!  i don't know...'

mom:  'is it <guess 1>?'

me:  'i don't know...'

mom:  'or maybe <guess 2>?'

me:  'mom, i don't know your password so whatever you say i can't really reply yes or no.'

she just recovered it.

solved.

mattress not floor

dropped by the land transportation office to claim previously unavailable car stickers (turned out to be still unavailable actually)...

me to guy beside me:  'i registered march yet...'

guy:  'me, october...  up to now i don't have my plates...'

oh...  so i'm better off...  ; }

unrelated

set up my mom's new phone...

later she asks me, holding her old phone, 'how come [aunt's] number here suddenly became aaa?'

me:  'huh?!  i don't know...  it was your new phone i touched...  i didn't do anything with your old...'

: }

branded

mom:  'i think your shirt is inside out...'

me:  'is it?!'

that has happened to me more than once!  :"O

i check...

me:  'this is really how it's supposed to be, mom...  that's the design...'

mom:  'but the tag is showing...'

me:  'where?'

she points to my side...

me:  'oh!  that tag's really supposed to be outside...  there's another one inside [i pull up my shirt and show her another tag]...  that tiny exposed tag right there actually jacked up the price of this shirt...'

but of course i bought it on sale...  ; p

goals

niece:  'tita, what's a good mission for myself?  we have to come up with a one-sentence mission.  i'm thinking, 'to finish college on time.''

me:  'huh?!  that's just like a regular to-do!  that's not your mission in life.  it has to be bigger than that.  for example, mine is, 'to make wherever i am a little better somehow.'  it's simple but it means a lot.  it's a good guide.'

niece:  'hmmm...  ok, tita.  i'll think it out.  we're supposed to have a BHAG, too.  Big Hairy Audacious Goal.  mine's to earn my first million by the time i'm 21.'

me:  'that's fine.  if you're going to dream, you might as well dream big.'

: )

behave

moths creeping me out...

sister:  'why are you afraid?  you're so much bigger than them!'

me:  'yeah but i don't go around flying over the dining table!'

it's not just your size...  it's what you do where...

loud and clear

i call my brother...

<blah, blah, blah,
blah, blah, blah.

blah, blah, blah,
blah, blah, blah.>

brother:  'don't tell dad anymore...'

me:  'hahaha...  i'm on speaker phone!'

; p

loving mother

sweeping leaves in the yard while there was a drizzle...

sister:  'why are you sweeping, it's drizzling!'

me:  'i was first!  i was already sweeping then it drizzled...  had it drizzled first i would not have started sweeping...'

sister:  'it's nature!  it came before you...  so stop sweeping now...'

me:  'i don't want to stop midway...'

soon after the drizzle stopped...

me:  'see!  it stopped!'

sister:  'because you won't...'

wow!  nature took pity on me?  mother, indeed...  <3

give it a try

i forgot to bring my car out of the garage yesterday so this morning i was supposed to squeeze it through a tight spot to get it out of the garage.  that's how the cookie crumbles on our end.  you want to be able to drive out quickly and safely, you have to park your car outside the garage.  why?  because the one (!) lane street in front of our garage has been appropriated as parking slots by persons so very thoughtful and considerate.

good thing my brother was around so instead of me doing the maneuvering, he was the one who drove my car out for me.  how?  first he moved the steel bars between the parking slots in our garage.  then he  positioned my car from straight to diagonal, with the rear protruding to the left beyond the supposed slot and the front very close to the pillar on the right in between the slots. then he drove it out missing the blocking vehicle by not even the width of my hand.  very convenient.  whew!

now i have a story.  just a couple of nights ago, the vehicle blocking my way arrived, again ready to park on the street, while an aunt was dropping off stuff at my parents' house.

my aunt's SUV was idling in front of our garage not at all occupying that part of the street which is being used as permanent parking slot of the arriving vehicle.  (our garage has recessed gates and my aunt's SUV was partially parked within our property.)

the newly-arrived vehicle just stopped behind my aunt's SUV.

i knocked on his window telling him to proceed and park.

he wouldn't.
it was too tight.

eh?!

you put others through it, you won't even consider going through it???

me:  'you try it!  we endure that everyday.  you should try and experience it yourself.'

the guy would not dare attempt it.

wow!

one time he saw me having a hard time squeezing out of the driveway.  instead of moving his vehicle, he just directed me, tapping my car, making sure it doesn't hit his, all along telling me, 'it can be done...  it can be done...  it can go through...  it can go through...'

well, it also could be done the other night.  his vehicle could also go through.  why did he not even attempt???

when you inflict something on others, on a regular basis for so long at that, you should not shy away from trying to experience it yourself as well.

dose of your own medicine.  try it.  bitter pill to swallow.

spoiler

so i'm in chocolate heaven nibbling on my fave see's awesome walnut squares <3 <3 <3
(someone sent me ten (!) boxes with specific instructions they're all for me.  i di...  aaaahhhhh!!!)

suddenly clouds appeared in the bright sky and my mom asked me to smell this dish to see whether it's still good...

me:  'i'm eating, mom...  i don't want to smell bad...'

that doesn't dissuade her and she comes near me with the dish:  'just quickly check...  whether it's already spoiled...'

i turn away:  'mom!!!  don't dilute my joy!'

: }

complementary

it started to drizzle...  i dash out of my parents' house...

me:  'my clothes will get wet!'

dad:  'where?'

me:  'at my place...  in the clothesline...'

dad:  'you do laundry???'

me:  'of course!'

dad:  'i thought <mom's laundrywoman> washes your clothes...'

me:  'my sleepwear and house clothes, yes...  my outside clothes i wash myself...'

i'm pretty domesticated...  i do everything...  uhm, except cook...  which reminds me:

'a girl who does not know how to cook
should find a man who does not eat.'

c'mon!

i'd say,

'a girl who does not know how to cook
should choose a man who does.'

; )

sane

me:  'be careful in the dining...  i saw glass slivers near the cabinet...'

sister:  'which part?'

me:  'on the side of the paper towel...'

sister:  'did you remove them?'

me:  'of course!  who in his right mind would leave broken glass on the floor???'

one good fight

i initially liked rodrigo duterte.

in the end, i voted for grace poe.

but it was mar roxas who, in his concession speech, borrowed from one of my favorite bible verses.  he said it was an honor

"to have carried our flag,
to have fought the good fight,
to have kept the faith,
to have finished the race."

yes...  2 Timothy 4:7:

"I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith."

taking chances

voting time was supposed to be from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm but i was able to cast my vote past 6:00 pm already.  i was at the polling place around 4:30 pm and i was number 92 on the queue list.

i was telling a fellow voter (his queue number was over 100) that i intentionally came near closing time because i wanted to give them time to fix the vote counting machine.

my sister was there 7:30 am and she told me the VCM at our precinct was not working.  she said they were given the option to either wait for the machine to get fixed or cast their vote and just leave their ballots with the election officers who will just be the ones to enter it in the vote counting machine.

fellow voter:  'oh, if it's me, i'm not going to leave my ballot.  i want to put it in the machine myself.'

me:  'that's what my sister wanted, too.  she first waited two hours.  then she went home.  then she came back.  the machine was still not working.  only then did she opt to just cast her vote and leave her ballot with the election officers.  that guy was telling me the machine got fixed around 3:30 already.  good thing i came 4:30.  if it still wasn't fixed by closing time, i would opt to just leave my ballot, too.'
[at our precinct alone, more than a hundred people already did.]

fellow voter:  'i would rather not vote than leave my ballot with those people.  what if they don't enter it in the machine?  or if they change it?'

me:  'ah, me, no.  i'd avail myself of the option to leave my ballot.  if i just go home without voting, it's already 100% sure that my vote won't be counted.  if i leave my ballot, there's still a chance that it will be counted.  i didn't let the probability fall to zero.'

the first step to winning is simply showing up.