Borne Out of Tears and Darkness

 Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 5

"Ternie...Ternie," I heard a voice softly calling out to me in the darkness of my room.

I was still crouched under the sheets. I slowly opened my eyes, and tried to look at who it was. As my bleary sight adjusted, I saw Pedro seated on the floor with his back against the wall. I was surprised.because he arrived earlier than I expected. He was supposed to meet his cousin to get packages meant for his relatives in the province.

"Uhmmm, anong oras ka dumating?" I replied to him groggily.

He just stared at me for several seconds.

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 6: Ang Pagpapalit Anyo ni Julie Vega

 Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 5

Ang mga sumunod na linggo ay parang isang blurry dream kay Eternal Wanderer. Panaginip kasi alam nya na kailangan din yang magising sa katotohanan na biláng ang mga araw ng pagsasama nila ni Pedro. Alam din nya na basically straight ang orientation ni Pedro. Maghahanap at maghahanap din ito ng pechay. In fact may, girlfriend nga ito sa probinsya.  Not to mention may pinopormahan pa syang babaeng officemate.

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 5: Ngisi = Tumbling sa Bangin

 Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 4

May ilang araw na rin ang nakaraan simula nung nagsasama sila sa iisang bubong.  It turned out, ang mang-aalaa ay naging alagain. Nadiscover kasi ni Eternal Wanderer na maasikaso si Pedro Penduko. Tuwing kumakain sila, e inalagyan nya muna ng kaninin at ulam ang plato ni Eternal Wanderer. Kapag gumagala naman sila, kusang binibitbit ni Pedro an mga dala-dala ung isa.  At kahit na 2.5 hrs na nauuna matapos sa trabaho si Pedro at marunong naman ito mag-commute pauwi, e inaantay nya si Eternal Wanderer para sabay silang umuwi sa bahay.

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 4: Si Pedro Penduko at si Imelda Marcos

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 3

"''Pre, magre-resign na ako sa trabaho.  Uuwi na ako sa probinsya. Hindi ko na kaya dito sa Maynila. At saka, miss ko na rin anak ko," sabi ni Pedro Penduko kay Eternal Wanderer habang nagyoyosi sila sa labas ng building.

May ilang buwan na rin ang nakalipas simula nung nakilala ni Eternal Wanderer si Pedro Penduko. Ang pinagsimulan ng paghingi ng yosi ay umusbong sa pagiging magkaibigan. Madalas sila magsama pag-break time, nagkwekwentutan nagkwekwentuhan habang naninigarilyo. Minsan, sabay sila mag-lunch. Pero sa totoo lang, deliberately ginagawa ni Eternal Wanderer na mag-coincide ang lunches nila. Kiver sa schedule adherance. Kaya hayun, dumating ang panahon na nagkataon sila lang dalawa ang kumain sa pantry.  Kilig naman si Eternal Wanderer. Date kung date ang pakiramdam nya.

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 3

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 2

Na-obssess ng husto ang mga mata ni Anghelita kay Lalaki sa CR. Di nya ito tinantanan. Kapag nakikita nya ito sa pantry, hallway o yosihan, e may I bring out ang abaniko with matching coy na pasulyap-sulyap  and kolehiyala giggle ang drama ni Eternal Wanderer. Yiz, mga ineng, very Maria Clara ang arrive, dabah?

The Reason Why I Breathe Opera

Dame Joan Sutherland
1926-2010

Dramatic Coloratura assoluta
 La Stupenda è morta, viva La Stupenda!

-----

My belated tribute to the great soprano who died a few weeks ago. This was the very first aria of hers that I listened to, and it lead it eventually lead me to singing opera years later.  

Thank you, Dame Joan, for the wonderful introduction to opera.  You will be sorely missed.

For Anthony (A Repost)

Dear Anton,

Wow, it's been a while hasn't it?  I'd offer a thousand and one excuse for not writing you at all, but hey, better late than never ehehehehe

Ang Gawain ng Dalisay, Busilak, at Mayumi

Hango sa conversation sa YM

Ternie: anong gawa mo?
Spice: eto sa office
Spice: o.t.
Ternie: on a sat?
Ternie: milagro
Spice: am bored na nga e.
Spice: wala man lang maka-sex sa office.
Spice: haist
Spice: am horny

Untitled 3

Dear Ternie,

Running is ok.

I just hope, though, that you're running towards something.

And not away from something.

Love,

Ternie.
-----
Does the destination matter more than the journey?

Numbers 3

Numbers 2

I always discussed with the guy I was mentoring what he did good and what he could improve on.  I also let him listen in to my calls, and made sure I got feedback from him.  One of the regular coaches and I even gave him a pep talk, of which he responded to very enthusiastically.  That was all I wanted, that he be willing to learn, both in the technical and the communication aspects.

His enthusiasm was infectious. I found another purpose in my work. I swore I'd never give up on the guy I was mentoring.

Sad to say, it was the system that gave up on him.

Numbers 2

Numbers 1

Part of the responsibilities of being a trainer apprentice was to mentor someone who was getting numerous dissatisfaction surveys from the callers.  It took a few days before our schedules coincided, but once they matched up, I grabbed the chance to listen in to his call.

How I wished I didn't.

Numbers 1

"I heard people are being let go," I whispered to Immediate Boss as I approached him. He got his Visine, put a few drops onto his right eye, and was about to reply when Big Boss arrived in our area.

"Ternie, could I have a word with.."

I interrupted him even before he could finish.

Tagging Season

Urgh, and I thought tagging was so last year.  But no, I got tagged in Facebook, where else?  After giving it thought, I decided to share here what I listed down. Anyhoo, here's part of  the mechanics of the tag:

Don't take too long to think about it. Thirty books (providing you've read 30 or more than 30 books) you've read that will always stick with you. List the first 30 you can recall in no more than thirty minutes.

C10H26N4

Tumingin si Eternal Wanderer sa salamin. Napansin nya na medyo dull-looking na ang skin nya. Nasobrahan yata sya sa aircon sa opisina.  At the same time, wala naman syang pasensha maglalalagay ng kung anech-anech sa kanyang fez. Siguro time na ngang mag-visit sa derma at magpa kung anik-anik na treatment.  Pero dahil may pagka-nerdoks si Eternal Wanderer, e nag-research sya ng kung aney ang pwede nyang ipa-chorvah bago pumunta kay Dra. Vicky Belo.

Laterz!

Nauubusan na ng maisusulat at maikukwento si Eternal Wanderer.

Magbe-break muna sya mula sa blogging para makapag-ipon ng mga lalaki istorya.

Sana pagbalik nya, e may jowa na sya.

Echozzzz lang! :P

Eternal Wanderer <<< Bekimon?!

Habang nakasakay ako papauwi sa taxi, e naka tune-in yung radyo sa isang AM station.  Usually deadma lang ako sa ganun, pero hindi ko matiis makinig kasi yung topic ay tungkol sa jejemon. In-explain ng announcer ang ano ang ibig sabihin ng jejemeon, at may short clip pa ng mga taong nagsasaita in jejemon-speak.  "Jusme, that topic was so a few months ago," sabi ko sa sarili ko.

Ukay-Ukay

Hindi ako mahilig sa leftovers. Ayoko ng napaglawayan na.

- quote from a friend

Office Vignettes 2

Office Vignettes 1

The call was mercifully short and sweet.  It was a matter of re-directing towards the e-mail support page of a department in our company.  Before the call, I was experiencing something akin to stage fright; I was a tight bundle of nerves right before the call.  But the moment I opened my mouth, I fell into a light and confident banter with the caller.  The flow of words had an easy feel to my tongue.  Everything dissolved into a blurred background.  There was no coach, no department head, no on-going activity in my surroundings.  It was just me, and the caller, and his issue on hand.

Office Vignettes 1

From an internal office memo dated August 16, 2010:

Please note that if you are filing a leave or swapping your shifts, submit the request three weeks before the schedules are released.

Immediate Boss

Nagmúmura

Tang ina ka.  Wag mo nga guluhin buhay ko.