Disorganized Patterns of Thoughts 1

From a recent conversation over beer at a bar somewhere in Ortigas.

Me: I have a question.

Him: What is it?

Me: Do you like me?

Him: Yes, I do.

Me: Ok.

------

I started noticing HIM on the floor when he came in as a new hire. Tall and cute, one really can't miss out on him. Eye candy, so to speak.

Then he started to talk.

"Ay puta, babakla-bakla," I said to myself. I thought that was the end of it as I focused my attention back to the reports on hand.

-----

"Hi, can I join you?"

I was planning to have a quiet dinner at the office pantry as I went up the 8th floor. It was a particularly long and tiresome day, and I was looking forward to some downtime before heading home. As I looked up from the food that I was about to eat, there he was, standing right by the table and holding the tray of his own dinner.

"Sure," I replied in a indifferent manner.

"I'm HIM, by the way.

"Ternie."

"Ay. Were you the one who evaluated me? I got kasi an email."

"No. You're not on my list. Someone else did, I guess. They just used my credentials to generate the evaluation."

He chirped away animatedly all throughout dinner. To be fair about it, I was polite all throughout the interaction, even interested and conversant. In the span of probably 40 minutes or so, I learned a lot about him. I did ask all the right questions for him to latch on to. Not that he needed coaxing, of course. He's a natural conversationalist, picking off at any topic on hand.

And here I was, hoping for some peace and downtime.

Oh, well.

-----

1. He is out. He's also soft and effeminate enough that he won't be mistaken for a straight guy (unless he stands still and keeps quiet). I always tease him that if it's the last thing I'll ever do, I'll make a man out of him. 

An Ode to Hate

I hate how the twinkle in your eye and that bedimpled smile always disarm me. How can I stay mad at you for long?

I hate how you set my heart afluttering whenever I see you across the room.

I hate how you leave me exposed and vulnerable to my feelings.

I hate that I feel relaxed, centered, and happy when we are together after a long and frazzling day.

I hate that you have dismantled, brick by brick, the walls I meticulously built around me. 

I hate that you make me strive, one day at a time, to better myself as a person.

I hate how you make the sun in my life shine bright.

I hate how you are perfect in your imperfectness.

I hate that whenever you cry, all I want to do is just to wrap you in my arms, wipe away the glistening tears, and shield you from all the hurts and pains in your life. 

Last, but not the least, I hate that I have to find reasons to hate you.

Because it is something my heart can never truly do.

It Comes in Threes 2

The driver actually had the guts to squeeze the hurtling bus into the narrow lanes underneath the Ortigas flyover. Needless to say, the inevitable occurred. He swerved slightly to the right, and the rear wheels caught the gutter.

I had visions of being splayed across EDSA, complete with the requisite dismembered limbs, et al.

It Comes in Threes 1

My forehead was still glistening with sweat as I put my finger on the biometrics. The daily time record read 11:50 p.m. I had nine minutes to spare before my shift started. Despite of the things that happened, I had no intention of being late at all. With that thought in mind, I wiped the beads of perspiration on my nape, and entered my room on the office floor.

As I sat down in front of my station, I groped for the power button at the back of the iMac. It was comforting to hear the familiar click of the hard drive. What wasn't was the unfamiliar long beep that came afterwards, followed by a grey Apple screen with the loading wheel.

Looking At the Glass Half-Full. Or Almost-Full, For That Matter

Given it was a Friday, and I already wrapped up all my deliverables for the week with the first two hours, I went along back reading the blogs I that I follow. I came across Chemistry Guy's entry, and I decided this might be good stuff to answer. This is a truncated version, but still, I thought it' would be worthwhile sharing it on my blog.

Sin Series: The Sin of Greed

All I want for Christmas are:

Sin Series : The Sin of Envy 2

I did get a lot of nifty gadgets our operations manager was offering for agents with the most balanced scorecard. Let me digress a bit to explain some industry jargons. Operations measure an agent's performance with certain metrics, commonly called the Key Performance Index (KPI). For our line of business (LOB), agents are measured for six items; all of which drive the performance of the LOB as a whole.

As I mentioned, I realized early on that that our operations manager put a premium  on a balanced scorecard of the KPIs. I may not have the shortest AHT, or the top up-seller, or the most number of CSAT surveys, etc., but I always aimed to be in the top 3 of those six KPIs.

In other words, most of the time, I ended up getting the best gadgets that were at stake.

But still, no certificates of recognition came my way.

To say that envy was bludgeoning its sharp blade into my guts was an understatement .

Sin Series : The Sin of Envy 1 (A repost)

"Envy (also called invidiousness) is best defined as a resentful emotion that 'occurs 

when a person lacks another's (perceived) superior quality, achievement, 

or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it.'"

- from Wikipedia

A couple of months ago, I committed the sin of envy.

As I saw the certificates being handed out to some of my colleagues, I asked myself, why am I not receiving those? My stats were well above average. I'd even like to think I was among the top people on the floor. Yet, why didn't I get any of those certificates?

The Sin Series: The Sin of Sloth

"Sloth is defined as...emotional apathy,...being physically and emotionally inactive. Sloth...
can also indicate a wasting due to lack of use, concerning a person, place, thing, skill, or 
intangible ideal that would require maintenance, refinement, or support to continue to exist."

-from Wikipedia

Dear Blog,

Well, hello there. Buhay ka pa pala. Sorry naman at napabayaan na kita ng husto. I know I made a resolution at the start of the year to write more sa 'yo. Pero alam mo naman, nalugmok ako sa trabaho. Plus na-hospital pa si mother dearest. At saka kasalanan yan ng Twitter. Mas madaling makipagkulitan doon...

Ang dami kong excuses, ano?

Tales From the Hospital 1

My room has a small window that opens up directly to the kitchen. It's nothing fancy or ornate, just two panes of French windows that allow me to see who's in that area. In turn, I can be easily seen by whoever is peering through it. It's very useful during the times that I don't feel like going into the main house. I simply ask whoever is there to pass me something, say like a bottle of water, or a cup of coffee.

The work table in my room lies directly across the window. In other words, I usually have my back towards the window whenever I'm seated by the table. I really don't notice anyone who's in the kitchen unless they call out to me, or open the window itself.

I woke up one usual Saturday night. As a matter of routine, I treat my rest days as pure rest days. You'll rarely catch me going out on a Saturday or Sunday night. I'd really rather relax at home after a hectic work-week. I tend to while the night away surfing the internet and what not.

It was around 11 pm or so when I heard a knock on the window. I turned around to take a look at who it was.

It was my Mom, waving and smiling thru the glass panes.

An Exposition of a Tweet

You. Yes, you.

I know this will show up in your Blogger dashboard, so I am so going to post this one.

Five things:

Many Happy Returns

"So, what's the drama all about?" was my opening salvo the moment Rudeboy picked-up the phone.

"I'll just tell you about it when we meet up later," he replied.

"The usual place, I suppose? Ten-ish?"

"Yes, I'll text you later what time exactly."

"Alrighty, I'll see you later!"

Dragonlance

 Return this man to Huma's breast
Beyond the wild, impartial skies;
Grant him a warrior's rest
And set the last spark of his eyes
Free from the smothering clouds of wars,
Upon the torches of the stars. 

Let the last surge of his breath
Take refuge in the cradling air
Above the dreams of ravens, where
Only the hawk remembers death.
Then let his shade to Huma rise,
Beyond the wild, impartial skies.

-----

To you. And your once-wounded friend, too.

Why I Love My Account, Otherwise Known As “Is It All About the Money?"

1. First call resolution isn't part of our metrics. If it takes forever and a half to do the required task at hand (i.e. downloading, backing-up, etc.), it's even highly encouraged to have the customer call back.

2. We are not required to de-escalate an irate caller. In fact, the moment we hear the magic words, "I want to talk to a supervisor," or "I'm not happy," or when we (the customer and I) can't even agree about the issue within 5 minutes of the call's onset, then it's an automatic escalation to Tier 2.

A Parable of Jack-Off Videos, an E-mail, and a Blog Post

I was talking with someone over the phone when he told me to check a particular blog post. Embedded were three videos of a guy, how shall I say it delicately, touching himself in pleasure. Well, it's nothing new, I said to the person. Except for the first one, I've already seen the others in another site.

Then I read through the whole post.

A Meme Is a Meme Is a Meme

Dahil ti-nag ako ni Mark Joe sa kanyang post e fine, fine, sasagutin ko sya with my wagas na pagmamahal.

Etchoz lang. Baka isipin nyo na isa ako haliparot (Green Breaker at John Ahmer, isa pang kontra e tatampalin ko na kayo)

Untitled 4

Sometimes, the mantra
"Lalaki ka lang. Kayang-kaya kitang palitan." 

slides easily like butter off my tongue. 

It is a lip service that is paid and uttered

 through a mask of indifference and pride.

Awkward Moments #1

Hango sa isang conversation na nangyari kaniang umaga lang:

Bruskong Officemate: 'Pre, ba't di ka pa nag-aasawa?

(Split-second silence)

Ternie: Bad trip ang ulan no? Wala pa naman akong dalang payong.

-----
Yan ang ayoko pag may bonding moments with officemates. Kung ano-anong mga personal na bagay ang tinatanong!

Ang Tagumpay ni Eternal Wanderer

Eto na naman ako, nalulungkot ng husto. Bakit naman daw? Kasi bothered na bothered ako sa post ni Madame Chuni. Ayun sa nailathala,

"Sabi ko nga, ipasa ko na lang kaya ang crown kay Ternie, kay Carrie o kaya ay kay Bien.




Disqualified daw.




Wala daw 'busilak' factor ang mga bakla. Puro press release lang daw yung mga 'dalisay kyeme' ng tatlo but not an ounce of truth."

Pagtataray #1

"It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes.

But the half-wit remains a half-wit, and the emperor remains an emperor."

- Morpheus

From Neil Gaiman's Sandman