Meet Basti

My new nephew.

How long does your ipod earphone last?

Mine, its six months. And because it is heavily used day in and out, six months is already long. Normally, I brought my iPod when I hit the treadmill in the gym. And because I sweat, it seeps into the earphone; thus, affecting its sound quality. And the rubberized lining around the earbud fades as time goes by.

My only complain is that the original earphones–the one that is free when you buy your new iPod–is just hard to look for. And they are way expensive.

Better take good care of this new replacement if that’s the case. I just have to make it last for at least a year.

Wealth of the few

Last Monday, I got the chance to be in an exclusive village in Makati. I was there for a “concert”, someone from abroad is going to perform to a select few invitees of a certain organization. My companions are my work colleagues.

I have no expectations from the mini concert; in fact, I was not excited at first. I was thinking, I’d rather go to the gym than be there. But when we got there, I just have to act amazed.

The venue is just a private house, er, mansion of a rich family. It’s like you are entering a house you only got to see in telenovelas on TV. Swimming pool, centralized air con, fully furnished comfy seats, maids in uniforms, and the like. And there are about close to a hundred guests. And it fits the sala area. Yep, that big.

It made you realize that this country has its own face for poverty, but it also has its face for the super rich. All you have to do is enter those exclusive villages in Makati.

Be the alalay, instead.

Some weeks ago, while I am in the elevator, a work colleague is asking a new employee how did she got accepted in the company. The new employee said that she just accompany her friend to her application. But while at it, she also decided to try her luck and apply.

Luckily, she passed and the friend did not.

We have heard of the same story from showbiz to businesses, to ordinary folks. That those who accompany somebody in an audition or application, or competition, normally ends up as the luckier lot. I don’t know if there is a scientific statistics on this but it seems interesting.

Well, the next time you want a job or something, try looking for a friend who also is applying. Then volunteer to accompany him/her. That’s how you do it.

Explosion

When you do something over and over again, it gets to a point where you want to try other things. In economics, they call it law of diminishing returns. But when is the time to diminish? How do you know? Is frequent mood swings from the routine work a vital symptom? Are the lines on your face a good writing on the wall?

Whatever the case, my boiling point is nearing. The mercury from my temperature will explode sooner, rather than later.

Ang hipo ni Manong Guard

In the Philippines, especially in its capital Manila, malls are everywhere. In fact, you can see malls every one kilometer radius. And because it is located near the equator, the weather and temperature outside is just too much to melt your brain. That’s why people flocked to the malls.

And that becomes a problem to the mall owners. Too much crowd puts pressure to security around the mall vicinity. They have to screen all entrance of the mall to “ensure” that mallrats do not possess deadly weapons, gun, bomb, and the like. (If someone is really serious in bombing a mall, he/she will not pass through the entrance. That’s too obvious.)

SM Malls and Robinsons still do the frisking and manual checking of bags. As a regular mall goer, it is a hassle to open my bag for the guards to see. Besides, they don’t even know what to find! The checking of bags becomes a routine with no clear purpose. Better for them, being with enormous budget, to just buy electronic and high tech entrance machines just like that in Ayala Malls. That way, the clogging of mallrats at the entrance is minimized.

Death of my CDs

I have been buying CDs since college. I know it sounded a little late in the game, because most hobbyists start collecting when they were much much younger. But anyway, with advent of digital music, my CDs were sidelined. It has been gathering dust from my room for quite some time; but because it is a treasured lot, I have to think of something for it to remind me that one time in my life, I bought these as special collector’s item.

And what better way for it to be useful again than by burning them all in my 80GB ipod. I reserve one day just burning them all to include creative playlists, such as “when you are hitting the treadmill”, or “when you want to be left alone in the morning” or “shut up and don’t talk to me coz i am a ticking time bomb today.” Or something like that.

Hey, what will I do with my CDs now?

Back from il silencio

I was on a silence trip from April 06 to 09, 2009. I will post my experience on that activity with some pictures in the coming days. Meantime, it is good to be back in the metropolis. It’s a little quiet because most people are in the province.

Attack of the killer virus

A day after my birthday, I had been feeling unwell. My left nasal passage is somewhat clog. Uh-oh, I know that I will acquire clog nose in a few days. The symptom is already there.

I gulp lots of citrus juices, and fruits to combat the incoming viral attack. After two days, my voice has become hoarse. Both my nasal passage is already clogged. Therefore, I have become their victim.

I hate this feeling that you cannot breathe comfortably due to clog nose. and the fact that you just want to close your eyes and sleep. This usually happens in the afternoon, when all your work deadlines are clamping in your ears. But how can you concentrate when all you think of is your bed, and how you anticipate 5pm so you can go home and doze off.

I cannot even go to the gym because I just don’t feel like stretching and sweating when I feel like this.

Virus, virus, go away. Come again, another day.

Keen observant

I frequent a coffee shop in Stretscape Shangrila. And I always ended up going home close to midnight. And everytime I pass by in front of Watering Hole, there are many vagrants sitting doing nothing. What could they be doing?

1. Waiting for customers. I suspect they are pick-up girls/boys. Hey, times are hard you know.

2. They just got out of work, and they need to unwind first before going home. EDSA is still choked in traffic so why hurry.

3. They are waiting for their dates.

4. They just want to ogle people passing by.

5. They have no home; and by the time it reached 12mn, they will open their sleeping gear and doze off.

6. Break time for their nocturnal work (call center nearby).

Manila is crowded. The only change is night and day. But people, they are awake 24/7.