Condo condo condo

It's been a month already since my dad started with his latest pet project, which is renovating the condo unit he bought for me. Based from the feedback I got from Tita, I have a rough idea of what the unit looks like at the moment.

But there are still some items that needs to be done before we can call it "complete". My dad though is targeting November 15 as the completion date.

That means that by the time Ate Rose gets back from Nepal, he'll be unveiling the result of his latest project. :D

I can't wait to see what it looks like. ^_^

(I'm so excited I can't stop talking about it. :P)

Good News, Bad News

I didn't really have any plans yesterday, being it a Friday and all. Usually naman kase I go home after work. Or maybe I was just accustomed to going home after work kase dati either umaga na or suuuper late na in the evening. Pero yesterday's different. Well, the past weeks have been different, kase I'm working on day shift na. 10am-8pm. So I leave the office with the malls wide open.

Kahapon while I was eating my dinner (I usually eat around 6:30 or 7pm now), nagtext saken si Abi. Sabe niya movie nights daw ang ilang Dev C, and she asked me if I wanted to come along. Since matagal ko nang hindi nakasama sa labuyan, I agreed. I didn't have anything to do that night anyway. So napagkasunduan na 10pm kame manonood sa Glorietta. Ang movie? In my Life.

I left the office a little over 9pm. I was thinking of taking the bus, pero naisip mahabang lakaran pa ang magaganap kapag nagbus ako. Plus the fact na kelangan ko pang tumawid sa kabilang side ng EDSA just to get on a bus going to Glorietta. So naisipan ko magtry ng MRT. It has been a while na din naman since I got on a train, parang since Japan days pa ata (and that was like three years ago pa). Plus, I'll be walking less kase ung station ng MRT sa Ayala eh connected na sa mga malls (Glorietta and SM) so ndi mainit ang lalakaran ko.

Driving is hard work

It's been almost a year, but still I can't drive on my own.

Well, I can drive, but not confident enough to drive solo.

Usually I have my dad or my brother or some other guy who knows how to drive with me.

Just in case someone needs to pull the handbrake.

Recently though, they've been getting more lenient... Like my brother (since my dad's not around) have been letting me park the car, giving me some instruction on the way. Before they'll be the one to park the car, especially after the "adventure incident".

Last week, my brother let me park the car all by myself. He told me to drop him off their house, and I'll be the one to park the car at home. I got a little nervous at the thought, but since I was able to get the car out earlier without not much hassles, maybe I can park the car as well. (BTW, this won't be the first time for me to park the car. It's just the first time I'll be ALONE when I park the car).

Staying or leaving

So after all that has been said and done, I'm still here.

I haven't done much writing though... wonder if it's my apathy kicking in...

Anyway...

Last week my manager approached me for the result of my annual review. What basically transpired from our discussion was what I was expecting all along. Well, too much of it anyway. He didn't say anything that I didn't already know. It was mostly a confirmation.

Secret and Confidentiality

Do you have secrets?

I believe everyone have secrets of their own. Things that they don't want others to know, or things that they would only let a select few know of. Secrets are common, though for the most part, people don't know because it's a secret.

Secrets, in one aspect, should be treated as a rite of passage to one person. Having one person tell you about their secrets in life means that they trust you enough with those secrets. To some, the secrets that other people hold are trivial - people they like, decisions they're pondering over. There are some secrets though, that are far more serious; in one sense, they can be considered skeletons in the closet.

On failure and success

I've had a bit of reading on failure and success. Being exposed to people with great success has probably made me aware of that fact.

When in transit yesterday I've thought of something that is related to failures and success. I know that this might not be an original. There might have been a quote like it before. But these are my own words.

With success comes the possibility of failure. A person who wants to remove the possibility of failure ultimately removes the possibility of success.  A person who is afraid to fail is afraid to succeed.

A response to a blog

A contact of mine wrote a blog on her "complaints" on the Philippine state after living in Japan for more than a year. I had a reply to her on that blog, but it was long I decided to post the reply as well.

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I guess comparing the lifestyle here and other countries cannot be helped. Even after three years, I still make comparisons - from the simple "escalator etiquette" to the "on-time trains" to the "defined bus stops". When I start to remember those seemingly insignificant differences (which ultimately add up to something big), I get somewhat disappointed and frustrated when I feel like I can't do anything about it.

Finally!

After months of having a student's permit, I finally have my own driver's license!

Now my car would get less quality time with our garage. And I'll probably get more "Could you drive here or there" drama. :P

How to improve team spirit

I've been having discussions with a new group these past few days, and I must say what I've been learning a lot from them. What makes what I learn believable is the fact that they actually do what they preach.

This is one of the lessons that have struck me the most. You might think it's simple, but it's a lot harder to practice. And the lesson is: "When you're up, go down. When you're down, go up."

Contradicting? Not really. If put in the right context, it'll make sense. What it basically means is that when you're happy (or up), tell the people below you (meaning you're subordinates and/or team members) about it. If you're sad, depressed (or down, you get the picture), tell your manager/lead about it, and they can help you.

It's time to move on

Something I made over my spare time. It's not final, so there's still room for improvement. If you have ideas on how to improve, be my guest. :)

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It's time to move on

I loved you baby, and you know I have
I've been a fool to let you know
My friends know how much I've suffered in your arms
But still, I follow

What if

This is a little something I came up around two years ago. I never got to really finish it before, and when I realized I still remember most of the original lyrics, I decided to finish the whole thing.

NOTE: Inputs are highly welcomed. :)

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What if

I saw her standing all alone on the other side
I tried to come and talk to you but the words can't go by
Kept hesitating, kept holding back
Until another takes her away

I have found it

I have finally found the person I'll share my life with for the rest of my life. At long last, I've felt content and secure. I was happy.

Poor

Well, that's an exaggeration. More of limited. Limited in resources. *sigh*

Hirap ng medyo nasanay ka na meron kang a little something to spare, then all of a sudden what you have is just enough to live through the day. I mean, it's not really *that* bad, pero when I want to do things, I end up being limited by what I have.

I've been thinking of buying a new camera (DSLR) and pursue my interest in photography. But given my current circumstances, I might not have that much resources to buy one. It might take me a year or two to somewhat settle, so I might just have to settle with my Canon A710 IS. Maybe I'll try to read more on digital editing to enhance the quality of the photos I'll take, given that it's not very ideal for dark/dim settings.

I've been wanting to go out of the country (may it be work or leisure) for a veeeeery long time. And given a decent camera, I'll be able to take pictures, good ones. But, as always, money is the limiting factor. I just get enough to live through the day, and even saving 1 or 2 thousand a month has become very tedious. So much for travelling and exploring new places outside the Philippines.

I bought a car last November, and it hasn't helped much in my predicament. I do get to drive every now and then, but when I think of the monthly payments I need to make to the bank, not to mention the insurance I'll pay mid year, I get so overwhelmed. Add the fact that I'll also have to pay my life insurace come August. I'll need to make some more juice to keep up. *double sigh*

I just needed to ramble about all this things. It gets frustrating at times, though. But I know I'll live through it, somehow. All I need to do is believe provision will come, at the times when I need it most.