Shatter the Illusion

I was tagged by Victor Gregor, and I am supposed to write 10 random things about me, one of which should be a lie. But then again, there is in the blogsphere a 25 random things happening, and, ambitious that I am, I think I’d like to opt for that, but put in the bit about one being a lie. Not to mention that I’ve been tagged in one of my social networks as well, which means I’m gonna cannibalize this post for all its worth. Haha!

1. I am a pencil-pusher, a numbers-cruncher, a table-hugger, a bookkeeper. I am an accountant, but that is just my work.

2. Work is one of my addictions. I am known to work for ten to sixteen hours a day, especially when deadlines are about. Thankfully, I’m trying to lessen it.

3. IT is one of my favorite books by Stephen King, about a monster who feeds on the fears and lives of children, and the group of misfits who defeated him. The story takes place 35 years after they first defeated the monster, and now, IT is back to take revenge. The novel has also been made into a movie for TV.

4. TV has been out of my system for more than two years now, which is big, considering I was such a couch potato. I don’t really miss it, except for Discovery Channel and cartoons.

5. Cartoons and anime has been part of my life since I can remember; from The Flying House to Visionaries, and now, Avatar and Bleach. Now that I don’t watch TV, most of my cartoon fix come from my local pirate shop.

6. Shopping doesn’t really do it for me. I don’t get the emotional high or the rush other people experience when they shop for clothes and shoes. I get more excited when I go to the hardware shop, and more so when I go to the bookstore. That’s the reason why I have more books.

7. Booksale is my favorite place, ever. I always go to their store, wherever there is one. More than half my collection of hardbound books has come from this store. And seeing as this is my third bit about books, I have just effectively typified myself as the classic nerd/bookworm. I think I should really stop this kind of talk.

8. Talking is the least of my talents. I get easily tongue-tied, and I stutter. I am also prone to talking to inanimate objects, especially to my office computer and photocopier, whenever it malfunctions; or to electronic doors, when it wouldn’t let me pass.

9. Passive-aggressiveness is another trait I am not proud of, but am prone to practicing.

10. Practicing my profession as a CPA has always been nagged at me. People see it as such a waste that I passed the board, but I don’t practice. People also nag me about my apprehension to study law, stating that being a CPA-Lawyer is da bomb!

11. Bomb-making using common kitchen ingredients has become a hobby of mine ever since I watched the movie Fight Club, and intensified when I read Chuck Palahniuk’s novel.

12. Novelty songs should be banned. They have no intrinsic and artistic values whatsoever. Also, it promotes low IQ. I mean, come on, what does boom-tarat-tarat mean?

13. Meanings – whether blatant or hidden – of words and its etymology has been a pass-time for me since high school. We used to have an encyclopedic dictionary at home and I can kill hours poring over it, looking for words and learning its definitions. I was prone to reading that till I hurt my eyes.

14. My eyesight, though far from perfect, is still manageable. I did own a pair of glasses once, which I started wearing while I was reviewing for the board exam, but the frame got broken after a couple of years. I bought a second pair after that, but that too, got broken. I haven’t bothered myself to buy a new one.

15. One of the pets we have now is a dachshund, which my brother christened Odie. My niece has a pet as well, a half-breed mix of dachshund and pincher, called Cosmo. Odie and Cosmo live at the topmost floor of our house, playing tag, humping each other, and basically driving my mom bonkers with the mess they create.

16. Creating attempts at poetry is an activity that is, sadly, becoming farther and farther from being practiced nowadays. I used to churn out half-decent lines during high school thru college, but unfortunately, I think my muse got lost along the way.

17. Way back in high school, we were subdivided into “shops”, where each shop has a technical specialty, like Industrial Drafting, or Mechanical Engineering. My shop specialized in Electrical Engineering, and, upon graduation, we were awarded, aside from our academic diploma, a technical diploma which certified us as apprentice-level electricians. Whatever I learned back then was somehow lost during college.

18. College days were not spent boozing and partying, as the typical college-themed movie would have us believe. Somehow it was spent studying, with only the occasional party to break the monotony. Unfortunately, said party is rather tame, for most of my blockmates suffer from what I call the Cinderella Complex, meaning, they have to be home before the clock strikes twelve.

19. Twelve things you will find in my room: 1) a shoe rack hanging at the back of the door; 2) a mask I borrowed two Christmases ago, but haven’t returned yet; 3) a study table that’s full of clutter, there’s no place there to study; 4) a bookshelf filled, half with books, and half with assorted knick knacks I never bothered to clean; 5) a toiletry bag hanging on the door knob; 6) a winter jacket I use when entering the store’s walk-in freezer; 7) a laundry basket brimming with at least a week’s worth of dirty laundry 8) two green umbrellas, one of which is broken 9) a bed with six pillows and a comforter; 10) a steam iron I use for my clothes; 11) two dream catcher pendants hanging on my bedpost; 12) a native rain-summoning device my mom got from Palawan.

20. Palawan is one of those local places I have always dreamt of going to, but have never gone to. Going there seems far more expensive than going to Boracay. But still, one should be able to experience going to the underground river, at least once in your lifetime.

21. Timepieces have no appeal for me. I no longer own a watch, and the last time I owned one was during freshman high school. It was a digital talking watch that tells you the time in a funny accent and has an alarm that crows like a rooster.

22. Rooster is my Chinese Zodiac sign, although when you look at some calendars, they point out that my year of birth is a Dog year. This is because I was born before the Chinese New Year, which follows the lunar cycle.

23. Cycling (that is, bicycling, motor biking or mountain biking) is an activity that is unknown to me. I never learned how to ride a bike, or anything on just two wheels. There was a time way, way back, that I tried, but I failed, and landed on my back.

24. Back aches are a common thing for me, thanks to my scoliosis. I’ve had it since I was little, but I have never once had it checked. If you’re going to grade me in guts, I guess my grade would be poor.

25. Poor Man’s Grave is my favorite song by the Eraserheads. You can’t beat those lyrics and that guitar intro! Other favorites include Anggun’s Snow on the Sahara; John Mayer’s Love Song for No One; Annie Lenox’s Into the West (from the soundtrack of Return of the King); Incubus’ Pardon Me; The Verb Pipe’s Bittersweet Symphony (from the soundtrack of Cruel Intentions); Linkin Park’s Crawling; Evanescence’s Bring Me to Life; Paula Cole’s I don’t Want to Wait; and Korn’s Freak on a Leash.


So there you have it, 25 things about me. So I guess you know more about me. But then, again, you don’t know me at all. Haha!

Paper Paper Paper

For the whole day today, I did nothing but move papers from one part of the office to another.

I started with 15 days' worth of invoices to be checked. I used up half the day, and probably half my pen's life span, checking documents. Before I left earlier, another pile, consisting of a week's invoices was put in my in-tray for checking. I've still yet to process those.

The second half of the day was allotted to moving more paper around. I needed to look for files from a checklist and it resulted in photocopying two reams worth of documents. It didn't stop there though, for after checking off my list one by one, I found, to my consternation, that some of the documents i needed weren't in the pile that was turned over to me.

And so, the hunt for missing documents began, first with the monstrous file of papers under my desk, and moving on to the older files in the filing room. I ended up on my hands and knees, sifting through years and years of documentation; some properly sorted, but most in complete disarray.

Finally, on the lowest shelf, at the corner-most nook, there I found the documents I needed. It got me so ecstatic that I was humming hymns over my head (ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and you shall find ... alleluia...). I capped the day by filing my documents, and it resulted in two folders two and a half inches thick.

Now all I need to do is draft the letter to accompany those papers.

Wonderful, ain't it? The boring life of a numbers freak, getting exited over boring stuff...

My Kind of News

I no longer watch TV. I don't read the newspapers anymore either. Whatever current event I know comes to me through word of mouth, and if it is good enough, then I try to search for it online ... that is, if I remember it when I'm in front of the computer.

It's just too depressing to hear the news sometimes, and wallowing in blissful ignorance is the best option especially when you are tired from work. The next option is The Onion.




The Onion is a veritable online news organization that tells the story as it is, and doesn't bother to sugarcoat anything. The staff works day and night (with no rest and no pay) to give out the news that we, the intelligent online community, craves and deserves.

Take the story of East Timor's first female dictator, tauted as "a step forward for women". Such uplifting and empowering news, as only The Onion can deliver.

Enjoy!

Cinemalaya 09: The Rapture of Fe

Cinemalaya has been hailed by some as the most important film festival in the country today. It plays host to limitless independent talent, and it isn't surprising that films that are finalists in the Cinemalaya find their way -- and win -- in most international film festivals.

Last year's film 100 found its way to the Pusan International Film Festival and won the Audience Choice Award, while Pisay from Cinemalaya 2007 won for itself the Grand Jury and Audience Choice Awards from the 14th Vesoul International Film Festival.

This year, Cinemalaya will showcase as one of its ten finalists, Alvin Yapan's The Rapture of Fe.

"The film stars critically acclaimed stage and film actress, Irma Adlawan as Fe, a former OFW forced to come home due to the negative effects of the global financial crisis. Coming home, she is met by her husband’s resentment and subsequently, his abusive nature.

Dante, Fe’s husband will be played by Nonie Buencamino. Her loyalty to her husband now becomes oppressive as a younger lover, Arturo played by television star TJ Trinidad, offers a fantasy for escape. Amidst all these, baskets of black fruits keep appearing mysteriously by their doorstep.

In a society where violence still remains unimaginably real and covertly present and an economy that has become dependent upon the fruits of her labor, the film attempts to redefine the concept of freedom for the Filipina who has to rely on her imagination to survive." (theraptureoffe.com)

Visit their website here and witness how an artist's vision is translated into cinema. You can also help in achieving the artist's goal by donating to their cause. Producing a film is no cheap feat, after all.

Broken China and Missing Utensils

It was announced around lunchtime earlier that all unwashed items in the office pantry sink will be thrown out and disposed of, to keep the cleanliness of the pantry. No one from our side of the office stood up to try to save any of the stuff in there.

We've become familiar with the routine. Every once in a while, the pantry will be rid of any unwashed stuff for the sake of cleanliness. And every once in a while (especially during the weekend) someone will use platewares and utensils in the pantry for their lunch, and leave it there without washing. It is unfortunate if, like earlier, the two events occur, and your utensils are the ones that fall to the trashbin.

I used to have a mug in the office. It was bigger than the usual coffee mug, and it was glazed black. I usually keep it on my desktop, but one time, I washed it and left it at the pantry to dry. A weekend passed, and I never saw the mug again. Someone may have picked it up for themselves, or, most likely, it fell victim to the pantry purge, after some god or goddess used it and never bothered washing after use.

I just don't understand how some people find it hard to wash the dishes after they use it. It is one of the basest chores I was taught as a child, and I think it isn't stretching it to assume that other people have been taught this as well. It is, after all, one of the minor things to do to clean up after ourselves. I mean, come on, at this day and age, can you really afford to have your yaya trailing after you and cleaning up after you 24/7?

Still, the big cajuna was suspecting one of us to be the culprit, and the plateware disposal was announced at our side of the office, to somehow punish us for not cleaning up after ourselves. I'm not much affected, for my new mug is on my desk, and my spoon (I've lost the fork, unfortunately) is in my pouch. I still believe that that punitive remark was somehow misdirected, for I doubt that office regulars would be brash enough to leave their foodstuffs unwashed, when we all have been victimized at one point, and "suffered" the loss of a utensil, or two.

Shirking Responsibilities: Will

I seldom get sick ... at least before, I seldom did. Lately, it seems that I'm such easy prey. I forget to take my vitamins for just one day, and lo and behold! the next day, I have the colds. I stay away from cold water; in fear of my tonsil acting up; that I find myself no longer craving for such fancy. Chocolates are the worst! Every bar I take needs to be watered down with at least two glasses or I suffer from sore throat the next day.

For the past four years, I have been host to various illnesses with one common denominator: Infection of the throat. I'm popping pills here and there, but I fear that they no longer work.

This poses a problem come monthend (like right now) for the deadlines do not move. Sick or not, we need to finish on the date, for there is absolutely no excuse for being late. I used to be able to "schedule" my being sick during our slack week, meaning, the week with the least amount of deadlines, but lately, it seems that I no longer have that ability. Lately, I'm becoming sick during our hectic week, and I can't do anything about it.

By doing anything, I mean still reporting to work in spite of the sickness. What is a cold or a headache in the major scope of things, after all? Copious amounts of water and some pills are enough of a match to that ... at least it used to. Now, being sick means being unable to stand. Being able to concentrate on work, therefore, is out of the question.

It all boils down to will, I figure. I used to have so much of it that I can, through sheer mental command, push sickness away, or, if already sick, focus all my energies into moving along and ignoring whatever affliction there is to get the job done. Just mere concentrated effort and the illness is defeated.

Where has all that determination gone to, I wonder? I wish I could find it again; and soon...