A one-live cat’s life

He was charming
He likes his red jacket
He is friendly
he always makes ways to be able to talk to me
He smiles and say hi
Ill call him Y

He was a looker
a friend of Y
a feel of likeness
He asked my name
He tries to come near but says nothing
he was shy
D would be his name

both of in a different profession
but not far to what I do
prolly that’s why
shy or intimidated
Prolly married that’s why
i would be far away anyway, that won’t work
There must be a better reason why

he was a friend’s contractor at work
they do got along well
She like him
cute as according to her
sent messages regularly
frank that he just wanna have fun
never sent message again
He was not for her
She do not deserve someone like him

Just like my luck
surprising to see a goodlooking jeepney driver
he was sweet to her
persevering
asked my other friend for a date
Friend found out he just broke up
seem that he got back with his ex
She is better without him

there they were
just our luck
or HE knows what would hurt us and not
frustrating but its ok
There must have been a better reason why

I was surprised to receive a comment in my blog which was suppose to be meant or more appropriate with this posting of mine which I wrote days before I got the comment from my currently previuos writing.  I think UK_Hot_Offers have a thing for predicting the future .. hehehe..

I never thought I missed almost 70% of the company events in my Nokia country since i was out working for another Nokia country for a while.  And so colleagues, here ask me how come I need to take such a long leave.
more than a month! Well its because as I started my blog if you’ve read or you can still remember, I wrote that Christmas is the most favorite holiday season of mine.

never mind if you run your pockets dry for gifts for your godchildren and love ones and freinds, the sprit and the thought of giving is fun and fullfilling.

Anyway, the Filipino Christmas starts from December 16 ends in January 6!  December 16, is the first midnight mass for the Catholics.  This is the start or the 9 day night masses by the church to tell the advent season inthe church.  Commensing on the 24thmidnight cutover to 25 dawn, the christmas Story.
(I planned to attend this but then plans changed ….)

But frankly speaking, by November, department stores start decorating their shops with the festive trimmings.  Just after holloween, they will never miss as it has been like a practice.  Malls, close late at night till 11PM during this days.  By Start of december, most homes and offices and buildings have their most decorative Christmas decorations, and Christmas lights.
First week of December, carolers also go around the neighborhood to sing Christmas songs.  Well experience is most on the outskirts of the business district as you will not see such if you are living with the Business district :).  this is the time when most of the filipino contract workers abroad come home to celebrate Christmas with the famlies, not to mention that this is the time dollar value go down because these OFWs bring home dollars back to the country.
Not to mention the Balikbayan boxes brought by the balikbayans!

By start of 2nd week of December, Pinoys start gaining weight as office/school christmas parties happen.  Exchange gifts or gift givings.  Most people do their charity as well during these times.

On the night of 24th of December, after the midnight mass, a Midnight dinner (noche buena).  The food in the table depends on how much you can afford, but what is important is that this is the time most families are together to partake such meal.  Be it simple a sweet sticky rice and cocoa/ or bibingka to roast pig, ham and queso de bola.

After which dinner is done at around 130amish of the 25th, that is when the fanily members give and open presents.  The next morning are usual going to visit relatives to celebrate with them, or godchildren come visit their god parents (Ninong and ninangs) to ask presents or to give presents as well.

As you do not expect that the leftover from the prparation will be finished on the very same day, the leftovers will run until the 29th or 30th of december.. after which on December 31st is the preparation for the New Year’s eve celebration.  (Not for us as Dec 28, Lolo Teng’s bday, has been a family tradition to have a family reunion on our father side, 25th supposedly on my mom’s side but its just my mom and his brother left here in the Philippines) Thanks giving new year masses are done at 10pm to welcome the new year, and arrive home and partake another evening dinner! (Media Noche)
while waiting for the countdown, we either light up firecrackers or watch the firecrackers display of the neighbors.  In the Philippines, you can light up your own firecrackers and firecracker display.. i know its not that safe.. Pinoys try to be safe but never on the 31st evening or January 1 that a hospital will go 0 for firecrakcers related accidents.

Then Celebration continues on the first day of New year, continue visiting relatives and friends and greet them for the Holiday season.  the season ends on the three kings on the 6th of January.  the day when the third of the three kings arrived in the manger to give the gift for Jesus. So mass is celebrated as this is usually on a Sunday.  So that is the reason why Pinoy Christmas is that long :D.

The other night I crashed the annual ender party of the Indonesia office. What can I say? It is more grand! Held in an exclusive membership club. More door prizes, have employee awards, more booze and food… i stopped and thought, and I asked my self, am I asking myself How I wish it was like this way back at home, but then I realized, I was happy with what we had back in the Philippines a week earlier. Simplier but I was happy.

So it made me think and realization that what I have been thinking to my thoughts for the past 9-10 months about contentment and happiness. I would always be told by him that I am never contented with the material things he gives me, not that because I ask for more but because I do not find peace of mind with it or should I say, i can not feel any internal happiness, i feel null.

I never looked for material things that I can not afford or asked for things that I know it is not practical. I was content with what I have, i just have what is just enough but I was happy.

I read somewhere, that discontentment only happens when one entertain the thought. Of wishing more, questioning and start to compare of what is present and what is fantasy or thinking the other possibilities when one get’s bored with what is given in a current state. One becomes unhappy and discontent. Actually it was his self defense, it was him who became discontented and unhappy. And not all understand of as always to first find someone to blame such discontentment and unhappiness, but what most of us do not see is it is about making right choices in your life. A human bieng makes his own choices in life.

As we were discussing with my Indonesian colleagues in the car they ask me about how is the Christmas party like in the Philippines and I told them how I found the party in Jakarta as grand and Sali say, but your was also fun right? and I think he was right. Of course, i still can not exchange anything from what I have way back home. I am happy and content.

Though in human nature, there is always discontentment, It is still up to the person on how one controls his life. It is always our ability to make a choice, a choice to be happy and content or to be discontented and unhappy.

This probably would be my third post re: language.  I just find it interesting from a new friend/colleague from Indonesia, Parlin’s comment.
We were eating lunch in "padang", and i asked them to translate what was the news report about.  It was about a job fair. 

And I shared to my collagues that in Philippines, unemployment rate is getting high again because of english proficiency went down for college graduates.
They asked me what’s speaking english got to do with finding a job? It would be culturally difficult to understand but one way me and my other Pinoy colleagues put it ths way, the american were one of our conquerors.  they were the first one to establish and encourage education among the locals.
My lolo, father side, was once a scholar in fact of the American government after the war and taught and studied in Chicago.  He is Pinoy,
But can not and never was able to speak in Filipino/tagalog. During he was still alive he talks to us in either Ilocano or English.  Get’s mad or curse in english or in Spanish.

When I grew up, at school we learn most of all basic subjects were taught in English.  There would be a subject, yep, only a subject teaching the students the Filipino Language.  When were growing up, we were used to be taught on counting 1,2,3s and A,B,Cs more often rather than reciting isa, dalawa, Tatlo or the A,B,K,D before.
I myself might have learned my tagalog language from a cousin who stayed with us when I was 5 years old.  At home our elders either talk to us in English or Ilocano.  I remember my highschool friend, Steve, thought when I brought along one day my youngest sister at school and we were talking and he asked me, she speaks english?

Going back at school, during my time when i was studying, I can not remember that the Filipino language has been implemented to be practised in Science and Mathematic subjects.  there was a time when the President was cory that she asked that Science and math should also be taught in Filipino/tagalog.  I can not recall that in school, my teachers tried to teach the subjects as suggested by the President.
There was an experiment where they changed books of History, Physical Education, Home economics and Values Education was changed to Filipino.  But still the teachers can not resisit at times to explain better in English!

In Philippines, i estimate about prolly about 95% of job interviews are in English for white collar jobs.  At work, most work related email exchanges with colleagues are in English.  Letter within companies, signboards, signages around are in English! So another reason probably to blame that is why Philippines is so transparent to the world specially on current events and political scandals and problems.
I can not even say that countries who do not speak English are not progressive.  A lot of progressive and developed/industrialized countries do not have English in their Newspapers, in their signages etc!

So to answer what is the relevance of the English language to getting a job? First, As of the moment, major population of the working class in the Philippines are in the trend of working with a call center, that serves around the world.  call centers helped unemployment in the past few years.  But then as statistics shows, decline in English proficiency made it more difficult for this institutions to employ people who are below their standards.
It is difficult to impress, your interviewer or the panel or interviewer not to take account if foreigners are present if you can not express yourself well in English.  At work, you’d be ridiculed if you write a very evident gramatically erroneos correspondence in the office. 

But then, I am not saying that Filipino shouldn’t be spoken ever! that would be so shameful to say.  English might be present but still at times you can not avoid of bringing the impression of arrogance should you be speaking English to a co-Pinoy if you know he/she is a local and grew up in the Philippines.  I do not even have anything against the dialects as i find this of my advantage at times.  That I can talk or do my "coded messages" to a person who speaks of my own dialect.
same when able to speak in the Filipino language as you can speak "confidential" subjects amongst your amidst your foreign colleagues.  Filipino language is one characteristics that would define your national Identity.  I do not want to be called someone who do not have any National identity ever.  I do not want to be a disgrace to my country as well.  So even with how i find it too normal or English is one of our "way-of-life" in the Philippines, I still do not shun the use of Filipino.
Just to try to make other culture understand, it is just something that Pinoys grew up with, something that has been in their daily lives, that is why.
So we are also proud coz most of Pinoys can help a non-Filipino speaking person i directions in a COMMON language, may it be the taho vendor, Taxi driver or the jeepney driver. 

I can not imagine seeing myself in these situations: A chinese guy is bieng questioned by an Immigration Police in Frankfurt and all he can say is Yes and No even with questions not answerable by yes or No.  Im sorry but i find it pathetic or I feel sorry for the guy.  2nd, I have never been so sorry again for someone, when I was looking for a vacant seat in a performance of Barong Dance in Bali when i asked this asian lady if someone is seated in the vacant seat beside her and what she just did to me is stare and even wrinkle his eyebrows! oh the nerve.  Frankly, I find it hostile.

I am not embarassed to be able to converse in English comfortably (yes even with my usual gramitcal errors!), I am glad and thankful that at home we were practiced to speak in English first when we were growing up.
At least all my two cents is, at least we try our best to be able to converse in a language that could be understood by all (a lesson from the Bible story of Babel) and be able to at least learn, acknoledge and practice your own national language. 

i am a woman, but sometimes I feel i am not one.  I try to be one and I end up feeling like not one.  Not that I feel like standing up peeing in the john, but you know what i mean.

When i was a kid, I always get teased by my older cousin Kenneth, of my habbit of always putting both hands in my jeans pocket.  He tells me I am not a boy.  Or worse he will tell me I am like a tomboy.

I guess there are a lot of woman who feel the same.  the Tomboyish kind because of our actions and mannerisms and habbits.  but we are not actually lesbians.

there was a time an ex boyfriend and I had a heated argument that telling me his philandering is because the one he is having an affair with dresses like a girl and nice to look at .. and i should dress like her.  i was the wrong girl, glad twas over.

Anyway, at times like you try my best to dress like a girl, and then i thought i was girl enough to look atbut then when a stranger woman stands beside me, I feel like disappearing in that moment because i feel i not as pretty girl.  Girls are expected to be pretty and girly girly you know ..

oh well enough whining, while reading my Zodiac sign description, it says that traits of our sign for a woman will act like a man.  And so maybe that explains why I am one of those woman that is not too girly enough for a guy.  I know a lot of girls would agree with me that they do not find difficulty working with guys compared if they work with other women.  a lots of problems like gossips, etc!

And so I said well I am happy for what and how I am.  I maybe not too girly enough for others but I am happy.  I maybe the only 1 girl in a 1:20/30 guy ratio working environment, that sometimes they get too comfortable and treat me like as one of the boys, but I do not want find it a problem.  I realize now that at least I can be competitive like how these guys work.  At times that they just love to make fun of me and try to make me cry! Gladly I am still able to be put-up with their nasty jokes.  Sometimes you do not get the confidence because our culture can not avoid that the male race is smarter than the female species.  But then if you are able to build and to be their equals.

This will start that they either enjoy the competition or feel insecure and start to test and make your life really difficult. Oh well anyway, i am not too girly enough …whatever that’s your problem.  what’s important i am happy … i do not want to be the girl of will be too full of herself one day because of all the outer beauty she has

So even though I am working in an environment of men, with such number of males around me, one asks how come I still have a bf or am i too picky to be able to think that one of the guys can actually be good for me … but then again you can ask them … its because I am one of their Pare :p …

My over analysis would have paid off at last and reading from my previous post about the Lion…people or women born on this year are of more of the masculine side, well if you get the context of what i mean (not that i am masculine!!grrr)…

indonesia spending my longest offshore work in Jakarta for more than 4 months now made me learn a lot of things. just some notes
1. Most taxis are franchised under few companies not more than 10. 2. Not all can speak English. Not all of the taxi driver, not all of the hotel staff not all of the mall store attendants, i ended up buying my bahasa indonesia book. Good for me its much closer to the Ilocano dialect.
3. DVDs are so cheap!.. oh yea i mean pirated DVDs … 6000 Rupiah that is more than half a dollar.
4. Shopping can be fun for Brands that they produce in the country - Lacoste, Wacoal and Polo
5. it is a challenge for an APAC resident to get passed the immigration when you are for business trip without a business visa. So far they are the only asian country i’ve encoutered to make your life difficult to be able to enter the country. Now be worry when they ask you for the "Indonesian souvenir"
6. the only country where i saw a mosque opposite a catholic cathedral, only a country with a side by side catholic, jewish church and a catholic church
7. KFC’s have no gravy, and not all have plastic utensils, you have to eat with your hands
8. I attended a catholic mass on a sunday before the Hariraya week and it seem like the church try to be harmonious and repectful of the Muslim fellowmen by encouraging churchgoers to greet Muslim fellowmen for their celebration
9. they have this mikrolet a mini van converted as a public utility vehicle, il still prefer the Philippine’s jeepney
10. It is just like Manila instead of churches its mosques
11. Hariraya is celebrated just like Christmas but i guess more grand in the religiuos sense. Some of the sects start their hariraya prayer from 6pm to 6am the next morning
12. During the Hariraya the bring out their gongs and drums and put up bonfire outside of their house and have some fireworks
13. Indonesia is the largest Muslim country not just in south east-asia but in the world
14. Bali’s faith is 90% Hinduism/Buhddism 10% others
15. Balinese speak good English and are friendly
16. Indonesia is not really what most Westerners think as a stereotype of a terrorist filled country.
17. If Filipinos are ‘balat-sibuyas’ Indonesians are more ‘balat-sibuyas’

…haha so i thought as well, i sent my farewell and thank you letter to my Indonesia project team mates 2 weeks ago … and here I am again. I was back earlier as I thought! Flattering, to see how gladness you can see from the faces (sincere or not) of my colleagues that I am back for just days … I hope I deliver of what they expect, and make my vacation cut short worthwhile in exchange of some of my Holiday vacation days.

I told myself I ought to write this piece before the year ends …
A friend told me that the Year of the Dog is bad for relationships
True, Never in my life (yet) did i hear the most tragic or blessing separation of partners/couples
Not that I am writing this for myself but surprising for me that it was not just me …

Couple 1: just when the year started around February, both of these couples were our friends, 3 lovely kids aged(i think) 5-9, divorced after 10 years of marriage. As law provides (i think) kids stay with the mom not until they decide who they want to be with when they get older. So the Mom got all three kids in US. 
couple 2: me… well i do not think you want me to write about one of a hell telenovela segment … that was February
Couple 3: one of my bestfriends. Her first and only bf. 1 girl kid aged 4. last march
Couple 4: A good highschool girl friend.  One kid, partner left her and impregnated another woman …March
Couple 5: another ‘alcoholic’ Friend separated with another ‘alcoholic’ friend
Couple 6: A very good friend.  she is a mommy, husband left family with two adult kids for another woman after 28 years of companionship November
I thought Couple 6 was the last for the year …
Couple 7: A 25 year-old work colleague.  A good friend.  long distance relationship.  He was planning to go to US this Holidays … surprise his girlfriend and propose this Friday…not knowing his plan, girl told him she found someoneelse….december

You probably say its not just this year, but never in my circle of friends including myself to have this ala-pang-maalaala-mo-kaya? episodes.  7 of these fate brought me to them to be the ear to listen. So heartbreaking …
anyway… i hope couple number 7 is the last for this year…

… sad, I never thought that reality is even more colorful and full of irony than those of in TV drama shows.