rhia moments

rhia, my 3-year-old niece, has a very amusing way of talking to people. here is a sampler of my dose.

last new year's eve, she was left alone with me right after dinner. inay and the boys went to church service, my kuya went out to fetch my sis-in-law from work.

so there we were - tito del and rhia - sitting on the sofa, watching tv.

rhia: tito del, gusto ko ng dede.
tito del: naku, di ako marunong magtimpla ng dede mo. antayin na lang natin si inay o kaya si daddy.
rhia: bakit? malaki ka na, di ka pa marunong?
tito del: e kase sinusukat pa yun.
rhia: hindi! hindi na yun sinusukat. nilalagay lang sa bote tsaka tubig. si kuya red, malaki na sya, marunong na sya gumawa ng dede.
tito del: e kase alam nya kung ilan ang ilalagay na gatas tsaka gaano kadaming tubig. antayin na lang natin sila ha.

after around 5 minutes...

tito del: o teka, lulutuin ko na yung sopas natin para mamaya.
rhia: marunong ka bang magluto?
tito del: oo naman!
rhia: marunong kang magluto, pero di ka marunong magtimpla ng dede?

sapul si tito del! haha!

7-day Gratitude Challenge - In Retrospect

it all started with a notification that i was tagged by Thirdy on a facebook post. however, it did not end there. it actually came with this:

"The challenge is to post 7 things you are thankful for in 7 days. Tagging 7 people each day, a total of 49 people in the process."

i had a whole lot of excuses not to do it.

i am busy.

i might not be able to finish the challenge.

i don't want to challenge people who are not willing.

what if i cannot come up with 7 reasons per day? or worse, tag a total of 49 willing friends?

what's in it for me?

but then again, i asked myself, what have i got to lose? probably 49 unwilling friends, who will "unfriend" me on facebook. but i don't think they will do that.

so there, i started taking the challenge last september 10, and my 7th day was yesterday, september 16.

in retrospect, what did i gain out of the challenge?

i have learned that "thanks," along with "sorry," is one of the most overlooked words. to cite an example:

i entered a fastfood ahead of 3 ladies, and held the door open for them as they enter. then they walked past me and lined up at the counter ahead of me.

at that moment, i wanted to call their attention and say, "excuse me, miss. baka lang napansin nyo, hindi ako naka-jollibee uniform. hindi rin ako nag-'welcome to jollibee!' sa inyo. therefore, hindi ako nagtatrabaho dito at hindi ko trabaho na pagbuksan kayo ng pinto. thank you ha."

a simple "thanks" from even just one of them would have made the difference. or just a smile to show appreciation.

mahirap ba talagang magpasalamat? probably sa kabisihan natin sa araw-araw, nakakaligtaan natin ito. or maybe it speaks also of our values as individuals.

this challenge did the trick for me.

was i convincing others that i am happy? no. it never was part of my intentions.

was i just convincing myself that i am happy? maybe. but it is actually not a bad thing, if you ask me. when things aren't really going your way, baka it is time to look at the littlest things and you'll be amazed at how blessed we are actually, and uttering "thank you" is just in order.

selecting the people to share the challenge was challenging itself.

the foremost criteria i had in mind was that the people i select should be heavy facebook users, so it will be easy for them to see.

my other criteria was that i should have a good mix of the people in my network: office friends, travel buddies, close friends, office people, people from the past, family.

on my last day of the challenge, i believe i was able to meet these criteria.

so again, for those who i have challenged and actually took part, thank you for accepting. i hope you enjoy the experience as i did. i am actually happy to read your daily posts on the challenge.

for those who did not accept the challenge, as i kept saying, walang pilitan. and i honor your decision. my consolation so far is that nobody has unfriended me for sharing the challenge with you. :)

thank you.

my 2012 yearender personal review

Count your blessings, the cliche goes.

The year 2012 has been a helluva roller coaster ride. To say that I've seen better years would be an understatement.

We opened the year at an unlikely place: a small rectangular white-walled room that fits a bed, a small sofa, a few square-feet of free space and a wall-mounted tv. Contrary to what we have been accustomed to, we quietly celebrated New Year's eve in the hospital. No fancy food. No picture taking.

Itay was admitted at PMSH a few days after Christmas, and was discharged 5 days after New Year. It was the start of his final bout with PD apparently, as he was never able to at least walk on his own again after that.

It was quite hard to go on with life as normal with a lot of what-ifs going on inside your mind. Our family had to adjust. Schedules, expenses. Each time my phone rings with somebody back home calling/texting, my heart would skip a beat.

That dreaded phone call came from my brother at around 6am of August 22, almost 9 months after the quiet New Year celebration. The day before that, I bade Itay goodbye as I needed to go back to work the next day. I could not forget the teardrop that fell from his eye, when all the while we thought he was asleep. It must have been his way of telling me he is about to go and I should stay a few hours more.

2012 marked his first birthday and our first Christmas holidays without him.

Last December 7, Inay also left the country for a much needed respite. She has gone through a lot and she deserves the break. I hope she is enjoying the change of environment, that comes with a change in wardrobe. Aba, eh lagi na lang naka-coat at boots ang mudra! :)

Career-wise, 2012 has not been kind enough as well. Despite the struggles of getting the photo-finish 6-Sigma GB certification from Motorola, it did not result to any promotion as I expected. The "mukhang-pera" side of me is saying, "ok lang yan. may PFS ka naman."

During the year, I would say that my team took the strongest blows. In the eyes of some people, we were always at fault. Just when we are about to hold on to the bar, it just kept on raising.

The year also saw a number of goodbyes from the team. Some have found other opportunities outside the royal blue and tangerine orange world, and preferred red, or blue and yellow, if you know what I mean. A handful decided to pursue other positions in other units. It was difficult letting go, but it is a phase that we have to undergo.

One good thing that came out from all of this is that it taught us to rely on each other and face the problem with united strength. With the help and guidance of Mina, my superior, we came up with work-smart ideas that are now part of our day-to-day tasks. Now we are gearing up yet again for the upscaled challenge in 2013.

Looking back, my achievements last year are mostly on the lighter side.

1. It has been my goal to visit a place where I've never been; at least one place in a year. This year, I had my first trip to HK, Macau, Malaysia and Singapore. I think I overdid it to compensate for the disappointments.

2. I finally earned the Marathoner title after finishing the 42.125km race of the SG leg of Standard Chartered Marathon. I was also able to run in Cebu and kept up with my at-least-once-a-month fun run goal. Yay!

3. It is always nice to reconnect with your closest friends. Last September, I revisited Legazpi and Naga with my BFFs, and enjoyed wakeboarding at CWC. Ok fine, it seems it was just me who enjoyed wakeboarding.

4. I gained new friends via the PEx Running Club. Here's to more kitakits in 2013, running and otherwise.

5. What better way to cap a stressful workday than drinking coffee or tea, matched with acoustic singing or just plain talk with DFs at a place otherwise known to us as Imbi Starbs. (Hint: our version of "plain" talk could be dangerous. Haha.)

6. Or enjoying a LFS at Mega or Galle with SFs? Any movie will do, especially if it's free. :D

7. The TMR Book 2 has been released and surprisingly, I still have an entry included. I seldom send entries na kase. Special thanks to Chico for including it.

I have yet a lot of things to be thankful for, but there won't be enough space for it. If I'd be asked what word would remind me of 2012, it would be RESILIENCY. I guess that amidst all the hardships, what is more important is the getting up and fighting back. It has been a rough, tough and bumpy ride, but hey, I'm still here and raring to see what's in store for 2013.

2013, be good to me, pretty please.

And by the way, as you are reading this, aren't you thankful the world didn't end last December 21? :)

start the new year with a BANG!

~on the bus last night~

Sarili1: pucha pare, nakita mo ba yun?

Sarili2: ang alin, tol?

Sarili1: yung billboard ni butch francisco sa edsa qc, pare!

Sarili2: yung lakas-loob, buwis-buhay endorsement nya sa flawless?

Sarili1: yun nga, pare! kita mo yung bukas-polo, labas-cleavage na pose nya?

Sarili2: oo, tol! naduwal nga ako e! tapos ang tagline nya pa, "start the new year with a bang!" naka-drugs ba sya?

Sarili1: ah, BANG ba 'kamo? e kung pasabugin na lang kaya natin, pare? mas bagay yun dun!

Sarili2: sige, pasabugin na yan!

Sarili1: bwahahahahahaha!

Sarili2: bwahahahahahaha!

Ako: *nagising sa usapan ng dalawang sarili* sssshhhhhh! start the new year with a kind heart. *after imagining the billboard* ugh! ang hirap naman, paksyet! sige, pasabugin na yan!

makulit ka ha!

this has been on my drafts for more than a year. i started writing, but didn't get to finish it.

tonight i decided to wrap it up. para naman may bago akong post dito.

>>>> o <<<<


today was a regular working day. by "regular," i meant:

• a series of meetings
• reading and responding to some emails
• noisy-bordering-on-crazy conversations over lunch
• phone calls, work-related and otherwise

speaking of phone calls, i received a call from a certain rhia, a credit card outbound agent. i recognize her voice instantly, so when she gave her name, i knew it was her. this was the third time she called me, in two weeks. she was so persistent.

the first time that she called, lahat na ata ng promo ng cards na kine-carry niya, diniscuss na niya sa akin. cash advance, balance transfer, credit insurance, free supplementary card. the ever polite that i am, i just let her do her thing, while i'm saying "uh-huh," "ok," and "alright" from time to time. nung matapos sya, saka ko na sinabi na hindi ako interesado.

pero sabi niya, "sige na sir, kahit i-try nyo lang."

so i said, "sige, padalhan mo ako ng sample computation for balance transfer, tapos pagiisipan ko." then we agreed that she'll call me back 2 days after.

honestly, tiningnan ko naman talaga yung sample computation na binigay niya. i was just not interested.

so when she called me back, as agreed, i told her i'm not availing. at least not now. end of conversation.

today, tumawag na naman sya. this time, i really cut her spiels. until:

rhia: how about yung supplementary card sir, waived yung annual fee niya for the first year.

rodel: hindi talaga. wala naman akong bibigyan.

rhia: bakit naman sir? yung wife niyo, ayaw niyong bigyan ng supplementary card?

rodel: wala pa naman akong wife e.

rhia: ay ganun ba sir. how about yung parents niyo, or kapatid niyo?

rodel: no. they won't need it. besides, nasa province sila.

rhia: ah. yung girlfriend niyo sir, pwede niyo ring bigyan.

rodel: yun nga e. wala rin akong girlfriend ngayon.

rhia: ay ganun. bakit naman sir?

rodel: anong bakit?

rhia: bakit wala kayong girlfriend ngayon, eh parang ang bait-bait niyo naman.

rodel: di ko rin alam e. baka hindi ko pa natatagpuan. ikaw ba, single ka pa?

rhia: yes sir, single pa ako.

rodel: ilang taon ka na?

rhia: 24 na ako sir. bakit sir?

rodel: may boyfriend ka na?

rhia: ngayon sir? wala. single and available. *laughs*

rodel: ah. gusto mo ng supplementary card?


hahaha. i think i just sounded like a DOM!

so ayun, ang ending...

wala pa rin siyang benta.

at wala pa rin akong girlfriend.

level up!

no doubt, i was apprehensive up until this morning to REALLY join the yakult 10-miler run.

i've been complaining about some pain on my right knee during our after-office runs last week.

i will also be, in a way, on my own, as my co-TYJ runners didn't make it to the registration.

and this will be a level-up run. my first 16k, that is.

despite the apprehension, i decided to retire early to bed last night, just about an hour or so after the earth hour. and i managed to wake up at 4am, take a quick shower, and get myself dressed for the battle. i took a cab as soon as i got out of our building, and some 20 minutes and 200 pesos after, there i was fixing my earphones and setting my timer while lining up at the race's starting line in CCP. yes, i'm gonna take the challenge, i told myself.

i worked my way to get into the front line, then looked behind me. not that many runners, i thought. patay! i might be the last finisher! i dreaded the idea. bahala na.

and then the gunshot signalling the start of the race went off.

my strategy in every race that i join is to just run on my own pace. not too fast, not too slow. this way, i get to extend my endurance longer. until the runners behind me ran past me, and because i didn't want to end up to be the last, i let pressure get its way through me and forced myself to run faster.

bad move. barely through the third kilometer signage, i was already feeling pain on the right side of my abdomen. it was bearable but it was bothering me, so i had to slow down and walk. i have read from some online pages before that such pain can be caused by incorrect breathing while running, and that slowing down, pressing the painful area while breathing deeply could help ease the pain. but darn, it wouldn't go. maybe this is because of the pressure that again, i was being overtaken by a number of runners from behind. so i ignored the pain and proceeded to run.

by the 5km signage, the pain on my right knee was making its presence felt already. gosh, how am i gonna finish the next 11 kilometers with stomach cramps and a painful knee? and for sure, my feet will get tired and painful too as i progress.

i started to question why i was doing the run? what will i get out of it? nothing, practically. but i continued to run, even then, but now with lesser effort, just on my own pace. what followed was run-walk-run-walk activity for me just to go on.

it didn't help that just a few strides after i did my second loop at the buendia flyover, the kenyans (yes, the kenyans!) are already on their way back towards ccp for the finish line! pressure again!

when i reached the 11-kilometer mark, i felt i was ready to stop. this is technically a feat for me already because i have surpassed my past 10K's. and if i take into consideration my past pacing, the next 5 kilometers will take me roughly 30 to 35 minutes more of running.

a realization occurred to me at that point. no more stomach cramps. my right knee is still aching, but somehow bearable. i could feel my feet getting tired though, and they are beginning to ache. but i was pretty sure i could still go on.

somewhere past the 12-kilometer mark, i slowed down again and walked. i checked my mobile phone. the screen read, 1 message received. it was from one of my bestest friends, drey, informing me to update my contacts with his new number. i replied that i'm in the middle of the race, and kidded him that i think i'm gonna die. :) then i put the phone away and continued to run again.

with barely 3 kilometers to go, an old man, probably in his mid-50's, ran past me. he shouted something to me, but the volume on my earphones was too loud i didn't quite get what he said. it was something like, "ang layo! pero konti na lang!" i was amazed that at his age, he can still run long distances. he inspired me, in a way, to continue on and never give up.

finally, when i turned left from roxas boulevard towards the finish line, the sight of the giant yakult balloon replica brought relief to my tired body. a few strides more, and this will be over, i told myself.

i crossed the finish line, finally. with the old man ahead of me by a second.

now i understand the tag line in one of pacman's endorsements: aray ko, galing ko. there is such a high when you achieve something after pushing yourself beyond your limits.

so i take it back, what i thought earlier that i get practically nothing by doing the run. pride. sense of accomplishment. inspiration. these are just a few of the things that i achieved after the run.

now let me say this: i'm a yakult 10-mile run finisher.

gibberish

"rodel, anong goal mo sa buhay?"

tinanong sa akin yan ng boss ko minsan while having a casual conversation. out of nowhere.

i was stumped. ang nasabi ko lang, "mina naman. ano ba ito, beauty pageant? matatalo ako nito e, binibigla mo ako, hindi ko napaghandaan yan."

and then a round of laughter. uumpisahan ko sana yung sagot ko ng, "i do not peel any fressure, right now." pero hindi, na-fressure ako e.

the other day, i just celebrated my birthday. my 25th.

ok fine, wag nang mag-react. it's my 10th year as a 25-year-old.

in hindsight now, that question really made me think. suddenly i was having my quarter-life crisis. only 10 years too late. ano ba talaga ang purpose ko sa buhay?

if i would assess how my life has been so far, i'm bent on thinking that all the years were just a compilation of random events. i just react to what is happening around me. sabi nga ni katy perry, like a plastic bag drifting through the wind.

the stubborn side of me says otherwise though. there may be random events happening, but a big chunk of what's happening could well be a product of the choices i make. i therefore conclude, hindi ako plastic bag. plastic siguro, pwede pa.

so, how then should i answer that question. sabi nga sa nescafe tv commercial, para saan ako bumabangon? sige, alang-alang sa birthday ko, pipilitin ko itong sagutin sa abot ng aking makakaya.

1. parents. the world is filled with billions of people, pero these pair, i really look up to with highest respect. you see, we were raised with limited means. i can't recall having a birthday party as a kid. i don't remember getting fancy clothes. but what is clear to me, we were raised with christian values and the warmest love. in a world where "'til death do us part's" were almost fiction, they have remained together for 42 years already. and counting. i want to give back to them, not because i need to, but because they deserve it.

2. dreams. when i grow up, i want to be a medicine. joke. ewan ko ba kung bakit karamihan ng bata, gustong maging doktor. standard ata yun. ngayong grown up na ako, at hindi man ako naging medicine(!), i make it a point that i always give my best shot with what i'm tasked to do. kahit anong career siguro ang i-pursue ko, i won't be happy if hindi ko binigay yung lahat ng effort na pwede kong ibigay.

3. compensation. to sum it all up, mukha akong pera. sabi ko kanina, plastic ako, pero sa part na ito, hindi ako magpapakaplastik. of course, if you're working your @ss out, you expect to get paid. after all, i need the salary to be able to fulfill my resolve to my parents and to motivate me further to work harder. o, ha. (i hope my boss gets to read this. hahaha.)

and last, but definitely not the least...

4. world peace. since this is a beauty pageant question, i just need to include this.

as of now, yan muna ang sagot ko. baka bukas, iba na.

i thank you.