Ang Aga Aga
I instructed our driver today to get the NC2.1 Questionnaire and Answer sheets that I borrowed from the Recruitment Department of one of our Operating Companies. When he reached the Industrial City, he was told by the Recruitment Officer (a Filipino) that the documents I borrowed are not ready. Our driver was busy with other tasks so I told him to come back some other time. Five minutes after, I got a call from our driver and I spoke to the Recruitment Officer and he says that he’s sending the documents. Two minutes later, I also received an email that says that the documents are with our driver. I just thanked him in my reply and I thought it would end there.
Thirty minutes later I received this email:
“Umagang umaga pini-pressure ako ng Driver niyo. Masyadong nagmamadali eh may kausap akong employee re dependents processing. Pina-uupo ko muna at tatapusin ko pa ang kasong kausap ko ng maharap ko siya ng maayos eh aalis na agad….
Honestly, na inis ako kase umagang-umaga at ang daming gagawin at my meeting ako ng 9am and to think na wala naman kayong pasabi na pick apin yang items na hinihingi niyo……
Hay buhay….”
I called our driver right after I received the Recruitment Officer’s email and asked him the full story. It turned out that he really did not do anything at all. He just said that if the documents are not ready, he’ll come back some other time. Our driver could have invented an alibi just to cover his ass. I however believe that if the driver made a scene, he should have scolded the driver. Why would the Recruitment Officer let his day turn bad just because our driver’s mistake? If the driver displayed a diva attitude, it doesn’t follow that I’m a diva too! In Filipino, kung mataray ang driver namin, hindi ibig sabihin mataray din kami.
I was told that the Recruitment Officer is BITTER because he wasn’t able to achieve his dream of becoming a Recruitment Manager. He’s the classic victim of ‘Life’s a bitch syndrome’. They call it life’s a bitch syndrome because this person realized that ‘Life’s a bitch and he became one’.
Oo nga, yeah right, ang aga aga kaya I told myself not to be affected. The negative energy will really bring you down and I don’t want that to happen to me. I don’t want to ruin my day because of him. Ayaw kong maging bitter sa buhay ko. If I we cross our path in Al Khobar in the near future, I’ll just display my POKER and nonchalant FACE! Anyways, I only please one person in the entire company, my boss! Kasi at the end of the day, it’s my boss who will give me raise and promotion. They can say and do whatever they want and it won’t change a thing.
Labels: Personal
Thanks, Pure and Simple
I always thank people in any way I can. It’s the least that I can do for people who went out of their way to help me. I’ve learned to give thanks to people when I first work at the food service industry at the age of 17. In the food service industry, crews may be robotic because it’s the store’s policy to say thank you. However, there are people who work there that really mean what they say. I am thankful that I did not outgrow my habit of saying thank you.
Thank you is a gift of gratitude. If somebody ‘thank you’ for what you did, you should acknowledge it since you deserve it. There are people who would say ‘It’s nothing .. It’s no big deal’. Those are dismissive remarks that could potentially hurt the person giving thanks. He could say ‘thanking you’ is a big deal to me but not to you?
Saying thank you is free of charge. I assure you, you’d feel better once you’re used to saying thank you. Give thanks to God for the abundance of grace you receive. Give thanks to people who clean your house, wash your dishes and collect your garbage. Give thanks to your family and the people who love you. Gratitude will make you happier.
Labels: Personal
Morbid Thoughts
“Hindi ninyo lang guid ko pag pa mahjongan kung hindi kalagon ko guid kamo”. Those are the words I said to my family when death was mentioned in one of our conversations. I live far away from my family and I only get to see them during my annual vacation. I’ve always been open to the possibility that I may die here in the Kingdom of the Sands. I’ve witnessed several friends, other people who died from several causes.
That’s the reason why I told my Mom that she should religiously pay for my SSS premium so that when, ‘KNOCK ON WOOD’, something might happen to me, she’ll get a pension from the SSS.
I hate the Filipino culture of embalming the dead and display them to mourners for viewing. Most of the dead are displayed for at least 7 days before burying them. My sister said that 7 days is enough for viewing since it also buys them time to construct the ‘Nitso’ or concrete where you put the coffin. I also hate the fact that the neighbors would then construct tents, put on tables and chairs outside the house of the dead and start gambling. I don’t believe that those people are there to condole. They’re there to gamble and drink coffee. Of course, there are genuine people who means well.
I am more interested in cremation than the traditional Filipino burial. A news report recently featured cremation. The cost of cremation is only Php. 12,000.00 a lot less than the embalming and procuring coffin. Did you know that coffins could are priced as high as Php. 100,000.00? It’s one of the reasons why pre-need funeral plans like St. Peter’s is thriving. If you consider the price, cremation is a lot less expensive even if you buy a high-end urn for the ashes, the cost is still comparably lower. However, funeral parlors wouldn’t like this since it doesn’t cost much and it’s not good for their business. Cremation may be the answer to the overcrowded cemeteries in the major cities in our country.
Labels: Personal
All Souls Day ‘Fiesta Minatay’
Ilonggos celebrate ‘Fiesta Minatay’ on the 1st of November while most of the Bisaya and Mindanaoans celebrate it on the 2nd Day of November. A priest at the University of San Agustin once said that the actual celebration should really be on the 2nd day of November as it’s the feast of all Souls.
The original intention of the celebration was to pay homage to our dear departed ones. Marketing people though, knows better than everyone else. For them, it’s the time to sell candles, scary costumes and of course, candies for the trick or treat.
Our family does celebrate the occasion but not as grand as other families do. We visit our dead as often as once a week so when the ‘Fiesta Minatay’ comes, we just lit a candle and pray. For people like us who have Chinese blood, we believe that the living should take good care of their ancestors. It’s not surprising why the Chinese people are successful in all fields. It’s because of their love for their ancestors and in return, their ancestors take good care of them.
Visiting the graves of our family members who left the earth long ago is our culture. The new generation just added color to the celebration. However, the essence of the celebration is still there, paying homage to our dearly departed family member.
Labels: Personal, Philippines
Elect Lee Kuan Yew
We often hear calls to elect leaders like Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore. However, it is easier said than done in the Philippines. The Filipino people may elect a leader with the qualities of ‘Lee Kuan Yew’ but once he is in the office, they’ll throw whatever garbage and baseless accusations they have towards him. He would have to face several coup de etat, marching priests and nuns, demonstrations in EDSA and character assassination from the opposition. If he survives the office, he’ll leave a broken man.
A leader who mirrors Lee Kuan Yew would have to face hurdles in order to push for reforms. He’ll suffer a great deal of headache if he decides to push through with his agenda of changing the whole political system. The hurdles are the militant organization, priests and nuns, obstructionist oppositions and Filipino people who don’t want change. He would have to suffer low approval rating from the questionable SWS Survey and any other survey firms paid for by the opposing party.
But the most difficult of his entire task is to change his people’s perception. He has to instill discipline and follow the rule of law to his people.
Having given all the uphill battles that the would be ‘Lee Kuan Yew’ will face, it’s time we ask ourselves if we are really ready to elect a leader like him. Electing a leader like ‘Lee Kuan Yew’ means giving away some of our freedom, which are mostly unreasonable. Are we ready to be subjected to be disciplined? Are we ready to put our acts together? Are we ready for the tough love? If we agree to all the questions, it means we’re ready to elect a leader like Lee Kuan Yew.
Labels: Asian Affairs, Philippines
Letter from LBC Express
As I’ve said, it took awhile before I decided to write an email regarding the illegal acts of MAKATI EXPRESS in Al Khobar. They’re committing illegal acts because they’re using the LBC Brand without permission. They’re also misleading our fellow OFWs who are clueless that MAKATI EXPRESS is not in any ways connected with LBC.
Well, here’s an email I received from Team LBCs Customer Service Department in reply to my previous email to them.
From: Customercare@lbcexpress.com [mailto:Customercare@lbcexpress.com]
Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 10:35 PM
To: #####@gmail.com
LBC EXPRESS, INC.
Dear Mr. Ilonggo sa Desyerto,
Good day!
This is to acknowledge receipt of your email.
We would like to thank and appreciate you for your concern about the image of LBC. We wish to inform you that we will send a copy of your email to our LBC Marketing Department to conduct proper investigation about this incident. This is to avoid misleading our OFW's by using the name of LBC in the business of the said Makati Express which is not an official partner of our company.
Thank you once again and we hope to be of service to you in the future.
Respectfully Yours,
Jenny D. Villanueva
Customer Associate
LBC Express, Inc.
General Aviation Center, Domestic Airport Compound
Domestic Road, Pasay City 1300, Philippines
Courier & Remittance : 858-5999
PRC / Express Assistance : 854-4848
Flowers Express : 855-0000
Express Regalo : + 18774425544
Australia Cargo & Remit : + 1300522000
EMail Address: customercare@lbcexpress.com
URL: http://www.lbcexpress.com
Labels: Personal, Philippines, Saudi Arabia
Patisserie Jareer in Al Khobar
The weather is much tolerable than before so I decided that I won’t take a cab anymore. Well, not exactly, occasionally I do take the cab. I did it for the past four (4) weeks with my officemate and it’s great. My officemate and I would take a leisurely walk from Silver Tower to downtown Al Khobar that would last for about an hour. The great thing in walking is that you’d get to see a lot of shops and meet a lot of people. We have discovered a small pastry shop called ‘Patisserie Jareer’ at the King Abdulaziz Road. The Kabayans (Nestor and Jun) who work there told us that they have several branches in Riyadh and the branch here in King Abdulaziz Road is their first venture in the Eastern Province. I am fond of the cakes and desserts of Saaddideen but nothing can compare to the cakes, petit pours and desserts of ‘Patisserie Jareer’. You’d forget your name once you get to eat their cakes.
I’ve attached some of the photos I’d taken from Patisserie Jareer. I have to warn you that the photos does not justify the beauty and taste of their sweets.
Labels: Personal, Saudi Arabia
Dammam Time
Iloilo Time
