I find this really entertaining...
Iba talaga pag-PIXAR *applause*
What's with government employees and chewing gum? And after lunch make-ups? And that unmistakable mug of hot coffee adorning their tables? Those bejeweled fat ladies and balding gentlemen are probably the reason why our system is slugging, dropping down to nothing but a society of reactive individuals - unable to make decisions, incapable of even creating visions. Of course, not all government offices reek of corruption and indifference. There are those that definitely smell of success and deserve a warm round of applause.
But then I can't help but wonder why it's so hard and yet so easy to deal with people seated in outdated government posts. The first thing I noticed when I walked into the various offices at any city hall was the hustle and bustle of the mini kingdoms dominated by kings and queens of their own tables. The high king (or queen) is of course the one who lords over the department - the one who does nothing but sign and never gets anything but the fattest share of the banquet. I wonder how he (or she) could be indifferent to the wasting sight of his (her) territory - to the merchandise dealers hopping from one table to another during office hours, to his people's unsightly dress codes and poor customer relations (need I mention the chewing gum?).
I befriended a motherly civil servant and was glad it eventually took effect on the documents that needed processing. Asking favor from strangers was never fun but then again it gets the job done, not to mention another space filled out in your address book. I can't really say my friend, who was referred to me by my boss, isn't exactly like the others in her office but then again I couldn't have done half of the tasks I've accomplished without her.
Reasons to delay transactions overflow in any divine city hall like oil in the Saudis, with hung up systems, absent bosses, assistants on-leave, and more often than not, incomplete requirements topping the list. Why is it that despite our leaders' so-called efforts in promoting e-government and e-governance our gallant public servants are still contesting over who uses the most high-tech Windows 98 first?
Last week at the Lapu-lapu City Hall, I was waiting for one officer to hand me a certified true copy of an important document when she came up to me empty handed and told me to come back at 3 in the afternoon because their system was down. My watch at the time of rejection read 10:30 am! Shocked and on the verge of breakdown, I attempted to pull a puss-in-boots look and pleaded with all my pride, all the while praying that the officer [chewing her nth gum] could have it ready before lunch. She promised to have it by 1 pm but I still got the documents at 2:30. (Freaking sigh.......)
On the same day, an issuing officer at a BIR office snapped at me for persistently asking her to allow me to pay the certification fee related to title transfer even without the documents. She was more than pissed at me for interrupting her "work" as her face which was already bundled in concentration contorted in semi-rage and she matter-of-factly ordered me to comply with the other requirements first, among other things, then ending her tongue-lashing with a mean "Bye!".
At this point, I'm slowly absorbing the sad fact that in my line of work, I needed to prep up for the most trifle conversations which, if I want to excel, must be acted out as the most meaningful, most insightful one I'm going to have all day. Even those I've befriended in the government suggested that I make friends in every department fast, else I say goodbye to my transactions . By making friends they mean caressing them with gifts and money (yup, these go separately) and offer the greatest (and most unnecessary) form of flattery. Nurturing newly formed relationships is also important as when we meet them again, it's surprising how fast they forget us. There are those who genuinely want to help but there'll be those who will treat us like commoners next to their royal status.
I find it ironic that we, our colleagues, and the company for whom we're transacting documents for are paying these people to treat us like mud in their precious oasis. The taxes we're paying are their milk and honey, but do we hear a word of thanks?
Sometimes, yes. But then again. It will take eons before our government is reshaped into a paragon of virtue. Giving has become a tradition, but with the under-the-table concept being phased out and replaced by upfront bribery. It's gifts in exchange of relationships and it's what I'm supposedly trying to master. I'm getting used to it but then I'm praying I'll have enough morality left in me to be able to emerge out of this stink hole people call tradition.
Much is to be included in our company Christmas greeting, but eager as I was to include tiny tidbits of what really goes on inside our office (I mean the bloopers of course), the shorter more hastened version of the message had been passed on to the higher echelons of Robinsons Land.
So I dedicate this longer and more personal tribute to the company that has oh-so-miraculously hired me, hoping that even in this silent corner in cyberspace the moment of thanksgiving is spread.
The season of gifts and cheers has finally arrived and as the world makes way for this joyous occasion, the upbeat combination of HLDD and RBD Cebu is already one step ahead in the festivities. We bring good tidings to our colleagues from the equally proactive divisions of RLC and to our affiliates who have supported us all the way. With many thanks we offer nothing but praises for a year’s worth of exceeding expectations and surpassing the standards.
Team
We’ve come and seen and conquered surprising tasks and spur-of-the-moment dilemmas with unfailing initiative and serious multitasking (with a little belly dancing on the job). Whether grinning or gritting and smiling or sulking, at the end of each work day we know we are celebrating life by what our projects stand for:
“Every day is a holiday (AmiSa) in marketing a nature-endowed residential resort community (Blue Coast Residences) and living where the best of both worlds meet (
To our fellow RLCians, we wish you a memorable Christmas and a blessed New Year! And as we toast to the memories of old, we look forward to another round of exciting challenges in the Queen City
Musings from the Decrepit Balcony
I've learned what it's like to live in the big city and experienced playing tag with a too overwhelming confection of stress and excitement. I have come to understand that all good things, while they've made me happy once, are simply and effortlessly forgotten in time for another bout with misery. I've witnessed a fair amount of life stories - of overjoyed young people and their suffering folks back home. I couldn't help wonder why for someone supposedly young and bubbly, I choose to remain dreaming, hoping one too many times for a life far away from where I am and will be for the next few years.
Missing Places
I can't say I didn't enjoy living in Cebu's fast lane, where jeepney roars echo all the way till dawn and life forms emerge simultaneously, creating a complex mixture of personalities. Everything moves so fast that each detail has to be documented to avoid missing out on the simple memories sketched at unlikely hours. I've grown accustomed to this and save for my constant search for a breathable place to call my own, I'm actually all set.
But then again I miss simplicity. I missed being happy just to see the clouds frolic amidst the waves in the horizon. I missed spontaneous side trips and beach bumming. I missed grabbing a bite in the middle of the night without fearing for my life. I missed being carefree despite my compulsive disposition towards chaos. I missed finding sunsets so effortlessly and watching the day colors fade into night. I missed walking along the beautifully lit promenade at night whose pretty lights are not judged for their price. I missed watching movies every week just for the heck of it and being able to walk home when I felt I needed the exercise. I missed telling stories over mock group studies and sharing books over iced tea.
I am missing more that I ought to be missing and thinking way too much of the past. I am feasting in yesterday's memories and laughing at last year's jokes. I missed waking up in a room bathed in sunlight. I missed hurrying to school in the morning and walking back home with footsteps free of the world's problems. I missed the spicy flavors dominating the streets and the iced cold beer washing everything down my throat. I missed the company of old fogeys and the banters of the young colts and fillies.
I missed looking up into the sky and seeing a canopy of stars. I missed finding treasures at unlikely sites, from unbelievable sources. I missed the solace of my church where I was only to walk a couple of paces to find comfort. I missed the pillars and the portals of my education where I was only to wear shorts and slippers in order to belong. In the midst of jumbled priorities and confusing road trips, I missed everything there is to miss about Dumaguete City, the city of gentle people that weren't so gentle at all. In fact, I even miss the crazy one-way traffic and the irritating pedicab drivers who used to burst my bubble!
Hay Dumaguete and your charm, we shall definitely meet again...
But then again I miss simplicity. I missed being happy just to see the clouds frolic amidst the waves in the horizon. I missed spontaneous side trips and beach bumming. I missed grabbing a bite in the middle of the night without fearing for my life. I missed being carefree despite my compulsive disposition towards chaos. I missed finding sunsets so effortlessly and watching the day colors fade into night. I missed walking along the beautifully lit promenade at night whose pretty lights are not judged for their price. I missed watching movies every week just for the heck of it and being able to walk home when I felt I needed the exercise. I missed telling stories over mock group studies and sharing books over iced tea.
I am missing more that I ought to be missing and thinking way too much of the past. I am feasting in yesterday's memories and laughing at last year's jokes. I missed waking up in a room bathed in sunlight. I missed hurrying to school in the morning and walking back home with footsteps free of the world's problems. I missed the spicy flavors dominating the streets and the iced cold beer washing everything down my throat. I missed the company of old fogeys and the banters of the young colts and fillies.
I missed looking up into the sky and seeing a canopy of stars. I missed finding treasures at unlikely sites, from unbelievable sources. I missed the solace of my church where I was only to walk a couple of paces to find comfort. I missed the pillars and the portals of my education where I was only to wear shorts and slippers in order to belong. In the midst of jumbled priorities and confusing road trips, I missed everything there is to miss about Dumaguete City, the city of gentle people that weren't so gentle at all. In fact, I even miss the crazy one-way traffic and the irritating pedicab drivers who used to burst my bubble!
Hay Dumaguete and your charm, we shall definitely meet again...
My friends would probably never forgive me for disappearing without notice. Again. I thought I'd be comfortable with the thought of exchanging comments and viewing each other's blogs but then ever since everybody started noticing heartshape I somehow felt uncomfortable at the thought of my blog being part of the daily reading cycle.
I enjoy reading multiple accounts of happy accidents and comedic dramas. No entry on romantic escapades could surpass Angel's stories and nothing can be more soothing a life saga than Jello's. It's just that I'm not ready for the world, specifically people who I hang out with, to know this part of my life.
This blog is for strangers who thrive in anonymity, for those who clearly have no idea who I am.
I enjoy reading multiple accounts of happy accidents and comedic dramas. No entry on romantic escapades could surpass Angel's stories and nothing can be more soothing a life saga than Jello's. It's just that I'm not ready for the world, specifically people who I hang out with, to know this part of my life.
This blog is for strangers who thrive in anonymity, for those who clearly have no idea who I am.
If I could be anywhere without hesitation and doing anything except think about the world's dilemma, I'd be resting under one of the makeshift cottages in Pebbles Beach, Santander basking in the colors of sunset and watching the royal blue waves turn from light aquamarine to a darker stronger hue. With nothing but the sun's tiny pecks on my skin or the wind's teasing on my hair, I'd be where I had been the first time I set foot on the small jewel of a paradise subtly tucked in the southern tip of Cebu.
My affair with the town of Santander began as an alternative. It was never planned and was never more than a spontaneous trip arranged by a group of college friends from Silliman University celebrating the end of a grueling midterm week. It was the perfect day for a swim, an ultimate excuse for a picnic, and just the right reason for an out of town escapade. At that time the beaches of Dumaguete seemed a bit trite so my friends and I hopped aboard the next pump boat bound for neighboring Cebu - to Pebbles Beach, a hidden beach resort we've never even heard of.
My affair with the town of Santander began as an alternative. It was never planned and was never more than a spontaneous trip arranged by a group of college friends from Silliman University celebrating the end of a grueling midterm week. It was the perfect day for a swim, an ultimate excuse for a picnic, and just the right reason for an out of town escapade. At that time the beaches of Dumaguete seemed a bit trite so my friends and I hopped aboard the next pump boat bound for neighboring Cebu - to Pebbles Beach, a hidden beach resort we've never even heard of.
Fast forward to Santander's port - probably the only one that collects terminal fees to new arrivals: we were awed and captivated by the pristine beaches and makeshift coconut sheds, by the restless currents and the beckoning waves lapping against the shoreline.
Walking along the small road that served as access road for buses plying the Cebu-Oslob route gave us a sense of what life in this sleepy yet tourist-friendly town was like. Strategically located in an island blessed with world-class beaches, Santander was never one to back down on showing off its God-given gifts and using them to attract quite a number of guests, all coming for a dive, a wade, or a dip in one of the bigger resorts' pools. On the way to our destination, we passed by several dive shops and resorts, bought our picnic staples from the small eateries and videoke stalls, and checked out the small cottages situated right across Pebbles Beach where nature's beauty was manifested in its long stretch of white sand beach adorned by shells and pebbles ours for the taking.
We were sun-baking in bliss, swimming against the strong currents that only got stronger as the sun set, and exploring the nearby boulders that could've passed for small caves. I thought I'd never enjoy watching boats pass along the horizon, but I did especially when I had the breathtaking view of the Tañon Strait, backdropped by the looming mountains of Negros, all to myself. That afternoon at Pebbles Beach, we experienced freedom and nothing was more important than perfecting the sand sculptures that were eventually laid unfinished by the shore or filling our empty Gatorade bottles with the rarest shells.
Truly beautiful without the fancy embellishments of luxury resort hotels, Pebbles Beach is Nature stripped down to its core, sharing its unspoiled richness to those who are only too willing to experience it. To those who want to spend an enchanting afternoon in a world-class wonder without stressing over budget and expenses, a casual trip down the seaside town of around 13,000 residents should do the trick. For city slickers kicking off their escapade at Cebu City's South Bus Terminal, travel time takes 3 hours, whereas a shorter 30-minute ferry ride is all it takes a water baby jumping off from the Dumaguete-Sibulan port.
I've experienced paradise.
And I got to enjoy all it had to offer for a mere P20-entrance fee. No kidding.
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