Well, what have you been up to?

As usual, I've been staying at home watching TV and messing with things. I've decided to do some exercising M-W-F.  Wanted to do it everyday, but not easy to do it on a regular basis (hey, I'm a bum). Since I've just started, sometimes, my body aches that I'm not ready to do it the next day. That's what happens when you've been idle for quite some time. So I just try to do some stretches to start the day. Also  trying to remember the stretching stuff I learned from the dacing workshop, but for the life of me, I've forgotten most of them. So I just added a new dance-exercise technique I saw on TV which I do only when I'm alone (if I tell you what it is, I'll have to kill you, he he...). 

But anyway, Happy Birthday to the following: Sharon, Cindy, Dawn, Debbie, Jasmine, Jon L., Justin, She and Snoozer. Sorry if I wasn't able to greet most of you guys in time...And, oh! Happy Aniversary...to me!!! It's my first-year aniversary here in Multiply!

STOP RIGHT THERE!!

 

I have a question: Why are there some men who will hit on even a post if you put a dress around it??? You could just be standing in line at the supermarket waiting for your turn to pay and you wonder why a guy decides to pester and tries to make a pass at you, especially when you know you actually looked lousy. Or you could be walking, wearing something decent, and a driver-cum-maniac passes by on his vehicle and gives you that look and lets you know he is looking, complete with a sneer...Girls can relate, for sure, but this is actually dedicated to all the pompous, chauvinists pigs out there...

                                        OH, NO, STOP RIGHT THERE!

                                 Oh, no, stop right there!                                                             

                                 'Cause you're not getting anywhere

                                 lay off me, get off my back,

                                 take a hike and don't come back.

                                 Oh, no, stop right there!                                                             

                                 Yeah, you may like me, I don’t care

                                 please take your hands off of me,

                                 turn around and leave me be.

                                 Oh, no, stop right there!                                                             

                                 No, we won’t ever be a pair

                                 contraries to what you think,

                                 you should really see a shrink.

                                 No, no, no, stop right there!  

                                 Ask no questions, oh, don’t you dare 

                                 for I could really blow my top,

                                 prepare to be karate-chopped!      

                             

Copyright © June 2002 by lildovefeather

This one's from a forwarded e-mail. Kinda funny, but mostly true. Girls can relate and boys will learn a thing or two about girls:

"Only a woman will TRULY relate to the following, but it's a 'hoot' for all! My mother was a fanatic about public bathrooms.

When I was a little girl, she'd take me into the stall, teach me to wad up toilet paper and wipe the seat. Then, she'd carefully lay strips of toilet paper to cover the seat. Finally, she'd instruct, 'Never, NEVER sit on a public toilet seat!'

Then she'd demonstrate 'The Stance,' which consisted of balancing over the toilet in a sitting position without actually letting any of your flesh make contact with the toilet seat. By this time, I'd have wet down my leg and we'd have to go home to change my clothes.

That was a long time ago. Even now, in my more 'mature years', 'The Stance' is excruciatingly difficult to maintain, especially when one's bladder is full. When you have to 'go' in a public bathroom, you usually find a line of women that makes you think you've found a half-price sale on Victoria's Secret underwear.

So, you wait and smile politely at all the other ladies, who are also crossing their legs and smiling politely. You get closer and check for feet under the stall doors. Every one is occupied.

Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall. You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter. The dispenser for the new fangled 'seat covers' (invented by someone's Mom, no doubt) is handy, but empty.

You would hang your purse on the door hook if there was one - but there isn't - so you carefully but quickly hang it around your neck (mom would die if you put it on the FLOOR!), yank down your pants, and assume 'The Stance.' Ahhhhhhh, relief. More relief. But then your thighs begin to shake. You'd love to sit down but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold 'The Stance' as your thighs experience a quake that would register an eight on the Richter scale.

To take your mind off of your trembling thighs, you reach for what you discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, 'Honey, if you would have tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!'

Your thighs shake more. You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose in yesterday - the one that's still in your purse. That would have to do.

You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It is still smaller than your thumbnail. Someone pushes open your stall door because the latch doesn't work.

The door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest, and you and your purse topple backward against the tank of the toilet. 'Occupied!' you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious, tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle, and sliding down, directly onto the insidious toilet seat. You bolt up quickly, knowing all too well that it's too late. Your bare bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper - not that there was any, even if you had taken time to try.

You know that your mother would be utterly ashamed of you if she knew, because you're certain that her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, dear, 'You just don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could get.'

By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, sending up a stream of water akin to a fountain that suddenly sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged off to China.

At that point, you give up. You're soaked by the splashing water. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket, then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks. You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past a line of women, still waiting, cross-legged and, at this point, no longer able to smile politely.

One kind soul at the very end of the line points out that you are trailing a piece of toilet paper on your shoe as long as the Mississippi River! (Where was it when you NEEDED it??) You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the woman's hand and tell her warmly, 'Here, you just might need this.'

As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has since entered, used and exited the men's restroom and read a copy of War and Peace while waiting for you. Annoyed, he asks, 'What took you so long, and why is your purse hanging around your neck?'

This is dedicated to women everywhere who have ever had to deal with a public restroom (rest??? you've got to be kidding!!).

It finally explains to the men what really does take us so long. It also answers their other commonly asked question about why women go to the restroom in pairs. It's so the other woman can hold the door and hand you Kleenex under the door."

Author Unknown

CRAZY HODGE PODGE

I could've been writing for TV now if I was chosen. But I was not. I got to the second interview for the writer position but I guess they accepted one who has more experience. The writer is supposed to write for the newest reality TV show which is the Filipino version of a famous show. Actually, they were looking for two. One for the show, and one  to write other things for them. That's just fine, I guess, because I really don't want a job which is on a per-project basis.

The nice thing is, I just got a text message yesterday from the publishing company that interviewed me two weeks ago. I'm going to my second interview next week, yahoo! There were, at first, six of us who were short-listed. Then I was informed I was second choice, which was a subtle way of saying "Don't hope too much". So I abandoned my hopes for that. But then they texted me! 

Whatever happened to the first choice, I don't care. I'm just happy I might get the chance. This job, I actually really want. I lack the experience, though, which according to the Editor-in-Chief was her only edge. We even came from the same school, for goodness sake! Anyway, I'm trying to be positive about this but I won't hope too much.

Life sure is crazy, isn't it?

Basically, life is one heck of a crazy ride. At least, that's what I can conclude, judging from the events that have been happening to me and around me recently. Sheesh. It's crash and burn, baby...

* The government is one big loony bin. If you ask me, "they" are more than likely all cheats. Just her bad luck "she" got caught. Worse, the people are joining the crazy ride. Most just talk the talk but cannot provide any reasonable solutions. Just that they want to put more wrong people in the government. IDIOTS.

* It does not help that there are also crazy foreign ambassadors and leaders who make us seem like the worst country ever, like calling us the "Next Afghanistan". Helloooo??? Talk about exaggerations! Sure, ours isn't perfect, but why don't they look at their own backyards first? We just happened to be "Third World" but it doesn't mean theirs are any better. And if my country was that bad, I wouldn't be here still taking time to go online for my own pleasure, submit my works, and talk about my own puny poblems...

Just saying that before you make any irresponsible announcements and conclusions, make sure you meet the people first and actually go around and travel to check out the place. BIGGER IDIOT.

* On a more personal level, this issue with my recent employer is driving me nuts! They still have no plans of paying anyone and that means I can't even get my original high school diploma which they required us to submit as a requirement. The Operations Manager-cum-B**ch hasn't shown her face since the Monday after the Great Walk-out. The others are going to file a complaint, if ever, and I've decided to shelve my own to join theirs should it proves to be feasible.

* I have judgmental bigots for roommates. Basically, they're nice enough people, but obviously shallow and narrow-minded. I had been "accused" of two things and I didn't even know until much later. First, Rosalie thought I was a lesbian but changed her mind after she got to know me better. That doesn't change the fact, though, that she only jumped into the conclusion due to one occasion and based her theories on gross misconceptions and stereo-typing. 

Second, Luz told them I was crazy, literally, when I was practically new there. They changed their opinions after getting to know me, yes, but not before getting scared and jumping into conclusions which were, again, based on gross misconceptions and stereo-typing. Not to mention, fear of the unknown. One of these days, I'll explain to you exactly what happened. What's important is I proved them wrong and they must feel really foolish now. 

Well, anyway, wish me luck, guys!!!!

Cat Got Her Tongue...

I have so many thoughts occuping my mind these past days, and I wanted to write all about them here. Unfortunately, I spent the first two hours sending applications that I now don't have time to actually do write about them. Next time maybe.

I just would like to say that I might not be able to post much again because, as most of you know, I've already resigned. That means less chances to go online again. *sigh* But anyway...

Oh, BTW, it's nearly time for "spring cleaning". Time to rid my  life of some unnecessary clutter...

Mind Games

I just made a draft of my resignation letter. This has gone too far. I will not stand anymore for such unfair and inhuman treatment of us lesser individuals by the powers-that-be. In that letter, I explained the reasons why I want to leave. I wasn't harsh. In fact, I was respectful. But I was frank about the problem with the salary (over-delay of release) and hinted about the lack of light source and ventilation.

I finally did this due to what happened yesterday. We were supposed to be paid last July 10. Since that was a Sunday, I thought maybe it would, at least, be on the next day. But no, they made lots of excuses and, instead, blamed it on the then-Production Manager and us. For the nth time, we posted a summary and copies of our works in the stupid e-group which wouldn't post the artists' works anymore due to lack of "space". The PM created a whole new e-group the week before just so the artists could post there. 

Actually, he collated everyone's work and summary of projects done and e-mailed them to the Big Boss before resigning via YM. Ha! Beat that! He was brave since he didn't sign any contract yet. Lucky him. On the other hand, he was unlucky because he left his old job for this only to be blamed, called stupid and incompetent, etcetera. And he had not been here for a month yet! 

The week went by and there was no money to be had. Came Monday. We were promised we would be paid Friday. I thought that was taking very long already, but okay, as long as they were sure. So the production staff came to work even when we were broke (one even needed money for his daily medicine, which didn't come cheap). 

For the third time, Management changed schedules - from 8am to 5pm schedule to 9pm to 6am, then 12mn to 8am and, now back to 8am to 5pm. What is this?!!! I was okay with change of schedules, but not this erratic! They made it evening before because the Boss would be in the US and he wanted us to be online while it was day there. Then he complained that 9 to 6 wasn't right (when it was his idea) and changed the schedule to a much later time. He said that was because not much were done during the previous sked. Duh! Like, the number of hours are the same, hello! 

The others wanted to complain, especially one of the girls. It really wasn't safe to go out and travel at such hours. So what happened everyone still came early, even me. The only consolation was we had more time to surf the Net, at least.

Anyway, yesterday, we were here in the morning. Then Management said, "Oh! Sorry! They held off the cheque at the other office." What the - ! The other office, which is somewhere else, has no right to hold it. It's our salary! Over-delayed at that! I could explain to you the "other" office, but that would be rumor-mongering, so I won't anymore.

I'm not sure if what they said was true or just one of Management's tactics. Idiots! If it were true, how could that happen? My previous employer had lots more workers but they always paid us on time. It's not that hard to prepare a cheque. Here, they promised us Monday and still, no result by Friday??? Couldn't they do something about it? Their employees aren't rich, Management knows that. If we were, we wouldn't be here saying yes to salary rates much lower than what our contemporaries in the same fields are getting. And then they delay the release of our already measly incomes? HOW DARE THEY!!!!!! 

At lunch break yesterday, I heard the production staff plan not to go to work in the afternoon. When I got back to the office, I found out they made true their threat. So I left also. I wasn't going to stay and be with the Operations Manager-cum-B**ch (OMB). She was the only one left there and I wasn't going to be the one to guard the office. For sure, she would be telling me to do this or that. No way, Jose.

Today, I was on time, at 8am. I was the first one there. Seemed like the production staff weren't coming anytime soon, if at all. The Production Assistant (PA), who is a part of the Management, arrived. Then since there's no key yet, she left to go to the house of the OMB. The Head Technician came and we got to talking and, since he had been here much longer, I found out more ugly stuff about this company. 

Anyway, it was way-past 9am and the PA still hadn't come back. That pissed me off. If the OMB was having tantrums and did not want to open the office, the PA could have, at least, come back to tell me or the guy she talked to who was also waiting there before the technician arrived. I said at 10am, I would be leaving. I actually did not want to go to work, to be honest. At ten, I stood up to leave and lo and behold! There they were, in the OMB's car, arriving. I cursed myself for not leaving sooner.

So here I am, working. But I'm leaving after this and make up some excuse. It's not a very encouraging place to work in, really.

So the drama continues...

  

Hello, Goodbye

Exaggerated some like ulcer, but basically, I was honest...except that I really want say nasty things to him...LOL!!!!!!! 

Dear Mister Evil,

First of all, let me thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve your company as Copywriter despite my lack of experience in the field. However, it is with regret that I now tender my resignation.

This letter is to formally inform you of my intent of leaving. This should give you ample time to find a suitable and, hopefully, better replacement. I shall stay and work for 30 days, should I be required.

I made the decision due mainly to three concerns - professional, financial, and health-related.

First. I realized that perhaps, I do not have the qualities you are looking for in a copywriter. This is as evidenced by the almost-constant rejection of copies I make. It seems I do not meet your expectations after all and as a writer, this bothers me. As your company is in that important stage of "expanding", you need  an experienced copywriter, not someone you need to teach. I do not want to be seen as more of a liability rather than an asset.

Second.  At this point in time, I am expected to be independent already. However, the opposite has happened. Due to the over-delay of salary releases, my independence has been affected tremendously. I have become the parasite I have always hated, feeding off other people's kindness. I now owe friends more debts than ever. I have become a burden to my family who give me a little allowance every week when I should be helping in putting food on the table and buying much-needed medicines. My mother is now indebted to a lot of people, too, because of me who need money every week. Lastly, it is rather humiliating to promise to pay the landlady for board and lodging and then give her nothing and no definite answer as to when I can exactly pay. 

I cannot anymore let this go on and be always worried about where to get my next meal or the money for bus fare.This is not called independence.

Third. Due to lack of money, my diet has consisted of mainly canned food and rice since Day One. Sometimes, I do not  even eat rice. It is now over a month and things are still the same, which should not be so. The constant changing of the working schedule has also affected my body clock and worsened my mild ulcer. Migraines seem to visit me more than thry usually do due to lack of sleep and food, and to minimal light source and ventilation at work.  

I have lost a considerable amount of weight, which may be good for the time-being but could be detrimental in the long-run. This, out of all the three, is what concerns me most. I do not want to sacrifice my health or it may all just go downhill from there. It will affect everything, including work.

Therefore, as aforementioned, I now tender my resignation.

Again, thank you. 

Respectfully, (yeah, right)

Lildovefeather

****************************************************

UPDATE: I edited the letter before I sent it. The updated version is in the comments.

Serving my Hero

"My oldest memory dates way back when I was just a year old. Many people do not remember things at this age so perhaps, you don’t believe me. But I do remember – and I remember a lot – and am sure of it. I have a picture to prove it, in fact. At least, to myself. Old and sepia-colored, that picture is still very dear to my heart..."

I shared this in my other personal blog This is the UPDATED/EDITED version:

So Basically, We're Trash

Well, that's what the Big Boss called the stuff we had been working on for days (nights, to be more literal), He and the Production Manager IM'd each other yesterday and he complained about everything, calling the fruits of our labor uglies and mistakes. He complained about the artworks and the contents (most of which, he approved before he left for the States). Yadda-yadda-yadda...  

All he did was to insult the whole production staff. He didn't exactly complain about my work, but he said the contents were wrong and attributed it to the Production Manager's "inability to handle the job". He said our work won't even pass US standards. Then he went and told us to consult a copy of an American publication for reference. Guess what? I almost puked. It was...eeewww...He thought that just because it's America, everything's better there.

No, I'm not insulting my American friends here. Sorry if you thought so. I'm actually insulting the Big Boss, his crab mentality, and his un-creative personality. The least he could do was to show us a very good example of an American publication. To be fair, I think that was a publication done by Filipinos. That's not the point, though.

Besides, I think he's just making things up. Part of his tactics. I've heard what he has been doing, using stuff created by artists and discarded as trash by him before until the artists leave. Of course, saves him money as he doesn't need to pay absent people compensation. Truth is, the stuff I've seen here aren't all that good. But there are some that are actually are. Funny, but he particularly "hated" the lay-out done by the better artist here. 

What's worst was he said he wouldn't pay the artists for such badly done jobs. WTF! Although I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be one of the artists he mentioned, it's still isn't fair. Let him try and I'll quit. After all, he can't make me stay if he doesn't pay me. 

So here I am, fuming, and trying to write less creative contents for ads. He wants me to say things point-blank, I'll give him point-blank. Can't help it, though, so I'm adding a bit of spice so the ads won't be so icky, at least.   

I am so out of here once I get the chance. Today - er - yesterday afternoon, I took an exam as a Copy Editor someplace where the working conditions are better, at least, and people are more professional...I just wish I get paid. I really have no money already!

Just say sorry...I think...

May 11. She sent me a text message. "Ate Gi, Happy Birthday! I know we didn't part ways well. But I would like to say I'm sorry, if ever you're mad at me and if ever I wronged you. For me, you're still the godmother of my baby."

I used to say that it's really easy to make me forgive people, if they knew. Just say sorry and I'd forgive them instantly. But this time, I don't know if I'm ready to do that. A part of my hard heart melted, yes, but a bigger part wasn't, isn't, ready. I cannot simply forgive someone who refuses to believe that she did do me wrong and sugar-coats her apologies with if-ever's to give the illusion that she has no idea whatsoever. It's like saying the problem actually lay on me alone.

Really, if she didn't use her if-ever's and simply said, "I'm sorry for doing you wrong", I could've accepted the apology right there and then. So, I gave her a general reply to greeters: "Thank you for all your greetings, friends." I would have added the truth, that I would never, ever take it out on her innocent kid. But then, if I did, we would have to start being chummy again and I didn't want that. I didn't want to be "plastic" and act like all was well between us.

Somebody advised me to yes, just forgive her. But the truth was I did try. Last Holy Week. I told myself I would forgive those who hurt me. Yet, when it came to her, I couldn't. So this was what being betrayed feels like! So I told my adviser to give me time, that it's easier this way that I'm far from that someone so that in time, I could learn to forgive.

But right now, they would all have to wait until I do.

A WEEK IN THIS BUM'S LIFE

Well, so far, not much luck with the job-hunting. Sometimes, I'm tempted to scream, "What is wrong with me?????!!!!!!!!!" But seriously. Anyway, my room is a mess. No kidding. Because I've been going through some old stuff, getting rid of things I don't want anymore. I'm actually glad to find myself having outgrown many things that I can finally let go of them.

At the same time, while ransacking everything, I've been amusing myself by reading some of the stories and "novelettes" I wrote when I was younger. I get amused because of the wrong grammar, the loopholes that I never noticed before, and basically, the shallowness of the stories. But I keep them because they remind me of how I've evolved as a writer. Plus, I can get some ideas from them, too. Some of the stuff I re-discovered are those that I've kept as notes and references for future use.

As I mess with the room, the actual plan is to clean it up and re-decorate for the nth time. Which would make you laugh if you'll see the state it is in right now. It's taking me long because of the re-reading, the goings-through, the cleaning, etcetera. I'm trying to get rid of a lot of junk which were not junk at all even months ago! Also, trying to arrange stuff according to what they are and what they are supposed to be for. Once in a while, I move and clean some things in the living room to make it more presentable.

Aside from this messy activity, I watch TV and, once in a while, some flicks. As I still couldn't watch Phantom of the Opera in the movie house alone, I borrowed somebody else's copy...AARRGGHH!!! I've been had!!!! It had the cover of the new P.O.T.O., but the movie was actually another version done just a few years ago, non-musical. Sheesh!!!! That was why I kept waiting for more singing and waiting for familiar songs. That was why I never saw Andrew Lloyd Webber's name, nor Minnie Driver's, nor the other casts'. And that was why it was very gory!...Shoot.

Anyway, last Wednesday, I went to my high school friend's house. She was back from the States after, I think, more than five years. We were not able to talk much, sadly. Still, it was a surprise that of all the things she could really tell her other friends who were also there about me was, "She's the girl who used to write 'books' when we were in high school." I think I blushed. Then her sister, whom I never knew read my stuff before, told me to share more to them. Really, it did something good for my ego a bit. Well, I did promise to share, so I will.

My friend also gave me something that I won't forget. Actually, prior to going to her house, I did something nice for somebody else. What my friend did only made me believe more that kindness does have its rewards. In my case, one act of kindness was returned to me a thousand fold, literally.

Okay, that's it so far. A week in this bum's life!