Wednesday, January 20, 2010

On Working In The Middle Of The Night.

How timely it is that I used such title for this entry.


I am still up, when I should be sleeping. Yes, I am sleepy but there's this sudden rush of adrenaline in my system that just won't go away. I've been online for more than an hour now. Doing research, basically. I just realized today in the office that I might have finally ran out of HR people to call. Or that I am just having another attack of procrastination. (Which, I know, is so not good for my job.)


Ok. I checked my planner (see, I'm using it) and found out that I have more than a dozen to call and send proposals to. And that's not enough for me. I need more. Literally hundreds. Because I can't stop this. I'm seeing something good out of this.


And that's what I need to cement in my brains. (Somebody stop me from ranting!)


Anyway, more than an hour into my research, I realized that Google has presented me with almost 1,170,000 results of job openings for Filipinos. And now I can't help wonder why there's still a lot of jobless people out there. Lazy, yes, I think I might be one of them (but I have a job). Picky... Hold it right there. Almost two million jobs out there (and not counting the ones that didn't make it online due to budget constraints), and you can't pick one? WTF man.


Seriously? You can't pick one? I'm barely twenty-two and have no idea what to do with my life but I suddenly had to fight this big urge of mine to apply for at least twenty different job openings out there that never in my wildest dreams did I imagined I would want to apply for today. (Because I realized that I looooooooove my job. Come on, does your boss let you view random job openings 24/7 and actually call up the HR people and get paid to do it? Didn't think so.)


I just don't get it. Getting a job interview is one click away, yet some people are too lazy, and inhumanly picky to do it. And this is just something I can't deal with. No, I abhor whatever attitude this people have towards working. Not that I'm the employee of the year or something, but is it really possible for someone not to find a single job out there that he'll really apply for? This is just too much for me to accept right now. Or probably for the rest of my life.


It's almost two in the morning. I now have a list of what seems like a line up of a battle for the best online job portal in the country, excluding Jobsdb, Jobstreet, and Jobmarket Online, of course. I think this will be enough to last me for the rest of the week.


I need to get busier. I need to remember that all of this will be for a good cause. I have to remind myself that this is my way of showing the increasing unemployed population of the country can find the job they'll like too.


Maybe I'll just look for one more contact number and then I'll sleep.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Kristin Singson's (FULL) Story.

Well, what do you know? I'm off to procrastinating and reposting stuff all over my accounts again. I know I am busy and I was supposed to write again another sensible entry but I just can't do this right now. Anyway, I got this from Telai, and I'm hoping people can help spread out the word.

January 13, 2009
Superklasse Wednesday


After four months of not going to a club (LITERALLY), I finally did to show some support for one of my best friends, Mel and to see friends who I haven’t seen for the longest longest longest time. It was the first time I’ve ever set foot in Encore (to think I used to go to Embassy every week). It felt surreal to be out and without my boyfriend, LJ, who couldn’t come due to an early class the following day.

I only had 4 drinks: 3 Amaretto Sours and a Mai Tai. It felt good seeing a lot of my friends. We took so many pictures that my fully charged camera went low bat. Anyway, Mel and I decided to leave Encore by 2:30 A.M. Our friends stayed behind since the club closes at 3 A.M. Mel and I were taking separate cabs since she goes home to Mandaluyong and I to Makati. I WAS COMPLETELY SOBER. Not even a bit tipsy.

I remember telling her as we were leaving the club “It’s my first time going home in a cab alone from this club.” Mel was a bit concerned, even offering me to stay over her place for the night.. I told her not to worry, I ALWAYS get home safely.

So we went to get our cabs and I made sure Mel got into her cab first. Then I was looking for a cab who wouldn’t fix the price (you know how it is at The Fort) and there was one who volunteered that he’d use the meter. So I took his offer. I distinctly remember most of the waiting cabs were DAVIS cabs. Mine was not. And I was so damn stupid not to get his taxi’s name and plate number.

In the middle of the ride, I started changing into regular shorts and top. The driver wasn’t looking though but suddenly his hand reached for behind and I was surprised. He was saying, “MAY NAHULOG. Wallet mo ata.” I found a 50 peso bill on the floor. Then he said, “Ang dami mo sigurong pera. Mayaman ka noh?” I didn’t answer. I started getting nervous. I started looking for the cab’s number (which is usually written on the side of the doors). There were faint markings but it couldn’t be understood. The driver noticed my agitation and said, “Anong hinahanap mo? Plate number? Bigay ko sayo.” I was like, “Never mind.” I did NOT want him to know I was getting nervous already. Plus we were so near my house. I thought, what could go wrong?

But something did. Three streets away from my house, the cab driver “hit” a pothole or hump or whatever. He pulled over to the side and said, “Tangina, pano na yan? Na-lock yung steering wheel. Hindi ko maikot.” I was just looking at him, confused. I have no knowledge of cars so I do not know if he was bluffing or not. The meter was 75. I gave him a hundred. He had no change daw so I was like, “Fine, whatever. There’s nothing I can do about it.” I stepped out of the cab, in the middle of Bautista Street, a long street but near my house. It was almost 3 A.M. When I looked back, the cab was gone.

HOW IN THE WORLD WAS HE ABLE TO DRIVE AWAY IF HIS STEERING WHEEL WAS “LOCKED”?

I called my boyfriend up AND THANK GOD HE ANSWERED HIS PHONE. He was sleeping already, good thing the call woke him up. I was trying to remain calm. I told him my dilemma. Suddenly an empty cab drove by. A DIFFERENT ONE. I hailed it. I had probably less than half a kilometer to my house which was three streets away. The cab took me in and I ended the call.

Two more lefts, it was my house already. It was Camalig Street, then Bigasan Street. Suddenly the driver went left, the street just right before my house, Camalig. I said very politely, “Kuya, MALI. Atras ka, atras ka. Sa kabilang street pa. One more left.” The driver just kept driving like he didn’t hear. I said it again. Then he stopped and looked at me. Then he said, “Bayaran mo na.” I was weirded out. I was like, “Why? This is not even my house. It’s on the next street.” Besides, we haven’t traveled far. The meter was still at 30 pesos.

SUDDENLY, without warning, the driver grabbed my neck and jumped to the back. My first thought was, “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?!?!?”. But his grip was getting tighter and tighter. I literally couldn’t breathe and felt my consciousness slipping. As we were struggling, I kept scratching at his eyes and reaching for the lock of the left door. He was on top of me hitting my head repeatedly while his other hand around my neck. I was choking and choking when I realized the left side HAD NO FUCKING LOCK, which means I couldn’t get out. Which means I had to try my luck on the right side. Imagine my struggle to get to the other side as a full grown, heavyset man kept bashing my head, scratching my face, pulling my hair and hitting me. I kept scratching his eyes. It was all I could do. When his grip loosened a bit, I managed to open the right door with so much effort. Unfortunately he pulled me back with my hair. Imagine MY TERROR as the door closed again!!!!! I couldn’t scream anymore. Besides, who would hear me I was inside a fucking car. My neck was so sore and I was close to fainting. I kept scratching his eyes and reaching for the door until by some miracle, I opened it fully and screamed with what was remaining of my voice.

The driver said something like, “Tangina, it’s not worth it.” And literally kicked me out of the car. I rolled out onto the street with my shoulder bag which was slung around me the whole time with its remaining contents. The driver suddenly sped away. Till now, I don’t know his motive, whether it be rape or hold up. Or both. Or murder.

So there I was in the middle of the street, barefoot. Then I realized why the hell am I so wet?! I realized I was sitting in a pool of my own blood. There was so much blood dripping from the right side of my head, it was like a half-closed faucet if you get what I mean. I started screaming for help.

This time the apartment I was right in front of lights’ went on. Imagine the horror on these people’s faces as I literally crawled towards them bloodied and barefoot. When I reached out to them for help, I saw my arm. It was covered in blood. And I could feel that I was losing so much more. I asked for a cellphone. I still had the consciousness to call my boyfriend. The people who took me in were nice enough to let me call. They talked to LJ and informed him of what happened. They even cleaned me up. Suddenly there was the barangay people and witnesses. That’s when everything became hazy. The barangay people said that they had to take me to the hospital because I was losing so much blood.

I was taken to Makati Medical Center ER. I still remember as I was being loaded onto the wheelchair the horrified looks of the people outside the hospital. I even had a high school batchmate who was assigned as my nurse, Erika Bautista (THANK YOU SO MUCH). In her own words she said that when I came in I looked like I was already in critical condition. I am not exaggerating when I say this: I WAS LITERALLY COVERED IN BLOOD. Head to foot.

Everything was in a daze after that. All I remember was the blood. Under my nails, on my face, on my hair, on my neck, my chest, my legs, my toes. Even my armpits had blood. Truly, I have never seen so much in my whole life. My face started bruising up so much I could see my right cheek even if I look straight ahead. I also had so much hair falling out because the guy kept on pulling it. But what bothered me was the blood that kept dripping continuously from the right side of my head… and the pain. The doctor said the cut was so deep it LOOKS LIKE I WAS STABBED. It was really bad. I wouldn’t stop crying. I hate the sight of blood and here I am, a walking bloody blob. My first medical gown was drenched in blood. So they had to change it. I changed my medical gown four times before I was discharged. That’s how bad the bleeding was.

When LJ arrived the hospital, I forced myself to be cheerful. I smiled and said “HAPPY MONTHSARY!” It was our 2nd monthsary. Geez what a way to spend it. Till now this hurts me, thinking how ironic the situation is. He said the wounds on my head were like the claw marks in the Jurassic Park movie logo. B, no words can express what I feel towards the situation and how grateful I am that you were there. Basta alam mo na yun.

Anyway, after a few hours, I got a CT scan to detect hemorrhages and X-Rays. Good thing it all came out negative. But I had so many wounds and lacerations on my head. They had to STITCH THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY TEMPLE AND ANOTHER ONE AT THE BACK OF MY HEAD. But there are still minor wounds all over my head, even the inside of my ear has blood till now. Till now my hair is all stiff and sticky from the blood. They shampooed my hair in the hospital but a lot of it still haven’t come out. (I woke up today with dried blood on my pillow).

The first time I saw a mirror, I could not believe my eyes. I thought it was just dirt and dried blood but then I realized I had a giant bruise on my right cheek and deep scratches on my face. I got a Wet One but it just won’t come off. I had to face it, my face was really fucked up. My neck had strangle marks, my jaw was swollen, I had two semi-black eyes, my cheeks were patches of black and blue and the abrasions and cuts were deep on my face. I look like the Bride of Chuckie.

After they sutured me, I became delirious for sometime. Not knowing what I was saying to LJ but he said I was acting strange and started rambling about random things that I don’t remember.

The police came and they got the license plate of the cab DAW from the witnesses but they weren’t sure if it’s accurate. We’re still planning an investigation. I lost my school ID, cellphone, cash and camera. The only things that I salvaged from the incident were my shoes, a brush and a dress. They were covered in blood as well. Now, the question is, are the first and second cab incidents related? Is it a Modus Operandi?

Anyway, I’m out of the hospital now. My body is aching all over and my face looks like Pacquiao practiced on it.

The reason why I am writing this note is TO WARN EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU PEOPLE TO BE CAREFUL. I never ever thought such a thing could happen to me. I thought it only happens in the movies. Imagine, I was just a street away from my home and THIS HAPPENED. A STREET AWAY. Thank God I wasn’t drunk, Thank God the guy did not have weapons (I think), Thank God some kind souls helped me. Thank God I had the presence of mind not to remove his hands from my neck but to scratch his eyes out and reach for the lock. Some girls initial defense would be to un-strangle themselves but I didn’t. I let him strangle me. My main objective was to get the damn door open and escape.

The doctor told my boyfriend I was lucky to be alive, before leaving the hospital. As I was struggling inside the taxi, I did not see the whole “your life flashes before you when you’re dying” thingy.

NO. That’s why I fought against him as much as I could. I told myself over and over again, “NOT TODAY… NOT TODAY… This isn’t how I should die. I’m too good for this.”


I SAW the reason why I should keep on living. That’s why I’m still here today.

PXG 725 or PSG 725
White Taxi

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Lethargy and Procrastination.

Because my job requires me to be in touch with a lot of companies all over the metro, particularly the human resources department, I have been searching for telephone numbers and email addresses in the past three months all over. Directories, classified ads, websites, tv commercials, billboards, even asking my friends.

I realized last weekend that about 25% of my friends are in the human resources industry. Or maybe more, if I asked everyone I knew one by one. But as usual, I am too lazy to socialize with my friends lately, or to put it in a nicer way, I am too busy.

Anyway, I was browsing several sites all at the same time. (You have no idea how many tabs are there on my Firefox.) I checked out Air 21's website and one link led to another and I landed on their mother company's website and look what I found on the site:



 Looky-look here, baby.

So yeah, I learned that among the services offered by the Lina Group of Companies, they are now offering to have your Transcript of Records delivered right at your doorstep. (And I thought 2Go's NSO document delivery was the coolest thing service ever.) Woohoo!

If you were anything like me who despised the looooong lines at the University Registrar's office during graduation season or accreditation season, then this service is definitely for you. It works like this; you call them up, you give important details, wait about several working days (depends on your school's mandated number of processing days) and voila. Your TOR is delivered at your doorstep. And from the site's FAQ's section, I proudly share to you the new found knowledge I got from procrastinating with my work:


Q: What is e-transcript.com.ph?

A: E-transcription is a time-saving, efficient, and innovative service package designed to assist college graduates obtain a copy of their Transcript of Records, which can be delivered right at their doorstep.

Q: Who can avail of this service?

A: All alumni as well as college students may avail of the service.

Q: What are the benefits of the service?

A: SURE-A Process and delivery - Saves alumni time - Un-tampered records - Reasonable costs - Enjoy efficient pick-up and delivery - Avoid unnecessary expenses

Q: How much is the service fee?

A: The fee will generally be dependent on the school and where the document will be delivered.

Q: How long will it take to process the request?

A: Completion of the request is based on the schools’ normal procedures.

Q: When will it be convenient to request for the transcript of records?

A: We receive requests from Mondays to Fridays between 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.

Q: Can the documents be delivered outside metro manila?

A: Transcript of records may be arranged for delivery anywhere in the Philippines. We can also arrange for overseas deliveries if requested

Q: Is this service available on-line?

A: We are continuously upgrading the service and currently developing a process for this to be made on-line available as well.

 So if I still don't have my official TOR, I will be availing of this service. Seriously. Haha! (This might be quicker than actually taking a trip to my school.) And besides, I don't have time to go to school. I'm busy. ;-)

Monday, January 11, 2010

On Racing Against Time.

Wouldn't it be cool if we get to have this reset button to hold on to everyday?


I don't mean like Adam Sandler's life remote control on Click, but just this one reset button. Which can make you go back to the moment you woke up and do everything you did, just slower or different this time, because you want to change something. Which can only be used once everyday. Which can only be used at the last hour of the day. Which goes off once in awhile due to exhaustion. Which can be accumulated when not used. Which will expire when not used after 72 hours. Which will have more rules than I have already listed.


Seriously, I am this close to not sleeping anymore. Even that I can't fit into the frigingly short 24-hour day we all live. (That ten hour sleep I got today? That's pretty much my rest for the coming week. I'm seeing 2 or 3 hour sleeps again during the next few nights.) On top of not getting sleep, I can't even take five minutes of the day to open up my planner and writing down everything that I have, need and want to do. Because I am already doing a lot.


I know, I know. I've been living this kind of lifestyle ever since. But I'm starting to get tired of it. Tired, not bored. I think I have finally learned how to love the life I've been living. Maybe I just need change. I think should run on a different track. Or maybe take a walk through life on a slower pace. Let's see if that will fix things up.


It's already past two in the morning. I am ranting, but not complaining. Maybe close to it, but not quite yet. I just can't seem to understand how some people can manage their time, let alone their lives and I can't. I am now entertaining this huge wondering why Monday is too far from Friday, yet Monday seems so near to Friday.


I'm off to work again tomorrow. And sometime this week, I have to squeeze in time for things I want and need to do for myself. I think I'll stop ranting and try to figure out how to write everything on my planner.


And if all else fails and I still can't fit everything in 24hours, I'll just spend the rest of the day sleeping. Aylavet. :-)