weird. this was one hoax about the casualties of the oil spill in Guimaras.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
priest-like
I could have been a priest. There was a time a long time ago when I actually thought of becoming a priest. It was the time in my grade school days before girls and my father was still alive. My interest to join the priesthood eventually waned as various interests have occupied my daydreams, along with the few priestly virtues that I possessed. In college my close friends call me “Father”, just for the reason that I always make sermon whenever one of them makes a mistake. That’s as close as I’m gonna get to be a man of the cloth, except for my aptitude of listening to everyone else’s stories. It may be the way I look, (the weird, gullible, fresh-of-the-boat look) but friends, acquaintances and some strangers often tell me, in full detail their life stories, current problems and some weird experiences. I guess it’s just my ability to keep my mouth shut for long periods.
Last weekend, my landlady and I were talking about her wish to renovate their house (my temporary shelter here in WV) and even when our discussion was through, we just kept talking and after about 2 hours (or about the same amount of time of one particular NFL playoff game I was watching....arrrgh.) have told me her life story. How she met her husband and how they got married without any formal courtship and how he wasn’t really one of her first choices and even after almost 40 plus years, she just persevered like most women of her generation. In between her own stories would be snippets of her family’s stories as well. She always tells me her wishes for her kids and how she will go back to her hometown to retire after the kids have left. She keeps asking me when I will be going home ‘coz my project here’s almost complete and reminds me that I’m always welcome to stay here whenever I’m in town. Ah bless her. She would often tell me that I remind him of his son that is working in Korea, because we have the same habits. I’m truly thankful to be staying at their house because they treat me as one of their own.
A few days ago, while I was doing my rounds I bumped into one of the subcontractors working in one of the houses. He’s a naval architect by profession but he’s an acoustic engineer now, working as consultant to some of the Manila based Home Entertainment system companies. Again, He told how he ended up studying naval architecture when he started college in pre-law, because of a fraternity riot that ended with a death of a judges’ son. How he ended up working for a Japanese ship builder with ties to organized crime. A bit outrageous but hey, I’m just telling it as it is.
These are just the latest in the long list of stories told to me. Like it or not, I find it comforting hearing these coz it makes you feel that the person trust you, good intentions or not. And like a priest, I’ll never willingly repeat what I heard verbatim, you just include it in the weekly sermon to prove a point.
Last weekend, my landlady and I were talking about her wish to renovate their house (my temporary shelter here in WV) and even when our discussion was through, we just kept talking and after about 2 hours (or about the same amount of time of one particular NFL playoff game I was watching....arrrgh.) have told me her life story. How she met her husband and how they got married without any formal courtship and how he wasn’t really one of her first choices and even after almost 40 plus years, she just persevered like most women of her generation. In between her own stories would be snippets of her family’s stories as well. She always tells me her wishes for her kids and how she will go back to her hometown to retire after the kids have left. She keeps asking me when I will be going home ‘coz my project here’s almost complete and reminds me that I’m always welcome to stay here whenever I’m in town. Ah bless her. She would often tell me that I remind him of his son that is working in Korea, because we have the same habits. I’m truly thankful to be staying at their house because they treat me as one of their own.
A few days ago, while I was doing my rounds I bumped into one of the subcontractors working in one of the houses. He’s a naval architect by profession but he’s an acoustic engineer now, working as consultant to some of the Manila based Home Entertainment system companies. Again, He told how he ended up studying naval architecture when he started college in pre-law, because of a fraternity riot that ended with a death of a judges’ son. How he ended up working for a Japanese ship builder with ties to organized crime. A bit outrageous but hey, I’m just telling it as it is.
These are just the latest in the long list of stories told to me. Like it or not, I find it comforting hearing these coz it makes you feel that the person trust you, good intentions or not. And like a priest, I’ll never willingly repeat what I heard verbatim, you just include it in the weekly sermon to prove a point.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
drastic
My short vacation from work's slowly coming to an end. I'll be flying back to Ilo-ilo the day after the New Year to resume and ultimately FINISH what should have been completed already. Sigh. It's not even 2007 and I'm ranting already. I should just get it out of my system NOW so that all my negativity will be gone!
I could sum up 2006 in 2 words. Roller-coaster. There was a lot of highs and an equal amount of lows. Lots of fulfillment and frustrations. Happiness in my personal, family and social life and anger and doubt in my professional life. I guess I'm just working too hard without seeing clearly where I'm headed. In as much as I enjoy my chosen profession, I guess everyone will suffer from some sort of work stress at some point. I know I could say I'm suffering from burnout but its different when you're as "frustrated" as I am right now. I'll just have to think things through again and must prepare for more changes that I will be expecting in the Year of the Pig.
As we bid the year goodbye, let me share the message Tita Tess sent me... "Before 2006 ends, I thank all the good people like YOU who made the passing year good for me. Thank you so much for your friendship. May 2007 bring us good luck, good health, prosperity and lots of love. God bless us all."
May you have a Prosperous New Year!
P.S.
As you may have noticed already, I've changed the template of this blog. Just one of the new things I wanna change this year. (Vee- I'm gonna need your help reloading my blogroll. Thanks in advance.)
I could sum up 2006 in 2 words. Roller-coaster. There was a lot of highs and an equal amount of lows. Lots of fulfillment and frustrations. Happiness in my personal, family and social life and anger and doubt in my professional life. I guess I'm just working too hard without seeing clearly where I'm headed. In as much as I enjoy my chosen profession, I guess everyone will suffer from some sort of work stress at some point. I know I could say I'm suffering from burnout but its different when you're as "frustrated" as I am right now. I'll just have to think things through again and must prepare for more changes that I will be expecting in the Year of the Pig.
As we bid the year goodbye, let me share the message Tita Tess sent me... "Before 2006 ends, I thank all the good people like YOU who made the passing year good for me. Thank you so much for your friendship. May 2007 bring us good luck, good health, prosperity and lots of love. God bless us all."
May you have a Prosperous New Year!
P.S.
As you may have noticed already, I've changed the template of this blog. Just one of the new things I wanna change this year. (Vee- I'm gonna need your help reloading my blogroll. Thanks in advance.)
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