Welcome Eriel

We thought she'll come out on Luisa's birthday week. Turns out she's eager to come out of mommy's tummy earlier. Amidst the fierce rain and flooding in the metro last night, Eriel Ramone A. Mortel just wants to say: "Hello everyone, I'm here now!".

Realidad ng Buhay

May mga bagay pala talaga sa buhay na sadyang nangyayare.

Ang mga pangyayare o sitwasyon na inaakala natin ay nagaganap lang sa mga nababasa naten sa dyaryo, naririnig sa radyo o napapanuod sa tv ay maaari pala talagang mangyare sa totoong buhay.

Nakakagulat. Di kapanipaniwala pero TOTOO.

Isa tong aral ng buhay na di dapat ipagwalang-bahala. Sa mga sitwasyong ganito alam naten na lahat ay biktima. BIKTIMA ng PAGKAKATAON.

At dahil dito mas tama ang desisyon ko na mawala.

The Decision

After spending a year in my work and experiencing my first every vacation leave last Friday, I have come to realize that I am so tired of it. Last night I stayed all night thinking if I wanna go on or just move on to another work or company. I am totally burned out and I feel I am just going to be a liability in the team.

I have come to a decision. I AM RESIGNING.

I am doing this for my own good. I don't know how my team is going to take it and what's in-store for me after this. I don't know how I'd break this decision to them later. But I have to do this. Whew this is so hard!

To My Pasaway Little Kuya

Happy 9th Birthday Cholo!

I've always said that I love you. Though we have our little arguments and misunderstandings and you often make me HB, it'll not change how I feel about you. I consider you as one of my rare gifts who continuously makes me smile, laugh and hope for better days.

I'd like to see you grow up into a fine man even if it makes me feel older each year. Just be a good boy. Don't be P-A-S-A-W-A-Y! Tita is proud of what you are and what you have become. We'll have more good times. I love you my Little Kuya!

Boto Tayo

Guys, don't forget to vote tomorrow ~ MAY 14, 2007. I know we have very few to choose among the senatoriables. Just choose and vote very wisely. Actually I still haven't completed my list of 12 senators. But I do advise that you go out and vote. It's our right and responsibility as well. Also don't forget to vote for senator Joker Arroyo:

When Loveteams Die

Maricel & Wiiliam. Sharon & Gabby. Janno & Manilyn. Marvin & Jolina. Bobby & Angelu. Rico & CLaudine. John & Heart. Forgive me for the similes. I could go on and on with these endless loveteams but where are all these tandems now? They're all gone.

People thought and hoped they'd end up with their first loves. I was one of those too. But due to circumstances, and fate as well, it wasn't for everyone including me. But there are no regrets. I'd like to believe that through the years I had rebuilt my friendship, or at least have a civil relationship, with this person. After all, we were too young then. We were learning along the way and all the mistakes taught us big lessons making us better individuals. I'd like to think that after all the tears and pain, I'm a better person and I know myself more.

What I don't like is that I sometimes come across old acquaintances thinking that I ended up with this person. People ask me how he is or if we had gotten married or whatever. I am so identified with him. I don't know if he is too with me. Maybe because they saw us grow up and witnessed all the drama. But I'm tired of answering such questions. Sometimes they even want the complete story why it ended. It's irrtitating. They follow it up with more questions like if I'm okay, how I recovered, why haven't I gotten married. Wow such nosey people! I did hope that sometimes a simple smile will do. I'm perfectly fine. He got over it before I did and he's happily married. I haven't tied the knot with anyone because I am single and I'm very stern and careful in choosing the right person for me. Our paths haven't met yet but I'm not losing hope. Okay? Does that answer all your questions?

It's been 10 years now since the relationship ended. We got over it and moved on as it should be and you should too. Like in showbiz, we, especially me, don't owe anyone an explanation. Why don't you mind your own lives?!

Year One @ Sykes

Today marks my first year in Sykes. Whew who would have thought I'd last this long!? Despite all the hardships and pain, I'm still there. Countless times I have considered resigning but my ego tells me not to. I was afraid of what others might say. As we are all aware of, it was a big decision that I made after 5 years of teaching. It was far from what I knew and my expertise and it was so different from my usual routine. It was a complete turn around, I should say. I wanted to prove something not for anyone else but for myself.

Honestly, I still struggle each shift. I even pray hard before I start with work that I'll be a ble to handle it. The stress level was enormous during the shift. I thought it was an easy job but it wasn't. I thought it was all fun and being able to hang out with new people. God I can only count with my fingers the number of times that I had hang out with my new friends! I thought I knew the world I was entering into but I was all wrong. I had to deal with every person with every emotion that you can think of. Sad to say, I'm a people person but it does not work in this kind of job.

I'm not saying that this kind of work is bad. I do recommend it because it made me a lot tougher. They say it's a demeaning job. Oh no, you might be surprised that the nationality that we highly regard of would have a pea size of a brain! I'm not generalizing them but I would get the shock of my life every now and then. I realized that if I let them look down on me, they will really think low of me and all of us. Discrimination is the lowest form of idealogy. I love my country more and appreciated the warmness of our race. Filipinos do rock! Of course, there were times that I would get super duper nice callers and they would be glad upon knowing that I'm a Filipino. "Filipino, Filipino, Filipino!". We would somehow divert our conversation about the Philippines: its political situation, its fine(?) weather and its vacation spots. I feel proud about being Filipino. More often than not I also learn from them. Sometimes, they would share about their life, their culture and their city. I envy the times when they tell me that they've got inches of snow when we, in the Philippines, complain about our very humid weather. I've made friends with some of our callers and I am happy that they do remember me. There were times that a caller would crack me up and the last bad call I had would just fade from my memory.

What actually keeps me hanging is my team. The relationship may not be smooth sailing but we made sure that we are always there for each other. Since we're very few in the team, we always look out for each other. Thankfully also, we have a foster team on the other side of the floor. When nights our tough, WE EAT. Amidst all the troubles that we encounter. we still manage to laugh. Our clients think that we're perfectly alright when in fact, we are not. I am glad that my booboo days are over and I can enjoy my chats with my direct supervisor Tina. I also love my team because they love McDonalds. Each time I crave for Mcdo, they also join my caprice. They stood by me when I was troubled, when people made wrong accusations about me, when people talked behind my back. It was a big storm that almost crushed me but I had my team backing me up.

No job is perfect. I know anywhere I go, one way or another, something bad will happen and I just have to deal with it. I'm hanging by a thread each time and I don't know how long this thread is.

When will I get some slack? I'm going to enjoy my vacation leaves coz I owe it all to myself. I gotta reward myself. Promise!