Sicko

I was watching Micheal Moore's documentary "Sicko" the other day with my dad. Yes, we're a fairly geeky family, we love documentaries... Nonetheless, it was amazing how American politics tend to favor the bigger conglomerates, ie: Kaiser Permanente and Blue Cross which are HMO's.

It was amazing even that in this amazing time of universal healthcare, the Americans tend to dismiss the old, underprivileged citizens. It was shown how most hospitals take care of the citizens that do not have enough medical coverage - they dump them in a cab to take them to skid row because that's the best bed in town. In skid row, they can find charity-driven institutions to care for them. There was a footage shown wherein an older lady was dumped by a cab near the curb of the hospice, dazed and confused, in a hospital gown. Had it not been for the hospice, the older woman would have died freezing and confused still in the middle of skid row with no idea what was already done to her in terms of medical attention. Kaiser Permanente has asked the initial hospital she went to to dump her in skid row.

Another noteworthy sequence was talking about the 9-11 rescue workers. While then mayor Guiliani has proposed that the city will take care of the firemen, and several thousand government-employed rescue workers, they failed to take into consideration the volunteer firefighters and the rescue workers - primarily EMTs which made it to Ground Zero to risk their lives only to find out that the government will not even give them a single cent for their healthcare. Of the three that were interviewed, all of them have given up their jobs, their families and their apartments in New York because of the cost and the incredibly ridiculous cost of medicines that the government "doesn't owe them".

Apparently, the terrorists from Al-Queda who are currently being held in the camp located in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba currently have been receiving excellent healthcare from the military medical team.

Moore rounded up his team of sick Americans and brought them to Guantanamo Bay, in hopes of receiving the same healthcare being given to the terrorist captives. Upon arriving at Guantanamo Bay, the officers of the said military camp sounded a siren - indicating that Moore and his party had to leave or else, be shot in the waters. It was an amazing thing - to be turned away by the same people who care for those that live with the terrorist captives.

They rounded the entire party and went to Cuba instead where everyone - including the 9-11 volunteer rescue workers - were given immediate medical attention. Asthma medications cost USD0.05 when it costs a wqhopping USD100.00 or so in the US. It was heartbreaking to see one of the rescue workers break down in the middle of the filming of the documentary - she was shaking her head and said "This is an insult... 5 cents here? And I had to pay so much for it in the US?".

Another heartbreaking scene was when the fire department of Havana, Cuba paid homage to the volunteer rescue workers that were in Havana. It was a touching scene when the Fire Marshall mentioned that "Fire fighters in the whole world are a family." (In my halting Spanish, he basically mentioned that we're all brothers, but the subtitles indicated something else.) They also mentioned that it was an honor standing in front of those who scarificed through the 9-11 tragedy. It was a touching scene. In New York, no one knew who these people were, let alone cared for them. In Cuba, they were seen as heroes...and as people who needed to be treated with respect.

Now my question is, why the hell is the Philippines so enamored with everything that came from the US? The cars, the bling, the shows, the movies, the lifestyle, the politics?

The HMOs here are being as evil as Kaiser Permanente. There's nothing wrong with making money. But OMG, the incredible things that people do to make sure that no one receives anythingt for free brinsg me back to the days when I used to work in PGH. It was cramped, dark and gloomy, with only a PHP1000.00 limit for all in-patients who needed medicines.

This is the life we live. The life that is patterned after the incredibly duplicitous laws of the United States. When will we ever learn? Socialized healthcare is not the answer.

Patience is a Virtue

It was just announced. The Evil Stepsister from the West aka The Telus Madame has just been recently promoted to General Manager. I wonder what she has been feeding Matt. If I feed the same thing to Matt, will I be the next Training and Development Manager?

Oh well... I shall be a coordinator forever... For the simple reason that I am happy working as a low-life peon in this company. If only they'll release me from the shackles of the bond that they placed upon my head...

I can't wait until my zen moment with Indie!!!

A 10-Minute Mental Vacation to the Bahamas

I'm feeling incredibly lazy and tired...
I think knowing that Jeoff is on holiday makes me feel a whole lot lazier. I wish I can just veg out in front of the TV or read a good book. Instead, I'm teaching a bunch of things. Oh well...

I am craving for a nice Shrimp Salad - the kind that has whole shrimps and mayo and cream plus lettuce and a few choice-cut luscious fruits - grapes, some papaya and a lot of cherries. I always have that with a gorgeous Chinese meal, like when we go to Hap Chan... Mmmm... Hap Chan... And then I'll have some Radish Cake and a nice full meal of Soy Chinese Chicken and Ginger Rice.

I feel like having a nice massage. A great pair of hands on my back, smoothing out all the sore and tired muscles I have thanks to Jeoff last night. He kept me up talking on Skype. So I didn't get all the beauty rest I needed. My mom also knocked on my door at around 7AM to have breakfast. I was supposed to be asleep until 12NN. I sort of woke up but went back to bed.

I am actually going to Tagaytay this week. Think of it as a way to get away from it all. How I wish I was going to the Bahamas. Think warm sand, nice coast, the smell of the sea in the air, people tanning by the beach, warm and blue waters - and of course a nice inlet of land in the middle where I'll be standing, watching people pass by and families enjoying each other's company in the warm sparkling waters. I already feel my tired muscles relaxing... I wish I can go to the Bahamas with Jeoff. Oh wait, tourists take their clothes off there, right? Yeah... Maybe we'll opt for someplace less sensual. Haha!

Going Shakespeare

Shakespeare has always scared people. It's been passed on for so many generations and yet, has never been read as widely as Dan Brown's novels, nor Harry Potter. For this day, I thought of going Shakespeare once more.

Below is my favorite sonnet...

When thou shalt be disposed to set me light,
And place my merit in the eye of scorn,
Upon thy side, against myself I'll fight,
And prove thee virtuous, though thou art forsworn.
With mine own weakness being best acquainted,
Upon thy part I can set down a story
Of faults concealed, wherein I am attainted;
That thou in losing me shalt win much glory:
And I by this will be a gainer too;
For bending all my loving thoughts on thee,
The injuries that to myself I do,
Doing thee vantage, double-vantage me.
Such is my love, to thee I so belong,
That for thy right, myself will bear all wrong.

–William Shakespeare

It's Sonnet 88, one of the 154 sonnets written by William Shakespeare. This sonnet was addressed to Fair Youth, a young man whom literary critics have mentioned may have had an elicit affair with Shakespeare. Well either way, great art has never ceased to amaze me. Whether it be in canvas or in paper. This is just one of them...

My suggestion? Try to read the sonnet with the song playing.

Semi-Charmed Kind of Life

Ok, it's been a while since I've updated this blog. I've been writing in my journal. But I guess this blog is something I should also update every now and then. I just finished a new starter training for Merlin. Oh gawd, whoever said just having a few trainees is easy was seriously wrong. It takes so much for me to be able to facilitate a class for two people. Especially if they're incredibly lacking experience in IT-related processes. Merlin supports this complicated process that I haven't really mastered. Why am I teaching it? Cos I need to... Come on, no one masters centripetal force in theory, yet it's being taught in high school, right? Same concept. I never claimed to be a master of anything anyhow.

It's been a slightly charmed weekend. I just learned that I had psychic powers. Don't laugh. It's eerily true. I was in the office, minding my business when this overwhelming feeling of being online on YM came upon me. It was weird. Don't ask me why. I popped Jeoff's window open , eventhough I knew that there was a snowball's chance in hell that he'd be online and just typed a "mwah". And he replied. It says that Jeoff is offline. Turns out that he was appearing invisible to all his friends and just got online too. It happened again when I called him up and he just left the office, ready to call me. Coincidence? I don't know. It was weird and it boggled me for the whole week. Can people actually read you? And do I possess that power to intuitively feel that someone is about to call me? It's relatively weird. I know people connect in a psychic way but my analytical mind can not get over the fact that it shouldn't be the case. It was probably just sheer coincidence...

I'm ready to teach SDI next week. I have three external trainees from AIG and Infonxx. Oh well. Hope I do well. I just don't want to screw up. I better prepare my game face this weekend. I should appear as someone who is technical, and well-versed with ITIL principles. Ah, you know what, screw it, I'm gonna be me. Take it or leave it.

I just had a lovely dinner with Cym, one of my oldest friends from way back Kindergarten (I kid you not!). We were classmates in Kindergarten, until I was in UP Diliman. Well, we'd always have lunch together. She was taking up Interior Design and was always scheduled in the Architecture Building (aka Arki) while I was slaving away in Didactics in Palma Hall (aka AS - Arts and Sciences). Now she's married with a kid named Ela, and well... it's been a fun ride. We talked about everything under the covers - este sun pala. Haha! Nah, it's just nice to talk with someone who understands life after singlehood and isn't afraid to spare you wiser counsel.

I just bought a new anti-ageing cream from Nivea. I bought the one that promises to "erase fine lines" and "renew skin cells" as if no other product has ever promised that before. Quite honestly, I just need something that my skin can tolerate. Especially now that I am almost 30 and I'm not getting any younger. I can literally feel my whole body sagging. Take for instance my headlights, Daisy and Dolly (yes, you can give them names) which used to be perky when I was in my early twenties. Now, I absolutely NEED something that lifts and separates - or else. Well, not to mention the fact that now, I make sure that I use firming cream everyday for them. Ok, don't ask me why. I'm just weird about my skin. I know that smokers have a 75-80% chance of developing skin cancer that is why I'm extra careful. Skin cancer can attack someone who is almost 30 while lung cancer usually strikes at the age of 40 and above. I'm not being vain or anything. I just sincerely want to protect myself. Also, after the onslaught of my skin lesion episode last May (thank heavens it's over and yes it left me scarred for life), I swore never to take my skin for granted again.

I'm losing the battle of the bulges. I think eating rice after 12MN should be outlawed. :) Well, I only have myself to blame. Beginning today, I swear to minimize the intake of rice so when Jeoff gets here, I can actually be presentable to people and not be the porker that I am. Hehe.

The Black and White Affair is almost ready. I just need Matt to view Opus first. I told him I'd take him there, but he opted to go alone. Yeah, kinda weird if someone sees us together in a resto in Metrowalk. I actually wanted to ask him for a raise (I'm not asking for a hundred thousand or so, I was just going to ask for an additional 5 K or so... )And if I take him someplace public, he won't be able to react negatively. Haha!

Well, looks like this is it for me. I'm going to catch some shut eye and relax because I think my body has went into hyperdrive the past few days. I've never been so tired. Oh well, time to sleep. ;)

Weekend Agenda | Reconnection

Well, it's been a while since I have updated this blog. I bet that somehow, I can probably enumerate the things I have done. I have been working, in and out of the office. Been updating my Facebook and embedded the video that Glenna sent me through Facebook as well. Somehow, it's been refreshing to know that she is enjoying herself there. She sounds so different on that vid! Nonetheless, I'm so proud of her.


I bought a book written by Peter Sheridan, called "Every Inch of Her". I'm not a huge fan of contemporary novels, but I am guessing that it's a fun read. I just needed to veer away from so much IT stuff, and this weekend, I am going to allow myself to indulge myself in the words of Peter Sheridan and the words of Philo, the lead heroine who chain smokes, and just left her husband named Tommo. It's fun considering that I always relate to the heroines in a book. For some reason, this was really just a fun read. I also bought a murder mystery book from someone I don't really know. It's no Pelican Brief or The Shining, nonetheless, it's fun to reconnect yourself to words and not to IT processes. It is actually a cheap steal. I got it from Buy the Book, this nice bookstore a few blocks from my house, next to Starbucks.

This weekend will be my coffee weekend with my HS buds, Cym, Chloe and Irish. I totally intend to have the weekend all to myself and yet, I intend to reconnect myself with my number one support group (Ugh, IT term again!). They've been with me through thick and thin, through highs and lows and I fully intend to reward myself with a couple of hours of strong female bonding! Yeah!


I also have to yet reconnect with my ideals as a writer and as a stylist. Hmn, I'm wondering if I should start peddling my resume as a writer again. I should totally pool all the articles I've written as well as the photo shoots I've done. My most favorite one was the one with kids for Moms and Babies. I think I will definitely have to beef up my portfolio once more. It's been a while...

My weekend is absolutely about reconnecting! Oooh! I can't wait...

Glenna

I am so proud of this woman. And I miss her so much! I miss the wisdom, the zen moments, the never-ending qoutable quotes I intend to live by. Ok, ok, enough hero-worship. It's just that at this point in my life, I was hoping to look up to someone who can have it all. And there she is. She's living her life to the fullest...

Weird Finds

Ok, I am so in this weird blogging frenzy. I've been "repressed" for a good five days and never even got to visit my blog during my work hours (not that I'm supposed to), but I was working for almost 9 hours (yes, I eat lunch now, thanks to Jeoff who gave me a really good scolding over the phone).

Alright, so I was looking for funny pictures, only because I wanted to be entertained. I didn't really want to get cracking on my SDI e-books, so here we go. Engrish came up with these pictures and for some reason, I just thought I'd post a few here...


Bubble Cum and a happy boy. :) Haha! Ok, why I took an interest in this is because I probably had this type of stationery growing up. I used to collect stationery from Korea and Japan and there's this nice little store near our school that sells those for 15Php per set. A set would contain 5 sheets and 5 envelopes. The stickers are usually cute too. This was way before the email age, and people still wrote to each other. I even remember having a pen pal through an International Agency which was required by our school to practice writing a friendly letter.


OMG! I have eaten one of these. I think it's also available from the International Aisle. It's a bit like Yanyan, and for some reason, I still don't understand the name. Little Pocky also comes in Salad flavor. LOL!


Starbucks was apparently mere foreplay. Haha! Ok, this sort of reminds me of this weird Korean Tea/Coffee House I visited once that's in Robinson's Place Manila. It's actually got great coffee and amazing tea latte drinks that's almost half the price of Starbucks' coffee. They had this weird interior, it looks almost like a cable car. Then there's a VIP spot that's covered with curtains and little trinkets. I know, weird eh? Just try to imagine. And if you're lucky enough to drop by the Faura wing, check it out.

Ok, the last one actually takes the cake. I almost fell off the couch looking at it. Oh my gawd!!!


Ok, inspirational messages do not go with expletives and they certainly do not go well emblazoned on a sweat shirt. Haha!

Weird Eats in the International Aisle

I was grocery shopping with my mom earlier and I chanced upon the International aisle and saw this weird-looking thing...


It's called Dick Sticks and it's a Korean biscuit stick that's a bit sweet and tangy. Would you actually put a Dick Stick in your mouth? LOL!

Next up is a chocolate snack that seems absolutely weird. It's name is ChocoThinThin. And if you're lucky enough to actually get one, the little yellow words below the brand name says...


"Slim style chocolate for Girls. The smile will make happy and joyful time." Hmn... wonder if I should have gotten one. Maybe I'll smile and make happy and joyful time. Haha!

One of those Days

It's one of those sad but very real I HATE MY JOB days. Wish I could get over the fact that I am almost ready to chew my own arm off to get the bond off my head. I feel like I'm a moving target. I certainly hate the fact that the SDMs of this company has somewhat managed to irritate me to my wit's end.

I don't understand why I can never seem to be completely happy in a company. Maybe when I get off this bond thing, I should really re-evaluate what the hell should I be doing. Maybe I will be happier being in a sweatshop factory. I don't know... But I am seriously giving this a thought.

I feel like I'm falling down... It's ridiculous to want to ask yourself what the hell you're doing in a company that you agreed to go to, but it's also ridiculous to turn your back on a decision you made. This is part of being an adult - delayed gratification, succinct and subtle ways to tell your boss he's annoying and knowing that actions have repercussions. If only everyone who works with you know these three rules then there wouldn't be much issues, right?

Hard Candy

Candy is something we all love. Sweet, amazing flavors bursting in your mouth, satisfying the need for something sweet to fill your tastebuds.

Hard candy stays in your mouth longer. It absolutely stays there much longer than chocolate does. Or marshmallow. Or anything else that can be chewed...

I just had some realizations about my life today that can be likened to hard candy.

• While I am supposedly sweet, too much of me can cause cavities. :)
• I am incredibly nice such that people might assume that I am into them.
• I am incredibly hard sometimes though that people don't want a piece of me in their lives.
• I come in all colors, shapes and sizes (color: I used to be lighter, then I got a tan from when I went to Batangas with my PS-ELN team, now I'm back to a slightly lighter color. shape: I used to have a bulky shoulder when I was bigger. size: a waistline of 42 inches, to 39, to 36... then to a 34... then to a 35... and now, I don't even know what size I'm wearing!) LOL!
• I am overtly packaged in more ways than one. I don't intend to save the world or anything...
• I can bleed (you know when you don't eat hard candy and just leave it on your counter top?)
  
• I do get more brittle as time goes by... (what the hell is present progressive again?)
• I have no plural form. I am the only one. Don't believe me? Believe it!