it's something that i hoped it would be better, but it's something i get nonetheless.  as they say, it's better to end up with something than nothing at all.  my boss and i had a talk a day (night) after i sent a lengthy, two-paragraph email the other day (night) about my decision to not report to work from the 24th to the 31st of this month (excluding my rest days on the 29th and 30th, plus the 25th, which our department didn't have any work scheduled), with or without their approval, including how i felt about the decision they handed down on the leaves on those dates.  i made it clear to her (them, including her counterpart-slash-partner), that it was a decision i made with such difficulty because of the perfect attendance record i had the whole year, which i was planning to complete, and the personal desire to spend the holidays with my family.  plus, that i had no personal ill-feelings towards them for that decision.  hey, i'm a manager myself, so i know how it feels to make a tough decision.  business is business, as they say.  she opened up the conversation by thanking me for expressing what i felt on that email and that it is highly appreciated.  she continued on by saying that it was an eye-opener for them on how to create a procedure to put in place same time next year.  but, she stopped short of granting approval of my request, saying that they wanted to avoid an issue wherein a decision was already made, and then suddenly there would be exceptions to the rule.  i completely understood where she was coming from.  again, my decision is not to undermine their authority or defy the decisions that they make.  it was, on my part, my own decision to not to report to work on those dates.

but then, my boss proposed a compromise.  she told me that i can be out on the 24th and the 31st, but have to report back to work on the 26th to the 28th.  she cited numerous reasons, including some important deliverables which i knew really had to be done.  and that those two dates won't be counted as VL, but i'll get paid nonetheless (like an sick leave).  it'll just be two occurrences of absences that will be reflected on me, but not enough to merit me a warning of some sort.

hey, i'm a level-headed, easy-to-talk-to guy.  so, i agreed to the compromise she offered.  at least i'll still be able to celebrate both holidays with my family.  in the end, everything worked out benefitting both of us.  i don't mind coming to work for three days on christmas/new year's eve week.  besides, the deliverables really, really, and i mean really have to be done by that week, so it's all good.  i'm officially feeling a lot better now, like a thorn was plucked from my arse.  here's looking forward to a wonderful christmas weekend, and i hope the same for all of you.  🙂

i've been tagged, so here goes…

A – Available or single:  BOTH!!  hehehehehehe!!!
B – Best friend:  two, actually.  one now lives in Singapore, but i still consider him as my best friend, Aris.  and the second one i consider my best friend is brew.
C – Cake or pie:  hmmm… good question.  i guess cake would do for me.
D – Drink of choice: pineapple juice
E – Essential item you use everyday:  my mobile phone
F – Favorite color: black, blue, green
G – Gummy bears or worms:  BOTH!! please let me have both!!!  hehehehehehe!!!
H – Hometown:  Paranaque City, Philippines
I – Indulgence:  music and sports
J – January or February:  january
K – Kids & names:  angelo vincent kyle and barbara nicole angela
L – Life is incomplete without?  a purpose
M – Marriage date:  none, but hoping that there would be one someday
N – Number of siblings:  two (2), a younger brother and sister
O – Oranges or apples:  apples
P – Phobias or fears:  cockroaches and sometimes heights
Q – Fave quote:  "we only have one life to live so live it to the fullest.  make the most out of it; makes mistakes, as long as you learn from them; love with everything in your heart as long as you know it's for real, even if you don't get the same in return; fight until your last breath, as long as it's worth fighting for; dare to change, as long as it's changing something for the better; pray solemnly, as long as you're sincere in what you're praying for; kick ass and kick it hard, as long as you know the ass you're kicking deserves it; laugh boisterously, as long as it's really funny; spend with everything you have, as long as you spend it wisely; say something, anything, and don't hold back as long as what you say is the truth and is what you really feel inside; work diligently, as long as it doesn't interfere with your personal wants and needs; play the game, as long as the game doesn't play you back; drink all you can, as long as you can still walk or drive home safely; eat merrily as long as it keeps you full, but not more than what you should; and best of all, fuck deeply, oftenly, and as long as it takes to make you satisfied, as well as your partner should."
R – Reason to smile:  the quote above.  everything embodies what i believe in.
S – Season:  christmas!!!
T – Tag 3 people:  cher, erlyn, and trina
U – Unknown fact about me:  i haven't tried or even tasted zagu… ever.
V – Vegetable you don’t like:  ampalaya
W – Worst habit:  oversleeping
X – X-rays:  a year ago
Y – Your fave food:  pasta!!!
Z – Zodiac sign:  gemini

it's a very good feeling when someone agrees with what you say.  moreover so, if what you have said is controversial to most people.  i have been getting unsavory remarks about what i posted about the verdict on the subic rape case.  yet, i didn't flinch for a second.  and what vindicates me is that a particular journalist, well, he's not just a journalist, but someone who is an icon to the oppressed and one of my favorite people because he speaks his mind out, whatever it may be, without fear.  why?  because he can.  the same way that i can, and our common link is freedom of expression.  and he was the one who inspired me to write the same way–no holds barred.

you can read ramon tulfo's take on the verdict at this link:  http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view_article.php?article_id=38632

i feel better now, not that pissed anymore.  =)

it was an hour and a half past noon on a very warm and humid thursday, just as what was predicted.  the weather has been on and off lately, and it being the last month of the year doesn't seem to change things, even when christmas is just around the corner.  he had waited for this day to come, well, not nearly as it took him a couple of years to finally be able to do it.  he always thought that he would find the time to settle everything, only to realize that putting it off led to days becoming months, and months becoming years.  he had just had lunch with a colleague, and was now on his way to finish everything.

as he drove through christmas traffic, a lot of things came to mind.  memories of how things were at that time start to creep back and present itself as if the events were in front of him, like a video highlight of days past.  there were times where he struggled for the most part, felt sick about it, and didn't like what was happening, yet for the latter part, everything became so good that he felt being a part of something special.  and those times reminded him how blessed he was to be there, to take part in something that made him grow as a person, and how things have turned from something he nearly gave up, to something he almost couldn't let go.  yet there was the reality that things change, and that not everything is set in stone.  he had to let go and he had to go.  there was no changing that.  it was one of the hardest things he had to do, but for him to survive, and for him to become better, he had to.  yet the parting of ways wasn't as smooth as he hoped it would be.  his leaving was as sudden as he came in.  he still expected something in the end, but in order for him to get it, he had to make the first move.

he finally arrived at the place.  he was quite hesitant to approach where he needed to be, but he had already come this far to turn back now.  he gave his name to the person on the reception area and he was asked to take a seat and wait.  again, more memories came rushing back.  he caught himself smiling at times when a funny incident happened, and felt frowning when there were days when he wished could've been better.  but that's all in the past now.  what matters is, inevitable as it seems, is that things end now.  he felt nervous as his name was called, and he slowly approached the person who called him.  he was presented with papers to sign, and after browsing through it for a couple of seconds, put his pen to the paper and affixed his signature.  it was done.  his clearance from the company he worked for before his last one was finally settled, his final pay given in a form of a check.  it was bittersweet for him as he knew he no longer had any reason to come back to that place.  well, at least not in the next three to five years, or unless they come calling, offering him something he couldn't refuse.  but, as of now, their paths have crossed for the last time.  he left the building with a wry smile on his face, clutching the envelope with the check, satisfied with what he got (a plus to his christmas budget for sure), yet no amount can ever compensate for the time he spent with the people he worked with, for the experience itself was priceless.  he looked back as the glass door was closing, and he knew, right there and then, that he won't be opening those for a very long time.

i looked at the calendar today and realized that it's 12 days to go before christmas.  so if i were to sing the song "twelve days of christmas," day one would be today.  no, wait, if i were to count christmas day itself, then day one would fall on thursday.  that's what happens when you hate math and math hates you.  but, whatever.  what's more startling is that i'm 10% done with my christmas shopping.  well, at least for gifts i'll be giving to the people on my list this year.

i went to greenhills this past sunday, supposedly to do my christmas shopping, but i ended up buying additional wardrobe for myself.  mental note:  never ask or let your mom and your sister come with you when you do your christmas shopping.  chances are, you'll end up worrying about how they're keeping up with where you're going rather than checking the items on your list.  and that's what happened.  don't get me wrong, i enjoy being with them.  but only on normal days when we go to the mall or do the grocery.  christmas shopping should be an exception to the rule.  especially when you have plans of buying gifts for them.  oh well, lesson learned.

is it just me or is traffic at this time of the year better than the same time last year?  i hardly noticed any traffic jams over the weekend, well, not withstanding the non-stop rain we had this past sunday, but if memory serves me right, traffic on early december of last year was already a nightmare.  is it better because less people are out shopping, or is it bad because people in general don't spend time for christmas shopping anymore, thus slowly eroding the christmas spirit?  i dunno, i'm an optimist, yet a realist sometimes so i wouldn't know what to make of it.

there's an unwritten item in my christmas wishlist this year.  well, it has always been (not) there since, like, two years ago.  nope, it's not what you're normal mind would conceive.  oh well, hope that one gets finally written off this year.  if not, there's still my birthday this coming year.  though that would entail another five months of… more searching?

the sun is up, the weather is fine, the spirit is in the air, christmas is here… at least there's something for me to smile about.