Category Archives: Emotions

jollibugged

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unless i was born yesterday, i do believe that the concept of a fastfood restaurant is self-explanatory: to have food readily available at the customer’s whim due to reasons of time constraint and sheer hunger, and not having to wait for ages for food to be served (take note though, five minutes would count as “ages”). absolutely no excuses. at least when chowking changed their marketing strategy to “your food is prepeard-slash-cooked the minute you order it,” they made it known that you won’t be getting the food right there and then. i should know better, having worked for mcdonald’s for two and a half years, the concept of customer satisfaction first comes to mind.

allow me to vent out a frustration i had yesterday when i ordered food through a jollibee branch near our place. yes, the same branch where mcdonald’s first stood until it transferred to the nearby mall and thus became it’s arch rival; and yes, it was where i worked. moving on, i was on my way home from work and passing by the same route i traverse everyday, i originally thought of eating at kfc. though i am not that hungry, i just thought that it has been a while (a month actually) since i had a taste of that finger-lickin’ good chicken. so since there was a kfc branch near the shell gas station entering into valley 1, i nearly made up my mind of stopping there to eat. only thing was, there were limited parking spaces so i thought to myself, “if parking will be full, i’d pass on lunch and head home, since i’m not that hungry anyways.” and indeed, parking was full. so i headed on and suddenly got the thought of passing by that jollibee branch. it was a kilometer and a half more past home, but hey, compared to mcdonald’s at the mall which was three kilometers further, i’d settle for what’s nearer.

now just for the record, there are only two things that i eat at jollibee: their champ burger and their chickenjoy. absolutely nothing else. since at that time, i was not in the mood for rice meals, it’s obvious what i would order. so i pressed on for that kilometer and a half towards that jollibee branch and used their drive-thru lane. i was greeted by the usual pleasantries and the young lady then asked what i wanted. “one champ value meal, please” came my quick reply. to which the lady said, “just a moment sir, let me check if we have one available.” now i have done this several times before and when i order what i just did, it always, and i mean always, come up with a statement from the lady at the counter saying, “sir, are you willing to wait for 10 minutes for that champ burger?” as expected, i got that same reply. like what? 10 freaking minutes? i could go into that store and cook myself that burger for half the time and even manage to unload an earful to that store’s manager for not having what i wanted available!! i mean for christ’s sakes, it’s their restaurant’s high-end burger, and none is ready to be served?! and don’t give me that “risk of loss” crap for food-prepared-but-not-served-thus-eventually-going-to-waste rule. that’s not the way to do business and how customer satisfaction is achieved! i was in the same line of work five years ago you a**holes and it was always a rule that it’s better to have something available and have it written up as a loss if not served than deemed a sale with a customer’s complaint on the side. jesus freaking christ!! 10 minutes for a burger?! at a self-proclaimed number one fastfood chain in the country?! kiss my mcdonald’s eating a** now, would you?!

granted, i may be biased, but hey, i began my entry with the concept of fastfood restaurants, people. that applies to all fastfood restaurants. from burger king to carl’s jr., mcdonald’s or pitiful jollibee. fortunately, i wasn’t starving at that time or i would’ve kicked the crap out of everyone working there. i agreed, for the last time, to wait for that burger. as expected, it took more than 10 minutes. in frustration, as the lady on the serving window handed my burger, i snatched it right out of her hands and gave her the dirtiest look and sped off. i thought of speaking to a manager, but i know i’ll just be brushed off at the end after being apologized and thanking me for waiting, yada, yada, yada. i’m telling you, that’s the last time i’ll ever wait 10 minutes for a burger–in any fastfood restaurant. it’s a long shot that someone who works at that store will be reading this, but hey, better complain here that kicking the holy hell out of the manager(s) there, right?

no wonder jollibee is for the masses. they can make ’em wait without no complaints… how low can a company go…

turning a number up a notch

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a day and 30 years ago, i came into this world. being the first of three children, i had a lot going for me. i was to be the patriarch of carrying on the family legacy into the 21st century. yet here i am, 30 years and a day since that fateful monday morning, still with an uncertain future, and with a lovelife that echoes like a graveyard on christmas day. i could just imagine fate laughing his socks off as i stumble through life, like a blindfolded dumbass kid trying to pin the freaking tail on the stupid donkey.

strangely though, i still find this kinda amusing. amusing to the point that those low points i have experienced are the ones cheering me up because those were the times i was real. that i was true to myself. those times that i shed tears for someone, that i sacrificed my whole heart and soul for women who i thought were the one; for continuing to hold on despite the clear sign of rejection flashed at my face like headlights speeding through a stunned deer at a highway on midnight; for turning the other cheek, having a deaf ear and a blind eye to times of being taken advantaged of because of my “understanding” and left for nothing like used oil on a garage. yeah, those were the days. yet i’d rather go back to those times than to celebrate something that is or was made something out of the heck of trying to cheer myself up or covering up what i really feel inside. as i always said to myself and to friends who continue to complain about being hurt or things just don’t go their way–it’s all about acceptance. that and lowered expectations. that’s the way life is, and that’s the way life will go. you just have to live with it, breathe with it, roll with it, f**k with it, and die with it because all your whining and complaining ain’t gonna change anything. life isn’t fair, as they say. but whoever said that it is?

i’m 30. i hate to admit it, but i am. i feel lonely. i feel desparate. i feel used. and yet, with the way things are going, everything’s just hunky-dory and going the way they’re supposed to be.

i’m getting old…

striking the code

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it’s clearly one of the best movies i’ve seen. rebounding from a mediocre posiedon movie from last week, the da vinci code clearly was worth the hype, negative or otherwise. now i really don’t know what the fuss is about, or what caused catholic conservatists to call for an outright boycott or banning of this film. does it contain sensitive information about the history of catholicism? maybe, but is there current, real proof about this here in the real world? no one has come forward with it, or claims to have one. so what’s their basis of labeling the film as blasphemous? it’s entertainment, pure and simple. two hours of entertainment that may strike chords with pure catholics, but again, there is no actual–and factual–basis for it to be taken seriously.

it’s as every bit as thrilling as the search for the holy grail in indiana jones and the last crusade, or the search for relics and other artifacts in the tomb raider series, yet the difference in the da vinci code is the use of real locations and real items. the highest point in the story is when sir ian mckellen is explaining what the cover up is, starting with the striking line, “what if the greatest story ever told was a lie?” his potrayal of an obsessed templar researcher fits him to a T (unlike his character as magneto in the x-men series, but that’s another story–and that’s next week as well). he’s convincing, yet dark character exhudes that of a person seeking for the real truth, not just based on what he has learned and so far, but concrete evidence of where the holy grail, or it’s representation, exists.

i haven’t read the book, and after seeing the film, i intend not to. i know the book has much more to tell, but after being satisfied, completely satisfied on how the film turned out, i might just be disappointed if there were events or things in the book not included in the film. it’s the same approach i did with the lord of the rings trilogy, and i could very well say that not reading that book has served me well.

so there was silent hill, mi:3, poseidon, and the da vinci code. four films in four weeks. and it’s not over yet. there’s x-men 3, scary movie 4, superman returns, cars, and the fast and the furious: tokyo drift to name a few. whew! what a thrill ride it has been so far! and i’m enjoying every minute of it.

monsterized once more (and starstruck, too)

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it’s been a while since i went out and had a good time. more than that, it’s been a while since i went out at all. last friday night, i got to do both. it was monster radio rx 93.1’s 22nd anniversary party that night. for weeks, i had planned on attending that event, not just because i want to, but being a member of the rx-talk mailing list for six years made me felt the need to go. after all, joining the mailing list changed my life forever. somehow, someway, i had to be there. i had to celebrate with them and be thankful for being a part of their family–at least in the smallest way possible.

ever since getting in the call center industry, my attendance to rx events dwindled. when i joined the mailing list on the summer of 1999 and became an active “lister,” i often became one of the people in charge of organizing, coordinating, and the point person for the mailing list whenever there are eb’s, parties, movie premieres and other activities the station had. heck, i would even skip work just to attend them. whenever there are those events, if there are tickets involved, i usually get them for the listers and distribute them to those who are able to attend. those were the days. partying almost every month, watching movie premieres, or just hanging out and socializing with fellow listers on eb’s–all of them i still have vivid and fond memories whenever i look back. the last party i attended before last friday night was, if i’m not mistaken, also an rx anniversary party at the podium on the same month two years ago. missing the feel of an rx event, i thought to myself, “man, i have to be there.”

weeks before the party, i got in touch with the head lister, raffy b and asked if there will be party tickets for the listers. he said to wait for the annoucement on the list, but there definitely will be. i told him that i wouldn’t miss the party for anything, so i definitely will be there. when i learned of the date of the party, i immediately filed for vacation leave from work. soon enough, tickets for the party were offered on a first email, first serve basis. i immediately followed raffy’s instructions and shot him an email. days later, he posted an email with the list of people who will be having tickets. each lister was given two tickets. before i even had to read raffy’s email, i called one of the closest friends and listers i ever have and asked her to come to the party with me since i asked for tickets. cher and i were excited since both of us haven’t attended rx parties in a long time. a few days before the party, i dropped by the station to get the tickets alloted for me. the only concern i had at that time is how to get to the venue. the party was to be staged at dish, near abs-cbn. it was unfamiliar territory for me. cher told me that she’ll be asking directions to dish so that we won’t be having a hard time finding it.

i still had work on that friday morning, but all i could think about was the party later that night. upon getting home that afternoon, i called cher up, finalized our meeting place, and got some sleep for an hour and a half. i met cher and another lister, charlyn at glorietta and we went on our way. all of us were giddy at the thought of seeing old friends and listers (although there were only quite a handful of listers i know on raffy’s list that’ll be attending the party) and being at an rx event itself. cher’s directions to the venue were easy to understand and we got to dish without much difficulty. upon getting there, we went around the compound and saw some movie stars like francine prieto (man, that woman is huge, not just vertically, but i mean “huge!”), bernard palanca, dennis padilla, janice and gelli de belen, and carmina villaroel (who i had a major, major crush back in high school). we then got to see fellow listers daphne, chill, gio, jong, tin, and rizza and at dish’s entrance there was a sea of partygoers lining up to get in. tickets were only honored until 11pm and the venue was quite small so the people outside were really anxious to get in. we decided to hang outside for a while and find a way to get in. sugar free was playing onstage at that time and it was close to 10:30pm.

suddenly, one of the dj’s, fran went out. apparently, chill or jong contacted her about us being outside and was hoping she could let us in. and we did! man, it felt good to be inside, thanks to fran (who i still have a big, big crush on). we then got to pay homage to the big boss himself, raffy and exchanged pleasantries. by then, south border was playing and i already had a beer in hand. good thing cher brought her camera and soon after, pictures were being shot left and right. we also had photo ops with the dj’s and i had a pic with fran! i’ll be posting it on my friendster profile as soon as i get it from cher. we also got to see hale and barbie almalbis perform. although we were standing all the while when we were inside, i had a really great time. having that picture with fran was the highlight of the night for me (thanks to you, jong!) we left at around past 1am and went to starbucks to rest and of course, have coffee. jong and i continued talking and doing catch up since it’s been a long time since we really got together. seems like he also is busy and rarely gets to attend rx events. at about 2:30am, we decided to call it a night. i got home at 3am and immediately fell asleep, ending one of the more memorable nights and parties i had in recent memory.

as i end this entry, i would like to thank, first and foremost, the head honcho, the man himself, the one and only, raffy b for the tickets to the year’s biggest party i’ve attended. as always, you never fail to amaze the mailing list. looking forward to that “listers’ table” at the next party! and of course, to cher, charlyn, jong, tin, gio, rizza, chinggay, tom alvarez, boom gonzales, and of course, the loveliest person that evening, francesca for making that night very, very memorable. as always, rx throws the best parties ever and here’s to another 22 years for you guys!

to blog readers who want to join the mailing list, please visit http://www.rx931.com. =)

soaked and drenched

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a few weeks into the month of june, people were wondering, “i thought it was supposed to be rainy season? then why is it so damn hot?” i should know, i was one of those who were wondering about the same thing. not that i’m complaining, i guess i’m just used to have the thinking that when june starts, rain also starts to fall from the sky. then towards the end of july, the weather started to turn weird. in a single day, it would rain and shine about three or four times, usually one right after the other. then, as you may have noticed, during the past two weeks, the sun had hidden itself amongst the clouds, it’s powerful rays blocked by sheer thickness of rain and moisture.

i actually liked what has happened during the past few days. although there are really inconveniences when it’s raining (it can’t be helped–like flooding, having difficulty getting public transport, roads getting potholes, increased traffic, and of course, sickness) i actually look forward to hearing the sound of rain hitting the rooftops, especially when i’m at home. for some reason, it helps me relax most especially after i arrive home from work in the afternoon. I also think that rain sets the mood for a lot of things. my favorite is on a rainy day-off, instead of watching tv or surfing the net, i go to my room, bag of chips and beverage in hand, and scatter all my cd’s on the bed and play laid back, easy listening music (most preferably ballads starting from the late 80’s and beyond from reo speedwagon, cheap trick, john waite, tom petty, dave matthews, tears for fears, tom scott, glass tiger, john mayer–just to name a few) while sitting cozily on the couch, put my feet up and chow down some chips while jamming (unfortunately, my room doesn’t have space for a couch so i guess my bed would have to do). that for me, is the ultimate stress-reliever. thinking of nothing but the tunes that i hear, enjoying the melodies of instruments playing in harmony, tapping my feet or nodding my head to the beat of the song in the background during mid-morning or mid-afternoon (makes me miss my drum-playing stint back in high school). at that point in time, i could manage to smile and say to myself, “it’s all good.”

on the other hand, rain makes certain people nostalgic. i also have, on a number of occasions, reflect or reminisce personal events, especially when it’s raining hard outside and the electricity is out. and it sometimes coincides with something that has happened to you which affected you emotionally (say a breakup or a fight you had with a significant other). it’s like the heavens are empathizing with how you feel and rain is the mode of comfort you’re being given. it is in these times that i want to have such artists as diana reeves, melissa manchester, julia fordham, james ingram, patti austin, lani hall, michael buble, and even kenny g playing in the background. their songs make you feel more pain to the point of breaking down and crying. but as they say, after the rain, comes the sunshine. no matter how much sorrow you have, or pain you felt, in time, like rain, it’ll all go away and the warmth of the sun and the chirping of the birds beckons you to move on and start over. this is, how a cliche comes to call it, how life goes on.

let me end this simple entry with the lyrics of one of my all-time favorite songs which i frequently listen not just on rainy days, but also when i’m driving or when i just need a feel-good song to listen to. the words are very simple, yet the way the music was brought together makes it for a beat and rhythm so light-hearted yet soulful that listening to it once is not enough. i’m having LSS (last song syndrome) because of it. anyway, hope everyone has a good weekend ahead!

How Do You Talk To An Angel
The Heights

I Hear Her Voice In My Mind

I Know Her Face By Heart

Heaven And Earth Are Moving In My Soul

I Don’t Know Where To Start

Tell Me Tell Me

The Words To Define

The Way I Feel About Someone So Fine

How Do You Talk To An Angel

How Do You Hold Her Close To Where You Are

How Do You Talk To An Angel

It’s Like Trying To Catch A Falling Star

At Night I Dream

That She Is There

When I Can’t Feel Her In The Air

Tell Me Tell Me

The Words To Define

The Way I Feel About Someone So Fine

How Do You Talk To An Angel

How Do You Hold Her Close To Where You Are

How Do You Talk To An Angel

It’s Like Trying To Catch A Falling Star

How Do You Talk To An Angel

How Do You Hold Her Close To Where You Are

How Do You Talk To An Angel

It’s Like Trying To Catch A Falling Star

How Do You Talk To An Angel

How Do You Hold Her Close To Where You Are

How Do You Talk To An Angel

It’s Like Trying To Catch A Falling Star

Yeah

Yeah Oh…..