having historical influence of the chinese in our country, i can’t help but feel the significance of yesterday’s date.  it’s only once in every generation that 08-08-08 comes along.  i suppose the celebrations back in 1908 are far different than what transpired yesterday.

the reason i mentioned that it was a double celebration is because firstly, my mom turned 60 yesterday.  yep, she was born on august 8, 1948 and she formally became a senior citizen yesterday.  we had a small celebration with relatives of course, despite the trying times–economically speaking–all of us are experiencing.  what’s important is that a very, very, very important person to me celebrates her birthday in the best, yet simplest way possible.  so mom, happy, happy 60th birthday and here’s wishing more and more to come!!

secondly, it was the opening of the 29th olympiad yesterday.  while having dinner, we were all glued to the opening ceremonies on the tube.  and i should say, it was nothing short of spectacular.  i couldn’t imagine the next host city–london–to top what beijing put on.  i’m sure that somewhere in the streets of quiapo, there are already pirated dvd copies of the opening ceremonies already on sale.  the first thing i was stopped short in amazement was the fireworks that resembled footprints walking towards the bird’s nest stadium.  i thought initially that that was it for me, that was the highlight of the night.  even though i was impressed by the performace of the cubes that displayed different shapes, sizes, characters and colors, the thousands who performed with the drums, and the singing voice of sarah brightman, the lighting of the olympic torch took the cake.  it literally gave me goosebumps from the time the final torchbearer rose up to the giant oval screen above the stadium and seemed to run and fly at the same time while scenes of where the olympic torch has been en route to china were displayed behind him until the big torch itself was lit.  i mean, my god, who can do better than that?  and i still havent mentioned the thousands and upon thousands of fireworks that lit up the night skies (on a side note, i found it funny and ironic that beijing’s skies were already polluted and fireworks continue to go off, giving off added smoke).  even now as i pause and remember the entire ceremony last night, i’m still awed and speechless about the grandeur and spectacle of it all.  if i could get my hands on a copy of it on dvd, i would in an instant.  it’ll be a collector’s item for sure.

i’ll be writing about something else very soon.  i’m still finalizing collaborating my honest thoughts about the subject.  one thing’s for sure, it’ll be no holds barred as always.  i won’t pull any punches because as i’ve said a thousand times before, this is my own space and i have the right to say whatever i want, however i want.  no, it’s not personal if that’s what you’re thinking.  although the subject did change my outlook on certain things.  until then, hope everyone has a good weekend.  don’t forget to cheer for our filipino olympians.  go team philippines!!

just like that, the first half of the year came and went.  i could still remember vividly the holiday celebration the previous year when, in a couple of months, this year’s holiday season would be upon us!  is it really that fast?  or is it just me?  in retrospect, if there’s one word that would sum up the first half of 2008 for me, it would be “tumultuous.”

from january’s abrupt end of a successful tenure marred by a backstabbing superior (no, he’s a gutless, spine-less, no-balls piece of sh*t son of a bitch); to two months of hibernation and uncertainty; to getting things back on track with a new company, new work schedule (read:  normal), and a new title; to reaching boiling point with someone from the recent past (specifically a no-good, stupid, social-climbing, paris hilton-feeling, slutty whore-bitch); to an memorable family reunion and birthday celebration; and an unexpected loss of a relative, the first half of the year was filled with events and happenings of every kind.

now if the first six months of 2008 was that eventful, i wouldn’t dare imagine what’s in store for me until the end of the year.  but the questions still remain:  is the roller coaster ride over and things will be downhill from hereon end, or am i just passing the eye of the storm and things will eventually be flip-flopping again?  or will things be exactly the same like what happened during the first half of the year?  well, if there’s any clue as to the answer, it lies in something that’s about to happen in the next couple of days.  but i’m not the one who jumps the gun–at least i try not to.  whatever happens, i’ll just do what i do best:  take things as they come…  and blogging about it, of course.

in the meantime, i continue to tread on…

i don’t normally post advertisements on my blog–in fact, i never did–but since this is for my sister who i love so dearly, i’m doing this as a favor for her.  she works in one of the biggest head hunters in the country and one of their clients is in need of call center agents to be based in abu dhabi.  here’s the bulletin she posted on her friendster account:

Hi!  One of our current clients are looking for call center agents for a finance company based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Since the company would be based in UAE, the salary would be tax free and shared accommodations would be offered. They also prefer candidates who are single, and have international bank call center experience.

Should you be interested, just email me your resumé, lacarpio@wardhowell.com.ph

PS. The need is quite urgent, so we appreciate if you respond to us asap.

too bad the company’s not looking for positions higher than officers, otherwise, i would’ve been in line for that!  hahahaha!  anyways, for those interested, please send your resumé to the email address listed above, or you can get in touch with me on my mobile.  this is a good opportunity for those of you who want to work outside of the country.

there, sis… don’t ever say that i didn’t help you out!  😀

they say that some people would do anything–even look foolishly and utterly stupid (with a capital S)–to get noticed (read:  contestants on local noontime variety shows).  that statement couldn’t be more true with what happened this morning.  i was getting settled in my chair at work, ready to start the day when a text message arrived.  now, remember the HR girl a couple of entries back?  it was her who sent the message.  but before i tell what the message was, let me have everyone up to speed with what happened since our “argument” some weeks ago.  a couple of days after that event, she sent a text message asking how i am.  like, how am i supposed to feel after that?  as if nothing happened?  damn straight i’m through with her.  so i did not reply to her message back then.  a couple of weeks passed, and she sent the same message.  by that time, my thinking of her was already asystole.  so what, don’t care.  so i didn’t reply.  again.

then there was this morning.  just like the two text messages before, just out of the blue, she sent me this message (translated from the vernacular):

“mark, even though you’re mad at me, i’ll call your office landline.  i have urgent information.  thanks.”

now the thing is, i wasn’t at my office at that time.  i was in another site.  so i thought to myself, “i’ll just ignore this like the last two messages she sent me.”  but then i also realized that my office phone might keep ringing off the hook and someone who happens to pass by the area does answer.  i wouldn’t want one of my colleagues answering the phone with a loose person on the other end of the line looking for me.  but then, another realization.  like a bulb lighting on top of my head when an idea comes along, i thought, if something was indeed that urgent that i need to know, shouldn’t she have just called me immediately on my mobile phone instead?!  why send a text message in the first place?  i started to smile in amazement, and on top of that realization, came another one:  maybe she just sent that text message as a test to see if i’ll reply back.  if i do, she wins because she has proven to herself that i could not continue to ignore her.  if i was at my office at that time and she does call even if i didn’t reply back, i would’ve answered the phone and she would’ve communicated with me, therefore, she also wins.

god almighty, how could one be soooo stupid?!   to go that low just to elicit a response from me!  to make up stuff so as to prove that “i’m-so-hot-you-couldn’t-stand-two-months-not-talking-to-me.”  the thought of ignoring her message still was there.  but it also gave me an idea of a reply to her:  “urgent?  i would pay more attention to my chest hairs growing than something ‘urgent’ from you.”

but i’m not that mean.  instead, i just replied that i’m not in the office.  plain and simple.  i know, i should’ve just ignored the message.  but the thought of my co-workers answering a phone call from her gives me the creeps.  so i guess it’s all good.

one last thing i realized:  she’s got beauty, yeah.  but sh*t for brains.