2008 promises

No, I'm not making a list of two thousand and eight promises.  These are just a few promises that I will try to fulfill for the year 2008.

I promise not to bitch about work anymore.  I've stopped doing so the last couple of days.  Eversince my boss told me to stop.  (Even though I know I'm right.  I just happen to speak the truth about justice and what's fair and what's not)

I promsie to eat more healthy food.  I haven't been incorporating veggies into my diet because I usually skip lunch and eat in the late afternoon when there's absolutely nothing to eat at home except leftovers, and I'm too tired to wait for them to cook food for me.  So what I eat is usually swimming in lard.

I promise to clean my room more often.  I'm proud to be in housekeeping, but I can't seem to keep my room clean.  It's an organized mess, but still a mess.  I'll try to straighten out my things before I leave the house to ensure a daily routine that will further strengthen my housekeeping abilities.

I promise to be more appreciative.  I have a few years left with my family, since Jorine is soon graduating, Jop has already graduated, and I'm already working.  Spending the new year without my family made me sad.  Ok fine, depressed.  Ok FINE, devastated! 

I promise to take some time to share with the less fortunate.  I've already donated balikbayan boxes of old clothes, shoes, and bags.  I'm thinking of teaching like my mom, or be more active in a charitable institution.

I promise to further my education.  I haven't been "studying" since I started work.  I don't read anymore.  I found a scientific calculator yesterday, and I forgot the 3rd of "sine, cosine, and log...?"  What does "log" stand for again? 

I promise to be more entrepreneurial.  I've been reading entrepreneur magazine, and I am so obsessed with having some kind of online business.  I was an avid fan of ebay back when I was unemployed and made money, but I don't seem to have the time to balance work and building an empire... and ruling the world!

That's it so far for 2008.  I hope this would be the start of a great many years ahead! (see protected post)

Miserable

Currently Listening Confessions By Usher Lovers and Friends see related

Why friends should never date

Friends are hard to find.  You can know someone since kindergarten, but when you run into them in the supermarket, you just give each other the nod or the un-enthusiastic Hi's and Hello's. 

Friends are someone you make plans with.  Set dates with.  Go out on weekends with.  Watch movies with.  Ride ferris wheels with.  Share a sandwich with.  These are some of the things that you can surmise when you define a friend. 

I have a cardinal rule on not dating friends (Sort of.  Remember the Rey fiasco?  I realized I liked him after knowing him all these years? Now i look back and chuckle).  It complicates things.  It's only great in the beginning but everyone else suffers because of your sudden interest to see where things could actually go to.  It leads to nowhere but disappointment and regret.

"Oh I can't go to the party.... Michael and Janet are going to be there..."

"She has other friends.  She can go with them"

Therein lies the division.  The parting of the red sea.  The river between the valley.  Everyone's plans and everyone's decisions are completely overthrown by this miscalculated leap of thrill.  And these are merely the perspective of the people on the side, guarding these two mountains.

What about their friendship, you say?  What friendship?  The friendship stops right then and there.  It is shaped into a different form, thus not giving it the entitlement of the term friendship.  No more ferris wheels and caramel apples.  This isn't a scene from The Notebook. 

I'm not saying all relationships based on friendship do not last.  Of course they do.  I even believe that these relationships actually last the longest.  It is built on the foundation of trust and security.  And it lasts a lifetime.  You can grow old with a lover... But it is better to grow old with a friend.

This is for my friend... and my other friend... I hope you both make the right choice :)

Why I can live in LONDON

What is it with that accent that makes them so.... distinguised.  Refined.  Educated.  I picture Mary Poppins, Sherlock Holmes, and Sean Connery.

What is it with London that makes the country so appealing?  Its culture, history, people... 

These are the reasons why I think I can live in London:

- It would amuse me to ride or drive teeny tiny cars on the left side of the road

- I can spend all day feeding pigeons at Hyde Park

- I want to walk down Baker Street where the fictional Sherlock Holmes lived

- I wouldn't mind being neighbors with The Queen.

- Plot to steal the crown jewels

- I would totally blend in with the yellow teethed Brits

What country would you want to live in?

The guy who works for McDonald's

I went home with one of the new staff at work today.  He's been with us for about 2 months or so.  We got to talking in the car, and we started sharing about the courses we took, what school we went to, and how long we've been working for the hotel.

He shared that he was a working student for 4 years.  He had to stop his last year of college to help out his family.  He put himself through his undergraduate years by working for McDonald's which paid 30 pesos an hour.  That's rougly $0.66  which he was surprisingly proud of, because he's been working there for 4 years, and they gave him a raise of 35 pesos ($0.77).  He wants to go back to school, but because his mom lost her job, he has to support his family by working in the hotel which paid a little bit more money - P6,310($140/month).

What made me feel bad was that I sometimes get mean when I'm rooms controller (I only become an evil person once a week) and I don't really have a choice but to boss them around becuase I need certain things to get done for our even bossier guests.

Although I must say, even though I probably am the ONLY nice person in my department (because I'm the youngest and I haven't been tainted by the years of complacency which still makes me naive and innocent in some matters, I learned that I should still be and stay the nice person that I have always tried to be.

It's not easy to work for McDonald's and go to school at the same time... And support your unemployed mother... And get bossed around by the likes of me.  We should always try to understand and empathize with the people that we work with.  That's how we stay the way we are till we're 90.