cho_makati

i received an email from a friend sobrang nakakatuwa

uncle bob your the best.....

I WILL BE HERE

by: U. Bob

 

Days prior to next week till today, my ears have been a repository of most agents’ angst and disgust as they contemplate the workweek ahead. Wearing headsets on the most important holidays of the year. Pathetic! The reasons for grumbling vary, most boils to one thing only – to be with their families and love ones -- like I do yearn too.  If only an executive decision via a presidential proclamation could move those days on a weekend or the cables that link us to our client breaks down and thus declare a no-work week next week ( good luck to queues when it gets fixed). Yeah, dream on!

 

 Of course you'd rather be somewhere else, but working on Christmas day or on the 1^st day of the year does not really seem bad after all. For one you are not a lone martyr. A soldier camped away from home and paranoid if rebels will honor the ceasefire. Rebels hiding from soldiers and missing the holiday for a cause. A surgeon on duty on New Year’s Day stitching back fingers from a reckless reveler. Close to five million OFWS deprived of just being here. And the heroes multiply as I lose count of those who sacrifice this time of the year for a grander reason. An article I read sums it quite purely. “ …it’s the economics of choice. In all the interviews, most had said that they would rather be with their loved ones instead of working during that special day of December.  However, due to their work, these Filipinos are forced to be away from them.  These Filipinos try to live with the grayness of the holidays the same way they live with their economic situation: with fortitude and a semblance of hope.” (PDI, December 4 2007 - J. Nacino/J.Aguilar)

 

I’m not trying to be the good guy here but I have realized that adhering to your duty really makes sense. There is honor and dignity to be away for several hours and answer calls that mean a decent living for those who we really work for. They would mention our names over “Noche Buena” not out of pity but of being boastful of our absence. That this family or friend who is not around for this special time is spending it taking calls and resolving problems of other people. Being away to help people and being with people who believe in the same sacrifice for the same purpose.    

 

I have explained this plainly to my children and my better half. I have to be there because my fellow agents will be there too. They will be away too like your dad. But soon I will be with you.

 

I will be here.

 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED YEAR AHEAD!

 

 

It was Wednesday morning after work. I went home to change clothes and decided to go down to walk my dog and buy food in a burger stand across the street, upon ordering my favorite burger, I saw the old lady carrying huge bags, dirty plastics and she looks like she haven’t taken a bath for more than a month, she was buying some food and a cup of coffee, I stare at her and in some how felt bad, till suddenly a question pop up on my mind “why there are poor people who are so nice and honest? And why there are rich people who are greedy and selfish? I asked the old lady. “What are you having?” she pointed her finger to the menu board; she was ordering a promo burger which will only cost her 20bucks. The guy who works for the burger stand is hesitant to give her order for she may not pay for it, but what she did was, she pays for it first so she could have her breakfast. After ordering while walking towards to my building apartment she approaches me and asked “what’s the name of your dog?” it’s Jangga! What a cute name and what a cute dog as for her response. I was standing at the corner of the building with my dog looking at her while she was eating her breakfast, and then I asked her, what is your name? She replied Minda, Minda is my name. Till she told me a lot things like she go to a cemetery everyday to visit her husband and twins who died few years ago. While she’s telling her story I can feel the pain inside her and the teary eyes on her face breaks my heart. After telling me her story she just smiles and says I have to go now. So I asked her where are you going. She told me I’m going nowhere ill just walk till I get tired then take a rest then walk again, that’s how my life goes, walk, sleep then if I got lucky a penny or a piece of bread will be spared. I checked my pocket to get some money for her, after I gave her the money she smiles and say “thank you so much this will be useful for my survival, god bless you” then she walks away.

 

Every time I encounter this kind of situation I usually share it to my partner, most of the time got disappointed and keep on asking me why I keep on giving money for those kinds of people. Yes I understand his point because he has nieces who is hemophiliac, instead of giving to beggars or poor people he would rather buy medicines for his nieces, I came from a middle class family, I know I am fortunate enough to afford all the things that I want and that’s the reason why I work so hard, to afford all the things I wanted, as for me? I can even spend 200bucks for a cup of coffee, a small amount would not hurt, so I don’t care what other people would think or say with what I’m doing.

Beyonce Fever – Live in Manila

 

I know it’s been a month since Beyonce Knowles visit manila for her Asian Promo Tour.

 

But let me share you my experience. An experience that I will forever be proud of!

 

It was August 2007 when my lover told me that Beyonce will be visiting Manila for a promo tour concert. Well I am not really a Beyonce fan aside from watching her DREAM GIRLS movie over and over because of Jennifer Hudson “and I am telling you” and their “one night only” song which is my granny’s favorite song back in her days.

 

It was afternoon the day of her concert when my lover called me to tell me that he got a pass to meet beyonce at the back stage before her concert. Hmmmmm for me its not that big deal, but since I love him so I have to show him that I am so much excited for the good news. He picked me up at my place around 5pm. On the way to THE FORT I can feel the excitement from him. We got to THE FORT around 6pm. He introduces me to some of the people he knows from the industry. We’re at the back stage waiting for Beyonce to arrive. I am kinda pissed because we’re there waiting for some diva of the millennium to arrive, till a guy went out to inform us that The Diva arrived and we need to form a line before meeting her in her dressing room.

 

On our way inside the BOUNCER told us that no Mobile phone with camera is allowed or digital camera. The moment I went inside her room with my boyfriend. She was there standing, when she turned around…… waaaaaahhhhh now I understand what “STARSTRUCK” means. I was like a manikin I can’t move my feet, the smile on my face got stuck because of her beautiful face. Till she approached me to say “HI HOW ARE YOU DOING?” I don’t know what to say. The only thing that came out to my big mouth was. “YOU’RE SO BEAUTIFUL I CANT BELIEVE THAT YOU’RE STANDING IN FRONT OF ME” she just laugh and shake my hand and told me “I LOVE YOUR COUNTRY I WISH I COULD STAY MORE TO GO AROUND BUT UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE TO LEAVE TOMORROW FOR ANOTHER SHOW” till another guy approached us for a pictorial.

 

After the pictorial, there I was walking away from her with a big smile on my face. After a while I told my lover “DAMN BABY SHE IS SO BEAUTIFUL OR I MUST SAY SHE IS A GOD” she was even having a high fever that night, when the show started she acted like she feels well. The concert lasted for almost 2 hours.

 

The concert went more than what I expected and things went too emotional when she sang LISTEN. Now I can tell that I she is a true DIVA!