10/29/14

I guess I still have a hangover from last weekend's getaway which is why I haven't been posting lately. Things are going fine this week so far though I have been very tired for the past few days. Even two of my siblings are suffering from illness and I'm scared I'll catch the fever bug.

But the good news is, me and my office friends might have some gimmick night this coming Friday on Halloween night. I'm just lucky that it's my off on that day so I could go.

10/26/14 - Enchanted Kingdom 2014

Yesterday's much-awaited trip to Enchanted Kingdom with my officemates certainly wasn't the one I was hoping it would be.

Members backing out, delayed departure, and the heat were already a reason for displeasure.

But that wasn't the only problems that almost killed the excitement of this trip.

The four of us who went were greeted by a large crowd who mostly consisted of students from different schools having their field trip as well as several companies having their team building. It was like a huge gathering in such a small place.

That meant having a hard time to find seats to eat,unbearable heat and noise,and the unavoidable long lines of queue on every ride.

I can understand the lines if they were moving but it was really slow. We had to wait more than an hour for each ride that would lasts for a minute or even less.
We weren't able to ride plenty of rides because of it and that is the most annoying thing of this trip.

But you know what, it doesn't matter. Despite all that problems, I still had such a great time with my friends and that is what's more important to me.

I even managed to muster up the strength to ride what I have been scared of for my entire childhood, the Space Shuttle. A roller coaster that has a loop. I've been scared of riding roller coasters with loops and have always avoided them anywhere. But I figured out that I'm getting older and it's time to take this off my bucket list. To make it more fitting, we rode it as our last ride which was fitting as the grand finale that somehow compensated for all those missed rides.

We also got our pictures as a souvenir. It was expensive and I think I spent over my budget.I also treated them with pizza for lunch since the entrance fee was expensive.I have been pushing them to go to this trip for the past month and I think I certainly owe them an incentive to go, not that it wasn't enough to go just for fun and relaxation. It was my way of saying how glad I am to make this plan happen.

Right now, I don't feel that bad spending all that money because they have all gone down to memories that I will always remind me of the good times.

We also bought our officemate a hat as a birthday gift. He was supposed to go but he had work so he was working on his birthday. I kinda felt bad since I took an off on his birthday but he says it's fine. I'm sure we'll always have other opportunities to celebrate and bond next time.

We left the park at past 10 PM and took a bus back to Makati. Due to the traffic, we arrived at almost 12 mn but we weren't ready to end the day which we felt was so short so we had a drinking session at Bollywood in GB3. We also had shisha which is glass-bottomed water pipe where a fruit-flavored tobacco is covered with foil and roasted with charcoal.

I have tried to smoke a cigarette before and I couldn't take it.But I was surprised that I could take this one. I have actually smoked a lot last night since I couldn't really drink beer last night. We were able to relax and talk about random stuff.It was really a great night. Talking about our pasts and future plans were a good topic to discuss. It was also a good opportunity to catch up with one of my best friends and officemate who left recently whom I have been talking about in the past posts. I'm looking forward on our next meet-up,eve for just a casual eat-out.

Yesterday really did feel magical, but for a different reason than just a trip to an amusement park.

10/25/14

It's going to be a magical day!

10/23/14

I've been saying this for the past couple of months, but this time around, time really is flying so fast. I can't believe we have one more week before November. Pressure is building up in the office as errors are starting to show up as well as rumors of shuffling within the office.

I'm trying to keep my cool and prevent office politics from affecting me,even though it seems that I have other concerns to worry about.

10/22/14

It's the middle of the week already!I cannot wait for our weekend getaway.

I've been thinking too much of the future that I can't seem to focus on the present. I hope it won't have such a negative impact. I'm still reeling from emotions and every day that passes by is just so cruel. I badly need to get out and have some fun.

10/21/14

So it's the start of a new work week again and it is almost a bad start. Our boss was quite angry with the string of errors that the team committed. It was such a bad timing since she just had her birthday.Speaking of which,we were able to give her our birthday present which is a gift certificate for a spa. We found out that she actually had a massage on her birthday,but after what happened,she could use another one. It looks like we all need a break for relaxation.

10/20/14 - You Haunt Me

I've been wanting to share this album for quite some time now.This has been a part of my playlist for the recent weeks and I just cannot say how much I love this album.

Sir Sly is a band that I discovered through their debut album, You Haunt Me. They're an alternative/indie pop/rock band who sounds exactly the same as The Neighbourhood. I don't mind the comparison or similarities as they are both good. Also, if I didn't fall in love with The Neighbourhood, I wouldn't have liked this band. They're vocals as well as the general haunting feel of the songs are creepily the same.


But personally, I prefer Sir Sly's music by a bit. Their songs seemed to relate to my life and their lyrics are just well-written.

Floods is my personal favorite off the album. Despite its repetitive chorus, it works to make you feel that certain emotion when someone you love has left. The line "Now you're gone" echoes throughout the song and creates a feeling of nostalgia.

Songs like Found You Out and Ghost can bring out some of your highest and worst emotions as they convey lyrics that are very relate-able. Their lead single, You Haunt Me, sets the right tone for what the rest of the album sounds like.

The entire album is quite dark in nature and you'll definitely like it if you're into bands like The Neighbourhood and The 1975. They also have a tinge of hip-hop infused with their songs. But no need to worry about random rappers appearing at the middle of the songs.

This masterpiece is one of my favorites of this year.

Top tracks: Floods, Leave You, and Too Far Gone

10/18/14

So it's been more than a week of separation or suffering as I would call it. So far, it's been bumpy but I'm just surprised how I can pull off  the act of not getting bothered. After all, I should be used to it by now.

I've been planning my expenses in the near future and I'm just problematic on where to get all the money I'd have to spend to buy all those things I want. I only have a few months to save money.

10/17/14

I've been given a new role at work yesterday. It's not a job promotion, but it's one of those additional tasks. It's not a new role in the team before, it's just that the role has always been handled by other people. 

I have officially accepted to become a content writer for one of our recently acquired clients. 2 of my other colleagues were originally doing the content plans but one of them got transferred to the marketing department so that leaves an empty slot to fill. They've been bugging me to be a content planner for months now and the current lack of manpower in the team makes it hard for me to reject. 

It's not that I don't want the job, but there are some concerns that I will eventually have to face.

One of them is my lack of writing expertise. I know I'll only have to write short copies and captions, but it takes a certain skill to capture the user's attention. But more importantly, I am worried on where to get resources for the content. It's not like I can post quotes everyday. I need to find inspiration to write something good again.

Another concern I have is the lack of compensation.Sure, in case I forgot to mention, I just got regularized last week and my salary got a little boost. But that boost was still not enough for all the work load that we have been doing. Now that I have another new task, I expect to feel more stressed and unhealthy.

Speaking of heavy work load, time management has been quite an issue for most of us with so many things to juggle and deadlines to meet. I don't know how I'll fit all of them in a day. Plus, I still want to retain some free time to destress by watching some non-work related stuff.

This new role is something that I've seen coming from far away and it's a challenge to bring up my A-game. I'm not certain if I can do so, but it's a damn good distraction to keep me away from my bigger personal problems.

10/16/14

The month is halfway through and there are still 2 months left in the year. However,I seem to be looking forward to next year already. It's still hard to let go of recent events but I already have some plans in mind on how to move on.

I was one of those who were recognized in our office yesterday for having a perfect attendance this past quarter. I got a certificate, a cake, and some cash. I was so surprised when I saw how my salary increased this cut-off. But at least that gave me motivation to always come to work and not be late.

10/15/14

It seems like the weather is suiting to my mood. It's been gloomy these past few days thanks to the rain.

A day in the office seems forever nowadays but I just have to stick it out. I still have my own dreams to chase and I can't achieve them without financial support.

10/13/14

Today was my first day back at work since the departure of our dear colleague last week.

It felt different and I felt so out of it, but I'm just glad I survived.

I did enjoy watching the season premiere of The Walking Dead.It kept my mind busy for a while.

10/12/14

Pain. Anger. Shock. Depression.

These are just some feelings that I'm experiencing for the past few weeks but got very intense last Friday. The day I've bee most scared of has arrived and we bid goodbye to our colleague for some, but a friend to me.

But I don't want to make this a farewell post. I refuse to believe that it will be the last time we'll see each other.

So instead,I'll try to spin it on a positive note.

You see, when we started in the company together,I didn't realize what a great person he is. He seemed to be just a regular naive guy that just needed to work. Boy, was I wrong. It's true that he needed work, no doubt about that, because I was almost there for the same reason.

But little did I know that behind his youthful face and energy,was a guy who was very ambitious and very talented. At that point, he was already starting to live his life to its potential. Outside of work, he also pursue his hobby which is photography and has done professional work for clients.

Upon learning about it, I thought he wouldn't last long due to the nature of our schedule,and I know that freelance work also requires most of our time. Admittedly,I thought it was good because I saw him as a competition. He was already showing superb skills while I was struggling and wondering what the hell was I doing. He was starting to take what I believe should have been my opportunities and one of the reasons I got stuck in the shift that I am currently in right now.

But I just realized that if that didn't happen, he would have left much sooner so I'm somehow relieved that I'm in my shift. It is quite sad that we never got to work in the same shift aside from our training period. That is something I'll deeply regret. But that doesn't mean we weren't able to work together. It somehow made those short time in the transition period between our shifts more special and meaningful.I found myself more motivated to come to work early which never really happened to me before.

So here's to saying thank you to that special friend and batchmate. In just 5 months, you've somehow changed me.

Thank you for making me a better person,or at least making me want to be one. His morals and values have rubbed on to me and has inspired me to follow his example.

Thanks for helping me change my outlook in life. His upbeat energy and adventurous spirit inspires me to take more risks and try to get out of my comfort zone. In fact, I am already planning something for myself next year. It's not necessarily a material object but it's more of a activity that will help me gain new perspectives in life. I am hoping that I will be able to execute it this time unlike my previous goals that have been dumped on the trash bin.

There are so many things that I should be thankful to you for, but that would take so much time. I just simply want to thank you for unknowingly changing my life for being who you are, and without having to change to please anyone.Your humility is something to be bragged about.

As you take on a new journey, I don't expect that you'll remember me along the way as what happens every single time, but I sincerely wish you the best of luck and I can't wait for the other people you'll encounter to see how talented you are.

Cheers to you my friend.

10/11/14 - Project Pie

I've been wanting to try this pizza place for quite some time now. I was quite ecstatic to find out that they were opening a branch in the Makati area a few months ago. However, I only got to try it earlier today.

I don't really read reviews a lot but I've seen a lot of people on my social media feed eating in this place before so I was a bit surprised when I found out from my officemates that the place had many bad customer reviews on their official FB page.

But of course, I didn't want to believe it just yet and cross it off my list of restos to eat.

I had the chance to go to the mall with my mom after a long time of not being able to do so and I took the opportunity to invite her to eat there for an afternoon snack.

The branch was in the Park Square terminal, right beside SM Makati, along Pasay Road. The place was just enough for a medium crowd and the ambiance was really nice. They have small chairs and tables though so if you're with a big crowd,you'll have limited choices.

The prices are quite high. But here's the thing, you can choose to select their list of ready made pizza flavors or you can create your own pizza with your choice of sauce and toppings. Since it was our first time, we decided not to create our own. We had two pizzas, they do't really have a label for the pizzas aside from the numbering so I can't name them, but we were able to try the one with a lot of cheese,garlic and tomatoes as well as the one with a lot of pepperoni and beef.

The pizza was quite small, consisting of only 4 slices so it was really only for 1 person, or even less. It might not be even worth the high price but to be fair, I enjoyed the pizza and it's taste. It could improve on size and the amount of toppings. I have to commend the crew for being so friendly and accommodating. They were very fluent and polite. They were even engaging with their customers so props to their training. Probably one of the best service crew I've encountered so far.

I am looking forward to trying out their other flavors and eventually making my own pizza. By the way, they have this promo where you can have their signature pizza for free when you finally complete ordering all seven pizza flavors, so go try them out!

10/9/14

There's just too many emotions running through me right now. My mind and body is so tired and scared for tomorrow. Everything is not really falling into their proper place and not where it should be.

10/8/14

So I guess this is it. Tomorrow is our monthly team meeting and it is one of the last time that we'll spend time with one of our officemates. It's hard to think that it has been 5 months since we've been introduced and started in the company together. I've ran out of words to say but my thoughts are always running. I don't know how much longer I can keep up. Tomorrow's gonna be torture.

10/7/14

I just found out yesterday that I'll be in a different shift next month. Normally, I would be glad, but I've been assigned in a shift that is not my preferred choice, especially for next month.

I'm trying to request to be put back to my current shift. It's gonna sound weird because I have been the one who always complains about wanting to change my shift and when I finally got it, I want to go back. I have my reasons but I'm not sure if it's enough. I've asked other operators and found some people who are willing to switch with me if ever.

10/5/14

Ever since watching One Tree Hill,this particular line has always struck me, and it has stayed with me for as much as I can remember. People Always Leave. This three words always haunts me. At first I thought I like it just because it seemed cool to like it. But as time passes by and as I grew up, I've experienced so much and I can't help but notice how true this line is and how much it applies to me and not just to the character on the TV show.

For one, Peyton, the character who popularized the line, haven't only lost her boyfriends but also her mother. Though I can't say that I lost mine, the situation in our family dynamics are pretty much the same with me being disconnected with one of my parents.

My strong bond with some of my cousins also disappeared when they migrated to other countries years ago. I couldn't really tell anyone how bad it felt and why I want to live in another country.

Over the years, I have never been so close with my family or relatives. I've somehow adjusted to the way of life and expected to lose them at some point.

In a matter of days, I'm about to lose another person I value a lot. I cannot stop him and I don't want to be selfish when he is chasing his dreams for the better. I want to think that it's also for my own good as I'm starting to think that he's subtly a distraction to my goals and reaching my own potential.But I just can't see anything good out of it that affects my personal gain, and not to mention how my confidence has now shrunk with all these people leaving.

I don't know why this happens all the time. I'm sure everyone has lost a loved one or broke a special connection with person they care about and I wish I knew how to cope up with it. It creates a ripple effect that always affects my future decisions in the process.

I've been drowning in depressing thoughts and sad songs these past few weeks and I can't help but think that there's something wrong with me.

I know I should not think that way but I value my friends a lot. I know I don't seem to show it because I don't really know how to express my feelings and affection but I really care and appreciate my friends. Losing anyone is just as hard as any heartbreak, if not more.

I have take so may sacrifices for the sake of others but I always get hurt in the end.

I don't want to make this recent departure from my life as a reason to stop putting my trust in people.

I'll just keep on reminding myself to be happy that these people, no matter how long or short I have got to know them, came into my life for a reason and will always be grateful for touching my life and making my life a little less lonely and putting a smile on my face.

10/3/14

I almost had to be on solo shift today if it weren't for my supervisor helping me out. My co-shiftee called in absent this morning without giving any reasons why and no one from the previous shift were available to do overtime. 

I got lucky that most of our accounts were not so active today so I still breezed through the day as if it was normal.

We were all just surprised though as we saw my co-shiftee's posts on social media showing him riding on a plane. We had no idea where he would go or that he was actually going somewhere. Wherever he is, I just hope he comes back. We don't need anyone leaving right now.

10/2/14

I was aiming for a clean and better performance this month, but then I screwed up last night. I don't know why something bad always happen to me on the first day of the month.

I have some terrible luck.

9/30/14

Today is technically the first day of October,but I am writing this post as my last entry of September.

This past month has been quite different.I feel that I have slightly improved in terms of my work output, but at the same time, a huge tragedy has struck when a person I've admired decided to leave. It has taken me aback strongly and now it made me question my own life choices.

I'm not sure if I'm prepared for this coming month, especially working with familiar but new faces in my shift. It's going to be tough but I am still trying to stay on track of my goal to keep my job for at least a year.