Monday, October 29, 2007

Whose line is it anyway?

I felt like that day went on forever.

Last week, I had to go to all these government offices to get different documents.
And boy oh boy, was I in for one heck of an afternoon.
There were lines that felt like they would never ever end.
From the line to get the application/renewal forms, the line for payments, down to line where all you have to do is wait for your request to be released. Each line was like one constant challenge after another.
Lines that zigged and zagged and looped and looked impossibly, seriously crazy.
I don't understand why people's heads don't just explode from the lack of order.
No wonder Filipinos are considered tolerant people.

In the city hall, all documents have to paid for at the cashier's office at the second floor. From the twenty thousand peso transactions to the twenty peso fees, you all end up falling into one line that apparently can stretch unto infinity (i kid you not. I can go on and on about this and still be dumbfounded at how long these lines can get).

Anyway, it's a good lesson in practicing (or in my case, learning) the virtue of patience. Except for the fact that I can totally feel the guy behind me almost rubbing up against me (not because he wants to, but because another dude is rubbing up against him!), which is supposed to nudge me a few centimeters forward. Not a pretty site I tell you. And when we finally get into the area inside the cashier's office, (the line starts to snake around just when you go up the stairs and reaches all through the hall) the "snake" breaks off into four or five mini "snakes' (depending on which cashier unceremoniously decides to take a break). But this fact won't really be evident when you reach the door, God only knows how people figure it out. So on one end, you got this loooong line and then you got these small lines ahead which people don't really notice til they've gotten tired of watching other people pass them by.

But just to give you an idea of Philippine politics at its simplest, this police guy comes in and starts talking to this clerk on break. The clerk is counting a thick wad of cash and obviously balancing his books. But the police dude kept badgering him about his fees. Of course everyone is honed in on what is transpiring and I could totally see a big mad rush of people miraculously appearing behind the police guy once the clerk decides to do business. But as if that weren't bad enough, the cashier announces (like he's probably done it a million times before) that he's not really opening his lane, he just needs to help out Mr. Stereotypically-corrupt-and-lazy-police Guy because he has more important things to do than fall in line unlike you mere mortal citizens.

It's bad enough that they can't protect us from criminals, harass us in traffic and instill seeping fear whenever they approach us anywhere, but to get ahead like that so blatantly, with such audacity, is one of the major reasons which makes me want to live the rest of my life elsewhere.
I mean, I used to be a pretty crazy driver, which is probably why I get the creeps whenever I see a traffic cop near my ride. But the cops abroad just didn't have that same "I-might-plant-something-on-you" vibe as the ones we have over here.

Wait conscious

I am now officially 20 pounds overweight.
After my first ever appointment with a nutritionist, I have now confirmed what I have already known since I decided to start my undying tempestuous love affair with dark chocolate. ("I know it's wrong, but who am I to resist?")
But it ain't so bad, I honestly thought I needed to lose more than double that.
Stupid, distorted me.

Anyway, the nutrition lady said I had 3-5 months to attain this goal.
I thought my agonizing toothache from weeks ago would've helped slim me down by now.
Even the ache from the unexpected tooth impaction is still making its presence known until now.
But all those yummy coffee jelly concoctions have been proving me otherwise.
Darn you, you jelly-like, lovely sugary, wiggly-jiggly, cheap and affordable little things.

I am pretty dead set on attaining this goal.
Bar birthdays, christmas & new year parties and the occasional trip to my favorite new japanese green tea cafe (I love you Kozui!), I will be lean again.
I guess it is kinda neat not to be able to afford everything after all.
No wonder there aren't too many overweight poets in the world.

I read in a popular magazine that guys find women who aren't self-conscious more attractive than those who are.
It doesn't matter how much you weigh, but how you carry that weight around that attracts guys.
Really?
So I wonder where sporty girls come in on that equation.
Sports give you self-confidence. But does it give you too much that guys (especially the local kind) find it too intimidating for their taste?
Honestly, I just can't win.

But except for being irritated at my extra flab, I am pretty happy with the way I look.
I love my body because it hasn't failed me (yet).
I'm just hoping this crick in my knee miraculously goes away (yeah right).
But all in all, i'm alright.
I am so glad I can say that.
Goodbye fat, just you wait.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

All is well

I'm back.
After reading a couple of my old posts, It kinda got me missing the whole blogging business.
I never thought I would enjoy it in the first place, but here I am now satisfying an unexpected need. (which is especially good after wracking my brain trying to finish two long articles on a lazy sunday when I'm supposed to be out on the field training with my team)

I've been freelancing ever since I got back. Kinda cool. Been up to my neck with stuff to do, pictorials and events to attend, articles to write and people to meet. It's so easy to kill time when all you want to do is get the year over and done with as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Of course, it goes without saying I'm broke too. One can't live on babysitting and housesitting alone for the past six months, dollar earnings or not.
But I wouldn't trade that trip for the world.

You name it, I've written it by now. Ever since I got back I've accepted all sorts of stuff from different publications. Mommy mags, sports mags, celebrity gossip mags and even toyed with the idea of getting into corporate stuff. I use up my money for transpo, internet cafe expenses and of course in order to continue my preference for anything-but-fast-food grub. I feel like upchucking at the thought of eating another microwaveable meal or Hot Pockets this year. It was fun for a week or two, but that stuff is just dpwnright nasty if you had to eat it everyday. If that's one reason why I'm glad to be back, it would be because of that. Here in the Philippines, you don't need to resort to super-mega-over processed food just to get by. I have recently discovered a friendly neighborhood resto masquerading as a carinderia and so far, with their P40 kare-kare and P35 beef steak, I am one happy camper.

I've also recently had to bid a sad adieu to one of my lesser beloved molars, but thats a whole other (whiny) story altogether.