Memo

The incident that happened to me yesterday has got into my nerves but it stunned me when I even dreamt about it last night. So I decided to let it out via this writing.

I barely take my AM/lunch/PM breaks without getting my hands on my tasks. Perhaps I’ve got used to this kind of discipline in my 9 years of stay in the company I'm currently working with. Keeping myself busy rather than doing anything that don’t contribute to my skills and personal improvement. But something cropped up yesterday that changed my paradigm at work. This is the very first time that I received a verbal warning via email about the most trivial offense I’ve committed in lieu to our office policy on work schedule (break-time). That is brushing my teeth approximately an hour after our lunch break.

Now hear me out.

What is 3 minutes of brushing my teeth compared to:

- the summed up hours that I spent in the company for free coz we’re not allowed to file overtime in fractions of an hour. I’ve been doing this for 5 years now.

- the times I didn’t take my break coz I opt to continue with my work.

- spending a quarter of my life loyally working for this company.

And how about:

- those in the 23rd floor that can freely do what they like coz nobody seemed to see nor be bothered by their violations.

- those employees who also broke the work schedule policy on break-time but were not apprehended coz nobody from the HR staff caught them in the act?

- those people in position who are also guilty of this policy, one way or another, coz they seemed to be working, pretending to be busy the whole day in front of their monitors, when in fact, their activities don’t concern work.

I’m not against the person who issued me the memo. Not because she is my friend and kumare but I understand that she’s just doing her job. What boils me to anger is if such policy exists, then all those responsible for its implementation must execute it by all means. Apprehension shouldn’t be a game of chance.

The law must apply to all or none at all.

The First Time I Loved Forever

During our meeting with the band that will play on our wedding, I was caught unprepared on my assignment of coming up with a song for my wedding march. There were a lot of titles they sang and suggested, usual favorites of the bride they said. But I never liked any of them. I sometimes don't settle for what is common. I always wanted to be unique. So to somehow show respect for their effort, I picked up a song from their list, temporarily, until I come up with the song of my own liking.

After cramming on some CDs and a lot of MP3 files saved to our PC, I instantly fell in love with this song after I’ve completely heard and read its lyrics. I chose it without any doubts and I never regret chosing it at all. My entrance at the church was never any more grand because of this song. It was very unique, solemn, lovely, full of emotions and touching. Even I cannot describe the way I felt while marching in the aisle. I told myself not to cry but the song hit me deeply, but still, I was able to manage a smirk.

Read on... this song says it all. I dedicate this to the only man in my life, my beloved Marvin.



Lyrics by Melanie Safka
Music by Lee Holdridge
Sung byLisa Angelle
(From "Beauty and the Beast")
With excerpts from the poem “Somewhere I Have Never Traveled, Gladly” by the American poet E.E. Cummings

Poem:
“Somewhere I have never traveled
Gladly beyond any experience
Your eyes have their silence
And your most frail gesture of things
Which enclose me
But which I cannot touch
Because they are too near.”


The first time I loved forever
Was when you whispered my name
And I knew at once you loved me
For the me of who I am

The first time I loved forever
I cast all else aside
And I bid my heart to follow
Be there no more need to hide

And if wishes and dreams
Are merely for children
And if love's a tale for fools
I'll live the dream with you

Poem:
“oh, if your words be to close me
I, my life will shut, very beautifully
Suddenly, as when the heart of this flower
Imagines the snow carefully, everywhere
descending”.

For all my life and forever
There's a truth I will always know
When my world divides and shatters
Your love is where I'll go

Poem:
“I do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens. Only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses.
Nobody, not even the rain has such small hands.”

So long Rebong . . .

I'm posting this email as permitted by the writer, Jasper Roy L. Rebong, coz I find his last email from tspi.com.ph very amusing but with deeper meaning that will leave us pondering on our current work status.

By the way, Jasper is my classmate in college and we became officemates for 9 years until he resigned last month for a greener pasture in the land of the rising sun.

Enjoy reading =)


last words
from: jrebong@tspi.com.ph

What's the best thing about tsukiden?

Well, they gave me a break, allowed me to buy a car, the projects sharpened my c/c++ skills,I had new friends, meet new people, see japan, learned japanese.
To anyone and everyone who contributed to my growth -thank you. I hope I was able to contribute something to you too...

What's your most memorable experience during your stay here?

Here is my top six list (btw: most of them happened in japan)

6. I saw miss kimura smile.(btw: the smile was directed to Magsombol)

5. I ate sausages, and nothing but sausages for the whole week. I only stoped when my eyes started to go blind.

4. I tried to buy a prepaid card. I was explaining the concept to the store attendant, and after about 10 minutes of silently listening to my japanese explanation, he very slowly said (in english)- "oh, so you want to buy a prepaid card?"

3. I was PL of a very large project. Problem was, there were only 4 of us. The resulting bug list took5 minutes to open. The reset bugs alone numbered nearly into the hundreds..
After that project, the japanese manager was promptly re-assigned and was never heard of again..(I think he might have killed himself)
*So ye gads, please, please, always do proper estimates*

2. I passed an english document to a client, and some other japanese rose up and explained why the document's grammar was bad, etc.. etc.. I was boiling in anger inside and it was a good thing my manager was near me beacuse I was nearly tempted tosay "Oh, so you know english? I didnt think it was supposed tobe funny".

1. So I was sitting in my chair teaching an impressionable young engineer, when I felt the need to discharge some uh.. gases.. anyway, he resulting smell was so putrid I nearly fell off my chair.. But get this, the engineer pretended not to notice and decides to hide his disgust by pretending to scratch his nose. (I guess he didnt want to offend me. )If I look close enough, I can even see tears starting to form from his eyes. After that I excused myself and went to the bathroom to die in uncontrollable laughter..

Good Times!

btw: the engineer was not a "he" - it was a "she".

What's the worst thing about tsukiden?

Sing this in the parokya tune
Meron ba kayong position after manager?
-> wala
Meron ba kayong retirement plan?
-> wala rin po
Meron ba kayong car plan?
-> ubos na po

Okay, be serious...

Okay, before i say anythings, let me say that I have had my share of defects. I'm inherently lazy. I tend to just do the minimum requirements of the job and not much else. However with that said, there is one thing I'm not guilty of.

This -

Some engineers, PL, JS, S, EM go to work everyday, day after day after day, and show no noticable improvement. Neither in technical, nor in japanese, nor in management. Sometimes, not even in their interpersonal skills...
I mean c'mon, I'f youre doing something everyday for the last five years, wouldn't you at least become proficient in it? Its counter-intuitive, but it happens all the time.

To give a specific example, raise your hand if you
a.) Was able to pass level 3 or level 2
b.) Learn a new programming language
c.) Learned a new library, a new function call, maybe a new design pattern in the programming language he/she does know
d.) Learn and "applied" a new management technique
e.) Made a new friend?

I dont know - Maybe you think the good times wont change?Maybe layoffs and the likes wont happen. No? No chance of that happening? Really? Okkaayyy... but dont say I didnt try to warn you.. *whistles*

(Anyway, And this really gets to me - worst of all, you show nothing, zilch, zero, null, 0x0000h, maru, rei, nada. But you have the gall to expect promotion... As some of my lady friends used to say "The nerve...")

But anyway, to each his own i guess...

Why did I do it?

a) Its all about the benjamins(or in this case the hirohito's)
b) Prairie is too hard. I bailed out before the proverbial alien matter hits the fan.
c) I wanted to be be able to come back, wearing a white hat, unbuttoned flowery shirt, and yellow large necklaces. I will then proceed to say loudly "And init naman dito sa pinas", while wiping my forehead while my face is contorted in a picture of genuine disgust.

No really, why did you do it?

I just have this wanderlust. This need to travel. To see the world, to read another page of the book so to speak.I want to wake up one morning and be able to say to my wife - "Come on baby, pack your bags,we're going to the bahamas". You know, that costs money.The only way I can do such a thing is if I cut my spending and save everything till I have enough - or I can try to find a job which will allow me to earn the money necessary to finance such activities.

Guess which way I chose?

Besides I really want to be able to say "Anginitnamanditosapinas".I've even registered a site for it.
Go check it out:www.anginitnamanditosapinas.com.ph

just joking guys (or am I?)

Anyway, I hope we see each other again.Some more than others.. haha..(just joking2x)

ja ne..