A DISASTER IN THE LOOMING



Typhoon Reming (international code Durian) is expected to hit Manila on Friday morning. I'm not taking any chances and have stayed home as early as Thursday. Hee.

And ever the worrier, I've also stacked up on Winston Lights, beer, and chips. Hindi natin alam, baka hagupitin ng bagyo yung pabrika ng Fortune Tobacco tsaka San Miguel, diba? Nagkakagulo sa grocery kanina. Panic shopping ang mga tao. Pati sa Nike, Bayo, at People Are People, ang haba ng pila. Matindi nga yata itong bagyong 'to. Hmm... Makababa nga uli at matingnan kung may GSM Blue pa sa grocery.

UNTITLED

The last time this happened, you took away someone I love so dearly.

The waiting is killing me. I can't think straight. The day passes as a blur and all I do is stare into blankness. Unable to move. Unable to speak.

So please. Tell me now.

DOES SHE KNOW?

Just finished a very long one on one meeting with my boss here in Hong Kong. I wonder if she has any inkling that I'm entertaining thoughts of moving to another company? We were talking about plans for fiscal year 2007, what my long term plans are as far as my career is concerned, all that. A lot of what I would be doing, of course, depends on how much longer we will be engaging China Subcon #1. That has been bulk, almost 75%, of what I have been doing for 2006. Now that the qualification activities are over and we're finally doing production builds, we're starting see what we have dreaded for the past three quarters. We're having a lot of issues with China Subcon #1. Process control is almost non-existent. The people who decided to relocate to China from Hong Kong are now disillusioned and a lot are thinking of resigning, or altogether have resigned already.

Instead of answering my question directly, she dangled what I would think is carrot. How would I like to be part of the team that will engage the new subcons? Hmm, this has always been what I would think to be the ideal job. But why is she giving me my ideal job? Something smells fishy here...

Anyway, interview with the second German company will be this Friday evening. It's gonna be a tightrope. We're leaving China on Friday afternoon, the probably have dinner somewhere in Hong Kong, then off I go to the meeting. I hope I don't get too drunk. Better skip the alcohol during the early part of the evening. Celebration or otherwise, I'd do the drinking after the interview.

DOING THE ROUNDS AGAIN

I just finished an interview a couple of hours ago. About early October, a headhunter based in Berlin emailed me and asked if I was interested in working for a semiconductor company based in Germany. Of course I am. So after a couple of emails and a phone call from this headhunter, I was hooked up with a strict sounding German guy by the name of Mr. Wagner (I know, so typical German!). We talked for about 30, 45 minutes. I think I did okay. It seems like I fit the bill for whoever they were looking for, but I'm not about to say I did really well in that interview. You never know these Germans. You just don't know what they're looking for.

Next week, I'm also having another interview for the same German company but with a guy from another business division. Thing is, I didn't tell this second party that I'm already having discussions with someone from the same company. Should I or shouldn't I? I have a feeling I shouldn't, since there hasn't been any solid offer laid out so far. Never hurts to keep that extra ace card up my sleeve, right? Then again, was that the right thing to do?

I don't even know why I'm even entertaining all these guys who wants to interview me. This reorg is beginning to scare me. The announcement was supposed to have been done November 1st, but we still haven't heard even a peep from anybody what's it going to be like. Best bet is that my boss' boss is on his way out. Too bad, he was really such a nice guy. Fatherly figure, he was more of a mentor than a boss. Now, in the case of our boss... It's like you want her to go but the thought of someone I'm not comfortable with replacing her is making me balk at that idea. I just want this reorg done and over with. Let's go. Let's move on.

CAIPIRINHA



Gusto na uli kitang makita.

ULAN

ang lakas ng buhos ng ulan kagabi. dito na muna ako sumilong, sa tabi ng isang ginagawang gusali sa tapat ng podium. pinatay ay makina, binuksan ang ipod, at inihiga ang upuang dalawang oras na sumasalo ng pwet kong sumasakit na. habang tumutugtog ang bandang eraserheads, hindi ko mapigilang isipin na parang naging ipod ang buhay ko nitong mga nakaraang linggo. nandun na parang love song, nandun na parang masaya, at kadalasan nama'y tugtuging mabilis na parang gustong sumabay sa bawat patak ng tubig na nahuhulog sa bubong ng awto ko.

ulan. yan ang kailangan ko ngayon. isang milyong patak na sapat na para agusin lahat ng bahid ng pagkakakilala ko sa yo.

tubig. para malinisan ang isip ko at pawiin ang uhaw sa pagod na dulot ng walang katapusang sagutan.

salamat, ulan.

I'M WITH YOU, GORGEOUS



Hey, you'll always have a friend in me. I'm just clicks away.

ME? SEXY?

I just found out today that my other blog was listed as part of the Sexiest Filipino Bloggers. I haven't been updating that particular blog for some time now. Is this a sign for me to start sleeping around again? Hahaha!

TEN PESOS

Ten pesos. That's all it took for the little girl, no more than ten years old, to finally go home after hours of peddling pamunas.

On our way to PGH last Thursday night, my wife asked me for ten pesos to pay a streetkid selling pamunas, those scraps of cloth sewn together to make a small rag. And being the bad me, at first I just made an excuse that I couldn't find any coins. Reluctantly, I handed her a handful of coins. After getting the ten pesos, she asked for this small girl to come over and she bought her ten pesos worth of rags.

What happened next struck me speechless.

The small girl got her ragged bag from the curb, turned to smile at us, then walked away. We knew then she was going home already. It was close to 10:30 in the evening. Slightly drizzling. All she needed was ten pesos more to finally dispose of her rags.

BABY I'M PERFECT FOR YOU



Wow, six years. That's how long we've been together as a married couple. There are so many things I want to tell you but I don't know where to start. Being the engineer that I am, I'll do what I do best... the list...

Sorry for...
... raising my voice sometimes. No excuses.
... sneaking up inside the house when I come home late. I just don't want to wake you up, even though I know how lightly you sleep whenever I'm not home and you end up getting up scared in the middle of the night by the sound of my footsteps.
... the toxic travel schedule. I didn't know it was gonna be like this when I took on the job. Don't worry, I'm doing something about it. Fancy living in Hong Kong? :-)
... leaving the dining area such a mess when I make it my work table. Hey, I'm a guy.
... not taking good care of my health. I want to quit, you know that. But not right now.

Looking forward to...
... our next vacation. You always make all of our trips memorable.
... buying you your own camera. I'm sorry you weren't able to get your pics together with the Fab Five when you shared the plane trip with them to Manila.
... buying you your "wow" cellphone. You're a manager. Look the part, please, and that includes your gadgets. ;-)
... the rest of the lifetime with you. And yes, we'll work on the little one once we our schedules permit.

I love you.