March 2006
Monthly Archive
March 17, 2006
The other day, I was talking to Boni over the phone while waiting for the bus. After the how-are-you-how’s-your-love-life-how’s-everything talk, I asked him if whether working abroad is an option for him after college. It isn’t at the top of his priority and that he believes that working in the country would help our nation more. I argued that working abroad means helping the country in a certain perspective. I also told him that there are tremendous opportunities outside the Philippines and that if you really work hard somewhere else, you get paid more decently. I kinda think that even though you work your ass off in the Phil., for most cases, you still get paid little. Take for instance, public school teachers, bank employees, etc. No wonder, more and more Filipinos are working in call centers nowadays.
Then, our conversation shifted to employment stuff. A common friend of ours is graduating in a couple weeks and I asked Boni if our friend is looking for a job. He told me that he encouraged her to send an application in Procter and Gamble (where he is currently in a 1 year OJT). I asked if he would talk to somebody that might be able to help our friend get in. He responded by saying that they have a process and that there’s nothing he could possibly do. I couldn’t believe what I’ve just heard. I mean, almost all companies use the power of “connections” when hiring some applicant. Let say, applicant A and applicant B are both well qualified for the position they are vying, but applicant A knows someone inside the company. It is just but fitting to say that applicant A would definitely get the job. Right?
Although I admitted to Boni that it is definitely better to get in through your own merits, realistically speaking, the world now revolves in the “I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine” attitude. He asked me why I was conforming to such system and why I was adapting to it when I don’t necessarily believe in it. I couldn’t help but wonder.. Why do some people follow certain dogmas even though their inner voice is saying not to? Is the world nowadays filled with so much noise than one cannot hear oneself anymore?
March 12, 2006
Lolo turned 90 a couple of days ago. Lola is in her 80’s. They got married when Lola was 28. That’s more than 50 years of marriage; more than 50 years of lives spent together. Their marriage was never perfect. For instance, just last month, I saw them quarrel. They were like two teens but what amazes me is that, after everything’s been said and done, they seem to get pass with what they were arguing about. No need for apologies. They understood each other right there and then.
My grandparents are different from what they used to be. They no longer held hands, (wait, they do! to assist each other while walking. Haha! But you know what I mean, they no longer held hands like young lovers often do), they no longer say “I love you” that often either. What they’ve maintained throughout the years is that they still talk. There would be times when lola would continuously talk and lolo seemed to listen intently. No response was needed from him. Sometimes, one would even complete the sentence of the other. Their conversations have become the outlet of their feelings for one another. By talking, they demonstrate how they care and love the other person. But it’s more than the physical aspect of talking, more like two hearts in perfect harmony, communicating, understanding, forgiving, and loving; creating a beautiful music they both share.
I love my grandparents so much. They’re the reason why I am here, fulfilling my dreams. They have sacrificed a lot and have given our families so much love and blessings. But much more than that, they continuously give hope that my plus one is somewhere out there.
“Love is not because you deserve it or not. It is what it is.”
March 9, 2006
I admire people who live within the borders; those who challenge the normalities the world has to offer. They are the ones who face life, explore the beauty of it, and experience the essence of what life is all about. To blindly follow a custom or tradition is cowardice. Sometimes, we have to be brave and question stuff even though we may be seen as odd, a rebel, or weird. This makes us more intelligent and sometimes, these inquiries results to more questions than ever. That’s perfectly fine. We enrich ourselves all the more.
Complexities of a prince\'s life... 