Minding My Own Business

Employees like us have this eternally-burning desire to be in business. This we see as the window that will allow us to eventually be our own boss and finally earn income to as much as our perseverance and hard-work can bring us.

But for most, this aspiration remains and dies a dream. By just recognizing and assessing our chances against the known risks, backing out or never even bothering to start, is but a normal recourse. Filipinos, unlike the Chinese, have this pre-occupation with the safe side.

For good reason, I surmise. It’s not easy to simply forego assured income and throw away the comforts of employment. Not directly facing the vicissitudes of the market spares us the trouble of protecting our investments. We may not earn stratospheric incomes, but we still live simple, quiet and unharassed lives. To each his own drama, ika nga.

But I have long been wishing to get out of the mold. That’s why I’m now talking business with some very close friends. And as expected, we’re realizing it’s not for the fainthearted! Just at the planning stage, things could really get bloody difficult. For starters, we all cannot imagine gambling away our meager but sweat-stained savings!

I’m not quite sure if I have the acumen for business. I am convinced some people are born with it and I still have to check if I am in any way blessed with the requisite skills. Through all these time, I can only recall very few moments which can qualify as entrepreneurial ventures. And most of them happened when I was but a kid. I remember being an ambulant vendor of pineapples, pechay, eggplants and other garden produce. I may have earned a lot that time but I never really became passionate with making my own money.

But the biggest dampener must have been this incident which happened precisely on one of my birthdays:

The setting: high school in our hometown. Our teachers tried to train us to become adaptable to both home and farm work, so we exchanged places with our female classmates and had a home economics class. We were asked to prepare a vegetable dish and then sell it.

The cooking part was easy. It was more difficult selling the stuff to the town folks.

Pi-nak-beeeet!….. Pi-nak-beeeet! We shouted as our jolly group peddled around the town.

Midway, we passed by one man. The ever bubbly group-leader-me made his practiced pitch:

“Manong, bili na kayo ng pinakbet”, I coaxed him. “Siguradong-siguradong pampalinaw ng mata”.

After some more tries, he remained unperturbed. So we left him.

But after walking just a few paces away, he called us back! We ran sensing a sale.

But as we got near him, he grabbed me by the back of the neck with his left hand, then his right hand threw a quick upper cut. “Ayan, isang order”, he said.

I was bewildered. As he left, he threw a piercing stare.

There I realized what my fault was.

He was half-blind!

From then on, I never ever peddled anything again.

Resuscitating a Dying Friendship

They wouldn’t take “no” for an answer.

I have already blurted out all possible excuses from my deep reservoir of apologies, but nothing worked. Their instruction was for me to be at Gateway before 9:00 that evening. Little did I know that they were men on a mission.

Father Edwin and Kuya Jun, two of Taiwan’s more influential Filipino figures (grin) when I was there, were hell-bent on ending the four-year war between me and a former best friend. Maybe they got tired setting separate appointments each time they needed to catch up on either of us that they decided to put the matter into their hands.

What they were trying to patch up is a soured friendship – a friendship that looked quite strong in the beginning. We were two young expats, both representing government interests, who by virtue of work or circumstance, would normally go together to various Filipino gatherings. We were almost inseparable as we would later nurture a common set of friends. And since our pads were just beside each other, there really was not much room for privacy or individual pursuits.

It was when one tried to shield himself from too much intrusion that the knot was broken. He thought we were already invading hallowed private grounds (as in family affairs) when in truth we were not. You know how it is supposed to be with friends – there is more leeway for jokes and light banter. When one gets hot under the collar without understanding the context or real premise of the stories that get around, war ensues.

As a result, the sense of betrayal was high for both sides. And the resentment bred a mutual antagonism that was unimaginable early on. Your best friend can be your worst enemy, the cliché goes.

But time is yet the best healer. Looking back, it is now easy to recognize that the passions simply ran sky high at the time that we were actually over-reacting. Now, acceptably a more sober time, it is easy to let bygones be what they should and just move on with peace in the heart.

I’m thus thankful there are peacemakers. With pride running loose, it could only be through their firm intercession where the proverbial peace pipe can be smoked.

I’m glad I have regained or at least revived a friendship. Now I’m on a roll. I’ll make sure that my other broken bonds will soon be fixed.

Transformers What?

Having read reviews from blogville and the papers, it dawned on me that much of the buzz generated by Transformers: The Movie particularly harbored on nostalgia. It seemed that most of those who trooped to the movie houses were there to relive their childhood. Everyone seemed to have been, at one time, mesmerized by the action-packed TV series or have played with at least one of the versatile toy versions.

I guess I felt a bit sorry that I can’t relate to their travel down memory lane.

For while I am indeed a child of the 80’s (?), my childhood memories are worlds apart from those of the people I commune with now.

Transformers and all other kidhood TV icons are admittedly greek to me. I was raised in a place where even a battery-powered television set is non-existent. I remember someone tried installing one by his veranda (hoping that the open space would be more conducive to receiving the signal) and its first run became a community activity, much like the inauguration of one grand project. Only that what came out on screen were nothing but dots and we all went home with stiff necks.

Thus, I really never had the chance to get acquainted with Flordeluna or Annaliza. We were introduced to the Sesame Street characters only through notebook covers. We thought Thundercats were pets.

Just imagine how boring I could get if discussions saunter into this territory.

But dare ask me about Magnon, Sisang Tabak, Tagani or Anton Diamante and I’d engage you in endless chatter. Who the hell are these people, you’d ask. They’re radio drama bidas who cultivated in us the same level of fanaticism as Chiz Escudero had for Voltes Five. They were the heroes of our rustic childhood, the idols that would make us dash for home from class.

Toys? I can’t remember of any that evoked a love affair similar to what city boys have had with Japanese robots. Our sources of joy were way simpler: a milk can cover attached to a bamboo stick already becomes a toy roller, a carved tsinelas with coconut leaf becomes an instant sailboat, and tingting with bond paper flies like any kite.

Not being able to declare my own robot story sometimes makes feel like belonging to an age eons apart from my peers. But in times of contemplation, I get convinced that there really is no reason to feel deprived because we did enjoy our rural upbringing. And given a choice, I would still recommend that today’s kids be exposed to the simple life, a life different from what the modern complicated world offers. I swear it will nurture a more austere and down-to-earth outlook, a deeper appreciation of the less expensive, more natural, less fussy side of life.

I Miss Travelling!

My Lakbayan grade is B-!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

One of my earlier jobs brought me to various places in the country, especially the Visayas region. Being a Visayan myself, it was logical for the company to assign me in the implementation and monitoring of projects from Samar to Negros.

It was at first, exciting. I met a lot of people and I practically scoured the mountains of Samar, the beaches of Bohol and Cebu and the sugarlands of Negros. But the regularity of the trips (which could run for three weeks straight) eventually took its toll on my body. It became sooooooo tiring! I later hated the early morning trips to the airport and the sea trips no longer excited me. I felt so relieved when I changed job.

But now, having wallowed in the urban jungle of Manila for so long, I am beginning to yearn for some travel. And checking the Lakbayan map, I guess I really have to visit a lot more places. I still haven’t gone north – Ilocos, Batanes, Benguet. I now am lusting for an eco-tour of Palawan and a return to eye candy-filled Boracay. Would you believe, I have not even set foot at Puerto Galera? Pathetic, huh.

With the grade I got, I resolve to wander again in the next few months. I’m crossing my fingers here.

Reality Check

I saw a college buddy on TV last night, acting as one of the lawyers for Migz Zubiri at the the Supreme Court oral arguments.

My automatic innocent reaction was: “Boy! He looks so old!” Basis? Thick eyeglasses, pampered beer belly.

But the resident ogre at the back of mind blurted back: “If he is old, you too should be, right?”

Silence.

Long, long pause.

“Hindi a. I definitely look very much younger!!”

He he. Talaga namang in denial.

There's a Snake in My Car!

I was cruising España Boulevard last night when, from the corner of my eye, I saw this shiny little black thing slithering through the left edge of my windshield.

I had to take a second look to confirm what it was. And wonder of wonders, it was a snake! Yes, a snake!! More than a foot long and about my forefinger’s size!

I almost screeched to a halt when it moved towards the center of the glass, now right in front of my face. Fortunately, it returned back to the edge, safely grabbing the radio antenna for support.

Then it disappeared. Or so it appeared.

I tried not thinking about it as I drove home but I was edgy, okay, paranoid, all through out the trip. Where on earth did that dreadful thing come from? And the bigger concern is, where could it be now? Is it just camping on top of the car door? Or could it be crawling just beneath my feet? Now, is it a painful sting I’m feeling in my legs?

It’s funny how irrational one gets when he’s afraid.

I could not even get out as I reached home. I had to transfer to the passenger seat first and push the door from there to check if nothing would fall.

Then the count down: five, four, three, two, one …run!

I was laughing when I finally got out, but I still can’t assure myself that it was indeed gone.

Now I need someone who could coax it to get out just in case it’s simply lurking out in any of the car’s recesses.

Or better yet, will anyone of you want to have some joy riding with me? Everything’s on me, I promise.

Dreaming of Leaving

I got my visa to the United States in 2001 while I was still working in Taipei. It was a multiple entry, ten-year visa. I got it without any sweat as my application was endorsed by our de facto embassy in Taiwan. Connections do work, even abroad.

I have always hoped I could use it since then, but no such luck. My schedules, both in school and with the office, were in constant conflict. Now, the visa is way past half its age and it may just expire unused (think of dying a virgin and you’ll know the level of frustration I’m having, he he).

But hope springs eternal, as the cliché goes.

I just received an e-mail from a kababayan with an offer of free accommodations. Whoa! Was I excited! With no more classes to consider, I realized that there is indeed a possibility I could go. It’s just a matter of finding the right timing. Making the itinerary will be easy after that.

Hmm. Will the trip ever come true? I sure hope it will.

Been to much stress lately, I guess I need to be in an entirely different atmosphere. Will a white Christmas be too much to ask?

We’ll see.

SICK

Just got back from sickbay. I had a terrible four-day struggle with a persistent flu (am still feeling groggy as of this writing, but fine, I guess).

Cause? Physical and Emotional stress (that’s the Dr. House in me speaking).

Now, the cost:

Medicines:
Self-prescribed - P 500.00
Doctor prescribed – P 1,650.00

Electric Bill
(aircon, DVD, etc. P 600.00 ++

Fruits & other food P 1,000.00 ++

My gulay! That’s almost four thousand pesos down the drain!

Imagine. That money could have purchased cases of beer and plates of hearty pulutan in our sidewalk tambayan. Or it could have shouldered the weekend trip to Subic or Mindoro. Or a good massage and sumptuous dinner from a cozy spa. Damn! Damn!

If I Were a Super Hero

There's this site that gives you the chance to live your fantasies. Just take the test and check out the results. Hmm. Obvious bang walang mapag-tripan? He he.

Here's what the oracle told me: (at walang magrereklamo! Mag-test na lang din kayo.)

You are Superman

Superman 85% The Flash 85% Green Lantern 85% Hulk 80% Spider-Man 65% Iron Man 65% Robin 60% Batman 55%

You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz