If only for the song choices, my friend Ces' wedding to her long-time boyfriend would be one of the most enjoyable weddings I've attended. Renditions of "Beautiful Day"(U2), "Sunday Morning"(Maroon5), "The Sweetest Thing"(U2) amongst other cool tracks were sang in the church. Cool huh?
Of course there're the usual stuff: the groom cries as the bride walks up the aisle, the officiating priest singing second voice (with blending) to "Our Father", Snoopy dolls with flowers instead of baskets are carried by the flower girls, a 5.3-intensity earthquake, and another 6.5-intensity earthquake. Hm. So it wasn't the usual stiff stuck-up matrimonal ceremony after all. The uncommon-ness extended to the reception, when the couple entered shaking their booties to, if I'm not mistaken, an alternative rock song. And there the cool soundtracks continued as well.
The main highlight for me was a video-slash-movie-slash-filmoire of the day's events. Can you imagine the speed of editing, and real-time direction needed to transform the wedding activities in the morning into a movie, complete with voice-overs, blocking, panning, and soundtrack so that it can be shown at the wedding banquet around lunchtime? Note to self: hire Wally Gonzales Photography for your own wedding IF you win the lottery.
The trail-blazing aesthetics aside, it was the most enjoyable one I've attended so far because the couple really looked like they were having so much fun, which is very contagious. And you can see how they're really into each other. Talk about MFEO. I've never seen a newly-married couple having THAT much fun on their wedding day, at church and at the reception. Weddings can be that much fun pala. It made me think about how I want my wedding to be like, but after leaving the hotel I get to think about the housing loan and construction, Mama's chemo and future treatments, work, getting a car, and I'm back to my reality. Oh well. I live vicariously through other people sometime so the happiness at that wedding helped to distract me a bit.
Saturday, September 27
Sunday, September 21
Mama's First Chemotherapy Cycle
When my mother's oncologist described how the chemotherapy will go, he mentioned Mama just sitting there in a lazy boy, watching TV with an I.V. drip. He wasn't kidding. The TV even had cable channels.
It went faster and smoother that my own first pulsing treatement, really. Much much faster. We were there at the Cancer Center Chemotherapy Unit by 9 o'clock in the morning. Mama was discharged at 11:30 A.M. It would've probably been earlier had I stayed by her side the whole time. I only found out that the session was finished when the companion of the cancerite who shared the chemo room with my mother went looking for me. So my plans to lounge around Starbucks with my Freakonomics book got derailed. A bit dazed and surprised at the pace of the whole session, we went to the mall to have lunch. My mother already wore the face mask I insisted she wear. I'm not a stranger to having low immune system due to chemo sessions.
My mother does not seem to show the commonplace after-effects though. No nausea nor vomiting. There's some lack of appetite but not really that grave. No falling hair yet either. Good signs really. I hope they last, because this is just the first of twelve cycles.
It went faster and smoother that my own first pulsing treatement, really. Much much faster. We were there at the Cancer Center Chemotherapy Unit by 9 o'clock in the morning. Mama was discharged at 11:30 A.M. It would've probably been earlier had I stayed by her side the whole time. I only found out that the session was finished when the companion of the cancerite who shared the chemo room with my mother went looking for me. So my plans to lounge around Starbucks with my Freakonomics book got derailed. A bit dazed and surprised at the pace of the whole session, we went to the mall to have lunch. My mother already wore the face mask I insisted she wear. I'm not a stranger to having low immune system due to chemo sessions.
My mother does not seem to show the commonplace after-effects though. No nausea nor vomiting. There's some lack of appetite but not really that grave. No falling hair yet either. Good signs really. I hope they last, because this is just the first of twelve cycles.
Coming Back From Vacation Leaves
One can never have too many vacations, I always say. But one thing about vacation leaves is that they end. Another sorry thing about vacation leaves is that your pay gets deducted if you exceed your earned leave credits.
I go back to work on Tuesday (I'm on vacation since Friday. I took the leave to be with Mama during her first chemotherapy session). And I expected to have that it-feels-like-I-didn't-go-on-vacation feeling within the same timeline as my previous leaves: 4 hours from loggin in to my laptop. That's how fast all the good feelings of being away from work gets buried in the humdrum of follow-ups, to-do's, escalations, and meetings that welcome me back to rat race reality: 4 hours.
The duration of vacation leave is irrelevant to the timing of reality jerking me back to work. Last August, I went on a 7-day leave for my birthday and I still got the one-can-never-have-too-many-vacations sentiment by lunchtime. If any, I think the duration of the leave impacts the gravity of one's wish that the vacation get extended. The longer the time away from the office, the more you wish it stays that way.
I go back to work on Tuesday (I'm on vacation since Friday. I took the leave to be with Mama during her first chemotherapy session). And I expected to have that it-feels-like-I-didn't-go-on-vacation feeling within the same timeline as my previous leaves: 4 hours from loggin in to my laptop. That's how fast all the good feelings of being away from work gets buried in the humdrum of follow-ups, to-do's, escalations, and meetings that welcome me back to rat race reality: 4 hours.
The duration of vacation leave is irrelevant to the timing of reality jerking me back to work. Last August, I went on a 7-day leave for my birthday and I still got the one-can-never-have-too-many-vacations sentiment by lunchtime. If any, I think the duration of the leave impacts the gravity of one's wish that the vacation get extended. The longer the time away from the office, the more you wish it stays that way.
Monday, September 15
A Place To Rest My Head
That's what I need most of the time these days, between handling arrangements for Mama's medical treatments and meeting the challenges at the office. It's really not easy, this balancing thing. I've already missed two executive meetings. No progress yet on the mentoring program I'm spearheading at work. I haven't gottern around to following through on the house construction plans. I haven't visited my doctor in months either. It's like the backlog both at work and at home is growing and all I can do is just resign myself to the thought that I can't really finish all I wanted to finish in the timeline I wanted. Some level of adjusting plans, re-prioritizing tasks, and accepting mediocre results is needed. Years ago, I blogged about how I need someone to smile at me. At this point, I need a spot to lean my head on, not just a mere pretty smile.
16.09.2008 Generation Gap
Despite my youthful looks and juvenile tendencies, I am mature. And it's getting more apparent specifically in my taste. For example, I really don't understand the phenomenon of High School Musical or the Cheetah Girls. I also don't see anything special about Mylie Cyrus or the Jonas Brothers either. Gaming, PSP,Wii? All foreign to me. The fashion sense of call-center agents I don't appreciate as well. And I specifically detest the the-world-owes-me misplaces sense of entitlement and confidence that today's students and college graduates exude. Really disturbing if the world will be led by these stuck-up pieces of c--p in the future. Too bad all of the above are the "in" things for this generation.
Come to think of it, I'm not even "in" with my own generation. They have their problems of "How do I hook up with this chick?", "My girlfriend's period is delayed", "Is the child really mine?", "When is the next mall-wide sale?", "Do I transfer to another gym?", "It's tuition time again for the kids", "Where do I apply next to get thrice my current salary, net of taxes?", "Where do I migrate?", "My car amortization's due", "Where do I buy a nice condominium?". And that's just a few. Some of MY questions on the other hand, go "Will I ever be able to build THAT house?", "How can I manager funding the house construction AND still afford Mama's treatments AND pay for expenses both at home and at work?", "How can I lead my projectmates well?", "Is THIS it?"
16.09.2008 Generation Gap
Despite my youthful looks and juvenile tendencies, I am mature. And it's getting more apparent specifically in my taste. For example, I really don't understand the phenomenon of High School Musical or the Cheetah Girls. I also don't see anything special about Mylie Cyrus or the Jonas Brothers either. Gaming, PSP,Wii? All foreign to me. The fashion sense of call-center agents I don't appreciate as well. And I specifically detest the the-world-owes-me misplaces sense of entitlement and confidence that today's students and college graduates exude. Really disturbing if the world will be led by these stuck-up pieces of c--p in the future. Too bad all of the above are the "in" things for this generation.
Come to think of it, I'm not even "in" with my own generation. They have their problems of "How do I hook up with this chick?", "My girlfriend's period is delayed", "Is the child really mine?", "When is the next mall-wide sale?", "Do I transfer to another gym?", "It's tuition time again for the kids", "Where do I apply next to get thrice my current salary, net of taxes?", "Where do I migrate?", "My car amortization's due", "Where do I buy a nice condominium?". And that's just a few. Some of MY questions on the other hand, go "Will I ever be able to build THAT house?", "How can I manager funding the house construction AND still afford Mama's treatments AND pay for expenses both at home and at work?", "How can I lead my projectmates well?", "Is THIS it?"
Sunday, September 14
Manager Me
I've been a manager for over two weeks now. Not too sound arrogant or anything, but I knew this was coming. Even before our senior executive called me to his room to congratulate me, weeks before the formal announcement came out. How? I guess it's because I trust in the company process rewarding good performance. And I knew I was performing well.
Anyway, as I told a friend, I still don't feel any different, still don't feel the increase in "power". I still lead a small team because I don't have my own project yet. I still have to be assigned my own set of issues and enhancements. Some changes underscore the change in status though. I now have a digital phone with caller ID and the works. My mail now gets delivered straight to my desk (as opposed to being dumped in mailfolders). I have my own parking space, a gas card, and just in case you're wondering what I'll do with those perks in the absence of my own car, I have an option to get a lease-to-own arrangement for a low-end car model (they say it's enough for a Toyota Vios, if I don't want to shell out anything). I now attend executive meetings and have a say in the planning items.
Instead of "power", I feel the additional responsibilities and expectations. Clearly, the scope if not just about my team anymore, not even just about my project. It's the company. It's a totally different ballgame now. Technical proficiency alone would not suffice. And in a way, I prepared myself to be OK to not emerge at the top of my peers next year, as my peers are now of a different "species". I really don't know how this'll all work out in the coming months.
Anyway, here's to keeping my sanity.
Anyway, as I told a friend, I still don't feel any different, still don't feel the increase in "power". I still lead a small team because I don't have my own project yet. I still have to be assigned my own set of issues and enhancements. Some changes underscore the change in status though. I now have a digital phone with caller ID and the works. My mail now gets delivered straight to my desk (as opposed to being dumped in mailfolders). I have my own parking space, a gas card, and just in case you're wondering what I'll do with those perks in the absence of my own car, I have an option to get a lease-to-own arrangement for a low-end car model (they say it's enough for a Toyota Vios, if I don't want to shell out anything). I now attend executive meetings and have a say in the planning items.
Instead of "power", I feel the additional responsibilities and expectations. Clearly, the scope if not just about my team anymore, not even just about my project. It's the company. It's a totally different ballgame now. Technical proficiency alone would not suffice. And in a way, I prepared myself to be OK to not emerge at the top of my peers next year, as my peers are now of a different "species". I really don't know how this'll all work out in the coming months.
Anyway, here's to keeping my sanity.
Friday, September 5
The First of Eleven
It's a good that my friend Ces isn't that good at remembering birthdays. Otherwise, she wouldn't feel that guilty, enough to buy me Volume One of Neil Gaiman's Sandman Series -- Preludes and Nocturnes.
Collecting the series has always been a part in my plans: birthday plans, Christmas plans, yearly plans. But I haven't really gotten around to do it for a number of reasons: priority of other must-have's, availability of volumes in bookstores, time (specifically the lack thereof) to visit bookstores, and the prohibitive costs of this particular iconic comic series. I didn't think I'd have a copy of Volume One especially now, what with all the charge slips stacking up.
I finished it all in one sitting. Pretty interesting read. I'm looking forward to buying on the remaining ten comic books.
Collecting the series has always been a part in my plans: birthday plans, Christmas plans, yearly plans. But I haven't really gotten around to do it for a number of reasons: priority of other must-have's, availability of volumes in bookstores, time (specifically the lack thereof) to visit bookstores, and the prohibitive costs of this particular iconic comic series. I didn't think I'd have a copy of Volume One especially now, what with all the charge slips stacking up.
I finished it all in one sitting. Pretty interesting read. I'm looking forward to buying on the remaining ten comic books.
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