Garfield

If there is one person, or animal (whichever is appropriate), that I would want to be, it's him. I want to be Garfield!

I live by his principles. I seize every opportunity to be like him in every possible way. To just lie around and do nothing. Very fulfilling!

Especially after a very long week of stressful work, it helps to just laze around, think nothing, see nothing, hear nothing. Come to think of it, if one lives by it, one lives a very law-abiding existence. It's synonymous to doing no evil, seeing no evil, thinking no evil. 

If this is the case, Garfield is a saint then! He should be if he isn't. I will pass a resolution to canonize him!

Oh yeah. That will be a lot of work. Lots and lots and lots of work. And that's a contradiction to his principles...

Might as well just laze around, do nothing, dream nothing, today. This is his legacy. He will live forever, anyway... =)

The chronicle of sale

I just got home from a sale at Expo!

My branch mate, Su, called me up yesterday to tell me there were a lot of books, among all other stuff, being on sale there. She was excited. The books were flagged at the cheapest price, she said. I got excited too. So I dragged my friends to accompany me.

We went there today.

What did I get from going to the sale? Aside from headache, because of a number of people swarming the place, varicose veins due to too much standing, a hole in my pocket, high blood pressure, kidney failure (the long queue in dirty toilets made me rather hold it until I reached our abode), what else did I get from going to the sale, you ask??

THIS WAS WHAT I GOT FROM THE SALE. The Complete Chronicles of Narnia. THE COMPLETE Chronicles!!! Eeeeeee!!!!

When I saw it, I couldn't believe it. Compiled 

in one book? All for the price of one? I flipped it. I gasped. $51.90! Too high a price! Reasonable, but too high!

Holding the most  precious book (all other books became muggle-like before my eyes), I headed for my friends who were already queueing up at the counter. I cut in (hehehe). Unsure, I asked for their opinion. Still unsure, I started to recompute my budget just to have this book. I'd still have enough to last me until next payday, I believed.

Ready to let go of my precious $52, I headed for the cashier. It was my turn. When I handed the book over, the guy assisting me asked the lady beside him for the price. I thought I heard angels singing when she opened her mouth. She uttered the most magical statement I heard for the day. "It's only $8", she said. EIGHT DOLLARS!! My eyes twinkled. I almost kissed her.

Aslan, here I come! =)

A very productive series of unfortunate events

I was very gloomy these past few days. But now that I got over the very tragic news, and found out that we still have our job, which, by the way, I sooooo enjoy, we decided to celebrate it by going to...

Suntec! (where else?)

Yeah... That's Suntec. A flood of people were in our way, but we didn't care. We were blood sisters. Our pact is to take pictures wherever. Whenever. Forever!

Actually, to tell you a bit of history, the plan initially was to go to Chinatown to look for (and buy) something worthwhile for our family and friends in the Philippines. And the second plan was to have coffee afterwards, to celebrate our resuscitation. The intentions were good. So good they were almost divine. So divine they seemed too good to be true. 

And like all other great and perfect plans, materializing them was always the hardest part. The moment we stepped on Suntec's enticing floor, we had amnesia. A persistent amnesia, I tell you.

What was the first plan again?? Oh yeah. Chinatown. Chinatown... Chi... Charles and Keith! Hahahahaahaah! (Was I bad???)

Yeah... Another bag. Another penny spent. Another guilt. =)

First plan (trip to Chinatown): crossed out. Second plan: Coffee. So off we went to our favorite hangout: Starbucks.

Unfortunately, like the first plan, Starbucks Coffee had gone with the wind. Gone.. with... the ... wind... 

The problem with Starbucks is that it is very popular, everybody spends their time there. Everybody. At least tonight. There were no more seats left for four pretty ladies. Argh!

We ended up going to Gloria Jeans instead (which we kind of regretted).

Nothing, nothing, will ever beat Starbucks.

And that was our journey. Very productive, huh. 

After chitchatting, as if we hadn't seen each other for ten millions years, the fab four decided to call it a day. Again, just like last Saturday, I asked Noreen if she wanted to spend the night at out place.

But she wouldn't budge. She declined my offer. For some reason, as much as her body wanted to, she just couldn't take a rest at our place. Can it be because of other entities that lurk beneath our walls??? Hmmnn...

This is it

And the list has been revealed...

It's like death. You're just waiting for your time. Patiently. Irritatingly. While tears are falling.

One by one, the faces have been named. Little by little, the branches become gloomier and gloomier. And eventually, everyone I know will be crossed out from the list.

Four hundred names. Four hundred plans will fail. Four hundred worlds will change.

Tomorrow is another struggle.

Modern Day Cinderella

The brighter side of my Saturday fever...

My friend, Malou, decided to celebrate her birthday yesterday. It was held at her boyfriend's place, in Harbour Front. Seven of us were invited. 

After eating, we decided to go outside of the house, taking some of the food and drinks with us. We took pictures; we conversed. We talked about the infamous happening that's going to change our career and leisure life forever. We forgot about it. We sang. We talked about it again. We laughed. We sighed. We despised guys. We sang again. To sum it all up, we were happy.

We decided to go home at about eleven o'clock. We rode the bus, laughing again. We wanted to end the night in felicity. We alighted. Then we took the MRT next.

I was walking towards the MRT, strutting on my lovely heels, without a care in the world. My friends were already on the escalator. I and Lyn, my other friend, were about to take it when something held me back. I felt my right heel slipping in a space on the floor. It got stuck! I couldn't make a step even if I wanted to. I looked at the roof and yelled, "Pusang gala!"

Stupid? Yeah. Embarrassing? Double yeah. I tried to jerk it to free it using my foot, but couldn't. I gave up. I took off my right shoe and was about to grab it when I saw a man leaning. He leaned so he could take it out from the steel that trapped it. He even had a hard time, because when he did, the steel was pulled off together with my shoe. When it was finally released (whew), he, acting like a super gentleman, wanted (or so I think) to help me wear my shoe. I didn't know how to act. Hesitantly (this hesitation may just be my imagination), he just laid the shoe near my foot so I could do it myself. I looked at my friends on the escalator. They were all laughing.

Yeah... yeah... yeah... He was a life saver. A gentleman. A one-in-a-million-that's-almost-extinct type of guy. He didn't have to do it. He could have just ignored me for all he cared. But he stopped and helped this clumsy, a damsel-in-distress girl, without hesitation. My friend, Hazel, thought it was very sweet. I should have given my name and my number.

The good thing about Singapore is that it is very small, I could bump into him anytime soon. Or so I wish. I thanked him anyway. But my friends say it was not enough. Yeah, they were probably just teasing me. Or maybe not. A guy like that deserves appreciation that is more than just saying thanks. It's a good thing to know that some people still do help others, in any way they can. And it's a lot better to realize that there are still guys out there who are willing to be a knight in shining armor, no matter how idiotic a situation can be.

Guys aren't bad, eh?

Is this goodbye?

Eleven months. Eleven short months.

The contract says I'm tied for two years. Supposedly tied for two years. I left everything that matters to me, believing that the world beyond will give me greener pasteur. But the chase is cut short. My tracks have stopped. I haven't even got there yet. I haven't even reached the entrance.

When the news leaked out, it became the headline the next day. Everyone knows about it, even private individuals. But life had to go on. The operations need not be disturbed by the inevitable.

I was still wearing the smile on my face; happily rendering service to my clients. I decided to forget about it yet. Until I served this auntie.

After the transaction, she, in her very subtle and discreet way, dragging her bag to cover her lips, asked me if I would be part of this retrenchment. I told her we don't have the information yet. She said, oh, so you don't have the list yet, then did the most unexpected thing. She extended her arms to reach my hands.

In this part of the world, in this small island where everything is about being fast that the littlest, most touching things, are prone to neglect, it is notable that some still stop and take the effort to give a part of their heart. When she held out her hands, I accepted them. She said good luck. I almost cried.

They said that the last ones to come in would be the first ones to go. I guess this is how the system works. But I'm still optimistic. Until the dreadful list is revealed, I will still be smiling, wholeheartedly be serving my clients, and give them the best service in my own way.

I hope this is not goodbye.

Tick tack tick tack

The clock is ticking. The time is near. Finally.

I have started to have visions about it. I don't have plans yet. No particular things to do. But one thing's for sure: I will finally be home.

This might be the most significant Christmas of my entire existence. Last year was the worst. Spent it in an MRT station, on our way back to our "home away from home." It was a new experience. A new realization. Just what I needed to start appreciating again.

And now the countdown has begun. The leaves are falling. I will be home again.

Finally.