typhoon Milenyo

Secretary Eduardo Ermita has just announced a few minutes ago in
Channel 2's Bandila that there'll be no work in government tomorrow
due to typhoon Milenyo. NCR is now under signal # 2.
And to think that just before the announcement, I was wondering
whether our German class in the DFA is included in the suspension of
classes, earlier declared by CHED and Deped.

Courtesy lane

My brother-in-law finally filed his passport renewal application
today. He and my sister went to DFA after lunch yesterday to do it
but they missed the cut-off time at the courtesy lane.

I told them before I left for work yesterday to go to the DFA first
rather than Divisoria. But my sister thought that it would be wiser
to have the tarpaulin for my nephew's birthday made first in Divisoria
and to use the time waiting for it at the DFA. But the cut-off time
at the courtesy lane of the DFA is 2pm. My brother-in-law was asked
to come back today instead.

I knew that it would only take an hour or less of their time to file
for passport at the courtesy lane. That was what it took my mother
and I when we filed for passports last year.

I didn't know before that that government employees were entitled to a
faster service through the courtesy lane. Imagine that I lined up for
one half-day in 2000 just to renew my passport when I was already
working in the government. I got my passport then in about a week.

But last year, we used the courtesy lane. We filed on a Friday and we
got our passports the following Tuesday. My officemate got it for me
as I was already in the hospital for my operation. One reason that I
got my mother a passport was proper identification in case my
operation went wrong. I thought that my days were numbered :)

Anyway, I am well as can be expected and thanks to courtesy lane, got
a new passport easily.

sayong
09-21-06 11:30pm

friend-finders

I've just checked my Friendster tonight. This is the second time this
month that I was able to see it. I think that my last log-in was
June.

I'm usually too tired at night, so when I turn on my computer at home,
I usually just send a few lines to my blog. I leave the surfing at
the office. But our office network does not allow Friendster, and
chats primarily because these distract people from work.

I wonder then why everyday, the top sites in our office is
filipinofriendfinder.com, photos.filipinofriendfinder.com,
chat.filipinofriendfinder.com or such things.

sayong
09-20-06

first gift

Tomorrow is Ardi, my nephew's first birthday. My mother told my
sister that I was deliberating on what to give him. She said that
they were not expecting any gift; helping take care of my nephew is
enough. But if I insisted, I could buy a cake.
So that's what I did tonight after my German class.

sayong
09-18-06 11:50pm

wanted: yaya

--
====================
Shang Yi

Credo in unum Deum
For He that is mighty has done great things for me - Luke 1:49

magical fountain show

====================
Shang Yi

Credo in unum Deum
For He that is mighty has done great things for me - Luke 1:49

navigational fault

My brother-in-law Quino arrived just an hour ago from Singapore. He
was supposed to arrive at 11:20am but his flight went back to
Singapore after an hour of flying for "navigational fault".

sayong
09-15-06 11:50pm

hectic day

--
====================
Shang Yi

Credo in unum Deum
For He that is mighty has done great things for me - Luke 1:49

work options

My horoscope today, September 12, said: "Your work situation is
bringing you more luck, perhaps with exposure to contacts who will
help you professionally in the near future. Look to be friendly
without appearing too desperate."

But in fact, I've been thinking a lot about my work situation. Our
unit secretary told me yesterday that I might get suspension for my
consecutive tardiness in January and February.

But since my officemate Em told me last February about it, my
tardiness decreased significantly.

In any case, I begun mapping out my options last night. It includes
leaving government service and reentering the private sector as I
don't like a suspension in my work records.

But I like the thought of working abroad better. My high school
bestfriend and I talked about it this morning. She needs to have a
higher-paying job to support her three children. I only want to
travel :)

Que sera sera...what will be, will be. For whatever that will happen,
I feel so positive that it will only be for my good :)

There is a line from a forwarded email that I like: God will not
bring you to where His grace cannot keep you. In short, if God
brought you there, then He will bring you through it.

sayong
09-12-06

cities report

I still haven't really written about my trip and impresiions of
Singapore and I am already studying another city. By the time I
finish my readings and report on Stuttgart, I might have already
forgotten Singapore or might get confused.

Last Thursday, on our first day of make-up classes in German V, our
teacher checked what we have already done for our reports. I am on
the rightb track but I still have a long way to go.

sayong
09-10-06 11:05pm

German month

--
====================
Shang Yi

Credo in unum Deum
For He that is mighty has done great things for me - Luke 1:49

resigning as yaya

I love my nephew but I am "resigning" as his substitute "yaya".

My right arm still hurts. I thought this afternoon that I
was going to be sick with flu because I could hardly lift my arms and
my back was aching today.

Then, I realized that it is just because I'm not used to
exercise. Carrying my nephew is a lot of exercise.

I usually look after my nephew when asked by my sister; but
not as much as since Saturday. His nanny left Friday evening. And
my sister hasn't found a new yaya yet.

She asked one of our older cousins to look after him last
weekend but every time my nephew saw me, he didn't want anyone else to
take care of him. He crawled to wherever I was or lifted his arms as
a sign for me to carry him. When I leave for work this week, I just
run to the door when he his back is turned from me.

He is actually very lovable when he's awake. The difficult
part is getting him to sleep and back to it when he is too itchy from
his skin asthma. The itch usually attacks around 11pm and I can't
sleep until he has fallen back to sleep.

The result is that I've been feeling more sleepy at the
office and that I can only do my report for my German class when I am
at the office. I still haven't finished it and tomorrow is already
the start of our make-up classes for Level 5.

sayong
09-06-07 11:45pm

flooded

A short downpour tonight and Manila was flooded. It took me two hours
to get home when work is just 5 kms. away.

sayong
09-04-06

cheap buys in Ayala

Just as well that I forgot my BPI credit card at home when
my mother and I went to Glorietta, Makati today. Otherwise, I would
be over budget this month, from all those I wanted to buy.

I knew that there was a BPI Zero % Installment Madness in
Glorietta but I didn't know that there was also a 3-day sale in Ayala
Center. I was so tempted to buy my Christmas presents even this early
because the prices of the products on sale might not be this good
later. Most products were 10% less their original price. But there
were also many products that had 50% discount.

I couldn't help thinking how correct the recently published
study of the Swiss banking giant UBS is; that Metro Manila is one of
the cheapest cities to live in anywhere in the world (5th rank). This
includes being one of the cheapest cities in the world to visit for
business or pleasure.

It was also fortunate that I also left my ATM card along
with my BPI credit card.

At least, I was able to buy what I came for in Glorietta --
two Nike backpacks – the most expensive bags I ever bought. I got 10%
discount from one and 25% in the other one. Good enough buys.

sayong
09-03-06 10:40pm