In Any Language: January 2008

Mediterranean Heights housing

The surprises these past days were more of a shock.

Today, I got the notice of installment/amortization from
PAG-IBIG for the purchase of my house.

I reserved for a lofthouse in Mediterranean Heights last
July. I completed the last of the requirements (24 months of PAG-IBIG
contribution) last December 7. I should be glad that PAG-IBIG readily
approved my housing loan and I will have my own house...but I am not.

My mother and I dropped by MH last Christmas to see how much
has already been constructed. For our block, we only saw steel bars.
The next block already had houses even if they were not painted yet.

It surprised me therefore to read PAG-IBIG's notice that the
lofthouse has already been taken out last December 13. What I
gathered from the PAG-IBIG housing loan seminar that I went to last
July, it inspects the house before approving the loan. There was no
house last Christmas and much less last December 13. The developer
hasn't even contacted me since November. The seminar also informed us
to course our amortization to the developer for two years after
take-out.

Anyway, I will verify these with PAG-IBIG this Friday.

sayong
01-11-08 1am

black day

I will mark this year's Feast of the Black Nazarene as one
of my black days. My eyes are puffy and hurt from crying. Our unit's
current officer-in-charge didn't permit me to continue studying French
at the Foreign Service Institute on official time.

I asked repeatedly but I was denied. I reasoned that I
would only be gone one and a half hours a week, that our consultant
researcher-writer promised to be present on the days that I would have
to leave early for class, and that we'd have a new researcher soon as
we will begin interviewing shortlisted applicants this Thursday.

I was told that in those short time, anything can happen and
that those that would be left behind couldn't be trusted to do the
research and coordination right, especially the future employee.

Though I am made to sound indispensable, I know perfectly
well that it is not true. I know that I can do the job efficiently
but others can do that as well. A new employee might take a little
time but will learn the ropes soon enough.

But most of the time, our unit is not receptive to training
people. The argument is that we are so busy and that our work is
always urgent, that there is just no time to train. It is no wonder
that after Em and Kristine left, I am the youngest at 35. And no
wonder that the unit is dying. The old people just wanted to stay
while the younger ones resign. I already asked last November to be
rotated (transferred to another unit) but because we are so few, I was
told to wait and keep my patience.

Anyway, I am heartened that my teacher volunteered to write
the office and convince the bosses. She really feels bad about losing
one of her best students…ehem…. Most classmates also expressed their
sympathy. What is this batch's FSI French class without me? :)

sayong
01-10-08 2:25am

The Secret

I started looking for the book, The Secret, when I read that Leslie
Cruz (one of the victims of the Glorietta 2 explosion last October)
was searching for it before she died.
I was amazed when a friend abroad sent it to me, when I haven't even
told her about it.

sayong
01-08-08

Christmas still

It still feels like Christmas as I continue to receive gifts. Today,
I got two more gifts from classmates and a sack of rice. This one
also made my mother happy :)

sayong
01-07-08 12:55pm

hard to do

My high school bestfriend told me tonight to dispose of my
old knickknacks. I agree but I always run out of time. Or I am
simply not organized Or better yet, just sentimental. I started
the day cleaning my cabinet. I ended up sewing instead of disposing
some clothes :)

sayong
01-06-08 11:50pm

Millionaires Game

I have just finished playing Millionaires Game with my niece
Patricia Joy (8 yrs. old) and nephews Timboy (11) and Tomtom (10).
Yes, it's past 12mn but they are allowed to stay tonight as they don't
have classes yet.

I can't remember the last time I played it...perhaps 5 years
ago. But certainly, my playmates when I bought it 11 years ago were
their parents and other cousins who were all single then. I will not
remember when I bought had I not written it on the box. My memory is
not that good :)

Timboy asked me last Friday night if we could play it and we
played it then, this Saturday morning and then again, tonight. The
clear winner is, of course, me :)

Aside from learning how to use money wisely (when to buy and
when not to). I told them tonight that the important values I want
them to learn from playing it are honesty and fair play. It is only a
game and yet, they would have cheated one another if I were not there.
My godson Timboy was the most hotheaded. I told him that if it were
real life, he would get into a lot of trouble. In the end, they were
happy with what they made and wanted to play it again.

sayong
01-06-08 1:20am

OPSOG Party

I love this year! Everyday brings its own pleasant surprise and I feel happy.
When I went to work this morning, I pegged the reason for my
happiness... like that of being in-love :)...on my giving, sharing and
knowing that I make other people happy. I know that my niece and
nephews were happy from my gifts and food last January 1. On my way
to work yesterday, I quadrupled my usual pedicab fare to give
additional income to the driver who didn't have that many passengers
yesterday.
Today, I shared my groceries with my sister.
But tonight, I got my own pleasant surprise.