Singin' in the Rain

I used to write e-mails to my friends before. Before e-mails, I even had hand-written letters sent to them.

Anyway, in our e-mail exchange, we usually have our random Top 5 things - the beginning of which I cannot remember. In the e-mail I sent on October 5, 2007, I had the

TOP 5
na gusto ko present sa first ever concert ko

1. Madonna Vogue Microphone
– Headphone pa rin ba
iyong tawag sa ginamit ni J. Lo sa wedding planner?

2. Microphone Stand
– Gusto ko maka-try talaga
magkanta/magperform na may microphone stand. Sige gud
katawa mga officemates ko when I asked them magkano
ang microphone stand.
(Gusto ko iyong makaluma na microphone (parang Michael Buble). Ayaw ko iyong glitter-glitteran gaya kay Mariah Carey and Charice)

3. I have to sing Ain’t No Mountain High Enough ..
hehe!
(I remembered when I sang this in our House Party in Manila. Akala ng iba lasing na daw ako, eh Coke lang jud ang giinom ko.. haha!)

4. I get a chance to play the piano, drums and guitar
.. hehe!
(Multi-tasker!)

5. Guest ko si Gary V
- local muna bago intl!

* Recent comments are in italics

Statistically Speaking

"SWS : Unemployment up, now affects 11.3M Pinoys"

Yup, that's one of the recent news you have probably heard or read.

I think it is pretty much a known fact that a number of people here in the Philippines are not employed.

But are we just going to end up with that statistics that the unemployment rate goes up?

Has anybody checked out the number of job fairs held every now and then, not just within this city but in Metro Manila as well?

Has anybody checked out the classified ads in newspapers with companies looking for people to hire, not just the national newspapers but local as well?

Has anybody asked why these people, who are part of the statistics, are unemployed?

Maybe some are just overqualified.

Maybe some just lack qualifications.

Maybe some just do not want to work in those fields where there is much hiring.

Maybe some work is not that appealing to many.

Maybe some feel that the compensation and benefits are not enough for that type of work.

Maybe some just do not want to work.

I know that the government should find ways to answer the unemployment problem.

But it does not end there. And it does not mean that we all have to blame it on our government.

I read the news everyday. And everyday. I read both the local and national news. I know I have something that keeps me going but I always check out the ads - companies looking for accountants, bookkeepers, drivers, sales person, etc. - and that's just within this city. If you check out the jobs section, there are huge ads from companies luring people to apply with them. They do not just offer bonuses, they even offer free breakfast! Most of them are looking for call center agents, among others.

Aside from that, has anybody noticed the job fairs in the malls every now and then? Jobs that are offered are not just for those who are interested to work within the Philippines but outside as well.

So, I guess it's pretty safe to say that there is more behind the statistics.

Just something to think about ;)

Xerox

Another e-mail I sent to another friend, dated July 17, 2005.
I really want to share this part:

May istory pala ako sa iyo. Kasi sa office ng daddy
ko may photocopyanan (imbento ng word) kami. Tabi ng
office kay parang bangko ng mga pulis at
sundalo. Anyway, si manong na malamang tagabukid, na
magkuha ug kwarta probably kay anak niya sundalo,
nagpafotocopy. Sabi ko "one fifty lang nong". Alam
mo magkano gibigay sa akin? One hundred fifty pesos.
Sus! Kaya pala siya nagkuha ng bill .. akala ko wala
siyang sinsilyo. Nag-ana jud ko Lyn na "piso and
singkwenta cents lang daw nong oi". Ana siya "aw,
abi man gud nako". Sus! Wala jud siyang idea ano ang
photocopy ba .. kay nag-ana pud gud siya na "in-ani di
ai ang Xerox dai". And he was willing to shell out
that much, eh malaki na gud iyon sa kanila. Paano na
lang kung buang (o mas buang sa akin) ang nagphotocopy
.. luoy kaayo. Maka-isip ka gani na sus na lang jud
ang Pilipinas, iba ang ginaprioritize gani .. like
politics.

Makaiyak pa rin ako hanggang ngayon ...

Back to the Future

I was going through the e-mails I sent and
I chanced upon an e-mail I sent to my friend last Oct. 6, 2005.
Here's an excerpt of that e-mail :

Meron akong classmate na sabay kami ga-uwi kasi sa
kabilang street lang din siya nakatira.
Kwento-kwento intawon sa jeep. Gi-ask kasi ako nung
isang classmate ko if gusto ko ba jud mag-law kasi if
gusto ko jud bakit pa ako nag-work before. Sabi ko
gusto man gud i-save ang world (hahaha .. pero dala
tinuod gamay .. this was a part of ms n's message
to me, parang ayaw niya ako paalisin pero what can she
do if I want to save the world). In addition, sabi ko
sa classmate ko na may opportunity kasi na nagdating,
and natanggap ako kaya kinuha ko. Tapos sabi ko ok
man ang work ang people. Pero hindi ko lang talaga
makita ang sarili ko long-term and I had the feeling na I
had to study law na, since naisip ko na man din iyon
before. Kung ayaw ko na rin mag-law, eh di
mag-artista! Katawa na gud sab mi! Sabi ko din,
ngayon na naga-aral ako, mahirapan ako makita ang
sarili ko asan ako after maging-lawyer (char lang).
Gusto ko man jud mag-serve, pero ayaw ko maging
politico. Gusto ko maging lawyer pero hindi ko makita
ang sarili ko sa court. Gusto ko sa government, pero
sa napag-aralan namin, dapat wala kang financial
interest sa business when you are in top government
positions. In short, maka-sideline ka lang at the
staff level. Gusto ko maging lawyer para mag-teach ng
law sa undergrad (mas madali I think compared if I
teach tax .. basic accounting and partnership baka
pwede pa) and mag-sign ng mga affidavit. Gusto ko sa
government pero kahirap when you earn or receive
something, baka isipin ng iba nangurakot kahit hindi
naman kasi bigay ng kapatid ko from States .. hehe ..
Sabi ko ok lang sa akin mag-aral uli na related sa
crime scene investigation, pero maulaw na pud ko na
mag-aral na naman .. hehe! Anyway, malayo pa man yun,
napag-isipan ko lang pero hindi gina-worry, mamaya
mamatay na ako bago ako maka-graduate, nagworry pa ako
di ba?

I was really amused at myself - on what I wrote and how I wrote.
But reading this e-mail and relating it to my present life ... it's weird!