Firefly In July

I stopped following the local news a long time ago and so I wasn’t aware of the latest frenzied scandal that started on Duty Free then landed on ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol program last week.  It all revolved around a certain Boyet Fajardo.

Who is he anyway?  I have never heard the name, well… not until last night when his cruel, disrespectful, and pitiless behavior towards a lowly store cashier was the subject of a heated exchange of thoughts among my teammates.  Us, who didn’t see the report on TV immediately browsed youtube for the video and here’s what we saw… and boy, did it get our blood really boiling!

I know such breed of people exist in this imperfect world but watching it in action is beyond unnerving.  Deranged elitists who act as if they can buy the dignity of anybody just shouldn’t be allowed to freely use innocent people as sounding boards for their insecurities.

I had some working experience with a credit card company and I know that asking for identification to verify the identity of the cardholder is not only acceptable but more so a prudent one, considering the high incidence of credit card frauds.  It is not only meant to protect the store but also the cardholder from unauthorized purchases.   Mr. Fajardo should have been thankful that the cashier is efficiently doing his job and could have exercised more patience instead of arrogance and irrational superiority.

Mr. Fajardo came out in the open after the unexpected exposure and issued a public apology.  Yes, he did…. but an apology that carried not the slightest touch of sincerity.  His forced tears and lame excuses gave it all away…  His publicist called it “creative outburst”, his client being a fashion designer and an “artist”.

I believe in the unbreakable chain of Karma that  what goes around comes around.   And someday, such people will get what they deserve.  Like right now, for Mr. Boyet Fajardo…. his creative outburst made him the famous designer he always dreamed of becoming.

I can feel the pulsating presence of summer…. its so freaking hot!!!!

I went out last Friday afternoon to meet up with some friends at the office.  Since it’s only a short distance from our house, I decided to just take a cab, and which, on that day…. turned out to be a very bad idea.  I cant understand why of all days, all cabs seemed to have conspired to avoid passing by our street.  Not a single cab in sight!  As I stood there in the street, baking under the afternoon sun, I felt my poor brain melting in its hollowed shell.  Each minute that lapsed meant a thousand brain cells disintegrating in the extreme heat.  Unable to stand it any longer, I boarded the next jeepney that came along.  By that time, I was already a tanned moron and my armpits were drenched in perspiration.  What a harsh reminder how severe and unforgiving the summer heat can get!  Months on nightshift,  sleeping the afternoons away with the A/C on, have made me forget that.

Today is no exception.  We went for our routine weekly walks at Esplanade and though the long expanse is situated next to the Manila Bay, it did little to lessen the scourging heat.   The only relief is the occasional sea-scented wind, sweeping across the grounds and lightly drying our sweat soaked shirts.

Here I am, changed to the spare shirt, looking haggard and exhausted.  Summer is the time when this part of the world turns into a large frying pan, everyone gets toasted and that’s just the way it is…  Hopefully in my case, it wont be beyond my wits.

Mark and I were snooping around for camera sale when we noticed this posting prominently displayed in a store’s window.

See the new price for the IXUS 85IS?  I dont know of anyone who would prefer the price increase… not a good way to entice customers, huh.   It is likely that it’s just a typo error but obviously, nobody double checked.  We are going to the mall later today… just for curiosity’s sake, maybe I’ll drop by the store and see if the ad’s still there, unchanged and unnoticed.

Summer heat and long hair do not blend well together.  Since the first is uncontrollable, its often the hair, no matter how luxurious, that  suffers the ultimate slaughter.

I’m prepared to stand it out.. the heat and sweat.  If anybody’s getting  a haircut this summer, its not gonna be me! But for Wilson, it’s entirely a different story.  His long white hair clothing his entire body is synonymous with severe discomfort.   The electric fan does not do him much good anymore and even with the air conditioning in full swing, he still pants heavily.

Our afternoon walks has become very laborious.  We usually take two rounds around the wide Esplanade grounds before we even pause for a break but nowadays,  halfway thru the first stretch and I’m already sweating bullets, and Wilson’s tongue dangles shamelessly in his small mouth.

Last Sunday afternoon was the reckoning.  There’s no other way to relieve Wilson than to shave off that thick fur!  With it, 100 cuteness points disappeared into thin air.  Our little dog now resembles a poodle more than his maltese lineage.

Accounting work requires very little physical exersion.  We spend most of the time sitting infront of the computer doing our crazy calculations, financial analysis, google searching, youtube viewing, IM conversations…. and all the other important stuff you could do with the modern gadget   And over time, we had unsuspectingly  amassed unwanted pounds that at our age, had proved a bit hard to lose.  While it has been our long plan with my friends to do some running to shed off some  of the weight, it had never really materialized until recently when we launched our own version of The Biggest Loser.

Our weight-loss project took us to PICC complex where, we found, is frequented by fellow runners.  The tall trees provided the perfect shade from the early morning sun and added just enough serenity for relaxation.

The flowers growing along the fences, an interesting scupture and signages entertained our eyes, proving that running outdoors is more enjoyable that hitting the gym.

The first weigh-in will be two weeks from now.  I don’t know if by then I’ll lose an adequate weight  to get ahead of the others.  But regardless, the inaugural run was more fun than we expected.  We all hope that even with the coming quarter close, we’d be able to sustain the energy for a regular exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle no matter who wins the Biggest Loser.

A friend of mine sent me this youtube clip about a cat named Charley who suffers from cerebellar hypoplasia, an abnormality that affects the motor skills.  He does not possess the uncanny agility that the cat family is notorious for and as such, he may not pass the initial screening for the purr-fect house pet.  But there is something about the look in his eyes and his uncontrolled movements that is hauntingly endearing…. and on second thought, he may be the most special companion a cat lover could ever have.

If  a cat like Charley would ever come my way, I won’t hesitate to give him the same care and attention that I would for a normal pet.  What the owner said in the video is true, that misdiagnosed and misunderstood animals are unnecessarily abused or destroyed.  Animals who are helpless and aberrant, not by choice but by fate.   I wish that people who lack the tolerance for lesser creatures will learn to recognize that all who live under the sky is entitled to a little niche in this earth.  And that somehow, a queer cat like Charley could help open their eyes.

Today is the company’s Sportsfest.  Everyone’s excited and at the strike of 7am, the office floor was filled with the noise of laughter, last minute preparations, and reminders.  Although I signed up for one of the games, I can’t share in the thrills.  I am not even sure if I could make it to the event… we have to take Wilson for a needed consultation with his vet.

Wilson had been suffering from skin rashes since mid last year.  For a while it stopped but lately he had those breakouts again.  We don’t know what’s causing it, until now we’ve been guessing the source of this allergic recurrence.  It could be the sudden summer heat, or the extra food treats,  it could be the fleas he’s unknowingly been gathering on his weekly walks… it could be anything.

We got to the animal clinic early, and as always, we find it an amusing place… well, that’s if your pet’s not in any critical condition.  In every visit, we see different dog breeds, even askals, and sometimes there are cats and rabbits.  Today, we met a yorkie named Butterfly… yes a dog named after an insect!  She was the cutest with her well groomed curly hair, braided at the back of the ears tied in red ribbons.  She was there for a scheduled operation, her guardian briefing us of her uterus infection.  Too bad for Butterfly, but lucky at the same time that she has a responsible and loving owner to get the help she needs.

It didn’t take long before Wilson was called in for his turn, and much to our satisfaction, it was the senior vet who checked on him.  After several questions and probing, the doctor informed us that even if we don’t see any fleas or mites on our pet doesnt mean that we can get away from using pests preventive medications.  Fleas and mites are the surest culprits of skin allergies and it is always recommended to have a pests spray handy to keep the parasites at bay.  Aside from the spray, he was also given an antibiotic to fight off the bacteria that have infected his rashes.  Next,  Wilson was prescribed a hypoallergenic dog food to eliminate any food allergens, a skin vitamin supplement and specially formulated shampoo for maintenance.

As a parting advice, the vet said that caring for a pet with skin problem is a commitment.  We sure do understand that; pet care and medication does not necessarily come cheap.  The consultation cost – P200, Dog Food, Shampoo, Vitamins, Parasite Spray – P3,990+, a healthy and happy Wilson – Pricesless!

If a picture paints a thousand words, then why was I particularly drawn to Edward Cullen when I saw this photo from one of my passionate photographer friends, Crom?  I have an inkling that your ears are  now so accustomed to the name that it would instantly register without the need of any introduction.  The entire universe seems to be immensely obsessed with bloodsuckers nowadays.

I read the first book, Twilight, several months ago upon the recommendation of one who, I thought, would be the last to even lay a hand on a love story.  I knew that she was a voracious reader and not wanting to be left in the sidelines when the whole book discussion starts, I decided to read it.  At that time, the vampire madness has not enveloped the peaceful world yet and it was still easy to find an ignored copy in any bookstore.

As the story unraveled and Edward was slowly revealed, I began to understand why he was catapulted to a Romeo-like status, the origins of which, the imagination of many as the perfect gentleman with the angelic face so handsome, it could be blinding!  His graceful movements, his voice, his piercing golden eyes…  The author’s almost abusive adulation of Edward is a potion a few can resist.  Who wouldn’t want to fall helpless in his uncomfortable granite hard arms?  Well, I wouldn’t.  He is still a vampire! Yaiks!  Talk about embracing the dead.

Not long since, I had read the rest of the saga.  And although there were episodes where I just cringed at severe romantic narrations, I still craved to know the story’s ending. A vampire who fell in love with a human diffused the horrific pictures I had in mind.

Has Edward worked his spell on me?  Yes and No.  I’m not sure.  I enjoyed the story but I cant quite separate the gentleman from the vampire.  Its a bloody and fatal combination.  I’ll just leave him to the creatures of the night and content myself to following his adventures on the pages of the novel.

Tags: Twilight

Summer is here! And what’s a better way to welcome it than a trip to the beach.  While most of the younger groups at the office  headed off to the more popular destinations – Boracay, Palawan, Camiguin, Pagudpud – we settled for La Luz in Batangas mainly due to its proximity and to budget constraints hehehe.  The weekend trip wasn’t just a summer opener but it was the much anticipated culmination of a busy and draining-to-the-bone year end close.  Everybody was too exhausted to protest and the proposal to spend the next RnR activity out of town was an easy sell.  What made it more relaxing was the fact that we were spared from outrageous travel expenses thanks to the generous contributions of our team alumni who are now based overseas.

La Luz wasn’t really our first option.  We originally booked for Virgin Beach which garnered good reviews from those who had already visited the place.   The price however was sky high; the resort obviously wanted to make the most of the summer and did not allow  additional accommodation beyond the standard number per room.  On non-peak seasons, it usually was not difficult to negotiate but since its summer, not even the sweetest of charms can persuade the resort staff to give in to our request.    Anyway, it wasn’t such a big deal changing resorts.  La Luz was worth every penny.  The ambiance was like that of Boracay’s, only it was more peaceful and quiet.  The food, although not superbly delicious, was not bad either.  Water and juice were free flowing.  What’s more, the staff were very approachable and friendly, helpful and with ready smiles.

We played like little kids, enjoyed the sun, sand, and water…. for a while, we were untouched by any worry of unfinished reports and the yet again,  month end close.  Our photographers made sure that every happy and often funny episodes were captured.    And although it may not be the most glamorous of vacations it was definitely one that revived our spirits, strengthened our camaraderie, and reminded us that when we work hard, we equally deserve to play hard.

Photos used in this entry are courtesy of Ritch and Crom.  Crom maintains an account in Flickr. You can visit his photostream to see more of his awesome photographs.