The Adventures of Tarabusaw

Huh?!?  Hindi ko yata kinaya yun!  Anong nangyari?  Bakit bigla kang nag-iba?  Anong pumasok sa kukote mo at kinamusta mo ko?  Napansin mo bang ngarag na ngarag ako dahil sa’yo?  Napansin mo bang halos hindi na ako tumayo sa pwesto ko at tsaa na lang ang tinatanghalian ko?

Ang ganda pa ng bati mo ha.  Nagulat ako dahil pamilya ko ang kinamusta mo?  Parang out of nowhere bigla mo na lang kasing tinanong yun.  Nagulat ka siguro sa reaksyon ng mukha ko no (with matching kunot pa ng noo)?  Hindi ko kasi naitagong magtaka at magulat na yun ang opening salvo mo sa akin.  Hahaha!!!  Bigla ko ngang nilabas yung status report ko dahil akala ko eh magtatanong ka na naman ng tungkol sa kliyente. 

In kwento mode ka ngayon ha at in good mood ka rin.  Hmmm… nakakapagtaka.  Bakit kaya?  Kahapon lang halos malusaw na ako at maubusan ng English!  Hahaha!!!  Hindi talaga kita kinaya!!!  Alam mo bang muntikan na akong malaglag sa upuan ko at dumerecho hanggang sa basement parking?!?  Hahaha!!!  Naalala ko tuloy ang "Queen"-ly stories sa pinanggalingan kong PwC.  Pero don’t worry malayo ka pa sa kanya…at ayoko namang maging ganun ka no!

Sana lagi kang ganyan.  Alam kong busy ka at marami ka ring ginagawa, pero ipagpatuloy mo yan ha.  Keep up the good work! =)

P.S.

Naku!  Sana nagpaalam na akong sa Calgary ako magki-Christmas.  Tsk Tsk!  Nakalimutan ko.  Eto na sana ang magandang timing para magpaalam sa’yo.  Di bale, pag balik mo (at maganda pa rin ang mood mo), susugurin kita para mag-file ako ng leave.  Hehehe… (Wish me luck Cresta!)

Something happened to me yesterday, which reminded me that I hate audit! If only I can readily pack my bags and leave.  Well, I guess I need to bear two excruciating years here.  Please don’t get me wrong by thinking that I hate my new company (they’re good, in fact).  I just think I owe myself a better career … something that I really love … something I can call MY vocation. 

Why does it take so much hurt before we realize what’s really important? Haay… the intricacies of life.

Though towering office boxes surround me, I still miss Makati.  There’s really no place like home.   

**Pictures from Flickr courtesy of Don Sevillas

Noong unang panahon ay may limang M na nagkalat sa buong Pilipinas.  Ang isa sa kanila ay dalagang Bulakeña.  Malimit siyang ihambing sa isang mangaawit (si Jessa Zaragosa) dahil sa malapit na hubog ng kanilang mga mukha.  Ang isa ay binatang taga-Laguna, na pagsama-samahin man ang timbang ng apat ay hindi siguro makakasapat sa timbang niya.  Ang isa pang binata ay nagmula naman sa Muntinlupa (hindi sa loob ha).  Siya ang nanguna sa kanyang klase noong siya ay magtapos sa mataas na paaralan.  Ang dalawa naman ay mga Manileña - ang isa ay taga-Pandacan at ang isa nama’y taga-Santa Ana.

Nagsimula ang kwento ng limang M na ito ng sila ay pumasok sa iisang pamantasan at kumuha ng magkakatulad na kurso - Pagtutuos (Akawnting).  Ang Bulakeña at taga-Lagunang M ay naging magkamag-aral.  Gayundin ang binatang taga-Muntinlupa at ang Manileñang taga-Santa Ana.  Ang natitira sa lima, ang Manileñang taga-Pandacan ay naging bahagi ng ibang block.

Ngunit tila iginuhit ng tadhana na magtagpo ang landas ng limang ito.  Sa kanilang ikalawang taon sa kolehiyo ay naging magkakamag-aral silang lahat… at naging magkakatabi pa sa upuan dahil sunod-sunod ang kanilang mga apelyido.  Tanging sila lamang ang may magkakatulad na umpisang titik sa apelyido na nasa iisang hanay!

Sumumpa ang lima na magtatayo ng isang auditing firm.  Isusunod nila ang pangalan sa kanilang lima.  Subalit napagtanto nilang masyadong mahaba at mahirap matandaan ang Mallari, Mangilaya, Martinez, Montefrio, Morta & Co., kung kaya’t naisipan na lamang nilang bansagan ito ng - 5M (parang tunong pizza no?  hahaha!!!). 

Sa kabutihang palad, lahat naman sila ay maluwalhating nakapagtapos sa nasabing kurso. Sinubukan nilang kumuha ng lisensya sa pagiging Tagapagtuos (CPA) maliban sa Manileñang taga-Pandacan.  Subalit wala ni isa sa kanila ang pumasa.  Muling sinubukan ng taga-Laguna at binatang Muntilupeño na kumuha ng pagsusulit.  Sa kasamaang palad, tanging ang taga-Laguna lamang ang nakaabot sa grado. =(

Nagsimula na silang magtrabaho at harapin ang tunay na mundo.  Ngayon, ang dalagang Bulakeña ay sa isang malaking kainan sa Maynila nagtatrabaho.  Ang Manileñang taga-Pandacan ay sa Paco na ngayon umuuwi kasama ang kanyang kabiyak at munting supling.  Siya ngayon ay nagtatrabaho sa isang tanggapan sa may Pantalan ng Maynila.  Ang Manileñang taga-Santa Ana naman ay sa isang pook-pagandahan (salon) sa Ortigas nagtatrabaho.  Maging siya ay biniyayaan na rin ng anak.  Ang tatlong M na nabanggit ay mga Tagapagtuos (Akawntant) sa mga nasabing establisimyento.  Ang binatang taga-Muntinlupa ay sa Laguna na ngayon namamahay at pinamamahalaan ang negosyong iniwan ng kanyang ama.  At ang taga-Laguna naman ay nasa ibang bansa na.  Kasalukuyan siyang nilalamig doon at naisipang isulat ang mumunting kathang ito dahil bigla niyang naalala ang masasayang sandaling lumipas kasama ang apat sa limang M at tatlumpu’t pito pa niyang kamag-aral at kaibigan.

It is amazing how telecommunications have evolved over the years.  I remember how I used to call my mom through the tatlong-bentesingko phones of PLDT.  Remember those big chunky red phones?  If I am not mistaken it was only in the mid-90’s that the telephone revolution started in the Philippines.  Households realized that telephones are not solely for business use.  It was then that phone lines started to have seven-digit numbers (instead of the old six), and more number prefixes were assigned to each town.  My San Pedro used to have 846’s alone.  But PLDT saw that demand for phones in Laguna’s “Dormitory Town” so they’ve assigned more number prefixes including 847’s, 808’s, 868’s and 869’s.

But since the birth of the handy cellular phones, some are predicting that landline phones will soon be out of fashion.  Truly, cellular phones made us mobile, thus gaining a more apt name – mobile phones.  Now we can talk to someone at the convenience of our car, our homes, on the road or any place we may be, mmm…except for lifts and I suppose, caves… hihihi.
 
And now, our mobile phones have empowered us to do more things.  We can send SMS, MMS, take pictures (if you have a camera phone), play music and even connect to the internet.  The mobile phone which started as “pangkaskas ng yelo” has evolved to the compact gadget we can’t live without (pero ako kaya ko). 

Are you wondering why I’m talking so much about phones?  Are you asking what is my point for the lengthy introduction (yes introduction pa lang yan, hahaha!!!)?  Actually, none.  I just can’t think of something to start this blog entry… which is all about phonecalls.  Hahaha!!!  So let’s get to the main topic… Nyahahaha!!!  I got phone calls from some of my dearest friends.  And since most of us are scattered around the globe, it’s a great feeling to hear them calling you and be reminded that someone cares for you.

Candy called me at around 8:30 am.  I was still in the middle of my REM sleep when my phone suddenly rang so my brains aren’t really functioning well.   I thought it was Cresta because the number that registered was a Canadian one (and besides, the greeting was in English so medyo natameme ako dahil hindi pa ako nagmumumog eh may nagi-English na sa akin…Bwahahaha!).  Well, the chats were the same.  We got ourselves updated with our own lives.  She is still sweet (as her name is).  And, she is still whining about her lovable work in Sunny Singapore.  I might call her within the next days or weeks… pag nakabili na ako ng phone card ko.

I went to the mall after I heard the mass and it was there that I called a friends who’s also in Canada - Cresta.  I got her number from Candy, btw.  It was so long ago that I heard her voice (I think two years ago if I am not mistaken).   And to tell you frankly, I missed it.  She has this very distinctive voice that is really so Cresta.   From the moment she answered Hello, I knew that was her. 

Cresta was my officemate in PwC some three years ago.  She is the bubbliest among the bubbles and the sunniest among the sun (Hahaha!).  I always enjoy talking to her because of her great stories.  And lately, since she’s been away, I discovered how great writer she is through her blogs.  I usually imagine her talking the Cresta way while reading her entries.  Frankly, she never fails to remind me of Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde.  If Elle Woods is to the Legal World, then Cresta Santos is to the Audit World.  But I never meant to downgrade her by that statement.  She really has the wit and style ala-Elle Woods.  Oh how I miss her pointed killer shoes! =)

Then I burned more lines by calling my family back home.  I talked to my mom and pop and reminded them of their silver anniversary this coming December.  It makes me sad that I will not be there when they celebrate their anniversary.  But what the heck, my pop is SOOOOO anti-social, he doesn’t want any celebration on that day!  Hmp! 

So there goes my entry about phonecalls.  Hihihi… Sorry if I went around the bush.  I just want to make a relevant observation about telecommunications and how I became so happy last weekend that I got to talk to people who are significant to me.

I was browsing through my mail when an annoying sound suddenly came.  At first, I thought it was a cellphone.  But the sound became louder and more alarming.  Truly, it was an alarm… a fire alarm.  We thought it would go off, but it didn’t.  It continued to annoy us for at least three minutes. 

Then, we were informed to go down.  I was still clueless but I want to run for safety.  So I moved my (huge) butt off my seat and headed for the fire exit.  People started to fill the stairs.  And we started to go down the building…all in its TWENTY-NINE storey glory!  Gosh!

Good thing about these people is (maybe) they are used to these fire alarm thingy.  Everyone was really calm, even if we all don’t know what’s happening.  There wasn’t a trace of panic from everyone.  It seemed like we were strolling in a park…just downward.  Hihihi…  But at the back of my mind, what if there’s really something wrong?  What if a plane crashed in the building ala-9/11?    Oh my…me and my imagination…

We finally reached the ground floor with our knees fumbling.  I felt relieved.  I saw some firemen with their firetrucks.  I told my friend that this must be for real.  We waited for about ten minutes before the firemen cleared the building and permitted us to go back to our offices (luckily, this time we used the elevators… hahaha!). 

I still don’t know what happened.  All I know was that the alarm originated from the floor above us.  Nyay!!! 

I always complained that I never had the chance to attend Philamlife Tower’s fire drill in my three-year stint with PwC.  Now I got my wish.  And this time it’s for real.

~0~

Sorry if the post is not too flowy.  Epekto siguro ng pagbaba ko sa 29 floors.  Hihi…

~0~

Note: Live Blogging (Sorry for multiple alerts)

UPDATE (5:04 PM):  The fire alarms went on again.  This time the floors affected are 26th and 27th.  They are evacuating now the occupants of the said floor as well ast those in 25th.  The Security Office of the building instructed other tenants to stay and wait for further announcement.  Gawd!  Malilitson ba ako dito?

UPDATE (5:11 PM):  Now the fire department is also asking the 28th floor occupants to go down.  Other floors (including us) are still standing by.

UPDATE (5:16 PM):  The Toronto Fire Department has now cleared (again!) the affected floors and has restarted readjusted the fire alarms.  WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?  Magugunaw na ba ang mundo?  Di naman siguro?  Nakakakaba ha.  Siguro kaya nilalamig yung kamay ko.  Hahaha!!!

FINAL UPDATE (11/08/06 3:31 PM):  Everything was false alarm.  All tenants (EY employees mostly) were sent an email last Monday.  Apparently, the main cause was the newly installed smoke detectors in the building.  Here is an excerpt from the Managing Partner’s email… "The main cause of the alarms on Friday was the annual activation of the EYT Humidification System.  Newly installed smoke detectors are positioned too close to this system causing the detectors to alarm."  So, there.  It seems that nothing terrible has really happened last Friday.  I just hope that this case will not occur again in the future… nakakapagod kasi tsaka nakakasakit ng binti!  =)

I was walking from the subway to the office earlier.  I still can’t believe that I am already here… and that it’s been a month since I left the Philippines.  As my friend puts it… nandito na daw pala ako pero parang walang pagbabago.  I don’t know if that’s a good compliment or not.  Well, anyway, I was thinking what will be the next step after this?  Not that I am hurrying my future, it’s just I am not really sure what to do next.  I am not planning to have this job for the rest of my existence.  I know that I want something else… something that I still can’t figure out. 

I used to hate what I’m doing.  I used to drag my feet to work.  I used to despise everything about audit and systems.  But I learned to accept it (I used accept instead of love since I find "loving your work" so profound and deep that I never really felt it yet), which leads me to another question.  Is acceptance is good or bad?  I tend to think that I don’t have any choice but to accept things whenever they come, whatever they will be.  But I realized that if I continuously accept things and make them a part of me, I eventually lose myself.  And ultimately, I will never find MY happiness.  I will be forever bounded by all things "pwede na… bahala na… sige na nga".

I don’t know what have gotten in my brains lately.  People think that I am super lucky to have landed this job here in Canada.  But I feel the contrary.  Hmmm… Maybe I was really moved by Cresta’s blog entry that I wanted to bare my own thoughts.