The Adventures of Tarabusaw

Ang mga sumusunod na kabanata ay isang tuloy-tuloy na daloy ng aking pag-iisip lamang.  Walang edits, walang proofread.  Ginawa ko ito, pagkagising ko kahapon ng umaga.

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I’ve been wanting to write lately.  But my mind has been battling between procrastination and work.  Haaay… I’ve got several topics pa naman on my mind which I like to share with you guys.

First up is my progression to Senior 3.  But I thought that I’ve already written about it, though in brief, in one of my posts here.  Eh ano kaya kung yung increase ko na lang ang isulat ko?  Hmmm… Medyo sensitive topic ang tungkol sa salary, especially that a lot of people are reading this blog (naks! as if!).  Okay, all I can say is I am soooo happy with what has been given to me.

Hmmm… ano kaya kung tungkol sa stress at pressure na lang ang isulat ko?  Wag na lang din, kasi baka lalo lang akong ma-stress.  Ang hirap din ng pagkapromote ko, este progression pala (iba daw ang promote at progress, promote is from one title to the other, while progress is from one level to the next in the same title, gets?).  Everyone, I think, is trying to watch and gauge me.  It’s as if everyone is testing me if I deserve what I got.  Well, ’nuff said, don’t dwell on energy-wasting thoughts.

Eh ano kaya kung tungkol sa kayabangan ang pagusapan natin?  Hmmm… I’ve been really wanting to write about someone I know and his very arrogant way of dealing with people and life in general.  It’s as if he knows everything.  Naiinis na nga ako minsan.  Pero pag naiisip ko na baka puro negative things lang ang pwede kong masabi, which I may regret in the future, pinapalipas ko na lang.  Mahirap na if it’s in black and white, may evidence.  Hehehe… 

Eh kung tungkol kaya sa Philippine History na lang kaya ang isulat ko?  I was able to watch some very vintage clips about the Philippines in Youtube.  Sobrang napaka-nostalgic ng feeling… you know, seeing girls in their baro’t saya and men in their barong or americana (most vids were taken during the American era).  Parang napakasosyal tingnan ng Maynila.  Naisip ko lang, kung tutuusin, Manila is older than Sydney, Toronto, and even some other cities of the new world.  Pero anong nangyari sa bansa natin?  Why is it that the Philippines was left in rubbles when the US who was a major player in WW2 was left unscathed?  Hmmm… What a wise way of waging war… bringing it to the Far East and sparing their ‘land of the free and home of the brave.’  Hmmm… just like what their doing now in Afghanistan and Iraq.  I hate to say this… but I now hate US, at a certain level. 

Okay, I don’t want to dwell on that too much either.  I don’t want this entry to sound very bitter and hateful.  Ano kaya kung yung tungkol na lang kay Frank ang pag-usapan natin?  Yeah, the super typhoon that hit Manila the past week.  Napansin ko lang, the typhoons that been hitting the Philippines (or even in other parts of the world) have been becoming very strong lately.  Remember Milenyo?  Oh my, how can I forget that.  That bagyo resulted to pagbaha in San Pedro.  Nakakainis!  And to think, it’s only a 3 days before I left for Canada!  Bwisit talaga yun.  Ngayon naman etong si Frank eh napinsala ang Iloilo.  Nandun pa naman si Papa.  Medyo hirap ngang makontak si Papa, dahil wala silang kuryente dun.  Wala rin daw silang tubig.  At pati yung tulay nila papunta ng city is nasira.  Grabe!  I was able to chat to a friend who came from Aklan.  Ganun din daw ang nangyari sa kanila, and first time daw talaga yun, kaya hindi prepared ang mga tao. 

Naalala ko tuloy yung first time kong nakaranas ng baha.  October 2001 yun.  Brownout na, malakas ang ulan at hangin dahil sa bagyo, masarap matulog, kaya ayun plakda na ako sa papag ko (yes, papag, dahil lately na langa ko nagkaroon ng kama).  Aba biglang nagkagulo, akala ko panaginip lang.  Pagmulat ko ng mata ko, eh may tubig na ang kwarto naming magkakapatid, akala ko naman eh panaginip pa rin at natatawa pa nga ako nung una.  Aba!  Totoo pala.  Dahil walang second floor ang bahay namin, hirap na hirap kami nung mag-save ng mga gamit namin.  Buti na lang may bunk bed yung mga kapatid ko kaya dun namin nilagay sa kama ni Hazel yung ibang gamit.  Ay ayoko na talagang babahain!  Ang hirap!  Ang hirap mag-akyat ng gamit, at ang hirap din maglinis.

Hmmm… mukhang napapasarap na ako sa kakatype ah.  O siya iderecho na lang natin to.

Kung tungkol naman kaya sa showbiz ang pag-usapan natin.  Ay wag na lang, malamang eh mas updated kayo kesa sa akin.  Ay eto lang sasabihin ko lang na natapos na pala ang Babangon Ako’t Dudurugin Kita!  Hahaha!  Oh yes, nanonood ako niyan courtesy of reliable uploader in the net.  Kakapanood ko lang pala kanina ng Pinoy Idol, from the same uploader.  I root for Robby Navarro and Penelope.  Guys in the Phils, vote for these two!  Okay?

Hmmm… tungkol naman sa mga kanta ang pag-usapan natin.  For quite some time eh paborito ko ang Low ni Flor Rida.  Hehehe…  Sobrang danceable kasi, kaya kapag naririnig ko eh hindi ko mapigilan mapaindak.  Hahaha!  Isama mo na rin diyan ang mga beats from Justin Timberlake.  Grabe parang gusto kong sumayaw kahit nasa train ako.  Lately naman eh bumabalik ako sa mga OPM at sa mga old pop songs.  I’ve been craving for I’m Yours by Jason Mraz (sobrang nakakainlove yung melody), Things will go my way ng The Calling (favorite ko sila, pero wala na sila eh) at sa Set You Free ng Side A.  Let me explain kung bakit…

May mga kanta na kahit hindi mo nakabisa eh gusto mo.  Yung mga tipong pag pinakinggan mo eh matutuwa ka pero di mo malaman ang dahilan.  Yun ang binibigay sa akin na feeling ng I’m Yours.  Ewan ko kung narinig niyo na yun, pero sa lumang album pa ni Jason Mraz yun eh.  Yung Things Will Go My Way naman eh sa sobrang lumang album na rin ng The Calling.  Pero minsan kasi may mga kanta na sobrang meaningful ng lyrics, sabayan mo pa ng pagkanta na may conviction, ay panalo talaga.  At yun nga ang kantang Things Will Go My Way.  (Kendz, dinededicate ko din sa’yo ang kantang yan… Thing will go your way, just believe.  And remember, when you claim it, you’ll have it!)  At yung pangatlong kanta naman eh… hahaha!  Wala lang, may naaalala lang kasi ako.  Tapos na ang dinner sa isang restaurant sa Roxas Boulevard.  Halos di ko nakain ang pagkain ko dahil sa mga bagay-bagay na pinagusapan namin.  Nagyaya siyang maglakad-lakad para lang sabihan akong magsalita ako!  Eh hello naman, matapos mong marinig ang mga bagay na ayaw mong marinig eh makakapagsalita ka pa ba?  Lakad lakad.  Mahangin, pero mainit ang pakiramdam ko.  Maraming tao pero pakiramdam ko mag-isa ako, kahit siya hindi ko maramdamang kasama ko nun.  Tapos may nadaanan kaming kainan, eto ang pinatutugtog.  Background music kung background music!!!  Hahaha!!!  Corny na siya ngayon pero dati sobrang… sakit?!  Kapag nabasa mo ‘to (kilala mo na kung sino ka) baka matawa ka lang.  Parang ako ngayon na natatawa sa mga pinaggagawa ko dati. 

Ay!  Lilipat na pala ako ng bahay.  Anytime, pwede na, kasi nasa akin na ang susi ng bago kong flat.  Sa next entry ko na lang kayo kekwentuhan in detail tungkol dito.  Sasamahan ko na rin ng pictures.  =)

Aba, akalain mo nga namang ang haba na pala nitong nasulat ko.  Sabi ko pa naman nung una ay hindi ako makaisip ng isusulat.  Sabagay, minsan ganun naman talaga eh, minsan kailangan mo lang umpisahan, tapos tuloy tuloy na. 

And for my parting words (talagang may ganun?!?), I would just like to thank the WiseGuy for not letting me go, kahit na sometimes I let go of Him.  Thanks WG for all the things that you’ve done.  You know I love you.  Hope you’ll still love me kahit na minsan eh nagiging alibugha ako.  Oh well, sabi nga nila, every relationship is a work in progress.  And I guess, even the relationship with WG is the same. 

Adios damas y caballeros! 

It’s official.  The list has already been released!  I am promoted.  I am now a Senior 3!  Whohooo!  That is the news that I actually wrote in my post last Monday.  And that was also the reason why I had a shoutout of me having a great Monday.  It was actually Monday last week when I first knew about my promotion.  My counselor has already told me about it.  The funny thing is that I didn’t gave any reaction.  Hahaha!  That is why last Friday, when the promotions list finally came out and she congrtulated me again, I sent her a reply sending my apologies for my not-so-excited reaction on Monday’s news.  I also told her that I actually went to the fire stairwell and leaped for joy.  Hahaha! 

Of course, I called home and told my Ma about the great news.  She was proud of her son.  Hahaha!  I also called somebody else, but I won’t share it here na kung sino yun.  Yihee!  But we’re just friends ha… nothing really deeper than that.  Haha!  Sooo showbiz no?

I don’t credit my promotion all to myself alone.  I think I was able to pull it off because I was given one of the greatest clients here.  Yeah, it may be very challenging as what their name says so (Challenger is the name of the company, and I believe, it is very very apt!), but working for that client has made me learned a lot of things.  I was given the best team any senior can ever wish for.  I worked with one of the greatest managers here in Sydney who has been very supportive and very vocal of his appreciation for everything that I have done.  It is actually him who gave me the idea that I can be promoted in a matter of four months.

I was never really aiming for promotion or anything of that sorts.  When I came here, all I want to do is work, work, work (and enjoy to nth level!  hahaha!).  Especially that I was already promoted to Senior 2 when I joined the Sydney office (I was Senior 1 in Toronto, fyi), I thought that it will really be difficult and its not worth any shot.  I thought that my first six months would just be the "adjustment" period.  And the most probable and highly possible date of my promotion will be on my anniversary with the firm, which is January next year. 

But my beloved manager kept on insisting that I should push for my promotion and he told me that I am more than ready to be at the next level.  I was flattered.  Especially that the compliments are coming from someone who has been fastracked for several times as well and who is known to have been very notorious and terror in the office.  So that’s what I did.  I met with my great counselor (btw, we are nominating her for RAS Counselor of the Year) and told her if it is possible to be promoted even if I have not yet reached my anniversary with the firm.  She gladly replied, yes.  And started laying out our plans. 

When the roundtable sessions are about to start, I asked all the managers that I worked for to give me their feedbacks.  Remember my manager in Challenger?  He gave me 5 (in EY the highest is 5 and the lowest is 1) in one of the categories, and my average rating was 4!  I was so so so happy!  Receiving that rating was enough and any promotion would just be a bonus, I thought. 

Then I heard my Pinoy officemate who said that he heard my counselor talking to somebody on the phone.  He said they were talking about me and my counselor was actually asking the guy from the other line what should she tell me should I not be promoted because of my leadership issue!  WTF! Leadership?!?  Is leading a team of 3 not enough to show my leadership?  Then I got an idea what they are talking about.  You see, many people here in the office, perhaps all of them, think that I tooooooo nice.  That I can’t come accross to the client with enough firmness and I can’t stress a point.  Which I totally disagree.  Yeah, I may be very soft-spoken but that is my way of calming things around and getting the job done.  In the feedback that I got from my managers (and even from the upward reviews from my staff), they are unanimous in saying that I am nice and calm, but they are also in unison saying that I should put more angst when talking to the client.  Tsk tsk!  But I cannot change who I am… that is my personality. 

I told my friends back home that if ever my counselor tells me that I will not be promoted because of leadership issue, I will vehemently oppose it.  I am okay with the thought of not having the promotion but saying that I have leadership issue because I am so nice… no way, Jose!

So yeah, having heard that hearsay, I am no longer expecting any good news.  That is why probably the great Monday news was no longer exciting for me as I was no longer aniticipating for anything. 

But thinking of my promotion now… what does it really mean?  Oh yeah, it does mean bigger moolah (which I still don’t know how much salary increase I will be getting as we were not told about it yet), but it also entails bigger responsibility… which ultimately leads to bigger expectatations.  My counselor has already cautioned me about my goals for next year, and wants me to stretch my goals farther so I can be a manager after 12 months!  Whoah!  Now, that is fast!  Oh well, I hope she’ll stay so she can provide much needed guidance to this lost auditing soul.  Hahaha! 

You might ask where she’s going?  She is actually on the firm’s Global Exchange Program or something to that effect.  Her two-year term here in Sydney is up and she is already being summoned by the partners in her home office - San Francisco.  Haaay… She’s in Canberra right now (or she might probably back here in Sydney today) for a much needed break and time for reflection.  If she’ll be leaving Sydney (which she is totally against), I will be an orphan again.  How many times have I been orphaned by great mentors — Paz, Mamitch and Miss Marj.  Kaya nga inunahan ko na si Rosell eh.  Hahaha!  Anyway, we’ll be having a lunch date on Thursday so I can get updates from her and hopefully I’ll be hearing the good news of her not leaving her counselees here in Sydney.

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It’s official (or is it really?).  I am moving out of my place.  Our rent will be increased by 80 dollars per week, which I don’t think is necessary given that our lease is yet to expire on August.  Those money-hungry condo unit owners!  Maswerte kayo at mga Australian or resident kayo dito.  Pag ako naging resident na rin, di na rin ako magrerenta no!

I started looking for a new place last Saturday.  As usual, it was an adventure.  The first district that I looked as were those near the office’s eastern side — Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, Paddington.  The places I saw were great.  They were perfect for my taste, ideal for my size and great for my pocket!  Hahaha!  Another good thing is that I won’t be paying for transportation anymore as all of them are walking distance from the office. 

Speaking of walking, I had lots of them when looking for an apartment.  The hard thing pa is paakyat-akyat ang lakad!  That’s the thing I hate in Sydney… it is hilly!  When I was in Toronto, I actually enjoy walking, because everything is flat.  Pero here, ang hirap!  Pero okay lang, feeling ko papayat ako kakalakad.  And the thing is, yung bahay na nagustuhan ko is parang on top of a hill pa!  But that’s okay.  The building has lots of character!  The lift was vintage and the view is the one that sold everything for me.  Hopefully I’ll be approved when I apply tomorrow. 

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It’s official.  I’m going home this December.  I initially wanted my family to join me here for the Christmas holidays.  But considering that I am currently financially challenged, we decided that this year might not be the best year for me to ship them overseas.  Probably, next year na lang.  Or sometime na hindi Christmas para hindi mahal ang pamasahe.  Ang masama nga lang sa pag-uwi ko ay magiging Santa Claus na naman ako… lalo na at galing ako ng ibang bansa.  Haaay… Di bale, masaya naman talaga ang Paskong Pinoy.

Just got a very great, exciting yet nerve-wracking news yesterday.  But, I won’t share it here yet.  Need to have it official before making announcements. =)

I am a sucker for cheesy, feel-good movies.  Let me watch a romantic flick and I can easily pick up a line or two.  That is why I find it odd that I don’t enjoy them much now.  Nako-cornyhan na ako sa iba.  Dati, even if I know that everything is cliche, natutuwa pa rin ako.  But now, the predictability of the scenes, and  yeheesss even the lines, make me cringe to death.  Siguro nga nagbago na ako.

While I was still in Canada, I would often call my friends back home.  I would talk to them for as long as I want.  Kaya naman  halos mamatay na ako sa telephone bill ko nun.  I would email them and share my experiences.  I would go here ang blog about everything.  I felt it was required of me to tell everybody where I’m going or what I’ve been doing.  But fast-forward to Sydney, everything is different.  I don’t feel the urge to call them.  I don’t email them.  I don’t blog as much as I used to.  Not that I don’t miss them.  It’s the other way really.  But I just thought that we are already living our own lives and maybe a once in a while update will do.  Besides, I should give them a reason to miss me too.  Haha!  Pero siguro, nagbago na nga ako.

For almost 25 years now, I’ve been fat.  I’ve tried lots of diets but nothing worked for me.  Even after a heartbreak which was supposed to trigger my stress buttons on did nothing to let me control my eating habits.  But now, I am trying to lose weight — slowly but surely.  I’ve been eating a lot of greens already (himala!) and I haven’t had any chocolates and softdrinks for two weeks in a row na.  I am so proud of myself for this little achievement.  Ngayon nga, my philosophy is, since I’ve tasted all the better-tasting yet bad food na, it’s high time for me to start eating good and healthier alternatives.  Besides, being healthy is required from singles like me.  How can I flirt with some hot Aussie girls if I look like this?  Hahaha!  Malamang, nagbago na nga ako.

Ang dami pang aspect ng buhay ko ang sa tingin ko ay unti-unting nagbabago or completely nagbago na.  I can’t enumerate them all here, some of it are really very personal kasi.  Change is good — especially if it is for the better.  I hope nagbago na nga ako.  And I hope ang pagbabago kong ito will take me to greater adventures ahead.

Yeheess!  After a long while… I am back on Friendster!  I really missed going here and reading all your comments, my dear readers (haha!  as if ang dami-daming nakakabasa ng pinagsususulat ko dito no?).  I can’t promise to write as often as I used to, but at least I can get to express my thoughts again and share it with you. 

Thank you very much to the staff and crew of Friendster and TypePad for fixing my blog – I owe you one.  I would also like to thank Multiply and Blogspot for temporarily adopting me while I was homeless in the world wide web.  Moreover, I would like to thank my online fans (hahaha! ang kapal!) for not letting go of me (isa pang malakas na hahaha!).

Seriously, I am really thankful that this blog is now up and running.  This has been my shock absorber – my bestfriend if you may call it.  And sharing my feelings, exposing my vulnerable side and having people read it, is a great achievement for someone who’s been so timid most of his life.

Sometimes when I have nothing to do, I just go back to my previous posts.  It makes me smile, laugh and cry at once – smile for the crazy stories I’ve written, laugh for the grammatical errors I see and cry for the emotions I’ve poured in.  That is why I feel like it will be a great loss if this compendium of thoughts will just go kaput. 

But now that I’m back, all I can say is… brace yourselves for more nonsensical-cheesy-corny-and-incoherent-tales-disguising-as-stories-of-life’s-valuable-lessons from your friendly monstrous neighbor – Tarabusaw.  Hahaha! 

And finally, I am telling you, I’m not going. I’m staying.  I’m statying.  And you, and you, and you (pointing from left, front and right), you’re gonna love me!  =D

Tarabusaw po, happy and proud to be back in Friendster blog!

I will be taking Spanish lessons.  At last!  One of my dreams and life-long to-do list will be fulfilled.  My classes will start on the 12th of March.  I took the 8 to 9:30 p.m. class from a Spanish school near the office.  Hopefully after several weeks and months (or years?), if I bump to a Spanish guy and asked me — "Habla Espanol?,"  I can confidently say, "Si, amigo. Por que?"

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Due to my passion for the Spanish language, I searched for the spanish lyrics of Go The Distance — the theme song from Disney’s Hercules.  Fortunately, I got it.  I never thought that Ricky Martin did the Spanish version of that song.  Anyhow, here is my very own version of ‘No Importa La Distancia.’  Pasensya na lang kung hindi ko masyadong mailakas at para akong bumubulong, I recorded this at around 11:30 p.m. kasi, so ayoko namang mabulahaw ang mga kapitbahay namin. Hehehe…

Uploaded by moja_kalabaw99No Importa La Distancia

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No importa la distanica… it’s the journey that counts. 

I was in Toronto last year (enduring the snowstorm) for Valentines.  This year, I am in Sydney.  Hopefully next year, I’m already with her.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

This is it guys!  The start of Aussie’s busy season.  Wish me luck.  Hope I emerge victorious with this one.

I believe I have inside of me
Everything that I need to live a bountiful life
With all the love inside of me
I’ll stand as tall as the tallest tree
And I’m thankful for each day that I’m given
Both the easy and the hard ones I’m livin’

This song makes my morning shine…

Originally sung by Natasha Bedingfield (featuring Sean Kingston)

and covered by David Choi