:: Tears of the Moon ::

:: Tuesday, December 31, 2002 ::

Uber late TTT premiere watching reaction

Because the memory's fading, I have to type this fast and furious. I didnt have time to update for the longest time, because, again, of work.

Went there and I looked very Lorien :) I mean, black fitted flared slacks, black sleeveless top, with my elvish name written in Tengwar and green pearlized fabric paint. I also wore my brother's jacket that was in the exact same shade as the paint. Felt very 'Lorien'

Went to watch with Jem and Gill. The premiere is my belated bday gift to Jem. Gill got tickets from me, for her sister and her sister's friends. Gill, Jem and I are all Arrows. We had Gill seated between us. Poor girl must've been mashed and pinched blue because everytime Legolas came on the scream, the three of us would grab each other and stifle screams ("How hot! How strong!"). Xan was seated with his friends over at the balconry section with his friends. Xan, Arrows #5.

So much elvish in the movie. Oh wow. Oh yeah. Oh baby. *drool* More Aragorn and Arwen. Haldir! *sniffle* Tragic that he died, though. I cant wait for the SE DVD for this installment. Incidentally, I bought myself a pirated DVD of the movie. Worth every cent. Got to watch it this afternoon.

While in line, I discovered that Gill's sister's friend could actually read the Tengwar on my shirt. FINALLY someone who's studying it too! *sigh* And I thought I was all alone out here. Aside from May, this guy could read Tengwar!

:: D said @ 10:25 AM [+] ::
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Things I Did for the first few hours of 2003

Stood outside the house and looked at the fireworks for the first ten minutes of the year

Turned on the radio and put it on loud

Called Vali (busy phone)

Called May (out of coverage area) (is this an omen for the year? A year of no-response phone calls?)

Called Lammy (phone kept on ringing)

Walked back out and converged with neighbors at the yard

Went home and took a scrubbing shower (what a relief! So many fireworks = gunpowder smell)

Vali called, taking a break from her party. Her brother's still an ass. But Im glad she sounded happy

Tried to call May. STILL out of coverage area :(

Called Lammy. Hehe. It was 8am where she was.

Got online after discovering my sister slept through midnight. Too bad, girl. I have the phone line tonight.

Posting in my blog.

Updating my fics.

So, my first few hours of the year are spent this way. I have yet to have my midnight snack :)

:: D said @ 9:58 AM [+] ::
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Because it's 5:50am and I'm typing in the dark

Hmm. It's tiring, sometimes, that I get to miss out on many things I like to do because of work. I mean, I'm tied to my work schedule, and it's not the Philippine work sked. I work on US time, so I go to work at night and go home mornings. And I also take vacations when the US does. I thought I wouldn't mind so much, with me being a night owl and all. Thing is, I dont get to celebrate the things that the rest of my country does. I get double pay, or overtime, for going to work, but I dont *not* go to work. I miss watching TV. I miss being at home to look at the stars. I miss the weekend. I miss going to shop when everyone else does.

Granted, I get good pay, but still. I'm locked to my work sked in such a way that when I go out, I end up going out with my coworkers. I dont mind that. Theyre a good bunch of people. But I miss other people too. I dont get to go on Klite stuff as much as I want to. And the premiere on the 18th (which is what got me into thinking anyway), for TTT. I miss out on the good stuff. I mean, I should work, but I shouldn't *always* be stuck, you know?

I'm starting to feel what it's like to work in a different culture. I mean, for us, it's all stats and productivity. Sometimes I wonder of the Bigwigs think of us as robots more than people who actually brave midnight commutes to go to work. As long as we hit the quota, the stats, they're ok. We're okay. I don't like the feeling of having to look over my shoulder whenever I'm 'slacking off' in productivity. Like my going to work early, trying to be useful, keeping track of things doesnt count. And it doesnt, because you dont count that in the stats. If it can't be translated into money, then it's no use counting. Well, that's what I feel, at least. Like a human machine.

I still can't believe our Christmas party is dependent on quota. I cant blooming believe it. What are these guys, atheists? The whole world celebrates Christmas, and we wont have it if we dont hit the daily quota? (which is impossible to reach, by the way). Which means, we'd have to carve out our own party, and it's not an official office one too. The exec admin has a huge influence on the CEO, and she's Wicca, so she doesnt celebrate it. So, *we* dont celebrate it. And you're talking about the Philippines here, where the people live like hobbits: lots of reason to party. And Christmas is a Big Thing over here. Not just because of the holidays, but also because most are Christian. I miss going to midnight mass, and caroling. Because (duh) I'm at work. I miss going to choir practices. I miss having a life outside work.

To think, this is just my fourth month here. I always wondered how come people leave call center work months after getting in, and now I'm starting to feel the voice on my shoulder whispering in my ear. Yes, it's tiring, but it's fun. Really. It's sometimes dull work, but you get paid well, better than starting salary for people your age. And the whole floor consists of people your own age. But I think the psych of it is what gets to people: missing out on night gimmicks. Missing out on meeting friends. Not meeting anyone new outside the people in your workplace. Missing out on holidays, and by extension, almost never getting breaks (long holidays) because the US almost never has those. I miss out on seeing my brother off to school, because he's gone when I arrive, and I'm asleep when he comes home. Then he's asleep by the time I leave.

But no matter. Its a good atmosphere, really. Given my misgivings. This is good enough work for someone who's in-between things. And of course the money comes in handy for stuff needed at home. But sometimes the selfish part of me whispers that my heart's not in it. And sometimes when I'm tired, I whisper back, yes. I work, because I'm given a task. But it's not the kind of work I'd be gladly exhausted for. I'm waiting for something big to happen. I still want to go to school. And while the company is okay with their agents going to school, if it interferes with their shift, they cant do it. Chi told me that there's another kind of work that I'd be glad to do even with low pay and long hours. I agree with her. But it's waay too early for that. But I'm hoping. I don't see myself working at this industry for longer than a couple more months. Unless I'm moved up and given a regular dayshift work. Otherwise, I won't be able to take it. My body can, but I'm more than just waking up and going to work. I need to feel that I'm not missing out.

I dunno. Sometimes I wonder how the others can take it; how they can last in that work atmosphere. Sometimes I think it's because they have different situations at home. JR has this bad situation going on with his family that he doesnt live with and doesnt maintain contact with his immediate family and relatives. Bob's mom is away in Spain and he just hops from his friends' house to house during the holidays (for food hehe). The others have difficult family situations too. Mine isn't, and maybe that's the answer. I dont see the need for escape and leave the house at night and sleep instead of dealing with my family. I actually enjoy them. Its weird that my sister and I talk like we're best friends and we've never seen each other for months and months instead of days (due to sked conflicts). My little brother and I talk a lot about things too. And I love my parents, and they love me back. I have friends that I'd like to see often, and they work during regular times. I dont even have weekends to myself anymore, because I have Saturday night shifts too. *rolleyes*

Maybe that's it.

May:

Dude, oo nga eh. Di ako makaka sama kasi nga dahil sa Jobs ek ek na yan. Pwe.

Haha. Nakalimutan ko na binabasa mo rin to. Good thing I didnt go into details on what IT is ;) But I sincerely hope you'll like it.

Ahrm.. I've added on to the ficlet I was talking to you about. It's at the bottom of the page, and it's just a scene. Do you still know the address? (being deliberately vague here, because I'm bound to forget to text you later)

:: D said @ 1:59 PM [+] ::
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Got home from work. Looks like I wont be able to watch the Dec 18 premiere. JobsDB is going to have their Xmas party and we're all required to attend. Plus there's exchange gifts going on. I wouldve been able to drop and leave the gift, but then we're required to make a presentation.. Maybe sing some songs, etc.

JR didnt go to work yesterday. It was a bit nerve wracking to be in charge of the whole shift yesterday. Good thing the JDP has run out of leads to dial, and I only had to worry about the ATT group.

Went to Quiapo yesterday and did a DVD raid. 10 minutes into the store and we walked out with 15 new DVDs. Hooyah. Lots of movie watching over the Christmas break. Got to buy some stuff for gifts.. Hmm I hope May likes the one I'm giving to her :)

:: D said @ 2:37 PM [+] ::
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Klite Christmas Party

As usual, Chi got hold of tickets for the Klite Christmas party, and made me come along with her. I've broken so many gimmick stuff with her, I felt that I owed it to her to show up this time. :) We went to Watering Hole, where the Thing was.. It was the station's Christmas party, with Carl's band (one of the dj's) providing the music. We had invites, so there were only a couple of us from the Klite chatroom/mailing list group: Chi, me, Ron (stellar), jing (angelvoice), sushi (sushi.. don't know her real name), Rhem, demet and his luvvyduvs, boom and leah.

The place was pretty small, and intimate. The station's staff and management were there to have a great time. Maliit lang, kaya masaya pumunta. Some of the more active (read: talkative) DJs came and chatted with us. Vince, Vito, Mylinda. I didn't know the others all that well, but some of us did, so they came over and said hello. Got excited about the TTT premiere, and most of them were going. Vito and Vince said they wouldn't miss it for the world. Hehe. I think I floored Vito when Chi told him that I read, write and speak LOTR elvish *rolleyes*

Note to self: lend Vince the Wrinkle in Time book.

Speaking of books, we swapped books at the party, The long awaited bookswap happened tonight :) Sapper/Jon brought his BOB, Antibodies (XFiles) and this sci-fi horror thing called Meg. I think Vince borrowed Antibodies, and then Chi and I borrowed the other two. We lent Anne Rice's Servant of the Bones< and The Vampire Lestat to Jon and Rhem, respectively.

Sushi stuck me as.. hmm.. I'd rather not say. I'd rather keep the thoughts to myself. Haha. Needless to say, Chi told me that I'm mean. *snicker* Dunno. I get that weird vibe off her that she's just showing off too much. I mean, she's 'putting out' too much, when it's not needed anyway. I mean, you can look confident and cool without showing off your wares all the time. I've heard her speak and Chi's told me stuff.. seems like she's the female version of D: when the word Sex is mentioned, she perks up. And she talks as if she knows what she's talking about. Duh. I'm more inclined to believe in the opposite. People who blow off that much braggadoccio on sexual encounters are bound to be not having any at all, or they're nymphos. I don't think she's a nympho. *shrug*

Speaking of Books
.. JP lent me one of his books The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat, clinical neurological cases seen and observed by Oliver Sacks. It's so interesting that I've already finished it, and told my mom to read it. The kind of clinical medical stuff stories that I'm always interested in. Amazing how a simple knock on the head, blunt force, allergies to certain medicines, or addictions can alter a person's entire perspective.

And then
Dad picked us up at 11pm from Watering Hole. I had a 12am login at work. Sigh. Such is life. But it was great. And I didnt want to linger too long, because Id rather be touch-and-go with impact than stay and feel the drag. But then, I wish I had more time. Times like that makes me with I had work during regular days. *sigh*

Watched LOTR. Again.

Got the whole bunch of tickets for the TTT Dec 21 premiere. Met up with Xan, again, to give his tickets and asked him to pass along the 4 that Andrew bought from me. I wonder if Xan'll let me borrow his SE DVD?

:: D said @ 7:56 AM [+] ::
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