A: 5 FRIENDSHIP HIGHLIGHTS with BEBI J (more photos to be uploaded on the update) :)

Okay, so the original scheduled topic was for me to write things I know about bebi J that maybe most of you don’t know yet. I think it was a nice idea. But the only problem is I already did that on my blog entry on her birthday week, remember “SHE’S ALL THAT”? I know I can go ahead and just list some other facts about her, but instead, I’d just like to highlight the (currently) top 5 most memorable moments of our friendship. How his crazy friendship started, the most fun moments in between, and how I have come to consider the friendship I share with her as the “best”.

As most of you may already know, bebi J knew each other since we were freshies in college. Well, I can say we were more of acquaintances then than friends. We never really did share any “special moments” during those times. But the things that happened during the latter part of our freshman year and the beginning of our sophomore years led into two crazy unica hijas to become closer than they ever thought they would be! 

1.      Harbour Square

It all started here. A couple of drinks with Jaz (I used to address her with her nickname before I started calling her “Bebi J”) and another friend gave birth to a really special friendship. The things we talked about, the seats we took, even the bar we went to are all very vague to me now, but I do remember how much we laughed, how long we all just sat there and talked, and how much fun we had. And this bonding started the “bebis”. I became bebi A, Jaz became bebi J, and another friend became bebi G. I think it was the work of the jejemon inside all of us! Haha! But I remember these "bebi" names were from me, so does that make me the most jejemon of the three? Hahaha!

It was that night that showed me the crazy, hilarious, and fun side of bebi J, and that makes me so glad I went out with them. I wouldn’t be friends with her if she was dull, or so proper, and all goodgy goody anyway. Haha!

Harbour Square is a compound of bars, restaurants, and coffee shops at Roxas Boulevard, Manila Philippines. It's really relax aura makes it a good place to hang out and chill with friends. If you're lucky, you may also find yourself shopping in the bazaars that from time to time are set up in the area.

2.      Enchanted Kingdom

It’s not only magic that’s here. For me, it’s also fun, friendship, and good memories. I honestly have a smile on my face right now as I type this. So many really funny memories are rushing in. I’ve visited this amusement park 7 times too many, and nothing would compare to the time I visited it with bebi J with our friends from an organization in college.

I am not one you can take to amusement parks and expect to make the most out of the entrance fee. That is simply because I do not really like extreme rides, I’ve never been on one. The most extreme I’ve tried was EK’s Jungle Log Jam and that was with bebi J and another friend. I remember how scared we all were, but I most specially remember how much we laughed while in the ride.

We were all crazy scared about the ride, and we were caught off guard on our first fall. We knew there was going to be a second and bigger one next, so we anticipated and encouraged each other to scream to let out the scary feeling. We did attempt to do it, but we somehow lost our voices and breaths halfway and ended up screaming after our ride has landed. Hahahaha! It’s not as funny when I type it here as it actually is being there, but I guess you'd need to bring a crazy friend with you and ride in an extreme ride for you to find out how it would feel. 

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Enchanted Kingdom is an amusement park located at Sta. Rosa, Laguna. It has been long considered as the Philippines’ Disneyland. Though it may not have Mickey, Minney, and the rest of the gang, it does have lots of rides you can choose from. They cater to the extreme ride enthusiasts, children, and even those who prefer it "safe" since they are positive they would pee halfway if you put them in any free-falling ride.

3.      David’s Salon (ExcelLANCE 2008)

Now, had today been 2008, I wouldn’t even think about including this in my entry. And since it's already 2013, I don’t think bebi J would hate me anymore if I share this to the world. And to her mom, tita Ning, bebi J didn’t mean to do it. She was a good student. :D

Bebi J and I were too concerned about our look for this annually-held awards night of our department in college that we went to a Salon to have our hair and make up done on EXAMS WEEK. I wasn't worried at all because I already took all my examinations then, she, however, still had one left; English. We both thought that since the people who would attend to us are pros, we’d be done in no time. We have not been so wrong. Well, the person who attended to me was quite fast, but it was a different story for bebi J. It took her I think about an hour and a half longer for the person who attended to her finish her loose curls. I can remember the look on her face as she almost every minute checked her phone for the time. She was going to be late for exam, she was positive about that. But she still hoped that she will be able to take the examination.

We rushed back to campus right after we paid for the rather disappointing service we had been offered, and yes, she was 30 minutes too late for her exams. And yes, she didn’t get to take it. So after a few minutes of breaking down and wondering how the future would look like for her now that she missed to take one exam because of some lousy locks, she decided she's just going to make the most out of her pretty hair. We then prepped and enjoyed the night.

Disclaimer: This is my opinion about the service given to us. I’m sure some other people would love to go back to David’s Salon for their service. Just not us.

Note: And also, bebi J was allowed to take special examinations! Yaaay!

4.      The filming of Lihim ng Dapit Hapon

Now I think it’s not just our friendship that grew stronger during this period. We made really good friends with many other people while filming this short film. I see this as one of the highlights of my friendship with bebi J because making an indie film is not at all easy, but getting to work with a friend who also is very responsible and hard working lessens the pressure and stress on the set. She was tasked to handle the wardrobe, hair and make-up of our stars and she did just that flawlessly. She was very coordinated and was always on time. She made sure she kept track of what was going on and was aware of what was needed to be done next. I guess, I can say, I saw the grown up and professional side of my best friend during the 3 days of filming.

Can you spot bebi J?

Lihim ng Dapit Hapon is a short film written and filmed by 4th year AB Communication Arts students of Colegio De San Juan De Letran Manila (Philippines) as part of their final examination for film class. The story is about a guy who has deep affection for a woman who can never look at him the same way. Their love story will shock anyone who will watch the film.

5.      The making of BLAAAH

I have always wanted to start my own blog account, but never really tried to create one. Until one afternoon, I told bebi J that I think it’s a cool idea if we can start a joint blog account. And she agreed! It was a really funny, creative-juice-draining, and even scary month of preparation we had. We would talk almost for an entire day just to try to come up with a name to call our account. And just for you to have an idea what kind of crazy stupid ideas we came up with, here are some of the names I can still recall:

>     Pizzaz gurlz (from bebi J’s mom)

>     The bestfriends code

>     She said she said

>     What best friends know

>     Autonomous Region

>     Our autonomous region

>     Our autonomous region of Muslim Mindanao (Hahahahahaha! If you don’t get it, then you’re probably not from the Philippines. But just FYI not trying to make fun of any group of provinces nor religion. )

>     BLAAAAAAH

Now after I think two weeks of trying to figure out what we will call ourselves, we went into planning what topics to write. What is the tone of our blog entries, which topics we can and cannot discuss. And now, you are reading mine! :)

I have not yet even included that time when bebi J had too much to drink on a night out with girl friends that when we got back to our dormitory, she wouldn’t stop talking about this particular guy. And she really hated that guy! Well, at least when she's sober. Haha! Or that time when we skipped classes just to well, slack around and do nothing. Or that time when I flooded our entire dormitory with water. Well, not so much fun, but still, an experience. 

I guess what I am trying to say is that I am really happy and blessed that I have spent all my years in college with her. All the trials, the hardships, the happy times, the i-am-so-near-to-selling-my-roommate moments, and all the crazy times. She has made me the crazier person I am now. Haha! And I thank her for that.

And I do agree with what she wrote about me not being her best friend. That bitch isn’t my best friend too! Haha! She really is my sister. We may argue, bitch out on each other, disagree strongly on so many things, but in the end, we still love each other.

- Spread the love! - A!

5 THINGS ABOUT BEBI A

Bebi A and I have been friends since our college sophomore years. Our freshmen year is a totally different story; yes, we were block mates but we didn't instantly get along. She is among the brat pack and the smart ones in our block, whereas I am just that shy, average girl from the province. She has always been very vocal and straightforward, which is the reason why I knew she didn't liked me then; she doesn't hate me, but she doesn't like me either. And, then one day I was hanging out with our common friend during the cinemalaya festival in Manila, she joined us and we really can't remember how we started to become really good friends, but the bottom line is that we've grown together being each other's best friend. When we became friends, there isn't really no other way around it, we just know that we really are friends, that's it. Bebi A is kinda like a double edged sword; if she became your friend, she will stick up for you no matter what or no matter how far she has to go out of her way for you. But if you hurt her and the people she loves, she will get back to you, three-fold. 

We're really a trio; bebi A, mamee Sue and I, and we've been through a lot and we can really say that we know each other very well.

And these are some of the things I know about Bebi A:


1. She is passionate

when she was still a 'Kolehiyala'

She pours her heart and hard work in whatever she does. Back in college, we're among the batch of intense multi-taskers; she was a cheerleader, an org officer, a school paper editor and all the other things that she does for others on the side. And with all this, she never lacked the heart and strength to give her best in everything she committed herself to. She even came to a point that she didn't even know how she got through all her deadlines; she just sailed on and deliver whatever she can and with that, she never disappoints. As if all of her responsibilities on hand is too much, she still finds time to party a bit, to be a good confidant and be a girlfriend to her Popo.
And now, she is living the life with the same boyfie from college, kuya Carl, in Singapore, she is also a budding entrepreneur and is pretty much able to do or buy whatever she wants for herself, her mom and all the people she loves. She really works hard in everything she does, so she really deserves whatever she has now.

 
2. She is multi-talented

The fierce cheerleader that she is

She is a dancer, a good story teller and a closeted singer! Haha. Her more known talent is dancing because she’s a cheerleader and she always say that she can really express herself whenever she dances. And, we can really tell that she enjoys it because she will go through hell just to be able to perform during NCAA competitions before, she had an injury once that caused her to not compete and it really broke her heart. She may be our alma mater’s cheer leader but we, her friends, is her proud cheerers/fans and we’re really proud of her!

Okay so we’ve laid out her first talent, but only few people know that Bebi A also has THE VOICE! She sings really well! She may try denying this, but hey! I say she has it. She also has this effortless power of reeling people in whenever she tells a story, may it be a very silly joke or more serious stuff. She has the gift of timing and proper punchlines.

3. Her heart belongs to Kuya Carl

I am a witness of how bebi A really loves her Popo (Kuya Carl) since college until now. They've had their own share of relationship dilemmas, but one thing I know is that they are perfect for each other. And they are willing to endure some hardships for each other. Bebi A and Kuya Carl may sometimes be both stubborn and they might stumble from time to time when it comes to their relationship, but all I know is that she loves Kuya Carl very much and Kuya Carl really loves her too.

Even for me, an outsider looking into their relationship, I can’t see a future with them not being together. I have witnessed their love, their difficulties and how they compromise. They have really grown together in their relationship and that is true love, they have that and more because they got each other.

4. She is a good daughter

Tita Lynn visited Bebi A in SG!

Her graduation day!

Bebi A is overflowing with love and when I met her mom, tita Lynn, I knew why. She may not have her father by her side growing up, but she has a mother that compensates all of that and never made her feel that something is missing in her life. She may have been a rebellious when she was younger, but who wasn’t? We all go through that phase in our lives, but at the end of the day there’s just one arm we go to when everything is done and that is our mom’s. The thing that made Tita Lynn great is that she never asked for anything since Bebi A moved to Singapore to pursue her career growth, but she doesn’t really have to because Bebi A will do anything that she can to help her mother out or to just simply make her enjoy the luxurious things she wants her to enjoy. It is really evident that she tries everything to give her mom not just a more convenient life, but a luxurious life even and they both deserve it. Bebi A, and all of us, may not be a perfect daughter but she is a damn good one!

5. She is not my bestfriend



Junior College

Senior College

Bebi A, Bebi J and Mamee Sue

Year 2013

She is my sister. She may come as really straightforward and often misunderstood as bitchy at times, but underneath that tough exterior is a really sweet and caring person. And, her being frank makes her a good friend, she tells you things as it is; no sugar coating. And, she really goes out of her way to help a friend and fights with them, even for them, when she needs to. The most important thing about Bebi A as a friend is that she accepts all her friend’s flaws, she never judge them and she can be as crazy as hell and she wouldn’t even care. She is a really fun friend because it’s like she always has an adventure to tell, or a blooper to laugh about.

I can never forget that time that our friendship, Bebi A, Mamee Sue and I, almost ended, we rarely fight but when we do it’s really a big one, It broke my heart to see how a very good friendship might be broken, but we love each other and we value our friendship more than anything; we talked, we cried, we hugged it out and we came out of that situation stonger, our friendship has reached a new level. We’re sisters; we irritate each other, we sometimes disagree and fight, but after all the drama and confrontations, what remains is our love and respect for each other.

So she is not my bestfriend, she is the sister that I never had and I love her so much for being just that!

J: SONGS FOR MUM

Are you a little short on budget? Well, as the older folks say, there's nothing sweeter than  being serenaded. So, why not serenade your mum this mother's day? Stage a little performance with your dad and siblings or if you're an only child like me, just let your dad tag along with the singing, maybe cooking breakfast for her and then serenade her after eating would be a nice idea. I've also done before a simple video with the compilation of our pictures and then a recorded audio of me singing!

Mums are sentimental, it's always the thought that counts ;) So I will list here some songs that may be perfect for serenading your mum on Mother's Day!

1. Ugoy ng Duyan (Lea Salonga)

This is a Filipino song. it's very mellow, like a lullabye. This is my first song choice because my mum always sings this to me when I was younger to put me to sleep. The melody is so soothing and calm. I find the message of this song really emotional, it's about a child longing for the hug of a mum; a child missing her mum and the warmth of her love as she rocks the her cradle when she was younger. It's that wishful thinking of just going back to that moment and stay there with her mum forever. And, don't we all wish that? To be with our mum forever to love and protect us? I know I do.

I may not be the sweetest daughter there is, but I try to always make it a point that I hug them atleast once a day just to let them feel my love, though I don't say it that much.

Favorite Line: "Sana'y 'di magmaliw ang dati kong araw, nang munti pang bata sa piling ni nanay. Nais kong maulit ang awit ni inang mahal, awit ng pag-ibig habang ako'y nasa duyan. At sa aking pagtulog na labis ang himbing. Ang bantay ko'y tala, ang tanod ko'y bituin. Sa piling ni nanay, langit ang buhay. Puso kong may dusa, sabik sa ugoy ng duyan." (How I wish that I could go back to my younger days with my mum and that it will never perish. I want to hear my mum's song again, a song of love as she rocks me in my cradle to sleep. And, as I sleep, the sky watches over me and my security are the stars. It's like heaven whenever I'm with my mum. My burdened heart is longing for her rocking my cradle as I sleep.)

2. Like My Mother Does (Lauren Alaina version)

I love this song so much! I have always been told that I look a lot like my mum when she was my age. Some of her classmates during her last HS Reunion even said that they thought I was my mum. Though, I always hate it when people say that I don't look like her daughter because I am a tall, voluptuous gal, I love it whenever they say that I resemble her so much. When I was younger, I was always told that I looked like my dad, which made me feel that I looked like a man (I was young, i'm slightly irrational) and that affected my confidence but when I started to enter my teenage years and I'm already receiving comments that I look like my mum, that's one of my happier days!

Let me just rant here a little: But, since I am a tall and fat girl, people always mistake us as sisters, heck! someone even said that I looked like her older sister and I was just a high school sophomore then! That was when I started to hate being told that we look like sisters, because to me that's saying that I look 20 years older than my age.

Anyway, of course I address this to my mum and she never fails to make me feel better about that. Just like what the song says our mums has their own way of talking that can make everybody feel good about themselves. This song is perfect for my mum and I, we never really had a perfect relationship but at the end of the day, she's still my mum and she always forgives and loves me no matter what! And, everything I am right now, I got it from her.

Favorite Line: "When I love, I give it all I got like my mother does. When I'm scared, I bow my head and pray like my mother does. When I feel weak and unpretty, I know I'm beautiful and strong because I see myself like my mother does"

3. I Promise (Stacie Orrico)

This song isn't really specifically for mums but when I first heard it, I can't think of nobody else but my mum. This song is really sweet, it's about every child's promise they make to their parents; to take care of them, to always be there for them, to hold their hands and make them strong. Every child makes this promise to their parents, some of us forgets about it as we grow older, we might even be very impatient towards them (so guilty of this), but then when the going gets tough, I just think how many times they could've given up on me when I was a child but they never did, never even crossed their minds. We tend to forget things as we grow older and live our own lives, but I think we should always be reminded the promises we made to our parent as a child and fulfill them while we still can.

Favorite Line: "Will I take tender care of you? Take your darkest night and make it bright for you? Will I be there to make you strong and to lean on? When this world has turned so cold, will I be the one that's there to hold? Will I be there when you call me in the middle of the night? Will I keep the rain from falling down into your life? I promise, I promise I will."

4. A Song for Mama (Boyz II Men)

This is for the guys to sing to their mamas! I guess it's just typically like that, the sons sings about their mamas while the daughters sings about their dads. But whether we're a daughter, a son or anything in between, we all feel the same way about our mums and that is what this song is all about, the title says it all; this is a song for mama. We should express our love for our mums, our parents, everyday! We've all watched the same scene over and over for too many times about children pleading for more time with their parents to show how much they love them. Let's not fall to that, let's always seize the moment; hug them while we still can, love them as much as we could while they can still feel it and still love you right back.

Anyway, this song's about nothing but love for our mums. Hence, the title. That's pretty much self explanatory, right?

Favorite Line: "Mama, you know I love you (you know I love you, Mama). Mama, you're the queen of my heart. Mama, just want you to know; loving you is like fruit to my soul."

5. Girl On Fire (Alicia Keys)

Every mum is a superhero, they all have super powers! They are the most patient, loving and understanding human that God has ever made. They are angels sent to Earth to guide their children so they would grow to be angels as well :) With our economy now, women aren't made to just stay at home anymore, women right know also work their asses off to earn and still manages to be a wife and a mum when they get home. If that woman doesn't have superpowers, then I don't know where the heck they pull that strength from. I would know about this, because this woman is my mum. I see her work everyday and still be a wife and mother the moment she steps in our home. She's the best!

Favorite line: "She's just a girl and she's on fire, hotter than a fantasy, lonely like a highway. She's living in a world and it's on fire. Filled with catastrophe, but she knows she can fly away
Ohhhh oh oh oh oh! She got both feet on the ground and she's burning it down. Ohhhh oh oh oh oh! She's got her head in the clouds and she's not backing down"


Yep! my mum is a girl, or better yet a woman, on fire! So let me take this time to dedicate this post and these songs to her. And let me just say that I love you very much!! Happy mother's day!


Spread the love and positivity!!

-J

A: THINGS WE CAN DO FOR OUR MOMS THIS MOTHER'S DAY! :)

I have shared in my entry about the Women I look up to how big of an influence my mom is to who I am today - like most moms are to their children, right? I can go on forever about the good qualities my mom possesses, about the lessons she taught me, and the dreams she helped me reach. She is my hero, the wind beneath my wings.

In my 24 years of existence, I have seen how my mom dedicated her life, time, and love to one else but me. She worked hard to support my studies, she put a roof over my head, food on the table, and gave me the kind of life that some parents could only dream of giving their kids. And to her and the things she did and provided me, I will be forever grateful. 

I guess it is quite obvious why the beginning of this blog entry is all about my mom. Well, if it's not so obvious, then it is because of Mother's day! I am sad that I will not get to be with her this mother's day, but if I can, then I'd make sure I make the day count and make it memorable, it is after all the ONLY day that is dedicated to moms like her. I say that because it  seems like it's always "daughter and son day", it's always us who are the focus. So let us all put our moms in the spotlight, and at least on the day dedicated to them, make them feel like the star that they are! Here are some way we can celebrate mother's day with our mommahs. Some of these things are very simple and quite ordinary, but I bet most of these things, we have never tried doing.

1.    Take her out on a fancy resto

My mom is a very simple woman. She enjoys fast food meals, eating at food centres, some good old home cooking, and you know the rest. But, I know she also enjoys some nice fine dining from time to time.

Try to look for a nice restaurant days before the day you plan to celebrate mother’s day with your mom. If you plan to take her out on the evening of mother’s day itself, then I would suggest you book reservations as well. It can be heartbreaking to get to a restaurant only to find out that you have to wait for hours just to be seated, or worse, you cannot eat there at all.

If your mom is that kind that likes to try new types of food and is game for some adventure when it comes to dishes, then take her to a place that serves meals that you know she has not tried before. It too can be a nice way to share a "first" if you too have not tried eating in that resto before. But if your mom would rather enjoy the dishes she's familiar with, then take her to a place that serves meals that she likes. Only this time, try to look for the most popular restaurants for her favorite dish/es.

2.    Take her to a spa or a salon

Basically, take her to a place where she can be pampered and experience just full relaxation.

If us young ladies deserve pampering, our moms do too! In fact, I think, they deserve it way more than we do. One nice nail salon that I can recommend is CaliforniaNalls and Day Spa at Market! Market! in Taguig City. Although the store unit is quite small, the seats are very comfortable, the ambience is relaxing, and their attendants are very pleasant.

Spas in the Philippines are almost everywhere. You can choose from the most famous ones or maybe try the newer ones and sign up for membership! You can also take mom to a dermatology clinic and let her receive pampering there while getting rid of any unwanted “stuff” on her face. Or maybe take her to a massage place and have her choose from the wide variety of types of massages that every massage place now has.

3.    Take her to the movies

This should be a no-brainer. In fact, I think, there should be a law that dictates that every daughter/son, once they can already afford to buy movie tix, should take their folks to the movies at least once a month, or whenever their parents's favorite star's movie is showing.

This mother’s day, taking our moms to the movies can be the easiest idea for anyone. If you can book tickets ahead of time by doing it online, then make sure you book tickets days before your plan date with your mother. But if not, then you can always go to the movie house early to have your seats reserved.

4.    Take her window shopping

Again, another very obvious way to say, “thank you” to mom would be to take her shopping, but if you do not yet have the means to buy her anything, then you can take her window shopping. Believe me, most moms would really appreciate the time you will spend with them. It can be a good way to catch up on the gossip with mom too! Haha!

5.    Buy her something new

I know I have mentioned in tip no.4 that if you do not yet have the power to buy mom anything new, then you can always just take her window shopping. And while it is always nice to make sure you always make time to be with your mom, once you start earning money, it will not hurt to spend a few hundreds or even thousands to buy her something nice. Something you know she’d really like. Something she would really love to have, but will never buy using her own money. Surprise her! Add in a cute ribbon and a card with a sweet message, and you have a really memorable mother’s day gift.

6.    Take her on an out-of-town trip

Instead of buying her a souvenir you bought from Palawan, why not take her there instead?  Let her shop for pasalubong she would like to give her friends. Let’s all admit it, most of us would rather go to different corners of the Philippines with our friends than parents. If that is 100% true for you, then this mother’s day is the time to at least give our "bonding with no one else but my friends" addiction  a break.

Even a quick trip to Tagaytay would be appreciated, I am positive about that. Prepare food, bring blanket to sit on (is this still how they do it there? Please correct me if I am wrong) to have that picnic aura, and take tons of pictures!

7.    Go out-of-the-country

Now this, I have already crossed out on my list. Last year, I took my mom to Singapore as my mother’s day gift to her. It was her first time to fly out-of-the-country, and I could tell from the look she had on her face that she was very nervous and excited about it. The feeling was priceless.

Now for this one, unless you stay in the country where you plan to take your mom, then you will need to save quite an amount of money. But of course, the trick is to get suggestions and gather feedback from people who have already gone to the country you’re planning to visit. Ask about their approx budget, what kind of hotel they stayed in, what kind of food they normally serve, and of course, how safe the country is.

8.    Do a make-over

I don’t know about your mom, but mine is pretty simple. She doesn't change her look that often. So this mother’s day, we can all try to do either an overall or just a simple makeover. Maybe have her have a haircut or her hair dyed. Or maybe have her try nail art, or gelish nails,  or a change in wardrobe. But remember, you are doing the makeover to make her feel happy and confident, not to make YOU feel happy about your purchases.

9.    Cook for her

If you plan to stay in and watch rented (and by “rented” I really meant illegally downloaded. Haha!) movies at home with your mom, then might as well cook for her! You can either cook a main dish or maybe go for dessert that you can dig into while you watch a movie.

If you're not very good at cooking, then you still shouldn't worry about a thing. You can always go online, or better yet go to Youtube, and search for the dish you would like to cook or the dessert you would like to make. If you stick with the measurements and the steps, you are sure to receive 5 star mark from your mom. I know I did! ;)

10. Clean the house for her

Mother’s day should also be considered as the day when our moms wouldn't need to work a muscle to do any kind of household chore. But dirt isn't going to clean itself, so what else to do but do the chores ourselves! We all may never be able to clean as nicely as our moms could, but a little sweeping and mopping inside the house would be appreciated, I bet. You can also do a little house makeover and change the positions of the furniture a bit. Place some décor that wasn’t there before, change the drapes, and arrange picture frames and other house displays.

11. Buy her something online
For people who are far from their moms just like me, we still have a way we can make our moms feel special on mother's day. Purchase a gift online! It is best to do this weeks before mother's day to make sure the delivery will not be so late or if lucky, will be exactly on mother's day. 

It is nice to make sure to make our moms feel special on the day that is dedicated to mothers, but what will be nicer is to treat her like it is always mother's day. Why wait for May when you can accomplish all the things above on her birthday or Christmas, or on an ordinary Tuesday? And I believe that how we spend mother’s day with our moms is not about where we can take them or what we can buy for them, it is still, always about the effort we exerted, and the thought that will count.

I would of course like to dedicate this entry to my mom, I love you to pieces, to inay Laki, to all my cousins who were all like mothers and sisters to me, to mommy Nolie who wasn’t only a mentor but also a mother to me, to my mommy Ron, mommy Min, and to all those who frowned upon my bad deeds and helped me become a slightly (haha!) better person. Me loves yoooo!

To all the moms all over the world, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Spread the love! – A

A: How I dealt with some office "characters"

Hello to all the happy employees who are at home today, relaxing… like me! I am not sure if there is a greeting for the holiday we are celebrating today, but what the heck, HAPPY LABOUR DAY –to all those who do hard and fair work, and those about to give birth! J

 I was thinking of a topic related to work or employment for my blog entry today. I chose between sharing the fun memories I had in my previous companies or the lessons I learned when I needed to deal with some rather different “characters” at work. The latter idea won.

Today, I’d like to focus on the things that taught me some of the coping “talents” I possess now. I used to need to paste fake smiles on my face and really control my temper just to not get into any kind of conflict with some rather unprofessional workmates. Now this entry will not be me telling you how you can cope with the “characters” at work, I’m sharing with you how I dealt with the ones I used to know and work with.

I think each of us would have our personal list of people we would rather not share an office floor with, and these so far are my top three:

1.         THE KNOW-IT-ALL

Who are they: No, they don’t know everything; they just like to pretend as if they do. They stick to what was first taught to them and refuse changes in processes, and raise their eyebrows on employees that get promoted, especially if the ones who get recognized are new employees. Most of the time, they are full of BS. When you try to correct them, they attack back with more BS. They refuse training, and they shut down suggestions for improvement, and these people just don’t to shut up. Most of the time, these are the tenured people.

How I coped: If there is one thing I learned from all my previous work places, it is that an employee’s tenure in the company does not reflect his/her expertise on what he/she does. I know so many people who have been with a company for a really long time, but still know so little about their work. And the only way I coped with this kind of character was I let them pretend to be the expert that they are not, and let them show what they “know”. Basically, let them make fools out of themselves. During those times when I was sure I was right, I (professionally) fought back, I made sure I prove my point. It felt nice to know that I was right and to get to prove it not only to my colleagues, not only to my superiors, but more importantly to that one person who refused to believe I was.

2.         THE GREAT PRETENDER

Who are they: These are the ones with scattered papers all over their desks, work email maximized on their computer screen, they are quiet and look as if they are focused on the task they are doing, they may even run to the printer from time to time, but all these are parts of their act. And when you ask them to finish things that they should finish, they ask you if you can handle those for them because they are “swamped” with so many things. Oh the great pretenders.

How I coped: We all have moments when we just wanted to slack off at work, only a hypocrite will say that never was there a time he/she felt too lazy to work. But there is a huge difference between wanting to just slack off at work and actually doing so. And unfortunately, I have worked with some people who did just that. And how did I handle that? Well, as long as their laziness didn’t affect my work, then I let them be the inefficient and unproductive employee they wanted to be. But when things got worse, I made sure I let them know that I know how lazy they were.

There was one instance before when the person who needed to confirm something to me for a client slept like Snorlax (a Pokemon) at her desk, and needless to say, waiting for an email that I thought she found quite difficult to compose delayed my work. After I found out that she was busy sleeping and that was why she couldn’t respond right away, I immediately went to her desk to remind her about the email. I did that politely. After waiting 30 minutes too long, and still no response, I visited her again at her desk, only to find out she was, yet again, catching some Z’s. That time, I didn’t bother waking her up again. I went straight to our manager, and let him do what needed to be done.  

When things with these great pretenders go beyond what is considered professional, let alone tolerable, then sometimes, the only way to handle it is to raise it to your superiors. If you are not afraid to start cold war with some officemates, then go for the bosses.

3.         THE WRITER

Who are they: Oh these are the most creative kind. They like to spread stories that have no basis at all. They hear a small part of a big story, and they use that to craft a story of their own. They smile at you, but they spread rumors the minute you turn your back.

How I coped: I didn’t give a single F. It’s true that it is painful when you learn that some people are trying to start rumors about you, but what can you do, really? I believe in the phrase that I should never explain anything to anybody, my friends don’t need them and my enemies won’t believe them. And believe it or not, sometimes, it’s through rumors in the office that you can know who your real friends are. It can and will surprise you in so many ways.

Well, I must say, I didn’t expect for this entry to be this difficult to write. Although I have made some – for the lack of a better word – enemies in my previous companies for doing the things above, I also made some good friends, who, like me, like to act professionally in the office.

I wish all the newly grads and the current job-seekers good luck. May you all find your dream jobs and a perfect work environment!

Spread the love! –A! :)