as we stumble and fall and as time breaks and falls, i learn of things both here and beyond me. …as tomorrow becomes yesterday.

>

An officemate asked another officemate what he got for his daughter after the company gave out our performance bonuses. The other replied and proceeded with stories of how the shopping spree with his family went on. This led to discussions about how those who have relatively less tend to raise more children and in the process sacrifice the possibility of an improved quality of life had they had fewer children.

I remembered an incident in the taxi bay of Glorietta 4 last Friday. I bought groceries with two of my friends when a girl, around 5 or 6, came up to ask for alms from us. My friend, whose name I won’t mention here for some reason, got some coins from his pocket and gave it to the little girl. He told us that what pisses him off is when a man goes asking for money from people, as a means for living when his body-built shows an obvious ability to do real work. I suggested to my friend the possibility that the father might be just around the corner directing the girl to beg for money. My prophesy came true three minutes later when we saw the girl gave her takings for the day to a man with another child (around 2 or 3 years old) in his arms, following them was a woman (might be the wife) also carrying a child and another one was clinging to the side of her clothing.

It might be self-righteous to take pity and condemn these people at the same time, but that was exactly how I felt then. Later on, while aboard a cab going home, I was contemplating on the unfairness of things – basically how those people are throwing the blame on the financially better offs when they are the ones making their lives miserable. Or of how the lot of us who have been educated with the hazards of overpopulating, carry the burden of limiting our progeny to counterbalance the acts of the irresponsible ones.

In between clutters in my office.

>I found my lost ATM card, which had kept me worried for the last 36 hours. You know, the I-don’t-care-I’ll-eventually-find-it kind of worried, not the expected omg-how-in-hell-am-I going-to-feed-myself-for-the-next-two-days kind of worried.

Which, I realized, had been my attitude when I first found out that my mobile phone was missing. Because I thought I just mistook my laptop bag for my shoulder bag and placed the phone there instead. Or because I thought that people are generally as good as me, who will return found items without as much as a second thought. (Or maybe I have yet to stumble upon a bag containing millions, for me to really say that about myself.)

Which then made me realize that I really should have been worrying and panicking already, given my propensity for losing things not biologically attached to my body. Plus the fact that, if my ATM card had indeed been lost, it will be the fourth time that I’d be applying for a card replacement (for the same account). Which will be humiliating, I am sure.

So, upon waking up late this morning, I made my decision to start looking for it. Wallet (for the seventh time)? None. Bag (for the second time today)? None. My bed? Under my bed? Jeans? Blazers? Laundry basket? None.

That eventually made up my mind to “work” on a Saturday. And yes, after a few minutes of looking under my table, in between documents and trash, I found my lost ATM. Which justifies my planned trip to the mall later. To reward myself.

And of course, I really am working on some documents for archiving. Just like what I told my boss when I informed him that I am working overtime today.

This is what a long self-declared weekend does.

First New things first. I have changed phones and I am using a new number. I know… I have this annoying hobby of changing numbers every so often. This time, though, the change is not self-motivated.

I lost my phone last Friday. Bought a new phone on Saturday. On Sunday, I was busy installing new phone settings and games, uploading music and trying to connect to the net.

Come Monday, I have a brand new phone again. This was because the phone which I had bought on Saturday decided to shut itself off and refused to turn back on. Just like that. Just like some other things. Which means I have to have myself be absent from work to have it checked in Glorietta, where I bought it. (Okay, that was an excuse. I decided not to come to work hours before my phone broke down).

On a positive note, since the Sony Ericsson outlet is just across Hard Rock, I, together with my two housemates, decided to spend the time in Hard Rock, for our light (expensive!) snack, while waiting for my phone to get checked and to be replaced with a new one, eventually. I was suggesting that we eat at Dad’s instead, where they have this merienda buffet for only 130 pesos. But no, we had to be at Hard Rock for the experience.

The few times I had been there, it was always to attend company-initiated and company-funded events. So I did not know that a bottle of San Mig lite costs 95 pesos there. With prices like this, starting with the San Mig lite, one is inclined to think and realize several things.

1. The place is worth the price and given the chance, the right company and, of course, the right amount of money, I would want to keep coming back there.

2. Keeping up with this kind of lifestyle for even just a week will drain me of a whole month’s sweldo.

3. The place also made me realize that I want to put up something like this in Naga, but this business is waay to classy and expensive, I could never afford investing in something like this, regardless of the fact that the people in Naga will most probably afford and appreciate this scene.

4. I’ll always vote in favor of our old trusted convention, we’ll drink at home instead. This way, we can have as may beers as we want, and it’s way cheaper.