Halloween Story

Pang Halloween Story If you don't mind:

Tutal today is Halloween so pang Halloween ang story na ito. I think it was the Year 1986 or 1987 ata yun. My supervisor dropped by at my place of work in the Department of Health, DRTS. I was surprised! She never visit that area before and I don't know what she needs to do there whether she's there to supervise or what because my job is at the free clinic. Turned out she was there to talk with other doctors I think or attend a symposium? Not sure. So while she was getting out of her car she told me that it's her birthday actually and she wants to ask me for a lunch out. I think as I remember I don't have a ready gift for her but I always have in my bag pcs of chocolate. That time she's lucky that I have toblerone. So instead of having it for my snack I just gave it to her instead because it's her birthday anyway. When I gave it to her, she told me, "you don't need to Verna." She was happy smiling at my gesture of thoughtfulness. Then after lunch, after I had finish my free clinic at DRTS, she was with one of our sales representative from Pharma. Well he's cute and a look-alike of DD of XF. My supervisor is equally stunning and at her age is still gorgeous. My co-workers at DRTS were looking at us for sure. My supervisor asked us to ride her car and we have to go to the Pharma before that time specified on the "invitation." She let him (RT) do the driving, we passed by San Lazaro Hospital and we cannot get into the road because of heavy traffic, so we waited for more than 15 minutes. Grabe naman sa traffic doon. So he drove fast that area going to the right side of the road. He kept on driving, and driving until there is something wrong with the road. My supervisor seemed a little nervous and about to panic and asked me, "Verna, where are we?"  I looked around, outside the window of her car and can't find any street sign. Then outside that area zone is ....oh my God we're in another planet!!!!!!!! I got nervous too. It's almost like twilight zone in that area. I haven't been in that place either so I don't know where we are. We can't find any possible route to get out. It was a closed-in no other route to get out. It's like another country in that area sa tutuo lang. Even the people, they don't look like Filipinos. How could that happen? Hindi rin sila Intsik. So nasan kami? Ewan ko talaga namang ninerbyos kaming 3. RT was a new driver and he too doesn't know that area. Sa tutuo lang parang hindi na sya Pinas. Ano kayang country yun? tagaktak ang pawis nung driver namin. Ako naman nerbyosa, mas lalo palang nerbyosa yung supervisor ko. So walang way doon how to get out going to the highway. Ang ginawa ni RT he drove the car backwards not forward. Bumalik kami sa dating destination kahit na matraffic. Even if we waited 30 minutes or more than that amount of time. Sige lang basta mukhang nasa civilization kami, quesa naman doon sa lugar na yun...everytime na hihinto ang ibang sasakyan ok lang kahit na abutin ng siyam siyam basta safe kami from harm. Ang init pa naman noon at yung car ng supervisor namin ay mahina yung aircon. Grabe! We get there to the Pharma or to that venue where he is supposed to play his violin. Recital. Naka! Buti naman nakahabol siya sa program.

Ako naman nag-iisip pa up to now. That twilight zone area is something weird. Pang X Files. I couldn't believe that in Philippines there's an area where another country is inside area of responsibility and territory.

Unforgettable

Another unforgettable incident is when I was about to get my PR card in Nanaimo. From the mail I received a message and in that message I have to retrieve my PR card. We went looking for that place somewhere in Nanaimo. At first couldn't find it because it has no "sign" whether it's a government office or just a post office. I went inside the building...alone. Inside the lobby of that building were too many immigrants. No Filipino citizen > just me. The rest of the people there who lined up for PR card and other documents were either EI, Pakis, Afghans maybe, and few Europeans I think. That was at the time when 911 is still fresh from the minds of people and news of terrorism is still in the air. I was holding tightly to my attache case just in case that if somehow somebody terrifies me I have something to cover myself with or use my attache case to defend myself of a sudden attack. One by one those foreigners were called and they got their PR cards. Then only few of us there, there is no standing room whatsoever I noticed the facial expressions of those men at the counter who seemed afraid? or tired from work handling, interviewing those people. However, I heard one of them said, "Thank you, Congratulations, Welcome to Canada!" So medyo I feel relieved that those men behind the counter are just doing certain protocols without having to smile while they give the PR card or Permanent Resident cards to new immigrants. Then from those lines, there is one guy who is wearing a costume, native costume from where he came from. I don't know where and on his waistline was a dagger. A small knife!!!! My eyes widened in surprise, holding on to my attache case my grip's so tightly holding it just in case. I was alert but nervous. Then he passed by where I was sitting and looked towards the counter where the government clerks are. On the right hand side of the couch was a man. He is tall and wait a minute told myself, he is ....oh no! He can't be that guy what is he doing in that place? Then he got his passport from his pocket and looked at me and waved his American passport. My goodness! He is Vin Diesel! I felt relieved that there is an American in that building. I told myself there is probably a movie shooting in that area. But where's the camera? I want to ask him but I was called inside the room. I was not called in the line up together with those people. In that room, a woman was there sitting behind the table and she gave me my PR card. She shook my hands and greet me, "Congratulations and Welcome to Canada!"

What?! I'm here in Canada for many years already!!!!!
Darn! Probably I was in another Lalaland.

Know what? I don't mind if that bitchy woman is disabled or autistic I wont bother and forgive her for her bad behavior and bad attitude but she is normal (?)  and I think she is that irritable without knowledge in customer relationship. She's probably new in that kind of work, inexperienced. The question is why that store hire her? As an apprentice? She should have been fired! But then there are employees who are happy being fired. When they are not happy with their job they really want to be fired or terminated rather than to quit. Voluntary quitting from work, workers don't receive any compensation. That's probably one of the reasons. TOO BAD!

After that incident, I told everything to my husband. Ganito yun, paglabas ko ng store na yun ay biglang bumuhos ang ulan. Nabasa ang damit ko, yung mukha ko naerase yung make up. Naku yung eyeliner ko medyo nabura. Umiyak din kasi ako habang ikinukuwento ko yung nangyari doon sa LD dahil sa babaeng yun. Sabi nang asawa ko gusto nyang bumalik kami doon at kausapin ang babaeng salesclerk dahil nga sinisigawan nya ako sa dami ng tao doon sa store. Parang eskandalo di ba? Eh ayaoko ng malaking eskandalo. We went to another shop where I can have my passport photo or picture. Meron doong mama na photographer. Hindi sya yung dating photographer doon. Bago sya. May kamukha siya eh. Parang si _________! Ngi! Bakit nandoon yun? Bakit kaya? Then sinabi ko yung size ng passport photo na kailangan ko for my application. Yung cubicle ng photo shop nya napakakitid. Medyo hindi sya class. Parang medyo hindi appropriate for photo session. Pag ganun ang klase ng kuhaan ng picture at mag-isa ka lang lagot ka. I mean you wont be able to escape kung pervert yung photographer. Pero kasama ko naman yung husband ko so medyo hindi ako takot. Then ini anggulo nya yung lens ng camera nya doon sa uupuan ko. Pabilog yung upuan, leather yung seat cover. Nagsuklay muna ako baka mukha na akong witch. Nabasa ang buhok ko kaya mahirap suklayin. So ready na yung mamang photographer, aba yung upuan naman ay medyo madulas hindi ako maka upo ng mahusay. So ayun na ready na ako. Ini-aim na yung camera. Maya-maya may kinuha yung mamang photographer. Sabi nya wag daw akong magsmile. Bakit kaya? Then pinahawak sa akin yung metallic cover, parang lead cover na makintab. Shiny yung round-shape na lead cover ng malaking wok, or looks like  Bilog siya. Hawakan ko daw yun ng dalawa kong kamay. Nakakapagtaka kung bakit. Ewan ko ba naman kung bakit ko hinawakan yung lead na yun and then nagshoot na yung photographer na hawak ko yung bilog na tray or cover ata ng wok. Whatever. Natatawa ako sa kalokohan nung mama. Anong kinalaman nun sa passport photo?

Paglabas namin ng asawa ko may malaking truck sa labas ng shop. Nakasakay doon yung mamang may diperensya. Ano bang klaseng mga tao ang mga ito? Sino ba sila? Napaka weird naman nila. Minsan gusto ko ng mag-usisa sa Embassy or sa Philippine Consulate. Pero wag na lang kasi marami ring complaints tungkol sa kanila.

COMPLAINTS. Complaints.

You know that website DEFINITELY FILIPINO? Wow! It's a website that you really can relate to. Controversial issue straight from the most provocative Filipinos,  OFWs who tried to make a difference in this world. They are strong-willed individuals who made this world a better place by "filing" complaints, stories worth revealing and stories worth mentioning through the net. Bravo!

NOW what? I have my own story to reveal too in my own blogosphere. And this is  for REAL! Real Madrid!Let me begin with this story so real you can vomit. Actually have to file this kind of discrimination at the Bureau of Human Rights.

This true story happened sometime YEARS AGO.

It was time for me to renew my passport. But first have to get the right "photo" passport from the dept. store that offers Passport photo for less than the price from the usual photoplace that I used to go to. That time there are only 2 shop for that "photography" where they are certified for that kind of "purpose." Maliit lang kasi ang town na ito. City daw pero town lang siya. Kailangan itagalog ko kasi alam mo na marami ditong Judas. So I made sure na ok naman ang representation ng face ko para maganda ang  kuha ng picture. Dala ko yung kapirasong papel na may right size para sa pasaporte (Philippine Passport). Pagdating ko doon sa store, London Drugs yun, newly built palang siya dito sa town na ito. Nakita ko yung saleslady may kausap na guy. Naghintay ako ng turn ko kasi mukhang busy siya sa customer nya. Aba more than 10 minutes di pa sya tapos doon sa nag-iisang costumer. Lumapit ako sa kanila and then I said, "excuse me.." just to get her attention. Umalis yung kausap. Hindi naman costumer kundi employee din ata sa store na iyon kasi naka-uniform eh. Sumimangot yung saleslady na mataba. Chubby sya eh. Parang galit dahil naistorbo sya sa pakikipag-usap doon sa guapong guy. Ewan ko ba kung anong usapan nila eh hindi naman ako nosy. Hindi naman siya costumer kasi wala namang binili. I told her what I want. Diretso ako sa sinabi ko na gusto kong magpakuha ng photo sa ganung size para sa Philippine passport. Then tinanong ko na rin yung size para sa PR card photo.  Malinaw ang English ko. Sabi niya hindi nya alam ang size para sa PR card. Ang alam lang nyang size ay yung photo for Canadian passport. But then hindi rin siya sure sa tamang size nung photo. So sabi ko why not she find it out sa computer tutal may computer doon sa puesto nya. Then she looked at it. Then pumuesto na ako doon sa may harap ng camera for the photo shoot. Parang alanganin sya na kuhaan ako ng picture. Hindi nya ata alam ang pipindutin sa camera. Pumasok ulit sya sa cubicle then she looked at the computer. Ang tagal. siguro more than 2 minutes or 3 minutes matagal. Nakakaimbierna. Nagtataka ako so I peek in to find out what she is looking at. Aba! Mga photographs ng East indian, Pakistani at Muslim ang nakabalandra sa monitor ng screen ng computer nya. Nagtataka ako kung bakit. Maya-maya sinabi nya na ang alam nyang passport size ay yun lang nandoon sa harap ng computer. Then I asked, " how about Philippine passport photo size?" She said," none! " There's nothing there! Medyo nairita ako. This is Canada and you don't have any information about the Philippines when it comes to passport size and you have those people there? I was surprised. Then she asked me, " do you understand?" I cannot take off my eyes on her. I was flabbergasted with her the way she talked to me. She was yelling. Of course I can hear her but what she is telling me is nonsense. I am there to have a Philippine passport photo and I know the correct size. What is her problem? All she needs to do is TAKE A PHOTO OF ME then she can resize the photo through the help of computer digitalized imaging or cropping or cutting the size of the original photo. Really what is so wrong with her????????

Then she asked me again if I can understand her. FGS! It's her who cannot understand me and I think she doesn't know how to use the CAMERA. She was mad at me and at the same time I was getting highblood. It's like my blood went up high to my brain. Para akong mahaheart attack. Kumukulo ang dugo ko sa bastos na yun. Maayos naman ang pagsasalita ko. Then her face is so stern. Parang galit. Eh sya itong walang alam sa work niya. I stared at her one more time to see if  she's got a "name plate" on her uniform. Her name? If that's her name? Gusto mo ipost ko yung name nya dito for public viewing? Then suddenly I saw her arms. Her arms has contact dermatitis!!!!!!!! She needs eczacort with hydrocortisone. That stup---! bitch made me itchy by looking at her arms.

Then I told her, "never mind." I stepped backwards and moved on to the other aisle of that store. Nahihilo ako kasi nagsisikip ang dibdib ko. Feel ko aatakihin ako sa puso sa sobrang galit.

Ngi!!!! I went out with a heavy feet. Galit na galit ako sa bruhang yun. Then I realized maybe there is something wrong with her. Maybe depressed or with learning disability. She probably doesn't know her job. Too many of them who work in Canada with learning disability and when they clashed with customers the company suffered and they lose their company. Now you wonder why too many big or small company shut down and more shutting down? Due to that kind of incident. There are too many incidence that are never reported for public viewing. But this case about that woman? Was she a prankster? Or she is that arrogant and without consideration? I first thought every employee or sales clerks are being reprimanded for bad behaviour or you know being punished for making so much mistake. Most of all for prejudice and discrimination...case of RACISM.

It's Elementary My Dear Aquarius

I KNOW SOMEBODY crazy as you is changing the SPELLING here. Not that I want everyone to know that I am perfect or perfectionist with the spelling but somehow I get their message loud and clear. They want a certain "word" as a TOPIC for us to discuss. As usual armed with random thoughts of wisdom as I type here every word that I know in my mind without any codigo. That's how I write-type my entry in my blogs. How can I do that? Well you know I must thank my ever devoted dedicated teachers in Elementary School (long time ago) when every day in English subject we have to have theme writing. We have a white lined paper and we have to have an exact margin on both sides (left and right of the pad paper). 1 1/2" on the left side and one inch to the right side of the paper. The paper should be clean and without any mark. Correct indention, correct spelling and grammar for every sentence, paragraph, stanza. The whole composition is free of any erasures. It was tough! Real tough for grade schooler like me . Because we only have 20 minutes or less to finish a theme or composition. It is handwritten with the use of pen and ballpen. Without erasure? Uhmm really very tough!  Those were the days when perfection is a must. For every error that's minus one from a 100% score. However the over all score counts on what the story is all about. How interesting it is that made the teacher so interested in you as a student. Impression last and how the teacher deals with the student in the way of representation and objective , subjective is okay but the most part is how you try to persuade your readers to read your work or composition. The story matters. You can be so great with all the grammar and spelling and all that punctuation but your story is such a bore or BORING to the most that they will crumple your paper and throw them in the bin. Now that's fascinating of a drama having your work thrown in the bin there is that counter-reaction. There is a stimulus and there is an immediate response. How your "fuse" ignites and how it's gonna blast remain significant to the resolution of a conflict. A story is based on such idea. The more complicated it is,  the more it has an appeal to the readers. An approach-avoidance conflict emerged + solution + resolution = result.

Well that's not grade school idea right? It's ELEMENTARY! Ha!?

Just kidding.

BLOGGING can be very stressful. It is one of the most stressful job ever especially when the idea that I have in my mind is already been passed through to the other channels of bloggerworld...in the blogosphere. There are a lot of arrows. There are a lot of channels and receiver. There is only one specific topic in a day. One can prolong it or have it cut. Kanya-kanyang style. But then kung pati naman pag pose mo. Pati hand gestures mo ginagaya ewan ko na ba. Ano ba yan wala na bang originality yung iba dyan?

Then paano na kung ang nanggagaya ay mas sikat sa iyo? Pano na kung ang gay-gaya ay isang popular na tao eh di ikaw pa ang napagbintangan na nang-gagaya?Kaya yung novelette ko ay binabago ko ang story at characters. I made them into puzzles. Kasi ewan ko kung bakit may "leak" yung story na yun eh originally written ko yun. Bakit????????????????????? Bahhhhhhhhhkettth? Naku OA ko naman. Of course galit ako. Sino bang hindi magagalit sa mga gaya-gaya!?

Tulad na lang ng mga sikat na tao na sila>> naku wag ko nang isa-isahin at baka magalit yung mga fans nila at baka mabato ko pa sila ng apples. He he he he he!

Knowledge is power but ... hold on

My children have iPads. However they seldom use the iPad because they have laptop and computer. But know what? They finally used them when suddenly there was a black out.

In Canada there are more children using computer than any other place in the world. It seems that paper and ballpen are already obsolete. Canadians value the importance of their trees. For them the trees are the source of life. The source of shade and shelter, the source of oxygen. We consumed so much paper: paper towel, toilet tissue, napkin and bond paper. We use cheques made of paper, and some of our clothes are made from the products that trees gave. Think of all the many important attributes that the trees can give us is endless.

High regard for its value made so many Canadians wait for the time, right time to have those precious trees cut from its trunk. There is always that pre-caution on what if. What if we cut our trees we denuded the forest. What if we cut our trees there's a raging flash flood? What if we cut the trees there are calamities we cannot avoid. What if we cut all the trees we are left with no resources at all? Those nagging questions we oftenly asked.

Gone are the days when we believe in the old  Bible story of the great, great flood. That you always need a rod just like Moses do. OMG! When Charlton Heston aka Moses was enlightened from filming the movie (10 Commandments) He then realized there is something wrong there and later decided it's best to use guns. Mr. Dick Cheney followed the same idea. Right on! Dude we are not Jesus, we are not Moses. GOD has given us our brains to think purposely in accordance with our environment. That's how our economy is based >> on ENVIRONMENT!

Sometimes it's not deforestation that caused the flood. There are too many problems that arise why flood happened in certain areas. I will give you some of the many examples:

FLOOD are caused by:

1.Tsunami and tidal wave.
2. Earthquake
3. Non-stop rain, storm or typhoon in a simultaneous order
4. Dam broke down or has crack due to earthquake or other causes
5. Too many barriers along the river, ocean and other passages
6. Too much garbage dumped on places where water passes through
7. People tend to build their houses near the river bank, or along the river which they are not supposed to.
8. Houses built on lowland or low area
9.Some land are artificially been made from compost that the elevation is not really strong. Reclamation area.
10. There are islands that are artificially been structured and "not really true land."
11. Too much mining. The elevation or structure of the soil and rock was harmed and therefore gave way to a coming flow of strong current. Then flood happens.
12. Some land has no characteristic of having lodestones or magnets or any strong loads of earth materials other than it's made like a "raft."
13. Flat land. There is no mountain or hills. No higher ground whatsoever that water comes easily as it goes. Flat!
14. Now you wonder why Egypt has pyramid.
15. Then you build so many skyscrapers to augment the need to be higher from the lowlands but taking away the important metal and materials  from the earth ...it shakes the ground.
16. As what Mr. Gore used to say ---there is GLOBAL WARMING. The iceberg is melting.

Okay many will be shaken and stirred. Many will have a stroke from reading this. So be careful with your heart. You only have one life to live so LIVE.