My Idea of Future

In as much as I don’t want to disclose what it is that I see in my future (is that called vision?), I’m afraid that my vision might change if I let nobody take a peek on it. Drama queen.

When asked about where do I see myself five years from now, I was at point blank. Hmmm what would I be doing five years from now? I honestly said “I have no idea.” True enough, I really can’t see what I am a few years from now. This isn’t what a Bui Doi should be.

It took me years to realize what I wanted for college. Does it mean it will take me years to again realize what I want for my future? For sure, most people would want to be “successful” (really, how does one define success?) but how?

My first job application didn’t work out, which gave me ideas on what I don’t want for my future (that job). Maybe the reason why I am still confused on what I really want to be is because I do not have a specific field of specialization. People have theirs and they earn from it. I was quite overwhelmed with all those job offers online that I did not have time to think whether or not I’d be effective in each of those.

I would like to take another set of years to study again. I would like to get an MA. And by doing so, I would like to teach. Teaching and Master’s go hand-in-hand. You’re both a student and an instructor at the same time. Can life be any better?

I’m working on my application as an instructor. I was already recommended by my former mentors and I can never be more grateful that they believe in me (drama queen). But seriously, I need this. I need to learn more and to share what I’ve learned, and you know, MA. I just can’t be satisfied.

So here’s my plan: if I get accepted as a junior instructor, I’ll teach and earn. Then eventually I will take my Master’s. After that, if I’m asked what my vision is a few years later, I am sure to answer, again, “I don’t know.” I guess I’m like that. My idea of future is taking and planning two steps at a time. And it is only effective for five years. If the five years are over, then I have another planning to do. It’s just like that.

Frankly Speaking, This Is So Random.

I think I should be sleeping now but something kept me awake. Checking out people in the WWW and cross-referencing their profiles surely kept me awake, but I think the reason why I am still awake is that tomorrow is a Monday, and during my school days I should be sleeping early on Sundays because manic Monday sucks for me. I would just like to take a few hours to indulge on my vacancy, my dolce far niente, my freedom. Alavet, really. But I couldn’t care less whether or not students have classes later.

Typhoon Frank left the province. Dad has to jokingly hate himself because he goes by the same name as the typhoon. So from now on I can freely say “you’ve done so much damage!” without seriously hurting his feelings. Kidding.

A paragraph is dedicated to Eme, who passed away a year and a day ago. Dude, it’s not Selling The Drama anymore, right? Rhetorical question.

Another paragraph for Eme: Happy birthday. June 23rd.

Isn’t it unethical to lecture somebody on ethics without her asking for it and without you knowing the two sides of the coin? Not a rhetorical question. It crossed my mind again for some reason I think I know (staying awake and trying to sleep — overthinking). I wonder why other people have to be a know-it-all. That should be listed in the roster of unethical things (if there is such).

I guess my long vacation’s over. My teeth are okay now, thanks to antibiotics. Should it pain me like before, I’m gonna rush to the dentist and have it removed. So now, job hunting again.

I am analyzing the consequences of having a broad course sans the major in college: I become a jack of all trades master of none (I hate much hyphenations) yuppie. And this consequence could be greatly reflected through job huntings. In as much as I am tempted to take the easy way, which is the call center industry, I am afraid I can’t. Because I don’t want to, frankly speaking.

For the nth time I was tempted to delete one of my most treasured web accounts ever: the Multiply account. Drama, perhaps, is the most fitting word to describe the temptation. But I realized that I have taken great pains in personalizing and whoring my website, plus, a lot of my photos are solely stored in there. Maybe it’s in me to have the fantasy of being bombarded by ‘why’ questions. Then that’s drama.

Update: Erning hasn’t come back yet. Ooooooh Frank! I had to do a bulk of her chores.

Last night was Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus’s 3D concert over Disney. I never really knew the two popstars but because the concert was in 3D, okay, I watched the entire gig. Everyone in the house had to wear those red-blue 3D glasses to enjoy the concert. Even my dad, Frank, dug it.  He secretly liked it. We caught him in his bedroom with the 3D glasses on (he doesn’t watch TV in the sala). The concert was the last TV show we enjoyed before the dreaded power outage.

So Frankly speaking, I am just bored, awake, and stuff.

Earning Erning

I made a codename for our house maid (yeah, she’s very special, that is why) so that everytime I would complain or blame someone, I would be uttering “Erning”. It feels better to utter a proper noun. Yes, mom spoiled her.

It’s been a year and two months since I first blogged about Erning. She’s gentle, kind, and she’s certainly not a klepto. But for all you know, she has a bad eating habit, a bad attendance, plus she talks to herself (or maybe her imaginary friend). She eats a lot. She’d eat whatever’s on the table. She has no control. She’d get my favorite part of chicken and leave me with NOTHING. She eats with one foot on the chair, and she forgets everything when she eats.

Especially chores.

She’d text while eating, while washing the plates, while feeding the dogs, while watching TV, and heck I dunno if she even texts while taking a bath. She’s got more load than anyone of us.

Right now, it’s her second night out. She said she’s to attend her boyfriend’s sister’s wedding, but since it’s stormy she’s stranded. So she’ll be out for a day more. So that’s three days and two nights. That’s very nice.

I must propose to dad that her salary be cut off if she goes out on regular working days. But to be fair, I will tell dad to make her salary a daily basis. If she goes out for fifteen days in a month, then she’ll get practically half of her original salary. Because it’s not funny anymore. We feel abused. But mom won’t make her leave because she’s mabait daw. And she’s the last person daw to rob us. So okay, salary cut. She’s earning a lot from us but she does not do her job well.

Off?

Maybe I should consider Aldo’s advice to take a year off. For the past five days I have been in a lot of pain because my fourth wisdom tooth won’t fully grow. I consulted the dentist about this and she said I should take antibiotics for a week, then if the pain doesn’t stop, then she has to surgically remove my tooth. This will cause a lot of pain, especially for me, who’s really afraid of dentists.

I had my teeth X-rayed yesterday at Calamba Medical Center. The panoramic X-ray machine seemed okay, but the attendant had to repeat the process because there was nothing to see in the shot, so she said. My mom didn’t like the idea of having my head X-rayed for two consecutive times because of radiation. But I agreed on doing it again lest I get no results. So, okay. They render panoramic X-ray services but their machine is screwed up. Aren’t they aware that radiation is harmful? So this serves as a warning.

I missed three job opportunities already because of my tooth. It pains me a lot to the point that I had fever for three consecutive nights. I can hardly speak, chew, and open my mouth (for whatever it does). Should the dentist say my tooth has to be removed, I might have to take two weeks to one month off to let it fully heal (I sense gore…a lot of bloody gore…)

But folks, I do not have the luxury to take a year off. I have a lot of things in mind with my self-earned money. I cannot bear the title given to unemployed people (“bum”) and to those who do not have the purchasing power (“poor”). I don’t know. It just doesn’t seem right.

Very First Job Interview

I was scheduled for an interview today at 9AM.

Yesterday I submitted my resume to three companies, all of which are related to advertising/graphics. A few hours after, I received an SMS from Creative Gateway, saying that I am scheduled for an interview tomorrow at 9AM. The address was stated.

Thinking that I’ll be able to pull it off, I quickly Googled the exact location through maps and texted every Makati-staying person. Nada. The location is a bit complicated. I stayed in Makati for three months but I had no idea as to how to get there. 9AM is too early for a province girl like me. Plus I should allot an hour should I get lost.

I just decided to totally let go of it. Although the company claims that it’s a subsidiary of Mc Donalds, I was quite hesitant. Plus, I am still working on my other company application.

So what have I learned? My resume isn’t that bad at all. It’s in PDF, and it’s as simple as should be. A company was actually interested in hiring an inexperienced fresh graduate to be their visual artist. It sort of boosts me, although I totally let go of it.

5W’s, 1H

I think I have felt this before.

I remember back in college (ha ha as if college happened a long time ago), I used to write a lot of news and feature stories for our subjects, and mark REVISE! on articles submitted to me by school paper writers. At the back of my mind I thought I shouldn’t be taking it seriously but there’s just a lot of blunders during that time.

Now I am down to my last article, not as a student or a school paper editor, but as a job-seeker. It feels kind of the same, except that the deadline is more dreadful. There are more risks now than before. I am not just responsible for my grades, or what the school admin has to say, I am accountable to my own employment. Or a chance to be employed, to be politically correct.

Actually I am just quickly steering away from the news articles. It gives me strength to type faster, and not to mention, share another I-account, because I consider them to be a mind stimulator.

Where Have All The Popeyes’ Gone?

I tasted the best chicken and biscuit (which I think is more of a French toast) on my 22nd birthday in Robinson’s Metro East. Yes, Popeye’s Chicken. It was too late for me to realize that there’s a chicken fast food that is WAY better than KFC. Had my then-boyfriend not been a total dork, I would have bought a dozen of those mouth-watering biscuits and some chicken. But I thought, that time, that I can just safely go to a mall in Manila and find Popeye’s. I was wrong.

Come 2007, I searched for a branch on each mall I’ve been to but all to no avail. Popeye’s Chicken closed. I asked people to look for branches but they all said they couldn’t find any. I messaged my friend who works in Robinson’s Metro East and he said the branch closed. It was devastating. I had mad cravings for Popeye’s biscuits in summer of 2007.

I learned to ride the bus in my fourth year in college, which gave me easier access to Manila. I had to see it to believe it. There wasn’t any Popeye’s branch in the malls I have been to. What now, was I only able to taste those biscuits and chicken once in my lifetime? Not unless, of course, I go to America.

But why did Popeye’s close in the Philippines? I read several forums on the net that says Popeye’s is better than KFC. I agree! But how come they let every Popeye’s branch close in the country?

It’s really ironic that one of the most popular branches of Popeye’s was in SM South Mall. I am a frequent there now. But it was closed. It’s gone now.

Isn’t it obvious that my mad cravings are coming back? It’s cruelty. It’s an irony. Popeye’s Chicken… gone.

Resume Resumé

I have graduated and all but I still don’t find my resume that presentable. I squeezed in all my relevant credentials to two pages but I am not satisfied, still. How come I’m always at a loss when it comes to redesigning and editing my resume?

Because it’s a big waterloo.

I believed in the hype that resumes are a key to employment. So since my second year in college, I made sure my resume is impressive, and undoubtedly, aesthetically pleasing. I counted a year and a half to have my resume finalized, to get the best color scheme, font, font style, margins, and that screaming SHEENAH BROMIDOR TAN on the top of the first page. I settled for that resume, but now, I am not pleased.

I submitted resumes on my OJT companies. I believe those resumes fall on the bounds of mediocrity. Digital and printed resumes are way too different from each other. In digital, you can change the background color to navy blue, and your text to a high-contrast, every pixel is visible. In printed version, you cannot possibly use a dark-colored paper because inkjet printers cannot use opaque ink. Plus, if the printer isn’t well-maintained, some pixels may be ruined.

Right now I am deliberating on what to put in my resume. Lyceum Institute of Technology became Lyceum of the Philippines-Laguna shortly before we graduated. I consulted to Sir George this dilemma and we now have a solution.

Resume contents differ depending on the field one is applying for. I am applying as a news writer on a marine company so my resume is more on my journalism experiences. I am also applying on an events/entertainment department of a company, so my OJTs should be fully emphasized.

Most companies allow applicants to submit requirements through email, which is why I thought of a quite impressive way to send mine: Sheenah-Tan-resume.PDF. Haha. My resume’s not just another MS Word document; it’s now a PDF. And since it’s a PDF, I might as well change its layout, color scheme and all that jazz. Wait, I can have a different, non-common font as well!

So three years of improving my resume isn’t all that bad. After all, companies do not solely rely on resumes. What a relief.

In My Mind

I find it really hard to document my Aklan adventure, which is why I’m skipping it for some other things.

Let me start with shampoos. When I was young I thought shampoos are universal — men, women, children can use the same brand for as long as it smells good and it creates suds. However, as time passed, shampoo makers started to formulate varieties for men and women, and they seemed too strict about the classification. I was taking a shower in Ivan’s bathroom not realizing that I forgot to bring my own shampoo. I quickly looked for shampoos and was able to reach for a bottle of Clear for men. Being a fan of scents, I smelled some amount on my palm and fell in love with it. I applied it to my hair and let it linger for ten minutes. The smell is captivating and it lasted long.

So it got me baffled: will Clear for men have a funny effect on me? I fully understand that it was formulated based on men’s scalp, but how does it differ from women’s? I am seriously thinking on switching to Clear for men, just because it smells darn good.

And I haven’t even blogged about Herbal Essences, which, if I’m not mistaken, is now owned by Procter and Gamble. I was so tempted to buy a bottle at Watson’s, but I knew that I should not. It’s ridiculously expensive for someone whose funds are limited. So I’m thinking of switching to Clear for men… if, in a few days, it doesn’t make my hair fall, or whatever.

You know those horizontal rough white lines which are being applied on highways nowadays? I must say that whoever invented it is an absolute genius. Whether it’s for speed control or to perk drivers up, it’s just amusing. I’d like to have a driver run on those lines over and over again. The vibrating effect is addictive.

As expected, I am pursuing my employment after an amazing vacation. Further information is classified. But I have three options.

My photos didn’t win but it’s okay. At least I had a fair share of fame when my photos with my watermark were displayed in Robinson’s Town Mall. I won’t be blatantly bitter about it just because my pride as a photographer has devoured me. Nope. I’m far from being a pro to do that. But I thought of that, so…

I haven’t seen the Bui Dois (an exclusive peer name of people who are overly formal and organized) in ages. They owe me a bag of chips.