Disorientation

I remember the first time I wandered Makati. I was in the Central Business District and I was on foot. I had to pick my jaw up every now and then. I've never seen such skyscrapers up close before. The only structures in Davao are 20 stories tall. Here? I could give my neck a cramp just trying to count how many floors a given building has.

There were so many differences between Davao and Makati. In Davao we were laid back. Sure you can see people going about their business but the pace of their walk was always leisurely. In Makati, people always seem to be in a hurry to be someplace else.

And the costs! God, the first time I ate at a local eatery, I almost decided to skip lunch. The difference in prices is downright ridiculous. Anyways, nothing to do about it. Sure, you earn big here if you got the skills but you spend big too. I guess what it boils down to is balance. And budgetting skills.

DotA

I should thank Gwen's younger brother. He showed me how to use items to power up my hero. It was especially useful in thrashing my dormmate Don. Last week it was 2-1 in his favor. But earlier today? It was 3-0. In my favor. hehehe It was fun going toe-to-toe and killing his hero in close-quarter combat.

Anyways, it was a useful distraction. Question is what I'll do for this weekend. I can't spend that time online all the time. Maybe I should wander my 'hood a little more and get acquainted with it...

On the bright side, this weekend I get a new television delivered to my doorsteps. And by next week I get to have a new phone. Those are the only purchases I'll make for now. I do have to earn after all. I wonder what're my chances for asking for anything from my dad... It'll be in 2010 before he comes home from the Middle East... A long, looong time.

Piligrims

That's what we in my team are. We are on the constant search for a decent place to have our lunch. It could be likened to the quest for the holy grail. And it seems our wandering has come to an end. At last.

A colleague knew the place and like the desperate refugees that the rest of us are, we obliged to follow him. And follow him (or her, depends on where you stand)we did. And thus our wandering has come to an end for now.

The place is a long 15-minute walk from the office but considering the hour and the cool dawn air, it's well worth the walk. Decent home-cooked meals at a price that does not make my wallet weep whenever I reach for it.

So for now we have a high point for each shift, us in our team. I may not look like it but I do love a well-cooked meal. Though from my frame it wouldn't be obvious.

In The Red

Hmmm... Sounds like the title for a novel. But it isn't. Simply put, I'm in the red. The previous months' weekend activities had taken a far larger toll on me than expected. I was not expecting to be behind with my cash flow as I do now... Damn it. I'm supposed to be an internal accountant and I let this happen to me. Not too happy with it. Damn me to oblivion.

Anyways, I expect my finances to stabilize by next pay. That's around 2 weeks from now. Still too long for comfort. The fact that it's the day when our quarterly bonus is released doesn't bode well for me either. I'm behind. Way behind. But I reckon that when February rolls in, I'll be in the position to actually start earning. And keeping my rent current. That last bit gnaws at me like a starved rat on a wedge of cheese.

Anyways, no choice but to maintain my present course. The stakes are too high now. And despite how much a prattle or tendency to go emo most of the time, it pales in comparison to the enormity of my year's main task. As I had promised myself, this is the year I obtain my bloody-delayed BSC-Management Accounting degree. Even if I have to go begging at my dad to do so. That will take a huge chunk out of my self-esteem and pride. That blasted degree will go a long way when I finally set the other phases of my plan in motion. If nothing else, it can give my a basic qualification for going up the corporate ladder.

As for why a corporate ladder and not my own business, I'll go into that in the future. It deserves an entry all of its own.

The Music of Space of Time Replays in My Mind

That's the phrase that keeps repeating in my mind. And it brings back memories. And each replay of past events, I then block out emotions and review them coldly. I've been doing that for the past week. It's odd. Since the new year started, I've been an automaton.

In a way it's just as well it's so. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going out of my way to interact with anyone at all. I wonder if this is the break that I was looking for. A break from the demands and expectations of other people...

As far as I'm concerned, it's high time I reconsolidate my assets and resources and gear them towards what's important. In the short term I've suffered a setback. But as soon as I stop feel anything, as soon as I stop feeling resentment and contempt, then maybe I'm fit to be with other people again. But for now... I stand alone. And even if I'm back to being sociable, it won't be the same person they knew.

New Year

My objectives are simple. Pay off my debts and keep myself solvent. Earn a bit. And then cross-enroll. One way or the other, I get my degree by October's end. Simple plans are always the best.