Dream Jobs

Though not necessarily in this order, these are the outcomes of my daily boredom:

10. Travel writer / photographer
9. Back-up vocalist
8. Race car driver
7. Caricaturist
6. Watercolorist
5. Architect
4. Techie magazine designer
3. Philippine historian
2. Stage director
1. Carpenter

Timeout

I was out down south for a 2-day shoot on a speedboat when (my) time literally stood still. My 10-year old Swatch's battery once again gave up right in the middle of a crustacean lunch in the islands. While I excitedly devoured the sumptuous crabs, I checked out my time and it said 11am. I must have been so fascinated with the unusual crab size that it took me nearly 3 hours more before checking my watch again. And it still said 11am. Uh-oh, I asked for the actual time and found out it was already way past 2pm! I took my watch off and securely placed it inside my bag.

Working on field without a watch was rather awkward. Chasing daylight was even harder. And so I had to rely on my celphone for time. I had no choice but to carry it in my pocket along with the camera's spare battery and memory card.

We finished the shoot around 3pm the 2nd day, briefly thanked the mayor and headed off again for the mainland, still aboard the speedboat. A few minutes into the ride, it started to drizzle which later on turned into actual rain. Just as we entered the seas of the mainland, we were already soaking wet. And so were my pocket friends -cellphone, battery and memory card - which I totally forgot to put back in my drybag. I still could have taken them out earlier but I opted not to take the risk of accidentally tossing them into the sea (I was seated beside the driver, elevated and sans wall for protection). From the moment it started to rain, I positioned my left hand above my pocket, if only to protect the tiny gadgets that weren't mine. Forget the cellphone, it was given by Smart for free anyway.

When I got back to the hotel, I immediately took everything wet off and wiped the gadgets dry. A few moments later, I checked out the battery and memory card into the camera and thank(ed) God they were ok. Next to check was my dripping cellphone. It had a hard time accepting my PIN code. I took the sim card and battery once again and let it dry for a few more minutes. Still it didn't work. Each time I attempted to turn it on, it just sort of hanged. Oh no! How do I get time this time? TV shows at night don't show time on air. I was starting to panic. Perhaps I was oa too! About an hour or so into drying my phone off, it finally worked again. But to my surprise, the time on it read 8:26am! I seem to have forgotten this usually happens each time you take everything off to restart. I hurriedly texted a friend asking for time. No reply. Obviously she's ran out of load. I texted another friend who finally texted me back telling me the time was 7:10pm. Whew! Thank you Lord, at least now I'm back into the timeframe. Time to get a new watch perhaps?

I Hate You Chapter Two

What to do when a 50-page handbook layout file gets corrupted?

1. Try to retrieve the file
2. Open the file from another PC
3. Ask for help
4. Try to open it again
5. Open the file from your personal PC
6. Hope and pray it gets through the following day
7. Ask for help, again
8. Think
9. Curse
10. Start a new layout over again

Care for any other suggestions?

Name Game

I got caught up in another amusing name game over again.

I made a comment on an FB friend’s shoutout and here comes a guy who claims to be my batch mate in elementary. While I’m moderately good in remembering classmates, it was rather hard putting a face into his unfamiliar name so I just said hello. In a matter of minutes, he has already requested me to be his FB friend. Still trying to be polite, I accepted his invitation. Until he made another comment saying “musta na ang cute na classmate?” referring to me. I said huh? As far as I can remember, I have always been considered as one of the heavily built kids in class. I was never referred to as vertically “cute”. And it was only then that I understood. He must have mistaken me for the other Leslie, my 2nd degree cousin who grew up in Bislig, Surigao del Sur. I’m pretty sure she was the “cute” one as she barely reached 5 feet (shhh…).

A day after, I sent the guy a private message telling him he must have meant my cousin and not ME. I told him my cousin and I went to the same school in Davao City though not at the same time. I was there for my 6th grade and didn’t come back after graduation. The following school year my cousin enrolled in the same school, but being a year older than me, she came in as a 2nd year high school student. My former classmates who were incoming freshmen then, must have thought I have been accelerated! Wow!

It’s funny how we’ve been named exactly the same down to our middle initials although her name is slightly longer with the additions of (Leslie) Ann Luna (?). Our fathers were 1st degree cousins and have not been in contact for sometime until they met in Davao City while we lived there for a year. When I found out there was someone else with the same name as I had, I felt a sudden pang and wished I could move somewhere else away from that kid. No offense meant to you cuz, but I guess every one else would just rather be unique. Last I heard she became a nurse and worked abroad. She must have felt the same way I did!

I may have gone to 4 different schools in elementary and must have interacted with a thousand kids but familiar names will always be familiar to me. So my apologies to you, Cycris Pedrosa. I may have to unfriend you sooner than I thought.