Our firm just recently moved to a new building.
New furniture, new offices, new work areas...
It was cool, really.
We can even electronically adjust the height of our desk.
So one time, the office manager gave the landlords a tour of the office.
She goes, "These desks are really nice. You can adjust it really high that you can work while standing up."
Now who would want to do that?
Death and Movies
While watching TV...
Joel: Hey look! Steve Irwin has a movie!
Siela: Aww... That's so nice! Was that before or after he died?
Interesting question. Let me guess...
Joel: Hey look! Steve Irwin has a movie!
Siela: Aww... That's so nice! Was that before or after he died?
Interesting question. Let me guess...
Timezones
At 7pm, a lawyer, also in our Calgary office, sent me an email for something he needs to be done for his 8am closing the next day.
Since I work from 8:30 am to 4:30pm, I didn't get that email till the next morning, 30 minutes past the deadline.
I assumed that he already had someone else to do it. I mean if you need it by 8 and you can't get a hold of me, the smart thing is to get a hold of someone else right?
Anyway, at 8:45am he calls me up, all upset, asking me for the documents.
He tells me the closing was 8am, Vancouver time (9am in Calgary)
And that I should start hurrying because I only have 15 minutes.
How the hell would I know that?
He is in Calgary.
I am in Calgary.
The document did not mention Vancouver.
And I'm not a psychic.
All I could tell him was...
WHAT???
Well, since we're picking timezone,
I pick Nome, Alaska.
I still have an hour left to do it.
So relax!
Since I work from 8:30 am to 4:30pm, I didn't get that email till the next morning, 30 minutes past the deadline.
I assumed that he already had someone else to do it. I mean if you need it by 8 and you can't get a hold of me, the smart thing is to get a hold of someone else right?
Anyway, at 8:45am he calls me up, all upset, asking me for the documents.
He tells me the closing was 8am, Vancouver time (9am in Calgary)
And that I should start hurrying because I only have 15 minutes.
How the hell would I know that?
He is in Calgary.
I am in Calgary.
The document did not mention Vancouver.
And I'm not a psychic.
All I could tell him was...
WHAT???
Well, since we're picking timezone,
I pick Nome, Alaska.
I still have an hour left to do it.
So relax!
Early Education
I heard a woman tell her friend about a conversation she had with her two boys earlier that morning. The boys were six and eight.
It went a little something like this:
Boys giggling at the backseat
Mom: "What's so funny boys?"
Boys: "Mom, what's a blow job?"
Mom: "It's when a girl puts a guy's penis in her mouth."
Boys: "Eewww..."
I predict that in ten years,
the boys will have a different opinion on the topic.
It went a little something like this:
Boys giggling at the backseat
Mom: "What's so funny boys?"
Boys: "Mom, what's a blow job?"
Mom: "It's when a girl puts a guy's penis in her mouth."
Boys: "Eewww..."
I predict that in ten years,
the boys will have a different opinion on the topic.
Scared
So this female lawyer really scares the hell out of me.
She is 'fierce' personified. Horns would look good on her.
Don't get me wrong, she's not a horrible person.
I don't know her very well, but from our encounters, she is actually kind, sweet and is very funny.
Contrary to what I thought, she won't bite.
She just looks really...
Intimidating.
The complete opposite of 'approachable.'
She exudes strength and power.
I find her really pretty.
Although I would suggest less eye makeup to soften her look.
But then again, as a female lawyer, do really want to look SOFTER?
Anyway, one time, she approached me and said,
"Why do you look so scared all the time?"
To which I replied almost automatically,
"Because you scare me."
She laughed.
I guess I wasn't THAT scared of her after all.
She is 'fierce' personified. Horns would look good on her.
Don't get me wrong, she's not a horrible person.
I don't know her very well, but from our encounters, she is actually kind, sweet and is very funny.
Contrary to what I thought, she won't bite.
She just looks really...
Intimidating.
The complete opposite of 'approachable.'
She exudes strength and power.
I find her really pretty.
Although I would suggest less eye makeup to soften her look.
But then again, as a female lawyer, do really want to look SOFTER?
Anyway, one time, she approached me and said,
"Why do you look so scared all the time?"
To which I replied almost automatically,
"Because you scare me."
She laughed.
I guess I wasn't THAT scared of her after all.
Alms
I hate street children.
That sounded horrible, I know. But it's true.
But before you make you judgments, I'd like to clarify a couple of points:
I don't hate the individual child.
I feel sorry for the fact that for some twist of fate they ended as such and truly believe that they don't deserve or should be where they are now.
I am aware and I do strongly agree that they should be afforded help or even salvation.
I know poverty is a serious problem which should be dealt with A.S.A.P.
I guess what I really hate is concept of children begging in the streets.
Now if they were PLAYING on the streets instead, I'd love them dearly.
It's all because of this question:
TO GIVE OR NOT TO GIVE ALMS?
If you give alms, you've given them their next meal thus saving them from starvation.
But then you encourage the begging.
They will never leave the streets.
However, If you don't, they will never leave you alone.
(They are more stubborn than the most persevering marketing person ever.)
I'm still on the fence on how I should deal with street children.
But mostly, I give them change just so they will go and leave me alone.
(Now you can judge me.)
Here in Calgary, it's such a relief that I don't see any street children at all.
But I'm not saying this city is completely free of people begging for money.
Everyday I see this man asking if people can spare him change for COFFEE.
Some ask change to buy CIGARETTES.
Oh. Yesterday, someone asked me for change to buy BEER.
WTF?
In the Philippines, if you don't have money for coffee, cigarettes or beer,
then don't have it!
(I did give him a bunch of pennies and a couple of dimes only because he was already drunk and he was bigger than me. I could have just ran away but prior experiences taught me that drunk people at train/bus stations are like bears - you shouldn't run when you see them.)
Now I miss the street children in Manila. I don't hate them anymore.
That sounded horrible, I know. But it's true.
But before you make you judgments, I'd like to clarify a couple of points:
I don't hate the individual child.
I feel sorry for the fact that for some twist of fate they ended as such and truly believe that they don't deserve or should be where they are now.
I am aware and I do strongly agree that they should be afforded help or even salvation.
I know poverty is a serious problem which should be dealt with A.S.A.P.
I guess what I really hate is concept of children begging in the streets.
Now if they were PLAYING on the streets instead, I'd love them dearly.
It's all because of this question:
TO GIVE OR NOT TO GIVE ALMS?
If you give alms, you've given them their next meal thus saving them from starvation.
But then you encourage the begging.
They will never leave the streets.
However, If you don't, they will never leave you alone.
(They are more stubborn than the most persevering marketing person ever.)
I'm still on the fence on how I should deal with street children.
But mostly, I give them change just so they will go and leave me alone.
(Now you can judge me.)
Here in Calgary, it's such a relief that I don't see any street children at all.
But I'm not saying this city is completely free of people begging for money.
Everyday I see this man asking if people can spare him change for COFFEE.
Some ask change to buy CIGARETTES.
Oh. Yesterday, someone asked me for change to buy BEER.
WTF?
In the Philippines, if you don't have money for coffee, cigarettes or beer,
then don't have it!
(I did give him a bunch of pennies and a couple of dimes only because he was already drunk and he was bigger than me. I could have just ran away but prior experiences taught me that drunk people at train/bus stations are like bears - you shouldn't run when you see them.)
Now I miss the street children in Manila. I don't hate them anymore.
Bigger
For the past few weeks, I've been watching 'Magkaribal', featuring, who I think is, the hottest and yummiest Filipino actor EVER: Derek Ramsay
One night, after watching an episode wherein Derek took his shirt off, I told my husband, "Jo, why don't you try going to the gym? A buff body might suit you."
He replied, "Sure. I'll work on getting a bigger body. How about you work on getting bigger boobs?"
Life is so unfair.
Chores
It's Saturday again and since I've been out and about for the past few weekends, it's time to catch up on my chores.
Which reminded me, my sister's friend once asked her:
"Are chores easier there in Canada?" I knew at once that the answer was not as simple as it seems.
True that dish washing is so much easier here with a dishwasher: you put everything in, add the soap pack, close the door and push some buttons. They then come out dry and all you have to do is put them in the cupboard.
Laundry is way easier too. Put it in, add soap and stuff (if dryer is separate, you might have to transfer) and it comes out dry. All you need to do is fold or hang.
Cleaning the house is not a big task either as things don't get as dusty as they could in the Philippines.
I guess, yes, it is easier here. But come to think of it, in the Philippines, I didn't have chores to do thanks to Ate Lea who cleans, cooks and does the laundry.
So here is my answer to her question: In Canada, chores are easier. In the Philippines, chores are not something I do at all.
Which reminded me, my sister's friend once asked her:
"Are chores easier there in Canada?" I knew at once that the answer was not as simple as it seems.
True that dish washing is so much easier here with a dishwasher: you put everything in, add the soap pack, close the door and push some buttons. They then come out dry and all you have to do is put them in the cupboard.
Laundry is way easier too. Put it in, add soap and stuff (if dryer is separate, you might have to transfer) and it comes out dry. All you need to do is fold or hang.
Cleaning the house is not a big task either as things don't get as dusty as they could in the Philippines.
I guess, yes, it is easier here. But come to think of it, in the Philippines, I didn't have chores to do thanks to Ate Lea who cleans, cooks and does the laundry.
So here is my answer to her question: In Canada, chores are easier. In the Philippines, chores are not something I do at all.
Bears
When we went to Lake Johnson in Banff National Park, my brother and I decided to go on a hike. The trail was approximately three kilometers, probably an hour walk (on a leisurely pace) around the lake.
About 15 minutes in the trail, I asked:
"What if we see a bear?"
There was silence for a few seconds. Then this conversation:
"Umm... All I know is that we shouldn't run." my brother said.
"Should we play dead?" I asked.
"I don't think that's a good idea." He replied.
Good thing we didn't run into one.
About 15 minutes in the trail, I asked:
"What if we see a bear?"
There was silence for a few seconds. Then this conversation:
"Umm... All I know is that we shouldn't run." my brother said.
"Should we play dead?" I asked.
"I don't think that's a good idea." He replied.
Good thing we didn't run into one.
An almost adventure in the Canadian Rockies
As early as February, my mom already had us booked on our Radium Hot Springs, BC trip. She had googled it and she even asked around for the possible activities and other worthy sites around that area - one of which was Lussier Hot Springs.
From the village center of Radium, we drove for about an hour to get to the Lussier Hot Springs - which, according to reports, was an undeveloped pool of hot water. It was so undeveloped that the road that leads to it was called "unknown" by the GPS.
So from the highway we drove into the unknown: a seven kilometer stretch of two way rough road. From the unknown, we turned right to what I would call "nowhere": a single lane of even rougher road that leads to somewhere I'm sure. It was safe to say that at that point, we had no idea where we are and where we are going.
A few hundred meters into "nowhere", surrounded by trees and the fear of possible wild-life encounter, we decided to turn back. This family, so used to the concrete jungle was definitely not ready for the deep woods.
From the village center of Radium, we drove for about an hour to get to the Lussier Hot Springs - which, according to reports, was an undeveloped pool of hot water. It was so undeveloped that the road that leads to it was called "unknown" by the GPS.
So from the highway we drove into the unknown: a seven kilometer stretch of two way rough road. From the unknown, we turned right to what I would call "nowhere": a single lane of even rougher road that leads to somewhere I'm sure. It was safe to say that at that point, we had no idea where we are and where we are going.
A few hundred meters into "nowhere", surrounded by trees and the fear of possible wild-life encounter, we decided to turn back. This family, so used to the concrete jungle was definitely not ready for the deep woods.
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