“You have to know what you want when you reach the end of the line…” - Andrew Zimmern, Bizarre Foods host. 

I’m one of those who consider breakfast as the most important meal of the day. I can skip lunch, dinner and whatever snack there is, but never breakfast. I don’t know if this is a common occurrence, but I become grouchy most of the time I miss it.  I just realize that this may be the reason why I’m one grumpy driver on my way to work and becomes grumpier when I learn that the sweet scent of a good breakfast I smell at the parking lot is after all foods comparable to a piece of cr*p (pardon the word) once I reach the canteen.

So what is it with breakfast that makes me crave for it everyday? Well for me a typical breakfast always includes coffee and egg. Then these two may be combined with longganisa (sausage), hotdog, tocino, corned beef and spam, just to name a few…a few of the oily ones. Sometimes fish and veggies are preferred although I consider these two as a need-to-have just due to health reasons. If only my taste had to be followed, fish and veggies won’t be any near my breakfast menu.

As weird as it may seem, I enjoy watching movies that has scenes of people having breakfast whether in their own home or inside a restaurant – be it a local or a Hollywood film. And to make it even weirder, one of the scenes I won’t skip in my favorite movie Ronin is the part wherein one of the assassins cooks egg for the group. It’s either I’m enjoying the car chase and gun exchanges or just the thought of having great sunny side up with some assassins.

You see I have a fascination with perfectly cooked sunny side up eggs. I can’t exactly recall how long I’ve been into this (obsession) but I know that it has been years since I started trying to mimic the well rounded sunny side ups of McDonalds (or Jollibee). I’ve been stubborn enough though to admit that this perfect egg can’t be done without the help of an egg ring or any other things to attain its shape.

To prove how serious I’ve been with what others will consider a trivial part of a breakfast preparation, I’ve actually spent time and money, fortunately not a fortune…yet, on this search for the ideal sunny side up. I have tested and bought several things to achieve my goal:

1. Teflon frying pan – failed. I’ve tested varying stove settings to see if the egg will cook differently, but to no avail.
2. Microwaveable egg cooker which shows on its box 4 heart-shaped (it’s not rounded but as long as it’s perfect, I will go for it) sunny side ups – this one not only failed to meet the promised result, but the egg tasted bland and feels like rubber.
3. I tried poaching the eggs with the expectation that once I drop it on the boiling water, it will miraculously attain the coveted shape. Instead it appeared as an egg lacking its crab and corn mixture. (I consider trimming the edges as cheating)
4. One day, I chanced upon a couple of egg rings in the grocery store and at that moment it looked to me like a foolproof way to finally have breakfast with a McDonalds-like egg. Right after I break the egg though, all hope was gone when the egg white leaked like water from the sides.
5. A smaller Teflon frying pan was my last purchase hoping that its size will make the egg form perfectly. It did but the top side does not cook well and it led me to flip it in the end which destroyed the form as a result.

My egg tools: 1. Egg rings 2. Microwaveable egg cooker 3. Mini Teflon frying pan 4. Teflon frying pan

With those above mentioned methods or tools, all of which I consider a failure, I’m continuing my search for a promising sunny side up and hoping that someday I’ll start my day with a lovely egg I could proudly say I personally cooked to complement the brewed coffee and other breakfast menu that goes along with it. Hopefully that day will come before we welcome another tiny family member at home…else I’ll be forced to serve either scrambled or boiled eggs to this small guy – ‘coz father can’t cook sunny side up? Hahaha.

Sunny side up SNAFU

***

Postscript:

Just right after I finish this blog, I suddenly remember why I haven’t checked the internet if someone is as desperate as me. Well, I guess I may not be alone after all as I discovered this after typing: how to do a perfect sunny side up.

Anybody want an egg meet?

The other night my beloved wifey and I watched the last full show of the film Death Race (Starring Jason Statham as Jensen Ames) – because Wall-E isn’t showing anymore. And while on my way to meet up with her at the mall, I was thinking of the title which by itself is a no brainer. As it aptly implies, I presume that it’s just all about death and race. No more. No less. But wait…there’s more.

The moment the film started rolling, it immediately captured my attention with some of the words it presented on the silver screen and with some questions running on my mind along with it:

·         2012 in America. Will we be there by this time?

·         Unemployment. Will we be included?

·         Death. Entertainment?

·         Race. Will we be watching another live F1 soon? And when?

My wife, as I expected, started giving her naughty remarks (I always know that it is meant to intentionally annoy me) while I was starting to sink in to the story. But instead of hushing her, I myself made my own mumbled remarks in agreement. And as if those keywords aren’t enough to keep us related to the opening part of the film with its resemblance to our pending future, the opening scene also shows the main character getting laid off from his job in the metal factory. There’s chaos in the line of workers waiting for their turn to get their last pay. At this point, I was beginning to feel uneasy and I was somewhat praying to get over with the factory scene and show the death race itself.

A few frames more, the factory setting ended, thankfully. I did not mind when the succeeding scenes became tragic with Jensen drugged by someone in a ski mask and eventually becoming unconscious just to wake up with police and their hand guns sticking inches away from his face while trying to make sense what he’s doing with a knife in his hand and his dead wife beside him. Needless to say, that landed him in prison.

His role in the prison called Terminal Island became apparent when he was offered to participate in the famous Death Race since his record shows that he was a famous car racer years before. His acceptance of the part will be his way out of the prison facility with the condition that he will win the race. (Sadly, I didn’t catch in the film the reason why he indeed the said career and instead endured working inside the hot metal factory).

So just like any sane man offered to race for freedom, Jensen accepted. And this is where I started to enjoy the film. The main death race had several inmates as drivers and with their own armored, gun-mounted, and extra modified cars. Among them of course is Jensen who had to wear a mask in order to pretend as Frankenstein who was actually the famous death racer who perished in the opening scene but without the fans’ knowledge. The race is viewed online by fans numbering in millions with each paying at least $99 per view while the death racers outrun and “outgun” each other.

While I consider this as a B-movie, I actually applaud whoever was behind it. I’m now beginning to imagine that the people who conceptualized this movie are a team composed of Dana White’s men, ex-FIA officials, troubled American school kids, Twisted Metal (PS1 game) programmers and last but not the least – Filipino drivers.

Why? Because I find this movie a mixture of UFC fighters who are driving F1 cars with trigger-happy American school kids handling the Gatling gun’s remote button. Furthermore, the Filipinos here are divided into two sub-teams. First are those Jeepney drivers who loves to mount anything (such as horse figures, shiny CDs, LEDs, more LEDS, horns, antennas. Just to name a few.) on their jeeps – they are the designers of the Death Race cars. The other Filipinos are those who designed the weapon activation systems – which I wish I’m one of them as sometimes…just sometimes (wink wink), I wish I had those buttons inside my Mary.

Surprising as it may seem, I recommend this movie to let out some steam without doing any harm to the stubborn driver in front of you while stuck in traffic. Road rage alert. Watch out for bald male driver fumbling with the cigarette lighter.

At last! A couple of days ago my wife and I finally got the chance to view one of my much awaited movie – The X-Files: I Want to Believe. I can’t exactly say that I’m the number one fan of its TV series, but I can say that it’s one of the shows that made me forget almost about everything once it starts on TV. The moment the first note of its theme song played I’m all eyes and ears in front of the boob tube.

You see I’m one of those who believe that someone could be indeed out there. Since I was kid, one of the things we did once the sun sets is to look up the dark and star-filled sky either just to past time away or to compete with either my friends or my sister on what have we lately learned about the constellations. Most of the times when we do that I would always wonder if someone else may be staring down (or up) at us and wondering just the same thing like I do.

My enthusiasm for alien life form – or at least stories of it – increased further as I grew up. And the advent of The X-Files filled in the craving to know and discover more. I begin to wonder if conspiracies especially on the part of the U.S. government existed – remember Roswell? Those days and even until now, seeing the “Something is out there” poster sends some sort of adrenalin rush. These are words that keep the alien conspiracy theorists awake and sleepless.

So other than the fact that The X-files featured two great characters, FBI Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), whom I had crush with the latter (but of course yes, who wouldn’t anyway), the presence of the elements of mystery, conspiracy and the idea of finding alien life form here on earth is a dream come true for every believer like me.

Sadly, the 2^nd X-Files movie still didn’t do justice to the TV series. It has actually gotten worse than the 1^st one. The story just doesn’t have the X-Files feel compared to its TV counterpart. But maybe it’s just me. And maybe it’s because we came in late in the first place and my mind was divided between catching the UFO looking patty of Burger King’s Whopper Jr. and getting in on time inside the cinema. My wife actually sensed the desperation that she consoled me that we missed only a couple of minutes of the show. That’s easy for her to say that, but then again The X-Files for me wouldn’t be a complete X-Files if I didn’t hear its main theme song.

Bits of this movie that I find interesting are:

1. Finally, their (Mulder and Scully) platonic relationship ended. Good for Mulder, bad for us male Scully fans.
2. Despite the obvious ageing, both still has the appeal as X-Files FBI agents. (I learned from the Jimmy Kimmel show this morning that Gillian Anderson was just 24 years old when she first made it to the X-Files TV show).
3. At least Skinner is still there. But it could have been better if the Cigarette-Smoking man had his appearance. I love this Morley-packing character.
4. Pedophile priest considered alien? Just about time I guess.
5. The snowy Virginia setting really added to the cinema’s chilly temperature. Hot brewed coffee highly recommended instead of sodas.
6. And guess who’s in charge of the music for this movie? Mark Snow. How colder can it get?

If given the chance, I’d like to watch this movie again from the very start in order for me to understand what it was all about. I hate to believe that the 2^nd X-Files movie is a flop. There must be one good story behind it all.

Anyway, while I’m still trying to figure out who’s the actual leader of this sinister plot – wherein I’m starting to believe that there’s a conspiracy between Burger King, bridge repair works, SM guard on duty, the cinema and my wife (This is where the X-Files theme song plays) that made me be late, I am now actually thinking that The X-Files and marriage may seem to have some commonality at all (now you have a clue of who am I suspecting):

1. Scully: What are you doing? Mulder: Trying to ignore you.
2. “Don’t give up!”
3. The anticipation to see the show is just like anxiously waiting for your wife to come home with six-pack of beers. The moment she’s in, you grab the beers and then you’re in your own world on the sofa.
4. Sometimes the episode doesn’t seem to make sense just like your…(you fill in; I’m not getting quoted for this)
5. Sometimes you get obsessed with the show, of course, just like you sometimes get obsessed with your wife.
6. The continuation of an episode sometimes doesn’t seem to get related to the other. I’m sure you’ve had discussions with your wife that suddenly shifted to something that made you wonder if you’re awake during the whole discourse.
7. Sometimes the episode is just so scary you can’t help but avoid looking at… (I’m not completing this one either – you fill it in. Take the risk)
8. Most of the time though, you miss it so much that a week is never complete without seeing it. Sometimes you even wish that you can see it daily. Now, this is more like my wife. Hahaha. Peace!

Alien Me: Uncovering the conspiracy

Just woke up. I’m now catching up on my emails; catching up on forum updates; staring blankly at the Badminton Olympic match on TV. At last I’m at home and I’m staying put, at least for today. For the past few days, I’ve been on the go and I’ve been craving longing for one good day of rest  and I think today is the day.

The lull in activity gave me time to think of what kept me recently occupied. I can’t believe that I’ve been so busy that I miss my afternoon siestas so much. So what was it really? Work? Maybe. My new motorcycle? Maybe, but not quite. Now I remember. Surprisingly (or not),  I’ve spent so much time lately on mall-hopping and food. Yes, you read it right…F O O D.

Last Wednesday, on a trip, literally, down memory lane with my wife to her alma mater in Taguig (I was surprised that it made me reminisce my own memories of the place) we decided to have lunch at Shakey’s Magallanes while having a break from the school clearances process. The last time we were in Magallanes was more than 10 years ago when our manufacturing plant was still in Makati. The whole place has significantly improved a lot; other restaurants are now available and several other establishments have opened up for business.  Shakey’s pizzas (and shakes) of course still continue to perk-up my palate.  One thing I miss though is having the real Tabasco to come with my pizza. Anyway, my wife pointed out that even other restaurants have changed their hot sauce to cheaper brands in the name of cost cutting.

The new Magallanes

Thursday last week is “Saisaki” day at the Glorietta Mall. I’m once again with the company of my wife and her team colleagues. Despite working with another team (which made me to be on leave), what makes me comfortable joining hers is the fact the most of these guys are also Japanese food lovers just like I do. Well, Saisaki day just doesn’t mean pure Japanese foods as the option to do a crossover (to other buffet menu) is always picked, thus lechon (roasted pig), turkey, and ginataang kuhol (escargot) never fails to be on the plate - at least on my plate. And normal side trips with them always include San Mig lights beers and a coffee stopover to cap the night.  (Note: 1 beer bottle per hour is always followed when I drive).

Raw

On Friday until Saturday, I reported to work on a night shift. Normally being on this shift gives me chance and excuses to go on a diet as the cafeteria food especially at night, pardon the word, sucks. Saturday however wasn’t the case this time. My colleagues got totally bored of canteen food that they decided to have rice, lechon manok and liempo (roasted pork meat) for our meal. Desserts were chocolate rolls and a super sweet pastry. If I were to count calories I might need a calculator to do so.

Coming from the graveyard shift, Sunday was a day off that was supposed to be a rather light day for us. Instead, after a 5-hour sleep and a trip to my dentist, wifey and I decided to go to MOA (Mall of Asia) with the intent of either watching a movie or buying my helmet. But once we reached the mall, it seems like my teeth having come from the dentist wanted a test of their biting power. My wife suggested UCC Vienna Café. I eagerly concurred and I swear I heard myself saying, “I’d take only coffee and a light food”. But then, the sight of Risotto in the menu changed all that as I’ve been so intrigued with this food every time I watch it featured in cooking shows on TV. I always think that it’s just lugaw (congee) cooked by an Italian chef. After tasting UCC’s chicken, cheese and curry risotto however made me a fan of this food. Their Sumiyaki coffee and mango crepe were fine as well. Prices in this restaurant are fair.

Monday was no different. And I blame it on the absence of good movies. After we arrived at ATC, we learned that Wall-E and X-Files are still not showing. We decided instead to eat at North Park where once again I ordered their lechon rice toppings. This food is good all the time and this is one of the restaurants where food is a bang for the buck.  Now If only either of the two movies is available, then I could have had coffee and donuts only for lunch. In Festival Mall the movie titles haven’t changed as well. Good thing I was able to stand firmly that I’ll have only coffee and muffin in Kenny Rogers - although the call to have baby back ribs is almost inescapable.

 I have now lost track of the calorie pile up – or just wouldn’t want to know the exact score. I’m also thinking how many liters of gas we’ve actually consumed the whole time. It was indeed a busy week where we’ve been spending money, burning gas and piling up calories. And now I’m quite sure that my 3-hour badminton and gym session yesterday wasn’t enough to undo the calorie damages. But there’s still hope. But then again there’s activity in Batangas next Sunday – it’s someone’s birthday. Will there be food? Your guess is as good as mine. I think it’s about time I get my wife a helmet and a pair of riding boots. At least we’ll save on gas.

Almost a week has passed after I bought my motorcycle and I’ve ridden it only once inside our village. It was one quick ride and I’ve been craving to do more. However, since the day after that I had to report to work and rain has been pouring since then, that left me no choice but to lock and cover it up in front of our yard until today.

This morning, weather hasn’t improved and it isn’t exactly what I call a motorcycle-friendly day – it’s gloomy and the threat of rain is looming over the horizon. But the call to take another ride took over my worries of getting wet. I felt a sudden mix of anxiety and excitement once I got home after dropping my wife off the shuttle bus stop.  After parking my car I prepared for my maiden motorcycle ride.

And so from the very start of the preparation alone, I was awaken to the world of MC riders; little by little I experienced what it is like to be taking a ride out of the comfort of my car. Here’s my log for today’s ride:

1.       MCs are meant to be started and left idling for a few minutes before taking it for a ride - It’s not unnecessarily wasting gas but it’s a requirement to warm up its engine unlike cars that you can start and step on the gas right after.

2.       I wore (needed) shirt, jeans, sneakers and a helmet (which I got free from the MC dealer).  These are the minimum – although one item in the newly debated LTO guidelines state that a leather jacket is a must.

3.       A P500 in your wallet is more than enough for a full tank.  I have a full capacity of only 3.7 liters or P200 worth of gas. That’s just sweet. I’m yet in the process though of figuring out how far 1 liter can go.

4.       Signal lights do not automatically turn off after executing a turn. Don’t forget to manually switch it off or you’ll be giving wrong signals to the vehicles behind you.

5.       A jacket is needed for an early morning ride like I did. I realized midway of my trip that my nipples are getting harder with the cold wind blowing all around me. Ti abi. The LTO must have the thing against stiff rider nipples.

6.       You can’t scratch your nose or any part of your face while your helmet is on. I unconsciously tried doing it and saw some smiles by the sidewalk. That’s embarrassing.

7.       Fixing something somewhere in your crotch is a no-no.  Need to elaborate?

8.       Water puddles isn’t fun anymore. I love to go fast on these while driving my car (making sure of course that no one’s around to be reached by the splash), imagining myself in a Peugeot and trying to beat Sebastian Loeb.  Now I guess I’ll have to get used to imagining beating Jeremy McGrath instead. Just kidding.

9.       Coasting isn’t possible. My MC’s shifting pattern does not allow (or I may be wrong) me to shift to neutral after achieving a sustainable speed like in a downhill.  But then, other than being illegal according to the rule of defensive driving, MCs fuel consumption is already thrifty compared to cars (or cages, as MC riders call it) so coasting isn’t significant anymore.

I covered 32 kilometers for this morning’s ride and it felt good to be out on the road and coming home safe. It’s not actually scary as most people (usually wives and those without MCs) would say. The rules that need to be followed are still similar to driving a car except for some other things that need to be observed – such as staying visible to other motorist, giving more focus due to the obvious reason that the rider is exposed to all elements and maintaining balance at all times.  

With my introduction to the world of MCs, it opened me to a new perspective. I’m now beginning to feel empathy to those people who have no choice but to take an MC to work despite heavy rain, I now respect their space on the road, and I now understand the need for car (and any other 4-wheeled vehicles) drivers and MC riders to co-exist in order to create a healthy and safe commuter environment. Of course I still believe that education is the key to achieve orderliness and hopefully, more people will soon get educated enough to drive safely.

Postscript

Having holding back from telling my mother about the idea of buying an MC, I finally called her after this morning’s ride and told her all about it. I was expecting some sort of worried remarks coming from the other end of the line, but I was all smiles when I heard her say, “Ay gali? Ano ginbakal mo? Ang mga pambabayi na motor? (Really? What did you get? Those feminine motorcycles)”

 I was laughing when I asked her what she meant by “feminine” motorcycles and I laughed harder when her description fitted that of the underbones –the one I currently have.  She must be expecting me having a motocross (also known today as motards) which I remember were the “in” thing when I was yet a kid. Anyway, I explained to her that underbones (and scooters) are now the trend as they are cheaper and have lower displacement – thus, lower fuel consumption; AND that they’re not just for women. (she’ll be mobbed in the forums with those remarks. hahahaha)

I was still wondering about the unexpected jolly remarks from her after I ended our conversation, and then I remember that she was the one who taught me how to ride a bike during my elementary days. I recalled her patiently holding on to me until I felt comfortable with the balance and she eventually came running along while I pedaled it all by myself.  From my late high school to college years, she  likewise never questioned my scuffed shoes, tattered jeans and tiny bruises when I was into BMX flatland.  AND she even approved when I came home with a haircut which has the word “BMX” shaved behind my head.  Come to think of it, she’s a cool mother. (Baw!)

What do these things have in common?

1.       Vietnam

2.       Discovery’s American Choppers

3.       Nat Geo’s Long Way Down

4.       Nat Geo’s Rides

5.       The movie Wild Hogs

6.       Mo Twister’s most hated

7.       Motorista magazine

If you still haven’t got it right, the last one is supposed to be a giveaway.  Yes, it all relates to motorcycles big or small; slow or fast; flashy or funny. And so today I got my own - my first one.

Now I’m back to riding (or better yet, learning) on two wheels – this time it’s motorized. Following careful and lengthy considerations and several discussions with my own self – yes, been talking to myself as to whether or not I need to get a motorcycle (or MC) - I finally convince myself to give in to this urge of riding one. I’m quite sure though that my dear wifey still has some reservations on my recent toy – disguised in the name of “beating the gas prices”.

Well, how can I blame her for having such thoughts when we were both together when we witnessed an accident right in front of our very eyes? And if that’s not scary enough (other than the fact that some newscasters deliver it like the world is coming to an end with their exaggeration) the news of motorcycle riders clashing with other vehicles or pedestrians is so common nowadays that one will get confused if the news he’s currently watching is a reply of last month’s.  That’s the bad side of motorcycling: motorcycles have gone so cheap that even those who don’t have the capacity (read: brain) to ride defensively can buy it as long as he’s  got the cash to pay for it.  Needles to say, it’s this ignorance that results to these accidents.

But as any motorcycle advocate will tell you, accidents are bound to happen – whether you’re in a car, in a bus, in a train, in an airplane or just even while walking leisurely to your destination. While I’m so sure that this reasoning will raise an eyebrow or two, it is just always true. It doesn’t matter what transportation you’re in if the one who’s in control like the pilots, captains, bus drivers or yourself (in the case of driving a car) doesn’t know what he is expected to do. And that’s when training comes in. But for all we know, it may even just need good judgment and a common sense to do it, at least for driving on the road. But then again, common sense is not so common.

Luckily nowadays, MC newbies like me have the world wide web to help us coach on how to go about in learning how to ride. A couple of googling in just a couple of hours will lead one to a numerous motorcycle-related sites (e.g., MSF) and forums (e.g., MCP). It now depends on how one comprehends what he reads. And individual learning curve will tell how soon one becomes adept in this new kind of transportation.

So how am I doing so far?

(From hondaph.com) This is my toy. No name yet...

After spending a couple of my time reading all about motorcycles since more than a month ago and right after I got my brand new unit this morning, I’ve given it a try only once by doing a couple of rounds inside our village. I did it by noontime where sun is steaming hot but with fewer people outside. I was actually rather more embarrassed than nervous for riding it like a sissy unlike those I’ve seen that were so relaxed, confident and at some point, irritatingly showy. A few more practice and I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it. And I swear I’ll stay safe by then.

August is just around the corner and I still can’t believe that I still have work to do. And of course, I’d like to keep it that way as long as possible. Contrary to what I’ve imagined how the 2^nd half of this year will look like – after the gloomy, yet anticipated April 2 announcement – the environment at work still appears challenging enough, at least for me.

Although activity in my area seems to have significantly slowed down in the past few weeks, the pressure to meet commitments and deliverables remains unwavering as before. This means that feeling down and out for the count is just out of the question – at some point, I may slacken a bit but I still find the need to get back on track so as not to get left behind.

The recent stress which had me feeling a total mixture of emotions (from passing gas to collapsing and vice-versa) was the presentation of our 2^nd quarter indicators to the next level managers and other key players. Its preparation started about a month before and the extraction and crunching of data almost took much of my time. What made it even more stressful is seeing some of the indicators in a down trend even if the reasons behind it are perfectly justifiable.

Presentation day came and I felt that the 12-hour day is turning into a 24-hour vigil. Most of the time I just felt excited, jumpy and the butterflies inside my stomach kept on flapping their fragile wings. On that day the feeling of anticipation and anxiety was all over the place and even those senior to me felt the same way. Indeed, public speaking still remains to be one of the most common fears by most individual.

My turn to present came at last but in spite knowing that the foils are self-supporting and shows factual data, the fear of being questioned and not being able to answer was just overwhelming. If I remember it right, the last time I was into this predicament was when I asked for our wedding’s approval from my now father-in-law. I was focused yet awkward and the words were hard to come by.

Surprisingly, in the end, the horrible questions I was expecting from the start didn’t come. There were some inquiries, comments and advice that registered into my then half-conscious state but that was it. More surprising was getting a compliment from my direct manager who rarely recognizes a job well done. At least, I must have done something right. Whew!

I went home that night feeling proud and accomplished. I was even singing along with the FM songs inside the car like I’ve just been accepted in a job interview. And there’s no better way to cap the day than to treat my wife and I with a couple of slices of my favorite comfort food – a Red Ribbon black forest cake. Yummy!

With that event done, I now feel more ready to face another work-related stress. Whatever that is, I will surely know in the next days to come.

evidence of stress

Yesterday I attended another Leadership Enhancement Program and the recent trainings we had are tailor made for us to cope up with the soon-to-be closure of our company. Yesterday’s topic was about career opportunities and career counseling.

I was actually enjoying the whole training and find it very interactive and informative when it came to one of the foils. The first line of it read:

“Career Counseling is NOT…

·         Giving advice.

·         ….”

Hmmm. “That isn’t right”, was my immediate thought. I know that deep in my vocabulary the word counsel is for sure synonymous to advice. So I raised my hand to clarify if I’m reading it right and our trainer without batting an eyelash emphasized, “Career counseling is not giving an advice.”

The training ended by noon time and my colleagues and I went on with our kill-time activities disguised in the term WLE (Work Life Effectiveness) activities. Some did basketball, while we did a good badminton right after until past 7pm. But those positive stress activities didn’t shake off the “counseling” thing in my gray matter. In fact, while driving my wife to work this morning, I still kept on thinking about it.

Instinctively, while preparing breakfast for myself, I juggled with the plates and our trusty Merriam-Webster dictionary and there it was printed on one of the pages – to counsel is to give advice. I was so excited that I eagerly finish my bread, egg and meat loaf meal. I was in front of our PC after I gobbled the last piece of the processed meat.

In order to confirm if our Merriam-Webster hardcopy isn’t obsolete yet, I browsed through their internet site – www.m-w.com .

The following entries appeared:

Main Entry: ²counsel

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): counseled or counselled; counsel·ing or counsel·ling \-s(ə-)liŋ\

Date: 14th century

transitive verb : advise <counseled them to avoid rash actions — George Orwell> intransitive verb : consult <counseled with her husband>

Main Entry: counseling

Variant(s): or counselling

Function: noun

Date: 1927

: professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes

Main Entry: ad·vise

Pronunciation: \əd-ˈvīz\

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): ad·vised; ad·vis·ing

transitive verb1 a: to give advice to : counsel <advise her to try a drier climate> b: caution, warn <advise them of the consequences> c: recommend <advise prudence>2: to give information or notice to : inform <advise them of their rights>intransitive verb1: to give advice <advise on legal matters>2: to take counsel : consult <advise with friends>

Main Entry: ad·vice

Pronunciation: \əd-ˈvīs\

Function: noun

1 : recommendation regarding a decision or course of conduct : counsel <he shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties — United States Constitution> 2 : information or notice given —usually used in plural 3 : an official notice concerning a business transaction

With those results and the fact that this top semiconductor company have some managers whom to my shock have normally pronounced words such as Freight like Fright, Sub- like Sob and my favorite irritation, Z like Zay, I wasn’t surprised that one foil in the training material may be erroneous.

Like a fighter aiming to finish off a sprawling and bloodied adversary, I type “Career Counseling” in the browser’s search field expecting something that will back up my vocabulary. In a matter of seconds, several results appeared and I eagerly click into each one of it and prepared to celebrate my victory over the foil item in question.

To my dismay, not one of the sites shows a bit of “Career Counseling IS about giving advice…” to support my argument. Instead it listed common words such as assessment, aptitude tests, planning, decision making, development, research. It was almost about everything related but advice. That left me raising my white flag on this subject matter.

As much as I hate defeat, I come to realize that Career Counseling is not just two words that can be discussed over a one-on-one meeting which in our case would only last from 15 – 30 minutes every 3 months (grin). If one staff gets lucky (or not) enough at all he’ll be into one of it at least 3 times in a quarter. Career Counseling is actually a task to be handled by a professional Career Counselor and if you’re not one of them (like me), most likely, you can only advise. Come to think of it, I might as well consider a career as a Career Counselor. Ti abi.

What is fast becoming as common as potholes on the road, skin heads, motorcycles, street children, unemployed person or grandstanding Philippine politicians? You guessed right, it’s the mind boggling Rubik’s Cube.

Little did I know that this 6-colored-swiveling-cube will once again haunt me at this age, and with guilt, became one of my interests while on a week long wedding anniversary celebration. Ti abi.

I have fond memories of this toy. When we were peskly little kids, our mother used to bring me and my sis to work as it was just a few kilometers away from where we live and during the times when she felt like it we tag along with her. While in the office I get to bug her boss, well, just like any kid. It’s a good thing though that her boss happens to be a relative and somehow bugging him isn’t much of a big thing and besides, he loves to show me how good he is with the then novel Rubik’s Cube – that time, he can do two colors.

My mother later on got to give us our own cube and I got hooked to it since then. Unfortunately, I can only do 1 color at a time. I never got close to 2 just like my uncle does. I’m so proud of him that I always brag, “My tito can do 2 colors!” I’d always tell my grade school classmates. Those whom I’ve seen complete all six (only on TV) were my idol and I consider them a either a hoax or not from this world.

Years passed and I fully forgot my fascination and frustration with this puzzle until the fad returned once again.  At first I just shrug off the urge to buy thinking that I’ve passed that stage already and have surrendered it to be solved by the young geeks. It seems though that my attraction to it cannot be denied. More people seem to have mastered it and every time I see one, I secretly envied them. Enough is enough.

I eventually bought myself another cube and grabbed the opportunity to fill in the gaps during my one week vacation to learn it. I printed tips from colleagues, searched the web for more instructions and like one student trying to make up for bad grades, I spent extra time studying how it really works. Within 3 days, I got it at last! The next days I can do it without looking at the guide and I was timing how long it takes for me to complete it – I may not in the league of the speed cubers, but who cares? A 5-minute average is good for me.

Now I’m very thankful that I did not include acquiring this skill among the 100-things-to-do-before-I-die list or I could be counting down just 99 more. Whew. I never really knew that the day will come, when I’d lift my head high and say, “Tito Joe, who?” Hahahaha.

Taken by my ever supportive wifey. State 2.