16 August 2006; 12:49p
This will be my last entry into this blog. I’ve decided to start a new one at Blogger, where it is a bit more convenient to keep a blog. Those of you who might be interested in finding out what else I have to say regarding whatever can go to that’s just me talking…
Happy blogging!
08 August 2006; 10:11p
Got myself a hot oil treatment and a haircut yesterday. Mari (that’s the girl who has been cutting my hair at Metro since Lucy resigned) suggested that I get a cellophane (tama ba ‘to?) treatment to give my hair a shinier look, or something like that, so while my head was covered with oil, wrapped in clingwrap, and stuck inside one of those irritating heaters (it was a bit uncomfortable yesterday), I toyed around with the idea of getting my hair color changed. Besides, I was also reading an old copy of InStyle magazine, where they were discussing hair color treatment, and how the stars are always changing their hair colors.
I think the last time I seriously considered changing my hair color was back in high school—my high school class is holding its 20th reunion this year—a long, long time ago. Back then, I wanted to change my hair color to a burgundy-brown shade and get green contact lenses. Of course, that was no go with my aunt, who thought I was being crazy. One of my cousins though did color her hair and I thought it was nice, and I remember being so envious because I couldn’t do it myself. Well, come to think of it, I don’t think I would have had the courage to do it even if my aunt did agree to let me. Truth is, I’ve been blessed with a nice shade brown hair (at least I like to think so), and for a while, I got really upset when people ask me if I color my hair (never did, so there!). Overall, I like my hair color.
But, come to think of it, why have I never really tried a different hair color? And why, at the slightest suggestion of a cellophane treatment, did I seriously start thinking about changing my hair color? I don’t know, but I am seriously considering getting it done that next time I visit the salon. I’m thinking of browsing some websites to pick a color. Let me see, should I go with the old choice of burgundy (am looking at the Revlon site), or stay with the shades of brown (golden brown, reddish brown, ash brown, light golden brown, light reddish brown, light ash brown, etc etc) . Or am I going to be really adventurous and go blonde (bwa ha ha!), so I can have more fun.
But I am really curious as to why I’m even bothering. Would I have the courage to push through with it? Geez, I’ve had the guts to try other stranger things, so shouldn’t I be brave enough for this. Will a different hair color change me, or as Keira Knightley might say ‘Am I bothered?’ (That is suppose to mean, ‘do I care?’)
I know if I change it to a really different color, I’ll get major reactions from my family, my father mostly. Again, am I bothered? The only thing is, will it mean I’ll have to get my hair treated when the roots go back to my natural color? Will I become a regular customer for color treatment? Geez, that would be an expensive luxury.
Hmnn, will there be a change in color? Abangan ang susunod na kabanata.
7 August 2006; 6:40p
Am cross-posting my blog entry last 4 August in The Coven:
I was looking at the online versions of the newspapers today and came across an interesting article (Displaced domestic help to return as ‘supermaids’). Well, okay others may not find it interesting, but the idea of a ’supermaid’ certainly piqued my interest. Some time back, I wrote in my other blog about the Arroyo administration’s plan to encourage more of our nurses and teachers to go out of the country and join the millions of OFWs to be able to send dollars home (Who cares if they are separated from their families, so long as they are sending home greenbacks? Obviously not Shorty.) So I grant that not all of them are sad to leave the country (many probably couldn’t wait to), but still it bothers me that our government is actually encouraging our people to leave and work abroad rather than find ways to give them good jobs here and keep them with their families. No, actually, I’m not just bothered…I’m pissed.
And now, here comes the news that Shorty has a new plan for the displaced domestic helpers coming home from Lebanon. Good ol’ Tesda will train them to become ’supermaids’ who will be "upgraded with a higher price,” said Tesda chief Augusto Syjuco (as quoted by the Manila Times). Uh, upgrade with a higher price??? What the hell does that mean? Okay, heading over to the Philippine Star, it appears that the returning DHs will be trained on first aid, evacuations from high-rises in case of a fire, and other skills to help them get higher pay when they once again apply for work in other countries.
Okay, so I’ve accepted the fact that the problems of this country is not likely to be solved in my lifetime, and maybe not even Ben’s lifetime, but stuff like this is ridiculous. It would be okay I guess if there is some obvious efforts to improve the way things are going in the Philippines so that while there will still be OFWs, their number would stabillize and not keep going up. Which means that there will be jobs created in the country so that many of our fellow Filipinos will no longer feel the need to work abroad just so to keep their family afloat…okay, okay…wishful thinking on my part. Instead, what we have are bickering politicians who cannot relinquish their positions to those who are more deserving and more capable of maybe giving this country the fixing it needs. Aba, baka nga naman mawalan sila ng kickbacks at income sources. It always makes me wonder what the heck they’re going to with all the money they accumulate. They are just so insatiable.
Reading stuff like this makes me really sad that I live in this country. Oh, I’m sure there are others in worse situation that we are, and to be honest, I’m still very thankful for the life I lead. But looking at the faces of the returning OFWs from Lebanon, and listening to them in the interviews (about their homesickness and worse, about the abuse some of them have received from their employers), I feel bad that they have to suffer so much just to be able to send money to their families here, and even worse when I realized that many of them are willing to go through it all over and over again. And I think, shouldn’t we be focusing more on ways to give them jobs here and keep them from leaving rather than worrying about charter change and building international airports around the country?
03 August 2006; 6:30p
Okay, okay. So I’ve been lazy. I have been known for that, and the past couple of months have been a truly lazy period.
Since my last post, I have once more traveled out of the country back to Hong Kong (team meeting/workshop/get together). It was a bittersweet trip. Why? It was sale season in HK and I didn’t have money to shop! So there I was, envying my workmates, who spent hours scrounging around for bargains in the various shopping areas in HK, and coming back to the hotel with tons and tons of bags (ok, I’m exaggerating). Point is…I DID NOT go shopping, at least no real shopping. I did stop by at a Giordano on the way to the airport to buy a couple of polo shirts for myself and one for Jenny. My last shoppping gig (if you can call it that) was at the airport, where I bought Ben a die-case of George (the steam roller from the Island of Sodor). Oh well, at least now I know where to go shopping in HK if I ever get back there during sale season with money.
Then, last month, Ben turned 4 years old. Yup, my little baby is no longer a baby…but a little boy who can be, and often is, a handful. Funny how time has flown so fast these past few years. I keep thinking that before I know it, he will be all grown up, and I’ll be a shriveled old hag (har har har). He keeps telling me that when he grows up, he’ll do all the work for me. He’ll do the dishes, the laundry, the cleaning, the driving, etc., etc. I can only hope we will be together for some time to come.
Oh well, as for me, I’m nearing another birthday, so another year older in just a few days. Strange, I don’t really feel old, but I have to admit that I’ve been getting a bit more aches and pains this year, and I’m not yet officially over the hill. Whatever…I remember when I was a kid and I thought 40 years old is so old already, and now that I’m just a year away, I don’t feel that way anymore. I don’t even think 70 is that old anymore. I wonder if I’m going to have a long life? Oh well, no point wondering, right? Nobody really knows. Still, it is something to think about when I’m just sitting around.
I think I better get back to the article I’m editing. It’s a difficult one, to be sure, very technical and wordy. Te said that it’s sort of a rite of passage to edit this particular writer, and she’s write. The first time I read the article, I didn’t understand what it was about except for the beginning, and there is this very intimidating 5-page table. Geez, aren’t tables suppose to make things easier to understand??? Oh well, what am I complaining about. This is going to bring me a bit of extra cash so I might as well go at it.
