This is an Nth attempt at a blog; Blogspot, Friendster, LiveJournal, Multiply…name it…I’ve been there. Hopefully, this one will find perpetuity, with more humor [and information] and less drama.
For those who know me [or check this everyday -you know who you are 
], thank you for your continued “interest”. For those who don’t, an introduction is in order…
Just in the past 12 months or so, I’ve gone from an addiction to yoghurt, frozen yoghurt, and KFC’s Strawberry Banana Krusher to my recent discovery: buko shake. All of these, however, I seem to have gotten over by now (which is good).
It’s a wonder [even to me], therefore, that I never got hooked on the most common forms of addiction i.e. “yosi” and coffee.
For one thing, I’m highly allergic to cigarette smoke. So that’s “good”, right? But still, considering the industry and the company I keep, I never even got myself started on the stuff! I smoke cigars, sure (for over 11 years now, thanks to W). But unlike cigarettes, cigars aren’t actually inhaled so the nicotine isn’t the thing about it that you crave. What’s addicting (if you can even call it that) with cigars is the whole experience; the aroma, the perfect matching drink, the setting (ideal on a cold cold night or, conversely, on the beach), and what I like to call “fubu” a.k.a. “fumo buddy”.
I love coffee! I love Coffee Crumble (my absolute favorite ice cream flavor of all time), coffee candy, and it’s the scent of coffee oil that burns in my living room. But since I refuse to drink anything that’s short of being “ice cold”, I don’t particularly enjoy warm coffee drinks. I am not one of those people who needs coffee to start my day (and thank gawd for that!). Coffee (iced coffee, at that), to me, is a dessert.
I’ve watched New Moon [in the cinema!] 6x, to date. I’ve read all four books (yes, I have the boxset!). And recently, I can’t seem to get enough of photos and video interviews of Robert Pattinson (Edward, the vampire) and Taylor Lautner (Jacob, the werewolf) on the ‘net! So I guess you can say I’m addicted to Twilight (the entire concept; the Saga) as well.
I can’t wait for Eclipse (that’s the 3rd installment) which I hear will be out by June, 2010.
And I can’t wait for my next addiction to strike…whatever that may be.
My family has never been much of the gift-giving kind. I suppose this is why my gift-giving patterns have really always been quite inconsistent and unpredictable.
Come my birthday or Christmas, I can never seem to come up with a decent “list” (you know, to spare others from guessing what to get me). But this year, I know exactly what I want. However, I don’t expect [to receive] these from anyone but myself.
So here it is:
The last one (Midnight Sun) is up for grabs. Whoever gets me this, I will be a slave to…for life.
Other than these, I simply wish for better health, especially in the year to come.
ps
you’re all getting food from me this Christmas. haha
I recall never wanting to sleep back in high school. I actually considered sleeping as a big waste of time. I felt that way well into [the height of] my working years; I still feel that way sometimes.
It seems to be when I’m “between jobs” (like towards the end of Kitchie’s MOJOFLY days in 2003, after I finally let go of MOJOFLY in 2007, and just this September-October when I decided on “early retirement” again) that I find myself catching up on sleep the most. I don’t know if it’s due to the sudden lack of anything to do, brought about by post-”break up” depression, or simply my body’s way of “billing” me for the rest that I clearly owe it.
I’ve seriously forgotten what it’s like to have a cold especially since I suffer from Allergic Rhinitis, which exhibits practically the same symptoms as a cold, almost everyday. And not having blown my nose ever (as in, ever) because I have a “nasal drip” (as opposed to the more common “running nose”) adds to the confusion. So I didn’t think much of the sneezing and itching [nose] I suffered from all day yesterday while running around Landmark (buying more kitchen stuff for Alfredo’s) and Glorietta (watching New Moon for the third time). My clogged [nose and] ears since last Thursday should have been a dead giveaway. But I honestly thought that was simply caused by the a/c blowing at my back during my home-service massage that evening. Four days later, I’m finally down with the flu.
I can’t recall the last time I was this sick. As a child, I hardly ever got sick (I think). That changed completely after my Bulimia showed up (and never left, mind you) in high school. Resistance wise, I’ve never been the same. The littlest change in the atmosphere can now cause me to feel “sick”.
I had a long list of things to do at Alfredo’s today. It was actually painful having to make the decision to stay home and “sleep” this out. Flu or no flu, I’m making up for lost time at the resto tomorrow.
Not having my laptop helps (I’ve been leaving it out of my condo for about a week now so I’m forced to get up and sit up on the iMac -where I am now, which happens to be in the adjacent room to my bedroom- if I really wanna go online). I’ve been S-L-E-E-P-I-N-G.
I’ve also been reading (rare!) in between. Sometime this morning I finished reading New Moon. Then I immediately started on Eclipse (which is even thicker). Already, I’m halfway.
It’s clear to me, at least in this particular instance, that the reason I’m this sick and oversleeping is because my body is S-P-E-N-T. This is what I get from years and years and months and weeks and countless nights of neglect.
A “down payment” is an initial payment made when something is bought on credit or when a transaction is not paid for in full [right away]. This is to protect the “seller” from fraud or opportunists.
In our business [of booking Artists], we usually ask Producers for 50% of the Contract Price [as Down Payment] accompanied by a Booking Agreement (aka Contract) stipulating the terms and conditions of the transaction. This is SOP. Or at least, should be.
Personally, I cannot stress enough that the Down Payment and Booking Agreement serve not only as the Artist’s protection against the Producer [that the show will push through on the date, time, and location agreed upon] but also as the Producer’s protection against the Artist [that the latter will show up on the date, time, and location agreed upon, and perform]. These, therefore, become a form of “insurance” on both ends. As such, neither the Producer nor the Artist should be afraid of making/receiving a Down Payment and signing a Contract especially if they have nothing to hide or if they’re entering into negotiation with genuine intentions.
What Producers sometimes do not understand is that once an Artist receives a Down Payment and signs a Contract, the Artist commits to the show. The moment another inquiry comes in [which happens to fall on the same date and time as the previously booked gig], the Artist will turn down the new inquiry in favor of the previously booked show. Therefore, if and when the previously booked show gets postponed or canceled [for reasons not attributed to any "act of God"], the Producer must forfeit the Down Payment in favor of the Artist (one of the provisions stipulated in the Contract) due to “loss of opportunity” on the part of the Artist.
As an Artist Manager/Booking Agent (for a good 14 years now), I frown upon other Managers/Agents who do not adhere to this SOP. Without realizing it (then again, maybe you do), you end up making it difficult for us who do (adhere, that is) since Producers [who are allergic to Down Payments and Contracts or simply want to "get away with it"] will prefer to deal with the likes of you. But if we unite to protect ourselves collectively (instead of prioritizing personal gain), we all end up winners. Competition becomes a fair game. And this industry we thrive in will be a better place.
I highly recommend the use of Pilipinas Teleserv’s service when renewing one’s Philippine Passport. Sure their Php 1,300 fee is steep compared to the usual Php 500 fee if you were to go straight to the Department of Foreign Affairs! And the downside is that they do not offer the “expedited” service (7 days instead of 14 days) which DFA offers. Other than that, however, theirs is a full-service which saves you a lot of time, hassles, and money in the longrun.
I’ve had their Hotline number on my cellphone for years (taken from a billboard on EDSA I saw years back) so I finally made a call on November 11 to start the renewal process. The agent asked me a few questions (be sure to have your old passport in front of you before calling) and informed me of what requirements I needed to submit. By November 13 the courier came to pick up my old passport, new passport photos (3 copies), and scanned copies of particular pages of my old passport. I scheduled it on that date because that was the day I was actually going to be home (you have to be present when they come by). I was asked to check the information on the application form (filled out over the phone during the initial call) on which I was made to affix my signature and thumbprints (he came equipped with a stamp pad). I paid the processing fee and got a receipt. Make sure you bring this when you go to DFA for your “personal appearance”!
My “personal appearance” was scheduled for November 16 (today).
DFA is located along Roxas Blvd. beside Cuneta Astrodome. To avoid getting lost or having to make unnecessary U-turns, follow my route: Coming from QC, head South via EDSA. Stay on the left so you end up in Pasay (not SLEX). When you hit EDSA Ext. stay in the middle so you don’t end up on the fly over which turns left to Tramo (airport). Just go straight all the way till you hit Roxas Blvd. Turn right into the main road (NOT the service road). Once you see Cuneta Astrodome to your right, you’ll soon see DFA. Go a little past it till there’s an opening into the service road. Park. Walk into the street perpendicular to Roxas Blvd. between Cuneta Astrodome and DFA. They call it “Libertad” but the new street name seems to be “Arnaiz” (that’s according to the street sign).
Even before you hit “Gate 3″ you’ll find a Teleserv representative, wearing a Maroon collared shirt, holding up a sign. Approach him so you don’t have to cue. He’ll lead you to Gate 3. Approach the representative there (by the Exit gate) so you don’t have to cue. He will walk you into DFA and turn you over to another representative. Take a seat. Another representative will call your name in no time (depending on the cue, of course!). He will lead you to a window where he will ask you to check the information on the printed application form. This is the actual information that will appear on your new passport so [to avoid future hassles] check it well! When you find everything in order, you will again be asked to affix your signature and thumbmarks on the application form. And you’re done!
If you ask me, the whole “personal appearance” is really quite a waste of time. All I needed to do was check the information on the form (again), affix my signature (again), and affix my thumbmarks (again) which I already did when the courier came to pick up everything. I really don’t get why I had to do the same thing all over again in DFA especially since it’s not like there was a DFA official there to actually verify or witness what I was asked to do. Thought bubble: welcome to the Philippines!
I was back in my car in exactly 26 minutes. That includes the [less than 5-minute] walk from the parking to Gate 3 and back. When I checked the time I was done by 12:46pm which means it’s not true that Teleserv is only available from 1-3pm.
My passport is supposed to be released by November 26. If there are no unforeseen delays, according to Pilipinas Teleserv, it should be delivered by November 27 at the latest.
Fact: LTO mall outlets do not accept Driver’s License replacement (for lost licenses). Must go to non-mall LTO offices. &*^#$%@!!!
I keep passing a traffic sign along Greenmeadows Avenue which states that the coding “window” is [now] from 9am to 4pm. I’ve been wondering for months if this is a new rule passed by the MMDA (Metro Manila-wide) or if this applies to a specific area only. Today, I finally remembered to call MMDA (through hotline 136) to ask. The answer: this applies to Pasig only (I’m not even sure if this covers the entire Pasig City or just the Ortigas/commercial area). So don’t make the mistake of driving beyond the boundaries of Pasig after 3pm because in other areas the “window” is still from 10am to 3pm only.
I remember seeing a sign in San Juan a few years back which stated that San Juan has no “window”. But when I clarified this with the MMDA today, I was informed that only Makati City, Las Pinas, and Malabon have no “window”.
FYI 
Tonight, on my way to Shang Mall for Tony’s despedida, I was apprehended by a Traffic [Law] Enforcer by the intersection of Dona Julia Vargas and ADB Avenue. I was on the inner (translated: leftmost) lane on J. Vargas so I should have turned left to ADB Avenue. Instead, I went straight towards Megamall.
In fairness to me, I tried changing lanes (from the leftmost lane to the middle lane) early on. But being the stuck up (or “lawful”) person that I am, I did so by properly signaling. Now we all know what happens when you signal in this country, right? The other cars suddenly go faster just for the sake of giving you a hard time. Yes, in this country, other people prefer that you DO NOT signal and just shock the hell out of them by suddenly switching lanes. They actually respect you better that way! *rolls eyes*
Anyway, back to the apprehension…
I tried to reason out to him. That’s usually the first thing I do when I’m apprehended. When that doesn’t work, I accept my [Traffic Violation] Ticket because, truth be told, I really prefer not to bribe.
The Traffic Enforcer didn’t look at me once. He just went on to write my Ticket. And he was going to confiscate my [Driver's] License, he said. This worried me; I’ve been told many times that they are no longer allowed to do that. So as he was writing out my Ticket, I told him I would make a call to clarify if he had the right to confiscate my License. I rolled up my window and began to contact the MMDA.
Thankfully, I still had the MMDA hotline numbers stored on my cellphone from the time Doranne Lim blogged about her encounter with the MMDA a few years back. No one was answering the cellphone numbers but I eventually got through to “136″. I got an automated message but got through to an actual human eventually. He didn’t know much, as expected. But in fairness to him, he had enough information to tell me that based on my location I was dealing with either a Mandaluyong or Pasig Traffic Enforcer. He proceeded to give me the hotline number of “Mandaluyong Traffic”.
One ring then they answered! I was impressed! The lady on the line asked me to describe the uniform of the Traffic Enforcer who apprehended me. He kept walking away from my car and returning to it but right at that moment he was by my window. I saw a patch on his uniform that said “Lungsod ng Pasig” so the lady gave me the hotline number of “Pasig Traffic”.
Again, one ring then they answered! I was totally floored! The lady on the line transfered my call to a “supervisor” (another lady). I proceeded to ask her if the Traffic Enforcer was allowed to confiscate my License. Right when I was doing so (by this time I’d been on hazard for about 15-20 minutes), the Traffic Enforcer knocked on my window. I rolled it down slightly to tell him I was still on the phone. I lost it when he said “Paki bilisan, may trabaho pa ako”. With the lady supervisor still on the line, I started to raise my voice and told him “Sandali lang, kinaklaro ko lang kung pwede mo kunin ang Lisensya ko” to which he murmured something which I did not understand because a) my window was on its way back up; and b) nagdilim na ang paningin ko. I rolled my window back down.
Karin: “Binabayaran ng buwis ko ang sweldo mo. Sandali lang!”
PTE: “Hindi mo binabayaran ang sweldo ko!”
Karin: “Everytime na may bilhin ako dito, nagbabayad ako ng buwis at yan ang nagpapasweldo sa inyo.” (just pardon my Tagalog, please, because I was too upset to properly translate the words running through my upset mind)
PTE: “Nagbabayad din ako ng buwis kaya hindi ikaw ang nagbabayad ng sweldo ko!”
At this point I just rolled my window closed completely to continue talking to the lady supervisor who was still on the line. She asked if she could speak to the Traffic Enforcer so I called him back to my car because by this time he’d paced away again. He walked away from my car with my cellphone so I didn’t hear what he told the lady supervisor. By the time he returned the phone to me, the call had ended. I redialed immediately and was able to talk to the lady supervisor again. She was on the radio with a roving supervisor and asked him to come to my location.
I kept looking at the back of my car via my sideview mirror. The supervisor finally arrived but spoke to the Traffic Enforcer first before walking up to my car (which pissed me off kasi feeling ko uunahan na nya ako ikwento yung side nya). As soon as the supervisor was by my window, I explained my side. I told him that a) I was trying to change lanes but, despite signaling properly, wasn’t able to; b) [so] I know I was wrong for going straight instead of turning left since I was still on the innermost lane; c) I was fine with getting a Ticket because I was wrong; d) [but] I merely wanted to know if the Traffic Enforcer was allowed to confiscate my License; e) [which is why] I called MMDA, then Mandaluyong Traffic, then Pasig Traffic (which is why the call was taking long); f) I do not appreciate the Traffic Enforcer rushing me and arguing with me because by doing so he was disrespecting my right to clarify my rights. As soon as I was done, the supervisor asked me politely if he could answer my question. He said there was a city ordinance issued in 2004 stating that their traffic enforcement within the City (in this case, Pasig City) was no longer under the jurisdiction of “National” authority (meaning, the MMDA) therefore the Traffic Enforcer was, in fact, allowed to confiscate my License. But he went on to say “ewan ko ba dito sa mga ito, nag seminar naman sila, dapat ma-explain nila sa inyo nang maayos kung bakit pwede nila kunin ang Lisensya nyo at kung ano ang violation nyo, hindi yung sasabihin lang nila na may “sign” [kayong nilabag].” I reiterated that what upset me was the fact that the Traffic Enforcer was disrespectful and that all I wanted to know was my rights and that I had the right to find out what those are. He agreed, apologized on the Traffic Enforcer’s behalf, and returned my License to me without issuing me a Ticket. I thanked him and went on my way.
I didn’t get the name of the Traffic Enforcer (but if my slightly photographic memory serves me right, his surname was “Martinez”) nor the names of the people I was able to talk to in the MMDA, Mandaluyong Traffic, and Pasig Traffic offices, nor the name of the supervisor came to the site and politely explained the situation to me. But I would like to thank the people I encountered who were actually helpful and polite. It saddens me, however, that in this country politeness and efficiency (like the Mandaluyong Traffic and Pasig Traffic hotlines actually answering the call after just one ring!) come more as a surprise rather than these being something that are to be expected.
Thank you, Doranne, for that blog entry years ago. In return, here are more numbers that may come in handy. Everyone, please store these numbers on your cellphones.
MMDA: 136 (no need for a prefix)
Madaluyong Traffic: +632-5342993
Pasig Traffic: +632-6430000
The old (Green) Passport is still valid until expiry date, apparently. Sus! Read here.
By chance, I glanced at the date on this blog’s welcome note and realized it’s a year old today (which means that WeAreSugarfree.com turned a year old as well just a few days ago; it wasn’t the band’s official website yet back then). On the very day I decide to somewhat revive my Multiply blog (not completely abandoning this one though), you turn one year old. Tsk, tsk.
The reason I’ve started to write in Multiply again is because, in line with the welcome note’s “promise” of more humor and less drama, I do want to keep this one light. Yet, since early September, I’ve been faced with three major crossroads and arriving at decisions (plural) of which roads (plural) to take tend to get quite dramatic. For this reason, I shall henceforth segregate
