My Christmas Gift

The greatest Christmas gift I have ever received was delivered the day I left for Cebu. I went to cebu the other day, December 22, so that I, together with my Hejangnim and Sajangnim could celebrate with the Cebu branch their Christmas Party. Prior to the trip, an arrangement was made that the new ride I was going to get would not be registered under the company name but instead would be mine.

It was a Christmas gift from the wife of the Chairman... a personal gift. It would have been the first time that I would receive a gift as expensive and as extravagant as this. It was a Black Hyundai Sonata GLS 2.4, and it arrived in my office about the same time that I was landing in Cebu. My driver reported that it has arrived and that it was a sight to behold... dual transmission system and other cool stuff. I was excited to go back to Manila so that I may have the pleasure of sitting on my new ride and once again thank our first lady for the most generous gift amounting to Php1.3M.

The Cebu Christmas party was a success... we had fun, we had drinks and we had a blast with everyone. The drinking ended around 3am and I went back to my room at our resort. I called my friend to order for me some Korean noodles so that I may pig out before going to bed.... and I fell into a slumber...

10 am, the phone was ringing off the hook and I was thinking that it was too early for a wake up call. It was my President who said that I should call my security officer because something may have happened to my new car...

I can't write about it in detail.... because I'll get pissed off all over again (I have to drive later and bring my family to my in-laws)... all I can say is... I never even got to sit in my car. By 4:25 pm, I was standing beside a ball of crumpled metal... or what was left of what is supposed to be a 2008 Black Hyundai Sonata GLS 2.4 car...

A company driver has taken it for a test drive,.. and it went flying, or more accurately according to witnesses on a triple somersault and crashed on the opposite lane onto a solid concrete block that held the macapagal bridge... Php1.3M gone in less than 18 hours...

haaaayyy... at least I know that Hyundai cars are passenger-safe for no one was seriously hurt or injured... the air bags work.

Finally.. a resting place for my songs

I wish that I could personally thank the person who inspired me or more accurately prodded me to start blogging... now that I am hooked, discovering internet services has delighted me no end. When i started this blogspot, I said that I was in a hurry in life because I knew that it would be a short one. Now, utilizing the internet has seemingly took over a third of my life.

Very recently, the only way I knew how to keep my files immortal was with youtube. The problem is that making a video isn't really that easy. If I was a full-time artist then that would be great. I am already fortunate that my job allows me to do the things that I like and I appreciate it. The problem with hard disk technology is the constant reminder that if the systems breaks down, the risk of losing your life's work is almost inevitable. I've spent time and resources to recover, retrieve and digitize from analogue format old gigs from younger days, recordings my band did a long time ago and a lot of stuff like pictures and mementos. Just so that one day, when I'm sitting on a wheelchair or something or dying on a bed somewhere or passed out drunk (hehehe), then i'd be remembered. Maybe...

So a week ago, I stumbled upon a site that hosted mp3s of artists and I felt relieved. I recently added the links to this blogspot, now I have a permanent safe storage for my songs... bless the www!

2 blogspots in a day

I've been planning for a new blogspot exclusively for Amazing Philippine Theatre so that all related blogs that I may think up will be in the proper place. So I decided to go ahead and make two... one for the singing contest next year and another for the theatre... I've added the links to this blog so that It'll be easy to navigate through it.

I found the urgency while I was in Boracay when I saw that the official site was up, running and being updated. I appreciated the fact that we were up again but I do not appreciate the fact that it did not go through the process. I appreciate the effort but as usual, I would much rather have been consulted. Anyway, enough of that, I already did it and I'd appreciate the contribution of people with the "institutional memory" on the new blogspot. It is unofficial and not company sanctioned... but no one listens anyway, so why should I?

and the winner is...

i started having problems with my car about two months ago... and so does every car in this company. Despite the fact that I have a million complaints about my car - it's a 1997 Hyundai Grandeur - I loved it for more reasons than I hated it.

First on the hate list is the fact that its 10 year old V6 3.0 engine is an alcoholic just like me. However, it does give great performance given the expensive budget. Second is the fact that the model was never released locally and therefore the parts will have to be imported from Korea. Roughly, that would take about a month or two of waiting without a ride. Third is... well... it's old. But despite all these things, my Grandeur does some things that my old Honda Accord could not... and that is command respect!

I can't help but put into a parallel idea my view of making good business in general. A business, just like any other thing must be unique for it to be noticed... much like a person, much like his ride. It's a statement.

So the day before yesterday, the Chairman, the President and myself attended the Boracay Branch Christmas Party and he told us that it is time to replace our rides with new ones. Not the ones that would entail additional expense for constant repairs and problems and he said that we deserved "worry-free" rides,.. on a budget of course. A flood of quotations and brochures flooded our offices from different makes and designs. I must admit that I felt a bit uncomfortable with the fact that I would have to down-grade my ride because of the budget. The ride I wanted was just a tad shy off the budget, actually not a tad, but then... my boss saves me with a suggestion. He asked me to look up Hyundai Sonata GLS 2.4 and it made me smile... I see Camrys all over, I see new Accords all over as well, but rarely do I see Sonatas... and I finally said... I found my ride!

Review

Once a marginal midsize sedan that scraped by on its low price alone, the Hyundai Sonata is now a worthy player that measures up to the class leaders on nearly all fronts. Upon its debut two years ago, the current-generation Sonata immediately impressed us with its attractive design, fine build quality and spacious interior. In addition, newly competitive four-cylinder and V6 engines and the availability of a five-speed automatic transmission (with the V6) brought its performance up to par in the family sedan segment. To be sure, practical-minded consumers will find plenty to like in the 2008 Hyundai Sonata.

Besides matching the top Japanese-brand sedans in regards to cabin quality and comfort, the Sonata is notable for its packaging efficiency. It boasts enough interior volume for the EPA to brand it a "large" car. In reality, though, its rear-seat accommodations are comparable to what "midsize" competitors like the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry offer. It's hardly a knock against the Hyundai, given that two adults or three children can easily get comfortable back here.

Additionally, the Sonata benefits from Hyundai's two trademark
advantages. First, compared to its key rivals, a comparably equipped 2008 Sonata typically ends up priced a thousand or two lower. Second, Hyundai's warranty coverage extends to five years/60,000 miles basic and 10 years/100,000 miles on the powertrain, both the most generous in the industry.

3 am

this is one of my favorite songs from matchbox 20... the beat, the melody, the lyrics... it reminds me so much of... aahhh never mind.

i was having this mental block episode at the office and i wanted to experiment with the new camera i got so i ended up making a fool of myself by myself after office hours... enjoy!

My New Gear

For all the hard work and accomplishments this year, the company gave me new gear for my working pleasure... the only problem now is learning the new stuff that comes with it. But i must admit, my office looks way cooler with the new workstation on my desk...

Between Friends

My friends always say that there are no thank yous and sorrys between friends. That as friends, it is inevitable that we make each other happy by giving help, a treat… lending a helping hand… and as friends we will eventually hurt one another, one way or the other.

Friendship has always been a big thing for me. Being a single child, I had no siblings to confide to in times of need and misery… but I guess that that was how I liked it. I have always said that we cannot choose our relatives, but we can choose our friends.

the weatherman is back...

Like I said... the weatherman is back. Marcel Magsino and I will start work on a new project this coming year. Welcome back my old friend!

A letter from a former employee

This letter was sent to me by a former employee through my youtube inbox. I must admit that it made my day, as well as it came at an opportune time when I just mentioned that I have to make a decision very soon. And because of this letter, I have made my decision. I will stay. Not for anything else other than I want to make things right...

hi po i wanna greet you lang po na congratulation po its
a wonderfull video na nakita ko dito un sa boracay po sir and im so amazed n hanga sa inyo dahil khit your the only filipino in that management you can prove it that your not only a small size but your a large huge thing parang sobrang taray ha super success ang show at amazing po anyway congrats again and i want to say sorry for all those bad things ive done personally kc di ko masabi sa nyo.remeber po na your the only person who accpt me there before when im starting amazing dirty pa ko nun actually kundi dahil po sa inyo eh for sure tae tae pa ko hanggang ngaun thnx again sir cassey.and also napaka laking pasasalamat ko kasi now i see n i heared or some of my sister jan e they told na na aapreciate nyo na sila at inaalagaan po kc namn medyo napabayaan kc kmi nun time na najan ako i think n feel n di nyo kami napagpahalagahan or cguro kc marami lang taong umeeksena para maging biboang wrong dun kc ibang way ang ginawa ko but actually im happy for now where i am na eto nagrereview n po ako for my scholarship n class exams like what you told before na dpat pagpatuloy ko yun pag aaral ko po.and now im happy as a stanp up comedian n singer singeran na rin sa ibt ibang bar nagamit ko yung experience ko po jan.anyway sir mahaba na po pla isa lang masasabi kohappy ako nanaging family ako ng amazing beforeand sir sorry tlga ha more power posana umunlad pa po ang amazing its wow amazing tlga its me jemrod cotti as pukel hihihii ingat

The PLIGHT of the SKILLED…

By experience, I am versed enough in the art of making people work towards the achievement of my interest. I have learned the art simply because I was in the past, a person who has worked for the interests of bosses who has (whether they admit it or not) benefited from my tenacity as a loyal employee or subordinate. From watching how my bosses went through their professional lives conducting the affairs of their machineries towards a goal, professional or otherwise, I learned…

In most organizations I know and have had the chance to associate myself with, there was and always will be an employee who stands out as the office martyr. Martyrs in the professional world are usually skilled individuals who lack the character to stand out but have the skill or the talent to get the job done.

When I entered this company, I had no plans whatsoever to become the office martyr, but inadvertently it is perhaps in my nature to be so. It is perhaps something that I can never change. I know that for the longest time, my life and my principles have caused myself and the people closest to me unnecessary pain, anguish and misery.

Mistake no. 01

Good deed = Good Karma

I have always said that if I don’t do anything bad to someone, then that someone will not do bad things to me. Even if they did, then I will be the only party who can say negative things about the other party.

That seems to make sense in the ideal world. However, this world is not exactly ideal nor is it a tiny-bit close to utopia.

Besides, how many “bad” people do I know that eventually ended up successful? ACTUALLY, A LOT! And how many times have I seen bad things happen to good people? --- A LOT!

So in my short-circuited brain, the correlation between deed and karma is perhaps overrated.


The day before yesterday, the Chairman wanted to fire my administration director and gave the order directly to his minions. I was called in for consultation and I shrugged off the order entirely and called it another “volcano” decision which needed no second look. All in all, it was another kinder garden meeting. The mistake did not merit a sanction of termination… even if it did, I wouldn’t allow one of my men to be a sacrificial lamb for doing someone else’s job.

You see, this is the relevance of my intro. My administration Director has followed my career path a little too much… He wanted to be “Jack of all trades…” he has polished his multifaceted skills over time and now he is being martyred simply because he does a lot of work.

I typically say… and such is life. But this time I say, life is what we make of it. The numerous amounts of incidents that I do not like has messed me up and this organization that it is time to make a decision…

Anecdote:

This year, I paid 20k for a mistake which was not mine while a Korean manager bought a car for himself and got a new office for making mistakes that I had to fix.


Listening to: matchbox 20’s version of closing time… dear joan, tired… nothing compares… hang… busted unplugged.