Random Thoughts: Talking to Manong Taxi Driver about life.

Sosyal people call it 'cab'. Most call it 'taxi'. My dad calls it 'tak-shee' (love you 'pa). 

I rarely ride a taxi. I am so afraid of taxi drivers who get angry and hit their steering wheels whenever it's traffic. 

I am afraid of taxi drivers who asks "San mo gusto dumaan? Gusto mo dito na lang para mabilis at hindi traffic." 

I am afraid of taxi drivers who tells me "Ma'am, dagdagan niyo na lang kasi ang traffic at ang layo nang lugar niyo eh." 

I am afraid of taxi drivers who do not smile. 

I am afraid of taxi drivers who swears. 

I am afraid of taxi drivers because there are news about them drugging their passengers then stealing their stuff or raping them. 

I rarely ride a taxi dahil minsan, mas mainit pa sa loob nang taxi nila kesa sa labas. Sayang sa pera. 

But I sometimes enjoy riding the taxi. Minsan. You can learn a lot of things from Manong Driver during a traffic jam. 

These were some of the memorable conversation that I had with some taxi drivers: 

REVIEW: CHARAPTOR - San Antonio Village, Makati

Last week, my husband and I decided to eat at Charaptor. We got so excited the moment we saw their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/CharaptorBBQ). 

My husband and I love eating, lalo na kapag EAT-ALL-YOU-CAN. The only eat-all-you-can buffets that we love are Sambokojin and Tong Yang. [We haven't tried Vikings and Niu by Vikings yet, but we will soon attack those places!] 

What made us excited to eat there is that Charaptor boasts its eat-all-you-can, grill-your-own barbecue. My husband told me that charcoal grilled food tastes better than the food cooked on a smokeless grill. Honestly, hindi ko alam na may pinag-kaiba pala. 

We decided to go to the Charaptor branch in San Antonio Village, Makati. The problem was we didn't know how to commute from our place to San Antonio Village. Mall of Asia is not an option for us because it's quite far! 

http://www.clker.com/clipart-confused-panda.html

Fortunately, we were able to to find a way how to get there. The exact address of Charaptor in Makati is 9752 Kamagong Corner Aranga Street, San Antonio, Makati City.

So here's what we did: 
1. From our place, we rode an FX going to AYALA. 
2. We got off at Ayala Avenue and asked a traffic enforcer how to get to Gil Puyat Intersection. He told us to ride a jeepney. I was so glad that the jeepney driver was very accommodating and he dropped us at Kamagong Street. 
3. Kamagong Street is a one-way street. There were tricycle drivers in the area but we decided to walk instead thinking Charaptor was very, very near. 
4. Lucky us, we walked for 10-15 minutes (I guess) looking for Aranga Street. 
5. After a few minutes of walking, we finally got to Charaptor. 

It was 4:45pm when we got there and I was expecting to be seated right away but to my surprise, we had to wait before they open at 5pm. I didn't know that they serve dinner at 5pm! 

Amazing. 

So we waited. 


While waiting, I was able to take some photos from the outside. 

Feeling ko nasa kulungan ako. 

They were just fixing the place when we arrived. I could see the buffet table from where I was standing. My first thought was that it was too small for an eat-all-you-can buffet. 


At around 5:15, we already got out seats. It was a bit hot and humid that afternoon. Mas okay sana kung gabi kami pumunta, mas malamig nang konti. There were only 5 tables occupied that time. 

There are seats upstairs which is good for large groups. 

And there are seats outside too. 

My husband attacked the buffet table to check out the things that we would be grilling. Note to myself: Never go to a non-aircon restaurant, lalo kung ihawan, when the temperature's hot and the weather's humid. 

Random Thoughts: Leaving the job you hate yet love so much.

In two weeks, I will be unemployed, literally walang trabaho.  I've spent three years working in this company - staying up late for work, getting stressed, and at the same time having fun. 

I didn't intend to work for this company. I remember applying to the company just across our office. Sa kabilang office ako nagbigay nang resume.  I even took the test, was interviewed and already scheduled for a training. But I guess God finds a way to let you be in a place where He wants you to be.

I had a rough start working with the company. No one talked to me and I was on my own. Some of my co-workers didn't like me. Feeling ko hindi ako tatagal.  

I was just an ordinary employee when my boss decided to give me a position. Though I had no idea what to do, I agreed. "Sige na, kahit hindi ko kaya. Pang-resume din yan." 

Few months passed and my work started to pile up. Masakit sa anit! Totoo nga ang sabi ni Uncle Ben sa Spiderman, "with great power. comes great responsibility". Not just great responsibilities pero may kasama ring sleepless nights, endless overtime, erratic schedules and more. 

Minsan, kahit sa panaginip ko kausap ko ang boss ko. May meeting daw kami.

I dreaded Sundays too. I hated the fact that I’ll be at work the next day. Every Monday, I pray that it’ll be Friday the next day.

Palagi akong pagod. Mag-lo-log-in pa lang ako sa aming makalumang bundy clock, pagod na ako. Kalbaryo na sa akin ang maghintay nang FX pauwi dahil sa sobrang pagod. I would rather sleep the whole weekend than go out. Because I am tired. Really tired.  

But there are so many things I am thankful for.

I have learned to be patient - a characteristic that I lack especially kapag mahaba ang pila sa banko, sa cashier at sa CR sa Megamall. 

I have learned how to listen to people and how to be sensitive to their feelings. I used to be one-sided with my opinions but working in this company made me realize the importance of listening and being sensitive. 

I have learned that sometimes, you have to respect the people in authority kahit feeling mo mali sila at tama ka. They may be wrong but kahit paikot-ikotin ang mundo, boss mo pa rin sila. 

I have learned how to negotiate. Minsan, kelangan talaga makipag-compromise. Eto pala yung palagi kong naririnig sa TV na 'let's meet half-way'. 

I have learned how to conceal my feelings in front of other people. Being transparent doesn't always work. There are times that you have to set aside your feelings in order for you to think properly and do things correctly. Kahit bad trip ako, I have to smile because I want others to know that I am there for them. Kahit pagod ako, I have to help because I might be the only person who could help them. Kahit malungkot ako, I have stay positive so that everybody stays positive. 

I have to learned how to multitask. Yung kumain nang dinner habang may paper work na tinatapos. Yung magmake-up habang sumasagot nang messages. 

I have also learned to set aside the things that I want to do in exchange for more important things in life. Yung tipong isusubo mo na ang iyong dinner pero ibaba mo na lang ang kutsara dahil tinatawag ka nang boss mo sa office. 

I have learned so many things.

Maliban sa sweldo na kinikita ko, one of the things that made me stay was that I have met new friends. I started out working without someone to talk to during my breaktime. Okay lang sa akin 'yon. Besides, I am working because I need to earn, bonus na lang if I make friends. Pero I am so blessed to have crossed paths with people that I consider as friends, hindi lang as officemates. 

I also enjoy the working with most of the people in our office. 

Unfortunately, in two weeks' time, I'll be leaving this company. I submitted my resignation last March. Only a few people know about it. 

How do geese know when to fly to the sun? Who tells them the seasons? How do we, humans know when it is time to move on? As with the migrant birds, so surely with us, there is a voice within if we only know how to listen to it, that tells us certainly when to go forth into the unknown - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross 

Eto ngayon ang peg ko. 

Sometimes, there’s something inside that tells you that it’s enough. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero I have this feeling that I have to move on.

I have to move on because I have to consider my husband now that I am married.  

I have to move on because I have to take a break from all the stress.

I have to move on because there’s a voice inside me that tells me to do so.

Now that I have few days left to stay, why do I feel sad? Takot ako mawalan nang trabaho? Pwede. Mabigat sa loob kong iwan ang mga taong naging kaibigan mo sa kumpanya? Oo naman. Nalulungkot ako na iwan ang kinasanayan kong gawin araw araw? Oo.  

I thought it will be easy for me to leave pero hindi pala.

Looking at the brighter side, I think leaving may be the best thing to do at the moment.

I don’t know what I will do on my first Monday na wala akong pasok. I have never been unemployed even for a single day from the time I’ve started working. I guess I will clean the house or watch or sleep. But for the first time, I will be having a stress-free Monday which I think all of us deserve.