ang katangahan mo, wag mo ipasa sa iba

after a month of being closed due to the retirement of the person in-charge, i was assigned at the library last january. barely a month after that, the higher ups decided it was the best place to conduct the board meeting. so they started renovation, repainting and whatever cleaning up the library/building needs for the even more higher ups of education. needless to say, the library closed yet again. i stayed there as long as i could even when they were banging, scrubbing and moving things here and there. when it was unbearable and was making me cough and sneeze so much, i decided to return to my previous office to work on my other assignments/designations.

after almost a month, the meeting was finally over and i was able to open the library again. by then the semester have already ended.

now the summer classes have just began and masteral students are starting to flock. i dont like masteral students. they act like they own the place. just because it's the graduate studies library doesn't mean they do. they're arrogant, irresponsible, tactless and acts like or worse than grade school children:

a. can't read - how hard is it to read the sign posted at the door? it's right there staring them at their faces whenever they come in but they still don't know they need to present their library cards or registration form.

b. can't follow instructions - what's with "fill-up the bookcard and give it to me" that they don't understand? my god! masteral students at that and can't even follow simple instructions.

c. have authority problems - do they always have to try to bend the rules for their own sake? it's not as if they'd die if they follow or that the rules are unreasonable. they just always have to do it their way.

d. big mouth - always complaining that the library is closed when i haven't even been absent for a minute! what's with the words, "pls come in we're open" say the library is close?!

a lot of people ask/complain to a lot of not-concerned-people that the library is always close. the hell! i dont even go out of the library except lunch and after 5 and they have the nerve to say it's closed?

just because, the door is closed doesn't mean the library is closed. if they have taken the time to walk their lazy asses a little further up the front door, read what's posted on the door, turned the doorknob and opened the door, they would have realized how stupid they have been all these time complaining that the library is closed when it's in fact open.

and just because the graduate school have classes from friday to sunday, doesn't mean i have to work til sunday. don't give me the crap that just because i dont go to work on sundays that then the masteral students only use the library during fridays and saturdays. pu-leaze! tell that to somebody else but don't use that to me. the library open from tuesday to saturday. don't go complaining about your sunday. taking up masteral studies is hard work. make the time to do your research and don't blame other people. and please oh please! before you enrolled, you should have asked yourself first if you have it in you to do it coz frankly, if you don't know how to use the library, i don't think you should have graduated from elementary school.

on other library matters.

the main library collects the periodicals daily. that's what they've been doing since the old lady retired. aside from the clerk who is working there but was suppose to be working with me, they have student assistants to help them. but goodness gracious, they are still complaining that they have too many work. too many in fact that they dont have the time to get the periodicals.

just because, the information director collected the april 20 issue and gave it to me, doesn't mean i'm going to get the periodicals from now on!

this morning, i told them that i have the periodicals for yesterday. they asked if i can get the issue for today and i said no. then this afternoon, i closed the library early so i can give them the newspapers and the librarian said.. "we still don't have the newspapers for today..." im like so? am i suppose to answer that? i work alone at the library. did they really expect me to close the library, go out, get the newspapers and give them their copy?

i don't even go out of the library when i dont have to and i still get feedbacks that it's "closed" and they still want me to go out and get the newspapers? what do they want me to do?

the good thing is...
im leaving!

virginia tech killing. with so much to say and feel, words escape me.

campaign jingles. if the majority doesn't believe that politicians mean what they say, what's the use of spending too much on campaign materials? and why oh why do we even listen to it?

i lost 2 cellphones and i almost didnt want to buy a new one for fear that i might lose it again. after 3 months of cellphone-celibacy, i finally bought my N70. before i had one, it was all i ever wanted. but now that i have it, im not so happy. :-( i still miss my other cellphone. or im just not so used to having one anymore that it didnt give me the same satisfaction. hay!

what used to be the library now seems like the function room for meetings, conferences and such like. isa pang hay! more details on a later post (if i still have the energy)

my calendar is so full - catching up with friends, going places, last minute shopping, packing my suitcase... im so looking forward to my lazy days in NZ!

flight

this was my first time ever to do things like these - ride a plane and travel out of the country (and i did it alone!)

of course i was nervous and excited. tips came flying from everywhere. i got too many of it i was overwhelmed. so i decided to just go with my instinct. it hasn't failed me before.

the flight from manila to singapore was short and fun. i was seated with two filipina (in the middle row) who took advantage of the bread rolls too much the steward had to tell them they'd be given some after everybody's already served. :-P

the singapore to christchurch flight was the long one - 10 hours. i had a window seat with a foreigner and a filipino. food was really great but window seat is not good for toilet breaks.

Christchurch

it was a very warm welcome indeed! i got off the taxi and stood on this very driveway to find a really sweet and thoughtful welcome written on the pavement.

we went up the cathedral tower and almost bought another tshirt saying "i made it" but it's no way near our adventure in sagada so we didnt but in all honesty, it's not for unfit people to climb up that steep stair. (as if we're both fit but we tried. hehe.)

we have something inside that chalice that only three people knows.

the tram ride is a very touristy thing to do because it loops around the city center and they were restored so you're riding on something antique. oldie! (blocked people who wanted to get off the tram just to get this photo. cheers mate! :-P)

this is me pretending to be a totem pole. poking of tongue out is a customary way of maori greeting. (let those tongues out! :-P)

new brighton beach. we tried to explore every place in christchurch and though it's really cold to swim, we still had fun running and catching ball. just in front of the beach is the new brighton library which is really cool coz you get to sit comfortably, looking out the calming sea and just chill. of course, you should at least pretend to read.

garden city. before i traveled to nz, i read from a newspaper travel article that christchurch is known as the garden city with its award winning gardens. unfortunately, i went there during the end of winter so i wasn't really able to witness the fabulousness of christchurch in that sense. judging from these blossoms that's already amazing considering it's still a few weeks from spring is a good sign of more awesomeness to come. :-) i left just at the start of spring and it's really exciting to see the very first spring blossoms and the most workaholic butterflies - out so early!



christchurch gondola. again the first time to try a gondola ride and im afraid of heights! im glad my tour guide kept me distracted. :-)

you can see lyttleton harbour from up the gondola station (top photo). this was taken just outside the souvenir shop. we decided to walk our way down (after our gondola ride up). martin hurt his back when he slipped while walking down a muddy area (he was distracted coz he was trying to guide me through it). this would lead to the scariest part of my vacation coz he'd wake up one night complaining that his back is hurting so much. it was so bad he had to call a medical assistance hotline. he was advised to take some pain killer then wait and see til morning. fortunately, the pain eased in the morning and we didnt have to see a doctor.

according to maori history, british migrants arrived in the lyttleton harbour in 1850. they rested in this area while trying to get to the other side of the hill.

hector's dolphin
a nice cruise gave us the chance to see this little dolphins up close at the lyttleton harbour. it was so cold to be at the watching deck but heck! it's better than just looking through the windows. we were splashed wet when the tide got really huge but the complimentary choco worked wonders.

we hiked up a hill to go to a cave martin found during one of his "walks". it's way up of a park on the way to sumner. it was crazy to have found it during a leisurely walk (i sure wouldn't call it leisure activity). after that we went to the sumner beach, ate ice cream and i almost froze coz the wind was so cold!

akaroa

(photo courtesy of www.akaroa.com)

we are stepping on thousands of future gemstones and precious stones just waiting to be transformed at birdlings flat

here is where they polish those gray stones into their shining beauty.

we had fun taking pictures of me pretending to throw snow balls that i forgot those gloves that i have in my hand and martin had to ask the driver if we can still get it. the cafe was already closed when we passed by it on our way back so they met the day after and he got it back. yey! that was my very first snow experience. im still waiting for my actual snowing experience though. :-)

akaroa harbour. this place is a romantic get-away! it's like you're in a different time zone when you're here. it's so laid back, so old-time romance, gosh! if you're not yet in love, you will! well.. that is if you're with someone worth falling in love with. hehe. we had fun following the walk paths and the less traveled paths too. we were a bit lost after a while but we finally found our way to the road. had to dodge a few golf balls while crossing a green lawn though. hehe. just kidding. the guy playing was so friendly and helpful. fish and chips was highly recommended so we had to try that (chips only for him) and gosh oh gosh! try the crumbed oyster - to roll-your-eyes for! there are still one or two things we have to do there (akaroa website says there has never been a better time than autumn and i'll be in christchurch again that time! *hints, hints*)

the closest i've been near a sheep. this was when we visited the willowbank wildlife reserve. we saw lots of animals including the very elusive and shy kiwi bird. they're inside a really really dark room. guests were told they can't take pictures, make loud noises or try to approach or pet the birds coz they get scared easily. it was so dark we almost didn't see them but when we did, wow! it was really exciting!

wellington

we went up to wellington to meet with his brother and sister-in-law. took the train to picton and ferry to wellington. some pictures were not shown to protect the author's credibility :-P


this is me and kevin playing petanque (the goal is to throw metal balls as close to the piglet which is suppose to be a small wooden ball but i dont remember us using one, we just used stone).
brotherly chess competition. it was so windy the chess pieces were all tumbling. i dont remember if they finished the game or the wind finished it for them. :-)

from left to right - cate, kevin, martin and me after our kiddie games.

dosai. i ordered this when all i really wanted was a "light meal". gosh! foreign land and their large servings. hehe. in fairness, it's yummy and crunchy (though i didnt like the dips)

we found this plank on our way to the te papa museum. this was not in any way scripted. the dove just happened to be there and didnt leave even when we took pictures.

back in christchurch...

cats in christchurch are so cute! they'd let you pet them too!



eating while seated on a swing. cool idea!

my very first breakfast in bed! im having vegetarian sausage, pita bread and reheated stir-fried vegetable. i never even imagined myself ever getting this special and romantic treatment but im so happy!

thank you so so so much!

karma

when i just started working at the library, someone asked a piece of a periodical but im not suppose to give them out coz they are subject to auditing by the supply officer plus it was still a fairly recent issue, so i turned her down. she took it against me and told somebody who told me (i guess with additions but the thing is, she told other people).

from what i heard, she was insulted that i would say no to her (coz she's the wife of someone with high position in my office) but i was like so? i mean, it doesn't give her a special privilege to be the wife of someone. i still felt bad that she felt insulted coz that's not my intention and it's not personal. i was just doing my job.

long story short, she ignored me after that. i wanted to talk to her but thought i didnt have to explain myself to her.

now it's end of the school year time and faculty members are required to obtain clearances - one of which is from the library.

this afternoon she went to the library to read. she smiled (im not sure at me or just randomly) and even said, "you should put a 'open please come in' sign at the door so that people wouldn't knock" and i didn't reply. i didnt have anything to say to that and i think students should learn how to open the door for crying out loud! if it's locked, then it's closed. i don't need to tell them if it's open or not. it annoyed me a little.

knowing that she'll have to ask me to sign her clearance is sweet revenge. it's karma. now she'll have to swallow her pride and talk to me, whether she likes it or not. she can't even ask her students to do that for her (like some teachers did) coz she has to return a lot of books and i'll ask her to return them all before she's cleared.

what goes around.. comes around.

happy april fool's day everyone!


total couch-potatoing day

i've been busy for the last 2 weekends that i almost feel guilty not having any plans or projects to do today. so i just decided to totally bum out and get a tv upload.

crash of the century

the collision of two boeing 747 over at the los rodeos airport at tenerife, canary islands killed 583 people.

it made me really sad and angry watching the documentary, especially during that moment when impatience could have been the root of all the unfortunate events leading to the terrible accident.

it strikes home for me coz i am impatient, about certain things not going the way i want it. i dont like waiting and i dont like people waiting on me either. it made me realize how life is so short to waste on being grumpy over schedules and one seemingly innocent decision can affect too many lives.

life is so short indeed. you never know what will happen next. all you have is this moment. im glad im with someone who knows how to live in the moment and he's teaching me how to live like that too. it might not come naturally for me, but im getting there.



iron chef america

i love watching this show, especially if the challenger is up against bobby flay. he's my favorite chef.

watching him working like crazy over the ingredients and everything and still having the time and the good-nature to chat up with the challenger made me see things differently about the competition that i didnt understand before - they're all doing it for fun. they don't take it so seriously that they'd feel angry if they dont win. i guess coming up with an interesting recipe for the secret ingredient is already prize enough for them.

that's so enlightening. i mean, coz i always felt a little nervous whenever im watching bobby flay in the iron chef arena like gosh! oh gosh! what if he lose the title and something. but now, i dont. i understand. i guess it's the same way i feel when i've worked on something and im so proud of it that i dont care if other people like it or not. it's the most gratifying feeling - better than a thousand praises or prizes (though that might be good too).

of course he won (by 1 point, it's very common for bobby flay) and i noticed that it's mostly his plating that gives him that extra point. i'd love to eat at his restaurant one day, whichever one it is. it would be totally out of this world if i can meet him too.


other shows i watched - pinoy big brother (24 hours), a little of tyra banks show, a little of late night with conan o'brien (the replay i guess coz it's still early morning) and i napped.


things im obsessing about these days

jewel quest (computer game) - im already done with the first set of quest now im back to one but with additional cursed masks to watch out for

justin timberlake's what goes around.. comes around song - it just seems so sexy

food - im craving food lately and im suppose to be on diet.. wah!

blogging - when i said update it regularly, i might have meant, daily!

sleep - like i haven't been obsessing about it my entire life. heh.