Pond Perspective

I loooove to laugh. Whether it’s just a mild chuckle over a newspaper article, a storytelling giggle-fest with my girlfriends or tears-almost-streaming-down, uncontrollable spasmic guffaws from watching a comedy, it’s one of my most favorite times EVER.

Working in a bank call center, albeit corporate, is very stressful. My shift starts at 8am and ends at 5pm. (Supposedly). In between, though, we still have to squeeze in certifications and audit confirmations as well as other special projects like quality process initiatives, investigations, matrix tracking, reports and whatever else our boss gives to us to handle all in the name of $$$ revenue, revenue, revenue. Afterwhich, we still have to find the time to file all that paperwork. As a result, I have been accustomed to leaving the office at 8 or 9pm. Doesn’t really leave much time for a social life now, does it? (We have this running joke in the office that you are considered to have just put in half a day’s work if you leave when there is still light outside.) What a waste all those years were spent studying for a degree in communication arts!

I enjoy it, though (for the most part) and my colleagues/friends contribute a large percentile to that enjoyment. I have spent countless hours out with them on trips (some even abroad), karaoke sessions, dinners, and just plain silly-fests. I have learned, through these past years, that it helps to have a smile on your face even when faced with the most irritating of callers. (Well, the almighty mute button also does wonders.) The person on the other end of the line CAN actually tell if you’re in a dour mood. Regular clients seem genuinely concerned when they sense I’m not my usual self. Keeping up a cheerful facade is really taxing on the nerves, especially when it’s that time of month and hormonal imbalance is at its peak. It is a most welcome break to have someone come up to me to tell me a joke or two, share a funny story or just invite me to step out to buy a snack. It helps bring back the smile on my face, renewing my energy. Have you ever noticed that someone who doesn’t really come off as striking in the beginning can look suddenly attractive when he/she smiles or laughs? It tends to change your perspective on that person. Or how watching something as inane as Bubble Gang can alter your disposition for the rest of the day? Having a good laugh each day is an absolute essential for me now. I’m easy to please so it’s no great task. If I don’t find it at work, you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be looking for that fix at home or on the tube after work. Won’t feel complete otherwise. Besides, don’t think anyone’s ever died from laughing too hard (yet). Lately, whenever I catch myself frowning or generally in a lousy mood, I keep hearing these lines from the musical Annie ringing in my ears, “Your clothes may be Beau Brummelly; They stand out a mile; But brother, you’re never fully dressed without a smile. Who cares what they’re wearing on Main Street or Saville Row; It’s what you wear from ear to ear
and not from head to toe (that matters)…”

Believe you me, it DOES make a difference.

For more smiles, visit: http://www.liquidgeneration.com/poptoons/bradjen_usher.asp, http://www.fractalcow.com/rex/high.html

I loooove to laugh. Whether it’s just a mild chuckle over a newspaper article, a storytelling giggle-fest with my girlfriends or tears-almost-streaming-down, uncontrollable spasmic guffaws from watching a comedy, it’s one of my most favorite times EVER.

Working in a bank call center, albeit corporate, is very stressful. My shift starts at 8am and ends at 5pm. (Supposedly). In between, though, we still have to squeeze in certifications and audit confirmations as well as other special projects like quality process initiatives, investigations, matrix tracking, reports and whatever else our boss gives to us to handle all in the name of $$$ revenue, revenue, revenue. Afterwhich, we still have to find the time to file all that paperwork. As a result, I have been accustomed to leaving the office at 8 or 9pm. Doesn’t really leave much time for a social life now, does it? (We have this running joke in the office that you are considered to have just put in half a day’s work if you leave when there is still light outside.) What a waste all those years were spent studying for a degree in communication arts!

I enjoy it, though (for the most part) and my colleagues/friends contribute a large percentile to that enjoyment. I have spent countless hours out with them on trips (some even abroad), karaoke sessions, dinners, and just plain silly-fests. I have learned, through these past years, that it helps to have a smile on your face even when faced with the most irritating of callers. (Well, the almighty mute button also does wonders.) The person on the other end of the line CAN actually tell if you’re in a dour mood. Regular clients seem genuinely concerned when they sense I’m not my usual self. Keeping up a cheerful facade is really taxing on the nerves, especially when it’s that time of month and hormonal imbalance is at its peak. It is a most welcome break to have someone come up to me to tell me a joke or two, share a funny story or just invite me to step out to buy a snack. It helps bring back the smile on my face, renewing my energy. Have you ever noticed that someone who doesn’t really come off as striking in the beginning can look suddenly attractive when he/she smiles or laughs? It tends to change your perspective on that person. Or how watching something as inane as Bubble Gang can alter your disposition for the rest of the day? Having a good laugh each day is an absolute essential for me now. I’m easy to please so it’s no great task. If I don’t find it at work, you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be looking for that fix at home or on the tube after work. Won’t feel complete otherwise. Besides, don’t think anyone’s ever died from laughing too hard (yet). Lately, whenever I catch myself frowning or generally in a lousy mood, I keep hearing these lines from the musical Annie ringing in my ears, “Your clothes may be Beau Brummelly; They stand out a mile; But brother, you’re never fully dressed without a smile. Who cares what they’re wearing on Main Street or Saville Row; It’s what you wear from ear to ear
and not from head to toe (that matters)…”

Believe you me, it DOES make a difference.

For more smiles, visit: http://www.liquidgeneration.com/poptoons/bradjen_usher.asp, http://www.fractalcow.com/rex/high.html

I confess. I am a reality-TV junkie. Am currently hooked on The Contender which airs on AXN. The Contender is a show hosted by Sly Stallone (Rocky!) and Sugar Ray Leonard about the search for the next boxing superstah. It follows 16 professional fighters out to make their mark in the world. Cameras record their every move, even following them into their homes. One gets a glimpse of how each decision they make can result in either triumph or heartbreak for each of their families and this is what makes it very involving. The contenders are grouped into two teams, the East and the West, and each episode has one person from one team gearing up for a match against another person from the other team at episode’s end. Winners get perks like an entire day spent with George Foreman, an unlimited shopping spree in a custom-tailoring shop, and the like. Last man standing gets a cool million bucks. Losers are sent back home to relative anonymity and to the herculean task of chipping away at the once-again elusive American dream.

The Contender joins Amazing Race, Fear Factor, Survivor, The Apprentice, American Idol, Combat Missions, The Swan, For Love Or Money, America’s Next Top Model, Playing It Straight, Average Joe, Pimp My Ride, Temptation Island, Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, Mr. Personality and MTV’s Real World in my list of shows that, at one time or another, got me clicking on the remote immediately after coming home from work to catch the latest episode. These past years, television has been mercilessly churning out every reality show premise imaginable, from the crass to the totally ridiculous. (I don’t think I’ll ever want to watch a show entitled, “The Littlest Groom” or “Who Wants To Date A Hooters Girl”.) You wonder where the executives behind these series get their ideas yet some of these ideas manage to catch the fancy of their target audience. So sue me, I’m one of them. Maybe I just want validation that there are some people out there who are sillier, meaner, and downright more desperate than myself and the people I know. This has definitely helped me become more appreciative of the things I am blessed with. Given that kind of convoluted reasoning, it ain’t that bad, right? =)

I confess. I am a reality-TV junkie. Am currently hooked on The Contender which airs on AXN. The Contender is a show hosted by Sly Stallone (Rocky!) and Sugar Ray Leonard about the search for the next boxing superstah. It follows 16 professional fighters out to make their mark in the world. Cameras record their every move, even following them into their homes. One gets a glimpse of how each decision they make can result in either triumph or heartbreak for each of their families and this is what makes it very involving. The contenders are grouped into two teams, the East and the West, and each episode has one person from one team gearing up for a match against another person from the other team at episode’s end. Winners get perks like an entire day spent with George Foreman, an unlimited shopping spree in a custom-tailoring shop, and the like. Last man standing gets a cool million bucks. Losers are sent back home to relative anonymity and to the herculean task of chipping away at the once-again elusive American dream.

The Contender joins Amazing Race, Fear Factor, Survivor, The Apprentice, American Idol, Combat Missions, The Swan, For Love Or Money, America’s Next Top Model, Playing It Straight, Average Joe, Pimp My Ride, Temptation Island, Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, Mr. Personality and MTV’s Real World in my list of shows that, at one time or another, got me clicking on the remote immediately after coming home from work to catch the latest episode. These past years, television has been mercilessly churning out every reality show premise imaginable, from the crass to the totally ridiculous. (I don’t think I’ll ever want to watch a show entitled, “The Littlest Groom” or “Who Wants To Date A Hooters Girl”.) You wonder where the executives behind these series get their ideas yet some of these ideas manage to catch the fancy of their target audience. So sue me, I’m one of them. Maybe I just want validation that there are some people out there who are sillier, meaner, and downright more desperate than myself and the people I know. This has definitely helped me become more appreciative of the things I am blessed with. Given that kind of convoluted reasoning, it ain’t that bad, right? =)

I don’t want another pretty face
I don’t want just anyone to hold
I don’t want my love to go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul
You’re the one I wanna chase
You’re the one I wanna hold
I wont let another minute go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul

Your beautiful soul, yeah

Boxing afficionados across the nation are probably all a-dither, counting down the hours till tomorrow’s much-hyped bout between our very own Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and the formidable Mexican, Erik Morales. As early as a month ago, dailies already spotlighted him via lengthy features on the sports page, newscasts almost always had a daily update on his training and local gamblers were having a ball taking down all those willing to stake their life’s savings on a win for our champ. Tomorrow morning will most likely be a traffic-free ride through most bottle-neck areas as a lot of the friends and family members I know (men and women alike) will be staying in to watch the highly-anticipated title match. At this point, Manny is supposed to be the odds-on favorite, having beaten Morales’ past conquests handily. Don’t know about you but I kinda preferred it when he was the underdog. At least, the pressure isn’t that great and each time he would win, it would be sort of surpassing everyone’s expectations.

I am rooting for Manny, simply because despite his success, it seems that he has remained unassuming and, from the various accounts from media, compassionate. Stories have it that whenever he wins, he would allocate a substantial lot of his million dollar earnings to charity (church and hospice-building, going to orphanages) and generally doling out money to those who come to him for help. I also personally think he should get rid of his promoter, the flamboyant Murad Muhammad who has the makings of another Don King, but still it doesn’t make him any less a great boxer. Just hope he doesn’t go the way of past sports heroes whom we heaped mounds of accolades on only to learn that they became criminals later on in life. One actually was jailed for rape! (Remember “the Bad Boy from Dadiangas”, Rolando Navarette?) Or become comedians like other fallen sports heroes – somehow it doesn’t go down history that well…

I don’t really enjoy contact sports that much. Boxing never held much of an attraction. Wrestling was something else, though, especially during college. I would regale my friends with tales of the latest grudge match between Kerry Von Erich and Ric Flair and countless cage clashes….but I digress. Taekwondo and those other martial arts variations do nothing for me. Seldom do I get excited over the prospect of one of our fighters going up to test his mettle in an international arena. Manny Pacquiao is one such rarity. So, tomorrow at 10am, tune in to watch our boy try his darndest to outspar his nemesis in the superfeatherweight showdown in Nevada. May the Filipino banner waive high and proud at the end!

For those of you with a taste for carnage (claymation, that is), try: http://www.mtv.com/onair/deathmatch/

Boxing afficionados across the nation are probably all a-dither, counting down the hours till tomorrow’s much-hyped bout between our very own Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and the formidable Mexican, Erik Morales. As early as a month ago, dailies already spotlighted him via lengthy features on the sports page, newscasts almost always had a daily update on his training and local gamblers were having a ball taking down all those willing to stake their life’s savings on a win for our champ. Tomorrow morning will most likely be a traffic-free ride through most bottle-neck areas as a lot of the friends and family members I know (men and women alike) will be staying in to watch the highly-anticipated title match. At this point, Manny is supposed to be the odds-on favorite, having beaten Morales’ past conquests handily. Don’t know about you but I kinda preferred it when he was the underdog. At least, the pressure isn’t that great and each time he would win, it would be sort of surpassing everyone’s expectations.

I am rooting for Manny, simply because despite his success, it seems that he has remained unassuming and, from the various accounts from media, compassionate. Stories have it that whenever he wins, he would allocate a substantial lot of his million dollar earnings to charity (church and hospice-building, going to orphanages) and generally doling out money to those who come to him for help. I also personally think he should get rid of his promoter, the flamboyant Murad Muhammad who has the makings of another Don King, but still it doesn’t make him any less a great boxer. Just hope he doesn’t go the way of past sports heroes whom we heaped mounds of accolades on only to learn that they became criminals later on in life. One actually was jailed for rape! (Remember “the Bad Boy from Dadiangas”, Rolando Navarette?) Or become comedians like other fallen sports heroes – somehow it doesn’t go down history that well…

I don’t really enjoy contact sports that much. Boxing never held much of an attraction. Wrestling was something else, though, especially during college. I would regale my friends with tales of the latest grudge match between Kerry Von Erich and Ric Flair and countless cage clashes….but I digress. Taekwondo and those other martial arts variations do nothing for me. Seldom do I get excited over the prospect of one of our fighters going up to test his mettle in an international arena. Manny Pacquiao is one such rarity. So, tomorrow at 10am, tune in to watch our boy try his darndest to outspar his nemesis in the superfeatherweight showdown in Nevada. May the Filipino banner waive high and proud at the end!

For those of you with a taste for carnage (claymation, that is), try: http://www.mtv.com/onair/deathmatch/

He was a boy
She was a girl
Can i make it any more obvious
He was a punk
She did ballet
What more can i say
He wanted her
She’d never tell secretly she wanted him as well
But all of her friends
Stuck up their nose
They had a problem with his baggy clothes…

Feverishly brushing up on my repertoire of Avril and Simple Plan songs. Wouldn’t want to be among the minions who can’t sing along in a rock concert. Yup, might actually have a wish granted this time around. Looks like chances of me being able to attend Avril’s concert isn’t so remote after all. It so happened that my teenage niece called me up last night to ask if I was planning to watch. She was kinda hoping to go with my sister and I. That, in effect, solves my transportation dilemma. Since I’m coding on the 31st, I can actually ask them (her dad will be driving her, of course) to pick me up at work so we can be dropped off at the concert venue – yay! Plan on purchasing the cheapest tickets instead since my officemate said there won’t be much of a difference from the higher-priced seating based on the last F4 concert she attended there. Just have to make sure we’re near the the giant screen so we can SEE both Avril and Simple Plan – hehehe. Also finalizing if Annie and Ed and Jen and Rein can come with us too. Keeping my fingers crossed just the same…