Up until, say, ten days ago, I was having it really good. It was as if everything was going even better than what you were expecting. Work wise, I managed to get recognized for good performance not just in the team, but in the company as well and officially taking a 180 degree turn from my apparent bad performance last year. (Partially meets my ass!) Add to that the photography contest I managed to win.
It was all happy happy joy joy.
Then as it turns out, I eventually get to experience some really baaad moments. Hmm.. lemme see.
First up, I managed to get into an argument with a bus driver because I wasn't being given a bus ticket. It was late at night and I was the only passenger and we were talking with raised voices and angas stares at each other. I insisted further then he suddenly went ballistic and got this stash of old tickets and threw it all over the bus floor then ORDERED me to go down in the middle of nowhere. High blood! I eventually went down but he asked me to come right back in and dropped me at my stop. Para kaming mga nag-away na mag syota ang jologs.
Next was an argument with a taxi driver. Yes, I commute a lot. We had a miscomm in terms of how much I should pay him since I wanted him to wait for me for a few minutes. Like Mr. bus driver, he also went weirdo and ORDERED me to get out of his vehicle. Err.. Is it my fault you don't understand English?? That made him the second driver who had evicted me out of their own vehicles. Wild. Well he eventually waited for me anyway. Money talks when your desperate for a ride when it's raining.
As if those two 'little' arguments weren't enough, I successfully got myself blacklisted at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. How? Let's just say it's not advisable to argue against the Executive Officer of a government office here. Dang. I should've reminded myself that they look down on people who are assertive since they view dissent as a form of arrogance. Mental note, muslim country. He was asking me to do something that wasn't part of the normal process and I was reasoning out how it was unnecessary. I know I had my point because I wouldn't argue with the guy if I didn't. Imagine your typical government office with a counter and lots of people waiting for their numbers to be called. Then here's this little Filipino guy arguing in front of the counter, not with the counter lady, but with the officer who has a separate cubicle behind her who affixes his signature on the documents that everyone goes there for in the first place. That was a winner actually. I remembered raised voices and fingers pointed at my face. And while I was walking out after the 'scene', I heard everyone else murmuring. Classic.
And the worst part is, at the end of it all, I wasn't able to get the very thing I needed. And that thing was the most crucial part to a scholarship application for Spain. Disaster.
Sigh. The next day I went on sick leave. I had to rest. I'm no believer in Murphy's Law but it sure manifested itself for a few days there.
Draining. No, DRAINED. That's the word. All that time, energy, money, and effort sucked out of you without any form of return at all. Zero, i'm telling you. It has been the complete opposite of what that overrated book The Alchemist talks about. The universe conspired AGAINST me and prevented me from achieving my personal legend.
Thankfully, I know it's over. It's December dammit. It's the best time of the year. Things are looking up especially because tomorrow is the much-awaited DHL Pinoy Christmas Party and because I am typing this post in my room using my very own laptop I recently purchased. Woohoo! I love it. Plus, I found out that the application deadline for another scholarship program in Spain is set to January next year so it gives me more time to prepare. Not all is lost for that part. They also haven't announced the prize for the photo contest so that's definitely something to look forward to. It's interesting how life manages to get you through all of this emotional activity and still end up in one piece.
It was all happy happy joy joy.
Then as it turns out, I eventually get to experience some really baaad moments. Hmm.. lemme see.
First up, I managed to get into an argument with a bus driver because I wasn't being given a bus ticket. It was late at night and I was the only passenger and we were talking with raised voices and angas stares at each other. I insisted further then he suddenly went ballistic and got this stash of old tickets and threw it all over the bus floor then ORDERED me to go down in the middle of nowhere. High blood! I eventually went down but he asked me to come right back in and dropped me at my stop. Para kaming mga nag-away na mag syota ang jologs.
Next was an argument with a taxi driver. Yes, I commute a lot. We had a miscomm in terms of how much I should pay him since I wanted him to wait for me for a few minutes. Like Mr. bus driver, he also went weirdo and ORDERED me to get out of his vehicle. Err.. Is it my fault you don't understand English?? That made him the second driver who had evicted me out of their own vehicles. Wild. Well he eventually waited for me anyway. Money talks when your desperate for a ride when it's raining.
As if those two 'little' arguments weren't enough, I successfully got myself blacklisted at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. How? Let's just say it's not advisable to argue against the Executive Officer of a government office here. Dang. I should've reminded myself that they look down on people who are assertive since they view dissent as a form of arrogance. Mental note, muslim country. He was asking me to do something that wasn't part of the normal process and I was reasoning out how it was unnecessary. I know I had my point because I wouldn't argue with the guy if I didn't. Imagine your typical government office with a counter and lots of people waiting for their numbers to be called. Then here's this little Filipino guy arguing in front of the counter, not with the counter lady, but with the officer who has a separate cubicle behind her who affixes his signature on the documents that everyone goes there for in the first place. That was a winner actually. I remembered raised voices and fingers pointed at my face. And while I was walking out after the 'scene', I heard everyone else murmuring. Classic.
And the worst part is, at the end of it all, I wasn't able to get the very thing I needed. And that thing was the most crucial part to a scholarship application for Spain. Disaster.
Sigh. The next day I went on sick leave. I had to rest. I'm no believer in Murphy's Law but it sure manifested itself for a few days there.
Draining. No, DRAINED. That's the word. All that time, energy, money, and effort sucked out of you without any form of return at all. Zero, i'm telling you. It has been the complete opposite of what that overrated book The Alchemist talks about. The universe conspired AGAINST me and prevented me from achieving my personal legend.
Thankfully, I know it's over. It's December dammit. It's the best time of the year. Things are looking up especially because tomorrow is the much-awaited DHL Pinoy Christmas Party and because I am typing this post in my room using my very own laptop I recently purchased. Woohoo! I love it. Plus, I found out that the application deadline for another scholarship program in Spain is set to January next year so it gives me more time to prepare. Not all is lost for that part. They also haven't announced the prize for the photo contest so that's definitely something to look forward to. It's interesting how life manages to get you through all of this emotional activity and still end up in one piece.
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