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Call Times

Saturday, February 10, 2007

For almost a year and half I've been using a sleek Sony Ericsson K750… having bought this unit with my friend Rica at Megamall last September 16, 2005 with excitement and some kind of urgency to replace my old Nokia 3660 unit.  Looking at my phone right now made me appreciate the times it helped me nurse myself from a bad breakup.

Anyway,  as all my friends know, during those times that communication is a bit crucial (READ: meeting times, or  out of depression or just to simply gossip), I rather call them than send an SMS.  Maybe it is the bossy side of me that want answer, or reply of some sort as soon as possible.  And yes those calls cost me some fortune.  That is why I don't subscribe to postpaid packages, I can't trust myself due to lack of control.

And then I just noticed this morning the Call Timers option in my phone's setting:

        Total call time: 162:19:19   

        Outgoing calls: 24:06:03

I don't reset my call timer ever since I bought my phone.  And calculating based from the current call rates, I had just spent Php 10K for those calls! And that doesn't include those overseas calls and NDDs yet.  The fact that my incoming calls are much much longer than the outgoing ones felt good though…

Thank goodness I stick to prepaid… 

Posted by kel at 6:50 pm | permalink | Add comment

Heart’s Day Jitters

[Warning: Highly emotional post]

 

OK.  Based from my previous post last December I should be ranting by now either how much I miss everyone in Philippines or how I am faring with the job I took in Malaysia or whether or not I am nursing a homesickness every night wishing I stayed in my last job.  But, uhmm,  things went rather different. 

WE WERE DELAYED.  Those crappy people our government hire to sit in several positions abroad in our embassies do nothing but cause delay.  It is a shame, really.  Imagine how it felt when you are corresponding with your future bosses, asking them details of what the hell causes our work permits not to be released on time and then learning from them that it is our own kababayans who apparently think it is oh-so-great to be so paimportante.  Imagine, a normal transaction of work permit application only takes 3 days — according to their website — but ours took a good 4 weeks.  My colleagues were downright suicidal!  I can't blame them if they almost thought we weren't going to make it abroad.  My supposedly 2 weeks of cramming last minute goodbyes were stretched to 2 months.

Honestly, 2 months of bumming in our home?  Not that bad, hehe.  At least now I know I am actually good at doing bumwork.  Sarcasm aside,  I took it as a blessing in disguise.  I had never spent a vacation this long with my family in two and a half years.  Mostly I am grateful to take part in my brother's upbringing for once.  Well, not that I am being irresponsible before.  It's just that I haven't been able to personally oversee his schooling lately because I am working.  My aunts and grandmother do the job that I am supposedly doing.  So I just did these past 6 weeks.  So far I could say this is our most intimate 4 weeks of our orphan life. 

And just last tuesday, on our way home from buying chocolate sundaes at Jollibee, my brother and I were talking about my upcoming flight, which is next week.  It was a short walk though… since the nearest branch is just a block from our house.  And then he told me something very adult-ish:

Carlo: "Ang daya."
Me:  "Alin ang madaya?"
Carlo: "Ang laki ng gap ng age natin."
Me:  "Ano ang madaya dun?  Bakit, mas gusto mo maliit ang gap ng age natin?"
Carlo: "Hindi naman, OK lang."

There.  I felt good after that.  That means he's already grasping how complicated our situation is.  That means he is actually thinking.  I mean, he's concerned about us and I appreciate it.  God I am so thankful my brother is warm-hearted and kind enough.  See, he's 12 now.  Making it an 11-year gap between us.  Thinking that he is a boy and thoughts like those doesn't come normally often from them out loud make me appreciate him that very moment I wanted to hug him.  Sigh.  I just love my brother.

 

Posted by kel at 12:54 am | permalink | comments[1]