Mundane Monday

I haven't listened to the album but I am glad Mumford and Sons' Babel got the album of the year award in this year's Grammy. Reminds me of Arcade Fire's win last year.  Indie folk is indeed in the rise. This will surely push the buttons of those pop kids in the net to do a "mumford-who" ignorant queries.

I lost my job two weeks ago. I was not devastated like most of my (former) colleagues. Must be because I prayed sincerely the night before for a financial breakthrough. And I got it --- in the form of a massive company lay-off.

Why would I classify  that as an act of God? Well, first off, learning in my former workplace is a downward slope and monotony is already taking its toll. It is not healthy intellectually to say the least. Curse me for forcing myself to work about something that isn't close to my interest. Second, the "no professional growth" statement is similar to the closer-to-nil salary increase. I can barely buy myself anything without loaning. I have two kids, I'm taking up my Master degree and I rent an apartment. You do the math of how poverty-stricken I am. And third, a separation pay package is offered if you are sacked. Financial breakthrough it was. The icing of that cake was revealed 20 minutes later, when I received a call from this (my present) company, offering me a new job. Coincidence, some might argue. I am sorry but I will be the first to flush your doubting mouth in the toilet. There is a reason for everything. Call it new age thinking, call it bull-crap, but I am smiling now like never before. Everyone who knows me knows that this is a very peculiar occasion. They need to get used to it too. 

Change is hard, but change is good. I have to be honest, I am not fond of this truth, but this will serve as my timely advice to friends who are feeling the backlash of being a bum. Redemption is coming, ever dearest colleagues. Have faith.

Local Natives' Gorilla Manor and Foals' Total Life Forever are splendid music for getting back to the jungle. Traveling to Ayala requires me to wake up earlier than usual and I'm still not used to it. the percussive rhythm of these bands serves as my entrance theme to change --- like Rocky Balboa getting ready to beat the crap out of Apollo Creed, but armed only with a blue pen and a free leather-cased DHL notepad.

I just hope buses in Manila offer bigger legrooms. and for jeepneys, higher ceilings. I mean, are Filipinos really condemned to be shorter by nature that everything should go hand in hand with the height --- smaller spaces, tiny servings, limited salaries? Plus, if we are really aiming to attract tourists, these miniature design may look interesting but will surely be no fun when it comes to comfortability. Think about it.

It is confirmed : The renovation of EDSA is pushing through. The renovation will take two years and it is happening sooner than we think. Hello traffic from hell. As if we haven't seen that before but this time, it's more apocalyptic. I say, strut the road-less traveled: use the Pasig river. Clean it up again, and build more ferry stations, and obviously, more Ferries. That way, we won't be too dependent on roads. PNR trains should also be given attention. More of them. Building additional MRTs will take two years so that won't be a plausible option. The solutions are right on our face. We just need to consider other possibilities, instead of scratching our heads and ranting against the government.