Call for Help

Attending to requests for assistance -- financial or otherwise -- is one of our functions at the office. Serving a congressional district has been an eye-opener for me because I've come to realize how lucky I am in many ways.

Not a week passes that we do not attend to relatives of patients suffering from a gamut of medical problems that require medication, hospitalization, surgery, chemotherapy, dialysis and what have you. We don't actually give out cash, because the office would be bankrupt if this were the case, but referral letters to agencies that provides assistance of this nature. My heart especially goes out to kids who are very sick, and whose parents are all but in tears begging for help.

I remember last December when a desperate man came into the office late in the afternoon, short of breath because he was trying to catch our next-door neighbors. Unfortunately for him, they left earlier. I can't recall if the patient was his wife or father, who really needed money for treatment and whose health was failing. He was struggling to hold back tears as he related how he had been everywhere trying to raise the funds needed for this crisis.

Dealing with this day in and day out, we have to steel ourselves so we don't break down or give in to all the drama every time. But there are just instances when their plight tugs at the heartstrings and you go one step further.

I didn't have it in my heart to turn away our late visitor without extending monetary assistance. His gratitude was just as touching so I knew I had done right at that moment. A few months later, he came by again and I was afraid he would be asking for help a second time. He didn't. Instead, he dropped by purposely to seek me out, extend his gratitude once more and relay the news that the patient eventually passed away in spite his efforts.

Sometimes, what we do to help others may not necessarily save them. But the thought that you shared whatever you can, and this is appreciated by those who needed help, is comforting enough.

There are many more cases of people seeking help and I sincerely wish I can do something to help ease their burdens. It may not necessarily be extending monetary assistance, but a giving of my talent and time to find ways to channel help to them. And I hope, too, that someone out there who may happen to read about these people will find it in their hearts to share.

A Special Birthday

My nephew -- by a cousin -- turned 7 yesterday. Wow, big deal, 7-years-old. Until two days ago I had no idea how BIG a deal it really was... I learned the boy has never had a birthday party growing up. And now that he was reaching a milestone (kids should have a party when they turn 1 and 7 at least) there was again the danger that he wouldn't be having a party on this special day.

For the life of me, I couldn't really figure out why this poor kid has yet to experience a birthday party. My aunt, who lives next door to the boy, explained that since his b-day falls on June 29, this has always been a bad time funds-wise.

One, because school has just opened and with two of them studying, money will logically be used to enroll them. Unfortunately, unlike in America where primary education is free in public schools, it costs quite a bit to put kids through good schools here in the Philippines. Two, payday is on the 15th and 30th of the month -- so on the 29th, chances are the paycheck hasn't come. Third and more significant is the fact that they've had a very difficult life and it has only been a year when my cousin was able to get a good-paying job abroad, enough to give his young family a comfortable life. And even then, because funds have been limited the past years, there are still obligations to settle at this point in time. So, there...

Since I felt that throwing a simple party for him was not going to cost me an arm and a leg, and my nephews and niece, courtesy of my sister, would enjoy the visit to their cousins, I decided to give him a little surprise. After all, it didn't take much to create a party for him -- cake with candles to blow, ice cream, cocktail hotdogs and soda -- to give him his first birthday party experience, so off we went.

My sister also thought of lending him her son's super-hero costume (The Flash) at least for the candle blowing session, so he could really get a feel of a birthday party. And I was right. The boy was grinning ear-to-ear in excitement. It may have set me back a couple of hundred, but the smile on his face was all worth it. And the kids enjoyed each other's company, watching home movies, playing badminton and just horsing around.

Now that's my kind of birthday party... you don't need a lot of time to set it up, and you don't need much for it to be a hit with kids. Best of all, you achieve the goal of making the celebrant feel special on this important day.

Happy Birthday, Mico!

Out of sorts

After the excitement early in the week, I feel like I'm vacillating towards one thing or another that I can't put my finger on. It must be because of the expected changes that are forthcoming.

First and most important is moving to another office, as in working for someone else, if things work out all right. I guess my worry is the adjustments necessary with a new work environment and new co-workers, if ever. I realize I've grown attached to this bunch of guys I'm working with now and we have established a bond that surprises even myself. So until everything is final, I sort of don't want to think about it, but can't help myself.

Secondly, is the longing and the drive to do something else entirely. This means junking office work again and going at it on my own -- doing what I like best, writing. See, I know that once I pick up on it again, it will slowly burn and kindle this need in me. Unfortunately, drafting letters and reports about constituent needs is not fulfilling. It can be very stagnating, too.

But then, there is the fear that I may not make the grade when I apply online, especially because it's a foreign company I am applying with, and clients from other countries with requirements I may not be familiar with, that I will be dealing with. So there's caution and trepidation.

The one thing driving me crazy is I cannot stand working for the BOSS much longer because of his demanding and whimsical ways, which turns everyone and everything topsy-turvy. And it worries me even more that the guys at the office no longer seem to want to get out. I swear, 5 years from now, they may regret the decision. Perhaps it's the thought that this is the last 3 year-term and they would rather just stick it out.

I never really saw myself with government for a long time. I see too many things that don't sit well with me and being in it, you can't help but be part of it, even when they are wrong, uncomfortable or downright stupid.

So I don't know what to do or feel or think or say... I guess I can only be thankful there are choices, as opposed to none. One bright spot for my day -- it's PAYDAY! Or something like that.

Miracles do happen

As an addendum to yesterday's post, the real nightmare happened today. Again, it was Murphy's Law that prevailed. The concerned persons who were supposed to help us out were nowhere to be found. And I knew that if the passport was to be released, it would be just in the nick of time.

But life is always full of surprises. In the confusion about changing companions, the airline reservation was made for the wrong companion! Yes, sir. 30 minutes before the plane was supposed to leave, we discover too late the booking was in the wrong name. Only a MIRACLE could save us this time.

Suffice it to say, after much tension, butterflies in everyone's stomach, cajoling, pleading, begging, arguing and shouting, everyone was able to leave as scheduled. I will no longer detail what it took to accomplish this, except to say it cost another $347.

Yes, God is truly good all the time. And this time, even if deep in my heart, the situation did not really warrant a miracle, He still came up with one. And in behalf of everyone whose nerves were frazzled, I say thank you, dear Lord.

Oh there were many lessons learned about the experience the last two days. We are all definitely much wiser because of it. But I am CERTAIN no one wants to go through such nightmare again.

One thing all of us agreed on at the office: we can definitely put up our own travel agency.

One Man's Travel

The BOSS has this annoying habit of wanting to take a trip and ordering last minute bookings... as if we were a travel agency. We had actually been preparing for a trip to Beijing since last week. The flight reservations had been confirmed and we had booked him at the hotel of his choice, for a price that is reasonable by his standards.

The problem came Thursday evening when he decided to change his travel companion. It shouldn't have been a hassle if this companion already had a passport. She didn't and this is where all the mayhem started. An authenticated birth certificate is necessary to apply for a passport. Our liaison managed to get this in less than a day and off they went to the passport division office. Everyone thought there would be no problem and once released this morning, it could be rushed to the Embassy for visa processing.

But then there is Murphy's Law... And just when we thought everything was in order, it wasn't. The passport could not be released on time, because of a discrepancy and horror or horrors, the BOSS insisted he wanted to leave tomorrow. For Beijing, where you need a visa. How cool is that?

No amount of explanation could convince him to bring someone else who already had a visa, and he kept on insisting to move heaven and earth to have the passport released TODAY and secure the visa in 2 hours time tomorrow. Worse, he wants to leave on the 7:30 AM flight! See, not even REAL travel agencies can perform this kind of miracle.

When he finally accepted that this was going to be impossible, he settled on a trip to Bangkok, where you do not need a visa for a four-day visit. Still, there is the problem of releasing the passport in time for their 11:30 am departure. By some miracle, a travel agent got us the plane seats, but had difficulty reserving the hotel of his choice. There were a hundred and one other things to handle, just for this 4-day trip... worse than handling the foreign travel of a president.

As of this writing, the tickets and vouchers are not yet in our hands and it will be a long wait for the executive assistant who begged and pleaded with the agent to do everything so these would be delivered TONIGHT. I'm sorry for her because she's developed a migraine and her stomach must be roiling with gastric juice for the tension and stress all this is causing her. Her misfortune is having to deal with the BOSS, and everyone else was busy with the travel arrangements. My head was swimming and my throat almost dried up when I learned what he wanted done.

But that's the BOSS' way. Since he never really handles the arrangements for his trips, he believes with all his heart they all happen at a snap of the finger. Figures how much he knows... And the real BUMMER? Many times, he decides not to go on the day he has to leave. Dig that!

Off to the mall

My sister and I needed to get away from the house today. We were thinking somewhere far off so it would be difficult to have us back home quickly. But we ended up checking out the new mall not far from our place. We went around for about 2 hours, had a late lunch thinking everyone would be done by then (but not, waaah!) browsed at National Bookstore for a bit, and ended our day out with mass.

Now back to the mall experience... I'm not quite sure why it's called Trinoma. I'll look it up anyway. I do know it was built by Ayala Land, which "created" the malls in Makati City, which is across town from us. It's very new world and trendy and despite its size, Filipinos just manage to fill it up, especially on weekends. And by filled, I'm not saying all the shops are already open, okay?

It's a pretty cool place, figuratively and literally. But also very upscale. We have been to it previously, a couple of weeks ago, for my small niece's haircut. Just across the street from it, the SM City and The Block, which used to lord it over in the area, was probably miserable because of the new competition. But trust the people here, they'll be back to SM in no time. Curiousity, you know...

I like the fact that they've landscaped the area, so it's not just shops and shops. They have multi-level parking areas, but which are not quite enjoyable to navigate. And because the place is so huge, it would take us more trips before we can familiarize ourselves with the layout and exits. As my aunt says, she will not set a date at Trinoma for fear she and her date will never find each other.

And I just had this brilliant but expensive idea of what to do at Trinoma. Bring one thousand pesos (around $20) and try out as many goodies as possible from the restos and fastfoods and food outlets scattered at the mall. Feel guilty about overindulging? Just explore the entire mall while brisk walking and you can burn the extra calories.

I missed writing...

It has been a very long while since I really sat down to write something of importance to me. My thoughts, feelings, crazy ideas, yadah, yadah.

Not that I haven't really been writing. It's what I do at work. But after more than 365 days and counting, the things I need to get on paper are either "half-truths," down-right lies or pathetic appeals to get something for somebody, usually moolah, and I mean a LOT.

However, I think I needed the break badly. But once it's in you, you can take a break from it but never really forget it. So, because I missed WRITING terribly, here I am. I've done previous blogs before and they were more thematic... now I feel I just need to get things down on paper -- okay, virtual paper -- for my sake, and hopefully for others out there who may find something of substance in what they will read.

I may have stopped writing for a while, but I have not stopped seeing, nor looking, hearing or feeling. Afterall, I still am ALIVE. And in the course of time that I was on haitus, I've seen quite a lot of things, either heartwarming or disconcerting that keeps me pondering about life, and my purpose here on earth.

One thing I do understand is that God has given me a gift and I have the responsibility to use it in the best way I can as this is the only way to thank Him for his generosity. So I hope you join me in this renewed journey as I See With My Eyes...