24 September 2013

In a Comme des Garçons state of mind

No matter how weird or unique you think you are, you will regularly find yourself in life's textbook moments. For example, if you ask me now, 'What is your most embarrassing experience?'—a question that would usually take me forever to answer—I would say before you get to the second syllable of the word embarrassing: I went all the way from home to work with my blouse turned inside-out. That involved riding two vehicles, crossing about five streets, and passing by at least three people in the office before arriving at my department.

The good news is—are: You learn that you have friends who:
  1. have sharp eyes and care about you enough to break it to you gently;
  2. will say all the right words to console you;
  3. will surprise you with an unexpected response like laugh at the situation and encourage you to look at the brighter side of things; and
  4. will give you special treatment and be kind to you when surely they'd be snarkier if it happened to a non-friend.
Via ebay.com
Fasyown
My favorite response is from Morx, who falls into category #4. He said, 'Kung inside-out, baka akalain nilang Comme des Garçons ang blusa mo. Fasyown.'

Thanks, friends.

On the darker side of things, I can't help but ponder the sheer stupidity of it all. How can I be trusted then with the bigger things, like raising a child or running a project when I overlook my, well, look?

But then maybe I shouldn't be too hard on myself. Lesson noted. Check the mirror with the lights on before leaving the house.

When I got home, I took off my blouse and impulse and curiosity made me put it on again a la Comme des Garçons. Well, it wasn't that bad, I thought and started giggling. Yeah I can see it. Pretty funny, majorly embarrassing.

23 September 2013

Small things

It's been raining non-stop this weekend. And this morning the downpour made me stay at home until around 11 AM. When I got out to finally go to work, I couldn't find transportation. All public vehicles would only travel until Evacom (merely a couple of traffic lights away). Going back home was an option, but I didn't feel like it, so I decided to have lunch at the nearby Tropical Hut and then hoped for a successful commute afterwards.

A fast-food restaurant I like.
Serves good coffee.
The place, which has been recently renovated to look fresher, was almost empty. Brilliant. I enjoyed a burger steak, two cups of coffee, and in between exchanged text messages with friends—asking how they are and if we could meet soon.

My calculations were precise (to exaggerate). When I left Tropical Hut, it took me a few blinks to get inside a van and in 30 minutes I was sitting pretty in my cubicle.

Roughly 4 hours were spent in the office. The rain still hasn't stopped. I asked a co-worker if I could hitch a ride home with him, to which he gamely said yes.

Now I'm in my room, and the rain continues. Time passed, nothing happened, but never have I felt like something was wasted.

If I were being lazy, I would say that it's the small things that make us happy; but it's not. That the weather is difficult but endurable (and currently pleasurable), that I am given latitude to be late, that I have had my meal in peace and quiet, that there are people who show care, and that not one of these would be meaningful without the others is no humble clockwork.

21 September 2013

Nothing complicated

Top: Playing the mooncake dice game;
Bottom: My (consolation) prize
It's Friday and I didn't know my office mates planned on playing the mooncake dice game. The rule (as how I'm sure I imperfectly understand it) is: A player will roll six dice and a pattern must be apparent—say, 1-2-3-4-5-6 or 1-1-1-1-1-1, etc. No pattern, no prize.

Thing is, my brilliant co-workers only brought a die, so we each had to cast it six times. And arriving at a numeric theme by chance is di-ffi-cult (what I get for initially calling the game 'not challenging enough'). I swear we had more fun than how it looked in the photo.

In the end, I got a Leona Lewis CD, a humongous heart cake ring, and a charm necklace—all from our editor's treasure trove of PR giveaways.

There were tasks to finish and objects of dismay, but it was basically a laid-back night. TGIF— the wind's howling, we might be in for another stormy weekend.

20 September 2013

Falling in the afternoon

You: I was part of the theater guild in college.
Me: Oh. Tell me about the worst criticism you received.
You: But I was prepared to talk about my glory days!
Me: Why? Tell me something I didn't know about happiness.
*

That was Anna Karenina floating in my head. You were stunned then, and I, completely happy in your company.

A day after I almost begged: Let's be happy some more and let's talk about it all night long.

'Tell me about those days,' I said instead.

Top Shelf