Your fab jologs in HK

Enter your search terms Submit search form

Sapaw

"Uwi ako next month! Let's watch Superman ha?"

+"Yes nuod tayo, pero diba ako ang pupunta jan?"+

"Uh-oh!?"

+Honhon+ flies to Hong Kong every three months. I go home to Pinas every other month. Hindi namin naisip na at one point ay posible na mag-intersect kami.

Today is the last day of June at tomorrow ang start ng month na pareho kaming naka-schedule mag-travel -- sya papunta dito at ako pauwi ng Pinas.

Nakakatawa, pero one of us will have to give way for the other. Besides, we have only one objective: To see each other.

So there. Since last night I've been thinking about the possible scenarios, weighing kung alin ang mas magiging beneficial for the two of us.
 
We have exactly a week to settle this. And only then can we decide kung dito ba or dun kami sa Pinas manunuod ng Superman!

And, actually, only then din kung kelan namin maco-confirm kung dito ba or dun kami sa Pinas magpapagupit ng buhok!

posted by: Jeko at June 30, 2006 23:14 | link | comments (4) |

The invited

Kapag ang PR contact ay mabait sa'yo at ikaw ay isang editor, pwede kang magduda. Pero kapag mabait pa rin sya sa'yo kahit na ikaw ay isa nang marketing executive at wala na in a position to give them coverage in print, pwede mong isipin na baka friendship level na talaga kayo.

Exactly a week ago, I received an invitation from an old PR contact. I was being invited to a luncheon meeting with the regional manager of the semiconductor company I was covering for dun sa dati kong magazine. Excited ako, though I should say first thing na inisip ko was hindi na yun totally for me dahil wala na ako sa editorial.

The following day, I received a call from the PR lady, nag-fo-followup sya. While talking to her naisip ko na ilan beses ko ba silang dapat i-remind na nakalipat na ako ng department at sana ay kontakin na lang nila yung mga taong in-endorse ko months ago?!

I had that in mind pero mabait pa rin akong nakipag-usap. Ayoko naman masira yung rapport namin. After all, we do communicate pa rin dahil almost neighbors lang kami dito. At I have something to thank her for dahil she welcomed me on my first few days here in HK.

Yesterday, tumawag ulit sya three times. Nung una was to tell me na personal invitation yun for me at wala namang press conference or any event to cover. I've made myself clear na it would be inappropriate for me to attend that meeting kasi wala na nga ako sa editorial. She said thanksgiving meal lang yun talaga.

Then after a while tumawag ulit sya to tell me na personal daw akong ni-request nung regional manager kasi nag-stick daw yung name ko sa client nilang yun because of the article I've written a year ago and that I was a smart and funny guy daw. Flattered ako, though nasabi na rin naman nila yun dati -- a few days after lumabas yung article.

My article kasi was their first big exposure in Asia -- North American company kasi sila who then had plans to invest heavily in the region (which, by the way, ay dream come true na for them ngayon).

I told her I'll think about it. Although sosyalin ang lugar at fabulous ang food, I also had reservations kasi baka matagalan ako dun at magalit ang mga kinauukulan sa office.

So binaba na namin yung phone. After a few hours tumawag ulit sya, asking about my decision. Since hindi lang naman ito yung time na nag-decline ako ng invitation from her, at dahil magaling talaga syang mag-convince, I said yes. But I made it clear na I won't be there as a writer, but as requested lang nung client nila. Naks, pa-VIP pa talaga!

So today, over lunch, pumunta ako sa Conrad Hotel (yes, isa sa mga pag-aari ng Hilton family) in Admiralty  for a fabulous lunch. But before I go into that, let me tell you yung mga bloopers na ginawa ko.

I took a bus going to Admiralty at bumaba sa harap ng Pacific Place, and at around that time I was already 15 minutes late. The hotel is just behind the mall so I thought pwede akong pumasok sa mall and exit at the other side. But since hindi ako familiar sa layout ng sosyaling Pacific Place Mall, I ended up on the other exit at the right side nung pinasukan kong entrance. Napalayo pa ako. Bad trip!

Kung kelan talaga nagmamadali dun pa naha-hassle! So naglakad na lang ako sa gilid ng mall at nagpatusta sa about 32 degrees na init ng araw, wearing my favorite satin shirt na masunurin sa temperatura -- umiinit pag mainit at lumalamig pag malamig.

When I arrived, I asked the lady in the lobby kung nasaan exactly yung restaurant. Sabi nya bumaba daw ako ng elevator.

Nagtaka ako kasi the invitation says 5th floor so bakit ako bababa? Sinunod ko na lang din sya and I found a lot of people na nakapila, all dressed in uber formal wear. Ito kaya yun? Sabi casual lunch at walang coverage pero bakit ganito, parang major event?

I walked around at na-confirm ko na I was lost. So I went up at since may hitad sa elevator na pumindot ng 55th floor before I hit the button, napa-akyat pa tuloy ako sa tuktok. And yes, ironically that's what I really needed kasi super late na ako -- yung maligaw ba at mamasyal pa ng ilang palapag?!

I decided to call the PR lady to ask for help and na-confirm ko naman this time na tama yung una kong pinuntahan sa baba, mali lang daw ng room. I should've turned right daw. Masyado lang daw kasing complicated yung layout kaya hindi obvious yung right side.

So there. Hinintay na lang nya ako sa tapat ng elevator and I was so apologetic for being late -- again (last time I went out with her kasi na-late naman ako for about an hour).

When I entered the room mukhang hinintay pa talaga ako kasi they haven't even started yet -- 35 minutes na pala silang nakaupo lang dun.

They introduced themselves to me -- habang humahangos ako, with matching "sorry for being late" na dialog -- at pinakilala na ako directly dun ako sa dati kong interviewee na papasa for a hollywood actor. Then he told me it's been a year na nga raw. Wow, feeling sikat ako (taob yung ibang guest reporters)!

That moment tumaas talaga ang self esteem ko for doing a really good job and building a solid rapport with my former interviewees. At most especially, tumaas din ang self esteem ko dahil mukhang they didn't mind my being late (read: basa ko sa mukha nung PR lady na typical Pinoy character na yun so why bother?!).

True to what my PR contact said, it was purely a thanksgiving meal -- though there were mentions of company chorva.

Natutuwa ako kasi when I featured this company before, it was some sort of an unknown in the business, and now they've made a lot of acquisitions and partnerships and is really poised for growth. The regional manager even used my article as a reference to describe how they've grown.

Sayang nga lang that I cant write about those developments anymore. But I'm so grateful that I've met the big guy in person.

Before I left, I gave my apologies ulit for being late and said thank you for inviting me. In my mind I was crediting yung kakulitan nung PR contact ko. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have had this wonderful experience.

Habang pabalik ako sa office at nanginginig ang tuhod dahil matagal akong nawala sa desk, I was thinking na in case i-fire ako today, pwede siguro akong mag-PR job. Just a thought.

posted by: Jeko at June 29, 2006 21:03 | link | comments (6) |

Unbelievably uncontrollable

Weak. That's me these days. Not physically, but in controlling my impulsiveness to buy items that I don't really need for now.

I have been telling myself to wait a few days more because my month's salary is just around the corner. Yet, still, my stubborn side just won't listen.

Saturday night, I visited the electronics section of Asia Expat site and found a really interesting ad. A Sony Ericsson T290i was being sold for only $300 -- half the price of a brand-new one and way cheaper than any of the Nokia colored phones available!

Today, that item is being held by impulsive Jeko, and he seems to be really enjoying the handset. Meanwhile, stingy Jeko is pissed because he had to crack his coin bank just to satisy impulsive Jeko.

posted by: Jeko at June 28, 2006 20:58 | link | comments (2) |

Multiplication, distraction, subjugation, addiction

Ever since Toshi came, things have been very different -- chaotic to be precise. Let's use the MDAS rule to compute for the chaos.

Multiplication
The more I spend time in front of Toshi, the more I do less, and the more I need to catch up. My to-do list is simply multiplying by the second.

I haven't been watching my favorite shows. Haven't been reading my HK Mags. Haven't been getting enough rest. Haven't been cleaning the house. Haven't even done a single thing, except to sit infront of Toshi and surf. Ugh!

Ok. I have been really bad. Let's just focus on what I have been doing then.

First, I have been skipping meals and staying up really late. Second, I have been chatting a lot. Third, I have been perfecting my typing skills. And fourth, I have been abusing my eyes.

While all the world is looking for a solution to poverty, corruption and other societal illnesses, I look for sites where I can get cheap air tickets. While some worry about the blistering heat here, I worry about finding my old friends at Friendster. Pathetic!

Distraction
Before Toshi came, I used to spend about an hour in the kitchen preparing a meal and probably another 30 minutes to clean up my mess. Now the usual 1 hour has been slashed to about 10 minutes, with about three to four time-outs in between to check YM.

I can't focus anymore on my cooking that in the past days I have resorted to preparing really quick meals with a can opener or a frying pan as main ingredients.

There were even times when I skipped meals because I found it difficult to stop what I was doing. Chatting, for example. Or perhaps reading blogs. Wow, as if I can solve the world's problems with cyber gossips!?

For two Saturdays in a row I haven't gone out -- didn't leave my flat nor touch the main door knob. Yesterday, I even skipped mass and the only time I left my flat was when I  did a quick visit to the grocery for dinner.

Subjugation
At night when I close my eyes, I even think of rebooting Toshi  to check my mails or look for new sites which I can add to my favorites list.

One weekday I gave in to that temptation and found myself clicking the mouse until four in the morning . The following day was the most awful day of my life.

I simply can't control myself anymore.

I would like to believe that I am under a spell and that there are only two anti-spell solutions that can free me. One, for Toshi to crash. Two, for +honhon+ to control me. Of the two, it's obvious what anti-spell I would prefer.

Addiction
Addict. A net addict. That's what I've turned myself into. And I need to do something about it. Now!

posted by: Jeko at June 26, 2006 22:29 | link | comments (4) |

Back on track

You are doing the right thing -- using your time and resources wisely. Keep it up! Don't listen to them. They barely know you. Just do what you want to do and soon all the chips will fall into place. You are doing great, Jeko!

posted by: Jeko at June 25, 2006 22:20 | link | comments (3) |