First Anniversary with Alex Mann

If I am to follow the plans I have laid out for myself when I got here, this is the part where I'll be leaving.

But I won't. I have realized that a year is just too short to accomplish a lot of things you have set up. A year just flies. Like that. I now understand that a year is just too short to nurture you and prove yourself.

In that one year I was part of a team, lost it, built another one, yadda yadda... Seriously, that one year is actually the longest and the shortest of the 21 I have spent on the face of the earth. Times were the longest during those moments that I cried inside bathroom stalls. Enough of them already.

These times are for celebrating.

Celebrating the fact that although I still haven't proven myself in the past year, I still am happy that I am here. Thank God for landing me exactly in the place where I am supposed to be, where I will grow intellectually,  emotionally, even socially. I never realized I could be this happy and contented in the company of friends and people. It kinda gets awkward saying this to my mates all the time, but I really love them to bits.

I guess one will always have a certain emotional to all the firsts--in this case, my first workplace, first office mates, and first line manager.

While I write this I am in my usual spot--and there are some things that you'll never really outgrow I guess--I still have a messy desk (complete with Noel Gallagher's photos) and a bunch of CDs on the pedestal, just like what I had in college. My desk. My home for nine hours the least. And I am happy... and proud to know myself enough to tell you that this is not some form of cognitive dissonance.
And having a Rookie of the Month Award, a Contributor of the Quarter Award, and several projects on my belt--for the first year and on the first job, I think it's just fair to say that I'm on the right track.

Here's to many more, Alexander Mann.

Onwards.

Week in Post: Re-branding Me, Tagaytay Brekkie, and a Geeky Fight Scene

Yes. I just had one of the best weeks in a long time, I can't believe it. It was mental.

It started just one of the regular weeks, really, until Thursday when I had a re-naming party. It's the first time you probably heard that, I as well have never realised I'd have a party thrown for me just because I'd be changing nicknames. KC is dead. At least the KC they used to call here in the office. They're supposed to call me Karen from now on.

I had the need to change names because we are supposed to have a new team member called Kaycee, and blimey, she can't have a nickname because her name is a flippin' nickname already. I can't imagine anything else you can derive from Kaycee. So having two first names for an alternative, I was *quite*forced to be the one to adjust my name. I'll be Karen instead.

People in my hometown (ooh I sound like a delusional rock star) and my family call me Karen so there's no big deal out of it. I'm just not used to people I just met calling me Karen, but I guess I'll be used to it soon.

They threw a party for my name change and Nadine's birthday. Partied like it's 1989.

What made me accept the name change is this, to be honest:

Special message all the way from England <3

THEY KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE NOEL GALLAGHER!!! (I even have this photo on my Wonderwall in my flat).

CS Global Shared Admin Team, you are the bollocks.

***

Saturday morning I was dragged to an impromptu breakfast. It would've been acceptable if it's just a McDonald's breakfast or somewhere near but no--- it is in feckin' Tagaytay, way way south of Metro Manila. And I don't even have cash with me. Good thing there's an ATM across the restaurant.

The breakfast was nice but I am afraid I didn't get my P310 bucks' worth of food. I just had friggin' bacon and omelette all the way. But it's better than what my other friends had; they took a lot on their plate but can't finish it. They had to cut their day short and made a trip home to the toilets instead of enjoying Tagaytay. Poor blokes.

Look ma, empty plates!

Scenic view outside, Nestor doing quite a pose there...

But for the laughs, I must say that it was the best trip ever! We had Micmac, one of the team leads, as the driver (meaning we didn't have to pay for gas and toll mmhm).

When we passed by the area near the airport, one of my friends Kris pointed to the sky and said "look, there's an airplane!" the airplane looks like it's flying a little toooooo low, and the next thing it was coming toward us. Good thing we still saw it on the other side and I am not blogging from my grave as of the moment.

After having our breakfast we picked up some pasalubong from Rowena's, home of the best apple pie ever! Seriously, try it guys. I'm also happy that I finally got a hold on a jar of choco flakes. Quite expensive compared to when you get them straight from Baguio though, but still nice.

Also dropped by Nuvali and let our friend Kris indulge at the Aldo outlet shop there. Meanwhile I enjoyed a tall serving of Lemon Yakult Milk Tea from Serenitea.

On the way home was the cherry on top of the blimmin' awesome cake. SLEX is being quite a right bast*rd because of the traffic, but then Kris noticed (you might notice that she's always the one who take notice of things, right) two men on Darth Vader and Optimus Prime masks, just roaming around the expressway like it's the most normal thing to do in traffic. Just freakin' roaming around!!!

Being cheeky freaks that we are, we waved at those lads (they're on the lane to our left) and asked them for photos. They waved back and pointed the camera to us -- they have been filming the entire scenario all the while!

When traffic was finally moving, albeit slowly, the masked men's car was right beside ours again, and we must make it a point from hereon that Micmac's car is actually a Mitsubishi Strada pickup with an open back. Those bright lads rolled down the window and shouted at us: "bukas ba 'yang likod nyo?" (is the back of your car open?) to which we answered yes. We all knew what will happen next.

"Pwedeng pasakay?" (can we ride with you?)

Not minding the impending damage they might cause to the car if ever, Micmac let them do it. Or so i thought. The next thing I remember is Darth Vader and Optimus Prime hitching the back of the car we're in, again--like it's the most normal thing to do while in traffic.

Surprise! That's a flippin' Transformer at ya

This--a Star Wars-cum-Transformers Mashup

We can barely contain ourselves and we laughed throughout their entire stint. I even took a video (you might wanna turn down the volume):

Best strangers ever.

All in all, a top week. Got to attend my cousin's wedding on Sunday and was the veil sponsor for that one. Don't wanna show photos because I sport horrible eyebags from the day before (no sleep, you see). But I'd like to believe that the weekend did me good.

Onwards.

That awkward moment when you know you've written a song but don't know how to put a tune because you can't play any instrument aside from a blimmin tambourine

Now I know how Liam Gallagher feels. I need a flippin' counterpart to Gem Archer to help me make this a proper song. Otherwise it's just a piece of useless rhymes. I now surrender and acknowledge that everyone can be a writer, but only a talented few can be a songwriter.

And for me, music is some sort of a moody kind of thing-- sometimes it's about the lyrics, sometimes it's about the tune. Sometimes lyrics that mean nothing, when mixed with a good tune can somehow mean everything to you. Try listening to Supersonic and Champagne Supernova you'll know what I mean (not to mention that until now we don't know what a Wonderwall is).

Earlier I was reading the Noel Gallagher NME special and it dawned to me, what do Noel and I have in common? Yes he can play the guitar and build his one-man band and I can't, but does that mean I can't be him in my own way?

So I started a revolution from my bed. Literally. I got up, got a pen and paper and started scribbling down what seems to be lyrics without a definite tune on my mind. I'll leave that to a friend that can help me (although I still don't know who that person is).

I finished writing in less than an hour. I pity myself that I can't play the guitar because my fingers are too short, but having started my little stint, I think I'm gonna try once more.

I won't post what I've written just yet, but what came out is a marriage of Oasis and Dashboard Confessional. At least that's what I believe it is, because two of the best songwriters for me is Noel Gallagher (obviously) and Chris Carrabba.

If you know how to play the guitar and can help me out with this, send me a message and let's form our own happy band and I will be more than pleased to write lyrics for you.

I'm serious.