Distant Nipping

Nearly a year after my resignation from my previous company, their employees' attitudes still continue to pester me.

After a former student sought my advice regarding his dealings with some of the people there, I was surprised to find out his complaint made a big splash. Part of my advice made his case, so naturally I was dragged into the issue. At the moment, I know not what information has been spread about my advice, but I suppose it has travelled as fast as email. As far as I know, it's been kept to a select number of people, but news about it seems to have reached the ears of curious others as well.

While I am neither pleased or unhappy about the turn of events, I cannot help but wonder how it will all turn out. There have been people who have voiced their support of my views, there have been others who question the neutrality of my actions. However, it would be foolish to the point of optimism if I do not anticipate that there will be those who will see my message as antagonistic and malicious. A cruel reminder that meanings are in people, not in words.

Still, it would only be right to lay out my meaning of it. After all, the most infallible of meanings can only come from the author. Interpretation by others is bound to fall into false context and bias. Even a committee of a hundred people would be hard-pressed to arrive at my exact thoughts and sentiments. So without further ado, let the ignorance and misinterpretation cease.

1. The email was a solicited reaction - No different from a supermodel with a huge zit on her nose asking if she's pretty. A question was asked, I found no obstruction to reply. It is not against the law, my response was in context, and nothing I wrote was false. I saw nothing damaging by responding to it and my third point will actually expound a bit more.
2. Reading the email objectively would not create an issue - Of course, why would it? The only course of action in the email was to avoid confrontation. I maintained a civil tone and a fair evaluation of how the situation could've proceeded without the heated exchange. Unless the reader had bias previous to reading the email, they would see it in the only way the email was intended to be read: a fair evaluation.
3. Culture definitely has some part - For some time, Filipino culture on perception of straight-to-the-point conversation has always puzzled me. I've never enjoyed beating around the bush and it is definitely the same here. Moreover, the observation of being onion-skinned when it comes to frankness seems to be the case here. But to save one's face as opposed to admitting one is wrong is not good enough for me. Yes, that's easier said than done, but to do it is the mark of integrity.

To truly discover the motives of all parties though, maybe for the meantime, it would be wise to let things unfold. For those holding grudges and having bias prior to reading my email however, I rest in the befitting words of Albus Dumbledore.

"It is far easier to forgive someone for being wrong, than for being right"

Boundaries

While riding on an FX this morning from Katipunan to 20th Avenue (via P. Tuazon Blvd), I was charged 12 pesos, 2 more than what I was usually charged. The driver talked for about a minute why I was supposed to pay 12 pesos and not 10 (and not 15 either as charged by some unscrupulous drivers whose plate numbers are at the bottom of this post) while I gave him the tiniest bit of my attention.

My initial (and current) perception was that PUV fare was computed using distance. First four kilometers, the flat rate, then a certain rate after that. However, that seems only applicable to PUJs and buses; FX operators seem to have their own universe. Now, to the driver's explanation...

20th avenue is a boundary. Get off before that, it's 12 pesos (I still don't get why, because most drivers just charge me 10 pesos). Get off after that, it's 15 pesos. Thankfully, he didn't mean that literally because he agreed to drop me off at the west side of 20th avenue instead of the east side. Just so you know though, the distance between these two sides is about 25 feet or so.

Anyway, through this bit of insight, I have to ask:

"Does that also mean if I board the vehicle, say, from J.P. Rizal Street (a little over a kilometer before arriving at 20th Avenue), I'll still get charged the same rate from the farthest location within that boundary?"

Seems unfair to me.

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Now, for the blacklist (avoid riding these PUVs if you can):

• PVS 879
• PXE 626
• PYK 630
• TVB 340
• TXP 498

Thoughts on leaving a company

I'm a happy employee these days. I have a decent job, a nice work area, a reasonably fast computer, tasks that are matched for my skill level and provide challenge, colleagues who understand the meaning of teamwork, competent managers and a company that matches my career goal: make the world a smarter and better place to live in.

But not all was always well though. My previous company was an ass. To be specific, its employees. No, they didn't try to kill me or call me names, but it was a death sentence for a career that wanted to reach far above the clouds and the stratosphere.

My line of specialty has always been in software engineering. Building web sites. Yeah, that's what I find interesting. The crazy thing is that I was only able to do that abour 20% of the time. The rest of the time, I was busy attending equipment evaluation meetings, connecting printers to the network, cleaning computers of viruses, answering odd queries on the phone like, "Where should we buy a camera?", and 7 dozen things that aren't remotely related to web development.

so I resigned last May, hoping to end my disastrous streak in that company. Wrapped up my work, but had to turn things over to someone who had a different skillset than mine, so my documentation was deemed inadequate. Yeah, I know. Kind of like a dermatologist getting scolded for not being able to do a heart operation because the heart surgeon left for another company and didn't give a 50-volume crash course on how to do a bypass.

Next up was my clearance. Oddly enough, every single office signed it without a fuss. Know why? I had no administrative, property or financial obligations left to satisfy. So my clearance was good to go right?

Hell no. A few weeks right after I left, one of their systems that I built before broke down. And before I know it, my clearance was on hold indefinitely for that reason. I tried to help them out, which was the professional thing to do, but they wanted me to go over and fix it. My new company had restrictions that prevented me from doing so, so I told them I could only provide limited assistance. Their answer? They believed what I was saying was a bunch of crap and the second to the last signature required on my clearance was signed hoping that as friends, I would go the extra mile.

Such a comment was said in an outburst and might have been reasonable to them given the circumstances, but it was still unacceptable. And in any case, it is a wrong assumption to bring up the clause of friendship for business. Even now, I'm at a loss on how they arrived at such a conclusion. So if it's to each his own now, I'm going to defend the honor of my company. Because so far, they've proved they deserve it more.

So I played along, even talked to someone who might be able to help and a demo was scheduled. Took several days before I even got a realistic date, but at least it's on. Two days from now. They've been throwing petty distractions at me like, "Oh, where's your key?" and "Hey, the evaluation for the first half is done. You'll get some extra cash if you make yours.", just so they can prolong the discussion. I cannot count how many times I've said to myself, "Yeah, whatever. Can we just finish the important matters first?"

I now know what I have to do. Demonstrate that it works. Get them to say that my clearance will be released upon seeing it work. Hope for the best. If the best doesn't come and in its place the worst, then it's time to burn bridges.

I officially want nothing to do with your company or its people again.

Blood boil

I really need to rant.

Working for government sucks. Separating from a government agency, even more.

I had resigned about 45 days ago, but still, when I visited a while ago, my clearance was still not signed! Why? I haven't the vaguest why. According to the staff, I had some sort of requirement that was not submitted, yet not a single person from their organization could point it out. Neither did anyone inform me of anything. If this is regarding new problems they're experiencing in their network, I don't give a bull's ass. That's their problem.

The time records I had also made last December 2007 and January 2008 was lost, so instead of giving me options on how I could finish it, the staff just looked at me and said "we don't have a copy of your time records". I wanted to reply really badly with "Thank you for saying the f_cking obvious".

Awwww

Why, what is wrong? One of your toys no longer working? You've been bragging about it for years and now it's suddenly out of order, you cry for my name? My help, my talents and goodwill? Which you've spat upon all these years?

In the words of Tony Stark: You can't have it.

Big ass crock

You wretched animals. You accept my goodwill only to spit in my face. What in the universe makes you think that I am willing to spend my time, limited resources and talent for a free lunch? Further goodwill and benevolence from the bottom of my heart?

Yet you still grieve me by witholding money still rightfully mine due to a bureaucratic process. Had you continued to pursue the endeavor to make the process electronic and grabbed cock when facing the problems encountered, I would not be covered up to my balls in shit.

I even tried to help your sorry ass when it was not faring so well by seeking alternatives. Your solution? Write it on a sheet of paper, just as things have been done for hundreds of years. Welcome you toad, to the 21st century.

If worse comes to worst, you can have that shitload of cash. Just expect nothing more from me than scarcity.

Not if your life depended on it

I have epilepsy. For several years already, actually. I didn't ask for it, but heaven saw it fit to gift me with excessive neuronal activity in my brain. But I'm done complaining about my situation. I now see it in the words of William Ernest Henley:

"My head is bloody, but unbowed"

I'm taking medication for it though. Trileptal. The dosage has varied through the years, but I'm on the decreasing slope now. I still have to take it daily though, no very late night gimmicks and no getting up too quickly from bed upon waking up as my brain still thinks it's sleeping. In other words, college sucked.

Today, I went to Mercury Drug to buy some medicine. As I did throughout all my purchases, I took out my prescription note and money to pay. When it was my turn, the pharmaceutical attendant read my prescription and said "where's the other one?"

Me: What other one?
PA: The one for 600mg. This says 300mg.
Me: I don't have one. My doctor told me to just say I need the 600mg tablet because I need to cut it. My doctor put that note at the bottom. See?
PA: Cut it for what? It says here one and a half twice a day.
Me: Look at this. It's basic fractions. One and a half of 300 is 450mg, my morning dosage. To do that, I have to break this tablet into 4 pieces, which basically guarantees that a good part of it is wasted because you can't cut it cleanly without pulverizing it.
PA: I'm still not giving you the 600mg because--
Me: Call your manager. Now.
PA: (calls manager)
Me: Is it your policy to not give medicines that are not written in such a format as this?
Mgr: Yes
Me: Even if the person's life will depend on it in a few hours?
Mgr: (thinks)
Me: I guess not. What's your name?

At that point, the manager just signaled to the assistant to get me the medicine. They saw it as just another person who walked away with a bunched of tablets. I walked away with my life.