SUNDAY SIDETRIP

Remember the money I had to follow-up from BDO because their ATM at Watsons went amok more than a week ago? Well, I finally got it today after 8 days and 5 times of calling customer service. I’m from the same industry and I understand how sometimes getting issue resolved is but lip-service. Had I been told I’d get my money back in a month, I could’ve saved my time worrying if I’d ever get it back and money too for the fares I spent going back and forth to the bank. Well, that’s how things go sometimes – one has to get his share of bad customer service. What was meant to be 3 days became 8 days. I am definitely not a satisfied customer (as if I have millions in deposits). More than that crap, I just needed my money really.

After the big disappointment at the ATM machine - again- I hopped on a jeep headed to the Guadalupe Church. I have heard a lot about the church and how the miraculous Lady of Guadalupe inspired great stories. I reckoned my money somewhat needs a little prayer and BDO needed some enlighenment that somebody in Cebu is running out of food to eat. So in an abrupt decision, I went on a side-trip before heading home. Hiyyyaaa, to Lupe!

The church was grand from afar and the glass mosaic looked amazing. The statue of the Lady of Guadalupe wasn’t in the church and I wasn’t able to ask why – too bad. It was a Sunday so the church was full of devotees. I arrived halfway thru mass and I took time to complete the rest of the celebration. After the mass, I clicked and clicked and clicked around the church for some photos. I looked like some tourist, only I look like everyone else—LOL.

Here are some of the photos I took. Hope you like it as much as I enjoyed taking them. I have lots more but it would take up my whole blog so here are some. Will post more soon...

BOTTLED LIFE

Life. What if you are that life inside a womb who for the longest time that seemed like eternity yearn to have a taste of air, of hugs, of kisses, of love but never made it to that moment when you could’ve first seen light. For sure they wouldn’t have know yet all those but life holds so much promises that the unborn must have so much expectations of what it would be like to be human. So near to life but yet so far.

I had always held a small thought with me. I don’t wanna grow old. I don’t wanna be an old stinking old man who wallows in misery because youth had dissipated from me. I don’t wanna see myself with a failing body who depends on others to do things for me. I don’t wanna be dependent on somebody else on so many things especially personal ones. I don’t want others to decide and think for me. I don’t wanna waste another’s life taking care of my own. So, I had always this thought - I wanna die young.

Well, until I saw these.






I am currently continuing my masters at Southwestern University – the story why SWU could take another whole post. My classes are held at the 6th floor of a building inside the campus. During one of my trips to the 6th floor on an elevator, I managed to peek on bottled fetuses when a student got off on the third floor. I couldn’t help myself thinking of the image like it was some frozen photo in memory so I went down on one of my breaks to witness “lives that never were” in bottles. The bottles were aligned for everyone to see. It was bordering on disturbing as I went over from one bottle to another. They were displayed along the corridors so casually like they were some forgettable paintings - like they were some imitation of life. Only they used to be life themselves that never came full circle. The sight was creepy but interesting and I had chills the first time I saw the faces. I thought of what those lives could’ve become from those small underdeveloped bodies. The looked like soft jelly floating on water it seemed like I could see through their muscles if I stare harder. They have formed faces, limbs, even noses. They were also dead little people.

I asked myself if those lab specimens were lucky to just be bottled up instead or if they were crying souls eternally sorry for themselves because they were never able to kiss life outside the abyss of one mom’s womb. I like to think that they should be thankful for being spared from the cruelty of the our world. Would they have even liked to live if circumstances had been different? Too bad, it was too early for them to experience the world’s cruelty, I thought. At least it was a favor they only get once. Besides, will they even live life in full circle had they experienced life thinking how many lives are wasted each day around us? Or maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.

But life is full of possibilities. I couldn’t help thinking of those little limbs of life who would’ve become strong bodies by now had they survived- maybe even doing better as a human than most of us. Looking at the photos while editing them for this post, I questioned my old belief if I still wanted to die young. I still do. But I also realized, it’s out of my hands.

UNLUCKY STRIKE

June 30. Last day of the first half of the year. My worst day of the year so far.

The ever reliable jeepneys were on strike – I didn’t know particularly if it was because they wanted another fare hike or if it was because the price of gasoline increased again or it was both.

I decided to do a little accounting early morning. Budgeting can be real taxing especially when at the back of my mind, I already have a plan where each penny has to go. So after a mental balance sheet was done, I dressed up, got my lazy ass out of the boarding house and voila, people are lining up downstairs for the next jeep or taxi. At first thought I though they were lining up for NFA rice but no, it was because the piece of work that delivers them to their daily destinations failed them that day. It was like Good Friday. Good Friday was even better – jeepneys were running down the avenues of Cebu when some jeep drivers realized it was their obligation before God to serve the commuting public even on the day God died for the nth time. But June 30 was a massacre. It kept the city on still. Well, almost. The papers the next day 80% of Metro Cebu was paralyzed. Worse, June 30th was payday and people were supposed to be rushing to the banks, atm machines to withdraw and to lending offices for those whose atms are safeguarded by 5-6 guys. It was also shopping holiday for most. Each passing jeepney was a sight to behold which comes about once in every 20 minutes and filled to the rafters – if jeeps even has that. It took me like an hour or so waiting under the heat of the merciless sun for a ride. At last, Khaosiung bus arrived – a rusty bus reeking of tetanus provisioned by the local government to give free rides to stranded commuters. Faces of late employees waiting for a ride all looked like they have early-morning dyspepsia. Thank God to the Kaohsiung they now look like on the verge of urinating instead of dyspepsia (hahaha) as they readied themselves to get into the bus. We also looked like prisoners on the bus. Despite the crankiness – the full bus rode along the streets of Cebu in style. It was the queen of the road of the Queen City of the South. We were all smiles in the bus like we were going to some field trip. It wasn’t fun really because we were all sweaty and hot but the passengers smiled a lot to each other – especially when the vehicle stops and a passenger comes in sashaying along the aisle to the far-end of the bus. Fifteen minutes after, I was glad I arrived at Fuente.



The worst of the day was having to wait again for 30 minutes at the ATM machine for my turn to withdraw. After waiting a good 30 minutes being the 16th in line, it was finally my turn. Alas, the ATM is out of cash. Whatta luck!..I swore never to withdraw again from that darn machine - the one inside Watsons. If I owned it, I would’ve disassembled the poor thing. Worse, it deducted from my balance which means I have no money to withdraw anymore. What with all the waiting, it was what I got? I had to go to BDO, got the incident reported and informed the lady on blazers with the details. She tried to help me but it wasn’t good customer service at all. She didn’t offer to call their atm center. Instead, she just gave me the phone and let me dial. She didn’t even seem sympathetic – not that I needed it. I talked to a call center rep over the phone who told me about the details which I wasn’t able to get except the fact that I can’t have my money until Friday. I asked what to do because I needed the money like it’s a matter of life and death. She just said sorry and jumped to offering me a case number. Okay, I didn’t exactly say a matter of life and death, I said I have to pay my rent. Maybe that’s why she just said sorry . I wondered if it had been different if I told her an outrageous reason – hmmm, maybe like robbing the bank…tsk tsk…

After all I’ve been thru, I thought I needed a sleep. It was 2pm and my trip downtown was nothing but a burnt skin, tired feet and hungry stomach. I bought a two-piece chicken at Jollibee for take-out and waited another good hour for a taxi and arrived past 3pm at the boarding house. I felt I deserved a hearty meal.




Along the way, I managed to take 2 photos of the Sto. Nino and the Virgin Mary's image glued tightly in front of where I was seated. I thought ' even God doesn't go on strike'. I let the idea pass and I was back to the city's distractions.

I was dead tired. I slept hoping I’d wake up on a Friday.