What are the secrets to a lasting relationship? What are your obligations to your partner? What should you do when you have a fight? How will you fix an argument? Is it okay to have a secret or do you need to reveal every thing to your spouse?
I have not written a blog in a long time. I can't even remember the last time I posted one. Anyway, I am back, and it feels great to be able to do something worthwhile, like writing something with a purpose.
I was inspired by the movie, FIREPROOF (2008), which I think every couple should watch. I promise, it's not preachy. It has just the right balance of morality, love, reality and belief in God. Yes, I believe in God. I think, He should be the center of every relationship. That's first and foremost.
But what happens after the courtship stage? When two people decide to be together, how should they handle temptation? Trials? Financial difficulties? Cultural differences? Age gap?
A MAN'S OBLIGATIONS
The man of the house, generally speaking, should be the bread winner. It is his responsibility to earn a living. Let me emphasize on the "TO EARN A LIVING" part. There are men who seem to be complacent. Yes, when there is an earning opportunity, they take it. But after that sideline, what happens? They just stay at home. Sometimes they play interactive games, pretending to be housesitting or babysitting (if they already have kids). Or, they may go out with friends, pretending to be "looking" for a job but never finding one. In short, they don't have a permanent job. The result? They have no financial security. They keep telling their family that he will take care of it and there is nothing to worry about. He acts as if he is in control. But in reality, nothing happens.
A man should be man enough to act. As long as he has the physical and mental capacity to work, he has to exert all efforts to provide for his family. Again, let me emphasize on the "PROVIDE FOR HIS FAMILY" part. If you are the husband, especially if you already have kids, don't be contented just sitting around, waiting for others to share their blessings with you. In Filipino, "Huwag kang umasa sa puro delihensiya. Huwag makuntento sa pa-sideline-sideline lang." You are not alone anymore. When you were single, that was okay. But now that you have a wife and kids, you have to do more than that. Again, be a man.
Aside from providing financial support to your family, it is also your obligation to implement discipline to your kids. Love them, make them feel safe and protected but never tolerate rudeness and disrespect. Your wife is your partner in doing all these. She is not your servant. She is not your kids' nanny. She is their mother, so make sure that your kids realize that. Show your kids how their mother should be respected and loved. Show your wife how much you appreciate her cooking. She does the laundry, cleans the house and takes care of you and your kids. Sometimes, she does the budgeting, too. Make sure that she will be able to perform her duties happily. It may not always be convenient, but if you are good partners, you will be doing every thing with contentment. Nothing beats coming home to a prudent wife and great kids who bring you honor. That's a happy life.
"House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord." - Proverbs 19:14
"A son honors his father, and a servant his master: If then I be a father, where is my honor?" - Malachi 1:6
A WOMAN'S OBLIGATIONS
Today, there are lots of working women. Sometimes, the wife works and the husband stays at home. Or, both of them work and someone will be housesitting or babysitting. These are the times and there is nothing wrong with any of these setups. However, let me reiterate, that as long as the husband has the physical and mental capacity to work, he should be the first one to do so.
Let's say the husband has a job but the wife wants to help with the finances. That's fine. Especially, if they do not have kids yet. By both husband and wife working, they will be able to save faster for their family's future.
What if they have kids already? I would prefer the conventional setup: the husband works and the wife stays at home. She can take care of the kids and the house, do the laundry, cook the meals and help her husband with his things. Please take note that what a wife does at home is a much more tedious job, although she does not get paid for it. It is not easy to get up at 4:00 in the morning, prepare breafast, pack their lunch and press their clothes. When the husband and kids have left, the wife cleans the house, does the laundry and attends to so many things. I am referring to a "prudent wife" as mentioned in the Bible, of course. I am not referring to women who spend much of their time in parlors or in front of the TV.
Going back... When the kids are back from school, the wife will focus her attention on them again, helps with their homework, prepares snacks or dinner, gives them a bath and do so much more. Of course, when the husband comes home, she will make him comfortable, prepares him dinner, listens to his stories, gives him a massage, fixes him coffee, serves him and his friends when they are around. She does her best to make him happy, in every way possible. Man's life would be miserable without a prudent wife beside him. Again, I am talking about marriage in general. And again, I am referring to the normal course of things.
Can these obligations be reversed? Yes. If a man is physically or mentally incapacitated, the wife may be the bread winner. Or, when a wife gives birth or is sick, the husband may do the cooking, wash the dishes, do the laundry, clean the house and take care of the kids. It will not make him a lesser man. Or, even if the woman is not sick, the man may give her a break. Come on, she works every day from morning until night (I can't even finish a 20-piece laundry job without complaining about back pains). Substituting her once in a while would be a very sweet and thoughtful gesture. Inasmuch as the wife makes the husband happy, it should not stop there. It should be reciprocal. The husband has an obligation to make his wife happy, too.
Now, should there be difficult times, the two should be strong and stick together. Don't blame your partner for anything. Whatever your partner has done, especially if the intention was good, always support each other. You never leave your partner, especially in a fire (FIREPROOF movie). Always recall your wedding vows: "To love, to hold, to cherish for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, 'til death do us part." I just hope couples would really understand this vow and live by it.
HOW ABOUT SECRETS?
Anything that involves the relationship should not be kept a secret. If a husband wants to change jobs, he should tell his wife, explain the situation and discuss his plans. He should be open to hear his wife's reactions and suggestions. If there is a financial crisis, the couple should talk about every detail immediately, assess their economic status, think about their options and prepare their contingency plan. Do not make any decision on your own without telling your partner. This includes getting a loan, withdrawing from your family savings account, diverting funds and revising the budget. It does not matter who earns more, the husband or the wife. When a couple decide to create a family, they agree to be one in every thing. Marriage is sacred. Keep it sacred.
"And said, 'For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.'" - Matthew 19:5-6
HOW ABOUT TEMPTATION AND INFIDELITY?
Before I discuss this topic, I would like you to read and understand this Biblical verse first:
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." - I Corinthians 10:13
In Filipino:
"Hindi dumating sa inyo ang anomang tukso kundi yaong matitiis ng tao: datapuwa't tapat ang Dios, na hindi niya itutulot na kayo'y tuksuhin ng higit sa inyong makakaya; kundi kalakip ng tukso ay gagawin naman ang paraan ng pag-ilag, upang ito'y inyong matiis." - I Corinto 10:13
Temptation 101
It is a fact that temptation can be everywhere. At the office. At the mall. Along the road. Around your neighborhood. On Facebook. On your cellphone. The fact is, eventually, you will definitely see someone more attractive, more interesting, younger and fresher. It starts with a smile. With her scent. With his muscles. With his friendliness. With her sweetness. With her thoughtfulness. With her long legs. With his great chest. With her short skirt. With a cup of coffee. With a seat that was shared. That's stage one. In most cases, you won't even notice that it already started. If you hear anyone teasing, you would even say they are ridiculous. Here comes the cliche: "We're just friends" and "we're not doing anything wrong."
Temptation 102
The next stage involves lunch out, secret texting (you will not show the messages to your partner and you delete them right away). Sometimes, you even change the person's name on your phonebook. Or, you put a password on your phone and computer. You become paranoid at times. Of course, when you are with this other person, there is tapping of shoulder, touching of hands and you will make excuses, like we're just kidding or teasing. In Filipino, "Ganun lang talaga kami. Mga kalog lang talaga, puno ng kalokohan, ang gugulo namin, very close na kasi ang samahan. Pero wala namang malisya sa amin yun."
Temptation 103
What happens next is up to you. The next stage is limitless and it is very dangerous. That's when temptation swallows you whole. That's when infidelity justifies itself. Then, you see all faults in your partner. You begin to think about how happy you are with this other person and how boring your partner has become. There, the family is ruined.
Well, I was not born yesterday. I have seen a lot of couples ruined by unnecessary texting. I've seen husbands cheating on their wives with their sexy secretaries or co-workers. It is okay to have friends from the opposite sex, but you have to know your limits. We are humans and when we give way to temptation, it will definitely defeat you. If there is a will, there is a way. God will not allow a temptation to come to your life, if you cannot bear it. He will make you strong. He teaches you various ways on how to avoid it. The problem is, there are people who entertain temptation. Not only do they entertain temptation when it comes, they even invite it to come. And here is that cliche again: "I'm just human and nobody's perfect."
Man is God's masterpiece. Out of all the creation, it was man alone that God formed with His hands from the dust of the ground and breathed into his notrils the breath of life. Don't ever, ever say "I'm just human." You are God's towering masterpiece, He offers to help you when there is temptation and He teaches us morality and holiness. By giving in to temptation, you are tantamount to letting your Creator down. You would be a disgrace to humanity.
Don't get me wrong. If you resisted temptation and did your best to uphold God's moral standards but you still slipped, it does not mean right away that you failed God. Let's check out the details and investigate on the situation. If you did not intentionally commit the sin, you may be forgiven. One fault does not define you. However, a recurring event is a different case.
IS IT OKAY FOR GUYS TO HAVE OCCASIONAL FLINGS OR TO WOMANIZE?
This is probably a guy's question. Sometimes, a guy will justify that he's just having fun. He goes out with his friends to a bar and picks up a random girl and have a one-night stand. His reason? He goes home to his wife, anyway. Is that a big deal?
The answer is simple. Is it okay if your wife has a fling with other guys? Is it okay for a wife to have an affair with other guys? If your answer is YES, then stop reading this blog. It means that you are sick and has no respect for morality and God's words. But if your answer is NO, then you know what to do. Let me say this again, MARRIAGE is SACRED. Keep it sacred.
"Marriage is honourable in all, the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." - Hebrews 13:4
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Why I Cancelled My Globe Service
My friend Tony's GF used my name in 2006 to get a Globe postpaid line. However, in 2008, there was a little issue which prevented me from getting my own line, so I used Tony's name to get one. My two-year contract ended in February 2010. It was a Globe employee plan.
I told my friend to transfer the ownership to me after the contract expiry, so we called Globe. The reps told us that the plan had to be changed first to a regular G-Text 500 and we agreed. In April 2010, they offered to give us a Loyalty plan: just P250/monthly (consumable) plus 75 free text messages. Not a bad offer, very affordable. The reps assured us that there would be no lock-in period and that we could still go to any Business Center and process the transfer of ownership -- and keep the same benefits, plans and applicable rebates. We called the hotline several times just to confirm that and they all said the same thing.
Yesterday, Tony and I went to Globe Business Center in SM Pampanga. We brought our IDs, COEs, payslips and proof of billing (credit card statements) and guess what happened.
The lady rep (who was extremely unfriendly) told us that we could not get the same plan and that we would need to upgrade it. I told her that we've spoken to several reps on the hotline and they ALL assured us that the transfer could be done smoothly without any change on the Plan. She condescendingly explained that she was just following the process.
To cut the story short, I got mad and told her to just cancel the service IMMEDIATELY. She then told us to wait for a call from Globe. That was when I got really pissed. They did that in February, March and April and it took months of waiting. I told her I did not want to go through that hell again. I reiterated that WE ONLY WANT TO TRANSFER THE SERVICE (same plan) TO MY NAME. PERIOD! Since there was nothing she could do (or WILLING to do), I asked her to just cut the line. She did it.
See? I have been given run-around bullsh*ts since February and there she was... pwede naman palang i-cancel agad!
Upon reaching home, I called their hotline again to verify the cancellation. Again, the rep explained why we'd have to upgrade the plan, so and so. I told him to just make sure the account is totally closed. He said it's just a temporary cancellation and it would take another 3 months. In short, Globe would still try to talk us into keeping the account. I said, "Huwag na, just permanently cancel the service." He then OFFERED to transfer me to the Cancellations Department (something they never did before).
And so I talked to a Cancellations rep. This time, he ASSURED me that I could go back to the Business Center and HE would give me an exception. He said I would be able to keep the same plan under my name.
That was when I completely lost faith in Globe's business strategy. Or, perhaps, their employees are just not very good in decision-making. They could not determine when to stick to the policy and when to make the exception right away. In my case, they made me MAD AND FURIOUS first.... then finally, they tried to win me back by giving in to my simple request.
I only wanted to continue using the same service under the same plan. I have been a loyal customer and I never had a late payment -- even once. But sorry, Globe lost another customer today due to people's poor business judgment.
Pwede naman pala, ginalit pa ako. Ayoko na nga!
I told my friend to transfer the ownership to me after the contract expiry, so we called Globe. The reps told us that the plan had to be changed first to a regular G-Text 500 and we agreed. In April 2010, they offered to give us a Loyalty plan: just P250/monthly (consumable) plus 75 free text messages. Not a bad offer, very affordable. The reps assured us that there would be no lock-in period and that we could still go to any Business Center and process the transfer of ownership -- and keep the same benefits, plans and applicable rebates. We called the hotline several times just to confirm that and they all said the same thing.
Yesterday, Tony and I went to Globe Business Center in SM Pampanga. We brought our IDs, COEs, payslips and proof of billing (credit card statements) and guess what happened.
The lady rep (who was extremely unfriendly) told us that we could not get the same plan and that we would need to upgrade it. I told her that we've spoken to several reps on the hotline and they ALL assured us that the transfer could be done smoothly without any change on the Plan. She condescendingly explained that she was just following the process.
To cut the story short, I got mad and told her to just cancel the service IMMEDIATELY. She then told us to wait for a call from Globe. That was when I got really pissed. They did that in February, March and April and it took months of waiting. I told her I did not want to go through that hell again. I reiterated that WE ONLY WANT TO TRANSFER THE SERVICE (same plan) TO MY NAME. PERIOD! Since there was nothing she could do (or WILLING to do), I asked her to just cut the line. She did it.
See? I have been given run-around bullsh*ts since February and there she was... pwede naman palang i-cancel agad!
Upon reaching home, I called their hotline again to verify the cancellation. Again, the rep explained why we'd have to upgrade the plan, so and so. I told him to just make sure the account is totally closed. He said it's just a temporary cancellation and it would take another 3 months. In short, Globe would still try to talk us into keeping the account. I said, "Huwag na, just permanently cancel the service." He then OFFERED to transfer me to the Cancellations Department (something they never did before).
And so I talked to a Cancellations rep. This time, he ASSURED me that I could go back to the Business Center and HE would give me an exception. He said I would be able to keep the same plan under my name.
That was when I completely lost faith in Globe's business strategy. Or, perhaps, their employees are just not very good in decision-making. They could not determine when to stick to the policy and when to make the exception right away. In my case, they made me MAD AND FURIOUS first.... then finally, they tried to win me back by giving in to my simple request.
I only wanted to continue using the same service under the same plan. I have been a loyal customer and I never had a late payment -- even once. But sorry, Globe lost another customer today due to people's poor business judgment.
Pwede naman pala, ginalit pa ako. Ayoko na nga!
Friday, June 25, 2010
CATS in Manila!
CATS, dubbed as the greatest musical of all time, will be in Manila and our very own Lea Salonga will be playing Grizabella!
The musical will showcase the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and is based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T. S. Eliot. It introduced the song standard "Memory".
The musical first opened in West End in 1981 and then in Broadway in 1982. Each time directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Gillian Lynne, it won numerous awards, including both the Laurence Olivier Award and the Tony Award for Best Musical. The London production ran for twenty one years and the Broadway production ran for eighteen years, both setting long-run records. Actresses Elaine Paige and Betty Buckley became particularly associated with the musical. One actress, Marlene Danielle, performed in the Broadway production for its entire run (from 1982 until 2000).
Cats has been performed around the world many times and has been translated into more than 20 languages. In 1998 it was also made into a television video.
The Manila run of Cats is entitled "Cats Now and Forever" and here are the show details:
Performances will start on July 24, 2010 for a strictly limited season. The musical will be staged at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
Ticket Prices:
Matinee
SAT (3:00pm)
SUN (2:30pm)
PhP7000 PhP5000 PhP3500 PhP2000 PhP1000
Evenings
TUE, WED, THU (8:00pm)
SUN (7:30pm)
PhP6000 PhP4500 PhP3000 PhP1500 PhP750
Evenings
FRI, SAT (8:00pm)
PhP7000 PhP5000 PhP3500 PhP2000 Php1000
Ticket Prices are exclusive of Ticketworld fees.
SHOW DATES (as of April 2010)
SAT July 24 Matinee
SAT July 24 Evening
SUN July 25 Matinee
SUN July 25 Evening
TUE July 27 Evening
WED July 28 Evening
THU July 29 Evening
FRI July 30 Evening
SAT July 31 Matinee
SAT July 31 Evening
SUN August 1 Matinee
SUN August 1 Evening
TUE August 3 Evening
WED August 4 Evening
THU August 5 Evening
FRI August 6 Evening
SAT August 7 Matinee
SAT August 7 Evening
SUN August 8 Matinee
SUN August 8 Evening
TUE August 10 Evening
WED August 11 Evening
THU August 12 Evening
FRI August 13 Evening
SAT August 14 Matinee
SAT August 14 Evening
SUN August 15 Matinee
SUN August 15 Evening
Most Filipinos have not watched any world-class musical or stage play before, but at least for two decades now, we have been paying attention to the latest in West End (London) and Broadway (New York City) and even watching the Tony Awards every year.
This all started when our country's pride, Lea Salonga, got the role of Kim in Miss Saigon and won several prestigious awards.
This time, let us not pass this very rare chance to see the greatest and most colorful musical of all time - Cats Now and Forever!
For more information, visit:
http://facebook.com/catsinmanila
http://catsinmanila.tumblr.com
The musical will showcase the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and is based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T. S. Eliot. It introduced the song standard "Memory".
The musical first opened in West End in 1981 and then in Broadway in 1982. Each time directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Gillian Lynne, it won numerous awards, including both the Laurence Olivier Award and the Tony Award for Best Musical. The London production ran for twenty one years and the Broadway production ran for eighteen years, both setting long-run records. Actresses Elaine Paige and Betty Buckley became particularly associated with the musical. One actress, Marlene Danielle, performed in the Broadway production for its entire run (from 1982 until 2000).
Cats has been performed around the world many times and has been translated into more than 20 languages. In 1998 it was also made into a television video.
The Manila run of Cats is entitled "Cats Now and Forever" and here are the show details:
Performances will start on July 24, 2010 for a strictly limited season. The musical will be staged at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
Ticket Prices:
Matinee
SAT (3:00pm)
SUN (2:30pm)
PhP7000 PhP5000 PhP3500 PhP2000 PhP1000
Evenings
TUE, WED, THU (8:00pm)
SUN (7:30pm)
PhP6000 PhP4500 PhP3000 PhP1500 PhP750
Evenings
FRI, SAT (8:00pm)
PhP7000 PhP5000 PhP3500 PhP2000 Php1000
Ticket Prices are exclusive of Ticketworld fees.
SHOW DATES (as of April 2010)
SAT July 24 Matinee
SAT July 24 Evening
SUN July 25 Matinee
SUN July 25 Evening
TUE July 27 Evening
WED July 28 Evening
THU July 29 Evening
FRI July 30 Evening
SAT July 31 Matinee
SAT July 31 Evening
SUN August 1 Matinee
SUN August 1 Evening
TUE August 3 Evening
WED August 4 Evening
THU August 5 Evening
FRI August 6 Evening
SAT August 7 Matinee
SAT August 7 Evening
SUN August 8 Matinee
SUN August 8 Evening
TUE August 10 Evening
WED August 11 Evening
THU August 12 Evening
FRI August 13 Evening
SAT August 14 Matinee
SAT August 14 Evening
SUN August 15 Matinee
SUN August 15 Evening
Most Filipinos have not watched any world-class musical or stage play before, but at least for two decades now, we have been paying attention to the latest in West End (London) and Broadway (New York City) and even watching the Tony Awards every year.
This all started when our country's pride, Lea Salonga, got the role of Kim in Miss Saigon and won several prestigious awards.
This time, let us not pass this very rare chance to see the greatest and most colorful musical of all time - Cats Now and Forever!
For more information, visit:
http://facebook.com/catsinmanila
http://catsinmanila.tumblr.com
Monday, June 7, 2010
Smart Bro: Does it Rock or Suck?
I have been using Smart Bro (Wireless Broadband) for almost 2 years now and I have been satisfied with the service except for a few issues.
Once, I lost the signal but it came back after less than 24 hours. Understandable. After several months, it went down again and since I am into technical support, I was able to do a few tweaks here and there and it worked.
The only other issue I have is the antenna cable. With just a little movement, it will be unplugged. In short, it does not fittingly snap right into the port. They should do something about it.
However, Smart's good image was shattered when I had another technical problem. Here is what happened.
Thursday, May 27 - I was online until 4:30 PM before I packed up and went home to Pampanga.
Friday, May 28 - I got back to Makati at 11:00 PM and hooked up my laptop to get online. The Internet was down. I double-checked the physical connection, re-seated the cable, checked my Ethernet adapter, checked network settings, did a loopback test, checked the laptop for any socket error. All was fine, but the Internet was down.
Everybody in the family is using Globe so I could not call Smart Bro Customer Service. Fortunately, my roommate Lance came by and let me use his Smart cellphone. I was told by an agent that the Base Station was down, so I turned my laptop off to prepare for my 2:00-11:00AM shift.
Saturday, May 29 - After my shift, I used the office phone to call Smart Bro Customer Service. They guaranteed me that the Base Station was back up.
When I reached my apartment, I tried the Internet again but it remained down. That's when I noticed that the Smart Bro antenna adapter did not have the led light on. In short, there was no power. Thus, my laptop could not detect the signal.
I went out to buy a Smart SIM card so I could call *1888 (Smart Bro hotline) again. That was when an agent, Manuel Ico, set up a dispatch for Sunday (May 30th) at 3:00PM.
My company would throw a Summer Flair activity at the NBC Tent in Fort Bonifacio Global City at that same time but I agreed to the dispatch because I had no other choice. I thought I would just dash to the NBC Tent around 5:00PM. After all, the technician would just bring me a new adapter.
I tried convincing the agent to just let me visit the nearest Smart Wireless Center and pick up the adapter but he firmly told me to wait for the technician.
Sunday, May 30 - My friend and I waited. At 3:45PM, I began to have some doubts. I called the hotline and a lady agent told me that she could not find any record of my appointment. She found a note, though, saying that I agreed for an appointment but no time was specified. Therefore, the technician could come from 8:00AM to 8:00PM.
That was when I felt betrayed. I was still calm but one could tell by the tone of my voice that I was just holding back. The agent promised to contact the "Support Group" and that someone would contact me. Of course, no one did. They never do. That I should know.
My friend and I continued waiting and by the time it was 6:00PM, I had lost hope of catching up for the Summer Flair.
By 8:25PM, I called the Smart Bro hotline again. This time, another agent provided the most provoking information. She said that she could not even find the appointment and no notes were posted on the account whatsoever. She even laughed when I mentioned that the other agent said that the technician could come anytime, making a comment, "Sir, pagka ANYTIME, it means the technician could still come since it's just 9:00PM."
I asked, "Do you honestly believe that your technicians could go to a customer's house around midnight?" She said "YES!" with conviction. Then, she said she would try contacting the "Support Group" again.
I was really furious so I asked for a Supervisor. The agent put a Supervisor named RJ on the line and we began talking.
Supervisor RJ told me that the "Support Group" operates from 8:00AM to 8:00PM, which gave me the impression that the lady agent only bullshitted me when she said that she would contact the "Support Group," knowing fully well that it was already 9:00PM at that time.
That was when Supervisor RJ "maneuvered" and reasoned out that the "Support Group" might be on overtime. I let that "palusot" pass.
Supervisor RJ promised that he would look into it and send email to the "Support Group." He further asked me to call again the next day at 8:00AM to make sure that I get the earliest available dispatch slot for Monday.
Monday, May 31 - I woke up at 7:30AM and called the Smart Bro hotline at 7:55AM. You know how long it takes to go through the menu and wait for an agent. In short, I got an agent and to my dismal surprise, she told me that she could not find any note -- again! No dispatch. No email from Supervisor RJ. At about 8:55AM, she told me that she could not even contact the "Support Group" because they were still unavailable. I asked for the Support Group's contact number so I could call them myself. She said she couldn't give me their direct number. Imagine how upset I was.
Finally, when all hope was lost, I asked the agent how to cancel the service. She said it should be done at the Smart Wireless Center. That was when I said, "I'll just go to the Smart Wireless Center then! Thank you!" and I hung up.
I had wasted almost 3 rest days already and I missed the Summer Flair. So, I decided to go home to Pampanga to spend the next 24 hours there and forget about the horrible customer service I got from the Smart Bro hotline.
When I reached home at 6:00PM, I decided to call the Smart Bro hotline one last time. A lady agent apologized and she sounded sincere, unlike the others who were really rude. The previous agents sounded as if they just wanted to get rid of me.
Unfortunately, this lady agent called the elite "Support Group" and the earliest appointment she got was for Thursday (June 3rd) and there was no specified time. I told her that if no one showed up, I would definitely cancel the service.
Tuesday, June 1 - Around 11:00AM, I got a text from a Smart Bro technician saying he was already at our street. I felt really annoyed because I was still in Pampanga and the appointment was rescheduled for Thursday.
Fortunately, my roommate Billy was at the apartment. After a couple of text messages and calls, Billy met the guy and got the replacement adapter. That afternoon, I went back to Makati and hooked up my laptop to the antenna using the new adapter. I'm back in business!
Thus, I diagnosed my own problem, suggested the solution and the problem was fixed. Thanks but no thanks to Smart Bro hotline. Their service sucks bigtime!
Once, I lost the signal but it came back after less than 24 hours. Understandable. After several months, it went down again and since I am into technical support, I was able to do a few tweaks here and there and it worked.
The only other issue I have is the antenna cable. With just a little movement, it will be unplugged. In short, it does not fittingly snap right into the port. They should do something about it.
However, Smart's good image was shattered when I had another technical problem. Here is what happened.
Thursday, May 27 - I was online until 4:30 PM before I packed up and went home to Pampanga.
Friday, May 28 - I got back to Makati at 11:00 PM and hooked up my laptop to get online. The Internet was down. I double-checked the physical connection, re-seated the cable, checked my Ethernet adapter, checked network settings, did a loopback test, checked the laptop for any socket error. All was fine, but the Internet was down.
Everybody in the family is using Globe so I could not call Smart Bro Customer Service. Fortunately, my roommate Lance came by and let me use his Smart cellphone. I was told by an agent that the Base Station was down, so I turned my laptop off to prepare for my 2:00-11:00AM shift.
Saturday, May 29 - After my shift, I used the office phone to call Smart Bro Customer Service. They guaranteed me that the Base Station was back up.
When I reached my apartment, I tried the Internet again but it remained down. That's when I noticed that the Smart Bro antenna adapter did not have the led light on. In short, there was no power. Thus, my laptop could not detect the signal.
I went out to buy a Smart SIM card so I could call *1888 (Smart Bro hotline) again. That was when an agent, Manuel Ico, set up a dispatch for Sunday (May 30th) at 3:00PM.
My company would throw a Summer Flair activity at the NBC Tent in Fort Bonifacio Global City at that same time but I agreed to the dispatch because I had no other choice. I thought I would just dash to the NBC Tent around 5:00PM. After all, the technician would just bring me a new adapter.
I tried convincing the agent to just let me visit the nearest Smart Wireless Center and pick up the adapter but he firmly told me to wait for the technician.
Sunday, May 30 - My friend and I waited. At 3:45PM, I began to have some doubts. I called the hotline and a lady agent told me that she could not find any record of my appointment. She found a note, though, saying that I agreed for an appointment but no time was specified. Therefore, the technician could come from 8:00AM to 8:00PM.
That was when I felt betrayed. I was still calm but one could tell by the tone of my voice that I was just holding back. The agent promised to contact the "Support Group" and that someone would contact me. Of course, no one did. They never do. That I should know.
My friend and I continued waiting and by the time it was 6:00PM, I had lost hope of catching up for the Summer Flair.
By 8:25PM, I called the Smart Bro hotline again. This time, another agent provided the most provoking information. She said that she could not even find the appointment and no notes were posted on the account whatsoever. She even laughed when I mentioned that the other agent said that the technician could come anytime, making a comment, "Sir, pagka ANYTIME, it means the technician could still come since it's just 9:00PM."
I asked, "Do you honestly believe that your technicians could go to a customer's house around midnight?" She said "YES!" with conviction. Then, she said she would try contacting the "Support Group" again.
I was really furious so I asked for a Supervisor. The agent put a Supervisor named RJ on the line and we began talking.
Supervisor RJ told me that the "Support Group" operates from 8:00AM to 8:00PM, which gave me the impression that the lady agent only bullshitted me when she said that she would contact the "Support Group," knowing fully well that it was already 9:00PM at that time.
That was when Supervisor RJ "maneuvered" and reasoned out that the "Support Group" might be on overtime. I let that "palusot" pass.
Supervisor RJ promised that he would look into it and send email to the "Support Group." He further asked me to call again the next day at 8:00AM to make sure that I get the earliest available dispatch slot for Monday.
Monday, May 31 - I woke up at 7:30AM and called the Smart Bro hotline at 7:55AM. You know how long it takes to go through the menu and wait for an agent. In short, I got an agent and to my dismal surprise, she told me that she could not find any note -- again! No dispatch. No email from Supervisor RJ. At about 8:55AM, she told me that she could not even contact the "Support Group" because they were still unavailable. I asked for the Support Group's contact number so I could call them myself. She said she couldn't give me their direct number. Imagine how upset I was.
Finally, when all hope was lost, I asked the agent how to cancel the service. She said it should be done at the Smart Wireless Center. That was when I said, "I'll just go to the Smart Wireless Center then! Thank you!" and I hung up.
I had wasted almost 3 rest days already and I missed the Summer Flair. So, I decided to go home to Pampanga to spend the next 24 hours there and forget about the horrible customer service I got from the Smart Bro hotline.
When I reached home at 6:00PM, I decided to call the Smart Bro hotline one last time. A lady agent apologized and she sounded sincere, unlike the others who were really rude. The previous agents sounded as if they just wanted to get rid of me.
Unfortunately, this lady agent called the elite "Support Group" and the earliest appointment she got was for Thursday (June 3rd) and there was no specified time. I told her that if no one showed up, I would definitely cancel the service.
Tuesday, June 1 - Around 11:00AM, I got a text from a Smart Bro technician saying he was already at our street. I felt really annoyed because I was still in Pampanga and the appointment was rescheduled for Thursday.
Fortunately, my roommate Billy was at the apartment. After a couple of text messages and calls, Billy met the guy and got the replacement adapter. That afternoon, I went back to Makati and hooked up my laptop to the antenna using the new adapter. I'm back in business!
Thus, I diagnosed my own problem, suggested the solution and the problem was fixed. Thanks but no thanks to Smart Bro hotline. Their service sucks bigtime!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
My Terrible Roommate - Part 2 of 2
My first post on this topic was incomplete. Abebot did more embarrassing and really annoying things.
For instance, I remember when I accompanied my sister Sarah, her husband Dindo and their daughter Dindi to watch a benefit concert at the Araneta Coliseum. It ended around midnight so I convinced them to spend the night at our Makati apartment before going back home to Pampanga, so I made the bed in the living room. Of course, Abebot and the other guys slept in the bedroom.
Tony did the same thing when he took his family to Villa Escudero. They slept in the living room. That was when I took photos of my very smart inaanak, Hailley Lois.
By morning, my niece Dindi was awaken by Abebot's noise. His intermittent movements, clicks, bangs, screeches and stompings would really annoy you. And he drags his slippers.
By 9am, I woke up and Dindi told me that he saw one guy walking here and there, ironing his clothes in the living room (just 1-2 meters away from our mattresses) and was just wearing an underwear!
That was absolutely disgusting! Abebot's rudeness is indeed unspeakable. He did not even care that we had 3 visitors and that a 7-year-old innocent girl was watching him.
That's what Abebot is. Everyday, he walks around just in his underwear. Maybe he thinks he is sexy. Or, maybe he thinks he could attract any of us (yuck!). Or, maybe he wants to show off his flawless skin as a result of his nightly 3-hour rituals.
The apartment caretaker comes in, fixes the shower, door or sink and Abebot walks around in his legendary underwear. I told you, nothing new there. But I did not expect that he would still do it in front of my niece. That was the worst thing he had done to date, for me.
I have met so many people in life and I have not seen a real guy doing that in public. May kahihiyan pa naman ang iba, marunong silang makibagay sa sitwasyon at makiramdam sa mga kasama nila. But then again, I'm not sure if Abebot is a guy, este... if he is one of those guys.
Come on, you can do your own thing if you own the room or if you live alone. You can be naked if you want. We've all probably done that at least once - in our own room.
But Abebot is shameless. Well, maybe he thinks he owns the place and we don't exist.
Yesterday, he was watching TV again and I could hear him laughing and commenting on the show. Well, that's nothing new to me. Then, he took a 2-hour shower and went out in his jogging outfit. Our new colleague, Billy, was coming in and asked where he was going. He said, "Nakaka-inspire ang mga nagja-jogging sa Ayala eh." Then he hurriedly left. That was around 5pm. He came back midnight.
I will not comment on that jogging gig. Baka na-inspire nga naman sya sa mga tao dun. Whether those were guys or gals, I don't know. I don't want to speculate.
As usual, lagay pa rin sya nang lagay ng basura sa tabi ng lababo: balat ng mangga, melon, tinik ng isda, buto ng manok, plastic, cottonbuds, wrappers, etc. And as usual - for more than 3 years now - he just waits for others (especially me) to throw the trash away.
While I was logged on YM last night, a friend of mine, Jenny, popped a message and told me that she had read my previous post then commented, "Ang tiyaga mo! Kasama mo pa rin yang si Abebot?"
I have 2 purposes why I still stay with these guys (including Abebot). First, I want to set an example for him to realize what he is doing and to teach him to discern what is good and bad. Second, I believe that cleanliness is godliness (NOT next to godliness). I pity Abebot and I want him to know the importance of cleanliness - which is a part of godliness.
And I have 4 reasons why I have not left them. One, it's expensive to keep a decent, accessible place in Makati. Nagtitipid po ako. Second, the other roommates are fine. Third, it's my principle to always do a good thing whether alone or with other people. Para wala na lang gulo at basta kaya ko naman, ako na lang ang gagawa. God never forgets a good deed. That's my inspiration. I will reap what I sow. Fourth, I like the place. It is neat, affordable (since we're 5), accessible and quieter than most places -- if Abebot has not arrived, of course.
However, I am human and I still have the emotions and senses that other people experience. With a terrible roommate like Abebot, your elastic patience and understanding may just reach its limit. Baka makapatay ka!
For instance, I remember when I accompanied my sister Sarah, her husband Dindo and their daughter Dindi to watch a benefit concert at the Araneta Coliseum. It ended around midnight so I convinced them to spend the night at our Makati apartment before going back home to Pampanga, so I made the bed in the living room. Of course, Abebot and the other guys slept in the bedroom.
Tony did the same thing when he took his family to Villa Escudero. They slept in the living room. That was when I took photos of my very smart inaanak, Hailley Lois.
By morning, my niece Dindi was awaken by Abebot's noise. His intermittent movements, clicks, bangs, screeches and stompings would really annoy you. And he drags his slippers.
By 9am, I woke up and Dindi told me that he saw one guy walking here and there, ironing his clothes in the living room (just 1-2 meters away from our mattresses) and was just wearing an underwear!
That was absolutely disgusting! Abebot's rudeness is indeed unspeakable. He did not even care that we had 3 visitors and that a 7-year-old innocent girl was watching him.
That's what Abebot is. Everyday, he walks around just in his underwear. Maybe he thinks he is sexy. Or, maybe he thinks he could attract any of us (yuck!). Or, maybe he wants to show off his flawless skin as a result of his nightly 3-hour rituals.
The apartment caretaker comes in, fixes the shower, door or sink and Abebot walks around in his legendary underwear. I told you, nothing new there. But I did not expect that he would still do it in front of my niece. That was the worst thing he had done to date, for me.
I have met so many people in life and I have not seen a real guy doing that in public. May kahihiyan pa naman ang iba, marunong silang makibagay sa sitwasyon at makiramdam sa mga kasama nila. But then again, I'm not sure if Abebot is a guy, este... if he is one of those guys.
Come on, you can do your own thing if you own the room or if you live alone. You can be naked if you want. We've all probably done that at least once - in our own room.
But Abebot is shameless. Well, maybe he thinks he owns the place and we don't exist.
Yesterday, he was watching TV again and I could hear him laughing and commenting on the show. Well, that's nothing new to me. Then, he took a 2-hour shower and went out in his jogging outfit. Our new colleague, Billy, was coming in and asked where he was going. He said, "Nakaka-inspire ang mga nagja-jogging sa Ayala eh." Then he hurriedly left. That was around 5pm. He came back midnight.
I will not comment on that jogging gig. Baka na-inspire nga naman sya sa mga tao dun. Whether those were guys or gals, I don't know. I don't want to speculate.
As usual, lagay pa rin sya nang lagay ng basura sa tabi ng lababo: balat ng mangga, melon, tinik ng isda, buto ng manok, plastic, cottonbuds, wrappers, etc. And as usual - for more than 3 years now - he just waits for others (especially me) to throw the trash away.
While I was logged on YM last night, a friend of mine, Jenny, popped a message and told me that she had read my previous post then commented, "Ang tiyaga mo! Kasama mo pa rin yang si Abebot?"
I have 2 purposes why I still stay with these guys (including Abebot). First, I want to set an example for him to realize what he is doing and to teach him to discern what is good and bad. Second, I believe that cleanliness is godliness (NOT next to godliness). I pity Abebot and I want him to know the importance of cleanliness - which is a part of godliness.
And I have 4 reasons why I have not left them. One, it's expensive to keep a decent, accessible place in Makati. Nagtitipid po ako. Second, the other roommates are fine. Third, it's my principle to always do a good thing whether alone or with other people. Para wala na lang gulo at basta kaya ko naman, ako na lang ang gagawa. God never forgets a good deed. That's my inspiration. I will reap what I sow. Fourth, I like the place. It is neat, affordable (since we're 5), accessible and quieter than most places -- if Abebot has not arrived, of course.
However, I am human and I still have the emotions and senses that other people experience. With a terrible roommate like Abebot, your elastic patience and understanding may just reach its limit. Baka makapatay ka!
Friday, February 12, 2010
My Terrible Roommate - Part 1 of 2
When I was hired by America Online in Clark in 2003, I met some guys who eventually became my closest friends in life. Today, some of them have become so busy that we seldom communicate but a few still manage to stay connected. To be fair, let me recognize these guys who continuously amaze me – Juan, Omar, Frank, Joel and Yay. However, even though Tony is not very expressive, he has been with me since September 2006 – we literally live in the same apartment – and that puts him on an entirely different position. I mean, I have spent more time with him, technically. In short, we’ve been through a lot.
In 2006, my two younger brothers and I were renting a small room in Makati until Tony squeezed in. However, due to the inconvenience brought by irkingly abominable bed bugs (surot), we thought of finding a better place.
One evening, I got a text from Tony, asking me if we would consider renting an apartment with his two college friends. Apparently, they already found a unit in Olympia, Makati (Malolos St. corner Zapote Rd.)
Despite my brothers’ hesitation, we moved. After all, the location was great and the apartment was nice.
Now, here is the REAL story.
We left the room in Washington even though we still had 2 months (paid deposit). In short, we wasted that money. Why the rush? Tony’s friend (let’s just call him “Abebot”) needed to move immediately.
Abebot told Tony that he was in dire need of a new place. He had all these appliances, kitchen utensils, cabinets – various stuff. So Tony called me and asked if I could guide Abebot and help him unload all his stuff temporarily in Washington (before we move to Olympia). I directly texted and called Abebot and offered to meet him at the corner of Buendia and Ayala Avenue.
It was already 8:30pm and my work would start at 11pm. I was supposed to be sleeping but I sacrificed my sleep in the name of sincere friendship.
Abebot kept me waiting until 10pm, standing in front of RCBC Tower and when I felt really tired, I called him. He said, “Ay, Rob! Di na pala ako tutuloy sa inyo. May kapatid ako sa Pasay, dito ko na muna ipapakilagak ang aking mga gamit.” I heard no sorry or thanks.
It was okay. I just ignored what happened. I went back to our room, walking from Ayala to Washington.
After a few days, we decided to go straight to the owner’s house in Damarinas Village to sign the contract. Alan (Tony’s other friend), Abebot and I went there. Tony was caught up in a serious problem at work so he could not join us. Abebot’s father was driving a van. Apparently, Abebot was already planning to move his stuff from Pasay to the new apartment that same evening.
After the contract signing, Alan went home to Cavite. Abebot’s father drove straight to Pasay without even asking me whether I had other things to do or not. In short, I was forced to go with them, only to find myself going up and down a long, steep staircase, sweating heavily.
His father even kidded me, “Si Abebot talaga… kunwari may bola pa, di naman nagba-basketball.”
Oh boy! He had all sorts of “abubot”, from cotton buds to facial cream, from ironing board to frying pan and a whole lot more. His things were really heavy, the streets were crowded and the van could not park closer to the apartment.
Abebot had me. I had to do that to be a good friend.
There was still a little space so they decided to pick up some of Tony’s things. I fixed his computer table, packed his bags and collected his dirty clothes. One of my brothers hopped in with two bags of clothes.
I had to rush, prepare to work and minutes later, I was enroute to my office – sleepless and really tired.
The rent was P8500/month. We paid 1 month advance and 2 months deposit for a total of P25500. That’s P4250 x 6 persons.
My brother Daniel, I and Tony gave P4500 each. We were supposed to get back P250 each. That’s P750.
After my shift come morning, I went back to the new apartment. All had gone to work but I could not sleep because they left the things scattered all around. I spent my whole day cleaning up our new house. Finally, around 6pm I was able to rest and sleep.
Now, here is another issue. Abebot texted me saying, “Rob, okay lang ba na binigay ko na lang sa Tatay ko yung tig-P250 nyo? Kasi malayo pa ang inuwian nya.”
I felt annoyed and betrayed. Naisahan na naman kami. But I did not react. I tell you, I’m one of the most patient people you could find. In the name of friendship, I did not make it a big deal.
My brother Manuel sensed that something was wrong. In less than a month, he decided to move out.
Thus, it came down to just 5 guys; Me, Tony, Alan, my brother Daniel and Abebot.
Abebot religiously watches telenovelas (Jewel in the Palace, Dyesebel, Darna, Marimar, Tayong Dalawa, Jumong), Piolo’s concerts, Tagalog movies and showbiz-related shows like SNN. Also, he never dines with us.
On the other hand, the rest of us enjoy watching action and sci-fi movies or TV series and eating together. We really get along and even go for short walks at times.
In fairness, when he is with Tony, his face lights up and he looks really happy. Only when he is with Tony. Wala siyang pakialam sa amin at sa aming mga gamit.
As a Call Center employee, I work at night and sleep during the day. However, when it’s too hot, I wait until about 6pm before I go to bed.
That’s when my dilemma starts. Abebot comes, not minding anyone who badly needs to sleep. He turns the TV on in full volume, walks in and out of the room, turns the light on and off, picks and drops various things noisily and spends about 3 hours every night doing his facial rituals.
Most guys would go home, relax for a few minutes, take a shower for about 10 minutes and be done. But Abebot likes walking around the place while brushing his teeth. He walks around wearing just his stinky-looking underwear and he is really, really noisy. He plays the radio on his cellphone loudly. He closes the plate rack cover abruptly and it really awakens me. And he literally plays with water at the sink.
Little by little, I realized why my brother Manuel moved out. He could not stand the things Abebot did. I am convinced that he is rude, insensitive, inconsiderate, egocentric and heartless.
One late afternoon, I was sleeping. It was hot so my personal electric fan was on. Here came Abebot, grabbed my electric fan, pointed it at him while he was ironing his clothes and did not return it. I woke up when he shut the door, my body sweating all over. That devilish creature!
In more than 3 years, Abebot has never helped clean the apartment. He leaves his garbage near the sink every evening and waits for others to throw the bags out. Of course, I do it most of the time.
When my mother was sick, I would be gone for 2 weeks, 1 month or even longer and when I came back, I would still see the same bags of decaying garbage near the sink!
I tried to post reminders and even cleaning assignments but Abebot never respected or followed them. His rudeness goes down, even beyond Hades.
A rat died in the room but no one bothered to find it. I discovered that it was stuck under Abebot’s mattress and – as usual – he did not care. This Abebot is a real pain in the ass!
One day, Reynon told me that Abebot used my plate and spoon to eat. When I came back, I saw it lying around the sink – gumigitata! I left printed notes to remind everyone that we all have responsibilities in the apartment. Nothing happened. I ended up washing my utensils. From then on, I separated them. I hid them in a small cabinet.
One time, Abebot texted us, saying, “Guys, bumili ako ng electric fan. Magbabayad bawat isa ng P110.”
The thing is, I already have my own eletric fan in the living room, which they also use. Then I discovered that Abebot just did not want to share with them his electric fan. The new electric fan was for the other guys in the room and Abebot shamelessly made the decision without consulting any of us – but charged us with P110/each.
As if karma is indeed true, Abebot’s electric fan broke down just after a few days. Holding his pride, he immediately bought his own air cooler. Of course, he is the only one using it. And again, just 2 weeks before this writing, the air cooler broke down again. Now, he is using the same electric fan that was for us.
The stories about Abebot seem endless. He would hide his water container inside the dirty cabinet under the sink with all those crawling roaches. After a few weeks, he moved it to yet another weird place – inside his laundry basket, covered with his dirty clothes. Very selfish and paranoid! Uniquely demonic by nature.
Abebot would buy a bottle of Joy and a scotch brite and he would definitely charge it to us, including his taxi fare.
The rest of us have never had an issue with money. We would buy stuff for the apartment and we’re cool. That’s it. Wala nang kwentahan. I wish Abebot could see that but obviously he does not.
I pay the Meralco bills but Abebot is often “dedma”. He knows that we are supposed to put in our contributions before the due date but he’s like a king who does not have any responsibilities or obligations. He thinks he is above all rules.
One early morning, I went home and found Abebot watching a TV series on his laptop. As usual, he did not even look at me, as if I did not exist. Fine. But wait, it’s not fine. He unplugged my SmartBro and ruined the files I was downloading and he put an 8-inch box on top of my laptop!
I asked, “Ikaw ba nagtanggal nito?” And he innocently (but gloatingly) replied, “Ay! Para saan ba yan?”
Ang sarap sakalin, batukan at ilampaso sa sahig na puno ng asin, di ba? He works for Smart and he does not know what a SmartBro adapter is??? And did I mention that we have 10 electrical outlets in the living room? Why, of all outlets, did he unplug my laptop?!
That was when I recalled Weird Al’s song “You Don’t Love Me Anymore.” Is the guy (or gay?) simply satanic? What kind of upbringing did he have? Or is he just an isolated idiotic, moronic, psychopathic case?
He is lazy, selfish, uncooperative, weird and uniquely mental. He puts the knife pointed side up. He soaks the electical pot in the water. He sweeps the dirt and leaves it on the doorway. He screams when watching TV. He talks on the phone so loudly without minding others. He plays loud music near a sleeping person (like me). He watches TV in full volume even at midnight and laughs alone. He screams upon seeing a cockroach. Yet, he goes to the gym and owns a basketball even if he does not play the game. Props!
You will know it was him who last used the restroom if you see the pail full of water and soap and a braid of hair is blocking the drain.
He could open a salon with his cabinets full of beauty products. And don’t forget, he buys Piolo and Sam’s CDs, sings (and dances) to the tunes and watches their shows. Add the telenovelas and showbiz-oriented shows he can’t miss.
Alan told me that Abebot has been “wooing” Tony since their college days. Well, I don’t have any comment on that. Maybe, Alan was just joking. Maybe not.
In December 2008, I texted Abebot because he did not give his share on the rent on time. I did not know that he was in Davao with his family. He said, “Sinira mo ang bakasyon ko, nakakawalang-gana, ang aga-aga pa naman.”
He was like a talkative lady market vendor who picks a fight. Then he sent nasty, degrading comments and personally maligned me through text. Di ko sya pinatulan. What did I do? I just reminded the arrogant guy (gay?) about his rent. He was so pathetically embarrassing!
We bought a TV. It is ours. But Abebot fixed it in the room so I could not move it to the living room. Tony realized that it’s not fair with me so he bought an extension cord for the antenna and helped me position the TV in the living room.
Abebot moved the TV back to the room. Kinuha ko uli nung isang araw na naman, tutal wala sila. He moved it back to the room again. Once more, I moved it to the living room one Sunday noontime to watch Manny Pacquiao's boxing fight.
On the third time, he hid the extension cord so I could not find it anymore (although, I found the cord after 5 days, but not the connector) and he threw the box away (the one serving as TV rack). Then, he took the remote and brought it home in Rizal for more than a week!
Tell me, don’t I have the most terrible roommate? He is a certified psycho! I rest my case.
In 2006, my two younger brothers and I were renting a small room in Makati until Tony squeezed in. However, due to the inconvenience brought by irkingly abominable bed bugs (surot), we thought of finding a better place.
One evening, I got a text from Tony, asking me if we would consider renting an apartment with his two college friends. Apparently, they already found a unit in Olympia, Makati (Malolos St. corner Zapote Rd.)
Despite my brothers’ hesitation, we moved. After all, the location was great and the apartment was nice.
Now, here is the REAL story.
We left the room in Washington even though we still had 2 months (paid deposit). In short, we wasted that money. Why the rush? Tony’s friend (let’s just call him “Abebot”) needed to move immediately.
Abebot told Tony that he was in dire need of a new place. He had all these appliances, kitchen utensils, cabinets – various stuff. So Tony called me and asked if I could guide Abebot and help him unload all his stuff temporarily in Washington (before we move to Olympia). I directly texted and called Abebot and offered to meet him at the corner of Buendia and Ayala Avenue.
It was already 8:30pm and my work would start at 11pm. I was supposed to be sleeping but I sacrificed my sleep in the name of sincere friendship.
Abebot kept me waiting until 10pm, standing in front of RCBC Tower and when I felt really tired, I called him. He said, “Ay, Rob! Di na pala ako tutuloy sa inyo. May kapatid ako sa Pasay, dito ko na muna ipapakilagak ang aking mga gamit.” I heard no sorry or thanks.
It was okay. I just ignored what happened. I went back to our room, walking from Ayala to Washington.
After a few days, we decided to go straight to the owner’s house in Damarinas Village to sign the contract. Alan (Tony’s other friend), Abebot and I went there. Tony was caught up in a serious problem at work so he could not join us. Abebot’s father was driving a van. Apparently, Abebot was already planning to move his stuff from Pasay to the new apartment that same evening.
After the contract signing, Alan went home to Cavite. Abebot’s father drove straight to Pasay without even asking me whether I had other things to do or not. In short, I was forced to go with them, only to find myself going up and down a long, steep staircase, sweating heavily.
His father even kidded me, “Si Abebot talaga… kunwari may bola pa, di naman nagba-basketball.”
Oh boy! He had all sorts of “abubot”, from cotton buds to facial cream, from ironing board to frying pan and a whole lot more. His things were really heavy, the streets were crowded and the van could not park closer to the apartment.
Abebot had me. I had to do that to be a good friend.
There was still a little space so they decided to pick up some of Tony’s things. I fixed his computer table, packed his bags and collected his dirty clothes. One of my brothers hopped in with two bags of clothes.
I had to rush, prepare to work and minutes later, I was enroute to my office – sleepless and really tired.
The rent was P8500/month. We paid 1 month advance and 2 months deposit for a total of P25500. That’s P4250 x 6 persons.
My brother Daniel, I and Tony gave P4500 each. We were supposed to get back P250 each. That’s P750.
After my shift come morning, I went back to the new apartment. All had gone to work but I could not sleep because they left the things scattered all around. I spent my whole day cleaning up our new house. Finally, around 6pm I was able to rest and sleep.
Now, here is another issue. Abebot texted me saying, “Rob, okay lang ba na binigay ko na lang sa Tatay ko yung tig-P250 nyo? Kasi malayo pa ang inuwian nya.”
I felt annoyed and betrayed. Naisahan na naman kami. But I did not react. I tell you, I’m one of the most patient people you could find. In the name of friendship, I did not make it a big deal.
My brother Manuel sensed that something was wrong. In less than a month, he decided to move out.
Thus, it came down to just 5 guys; Me, Tony, Alan, my brother Daniel and Abebot.
Abebot religiously watches telenovelas (Jewel in the Palace, Dyesebel, Darna, Marimar, Tayong Dalawa, Jumong), Piolo’s concerts, Tagalog movies and showbiz-related shows like SNN. Also, he never dines with us.
On the other hand, the rest of us enjoy watching action and sci-fi movies or TV series and eating together. We really get along and even go for short walks at times.
In fairness, when he is with Tony, his face lights up and he looks really happy. Only when he is with Tony. Wala siyang pakialam sa amin at sa aming mga gamit.
As a Call Center employee, I work at night and sleep during the day. However, when it’s too hot, I wait until about 6pm before I go to bed.
That’s when my dilemma starts. Abebot comes, not minding anyone who badly needs to sleep. He turns the TV on in full volume, walks in and out of the room, turns the light on and off, picks and drops various things noisily and spends about 3 hours every night doing his facial rituals.
Most guys would go home, relax for a few minutes, take a shower for about 10 minutes and be done. But Abebot likes walking around the place while brushing his teeth. He walks around wearing just his stinky-looking underwear and he is really, really noisy. He plays the radio on his cellphone loudly. He closes the plate rack cover abruptly and it really awakens me. And he literally plays with water at the sink.
Little by little, I realized why my brother Manuel moved out. He could not stand the things Abebot did. I am convinced that he is rude, insensitive, inconsiderate, egocentric and heartless.
One late afternoon, I was sleeping. It was hot so my personal electric fan was on. Here came Abebot, grabbed my electric fan, pointed it at him while he was ironing his clothes and did not return it. I woke up when he shut the door, my body sweating all over. That devilish creature!
In more than 3 years, Abebot has never helped clean the apartment. He leaves his garbage near the sink every evening and waits for others to throw the bags out. Of course, I do it most of the time.
When my mother was sick, I would be gone for 2 weeks, 1 month or even longer and when I came back, I would still see the same bags of decaying garbage near the sink!
I tried to post reminders and even cleaning assignments but Abebot never respected or followed them. His rudeness goes down, even beyond Hades.
A rat died in the room but no one bothered to find it. I discovered that it was stuck under Abebot’s mattress and – as usual – he did not care. This Abebot is a real pain in the ass!
One day, Reynon told me that Abebot used my plate and spoon to eat. When I came back, I saw it lying around the sink – gumigitata! I left printed notes to remind everyone that we all have responsibilities in the apartment. Nothing happened. I ended up washing my utensils. From then on, I separated them. I hid them in a small cabinet.
One time, Abebot texted us, saying, “Guys, bumili ako ng electric fan. Magbabayad bawat isa ng P110.”
The thing is, I already have my own eletric fan in the living room, which they also use. Then I discovered that Abebot just did not want to share with them his electric fan. The new electric fan was for the other guys in the room and Abebot shamelessly made the decision without consulting any of us – but charged us with P110/each.
As if karma is indeed true, Abebot’s electric fan broke down just after a few days. Holding his pride, he immediately bought his own air cooler. Of course, he is the only one using it. And again, just 2 weeks before this writing, the air cooler broke down again. Now, he is using the same electric fan that was for us.
The stories about Abebot seem endless. He would hide his water container inside the dirty cabinet under the sink with all those crawling roaches. After a few weeks, he moved it to yet another weird place – inside his laundry basket, covered with his dirty clothes. Very selfish and paranoid! Uniquely demonic by nature.
Abebot would buy a bottle of Joy and a scotch brite and he would definitely charge it to us, including his taxi fare.
The rest of us have never had an issue with money. We would buy stuff for the apartment and we’re cool. That’s it. Wala nang kwentahan. I wish Abebot could see that but obviously he does not.
I pay the Meralco bills but Abebot is often “dedma”. He knows that we are supposed to put in our contributions before the due date but he’s like a king who does not have any responsibilities or obligations. He thinks he is above all rules.
One early morning, I went home and found Abebot watching a TV series on his laptop. As usual, he did not even look at me, as if I did not exist. Fine. But wait, it’s not fine. He unplugged my SmartBro and ruined the files I was downloading and he put an 8-inch box on top of my laptop!
I asked, “Ikaw ba nagtanggal nito?” And he innocently (but gloatingly) replied, “Ay! Para saan ba yan?”
Ang sarap sakalin, batukan at ilampaso sa sahig na puno ng asin, di ba? He works for Smart and he does not know what a SmartBro adapter is??? And did I mention that we have 10 electrical outlets in the living room? Why, of all outlets, did he unplug my laptop?!
That was when I recalled Weird Al’s song “You Don’t Love Me Anymore.” Is the guy (or gay?) simply satanic? What kind of upbringing did he have? Or is he just an isolated idiotic, moronic, psychopathic case?
He is lazy, selfish, uncooperative, weird and uniquely mental. He puts the knife pointed side up. He soaks the electical pot in the water. He sweeps the dirt and leaves it on the doorway. He screams when watching TV. He talks on the phone so loudly without minding others. He plays loud music near a sleeping person (like me). He watches TV in full volume even at midnight and laughs alone. He screams upon seeing a cockroach. Yet, he goes to the gym and owns a basketball even if he does not play the game. Props!
You will know it was him who last used the restroom if you see the pail full of water and soap and a braid of hair is blocking the drain.
He could open a salon with his cabinets full of beauty products. And don’t forget, he buys Piolo and Sam’s CDs, sings (and dances) to the tunes and watches their shows. Add the telenovelas and showbiz-oriented shows he can’t miss.
Alan told me that Abebot has been “wooing” Tony since their college days. Well, I don’t have any comment on that. Maybe, Alan was just joking. Maybe not.
In December 2008, I texted Abebot because he did not give his share on the rent on time. I did not know that he was in Davao with his family. He said, “Sinira mo ang bakasyon ko, nakakawalang-gana, ang aga-aga pa naman.”
He was like a talkative lady market vendor who picks a fight. Then he sent nasty, degrading comments and personally maligned me through text. Di ko sya pinatulan. What did I do? I just reminded the arrogant guy (gay?) about his rent. He was so pathetically embarrassing!
We bought a TV. It is ours. But Abebot fixed it in the room so I could not move it to the living room. Tony realized that it’s not fair with me so he bought an extension cord for the antenna and helped me position the TV in the living room.
Abebot moved the TV back to the room. Kinuha ko uli nung isang araw na naman, tutal wala sila. He moved it back to the room again. Once more, I moved it to the living room one Sunday noontime to watch Manny Pacquiao's boxing fight.
On the third time, he hid the extension cord so I could not find it anymore (although, I found the cord after 5 days, but not the connector) and he threw the box away (the one serving as TV rack). Then, he took the remote and brought it home in Rizal for more than a week!
Tell me, don’t I have the most terrible roommate? He is a certified psycho! I rest my case.
How does a day start @ SM?
Yesterday, I got off from work at 9am and I had to find the nearest Mr. Quickie to have 3 keys duplicated. It’s just that after months of seemingly desperate search for roommates, my ad posts at www.olx.com finally paid off. We now have Billy Joel (yes, his parents named him that!) who moved in last night and his friend, Lance, will follow tomorrow. They are the newest addition to our apartment, which makes us now 5 in total.
So before I left my workstation, I googled “Mr. Quickie” and found a small branch at The Landmark. Well, all their branches that I’ve seen so far are small. Duh!
Anyway, that’s not the issue. It was only 9:15am and malls open at 10am! Where would I go? Fortunately, there was my co-worker Louie (we call him Bro. Louie – remember the song?) Yes, I’m talking about the song in the 80’s which I don’t actually know; I just heard it from my “older” first-generation cousins. Hah!
Louie wanted to go shopping but he had not had his breakfast so I offered to accompany him. He had never eaten dumplings before so we went to Paotsin at SM Makati Supermarket (which opens earlier than the mall proper) and enjoyed our yummy shark’s fin meal. He liked it, as far as I could tell. Paotsin should pay me a nice commission for being a great endorser.
Then, I did not realize (it never crossed my mind) that even SM conducted Flag Ceremony. Yes, inside the mall. At least, I’ve never seen one before.
Out of curiousity, Louie and I participated in the Flag Ceremony. Of course, we stood still during the National Anthem singing. I actually saw some people putting their right hands on their left chest. That’s when I thought that Filipinos are still loyal to our country. Well, not all, but others still are.
Afterwards, I thought the crowd would just dismantle or disengage, but I was wrong. The Security Team had their own ceremony, folding of the flag, oath-taking, reciting of the code and customer service pledge — which I paid attention to. That led me into thinking — if only these people could really live up to their sworn duties… if only shoppers could display the same sense of dedication to their jobs, families and friends… if only politicians could do the same… and if only this could last throughout the entire day… and the following days — then, what a wonderful world!
But then again, I woke up back to reality. It was already 10:10am, the malls have started welcoming shoppers and Louie and I went on our way to The Landmark to find the Mr. Quickie branch there. Apparently, Louie changed his mind and did not want to do any shopping anymore.
Upon entering The Landmark, I asked the guard to tell us where Mr. Quickie was. He told us to go out again and go left around the mall and presto — Mr. Quickie had just opened. It was a small outlet (as always) at the left side of The Landmark. There were 2 customers claiming their shoes so I waited for my turn. When I showed the friendly lady the 3 keys, she hurriedly brought them to the guy (is that what we call “locksmith”?) who frowningly told her to return 1 of the 3 keys. The lady said the 3rd key (which was for the main gate downstairs) could not be duplicated.
I politely asked whether they just ran out of stock or if it could not be duplicated at all. In fact, we were able to have that key duplicated at another Mr. Quickie outlet (Makati Cinema Square) several months back.
But the locksmith was loud and just interrupted us and said, “O sige, i-du-duplicate ko yan, pero walang refund pag di gumana. Sinabi nang hindi pwede eh. Pare-pareho lang lahat ng branch. Kung ano ang supply namin, pare-pareho lang kami!”
My goodness! I had a quick surge of blood pressure. What was wrong with him? I was only telling the girl that we had had that key duplicated already before. Meaning, it could be done. Well, to avoid confrontation and so as not to ruin my day, I just told the lady to duplicate the other 2 keys and I would take the 3rd one at their other branch.
Then, Louie and I went home. My heart was still pounding. But I recalled the nice scene I witnessed at SM Makati earlier that day and I put on a smile on my face again. I told myself to just ignore it and move on. When I got at my apartment, I tried the duplicates and they worked, made a couple of calls, had a 5-way call conference with my family and went to bed.
But still, that locksmith guy at Mr. Quickie was a moron, don’t you think?
So before I left my workstation, I googled “Mr. Quickie” and found a small branch at The Landmark. Well, all their branches that I’ve seen so far are small. Duh!
Anyway, that’s not the issue. It was only 9:15am and malls open at 10am! Where would I go? Fortunately, there was my co-worker Louie (we call him Bro. Louie – remember the song?) Yes, I’m talking about the song in the 80’s which I don’t actually know; I just heard it from my “older” first-generation cousins. Hah!
Louie wanted to go shopping but he had not had his breakfast so I offered to accompany him. He had never eaten dumplings before so we went to Paotsin at SM Makati Supermarket (which opens earlier than the mall proper) and enjoyed our yummy shark’s fin meal. He liked it, as far as I could tell. Paotsin should pay me a nice commission for being a great endorser.
Then, I did not realize (it never crossed my mind) that even SM conducted Flag Ceremony. Yes, inside the mall. At least, I’ve never seen one before.
Out of curiousity, Louie and I participated in the Flag Ceremony. Of course, we stood still during the National Anthem singing. I actually saw some people putting their right hands on their left chest. That’s when I thought that Filipinos are still loyal to our country. Well, not all, but others still are.
Afterwards, I thought the crowd would just dismantle or disengage, but I was wrong. The Security Team had their own ceremony, folding of the flag, oath-taking, reciting of the code and customer service pledge — which I paid attention to. That led me into thinking — if only these people could really live up to their sworn duties… if only shoppers could display the same sense of dedication to their jobs, families and friends… if only politicians could do the same… and if only this could last throughout the entire day… and the following days — then, what a wonderful world!
But then again, I woke up back to reality. It was already 10:10am, the malls have started welcoming shoppers and Louie and I went on our way to The Landmark to find the Mr. Quickie branch there. Apparently, Louie changed his mind and did not want to do any shopping anymore.
Upon entering The Landmark, I asked the guard to tell us where Mr. Quickie was. He told us to go out again and go left around the mall and presto — Mr. Quickie had just opened. It was a small outlet (as always) at the left side of The Landmark. There were 2 customers claiming their shoes so I waited for my turn. When I showed the friendly lady the 3 keys, she hurriedly brought them to the guy (is that what we call “locksmith”?) who frowningly told her to return 1 of the 3 keys. The lady said the 3rd key (which was for the main gate downstairs) could not be duplicated.
I politely asked whether they just ran out of stock or if it could not be duplicated at all. In fact, we were able to have that key duplicated at another Mr. Quickie outlet (Makati Cinema Square) several months back.
But the locksmith was loud and just interrupted us and said, “O sige, i-du-duplicate ko yan, pero walang refund pag di gumana. Sinabi nang hindi pwede eh. Pare-pareho lang lahat ng branch. Kung ano ang supply namin, pare-pareho lang kami!”
My goodness! I had a quick surge of blood pressure. What was wrong with him? I was only telling the girl that we had had that key duplicated already before. Meaning, it could be done. Well, to avoid confrontation and so as not to ruin my day, I just told the lady to duplicate the other 2 keys and I would take the 3rd one at their other branch.
Then, Louie and I went home. My heart was still pounding. But I recalled the nice scene I witnessed at SM Makati earlier that day and I put on a smile on my face again. I told myself to just ignore it and move on. When I got at my apartment, I tried the duplicates and they worked, made a couple of calls, had a 5-way call conference with my family and went to bed.
But still, that locksmith guy at Mr. Quickie was a moron, don’t you think?
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