In the System

I went to the City Hall today to fill-out my employment papers. I am now officially employed.

While driving there today, I realized that this is "it." From now on, I'll be working to live. I'll be working for my future. I'll be working for "grown-up stuff" that I can call my own someday like a house, car, Ikea furniture straight out from the catalog, Hello Kitty waffle maker...yes, that's a grown up thing, okay?! LoL.

Although trying to pick the best retirement benefits option gave me some confusion, the bigger obstacle today was...trying to find, and buy, work clothes. Dang, why was I not born with a kikay gene in my body? How come shopping is not my passion? Why can't I get excited about trying on clothes? When people say shop until I drop, how come I drop after 30 minutes?

Note to self: Learn how to be a girl for once. {;P

It's Not Easy Being Me

I find it amusing when I get to hear people's perception of me based on my website. It doesn't happen often, but when people do get the guts to tell me what they think, I'm really quite amused.

Bitter. Melodramatic. Hopeless. Confused. I would accept those as fair ways of describing me. I'll even take "crazy." But are those the words that I hear from my male site visitors? Nope. Since the beginning of this year, I've been finding out that their first impression, and maybe lasting one also, of me is that I'm a geek. A geek! Can you all believe that?! Geek meaning technology-savvy, cellphone-carrying, PDA-using, digicam-toting, DSL-loving woman. The heck?! I don't even own a cellphone! And when was the last time I mentioned anything geeky on here? Hmph!

Is this why I'm single?! Did Mr. Right visit this website before and said, "Hmm, she's not 'The One.' She's a geek. Let me continue on my journey."? Ack! The horror!

For the last time, I'm not a geek. I'm a normal, cute, intelligent, sweet ... (We interrupt this entry to let you know that MiNA just got hit by lightning. Stay tuned for further details.) {;P

O Happy Days

My real start date is on March 16th. However, my boss called me on Monday to ask if I could attend the all-day staff retreat today. Hey, anything for extra hours. {;P

Eventhough it was a retreat, we just stayed in the office. I have already volunteered/been assigned to do three projects so I'm much more excited now for my first real day. I also got a chance to of course observe my co-workers/teammates/superiors at work and I like what I saw. These three women are knowledgeable, passionate, and focused with their work, and I look forward to learning from them. I also found out about certain perks that come with the job so all the better. HeHe. Anyway, again, they reiterated to me that the position will become permanent in 3-4 month's time. Mom, there's my medical and dental insurance for you! Although I know, that still isn't good enough for the woman. Hmph!

However, I'm not just giddy about my newfound job. Last night, my dance instructor set me aside and asked me if I ever thought of joining a dance group! I read her short bio in the class description when I signed up for the class and already knew she was the director and choreographer for one of the local dance groups. I was actually going to ask her about that last week, but never got around to doing it. Little did I know she wanted to discuss it with me. Naks! HeHe. I really miss performing so I hope I get to do that again soon. It's nice to know that after 5 years, I still got rhythm and my body is still holding up. HeHe!

Lost in Translation

Sadly, I found out today that I cannot participate in a heated argument if it's conducted in Tagalog. Hindi kaya ng powers ko. Whenever they televise a court proceeding on TFC, like a Senate hearing, I always find it painful to watch lawyers take 10 seconds to utter the next phrase of their argument because they're trying to find the English words for it. Little did I know, I sound like those lawyers when subjected to a Tagalog shouting match, if you can even call it as such.

"Bubuksan ninyo yung mga sulat ko...tapos...tapos..." tapos natalo si MiNA sa point niya. LoL. Kainis ha! Needless to say, my horns appeared at approximately one minute and thirty seconds after I got out of bed this morning. I think that's a record. Walking around the neighborhood for an hour didn't help to erase the scowl on my face either.

I stand by what I posted here on Sunday. If you want to know something, ask me. Don't assume, don't make stuff up, just ask. If you want to know if I have a boyfriend, don't snoop around my desk downstairs or in my room. Just ask me. If you want to know who the guy on the phone is, don't lift up the receiver upstairs and listen in on the conversation. Just ask me. If you want to know how much money I have left in my bank account, don't open up my bank account statements while I'm in Manila for three months. Just ask me. For crying out loud, if I ran out of money while I was halfway around the world, I would tell you. If you want to know if I'm employed, don't open up my rejection letters. Just ask me. When it happened on Saturday, I let it pass. But when it happened again two days later, iba na yung usapan.

It's one thing to do such a thing, it's another to lie to me about it when I confront you. To say that you thought it was your letter is super duper not true and you know it. Why the hell would you be receiving letters from all of these places?! And who the hell opens up a letter without checking first if the envelope was addressed to you?! Plus, the act was so blatant! I left one of the letters unopened by my computer the night before, and the next day, it was opened. Gee, I wonder if someone broke into the house last night just to check if I got a job! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Then you're going to ask me for a favor today?! What am I dumb?! I am not dumb! You should know this by now! ::pushing down on my horns:: If only I knew how to translate those words so quickly this morning, then I wouldn't have to post this entry right now. Hmph.

Isn't it usually the kids who snoop around the house? Isn't it usually the kids who lie to their parents? Then why, oh why, is it the other way around for me?! Ayoko na talaga! {=(

It Is I

I admire...those people who took it upon themselves to shoulder the responsibilities at home, for being breadwinners at an early age, for putting their family first all the time. I admire them because they accepted the responsibilities without complaints, without bitterness, without questioning their fate. I wish I could say the same about myself.

I envy...my cousins in the Philippines who don't have to worry about their future because they will be taken cared of no matter what, classmates and friends who got drunk during any day of the week. Although I never desired to have alcohol running through my veins, it would have been nice to at least have that choice during high school or college.

I wish...that when any of my cousins suggest that I move to Colorado, the Philippines, or any place in this world, I could just do it in an instant. When I want to do something for myself, I wish that it would just affect me; that if I ruin my future, the only person that is going to suffer is me.

I desire...selfishness when making decisions that matter most to one's life.