I was reading Tina’s blog about technology when I came upon the word Web 2.0. I already read Bernie mention it from the interview of Matt for LS, but I haven’t really researched it yet.

On google I clicked on the first link, and so far, the rest of what I have been reading is exciting but troubling me as well. I’m not sure I fully understand how their definition of web 2.0 goes, but I was thinking about the concept of how they described web 2.0 participants as business men and co designers, each contributing growth to the service–finally detaching websites from being merely information pages but an interactive database which grows as more users provide information. It is now not a one way system, but a very dynamic, community based system.

It can be such an exciting concept. After all, with sites upgrading to compete with the web 2.0 functionality, it can go boundless. And it won’t affect not just the web, but maybe even its nearest adversary, graphics. Media would now not be just how the artist would perceive it, but as how the users would interact with it as well.

It’s just scary for some who are left with the security of being conventional. What would then happen to “simple is elegant”? Chances are ideas would always border on maximalism. Would the net be then too much to handle that web 2.0 might cause information overload?

(Or what you normally sing when you’re writing your goodbye to your job for the second time in a year)

We finally did it. We decided our friends are far more important than our careers, so we dropped if off officially on Tuesday morning, December 19th for the December 18th shift.

At least it was a good excuse to present to Tina, whom we met the night after for a pizza in Greenhills. Of course she knew that was bull, but it was fun to think about it for some time. Or maybe not, because we spent our time avoiding it and just talking about our favorite psychology topics, some conversations we have craved for for a long time due to the scarcity of sensible people. Yes, we quit our job for people like Tina, whom we value more and would like to spend quality time with over Christmas. So yes, for bookings till January, you may start your reservations now.

Admittedly, while the hype was being passed around the office, it was exciting to think about. We were brave enough to face the consumerist month jobless, without any promise of a next company that offers the same pay. Our tenurity with GE would not offer comfort, as 4 months isn’t exactly much for some companies. It may be a valiant excuse to say we want to just rest.
Or maybe it’s just foolish.
Today, we finished our clearance just for the back pay to process earlier. We bid everyone goodbye, promised to show up on Christmas parties, gave our word to keep in touch. We intend to. GE people are as much lovable as APAC-Medco people, and we will cherish them both. We were cheeky with them Medco guys, in fact, when we dropped by APAC to pick up our W2 forms. And if there’s a few regrets of leaving both APAC and GE, it’s losing such great people as constant company every time another company presents better pastures.
So why leave, if they were great people then? Honestly, up to this point, we’re not exactly sure either. We wanted to think that we needed rest, but after the hype of going around the office and declaring your choice, you find yourself in a state of emptiness when your body hits the bed when you get home. Ger and I would look at each other silently; our eyes would say, “This is it,” but we couldn’t bear to really voice out loud the big question of “what now?” Is it really the company? In all honesty, GE may have a few flaws, but maybe—just maybe—they can be bearable if the proper motivation is found. Is it the pay? We know better than to question that. Is it the nature of the job? Maybe. But haven’t we braced ourselves for that? That we’d stick around taking calls for some time up until we finally earn enough to maybe support ourselves while trying out for the field we really want? Or maybe stick around long enough to apply for a position where we could finally retire taking in calls?

We tried buying some time to figure that out. A few hours, then a day, two days, four…finally, a week. We can’t stay that way. We may be getting a little sick, and that might be enough to merit the required medical certificate we’re supposed to present to excuse ourselves from skipping work. But we’re being unfair too. To our teammates struggling hard to raise the team statistics, to our Team Leaders trying to manage with our absences, to GE and their value of integrity, and mostly for our integrity, us who can’t bear having to pull ourselves off the bed to go to work. It may be a depressive state, but we needed to do this. For everyone and for ourselves as well.

As we walked the halls for possibly the last time this week, I thought of everyone else we’ll miss. People in our wave who’d make a name for themselves sooner than everybody expects. People like Ayessa and Kenzo. Ayessa, our QA, is just a charming, righteous and positive person. I would definitely love to hear better news about her in a few months. Kenzo’s hardworking and slick. They’ll definitely shine from our batch. Good guys from Team Ryan who stick together. Wavz, Brian, Jeff, Shiela, She Mia, Gay, Wes, Abe, Nico. You’re great as a team, keep it up. Other people like Dean and Xavvy. New acquaintances like KC and others. And my team—they’re just powerhouse. Brian and Jeff, I do wish I became more comfortable with you guys sooner. I hope you keep making everyone lively. You made the best seat mates, believe me. Gertz, too bad I lost a month knowing you, but you were so nice. Adel, man, if I were constantly smoking again I would have loved to pick your brain while sitting in the smoking areas. Ayang, I’m hoping to bump into you again one day around the village. Mommy Jo, what can I say, I’ve known you since Medco days. You’re still the same lovable Mommy Jo. Marky—I’m expecting him to become a csm soon. You stand up and manage better than anyone when Cielo’s not around. Jamie—I should have gotten into a drinking session with you earlier had I known. Too bad you didn’t get to see me come to work after that session in Nak’s. Jay and Dana—make up for me. Hehe. To the others—Tonie, Alex, Emily and others I may have not mentioned, I just wish I was able to know you guys better. Everyone has given me a great time while I was taking in calls in your bay for the past few weeks. And of course, Cielo. If there’s anything I would like to tell her, it would be that I am so sorry for not being the agent she probably hoped for. I wasn’t the agent I hoped I would be as well, but I would like to thank her for the small time I was with her. I would like you to know that I’m already disappointed in myself, so no need to get upset over me na. He he. I almost believed I would be able to give you the same good statistics I gave Medco before I left, but I guess I hoped too much. But you were one of the best managers I have come across with. You would have been so proud to have me under your wing as much as I m that you’re my csm had I given you the best I could. But nonetheless, I wish you all the best. You WILL be great. That’s a fact. And when I hear about that after a few months, I wouldn’t be surprised at the news, maybe just on the fact that they didn’t recognize it sooner.

 
Thank you for everything. We’ll miss you.
(post originally dated December 20th.)

It’s funny how you start creating a parallelism between the past year and two burned cds. I was flipping through some file photos when I saw some pictures that brought back some great memories in 2006 that told me, hey, the year wasn’t that bad at all.

So, before I start the (chinese) new year collecting pictures and burning new memories into two new cds to view in 2008, I’ll be sharing 2006 first with you guys as well.

January 2006:

The year has roughly started yet it was faced with a little despair. Ger and I were unavoidably detained at work while the fireworks blasted in the sky. And it can’t possibly get any worse for Ger, whose family celebrates New Year’s more than Christmas. It would be the first New Year away from my family as well.

February 2006

Ah! This was the month I first bought my Canon A520. The day served as a joke for us, because the guy who was supposed to sell his camera described himself as a “discreet bi,” when we found a very gay guy approaching us in the meeting area at McDonald’s UST. Hahaha.
March 2006

Things were too complicated for us come March when finally an ultrasound created a pathway to comfort. We also supplied ourselves with breathers every once in a while, which came in the form of road trips.

This was also the month I first climbed a mountain. Considering it was for beginners, I wanted to kill the leader who made it seem like toddlers used to trek there. I shared a tent with my ex-bestfriend Aiz. Months later, she’s going to give me a bad cut in the back of my palm, and we will never talk to each other again. No, that’s not the reason she became an ex-bestfriend. Don’t ask.
April 2006

April was an attempt to socialize with the office people. A department sponsored sportsfest was held somewhere in Muntinlupa where I did not participate. Heh. I’m not particularly sporty. Or at least I just don’t like sports with balls that might smack me in the face. Ger played volleyball, or at least posed like she was playing it.
May 2006

Trying to get healthy over the summer, we picked up Tennis next to Badminton. We initially got lessons in Island Cove, but learned that we’re paying off big time for phony lessons. When we finally got better lessons with a pro, we found it too pricey. Blegh.

June 2006

June was the roadtrip grande frap with two shots of espresso and extra whipped cream. When Ger’s extra curricular college friends (ano daw?) invited us to go rapids in Pangasinan, it wasn’t purely the Hundred Islands we expected. The girl’s running a slight fever gone wrong which stopped her from doing the rapids, but just to make the trip worthwhile, she joined the snorkelling. I refrained from doing any other activities without her just to be fair, but since I didn’t find the trip worth the long travel, I asked my dad if he could adopt us for the meantime.

And they were in Baguio.

So off Ger and I rode a bus, hopped into a van afterwards, and a couple of zigzags while sleeping after, we found ourselves in the almighty land of Baguio, where the grass is always–not greener–colder. We walked around at night, bought bonnets, ordered coffee ala kalye (daming tindahan sa kalye, e) and ate lugaw sa terminal. We vowed to go back again with a bigger budget and more time.

Oh, and yeah, we also met Aiz there. She happened to be around Benguet at that time.
July 2006

Wala lang. *blushes*
August 2006

Two transitions on the way: one was when we were leaving APAC, the other was when we were entering GE. It was a difficult time but exciting somehow, to be brave enough to think that maybe the grass really is greener on the building with a wider elevator.

Oh yeah. And happy birthday to us.Our present to ourselves? Galera again, baby.

September 2006

We found this really huge live mariposa outside the building while on yosi break. Maybe it’s a sign of the metamorphosis.

This month was the time we moved in to our apartment in Alabang. It was hard to budget expenses which mostly went to our appliances and other beautification grandeur we did. Right. Well, it was fun to sleep more hours and walk to work.

October 2006

It’s my favorite niece’s birthday. And no, I don’t have any other nieces.

I got her this really huge Barney doll which my dad did something to which made her cry. Bad, daddy. Soon, she accepted the fact that this IS Barney, and the hell if they do anything to it. It was HERS.

Oh, and Coise was bought on this month. Coisey, coisey!

November 2006

On an effort to pick up another sport, we attended the every wednesday beginner’s night play sponsored by F of Philippine Ultimate (google it). Yes, it was frisbee time. But I never really understood its importance until I saw Derek Ramsey playing in Alabang against an imported (read: foreigners) team. Oooh. Muscles. Hehe.

December 2006

It’s a cake! It’s a cake!

Well, it’s a chocolate marjolaine, and it’s currently topping one of my favorites.

December is the year we turn one. Candice also came to the Philippines with boylet who’s a little annoyed with the fact that he couldn’t have Candice close without her parents cutting them short. In short, malaking harang.

Oh. And look at the Sbucks cup. It says “Candies.” Shet, ibalik sa gradeschool yang baristang yan!

You know you’ve never been home much if one morning while you’re walking in the subdivision you bump into a neighbor that bloomed into a prettier girl than you have imagined.

Could this be a new crush? No, not really.