Currently at Mactan International Airport waiting for boarding time after hours of waiting doing nothing because of the inability to rebook due to booking charges (talking about being frugal) and the inability to go out because of the continuous rainshower..

Cebu is my third destination in a series of travels that hopefully will all materialize. Being here since Tuesday, trying to finish the work including the paper works (reports) on time, is quite exhausting. Visiting the different facilities – checking the vicinity, equipment, tools and instruments, documents, building including the CR, other things in the checklist -, then doing all the paper works hoping I/we did not miss anything that might be important are all part of the routine.

What’s makes this visit to Cebu different from my previous visits?

copper mining area

antennas

It’s our visit to Mt. Majic facility located at Mt. Luay, Cebu. From the airport, it takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. Aside from doing our usual routines, we’re hoping to see the much-talked foggy ascent/descent to/from the top or maybe enjoy a closer interaction with the clouds but the weather cooperated with us and stayed as clear as ever.   Frustrating …

But not as much.  The trip alone is already an experience for without a mission, I might not have gone up or traveled somewhere near it. Looking forward to my next travel, at work and/or on leisure.

After what seems a very long day on the field, and although tired and sleepy, we did not let the chance to enjoy a good meal pass by. Our accommodating colleague showed us the city at night amidst the heavy traffic. And soon, we reach our destination, the Parkmall, Cebu.

There are many choices but Joven’s was highly recommended. We’re not really voracious eaters but an eat-all-you-ca resto like that at Joven’s is a very nice experience, not to mention there were lots of choices. Speaking of shrimps, and crabs, and grilled fish. Yummy :

jovens minicakes dessert

jovens food

jovens shrimp dish

grilled fish

fruits and desserts

I’ve been living in the city for more than a decade now. Although I love the quietness in the province, I prefer the fast life in the city.  After a long day of wrenching with sentence construction, fields, forms and codes, I needed a fresh air. Well, not really as fresh as the air in the countryside.

As I was lying on the swing located at the roof of our house, I noticed that, aside from the moon that shines brightly, there is only one visible star tonight. But, they’re just too far away from each other that my camera lens can’t even capture them both. Hm, should I wish for a better camera?

But it’s not the camera that bothers me. If the moon and the star could only speak, would they wish to be closer and keep each other’s company through the night as they look down on the city lights? Or are they happy that they each have their own space on the vast sky, contented, far away from one another?

I wonder how they really feel. Don’t you?

Or do they feel anything at all?

Ever wonder why call center agents are paid higher than the other regular jobs? Here are some answers I found on the net.

1.
A plain computer illeterate guy rings tech support to report that his computer is faulty.
Tech: What’s the problem?
Customer:  There is smoke coming out of the power supply.
Tech: You’ll need a new power supply.
Customer:  No, I don’t! I just need to change the startup files.
Tech: Sir, the power supply is faulty. You’ll need to replace it.

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Cola soft drink

I went out early to buy materials for a home project. Under the hot sun and with too many people trying to go past each other, I got tired walking and asking for prices. I decided to rest for awhile inside a very popular fast food chain and ordered a value meal.

Based on the menu, the value meal has a soft drink included. The person who had taken my order asked, “Maam, may kasama po bang soft drinks?”.

So I answered, “Wala bang kasamang soft drinks ang value meal na iyan?”

She answered.”Meron po.”

I smiled.

Then, her next question was, “Maam, ano pong drinks ang gusto niyo?”

I checked for what is available and since I don’t usually want ice on my drinks,  I answered, “Coke. Regular. Pwede iyong walang ice?”

She replied, “Coke regular. Walang ice po maam.”

Then, she processed my order.

Oops, she punched an additional order, the soft drink. “Ay, mali”, she muttered.  The supervisor was called to void the transaction.

She processed it again.

When she filled up my cup of soft drink, she transferred the content of a previously half-filled, uncovered cup into the cup she served for me. Since my cup was not yet full, she filled it up from the dispenser. So, I asked her, “Miss, saan galing iyang softdrink?”

She replied, “Maam, sa kabilang baso po.”

So I asked her again, “Dapat bang doon manggaling ang iserve mo para sa akin?”

She replied back, “Kasi po maam, wala pong ice ang order niyo.”

So I asked her again, “Anong connection ng pagkuha mo sa kabilang baso so walang ice?”

She answered, “Kasi po maam, may ice na po iyong mga nasa baba.”

Though I did not understand the phrase “mga nasa baba” I told her, “Miss, pakipalitan na lang iyan.”

She answered again, “Maam, may ice na po kasi iyong ibang mga baso.”

Already irritated. I checked the dispenser. “Miss, wala na bang ibang cup na walang ice? Hindi ba pwedeng tanggalin iyong ice bago mo lagyan?”

She answered again, “Maam, papalitan ko po ba?”

With finality, I told her, “Pakipalitan miss, ayaw ko nyan.”

That was the only time she replaced the contents of the cup.

—
I am not choosy with food. In fact, I do eat in carinderias and on the sidewalks. But since I decided to eat in that very popular fast food chain, I just want to be served right.

Half-filled and uncovered for indefinite period of time with the ice already melted, given other options, who wants that soft drink?