find me a mistletoe

seven days before lovely christmas.

i woke up, after a not-so restful, interrupted sleep.

all the partying, the shopping, the cramming finally took their toll on me,

my nose is stuffy, my throat hurts. i'm staring at the blank screen of my PC, zombified.


***

i got to my office at 10AM and got myself some chocolate drink. wala lang, i thought, chocolate can help.

so there i was, drinking my magnolia chuckie, waiting for the elevator when mr. senator stood beside me, also waiting for the elevator.

i didn't bother saying good morning, because, well, i was not really having a good morning.

his security detail was looking at me. i was wearing my goggles--err... bangaw shades.

my favorite senator's chief-of-staff came in. hello, hello. we all got inside the elevator.

***

i got off at the fifth floor. there were two k9 units waiting.

"what the ef?" i asked inside my head.

i don't like dogs.

turns out, people-- patrons, lobbyists and political-players have been flooding the different offices in our building with gifts. and to avoid a repeat of the HOR bombing, they deployed dogs to sniff at the gifts.

i didn't see k9 units at the lobby though. just at the 5th floor.

are we missing something here?

yes. go figure.

***
and that trip!!!!

*****

this holiday season is just crazy.

tick tock

'tis the season to be busy, falalalala, lalalala...

unbelievable... 11 days to go before christmas and i am running out of time, money, patience and sanity.

i'm not yet done with my christmas shopping.

i'm not yet done with my three other projects.

i'm not getting enough sleep.

i'm drinking wine and bacardi like i'm a fish.

i've got a gazillion parties, dinners, coffees, cocktails, charity event, get together and wakes to attend.

and of course, i have to deal with the long lines in cashiers (made worse by people who use their credit cards for a 300peso purchase-- argh!), the traffic (just plain crazy), the bargain shoppers who always box me out and get the best items in bazaars, relatives who ask when i'll get married, frenemies that i have to be nice to in the spirit of the season, kids who grow up so fast-- the clothes i bought for them just won't fit now, and yes-- all the strangers that you have to shake hands/ socialize with.

and yeah, that winter trip in seven days.

jeeez.... talk about being like butter spread thinly over steaming bibingka.

now, with all that bruhaha, i think i deserve some good stuff. here's my list:

put them under my christmas tree

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS:

- a job that pays me to be me

- subscription to hollywood tabloids, women's glossies, and the american journal of political science

- more babies in the family (kids are just adorable)

- my own franchise of fix salon, gold's gym, cyma, sugi and coffee bean. all right, my own mall.

- shoes.

- bags by bea valdez and tina ocampo

- monopoly of donor funded projects

- trips abroad

- free salon and derma services

- the whole of ongpin and binondo. yes, including probable monster-in-law.

- lose 20 pounds. (a top priority)



happy christmas everyone.

......

at my office:

it's only 1:33pm.

haven't been here the past two days due to menstrual and mental cramps.

mental cramps resulting from that pant-pull-down fiasco.

i wanna go home na.

got tired crying and speaking in another language at the same time.

obama rama and the queen of america

look-y look-y who's supporting obama rama?

i wonder who will bat for hillary?

because saying "i died!" won't be enough

change the world. social entrepreneurship.

my three brain cells were over working to digest these concepts while i was having cocktails with a couple of interesting people at the asia society and philippines 21 event.

then this guy, asked me if my name is really just g.h.

normally, i would roll my eyes and say "umm... yeah..." and depending on my temperament, my body language would convey-- now drop it.

but it was different last night. i was willing to give this person a professorial lecture on why i have two letters and two periods for a first name and how the church and government accepted it and how people have been harassing me since kindergarten (that was 13 years ago) because of my name. and oh yeah, about other things, like my parents' phone number in case he decides to ask my hand in marriage.

talk about being swept off my feet. or in last night's case, being swept off my stilletos.

"oh yes, g.h. is my name. just g.h."

"does it mean anything? grace?"

"no. it's my dad's initials actually."

"oh."

in my mind, i was going shet, think fast of what else to say, don't let him go yet.

"by the way, i haven't congratulated you."

"for what?"

"for being the outstanding alumnus of NCPAG this year."

"oh, so you're from NCPAG."

"yeah. actually, i was supposed to be the one to nominate you but i was too shy to interview you. so it was tita liling who finally accomplished and submitted your nomination."

"really, why were you shy?"

at that point, i was like, "why am i shy? can't you see i am stuterring and hyperventillating here. you're too gwapo for me to handle."

but of course i didn't say that. i said something lame-r.

"umm... kasi you were busy." (eek. lame-o right?)

"oh well. so let's toast to that." (raised his goblet (?) of wine)

"cheers." (i clinked my goblet with his.)

smile smile smile smile smile smile smile.....

i told him i work at this government institution. i had to restrain myself from telling him that in case he runs for the senate in 2010, can i be part of his team?

for a few heartbeats, we talked about my favorite subject in the whole wide universe, which i also guess is his favorite subject-- politics.

"who knows, V might be president after all." he said.

"that is, if R lets him be president, or G."

"lets him be president." he laughed.

shoot, i can go on hearing that laughter, seeing those dimples, and i will, not even for a second get tired of it.

then the cliche--some good things never last-- had to happen. time to switch to other people--err talk to other people.

i swear, if i had three most favorite moments in my life and i'll be allowed to go back to them, i would be back at the ayala musuem lobby, at the asia society event, in my stilletos.

who was the guy?

photo from chuvaness

adel tamano.

now you understand why i just can't say "i died" to tell the story.

but yeah, i died.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

• this is the era of advanced women's rights, next level women's empowerment.
• and men are feeling more emasculated than ever.
• those who can't handle it resort to their cavemen ways-- that is, try to overpower women with force or with any way they can.
• to anyone, well actually to the male employers/ employees in government, before you go about broadcasting your sexual prowess or conquests in the office / or directing your green jokes at a female co-worker/ below are some pertinent provisions of the ADMINISTRATIVE DISCIPLINARY RULES ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASES, RESOLUTION NO. 01-0940, passed by the Civil Service Commission that you may want to know:

RULE III.
DEFINITION

Section 3. For the purpose of these Rules, the administrative offense of sexual harassment is an act, or a series of acts, involving any unwelcome sexual advance, request or demand for a sexual favor, or other verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, committed by a government employee or official in a work-related, training or education related environment of the person complained of.

(a) Work related sexual harassment is committed under the following circumstances:

(1) submission to or rejection of the act or series of acts is used as a basis for any employment decision (including, but not limited to, matters related to hiring, promotion, raise in salary, job security, benefits and any other personnel action) affecting the applicant/employee; or

(2) the act or series of acts have the purpose or effect of interfering with the complainant’s work performance, or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment; or

(3) the act or series of acts might reasonably be expected to cause discrimination, insecurity, discomfort, offense or humiliation to a complainant who may be a co-employee, applicant, customer, or word of the person complained of.

(b) Education or training-related sexual harassment is committed against one who is under the actual or constructive care, custody or supervision of the offender, or against one whose education, training, apprenticeship, internship or tutorship is directly or constructively entrusted to, or is provided by, the offender, when:

(1) submission to or rejection of the act or series of acts as a basis for any decision affecting the complainant, including, but not limited to, the giving of a grade, the granting of honors or a scholarship, the payment of a stipend or allowance, or the giving of any benefit, privilege or consideration.

(2) the act or series of acts have the purpose or effect of interfering with the performance, or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive academic environment of the complainant; or

(3) the act or series of acts might reasonably expected to cause discrimination, insecurity, discomfort, offense or humiliation to a complainant who may be a trainee, apprentice, intern, tutee or ward of the person complained of.

Section 4. Sexual harassment may take place:

1. in the premises of the workplace or office or of the school or training institution;

2. in any place where the parties were found as a result of work or education or training responsibilities or relations;

3. at work or education or training-related social functions;

4. while on official business outside the office or school or training institution or during work or school or training-related travel;

5. at official conferences, fora, symposia or training sessions; or

6. by telephone, cellular phone, fax machine or electronic mail.

RULE IV.
FORMS OR SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Section 5. The following are illustrative forms of sexual harassment:
(a) Physical
i. Malicious Touching;
ii. Overt sexual advances;
iii. Gestures with lewd insinuation.

(b) Verbal, such as but not limited to, requests or demands for sexual favors, and lurid remarks; (c) Use of objects, pictures or graphics, letters or writing notes with sexual underpinnings;
(d) Other forms analogous to the forgoing.

RULE V.
PERSONS LIABLE FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Section 6. Any government official or employee, regardless of sex, is liable for sexual harassment when he/she:

(a) directly participates in the execution of any act of sexual harassment as defined by these Rules;
(b) induces or directs another or others to commit sexual harassment as defined by these Rules; (c) cooperates in the commission of sexual harassment by another through an act without which the sexual harassment would not have been accomplished;
(d) cooperates in the commission of sexual harassment by another through previous or simultaneous acts.

RULE X.
CLASSIFICATION OF ACTS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Section 53. Sexual harassment is classified as grave, less grave and light offenses.

A. Grave Offenses shall include, but are not limited to:
1. unwanted touching of private parts of the body (genitalia, buttocks and breast);
2. sexual assault;
3. malicious touching;
4. requesting for sexual favor in exchange for employment, promotion, local or foreign travels, favorable working conditions or assignments, a passing grade, the granting of honors or scholarship, or the grant of benefits or payment of a stipend or allowance, and
5. other analogous cases.

B. Less Grave Offenses shall include, but are not limited to:
1. unwanted touching or brushing against a victim’s body;
2. pinching not falling under grave offenses;
3. derogatory or degrading remarks or innuendoes directed toward the members of one sex, or one’s sexual orientation or used to describe a person;
4. verbal abuse with sexual overtones; and
5. other analogous cases.

C. The following shall be considered Light Offenses;
1. surreptitiously looking or staring a look of a person’s private part or worn undergarments;
2. telling sexist/smutty jokes or sending these through text, electronic mail or other similar means, causing embarrassment or offense and carried out after the offender has been advised that they are offensive or embarrassing or, even without such advise, when they are by their nature clearly embarrassing, offensive or vulgar;
3. malicious leering or ogling;
4. the display of sexually offensive pictures, materials or graffiti;
5. unwelcome inquiries or comments about a person’s sex life;
6. unwelcome sexual flirtation, advances, propositions;
7. making offensive hand or body gestures at an employee;
8. persistent unwanted attention with sexual overtones;
9. unwelcome phone calls with sexual overtones causing discomfort, embarrassment, offense or insult to the receiver; and
10. other analogous cases.

RULE XI.
ADMINISTRATIVE LIABILITIES

Section 54. The head of office who fails to act within fifteen (15) days from receipt of any complaint for sexual harassment properly filed against any employee in that office shall be charged with Neglect of Duty.

Section 55. Any person who is found guilty of sexual harassment shall, after the investigation, be meted the penalty corresponding to the gravity and seriousness of the offense.

Section 56. The penalties for light, less grave, and grave offenses are as follows:

A. For light offenses:
1st offense – Reprimand
2nd offense – Fine or suspension not exceeding thirty (30) days
3rd offense – Dismissal

B. For less grave offenses:
1st offense – Fine or suspension of not less than thirty (30) days and not exceeding six (6) months
2nd offense – Dismissal

C. For grave offenses: Dismissal

Section 57. If the respondent is found guilty of two or more charges or counts, the penalty to be imposed should be that corresponding to the most serious charge or count and the rest shall be considered as aggravating circumstances.

***

moral of the entry:

1. be responsible for your action/inaction.

2. DO NOT MESS with a glamazon from UP. (dahil kung halang ang bituka nyo, mas halang ang bituka ko. )