Welcoming 26

I just turned 26, maybe it's a big fuss for some, but it aint much for me now. I guess it's just that i am not where i planned to be.

First, i would love to thank my friends who greeted me on my special day. It really means a lot to me. As you all know, i am indeed very sensitive whenever my birthday comes, and so i am very thankful for the people who remembered. Thanks to my friend Lora for dinner, the resto experience wasn't all glittery but it was the night i treasured. Thanks for the conversation, same with my friend Mika who stayed with us that night. Thank you for remembering my birthday since you've met me. I would also wanna say thank you to my good friend Marwin, who greeted me in advance, so that in case he forgets on that day, he already did what he can when he remembered it. Thanks to Alden, for the drama greet. He pretended to call me for another reason,but it turns out, he just wanted to greet me too, same with his wife Anna. To all the people who greeted me in friendster, Caryn,and the guys i haven't met personally... thank you. You have touched my heart in ways you can't imagine... (hindi po bastos yun..hehehe)

As my friends would have known by now, my sentiments on this day really gets emphasized, sometimes blown out of proportions. May be it's the same old "alone" drama, but the thing is... it was my thing last year, and it saddens me that it is still the same dang pain! =( Last year, there were no celebrations, because i was horribly ill. And now, we had a family reunion done on my birthday! There are more people around me, and i feel the love but I guess it's just trying to set my expectations low, yet i can't stop my self from wanting to be special to that somebody. I feel so pathetic.

A few months ago, i felt i was losing it. I have made a 360 degree turn, i am quite satisfied, but then i started to feel that i am being left behind. I no longer enjoy clubbing, i don't enjoy alcohol as much, i don't enjoy the night lights, i can't stand the loud music and sometimes, i just zone out my self from conversations i used to enjoy. Maybe i am getting old, or maybe i just saw the beauty of the simplicity of things. I don't feel angry... i don't feel miserable either. I just don't have anything to say. I enjoy being alone. I am in love with a song. And my heart feels pain in a way that it wants to cry but it's too locked up. I want to be alone... away... somewhere, where i am free from any one who would judge me, from rules that don't really matter, from a man who doesn't know my value, from time.

If it would be fair to say everything in my mind right now, i know i would end up hurting. If i could only be selfish... If only i can say what i really mean at that exact moment...If i could only be as insensitive, as inconsiderate... then it would be fair. It's my fault. I have given too much.

I can't tolerate light jokes about me as of the moment. I am really very sensitive. I remember every time i am being called "names", and every time i am in any way being put down.

I need new people.

Tell me it's just a phase...
Tell me it will all be fine...
Tell me to calm down...

then show around...
then i'll be fine.

GOOD EARTH (metrowalk) = BAD DINING EXPERIENCE!!!

I am writing this, fresh from my supposed to be "fun" birthday dinner at Good Earth in Metrowalk. I just can't help but be annoyed on the way the service runs in that place. But to get you in the mood, here's the story:

June 13 2008... pay day friday for some, and for me... the perfect day to have a simple dinner with my close friends Pungpung and Ashley. Friends who i haven't spend quite some time with, since i was busy contemplating on my next career move.
Since my birthday would fall on a tuesday, and they are both busy on that day, plus the fact that i have a family celebration on the weekends... we decided to meet up and dine kanina. And since i love chinese food, we ended up in Good Earth in Metrowalk, thinking that it will give us the right ambiance, good food and good service that will complete the picture.

So there we are, we ordered beef in oyster sauce, broccoli in garlic sauce, dimsum, garlic and plain rice. There was already some confusion with the rice ordering, but never the less, we settled just so we won't spoil the moment. We were catching up with each other's lives and getting on with dinner, then the first "taas kilay" moment happened. My friend Pungpung ordered dimsum, and since she was also enjoying the other dishes, it was understandable how the serving plate was emptied yet there was still dimsum lying on her plate waiting to be dipped on the sauce above the serving plate... and then suddenly, the server took the serving plate with the sauce above it! Again, we did not want to spoil the moment, so we opted to let it pass. But then here goes the female server again, aiming to get the serving plate with the veggies obviously still sitting there! I managed to say "wag muna!" and so she left it there. I was wondering then, if there were other guests waiting to be seated or there were no more available utensils. But clearly, apart from the huge al fresco space, there were still two tables unoccupied on the ground floor and the second floor was totally empty! As if it was not obvious that we were still trying to finish what we ordered, and two cups of rice barely touched, plus the fact that i already sent a signal clearly saying we are not done yet, here goes the server again! This time, she took our plates!!!! Can you believe the arrogance or stupidity of this server!? I mean man! I worked for the F&B industry long enough to know that courtesy is a big part of this game! The three of us were already discussing what just happened, and that we are now in agreement that the service S-U-C-K-S!!! Still, without a spoon or fork left, we just thought that the chopsticks were kinda handy in case we still want to get some pieces of beef and broccoli still lying there, plus the two cups of rice just waiting. But we were already pikon sobra! Just when you thought you had the worst, here comes the server now getting the other serving plate with the beef!!! UTANG NA LOOB!!! My friend Pungpung, now with a very obvious irate tone said "WAIT! WAIT LANG HA!!". I mean come on!Nakaka-badtrip na talaga! What do they want to do with the food ba? And eto pa, the other engot server mistakenly hands another table's bill to us! Di mo tuloy maintindihan kung minamadali kami umalis!!! Sobrang pikon na kami so we asked for the manager.The first manager we spoke with didn't seem to get the gravity of our concern. Parang he just listened, nodded then left...kainis! Totally dissatisfied, i called the attention of the other manager, and told him what happened. I did not want to point out who the stupid server girl was, because i don't want to get any body fired or apprehended, i just told him na that's not the way of doing things. Then my friend Ashley saw the engot server making face pa behind our back, so totally nanggigil na siya and swore she'll make plantsa the server's face! Nakakabad trip di ba!? I told the manager how disappointed i was, because it's my birthday dinner pa naman, then he said "ganon po ba?" then he left, then came back with dessert. Ano ba? Inuubos nga namin yung beef at broccoli ng paunti-unti because we're busog na, then you give us dessert? O sige, given, the intention was nice, kaya lang it did not resolve anything. Feeling ko pa nainsulto ako or something kasi parang he was thinking i wanted dessert kaya kami nag ko-complain! Nakaka bad trip!!!! Tapos, when we were asking for the bill, walang lumalapit... we had to call the other manager's attention again to get it. Wala man lang pagaanticipate ng need. Sobrang insensitive at mind you, sobrang ASSHOLE talaga yung dating nung isang server! I mean, kung wala kayo sa mood mag serve wag kayong pumasok sa ganyang klaseng trabaho! Nakakaasar talaga!

Hindi dapat Good Earth yung ipangalan nila sa establishment, kung ganyan lang din ang pagtatrabaho nila... Ano sa tingin nyo?