thoughts on losing a trusted ally

sigh.

the firm's marketing manager is resigning, leaving for the competitor.

he was my heir apparent, my right hand... he has been with us for more than 5 years.

he told me about it last sunday over coffee. (if one of your direct reports asks you out for coffee on a sunday, it must be THAT urgent) it wasnt as if he was actively looking for a new company. offers just kept on coming until finally one came that he couldnt refuse anymore.

i didnt anticipate it at all. i was stunned but i listened, understood and accepted his resignation.

no, i didnt make a counter offer. i dont believe i could match it anyway. besides, he already knew all that we had to offer him. i dont believe in asking people to stay. nobody's indispensable.

he has informed his people. there was a lot of crying and some bitterness. inside, some felt betrayed.

at first, i felt the same way, too. he is going to the competition. and i felt afraid - this guy knows all our strategies, our programs.

then i realized that such is life. some people would stay on with the company because of emotional ties that do not always make sense. i have stayed on despite better offers because of such ties. i thought he was like me, like the rest of us. in the end, he was a lot more pragmatic than emotional. which is good.

moreover, i saw this as an opportunity to re-assess the firm's strategies (those he knew too well) and perhaps brainstorm on new ones - totally creative approaches he wouldn't have anticipated.

suddenly, i felt renewed... and challenged... here is my protege, out to challenge me and those he left behind! its obi wan vs anakin! hmmm. obi wan gets laser-fried... and luke wins in the end...

haha. kidding aside. life goes on. the business remains an "on-going concern". i have a lost a marketing manager, a trusted ally but the firm will go on... and he will remain an important part of the company's history...

in search of... ylmaz

i'll be going to istanbul next month! first time there and trying to find out what i could do. if any of you got tips on places to visit, i'd appreciate your comments! don't know what to expect except hot turks. hahaha. read that they value their secular government despite being predominantly Moslem. that should be interesting.

truth of the matter - i will be looking for ruffa's estranged husband ylmaz bektas. if you should know, i am the reason for the break up. HAHAHA. di ko siya type no? but wouldn't it be great if i managed to bump into him at the grand bazaar?

"so... was ruffa's mom trying to squeeze money from you? did you ever lay a hand on ruffa?" "are you into drug trafficking?" i would probably end up in some dark, ancient torture chamber for even daring to come up to him. LOL

i grabbed the photos from istanbul city guide website. i am so excited. i wonder where the pink side of istanbul is...

i hate pldt dsl

another reason i dont blog as often is that i am still on dial-up at home (eeewwww). april 27, i applied for mydsl eckeck promo (they got cute bagets as billboard boy now). until NOW, one month after, they have not installed mydsl. this is despite repeated calls to them for action and service. grrrr.
so i called up competitor globe broadband. in a day, i got the modem & handset units. tomorrow it gets activated. claimed speed is the same, price is the same. HA!

Bora Bang

sorry havent updated this since my return from paradise. been swamped with work, blah blah blah

let me sneak a few lines and expound on my bora escapade...

that first night i went out with my ex and his barkada. from hey jude, we dropped by paraw (as previously mentioned) and enjoyed the big crowd, dancing in wild abandon. the club even had a ledge dancing contest for hot ladies... i havent drank much alcohol so i wasnt in a swinging mood yet. ex saw this tall guy, shirt off grinding and strutting his stuff. boy was he dancing so sexily. he was with a mixed group and we didnt know if he was PLU or not. i was behind their group, ex was beside me as we watched him dance and gyrate. i sort of concluded he was when he kept on shouting "fuck me" to the song "i wanna fuck you" by akon. and he was dirty dancing not with the other girls but with another guy.

tall, about 5"11, nice built, not very muscular, but naturally broad shouldered. cute in a singaporean kind of way (thought he was actually from there). and i noticed that he was dancing closer and closer to me. but also noticed he was so drunk. ex was getting so excited but kept on pushing me to be behind him.

finally, he turned to me and asked me to take their group pic. downer - pang photographer lang pala ako. ex suddenly left my side. oh well, i played good neighbor and took their pic. then he put his arm around me and said that i could join their group if i wanted to. HA! the pick-up line! hesitant at first (pa-quieme), i began dancing with their group. it turned out that they are all from zambo, having a vacation in bora. from then on, it became really fun... did the dirty dancing bit with beyonce (ill use this alias). and found out that he had seen me from hey jude resto. uy. crush ako. night ended well. took him home and had great time together... till 12noon...

i set him up with my ex! hahaha. and they made out in the afternoon... and they got together the day after and have been in touch since... uuuy... baka magkatuluyan pa sila! ex tells me that beyonce was really his from the start, i just 'stole' him ...

first time for me to get lucky in bora, seriously... must be the new bod... :)

My version of paradise

Afternoon sun, sand, sounds and San Mig lite... Ahhh. Sarap. I drank the beer at quaint Jony's Place and waited for the walang-kamatayang sunset. All alone but serene. Ipod playing 'Pure Shores'.. Classic!
Last night, Paraw was packed! And it was raining intermittently.
Chabacano hottie was dancing so sexy! Had chance to sample the Curacha delicacy from 2am to 12nn. Sarap! Bottomed for me.. Sweet 'noh? Hahaha
Another night kaso am not feeling too great. Hope I feel better later. Spotted more prospects, mga flying voters! Lol

Bora Bods

Hmm. Spoke too soon. Feast your eyes on these...

Back in Bora

No, Bora has not lost its charm on me! It has evolved from beach heaven to mixed-use, multi-recreational paradise despite the colliform(?). This pasticular weekend doesnt look too crowded. Translation: eye candy few and far between. Of course, it IS 2pm. Hope things look better at 2am! Haha
Am i hoping to get laid? May be sat on, too! Haha
Who doesn't dream of hot, summer sex? I didnt lose 15 freaking pounds for display purposes only! Hahaha that's a major LOL!
I will keep you updated!

Cutie Cop in Baguio

Spotted in the Summer Capital (does Baguio still deserve the title?!). Saw him as he was routinely ridding the streets of double parked cars. He had the blush of a true local, on blemish free complexion. He had red, kissable lips. And the irresistable charm of someone who doesn't know how gorgeous he is! Aah... Men in uniform..

Tips for Maintaining Your Closet Clean

I have been working for this firm for almost two decades now. Somehow, I have managed to remain in the closet for the entire time. No, I don't have any illusions that my colleagues remain clueless about my 'preferences'. They probably, almost surely, have discussed this among themselves but I ain't confirming nuthin'. 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has become the tacit rule in the office. Nevertheless, I continue to be vigilant, guarded just to keep appearances consistent. Let me list down some tips for maintaining the illusion (even if you are the only one who believes it!).

1. Cultivate a friendship (strictly) with a full-blooded male outside the office, someone who knows who you are! It would help that this person is not attractive (that will just complicate things). Your purpose is to be in the loop with what males are into - basketball, cars, babes, particularly the 'buzz words'. You don't have to read up on the topics like an exam. Just make sure you know the acronyms, the celebs.
2. Go out with the boys from time to time. You can only make so many excuses. Which is why Tip No. 1 is so important!
3. Have at least one friend in the office who knows who you are. Nothing like a confidant who keeps you sane. But be discerning!!! (See Tip No. 6)
4. Never shit in your own backyard, PLEASE. Been there, done that. I am just lucky I still have my job. Hell hath no fury like a spurned gay officemate! And this works both ways. I tried to 'experiment' with a girlfriend... that was a disaster!
5. Don't try too hard to be butch. Thank God for metrosexuality. You can now get away with 'giving in to your feminine side'. But maybe, the pressed powder is a bit too much. Oil blotting paper acceptable.
6. Eye control. Learn how NOT to automatically lock your eyes on the cutie passing by when you are with your officemates. The eyes are such giveaways. Control the way you react to attractive office acquaintances!
7. Don't be too close to the ladies. Try to balance friendships between the males and females. It was so natural for me to be close to the ladies until I got asked pointblank about my preferences.
8. Be the nice uncle to the kids. The Daddys and the Mommys of the workplace would be so glad if you keep their pesky kids company. And doing the babysitting bit frees you up from having to 'have a drink with the boys'. Very useful for summer family outings!
9. Take care of your parents. Everybody loves a good son. They won't dare question your after-office whereabouts if they hear you tak about 'having dinner with your parents' or 'taking them out'!
10. Don't avoid the 'out' officemate. This is the worse you could do. You know how we are, right? We get NASTY if we are not treated right! Also, try to avoid indulging in office gossip. This always works both ways.
11. Be the best performer, if possible! Give your best always!!! You will earn the respect of your colleagues, your bosses, enough to keep their tongues from wagging too much.

I don't prescribe the 'my-girlfriend-is-in-the-US' ruse, unless you don't intend to stay too long in the company. I am personally uncomfortable with having to make up stories.

Subic Beckons

I'm impressed! I visited Subic two weeks ago and had a chance to look around. This newly-built structure (with lighthouse for full effect!) is part of the development in the beachfront area of the former naval base. The hotel is Vista Marina and sits nicely at the end of a long stretch of the 'walk'. It includes what I assume to be 'imported' white sand. But the area is being developed to be a better version of Roxas boulevard - more organized, cleaner, wider areas for recreation. Unfortunately, I was there on a weekday. There wasn't much activity yet. I hope things pick up soon. It would be a nice alternative to Tagaytay. Olongapo-Gapan road has improved tremendously. I encountered a bit of traffic at the NLEX San Fernando exit. Otherwise, it was a breeze!

I'm planning to visit again, perhaps with my significant others. LOL.