The Uncontrollable

Things don’t always go the way we plan. In fact, they rarely do. Maybe you’re not at the right point of your career; maybe your marriage just isn’t working out; maybe you can’t seem to find your place in the world. One thing’s for sure, though: you didn’t want it to be this way at all and there is nothing you can do about it.

Circumstances force us to be where we are at a certain point in time. Nothing we can do to change that. But that doesn’t mean that there is nothing we can do to change what’s gonna happen tomorrow. A fortune teller told of an ill future, but parted saying that there’s always something we can do to change that future; and I don’t see the ill fortune realizing itself.

There are two kinds of factors. The X and the Y, the things we can’t control and the things we can. For the things we can’t control, too bad. We can’t change what we are today and we shouldn’t stress ourselves thinking of things that ‘could have been’ or ‘shouldn’t have been’, the only thing we can do is change things for the future. Not with the factors that forced us to be where we are; but the factors that we can control.

Focus on the things we can control, for those are our only hope. Do your best not for your past, but for your future.

Death of a Wizard

My Wizard is now dead.

I own(ed) an HTC Wizard, my first actual Windows Mobile 5 phone that lasted more than six months in my hands. Other times I'd just have phones last barely a month due to the fact that I prefer profit over usability. But the phone that got me into the usability, my HTC Wizard, my second love, died.

Ironically, I just received my new phone three days prior to this happening. My Asus P525 became my new toy. It got all the pampering, upgrading, software, and tweaks that any phone would long for. I guess my Wizard got jealous; it felt replaced; deserted; unloved.

It seems like the cycle of life applies to electronics too. In with the new, out with the old. You don't even have a choice, if there's the new, the out has to leave; whether you like it or not. I say this because I miss the old times. I chatted with one of my old friends earlier and while I missed her badly, she reminded me that I have a lot of things in my life now. She's leaving the Philippines soon. I hope I can see her again.

Well, right now I'm on my Asus EEE (Shamplafaboo) typing a blog entry, downloading pictures in a zip file, synchronizing my Asus P525 (Pautavus), realizing that it's very geeky to give names to your devices, waiting for my girlfriend to arrive so that I can have dinner, charging my broken HTC Wizard, downloading Season 4 of One Tree Hill and the US Top 40 Chart WE 022308, and signing on to my YM.

Death of a Wizard

Thirsty?part 2

Saturday morning:

Charlie Pages must have slept on the idea...I'm supposed to text him at 11am, take note...

Meanwhile, in the USC-Cultural Center, 200+ students (including me) are taking the freaking AC23 exam (which is set for 3 hours!!!). I actually think I got a low score in that test, we'll see tomorrow...

So, after going GF quality time with Cookie in Ayala, I end up being late for LCOS2 in Family Park (no comments about that though!), and in the middle of my topic on networking, I remember that I forgot to text Charlie (at 3pm!)....so after my talk, I text him and wait for a few minutes....
The fateful "I'm sorry..." -that actually says it all, he wanted 50%, and I was thinking (WTF 50%? I don't want 22.5K worth of shakes on my back!!!)

Fast Forward >>>

I'm in Ayala watching House of Wax with my friend AIESEC applicants. I was supposed to schedule my birthday celebration at 6pm (in JCA, buying the EB+EBB+JM a monster pizza!sorry staff, no money!), so I texted everyone about so...but then I realized the movie would end later, at around 7pm, so I text Patpat to text everyone else...It seemed that not everyone was texted though, cuz our beloved Ebb texts me at 6:10 and says "I'm here..where are you guys?" Sorry Ebb...

So, we finally get to JCA and I see Ebb, who explains to me how he was playing with his beloved calculator ever since 5pm..anyway, when Kazoot and JM arrive, we discuss about the Thirsty?50% predicament...and lo and behold, JM and Kazoot say "Bahala na 50%, at least we get cash"..so in my haste, I text Charlie Pages (at around 8pm)
"Gud evening Sir Charlie. Our regional director has advised me to reconsider your proposal due to the saleability (is that even a word?) of your product", and he says we'll talk on Monday...


FAST FORWARD 2 >>>

On Monday I call a few times, and he ain't in the office...I text, but he doesn't reply

On Tuesday, same thing, but he did reply this time, and says to call on Wednesday...

Wednesday,
I call Charlie...he's in the office!
Cut things short, I give in to the 50% (there's no other way out, is there), thing is, he's availing of a Gold Partnership -worth 30k, which means 15k cash, and 15k shakes!!!!

Anyone Thirsty?

Are you REALLY THIRSTY?

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away....

Amazing...


I was supposed to call Charlie Pages of Thirsty today, but I was too busy playing poker to do so. By the time I did (4 something pm) he already left the office. :( Luckily for me, I had a little piece of technology to help me out: Text Messaging! :

"Gud pm sir Charlie Pages, I would like to follow up on our partnership proposal."
"Gud pm. Aiesec?"
"Yes. This is Jason Dulay from AIESEC, sorry i forgot to introduce myself, I called your office earlier, but you had already left."
"If ever we would get into this, can we do a 50% X-deal?"
(I totally discourage xdeals, especially 50%!)
(By this time, I was waiting for Karla in Robinsons to go to Microwarehouse for our Financial marketing call...'I don't want this text conversation to go on that long...')
"I'm sorry, but I can only give you 15%, 10%, 7%, and 5% respectively on the packages, from bronze to platinum respectively."
"Can you guys reconsider? That's my counter proposal."
'Darn, this guys a tough negotiator. I know Thirsty usually does this, and I do want this partnership...Let's make the starting level around P2000 Xdeal, I didn't even want to go there, our EB can't drink P4500 worth of Thristy drinks, can we? (if I make it 10% for platinum) Oh well, I might as well keep the level at P2000....a little mental math and then..."
"The most I can give you is 20%, 15%, 12%, 10%."
'uh oh, here comes the P4500 of Shakes, but the P40500 cash sounds pretty good too :D'
"I'll think about it. Text me tomorrow around 11am"
"Ok. You can expect my text at around 12pm cuz I'm buzy before that"
'God, I've got a MAJOR test before that, I'm even supposed to be studying right now for Pete's sake...'
'Finally, Karla has arrived, we better get going to Microwarehouse...it's already 5pm (the agreed upon time with Luanne) good thing I already set allowance for being late with them'

I'm getting pretty tired of typing right now....so

TO BE CONTINUED....