I'll be right back!

I'm in Barcelona on a business trip.

I arrived midnight last night and attended a meeting from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM today. Needless to say, all I've seen of Barcelona are the interiors of the hotel where I'm staying at - which isn't saying much. I don't get the off-white and metal combination of Hilton Barcelona - it looks cold and unwelcoming. I really feel like I'm sleeping in a school cafeteria! And an over-priced one at that. The sandwiches were ordinary, the salads were too sour, and the fruits on the desserts weren't sweet. But I love their extra-fluffy towels and robes, as well as their Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries.

I'll post pictures after I take a short nap.

Living without Mercy

I've been working from home since Monday because one of our helpers, Mercy, went home to her province.

I love working from home! I get so much work done because I don't have to spend time travelling. I have complete control of my time - I can start working immediately after breakfast and take a cold shower in the middle of the day when the summer sun is at its peak. I also don't have to worry about what clothes to wear! My only problem with it is that all our office software run a bit slower and it takes more time to retrieve emails and handle files.

I'm actually a bit sad that I'll be going back to the office tomorrow - Porkchop will definitely miss our morning walks! But it's not consistent with our office policy to have people working from home (at least not when we're still creating a corporate culture.) It's also helpful to interact with my officemates from time to time as we learn a lot from each other.



Speaking of Porkchop, she really must think that she's a human princess. While being the poster-girl for supreme laziness, she has found a way to communicate with us. When she's feeling warm (which is all the time this summer) she parades in front of the fan and makes funny noises until we turn it on. She also stares at the freezer until we give her ice cream. She goes to our bathroom and stares at the faucet when she needs a drink. She knocks on the door when she needs to get out of the room. She's such a brat, but the way that she's trained us is just so amazing!

So what's it like living without Mercy? We've been eating lots of pizza, our room's a mess and my back hurts after washing the dishes. I so miss our daily breakfasts in bed as we eat all our meals in the kitchen. (So now you know where Porkchop gets her princess-complex from.)

I am an ESTP!

Joey tagged me and suggested that I take an online personality test. She said that the results are eerily accurate in her case.

As for me, the results are almost the same as the results I got from the guidance office way back in college! Does that mean that I didn't grow up?

Saved by the Flowers

I attended a primer on lighting yesterday in what promised to be a beautiful eco-resort. The pictures in its website were so breath-taking and from the write-up you can imagine a place where nature and leisure were perfectly combined in a comfortable Philippine-style resort.

The seminar was supposed to start at 9 so we planned to leave early, with me picking up my first passenger (3 attendees rode with me) at 6:15 at the McDonald's branch near our house. By 7 AM, we were out of Manila. Unfortunately, the road works at the South Luzon Expressway and the terrible traffic at Calamba and Los Banos town proper stretched the 1.5 hour trip into a long journey of 2 hours and 45 minutes. I was happy to have offered rides to my co-attendees, as we enjoyed chatting along the way. (I wasn't planning to take passengers but when I saw the carpool details, I noticed that all the pick-up places where in Makati. I knew that there were some people coming in from Quezon City, so I posted an invitation at our forum. Their contribution for the gasoline and toll expenses also made my wallet happy.)

After the long drive, we were excited to see the place - but I already felt disappointed the minute we entered its gates. There were no directional signs, no one was there to welcome us, and the road we were supposed to take was blocked by a jeepney. This meant that we took the wrong road and had to make a challenging U-turn at the end of it. The main dining area was so-so. The ceramic birds hanging from the nipa ceiling were a bit interesting but the linens were too tattered for my taste and the china and utensils were probably bought second hand from a cafeteria that closed in the 50s. Its only saving grace was that the whole structure was covered by a screen that effectively blocked out the mosquitos.

We transferred to a conference room for our seminar. It was nothing special but it had adequate airconditioning and its washroom had running water, soap and toilet paper. This place served as our little haven against the offensive summer heat and that wreck of a washroom near the dining area that had wet floors and sinks that only had slime for soap. If asked to describe the eco-resort in a sentence, I would have just said that I was thankful that I'm not staying overnight.




When we were sent out to take pictures, I was uninspired by the huge GREEN pool, and the team building area which was bare except for the tires on the grounds. But the flora and the fauna were of a different class. Nature seemed compelled to make up for the unchic shabbiness of the resort - the flowers were beautiful and the plants looked so healthy even with the spiders and all those cute little bugs. They all stood proudly and welcomed the sun in all their colorful glory. As I took some shots of the flowers (which were a bit of a challenge since I didn't want to pick them out of their branches,) I was thankful for the existence of the resort, at least someone will be taking care of all those beautiful plants.

++++++++
If you're wondering about how the seminar went - a lot of attendees arrived late because of the traffic so the seminar started at 11 am. As expected, the primer gave me several light-bulb-over-my-head moments. It also strengthened my belief that I'll never have the patience required of a professional photographer. My co-attendee and I were joking that if we were to set up the lighting and do all the necessary computations, the sunset shot that we're supposed to take will turn into a night shot. The other attendees didn't seem to have any problems with all those processes, though.

B, b and CCME!

It's B's birthday today!!!



As tradition dictates, B brought food for his officemates today. Since I was busy this week, I was not able to order from my favorite caterers (Amber, Tita Len's, or Conti's.) So, yesterday, I crammed and surfed for caterers that can whip up meals for 20 people in a day's notice. And I found one!

I got the name CCME Homemade Foodstuff from an old thread at Newlyweds@Work. It was just mentioned once so I searched the net for reviews. While I did find a couple of blogs saying that CCME prepared yummy food, there were no details given. I then visited CCME's website, and while it was not aesthetically beautiful, I loved it for its contents! Everything was there - their menu, prices, location and contact details. Even better, they have a form for ordering online! Their prices are so reasonable and they deliver for free. I ordered food and fervently prayed that they send us edible meals.

I do not regret ordering from CCME. In fact, I told B that if we need to entertain a large number of people at home, we'll just order from CCME.

They delivered our lunch promptly. And the food was very good, specially if you consider the price!

We ordered 2 kilos each of kalderetang baka, lechon kawali, steamed prawns, laing, pancit sotanghon and 2 gallons of rice. It was more than enough for 20 people and we only paid a little over P3,000! They even gave us free puto.

The kalderetang baka was my favorite. The beef was tender, the potatoes were soft but not overly so, and the sauce was perfectly seasoned. It was the best kalderetang baka I've ever tasted.

The laing was not far behind. I don't usually eat this dish but one of the blogs that I read said that CCME's laing was really good so I ordered one. It was heavenly - it had the right amount of coconut milk and it didn't taste like I was eating a plant! It was only moderately spicy upon my request (B's officemates didn't like spicy food) but they sent siling labuyo that you can mix in with the dish if you want to spice it up. Next time I want to eat laing, I'll order one from CCME.

The steamed prawns were fresh. I didn't get any allergies from them and the prawns were cooked with the perfect combination of butter and garlic.

The lechon kawali and sotanghon were not exceptionally good but for the price we paid, they were definitely worth the price.

[For dessert, we brought a tub of Vanilla Blue Bunny Ice Cream. As expected, every one loved it!]

We placed a separate order for our afternoon snacks - we ordered more sotanghon and pancit bam-i for the department that B used to work with. For his current department, we ordered arroz caldo at P20 per serving. The delivery wasn't as prompt as our lunch, but the arroz caldo more than made up for the 5-minute wait. It was delicious! They placed different condiments (whole boiled eggs, calamansi, crunchy garlic, onion leaves and fish sauce) in different containers. The arroz caldo which had large pieces of chicken in it was placed in 2 giant containers of mayo. I loved them even better for recycling those containers! We enjoyed mixing everything together. The chicken was tender, the arroz caldo was still hot when it was delivered and it just makes for a perfect comfort food. It really tastes homemade, it made me remember the arroz caldo that Nanay Lilia used to cook for me when I was little. The consistency was perfect - hindi malapot, hindi malabnaw.

CCME is truly a good find. And for the price we paid, I really feel like I've found a gem!

[For dinner, Mama brought home food from Spring Deer resto. It was another delicious meal. Hopefully, it will be the subject of another post.]

Not too Busy to Answer Yen's Questions of the Week

I haven't been blogging and blog-hopping much lately. I've shot some photos but I haven't downloaded them from my CF card. I'm a bit busy at work and I also spent a lot of time helping ate Janet with her real estate purchase. I had a few free hours this morning but I had to prepare for B's party at the office tomorrow - he's celebrating his 35th birthday! He's just not ecstatically happy tonight since he didn't win the lotto. Hehe.

Anyway, here are my answers to Yen's Questions of the Week. It's time to get mushy!

1. Have you ever had a summer romance? Care to share?

Yes, a million years ago - an era before law school and braces, a time when a vacation costs less than P1000.

2. Do you believe in love at first sight?

No. I always look for constancy, and you don't see that at first sight.

3. ‘You don’t marry someone you can live with, you marry the person who you cannot live without.’ What do you think of this quote?

The first part is not entirely true - it is important to marry someone whom you can live with! You'll have to know the imperfections of the one you're going to marry and decide if you can stand to experience these imperfections every single day. There's a big possibility that these imperfections will never go away.

The second part sounds nice and romantic but it only applies to people who don't feel complete without a mate. People should be able to live without their spouses! Only a small percentage of couples get to live and die together. Living with each other is more meaningful when you both know that you can live without each other but choose to live with each other anyway.

4. Where does true beauty lie? On the inside or on the outside?

If you're truly beautiful inside, it will manifest on the outside.

5. Did you ever had a crush on a classmate or teacher? Who was it?

Yes, a million years ago - an era before law school and braces, a time when a vacation costs less than P1000. Does this sound familiar? Hehe.

6. Summer wear - shorts or capris?

Shorts

7. Would you ride a roller coaster or sky dive?

Both, but if I had to choose, I would sky dive. I've ridden roller coasters before but I have never tried sky diving.

8. Last stupid thing you have done?

I do stupid things everyday. I brought my camera to work everyday except today, when the sunset was perfect.

9. Any summer plans? Trips, vacations and etc. Where?

I'll be in Barcelona for a few days this April on a business trip. I'll extend my stay for 3 days so I can go around and take pictures of the city.

10. In one word, define yourself!

Sunny.

Getting Out of My Comfort Zone

This Easter made me realize that I need to get out of my comfort zone.

It started with little things - learning how to use an external flash, one of our helpers taking a vacation so we have to help with household chores in the next few weeks, attending Easter mass inside a hospital instead of the church (B's dad is confined at a hospital - I hope he gets well soon!), and having to live with a budget as we expect tons of expenses these coming months. While attending the Easter mass, I realized that I may really have to get used to the idea of having a younger brother (fatherlily is rumoured to have sired one recently) and that time will come that I will have to contribute to his living expenses. B and I have been putting off having a baby as we couldn't imagine the amount that we'll need to raise one. I now realize that I might actually inherit one from fatherlily. If I really have a baby brother, I guess I'll have to make sure that his life is as comfortable as mine and that he gets the best education available.

I really have a lot to be thankful for and I guess it's time for me to share my blessings, even if I need to get out of my comfort zone in order to do so.

On a lighter note, for our Easter dinner, B and I decided to have a light supper at Harbour View, an inexpensive restaurant that juts out into Manila Bay. We enjoyed a plate of calamari and fried chicken while enjoying the beautiful sunset that Manila is famous for. We only spent P800 (roughly $20) for our meal but we still had lots of laughs while enjoying the view.



I hope you all have a blessed Easter.

B is for Biik

Sheesh. I feel like a real pig. All I did since Thursday was eat and sleep. B was teasing me earlier saying that I seem to really enjoy my 3 sleeps a day (a morning nap, an afternoon nap and my 8-hour sleep.) And he's right!

I guess after being sick and then immediately taking the long road trip to Pangasinan, my body needed to rest. And after 3 days of sleeping, I feel recharged!

Hehe. Now, I'm justifying my laziness.

Yen's Questions of the Week

Now that I'm back to blogging, I'm going to try answering Yen's Questions of the Week. She's on her 11th week but I'm joining in, anyway.

1. What was the last movie you bought/rented?

I haven't bought movies in a long time! B and I just keep on downloading from the net. I've also started swapping movies with my officemates - I now have Orange Days and War of Money with me, both of which are Asian TV series.

2. Have you ever gone too far on a dare?

I haven't gone on a dare since college and that was 20 million years ago! I was a coward then (still am now) so I guess I've never gone too far.

3. Can you sing the alphabet backwards?

No. I just tried doing it and just found out that I can't.

4. Are you allergic to anything? What?

Dust, cement, pollen - they make breathing difficult for me.

Not-so-fresh seafood - I break out in hives and look like a shrimp when I eat them.

But I still eat anything I want and go anywhere I please - that's what allergy meds are for. Hehe.

5. Do you cry at weddings?

Not all the time. But I've cried in a wedding or 2.

6. Name one person you want to hug right now. Why?

B! I just want to hug him all the time.

7. Hair - natural or colored?

Natural. I used to have my hair colored but I was too O-C and felt that I needed to have my roots colored every 2 weeks. I had my stylist color my hair black and never had my hair colored again.

8. Do you like camping?

When I was much younger, I loved camping, but now I can't survive without a clean toilet and airconditioning. Sheesh, I really am old.

9. Most annoying TV commercial?

Anything with Kris A. on it. I just don't like her.

10. Favorite place to shop?

SM and Landmark! I find everything I need in these stores and they have the lowest prices. I rarely buy branded stuff so these stores are perfect for me.

Back from Hundred Islands

Pangasinan doesn't have 100 islands . . . it has at least 123! And a day in Hundred Islands is worth the 5-hour drive from Manila.

Happy Birthday to Me!

10 March 2008

It was my birthday! I decide to enjoy my birthday by taking a break from work (as if I need it!). I took a leave and spent most of the day in bed (which I do most Sundays, but hey, it was my birthday, and I don't want to hear any complaints about it.)

Porkchop decided to join me on my lazy day. I tried taking pictures of her but she was uncooperative. After all, she felt that it was her birthday, too.



I took time reading the birthday greetings on my phone and my email. I went back to sleep when I got tired reading.

I did have to go back to the doctor's clinic for my follow-up check up late in the afteroon but I didn't stress myself over it. I went there when I felt like it, plopped down on the sofa in his waiting room and slept until it was my turn.

I met with B after going to the doctor. We had sushi and more sushi at a nearby place for appetizers. I also bought some oolong tea leaves for myself. As soon as we got home, MIL served us huge steaks for dinner! The meat was tender and it was so perfect with the gravy. My tummy couldn't be happier.

So what's the point of this entry? Nothing. It was my birthday and I get to be boring and pointless.

11 March 2008

I guess I enjoyed my birthday too much that I got a little sad when I realized it was over. But this made me happy:



My officemates wrote greetings on tiny sheets of paper and pinned it on my wall! Isn't that sweet?

12 March 2008

I get a little stressed as I learned that I needed to be in Barcelona by April 9, which is 17 working days away. I need 14 working days to get a visa, and I need to secure a formal invitation from Barcelona for that. Sigh.

To relieve my stress, I eat a "by-pass delight" lunch with officemates - deep-fried pork knuckes, bulalo (broth with beef marrow), sisig (A Philippine delicacy - deep-fried pork unmentionables; or according to B, deep-fried-pork-bits-that-the-pig-would-rather-keep-private-but-we-eat-them-anyway), a cup of rice, and for dessert, halo-halo (sweetened bananas, coconut, and other fruits, with shaved ice, milk, sugar and flan.)

13 March 2008

We brought a visitor from our Chicago office to Sonya's garden for lunch. Sonya's garden is a garden-resto in Tagaytay. With the infrastructure works on the highway, it took us 2 hours to get there (we also had to pass by a studio to have my picture taken, I needed passport-sized pictures for my visa application.) The setting in Sonya's garden was worth the 2-hour trip. The chandeliers in the greenhouse were beautiful, the decors were fabulous, and the food . . . was healthy. I'm sure all those vegetables did wonders for my body and I have to admit that the salad dressing and the pasta sauce were yummy, but I felt that the salad-pasta combination doesn't count as a full meal. It's a good thing that they also served tea with fresh leaves (which I loved, but our guest didn't dare drink.) I ended up gobbling up an egg tart on the way back to Manila.

Me and my bag

Yup, this is still about my new camera bag.

I still need to iron the flap but I love it already. Even my laptop can fit inside!



And for those who want to see what's inside my tracy joy bag:



There's still room for an external flash, and my other accessories (extra battery, storage cards, filters, and my really small tripod.)

What's in the box?

After weeks of waiting, it finally arrived!

[Photo taken on 07 March 2008, the minute I stepped out of the post office!]

Actually, it arrived in the Philippines on 27 February, but I was in Tokyo at that time. And since I got sick, I didn't return to work until 06 March. So it was only then that I saw the notice to get my package from the post office. I would have rushed to the post office the minute I got it, except that: (a) I had lots of work to do; and (b) I didn't have any government-issued ID with me (which I needed to present to the post office when claiming my package).

And so, on Friday, I made a quick visit to the Taguig City Post Office (which wasn't easy to find - had to ask for directions twice) and claimed my parcel. The post office looked as old as the sun, but the people there were helpful and I never had to wait in line for anything. It just took me 5 minutes to claim my parcel and that already included lining up at the cashier to pay the fees and going through customs to have it cleared.

So what's in the box?



My new camera bag - it's pretty and light, but it can carry my camera, my lenses and other accessories (my media cards, extra battery and even a small tripod). Not only that - it also comes with an extra flap!



It's definitely worth the wait (and the trip to the post office!)

Welcome to the Funny Farm!

There are sheep on my bed and cows on my feet:

Photo of the Day - My Comfort Food

It started when I was a kid and I had been sick for days. My mom served me grapefruit and I got well immediately after. It was probably not the grapefruit that cured me (although I guess the vitamin C helped) but after that, every time I get sick, I always feel a little better when I get to eat grapefruit.

Home Alone

All the excitement probably weakened my resistance. On Sunday evening, I started coughing my lungs out! The next day, I felt so weak and wobbly from all the coughing that I decided to see my doctor. He prescribed several meds and told me to avoid cold drinks and to have plenty of rest. I'm now in my second day at home and I am so getting bored!

I still managed to take some shots, though.

March 2 - I just had to take pictures of B's new toy, Soundwave. It's an MP3 player



that transforms into a robot! Isn't that so cool?



March 3 - I spent half the day in bed and the other half waiting for my turn at the doctor's clinic. While I was in bed, sheep kept me company.

Made in Japan

Here are some pics from my Tokyo trip:

25 February 2008 - my room at the ANA Intercontinental hotel, my home for 5 days.



My first meal in Japan - I checked in the hotel right before the sunset. After unpacking my things, I walked around the vicinity of the hotel. Japan looked clean and colorful, with all its neon signs and vending machines (there are probably 2 on each corner!) Too tired to have a full meal (I was lugging around my clothes on top of the 300 copies of the brochure), I decided to join the numerous professionals who pop in one of the convenience stores to grab a sandwich. I get lucky and get the best shrimp sandwich I ever tasted and tried on one of the Japanese juices, lemon peel and honey.



26 February 2008 - Japanese trinkets sold on the way to Senso-ji temple is Asakusa.



My favorite shot - fashionable Japanese girls on their way to Senso-ji temple



An interesting site - a caucasian dressed in a kimono being interviewed in front of the 200-lb bell at the entrance of Senso-ji temple



Still in Asakusa, a Japanese woman starts her day.



27 February 2008 - inside the Tokyo National Arts Center. The building was just so beautiful with its curved lines and the amazing shadows they create.



Shibuya Crossing is the world's busiest intersection. 6 streets meet at the center and all pedestrians area allowed to cross at the same time.




28 February 2008 - sunset at the Imperial Palace. The grounds of the Imperial Palace were so huge that we decided to just stroll around the water fountain and the nearby park. I found the sunset more beautiful than the fountain.



The sunset reflected on the building behind the fountain.



This was taken by the palace wall.



29 February - rush hour at the Shinjuku station; this station is said to be the busiest station in the world, with 2 million people passing through it everyday. I went there at 8:45 AM and literally got confused with the hundreds of people rushing to work.

G's prom

I wasn't able to rest the day after I arrived from Tokyo, it was the day of G's prom. After lunch, I brought her to the parlor so she can have her nails, hair and make-up done. We spent several hours there but at the end of the day, all our efforts have paid off - she looked so perfect on her prom night!

Another loooong day

(End of the brochure saga - see yesterday's post for the first part)

I leave the house at 8:30 foolishly thinking that it would only take me 30 minutes to get to the printer. At 9, I'm not even halfway there. Turning on the radio, we learn that they decided to fix a portion of the highway. We make a detour and arrive at the printer at 10 am.

The person in charge explains that someone arrived at 9:30 am with a rush job for the printing of 300 pages of a 2-page flyer. Thinking it was me, they accepted the job. I can't blame them, their conversation went:

Printer guy: Were you the one who called last night?

Client: I'm not sure, my boss just sent me here to day and instructed me to tell you that I need the brochures tonight.

Printer guy: How many copies do you need?

Client: 300.

Printer guy: And your boss' name is?

Client: Happy.

Her boss' name is Happy. It does sound like Abie! Before I faint, he explains that they still can print my brochures. But it will take more time as I'll have to be queued after Happy's printing job. Joey, the printer guy, promises to call me when the job is done.

Since their office is now 1.5 hours away from home, I go to the nearby mall to shop. Luckily, I have a gift certificate that allows me to purchase turtleneck sweaters for my Tokyo trip. To breathe color in an otherwise boring lawyer's stiff suit - I get 3 solid color ones in red, purple and teal. I walk around and see an back overcoat at 70% off, I grab one as well. I convince myself that seeing the coat was a heavenly sign - you really don't see much winter clothing in a country where the weather never drops below 18 degrees Celsius.

For lunch, I order a sandwich and potato salad combo and gobble it up while I eat. A former officemate sees me and we chat. I mention going to Tokyo and she suggests that I buy some thick stockings. Since stockings were cheap, I head to the nearby department store to get some. As I walk towards the ladies accessories section, I notice some luggages on sale. I fall in love with a blue polycarbonate hand-carry that only costs $15. It was the only remaining stock so I lug it around the store.

The brochures aren't ready at 3:30 PM so I call up G and ask her to meet me at the designers' place at 4:30 PM. I realize that I left her shoes at home so I call home and ask my mother-in-law to bring it. Mama's excited to see the gown, too (she's paying for it!)

The gown is beautiful! It still needed some adjustments, though. Mama leaves G and I at the shop to wait for the gown. They give us a perfect-fitting gown at 5:30 PM. At the same time, the printer calls to tell me that the brochures will be ready at 7:30 PM. I decide to go to the grocery. I finish at 7 PM and arrive at the printers by 8 PM. Only 199 copies of the brochure were there! They find out that there are still 111 copies left with the other cutter (They had to split the jobs because one supplier cannot cut and fold all 300 copies in an hour.) I read a book while they fetch the rest of the brochures from the cutters.

Finally, at 9 PM, which is literally, at the end of my day, I see all 300 copies of the brochures printed, cut and folded. I was so happy to see them that I just wanted to use several copies to wallpaper my office workspace!

It takes me 45 minutes to get home (traffic has lessened as it was already late.) I forget about the brochures as soon as I put them in my suitcase. Now, it's time to pack for Tokyo!

One long day - first post of the Brochure Saga

I finally got my Japan visa, and I got it in the afternoon of the last working day before my flight! I was so worried about it yesterday that I catch myself literally holding my breath every so often.

And when I saw that everything was in order (my name, gender, passport details, among other things), I was finally able to breathe properly. As I walked back to my work area, I think of how I'll fit my laptop and my camera on in my hand carry.

Two minutes later, I check my email and hyperventilate. The chairman of our practice group wants 300 copies of our Asia-Pacific brochure by Wednesday morning next week. The brochure doesn't even exist! It consists of a flyer and a contact card. I email both to our Manila-based global marketing department and beg them into completing the request in an hour. In the meantime, I communicate with Mr. Chairman trough email:

Me: I'm having the brochure formatted but even if we finish the formatting today, I doubt if we have time to print the brochures and ship them to Tokyo in time - the Hong Kong and Manila printers require 3 working days, the ones from Sydney require 2

Mr. Chairman: find one in Tokyo.

At 5 PM Tokyo time on a freaking Friday! I email the marketing department at our Hong Kong office and they efficiently email me the contact details of their printer. The Tokyo printer does not reply to my email nor answer my call. I decide to print in Manila.

I send out a desperate email to all my e-groups. While waiting for a reply, I give large printing companies a ring. They're either too busy to take the job or they charge an exhorbitant amount and insist on being paid in cash or through company check. At 6 PM, I talk to our auditor, explain my situation and ask for a company check. I take 2 check signatories hostage while the auditor starts the process of releasing the check. One of the signatories insists on leaving early (she has a karaoke party to attend) and gives me cash instead (I love her!). I call up one of the printers and email the printable pdf file. They apologize and say that the cost is actually double than what they originally quoted. Half of my hair falls out. I hear choking sounds and realize that I'm making them.

I dream of strangling the marketing person in charge of Asia-Pacific. Producing brochures is her job. Except that she said she was busy and said no. The chairman accepted her "no" (and not mine) because she looks like a doll with her big charming eyes. I have efficient-looking chinky eyes.

At this point, I feel like I'm the employee in the Devil-wears-Prada without the perks (no free clothes and glam parties!)

I start calling printers I haven't heard of, plus the suggestions I get from my e-groups. A fellow photo-hobbyist who used to work for a printer kindly explains that it is not possible to find a "rush" offset printer, as color separation alone would take at least a day and I needed my brochures overnight. Digital printers can do the job but would charge an arm, a leg and maybe a whole head. He gives contact details for a digital printer. I call and almost cry when they agree to print my brochures. Unfortunately, their fee is a little higher than the cash that was given me.

I pack my stuff and start to leave the office at 8:30 PM. As I lock my drawer, my eyes fall on the yellow pages and I notice an ad saying that they print on demand. With my bag on my left hand, I dial their number with my right hand. They can do the job at a lower price as long as I bring a CD of the pdf file to their office at 9AM. On a Saturday morning.

I travel an hour to get home where hubby feeds me roasted duck and rice (he normally doesn't do this but he knows I was having a crappy day.) I want orange juice with vodka but we're out of orange juice (I remember that I was supposed to pass by the grocery before going home!) I go to bed instead, but jump out a few minutes later because I want to take a photo! I go back to bed a few minutes later and demand a hug. I fall asleep as soon as hubby wraps his arms around me.

6 hours later, I'm up and I'm preparing to go to the printer at 8:30 AM. (Of course, I have to post my photo first.) I am now feeling better but I am still worried about the printing of my brochures.

[to be continued - see next post!]