prime gods

With a theme of “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, my department, the Creative Services, won the Best Decorated Workstation on our Office Halloween Party yesterday!

It took us two nights and one day to finish decorating (plus a significant amount of dough from our own pockets). It was all so great! ^_^ We even had Carlo, one of our team members, dress up as Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town who discovered Christmas Town, but doesn’t quite understand the concept. He was the one who welcomed the judges with a small Pumpkin King speech.

Everyone’s applause and compliments to my team was way better than receiving the actual price of the competition – orlando vacations for my entire department. The first Halloween Party at the office is definitely a night to remember. To cap it off, I finally got to wear a Kaoru costume (Kenshin Himura’s girl at Samurai X), my dream costume since I was in elementary! I looked like Kaoru here in our Halloween Party (with pink ribbon and only without the bangs). Kawaii! ^_^

I’m so stressed at work that I just might need to buy an anti wrinkle cream at the age of 27! God… who invented incompetent Operations Managers anyway? I mean, I know things like dense managers should not bother you since that’s reality, but then again, it doesn’t mean you have to be numb to their stupidity.

I must admit I AM grateful I’m able to pinpoint that they are incompetent. That way, I know what I DON’T want to be when I level-up in my career. However, they are such bad models that I sometimes end up praising myself undeservingly and slacking off since my point of comparison are, well, mediocre.

At times like this, I really feel like Jessica Darling (thank you, Twyla and Karen, for pointing out how Jessica I am way back in college) in “Sloppy Firsts”.

Right now I feel guilty to be alive. Why? Because I’m wasting it. I’ve been given this life and all I do is mope it away. What’s worse is, I’m totally aware of how ridiculous I am. It would be a lot easier if I believed I was the center of the universe, because then I wouldn’t know any better not to make a big deal out of everything. I know how small my problems are, yet that doesn’t stop me from obsessing about them.

Let me guess, a lot of you reading this right now gained a lot of weight due to the long holiday, eat-all-you-can breaks, and are now on the hunt for pills like Orovo to help you lose �em right? Ahahaha! Just make sure to match an exercise routine with popping in those pills and I�m sure you�ll be back to your old self in a jiffy. 0:D Happy new year to you!

Anyhow, I�d like to update you with my Christmas reading. You won�t believe this, but I finished reading Ayn Rand�s �Atlas Shrugged� on January 6 at 1:37 a.m. If I�m not mistaken, that 1069-page book is the longest pocket book I�ve read in my entire life; the most fulfilling and satisfying one as of this date as well.

In fact, it was so good that I gave my best friend Mark a copy of that book last January 5 with a foreword:

I have never known a book to contain an essence that makes p a major part of who I am today, as you have known me, and who I intend to be in the future, as Ayn Rand�s �Atlas Shrugged�.

I want you to get to know me better through that book� I, [wisteria], choose to be happy. I choose to live.

Don�t read it now. You may not be able to grasp it fully or miss the essential parts. It can be quite dragging. Read it when you feel the need to read it & when you have time.

I’d like to thank my friend Romar-san for recommending this book to me. Doumo! ^_^

Christmas break is almost over and all I have ever done is just read Ayn Rand�s �Atlas Shrugged� (I�m not even halfway the book and I�ve been reading it for days… I can’t wait to finish it.) and clean my room. Not that I�m complaining, I love doing those; especially the reading part. I missed reading. I missed having the luxury of time to read. Without a blink, I�d trade a weekend in a Westgate Resort for reading a good book such as “Atlas Shrugged”. Oh… to be propped up on my pillows, left alone with no other thought but to read… it’s heaven. 0:D

I�m really impressed by Ayn Rand. Her philosophical stand is somewhat similar to mine that reading her book is like reading my own thoughts put into words. Amazing. After reading �The Fountainhead� and �Atlas Shrugged�, is there anyone who�d like to recommend another of Ayn Rand�s exquisite book?

When I was in elementary and high school, I was labeled as �bookworm� by my friends, classmates, and relatives. I took that as a compliment. ^_^ I love books!

I can get too engrossed with a book that I actually skip meals unintentionally. Time seems to be nonexistent when I get caught up reading. There�s just too much to learn with one book. In fact, I�ve had several life changing experiences after reading a book.

This Christmas break, I intend to buy Ayn Rand�s �Atlas Shrugged�. My friend Romar recommended it to me and told me I�ll be able to relate with the characters there. I can�t wait to get hold of that book, especially since Ayn Rand�s one of my favorite authors.

Hmmmm� I just remembered that I have an 11-day straight break ^^; care to recommend other Christmas readings?

Spies are a most important element in war, because upon them depends an army�s ability to move.

� Sun Tzu, The Art of War

It�s fascinating to know that spying has been practiced for as long as two and a half thousand years ago � the time when Sun Tzu wrote the thirteen chapters of The Art of War. What makes it even more interesting is that it IS being recommended.

But come to think of it, although we normally associate the word �spy� to military stratagems, in reality, it is being used in our everyday lives � both consciously and unconsciously. In fact, it is rampant in the business world, especially in marketing and anything online related. Currently, you can even buy a spy software online, with features that will allow you to record all (from email, chat messages, web sites visited and program launched to visual snapshot recording).

Nevertheless, spying stratagems, gadgets and software can be useful or destructive � it all depends on the implementer. With all the advancements in the use of spies (or in spying), let us not forget the importance of privacy, and that everyone has a right to privacy and personal space. Before enforcing any spying method, put yourself on the receiver�s shoes � would you like to be spied upon?

Monologue. The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear that word is The Vagina Monologues.

The Vagina Monologues is based from the Eve Ensler�s �Vagina Interviews� conducted with 200 women from around the world. It tackles serious women�s issues in the society but with somewhat funnier monologues that are usually delivered by three actresses. The recurring theme throughout this episodic play is, �the vagina as a tool of female empowerment, and the ultimate embodiment of individuality.�

Because of its highly controversial theme, it has been criticized by several groups such as the gender egalitarian and individualist feminist movements. Nevertheless, it has thrived and even became a success. In fact, since 1998, this play has become the cornerstone of the V-Day movement internationally. That is, worldwide, participants of this movement stage benefit performances of the show each year, generally from February to March 8 (International Women�s Day).

If you haven�t seen Eve Ensler�s Obie-award-winning play or even read the book, I recommend that you do one or both. This collection of witty and moving tales should not be missed.