Thursday, August 23, 2007

This is the Third day of my Bayantel DSL nightmare and what's worst, Bayantel tech support said their service has been restored since yesterday morning....

Someone from Bayantel dropped by at 11:00 am in our place but he just stared at the modem and left. He said he will be back later and will just check the cabinet where my DSL cable is hooked up.

Randy and I missed our usual prayers because Skype failed to run on a dialup internet connection.

I found out later from tech support that the Bayantel cabinet where all DSL and phone lines are hooked up in my area has a pending case and it's locked until case is resolved. They will send someone again tomorrow morning to check physical lines.

In the meantime, kids and I are thinking of moving somewhere else IF our DSL broadband service won't be restored.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

This is the second day of my Bayantel DSL nightmare.

Yesterday, they admitted having outage of Major International Cable Facilities which started at 9:00 am. At 7:00 pm, I couldn't browse international sites anymore which continued until I logged out at 12 mn.

This morning, my internet connection partially improved until Randy logged out to bed at past 2:00 pm. I had an afternoon nap then and woke up at 6:00 pm. To my surprise, our modem didn't have DSL and Internet status on, except Power and Router, which means our DSL access is totally dead.

As expected, their hotline 4112000 was busy and my call get through only at past 7:00 pm. I reported the matter but the ticket 313303 from yesterday's complaint is still active and they cannot make a new ticket report until the other complaint of slow connection is resolved. My goodness, so how the records will show that I didn't have DSL? Tech Support promised that a field technician will check our DSL line by tomorrow.

Randy and I chatted briefly on Skype via BL@ST prepaid dialup internet access, but were unable to pray the rosary. It's kind of annoying experience knowing I paid Php 3,360 (US$78.00) monthly for a Business Net Basic DSL plan to ensure guaranteed uninterrupted DSL service. I feel cheated when my friends online have a faster connections than mine and they are Globe subscribers paying less than 1k a month.

Lack of competition in the internet industry made local internet providers get away with their lousy services. PLDT owed me some rebates for the DSL and phoneline, I pray that NTC will do their jobs in monitoring the quality service of top ISPs.

Anyway, enough of that DSL thingy, today is my brother's 36th birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EGAY!!!

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Tintin and I arrived at Civil Registry Office in Manila City Hall at 9:00 o'clock in the morning. I went directly to Legal Section but the clerk who checked my documents asked me to submit the latest Certified True Copy of marriage contract.

In another counter, I filled up a request for CTC, then submit it to the guy who wrote down data, then asked me to pay Php 30.00 to the cashier. Upon payment, the guy in another counter cut off a portion of my request and gave it to me. He told me to claim it tomorrow morning at 9:00.

Upset, I went to Public Assistance counter and asked whether they can expedite the release of my CTC request but, since most of the employees assigned in the Marriage Records Section are new ones, retrieving of documents is a bit slow.

On our way back home, Tintin and I decided to do some shopping at SM - North Edsa. It was about 9:45 am, and the mall was closed to the public until 10 am. We sit down and had breakfast in McDonalds instead.

After the breakfast, I bought a heavy duty stapler in National Book Store while Tintin was duplicating two keys. Then, we did a quick grocery shopping. Budget's tight and we had 9 bags only of grocery stuffs this time. Right after we came out of the mall, we're lucky to get a taxi cab.

When we arrived in the building where we live and unloading the grocery bags from the trunk, the taxi driver closed it. I was shocked and told him there's one more grocery bag inside. He pushed the trunk down twice instead of opening it for me. I was serious when I ordered him to open it as there's one more grocery bag inside, and I saw the last grocery bag there full of veggies. Upset, I handed him Php 100.00 but, instead of giving me the Php 45 change, he started the engine and fled away. In that very moment, I couldn't do anything but capture the taxi driven by the run-away driver. He fled with my Php 45 change. Since the moment I was loading the groceries into the trunk and he never offered some help, I sensed already the taxi driver's negative aura. He doesn't help also unload the groceries, which rarely happen. Randy and I always give tips to those who deserve it but this one might have a big problem that he wanted my grocery bag so badly and planned to take it away...

Dishonest taxi driver, plate number TKG 697

As soon as I logged online, I hurriedly told Randy about everything. But, he didn't liked the idea that I will not pick up the CTC tomorrow in exchange of playing DeathMatch. He said our papers are more important than Unification Wars game.

Errr... speaking of Unification Wars game, my online friend, John, dropped me some meaningful lines... he wants me and Randy doing more of a real life thingy instead of playing online games. I told him both Randy and I are just killing time while waiting for our documents to be done. John said he reads my blog and follow my life in words and he believes that Randy is like a knight in shining white armor... glad to know that my online friends are wishing me and Randy best in life and happiness...

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Daughter sent me couple of SMS messages while waiting in a taxi cab downstairs but, because I couldn't read messages while seriously talking with my brother, Bhoie, on my cellphone, she called my son's cellphone instead. Well, up to now, PLDT never reconnect yet our phone line in spite of the fact we do not have outstanding balance with them, so, daughter was pretty upset no one was answering her call.

When I saw that daughter was calling Paul Denise' cellphone, I found out she's just downstairs and need some money to pay the taxi driver. That time, mama and I had serious conversation about my brother, Egay (who is in Saudi Arabia), and his wife, Ana (who is here in Manila with their kids). Since I was too in a hurry to give to my daughter the money, I just threw my coin purse from the balcony and daughter got off and picked it up. Then, she unloaded her bags and while paying the taxi driver, our female neighbor immediately went inside the cab and told the driver she's going to Makati.

When daughter was picking up all her things, she found out her cellphone was left inside the taxi! She ran after them and had been knocking at the side window but both driver and our neighbor didn't bother to open and ask what she wants. Instead, the driver sped up while daughter was running after them until she saw another taxi approaching from opposite direction and daughter asked the driver to follow the first cab. Pearl even borrowed the taxi driver's cellphone to inform us that she had left her cellphone in the cab.

All of us had been calling her cellphone. At first, it was ringing but, no one answers and the next couple of calls made was a failure as the unit had been turned off. When daughter came back to our building, she asked again some money to pay for the other taxi.

She's too upset and nervous, we suggested that she should checked all our neighbors in the building who recently had a female visitor who was wearing black and going to Makati. When Pearl and Paul Denise came back, they found out from our neighbor in Unit P that her daughter had an emergenccy meeting in Makati. The mother called her daughter's cellphone and based on her daughter's report, the taxi driver got my duaghter's cellphone and turned it off. The mother assured my daughter that she could pick it up at 10 am tomorrow morning since her daughter claimed that she got the cellphone back from the driver.

Based on my daughter's story, the mother probably had thought that her daughter had an accident that's why she opened the door for them otherwise, my sweetie would not be able to find out who is that dishonest neighbor who had evil interest to hide her cellphone instead of giving it right away when she was knocking at the taxi's side window.

At times like this, too seldom we can find honest people in this world and I cursed whoever stole my daughter's cellphone would get the wrath from heaven!

Friday, December 01, 2006

Couple of weeks ago, I remembered I added CherryBlossoms.com to my e-mail client's spam folder and I was wondering why those mails indicated that I kept sending some Blossoms members a smile while I didn't create any profile on that site.

This young woman illegally used my e-mail address without my consent!

Tired of deleting those spam mails, I tracked the source of those mails. It's from the above blossoms.com profile, lailadin (password: carol), who nastily used my Yahoo! e-mail address! To warn my friends who are on my Yahoo! contact list, please take note that I won't send you something nasty. Afterall, you can send your IM directly to my Y! Messenger ID!

Monday, August 21, 2006

Upon our check-in at Philippines Airlines Counter in Hong Kong Airport, this airline ground staff gave us a hard time. They were asking us the return ticket of Randy to USA which he left in Manila. Randy was forced to buy a one way ticket, MNL - SFO, as airline policy to in-coming pax bound to the Philippines.

At the tarmac of NAIA-Centennial 2 Airport, PAL crew kept us for over an hour standing inside cabin after landing. Reason: no shuttle bus to take us all inside the airport. Please read all details here.

Thursday, June 29, 2006

I woke up early in the morning by a phone call from my elder sister. She called to inform me that someone had stolen Papa's cellphone which I gave him recently.

Since that call, I couldn't get back to my sleep and I decided to login on skype and trillian but unfortunately, windows alerted me to insert a CD bcoz there was an unrecognized file that will damage how the XP system runs. Since I never installed any program last night, I decided to keep it by clicking YES. And the next thing I know, nothing works in my desktop so I restarted my PC and it failed to boot up. All files were resized to zero and windows just had a black screen.

Many thanks to the sender of two IRC worms who deleted all my precious stored files and data. Right now, am blogging using my son's PC. I forgot the nanes of the trojan viruses but, imagine the discomfort of retrieving login account and passwords, not to mention all the URLs I have to recall.

Thankfully, they were just files in my PC. For as long as my family and loved ones are with me, I am still lucky and won't feel bad from the data loss. Guess it is about time to have a clean HDD and start anew. I had this intuition to backup all my files since two days ago but I had been disoriented due to some issues recently as a single parent.

Anyway, I'm a karma believer, thanks to the virus sender. I hope you are happy and you find ecstacy with your action!

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Hatred is a sin but what can I do? There is nothing annoying than paying a PLDT DSL Subscription Plan myDSL XCEL with a promise of 2 mbps bandwidth speed upgrade and I didn't get it, and worse, since my account had been upgraded last 19th of this month, my agony with my DSL broadband internet started. Who will believe that my bandwidth speed was only 4 kbps most of the time, just enough to connect me to Yahoo chat? I cannot retrieve my mails nor browse pages without using PLDT VIBE dialup internet. PLDT DSL has been a nightmare to all its affected subscribers!

Meanwhile, due to bad internet connection, I was unable to collect my Neopets freebies and Neobank interests. Also, I failed to buy ideas in Blogshares and carry out my usual trading in the shares market. Hopelessly staring at the monitor screen hoping DSL bandwidth speed will restore its normal speed I paid for, I created »-(¯`v* NEAT Strategies *v´¯)-», a Blogshares corporation I founded to recruit BS players who wish to team up with good players who want nothing but a neat gaming strategies without hurting other players. Loading pages had been a painful task but, I managed to add it to the corporations founded by other BS players.

Am waiting for Randy to come online, and he will be upset again since we cannot use SKYPE to voice chat with each other. I missed watching Deal or No Deal this afternoon because PLDT DSL is a Deteriorated Subscriber Line.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

I logged in using dial up internet early in the morning so that Randy and I can recite the rosary online before our connections deteriorated due to more number of people coming online.

Curious what's going on with DSL subsribers, I googled PLDT DSL keyword and I found interesting links and stories. I also registered with PinoyDSL.Net this morning, a Philippine DSL Network Forum which is maintained by several DSL subsribers. The site is designed for Philippine DSL users and subscribers with the idea of helping fellow DSL users with DSL problems, questions and optimize its usage to the fullest SINCE my ISP, PLDT DSL, neglected their subscribers to provide uninterrupted broadband internet service.

Based on what other subscribers' experiences posted in the forum, accounts and passwords were sold by some PLDT DSL crews. It's alarming and made me worried that someone had been using my DSL account and password this is why my connection dropped to 4 kbps or was it the PLDT Data Center really had technical trouble with their network? Besides, I have doubts that the best skilled engineers had been deployed outside the country and the less skilled people are the ones working for local companies. Six days of no internet access means denial of service...

What's funny with the PLDT DSL ads, it says "At Rocket speeds, PLDT DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) gives you fast and reliable 'always-on' connectivity. Guess they should re-edit their site and rephrase rocket speed with zero speed. In fact, their 172 Hotline was busy all the time and I'm at lost whether to get a new DSL from Bayantel or stick with PLDT who failed to give me DSL broadband internet service for six days now? Rowela is waiting for my call so they can pick up the Application Form she sent last Monday through LBC.

Only in the Philippines this is happening... I sent a complaint through email addressed to NTC but, I was wondering whether they will consider it or just send my email to trash folder. Media is our last hope.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

I used PLDT VIBE dialup internet early this morning to recite the rosary with Randy since we cannot talk well on SKYPE using my PLDT DSL broadband internet. Furious with interrupted chat with him, I called PLDT 171 and found out from Edna that my account has been upgraded yesterday morning up to 2 mbps EXACTLY the same time my internet agony started.

Based on my email transactions, I sent them three emails today at 8:43 AM, 12:48 PM, and 9:37 PM just to let them know I was on PLDT VIBE dialup internet because my DSL internet speed was only 4 kbps. I was sure that their Data Center made a mistake and they promised to send a technician to us tomorrow.

Ate Neth referred me to Rowela of Bayantel. Rowela said she will send me the Application Form for DSL internet. It will cost me PHP 1,999 for installation fee and PHP 3,000 monthly for both 1.5 mbps DSL internet and phone charges.

Randy was upset and had been wishing I could have the same speed of his internet as I had been complaining I couldn't do anything with the blogs' shares I held even I know someone was trying to slump its price before HTO. I cannot retrieve my emails, cannot run skype in the evening and I was wondering what's going on with PLDT DSL and how many subscribers are currently suffering like me.

Saturday, May 13, 2006

While RWO and I wish to see more players playing unlimited transactions by giving away more Blogshares premium memberships from time to time, I was disappointed recently seeing this gaming community has taken over by rude members who mean not to play this game but, to drive away other players from playing. They won't drop you a line, they will just buzzed up industries to increase PE or slump it to drop share's price. The action wasn't made by two players, more were involved. They won't let you gain any profits, in fact, they will drop prices to make you lose your investments.

Many thanks to those who spent their artefacts to buzz industries that caused my shares' PEs went up as much as 2k and made me impossible to sell my holdings. I was just wondering how many among these gang players have multiple accounts and how many players have stayed away from playing because of this group.

To DJ SWA whose account is currently suspended, I fully understand why you have been rude lately with those mean players... there's nothing like that in 2004 since I started playing in Blogshares. I want to play to relax from pressures which the three cases brought me, and yet, there were many unfriendly people out there.

Anyway, Randy and I watched some of San Diego's local TV shows instead.

Friday, April 07, 2006

Guess what? I believe I deserve a refund this month from Philippine Long Distance Telepnone Company (PLDT) for giving me a dialup internet speed for ten days now with myDSL personal subscription plan, at PHP 2500 per month!

This morning, I dialed 172 myDSL HOTLINE and Lloyd answered my call but, I asked for their supervisor instead. Belle accomodated my call and asked me to test my bandwidth speed under resources link on their PLDT PLAY website and I got this result:

When I told Belle the site was timing out, she asked me instead to check my bandwidth speed using their rival company website, GLOBE and fortunately, the site was running well and had given me this result... Ouch!

This is unbelievable. I got 77.68 kbps only!?! What shocked me most was PLDT myDSL tech support and linemen were using Globe website instead of their own. I was wondering whether GLOBE knows that a big company like PLDT was using their service...

Also, last February, if I wasn't mistaken, I didn't received my February Bill and I was surprised I received a disconnection notice last March! I barely noticed that I neglected paying my bill because my mind was too busy completing requirements on the three cases I filed with RTC.

Grrrrrr... I'm so lost what I should do about this lousy service. Am I going to get a refund for paying a DSL subscription but getting a dialup speed? How about the charges when I used PLDT VIBE when their internet was completely dead on April 2nd??? I was told they were upgrading their service last week but how they will explain that my bandwidth speed kept dropping as days passed by? Someone out there from PLDT must do something with my dissatisfaction, it's kind of annoying not to get a service what I'm paying for.

My internet is toooooooooo slowwwwwwww while blogging this entry.....

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Some people find unequal happiness by either doing good to others or hurting them or by just simply delaying people to move on and be happy.

Galatians 6:7 (King James Version): "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

On this Season of Lent, let's examine our hearts... for it's the best place where we can find true happiness.

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Pacette, my younger sister, went to National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) office and blocked my Nokia 3660's International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) past 1 this afternoon.

We went then to Smart Communications to block my SIM number but, they no longer block buddy cellphone numbers. However, they told me they can deactivate the stolen SIM card if I will request for SIM replacement by just submitting 2 valid IDs, Affidavit of Loss, and SIM casing/PUK pad. I also found out from Customer Care that the robber's last call made from my stolen cellphone was Globe line +639174488122 at 01:34 pm 26 Jan 2006. My cellphone's IMEI had been blocked with NTC at past 1 p.m. and the culprit was unable to place more calls after that time, leaving Php140.00 credit balance. I was tempted to call the number but, Paul Denise advised me to leave the matter up to him.

According to NTC agent, most stolen cellphones reported today were from shopping malls. Didn't know if it is true what a taxi driver once told me that those security guards in the mall were also accomplice in shopping mall crimes because they also received incentives from the robbers.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Of all people, I had been victimized by pickpocket syndicate roaming around the vicinity of SM North Edsa supermarket. I haven't noticed when someone sneaked into the side pocket of my black handbag while I was busy buying a big Lapu-lapu fish. The culprit got my ugly maroon Nokia 3660 cellphone without sweat but, fortunately, the Php 12,000 cash was still there!

As I claimed the Lapu-lapu, I pushed the cart to Monterey Meat Section when I noticed the side pocket of my bag was open. I checked and found out that my cellphone wasn't there. I rushed to Tintin to ask if my cellphone was with her but she told me she returned it to me after she text Mama to cook rice. She called my cellphone and it was ringing. The second attempt failed. We rushed to the Customer Service but their Security men were lousy and unable to help. Customer Service kept reminding shoppers to watch their bags carefully which I did but, unfortunately the robber was a professional one. I was upset and discontinued my shopping!

The said cellphone has my name and address saved on template. I'm giving the robber a chance to return it to me until tomorrow before I finally block its IMEI with NTC. My sim card has over Php 650 load.

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

After wiretapping discovery this morning and old modem had been replaced, I still do not have DSL internet access since 5:00 o'clock this afternoon. I have to connect using VIBE, PLDT's dialup internet, to access the net but, my usual online activities cannot be carried out due to very slow connection.

I have been enduring these inconveniences for the last ten days now. I called 172375 but their line was either busy or dead. I already sent two emails but never receive any replies from their technical staffs. MyDSL PLDT is a big company yet they gave poor service when it comes to internet.

Gone were the days Infocom handled my technical inquiries in real time when we were still in Parañaque City.

EEKKKK! Someone wiretapped us!

Since ten days ago, I was complaining with myDSL PLDT tech support about our intermittent internet connection. From morning until late evening, we couldn't complete any file download and caused me a lot of NP loses when playing Pawkeet slots.

My agony ends today (I hope) when they sent their lineman to check the quality of my telephone line. I asked him to wait an hour until I fired my plushie workers and read some mails. And, guess what he discovered? Someone wiretapped our main telephone box and hooked another telephone wire leading to the same building where we live!

My greatest concern now is, what if they made a lot of overseas call using my telephone line? Oh! God... why there are people like them exist?

Saturday, October 02, 2004

Last Friday, my son and I were not able to use Yahoo! messenger webcams. I couldn't run it without being interrupted with annoying popups each time someone sent me a message or vice versa.

Whoever is the creator of this damaging spyware worms, may you'll get spammed too by the one more evil than you. People like you make money out from tears and bloods of innocent PC users. I know Mac doesn't have this virus and spammers troubles.

Paul, a fellow yahoo webcam user, sent me hijackthis.zip file to help me resolve spyware annoying popups that resides in computer's system yet, the file about: blank page was still in internet explorer as default page. I viewed its page source yet all links were run by javascript. IE option was disabled and so was windows update. My daughter suggested to uninstall IE and reinstall it but, I doubted whether the worm will be removed. This upsets me for many days now and this caused misunderstanding between me and my daughter due to differences of opinions on how to get rid of the virus! I saved the log file of suspected files scanned by hijackthis.

Starapple techies advised me to reformat HDD and could you imagine if I will do that? It will be harder for me to back up all files, go to the computer shop, surrender my PC, and start anew with installations of my favorite softwares? Why there are people damaging people's files in order to take advantage from our sufferings?

This is not funny anymore.

Sites to visit:
hijackthis.net
THE PARASITE FIGHT

Monday, September 20, 2004

If you are added on my list or at least, have tried to send me instant message either on Yahoo! or ICQ, you know about my auto-reply message. Most incoming messages never get a secondary reply from me unless someone says something interesting.

I believe it's in my discretion whether I will reply to any messages sent to me or not. Although my profile is for public viewing which is provided to friends and families, it does not mean, I am a public property nor must I share with anyone my precious time. So what if my life is like an open book? Informations are there because I must save time telling people the same story over and over again. Why some people just cannot understand that?

To jerryicu: No Filipina will bother to chat with you, you're rude and a TURN OFF!!! Besides, I do not entertain online dating inquiries...

ANNOYING CHAT HISTORY:

Session Start (Yahoo! - lady_laila:jerryicu): Mon Sep 20 12:38:43 2004
[12:38] jerryicu: To Be Friends My name is Jerry, I live in USA, Near Portland Oregon I was surfing and saw you ID at yahoo, I would like to make new friends and learn about your place I work in the Medical field and would like to travel to manila, if you have time will you please email me your pictures and tell me about you I like good values and also strong for family values, I seek a nice lady email me Tell me about your life and your job so i can know you better please Email at Jerryicu@yahoo.com
[12:38] *** Auto-response sent to jerryicu: Hello :-)
I'm busy attending to my duties and away from my PC. Please feel free to visit my blog at http://www.ladylaila.net/blog/ to know the latest news about me or check out this site, http://blogshares.com/?referer=13413 where I hang out online most of the time. Thank you and wishing you a happy life. May God bless us all. ~ Laila*
[14:25] lady_laila: if you wish to meet someone, try this site http://filipinofriendfinder.com/
Session Close (jerryicu): Mon Sep 20 14:25:04 2004

Session Start (Yahoo! - lady_laila:jerryicu): Mon Sep 20 20:22:16 2004
[20:22] jerryicu: thank you and you how are you doing
[20:22] *** Auto-response sent to jerryicu: Hello :-)
I'm busy attending to my duties and away from my PC. Please feel free to visit my blog at http://www.ladylaila.net/blog/ to know the latest news about me or check out this site, http://blogshares.com/?referer=13413 where I hang out online most of the time. Thank you and wishing you a happy life. May God bless us all. ~ Laila*
[20:24] jerryicu: i am sorry you are to public for me
[20:25] jerryicu: it seems you hangs out your guts for all to see, do you really need that kind of attention
[20:25] jerryicu: i dont see conservative people doing this that are very intelligent
[20:25] jerryicu: no thank you
[20:50] lady_laila: these are all what you're saying while I was busy doing my chores in the kitchen? Well, I don't care whatever impression you had about me. With the kind of messages you just gave me, I don't think you have a space in my busy world.

You are ignored!
[20:50] *** jerryicu has been ignored.
Session Close (jerryicu): Mon Sep 20 20:50:21 2004

Sunday, August 15, 2004

As Macky (Mars/Iris Securities) posted Chips for Missing Industries on August 13, 2004, 07:52:47 pm at BlogShares Forum, I offered him 100+ industries for 1.5 chips or 15 chips per 10 rare ideas for the industries Macky doesn't have yet.

Today, while I bonded 116 industries in sets of twelves to transfer the ideas, Bear interrupted our transactions by poaching 4 industries, which in return, Macky complained of invalid bonds. I was certain that I have issued the ideas properly as bonds until I found out that Bear took it. I sent couple of messages on his Rare idea bonds for sale message thread. The BlogShares Global Moderator, Mr Pilot, instead of settling the dispute, he added flame and interruption with my bond transactions with Macky by poaching one of the bonds Bear rebonded to returnn those industries he purchased in the bonds market.

After I finished with Macky's bonds and he got 1160 ideas from me, I found out later that interruptions made by Bear and Mr Pilot made me lose the opportunity to sell my 10,272,408 Farsi ideas on time at B$ 54,343.40 or a total loss in the amount of B$ 558,237,576,907.20 at 23:14 system time!!!

I didn't know why this guy is picking on me but, one thing is certain, I didn't liked his style...

Friday, July 16, 2004

This morning, this blog had been spammed by about 1,760 messages and I had difficulty deleting them. Whoever is the person behind these spamming, I didn't understand why you have to make use of this blog to store your links.

There are no perverts visiting my site, there's no hope you could get traffic from this blog... get yourselves MT blog up and spammed every page with your links!

Many thanks to Jay Allen of MT-Blacklist, adding porn URLs by the hundreds to my blacklist and deleting/rebuilding MT had been easier... more power, Jay!

Saturday, April 17, 2004

Paul Denise and I went to Quezon City this evening to pick up my mother but, she just left to visit her youngest grandson. After couple of women talk with my elder sister, Neth, we decided to go home.

My brother-in-law was still not home, and probably dating out his GF, so my son and Jesse, Ate Neth's youngest son, took a cab to drop us home. When they're back to fetch me, they advised me that there will be P 30.00 additional charge to the meter. I just settled myself comfortably and told the driver I wanted some Kowloon Dimsum siopao, so I got 5 order of Asado Pao and 5 order of Bola-Bola Pao, well... we're not that hungry, really!

When we passed the Ortigas area travelling the long road of Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue (EDSA), something popped up in my thoughts and I asked the taxi driver if he ever had a white lady passenger before. That question made him lost control of the steering wheel and the vehicle swerved to another lane. Puzzled and confused, he looked at me, and stared at my son at the same time. Knowing my son is real, he doubted about me (me, as in white lady)... and so, he started talking about his 3 encounters with the so-called white lady.

The Balete Drive First Experience: He mentioned some streets which I couldn't remember anymore but, anyway, he was alone that time driving along the Balete Drive area but, he was surprised why he kept seeing the same house and travelling the same road over and over again for an hour. Knowing something strange was going on, he recited some prayers and with the sign of the cross, he managed and find his way out...

The Balete Drive Second Experience: He had a female passenger and asked him to take her near Morato Avenue. The trip went smoothly and they were talking about the woman's sad relationship with the man she dearly loved. When they were in the Balete area, he asked his passenger where was the guy but, he received no answers. When he looked at the rear view mirror, by then he realized that his passenger was no longer there.

Well... I must admit, I was already chilling and a bit alarmed, as I was the only one sitting at the back...

The San Mateo Experience: He was driving along the San Mateo area, that time was about two in the morning and he was delighted when there were couple waving at him to stop. As he was driving closer to the passengers, he saw a man wearing red pyjamas, white t-shirt with a scarf on his neck while the lady was wearing a white long gown. Their outfit resembled the Maria Clara days, or the Spanish period. When suddenly, he saw both couples had no heads! He manuevered to the opposite lane to avoid the hi-way ghosts and drove away as fast as he could.

Whether you believe in his stories or not, as far as I am concerned, he was not nice to his passengers by asking them to pay more than what is indicated in the meter. Although I never argued with him about it, I had my own way of returning his "nice service". As we get off the vehicle, I gave him more than what he's asking but no siopao and coke...

It's enough that he was terrified for couple of minutes...