Our original plan was to stick it out with the yaya for six months and then let her go. Jenny's aunt agreed to pay for Chuchay's services for half a year and Chuchay knew that she'll be leaving soon.
Jen and I didn't want to cause any further tension or issues with Chuchay. She was the one taking care of Aaron and if she snapped, she might do something bad to the baby.
We spent countless hours planning what to say and do, so that when the time comes, we would part ways amicably. Unfortunately that was not the case.
"Yaya's Day Off"
Based on our original agreement with Chuchay, she would take the last weekend of every month as her time off. So far she has been incosnsistent with this. Chuchay's days off would change every month and she would go into "sour puss" mode every time we try to enforce
the original agreement.
I also noticed that a lot of tension would crop up every time she comes back.
On the first month, she got lost coming back from her brother's house. I gave her directions and a map on how to commute back to our place. Unfortuantely, she lost the map and Jen had to fetch her all the way from SM Megamall.
On the second month, she came back from the province at around 12 midnight. Knowing that we were still awake feeding Aaron, she texted us, insisting that we fetch her from the bus terminal in Cubao. "Sir. Nandito na ako sa Bus terminal. Sunduin nyo na ako." Jen was furious with her attitude, saying that she should already know how to commute back to our place by now. Chuchay kept texting until six in the morning, and we finally had our househelp fetch her from Cubao.
On the third month, when she was about to leave the house for her day off, Jen told her to open up her bag so she can check on her things.
"Di ako magnanakaw, tsaka wala naman makukuha dito." (I'm not a thief, there is nothing to steal here)
Jen patiently explained to Chuchay that this was my parents' rule for all the house help. And Jen had been checking her bag every time she leaves.
"Ang sama ng magulang nyo. Akala nyo kukunin ko gamit nyo." (Your parents are so mean. They think I'm stealing your things)
Jen explained again (and again) about our house rules and eventually she complied.
"Bye bye Aaron"
When she came back from her day off, Chuchay was still angry with Jen. Apparently she was still frustrated (and fuming) with my parents' policy of checking the househelps belongings.
Jen didn't answer back anymore because Chuchay was holding Aaron and she was very upset. Who knows what Chuchay would do to the baby if the two of them continued arguing.
"Bakit di pa nalabhan itong mga damit ni Aaron?" (Why isn't Aaron's clothes washed yet?) Chuchay fumed as she saw the pile of dirty laundry. She was expecting the other househelp to do her work.
"Kasi umuwi ka di ba?" (Because you had your day off) Jenny replied, taking Aaron away from the angry yaya. Jen then ordered Chuchay to do the laundry while she take care of Aaron.
Went Chuchay was busy with her work, Jen called her parents and decided it was time for the yaya to go.
An hour later, Jen's parents arrived. They called Chuchay to pack her things and accompany them back to the agency.
Chuchay kept quiet all the time. But her face betrayed the anger and shock at what had happened. She thought Jen's parents were only visiting Aaron. She never expected them to take her back to the agency.
"I'm highly recommended"
A week after Chuchay left, our househelp got a text from her.
"May trabaho na daw sya. Mabilis daw sya nakahanap ng trabaho kasi Tita nya yung may-ari ng agency." (She has a new assignment now. She immediately found a new job because her Aunt is the manager of the agency) Our househelp told us.
Jen and her parents believe that Chuchay was pretending to say these things to prove that she's still marketable.
Personally I do wish her well and I do hope she has found another family to work with. At least she would be too busy tormenting the new family to think of us and baby Aaron.
The Yaya Chronicles Part III – “When things become surreal”
So how do you deal with an egotistical woman who happens to be the yaya of your first born child? Adjusting to a new born infant is difficult, but adding a self-absorbed yaya makes parenting an even tougher challenge.
Jen and I thought we hit the jackpot when our Godmother paid for the services of a professional yaya for six months. But as the weeks go by, we discovered Aaron's yaya is more of a trouble than a help.
"Prized Trophy"
Whenever the family brings the baby out to a gathering or a get-together, we'd bring Chuchay to take care of Aaron. Jen and I would watch as she carry the baby and look for other yayas, hoping to mingle with them.
At first I thought she wants to talk and socialize with the other yayas. But Jen told me she wasn't being friendly. She was trying to compete with them.
Apparently Chuchay was showing off Aaron, parading him like some kind of pet project. She would walk in front of the other yayas, her eyes looking at the other babies scornfully, as if they were inferior second-hand defects.
Whenever a guest or a relative would comment on Aaron's size, grooming, or clean appearance, Chuchay's face would light up like a Christmas tree.
She thrives on praise, Jen's mother commented. She loves it when people compliment on how good she is. Unfortunately Jen and I were stingy when it comes to praising her. So without us affirming her, Chuchay decided to pat her own back.
"Being Overweight is okay"
Whenever people see Aaron for the first time, they would be amazed at his size. Aaron was born 8.9 pounds. Jen was in charge of feeding Aaron in the morning while Chuchay (the yaya) was in charge of feeding him in the afternoon and at night.
"Dapat uminom sya ng maraming gatas, para mataba siya at mukhang healthy." (He should drink lots of milk, so he would be fat and look healthy). This was Chuchay's mantra. A fat baby is a healthy baby. By the end of the first month, Aaron's weight was around eleven pounds.
By the end of the second month, his weight was fifteen pounds.
"Your baby is gaining a lot of weight," the pediatrician commented. "He is two months old but he weighs like a six-month baby already."
"Huwag ka makinig dyan sa doctor na yan (Don't listen to that doctor)," Chuchay answered. "Walang alam yan. Kelangan mataba ang baby para mabilis lumaki. (She's ignorant. Babies have to be fat in order to grow fast."
By the third month, even our friends were worried about Aaron's size.
"Huwag kayo makinig dyan sa mga kaibigan nyo (Don't listen to your friends)," Chuchay replied. "Inggit lang sila sa baby ninyo. Palibhasa payatot ang mga anak nila (They are just jealous of your baby. Their children are all skinny)."
Eventually we realized that Chuchay was overfeeding the baby. She would push the bottle into Aaron's mouth, even though the baby was not hungry, forcing him to drink the formula. Chuchay would do this every two hours.
Jenny was furious when she learned about this. By then it was too late. Aaron developed a phobia for nipples and bottles (Chuchay was still forcing him to drink). Jen switched to breastfeeding the baby and the yaya never forgave us for that.
"The Gayuma Factor"
It's obvious that Chuchay wants to be the star of the show. She wants Aaron to love her more than me or Jen. Chuchay believes that we'd be lost without her assistance. She'd use all the tricks she knew to make herself closer to Aaron – even superstitious folk beliefs.
"Dapat halikin mo yung birdie ng bata, para maging close kayo at hahanapin ka nya (You should kiss the child's genitals, so both of you would be close and he would look for you)." Chuchay would say whenever she and Jen gave Aaron a bath.
One time, Chuchay took the weekend off and left Aaron with us. The baby kept crying (without reason) every night. Our house help said that Chuchay was probably thinking of him. I personally don't believe in this superstition, but Jen was bothered.
When Chuchay came back, she admitted that she constantly thought of Aaron. "Paulit-ulit ko nga sinasabi yung pangalan ni Aaron, nagtataka nga ang asawa't anak ko kung ano yung dinadasal ko. (I kept reciting Aaron's name, my husband and children were wondering what I was praying about)."
Jen asked her why she'd do that. She was making the baby cry all the while. "Baka kasi makalimutan ako ng bata. (The baby might forget me)"
As the months went by, Jen and I grew tired of the yaya and her arrogant attitude. We were looking forward to the end of Chuchay's six month stay. But in the end she snapped, and we took that opportunity to let her go.
[To be concluded]
Jen and I thought we hit the jackpot when our Godmother paid for the services of a professional yaya for six months. But as the weeks go by, we discovered Aaron's yaya is more of a trouble than a help.
"Prized Trophy"
Whenever the family brings the baby out to a gathering or a get-together, we'd bring Chuchay to take care of Aaron. Jen and I would watch as she carry the baby and look for other yayas, hoping to mingle with them.
At first I thought she wants to talk and socialize with the other yayas. But Jen told me she wasn't being friendly. She was trying to compete with them.
Apparently Chuchay was showing off Aaron, parading him like some kind of pet project. She would walk in front of the other yayas, her eyes looking at the other babies scornfully, as if they were inferior second-hand defects.
Whenever a guest or a relative would comment on Aaron's size, grooming, or clean appearance, Chuchay's face would light up like a Christmas tree.
She thrives on praise, Jen's mother commented. She loves it when people compliment on how good she is. Unfortunately Jen and I were stingy when it comes to praising her. So without us affirming her, Chuchay decided to pat her own back.
"Being Overweight is okay"
Whenever people see Aaron for the first time, they would be amazed at his size. Aaron was born 8.9 pounds. Jen was in charge of feeding Aaron in the morning while Chuchay (the yaya) was in charge of feeding him in the afternoon and at night.
"Dapat uminom sya ng maraming gatas, para mataba siya at mukhang healthy." (He should drink lots of milk, so he would be fat and look healthy). This was Chuchay's mantra. A fat baby is a healthy baby. By the end of the first month, Aaron's weight was around eleven pounds.
By the end of the second month, his weight was fifteen pounds.
"Your baby is gaining a lot of weight," the pediatrician commented. "He is two months old but he weighs like a six-month baby already."
"Huwag ka makinig dyan sa doctor na yan (Don't listen to that doctor)," Chuchay answered. "Walang alam yan. Kelangan mataba ang baby para mabilis lumaki. (She's ignorant. Babies have to be fat in order to grow fast."
By the third month, even our friends were worried about Aaron's size.
"Huwag kayo makinig dyan sa mga kaibigan nyo (Don't listen to your friends)," Chuchay replied. "Inggit lang sila sa baby ninyo. Palibhasa payatot ang mga anak nila (They are just jealous of your baby. Their children are all skinny)."
Eventually we realized that Chuchay was overfeeding the baby. She would push the bottle into Aaron's mouth, even though the baby was not hungry, forcing him to drink the formula. Chuchay would do this every two hours.
Jenny was furious when she learned about this. By then it was too late. Aaron developed a phobia for nipples and bottles (Chuchay was still forcing him to drink). Jen switched to breastfeeding the baby and the yaya never forgave us for that.
"The Gayuma Factor"
It's obvious that Chuchay wants to be the star of the show. She wants Aaron to love her more than me or Jen. Chuchay believes that we'd be lost without her assistance. She'd use all the tricks she knew to make herself closer to Aaron – even superstitious folk beliefs.
"Dapat halikin mo yung birdie ng bata, para maging close kayo at hahanapin ka nya (You should kiss the child's genitals, so both of you would be close and he would look for you)." Chuchay would say whenever she and Jen gave Aaron a bath.
One time, Chuchay took the weekend off and left Aaron with us. The baby kept crying (without reason) every night. Our house help said that Chuchay was probably thinking of him. I personally don't believe in this superstition, but Jen was bothered.
When Chuchay came back, she admitted that she constantly thought of Aaron. "Paulit-ulit ko nga sinasabi yung pangalan ni Aaron, nagtataka nga ang asawa't anak ko kung ano yung dinadasal ko. (I kept reciting Aaron's name, my husband and children were wondering what I was praying about)."
Jen asked her why she'd do that. She was making the baby cry all the while. "Baka kasi makalimutan ako ng bata. (The baby might forget me)"
As the months went by, Jen and I grew tired of the yaya and her arrogant attitude. We were looking forward to the end of Chuchay's six month stay. But in the end she snapped, and we took that opportunity to let her go.
[To be concluded]
The Yaya Chronicles Part II – “It’s my way or the highway”
So we got stuck with this yaya who seems to have the highest credentials in taking care of children. Jen and I considered Chuchay (not her real name) a blessing at first, knowing that Aaron is in the hands of a real professional. And her services were FREE, thanks to our godmother who volunteered to shoulder Chuchay's 6.5k monthly salary for six months!
But eventually we realized, even free things come with a price…
"Laying down the house rules"
The first day Chuchay entered our small house, she began to make comments about our room and how dirty it was for raising a baby. She warned Jenny that our bedroom (where we sleep with the baby) was filled with dust and dirt. Chuchay told us that we should change our bedsheets, pillows, and blankets EVERY DAY.
She wore her white yaya uniform with pride, looking clean and immaculate, while the three of us wore normal house clothes.
Chuchay didn't like the idea of having Aaron sleep with his parents on the same bed. It's too dangerous and too dirty. She must have the impression that we're idiots who'd squash our baby while sleeping.
"Alam mo sa dati kong amo, may sariling kwarto yung baby. Doon rin ako natutulog." (You know, my former employer's baby has his own room. I also sleep there.) Chuchay loved to tell stories about her former rich employers. How she and the baby enjoyed the luxuries and comforts of wealthy parents.
"Yung dati kong mga amo, hinahayaan lang ako at yung baby. Sa gabi lang nga sila bumibista sa amin, pagkatapos magtrabaho." (My former employers leave me in charge of the baby. They only visit us at night, when they come home from work.) Jen had the feeling that Chuchay was trying to imply that we should leave her with Aaron, and that she hates being watched over (or is it "micro-managed") by Jenny.
Chuchay made it clear that she was the foremost expert in baby care. She would push away Jenny or my suggestions, saying that her way was the best. Chuchay would insist on washing Aaron's clothes using a certain (expensive) soap, or have Aaron drink orange juice (even though he was just two months old). She also insisted in carrying the baby all day, hoping that Aaron would prefer her caring embrace over Jen or mine.
"Chuchay a.k.a Gossip Girl"
The only consolation Chuchay got from our household was the company of other house helps. She immediately bonded with the other female helpers. I guess this was one of the reasons why she stayed with our family.
And whenever Jen would give her the afternoon off to sleep (she takes the nigh shift watching over Aaron). She'd spend the time trading "tsimis" and gossip with the other helpers.
Chuchay would proudly brag her exploits to our house help (and my parents). She would talk about her life as a yaya in Hong Kong and in the Middle East. "Eto yung alaga kong baby sa Lebanon," (Here is the baby I was caring for in Lebanon) Chuchay would say as she showed a picture of an innocent baby on her Motorola celphone. "Maganda siya diba? Pero papangit yan pag matanda na… ganun naman yung mga Arabo."
By the end of the first month, she knew about Jen and my family's entire history. Whatever she would bluntly ask questions without shame, as if she deserves to know everything.
"How much is Allan earning in his job?"
"Why is Lolo and Lola (my parents) like this or that?"
"Why is Lola running the business this way? If I had money I would do this and that…."
"I heard Allan's uncle owns this property (where we live) and that… Does Lolo and Lola own other houses?"
"Love ko si Aaron"
Despite all of Chuchay's shortcomings, Jen and I decided to keep her. She loves Aaron and it shows on the small things. Chuchay would stay up all night (and day) watching over him while Jen and I sleep.
As soon as Aaron recovered from his colds, we discovered that he was one of those high maintenance babies. Aaron would wake up every hour to drink milk and he is also a light sleeper (the faintest sound would startle him).
Chuchay took her babysitting job as a serious and dedicated professional, wanting only the best for the baby (and also for her).
Whenever she and Jen would get into an argument, Chuchay would always say that the only reason she's staying is because of the baby. "Na-aawa lang ako kay Aaron. Kawawa siya pag wala na ako."
I guess one reason why I let her get away with these things is because I wanted to have someone help Jen. Since Chuchay was working for free, we might as well make the best use of her. Thanks to Chuchay, Jen and I were sleeping soundly at night (as opposed to most parents of newborns who suffer through sleepless nights for the first several months).
But eventually we had to deal with Chuchay's other eccentric and totally nasty temprament.
(To be continued)
The Yaya Chronicles Part 1 -- “Why the hell did we get her?”
It’s been three months and Aaron is doing okay. Rather than post more videos and pictures of our baby, I decided to post our daily adventures (or struggles) with Aaron and particularly, his yaya.
If given the chance to things all over again, Jen and I would have made smarter choices. Looking back on Aaron’s growth, we made lots of mistakes and bad decisions. But definitely we are learning as we go along.
And yes, we would never have taken in Aaron’s yaya. But then again, the yaya was a gift from our godmother, so we can’t really return her like a defective DVD series from Quiapo.
So why the hell did we get her?
We thought we prepared for everything before Aaron arrived. But when Jen and I brought Aaron home, we didn’t know what to do with him.
Sure, there were a lot of people giving us advice. But there were small things that we didn’t know – like how to clean his umbilical cord, cut his fingernails, or how he should take a bath.
Some hospitals would give parents instructional books, videos, and even training on how to take care of new born babies. Metropolitan Hospital did not. In fact, we were left blind on what to do.
To aggravate the situation, Aaron was caught the colds on his first week outside the hospital. He didn’t have any appetite for milk and had difficulty breathing.
Several days had pass and Aaron was still sick. Jen and I were losing sleep from trying to feed the baby. We told our relatives about Aaron’s condition, they were all worried for him.
Enter the yaya
When news of Aaron’s sickness reached Jenny’s aunts, our godmother offered to help.
Our godmother called up the agency to get the best and most qualified yaya. She even paid six months for the yaya’s services.
We were so grateful for this gift -- at least we had someone to help us take care of Aaron.
Highly qualified means highly paid
And so we got this yaya (let’s call her Chuchay). When our godmother asked for the best yaya, the agency gave us their best.
Chuchay has been a yaya for more than fifteen years. She even had a degree as a midwife and caregiving. She’s even worked in places like Hong Kong and the Middle East. She’s even worked for wealthy families from exclusive villages like Greenhills and maybe even Forbes.
The first time I saw Chuchay, I was amused. She wore the typical white uniform of yayas from rich families. She even has her own set of yaya uniform (our house-helps wear normal clothes). And unlike the other house-helps, who call me “kuya”, Chuchay calls me “sir”.
When I heard how much our godmother paid for the yaya, I was totally blown away. Chuchay was earning P 6,500 a month!
Looking back, I guess she was worth the money our godmother paid. Aaron was (and still is) a very active baby. He wakes up almost one or two hours at night to drink. And it was obvious that Chuchay was well versed in take care of babies. Aaron’s cold seemed to have lessened thanks to her care.
So Jen and I decided to assign all the “baby task” to Chuchay – from sterilizing the feeding bottles, washing Aaron’s clothes, and taking care of Aaron. Aside from Jen and Chuchay, no one else was taking care of the baby (I was busy with work). If we were a call center company, Chuchay would have been manning the phone 24/7.
As Aaron’s health improved, we came to rely more on Chuchay for her skills. But that became our next biggest mistake.
(To be continued)
If given the chance to things all over again, Jen and I would have made smarter choices. Looking back on Aaron’s growth, we made lots of mistakes and bad decisions. But definitely we are learning as we go along.
And yes, we would never have taken in Aaron’s yaya. But then again, the yaya was a gift from our godmother, so we can’t really return her like a defective DVD series from Quiapo.
So why the hell did we get her?
We thought we prepared for everything before Aaron arrived. But when Jen and I brought Aaron home, we didn’t know what to do with him.
Sure, there were a lot of people giving us advice. But there were small things that we didn’t know – like how to clean his umbilical cord, cut his fingernails, or how he should take a bath.
Some hospitals would give parents instructional books, videos, and even training on how to take care of new born babies. Metropolitan Hospital did not. In fact, we were left blind on what to do.
To aggravate the situation, Aaron was caught the colds on his first week outside the hospital. He didn’t have any appetite for milk and had difficulty breathing.
Several days had pass and Aaron was still sick. Jen and I were losing sleep from trying to feed the baby. We told our relatives about Aaron’s condition, they were all worried for him.
Enter the yaya
When news of Aaron’s sickness reached Jenny’s aunts, our godmother offered to help.
Our godmother called up the agency to get the best and most qualified yaya. She even paid six months for the yaya’s services.
We were so grateful for this gift -- at least we had someone to help us take care of Aaron.
Highly qualified means highly paid
And so we got this yaya (let’s call her Chuchay). When our godmother asked for the best yaya, the agency gave us their best.
Chuchay has been a yaya for more than fifteen years. She even had a degree as a midwife and caregiving. She’s even worked in places like Hong Kong and the Middle East. She’s even worked for wealthy families from exclusive villages like Greenhills and maybe even Forbes.
The first time I saw Chuchay, I was amused. She wore the typical white uniform of yayas from rich families. She even has her own set of yaya uniform (our house-helps wear normal clothes). And unlike the other house-helps, who call me “kuya”, Chuchay calls me “sir”.
When I heard how much our godmother paid for the yaya, I was totally blown away. Chuchay was earning P 6,500 a month!
Looking back, I guess she was worth the money our godmother paid. Aaron was (and still is) a very active baby. He wakes up almost one or two hours at night to drink. And it was obvious that Chuchay was well versed in take care of babies. Aaron’s cold seemed to have lessened thanks to her care.
So Jen and I decided to assign all the “baby task” to Chuchay – from sterilizing the feeding bottles, washing Aaron’s clothes, and taking care of Aaron. Aside from Jen and Chuchay, no one else was taking care of the baby (I was busy with work). If we were a call center company, Chuchay would have been manning the phone 24/7.
As Aaron’s health improved, we came to rely more on Chuchay for her skills. But that became our next biggest mistake.
(To be continued)
Quezon City Registry of Deeds --> most lousy and corrupt agency (This is a rant)
If you have problems with the titles of your property and need to have it changed, certified, or altered... well good luck to you.
You have to wrestle with one of the most corrupt, laziest, and inefficient government agencies here in Metro Manila. God help those poor souls who have to deal with the officers and employees of this agency.
I had the most unfortunate encounter with the QC RD and boy, it was like the worst kind of bureaucracy -- my papers have been in the process for over eight months already (and is still in the process).
The problem started when we had to fix one of our relatives' townhouse (who just left the country). To make the story short, the land was transferred to our family and we had to deal with snail-paced service of the Quezon City government. We should have ask for a real estate agent to do the work, but we thought it would be easier (quicker) to do it on our own... and we were so wrong.
Here is a step-by-step account of what happened:
(1) November 2007. Finished all the payments, tax declarations, and tranfer fees at QC City Hall. The second-to-the-last-step involved surrendering the old Transfer of Certificate Title (TCT) and getting a new one. To get a new certificate tile, you have to go to the Registery of Deeds.
(2) December 2007. Went to the Registry of Deeds (RD) to get certificate title. Apparently, the old office was burnt down, along with all the orginal documents in the department (stupid people don't even bother to get a vault to store these important documents). Rather than fix the problem themselves, the RD people decided to pass on the responsibility of reconstituting the missing certificate titles to the public.
In a nutshell, the process of re-constituting (recreating) a new title involves the following steps:
(A) get an affidavit to request for reconstitution.
(B) make sure to have all required documents ready and fixed.
(C) pay the reconstitution fee (Hell, we pay for their salaries and they still ask us to pay more for them to do their work).
(D) Wait till your application goes to the Surveyor's office (to survery the land in question) ... which takes around 4 or 5 months to do.
(E) Get the approved application and return to RD office.
(F) Pay another fee to have RD office process your approved application.
(G) Get the new certificate title.
(H) proceed back to Quezon City Hall.
(3) January to February 2008. Got stuck in Step B. I think the process would have been quicker if the RD employees were more accomodating and helpful. But they were total a-holes. Some of them were rude and condescending. Their office starts at 8am. They refuse to speak or answer to your queries before that time, cursing you for bothering them. Some of them (those in key positions) come to work around 9 or 930 am. Still others would vanish while in the middle of work. I waited 1.5 hours for one of the checkers and learned that she was out collecting her 5-6 "utang".
(4) February to June 2008. I thought my ordeal with RD was over as soon as my application went to the surveryor's office (step D). But the waiting game had just started. It took over 5 months for them to check the land title, survey/assess the land, and process the documents. I followed up every month but they always told me the documents were still being fixed. Our application was further delayed for two more months when I followed up and learned that it was "collecting dust" in one of the trays (apparently the clerks misfiled it or forgot about it totally).
(5) June to July 2008. Got the approval from the surveyor's office (Step E) and I was supposed to go back to RD to make the final processing (Step F). The whole process took another month. And I had to pay another amount of money. What annoyed me further was the indifference of the RD employees to the people they serve -- the way they rudely answer at queries and their attitudes.
(6) July 2008. Got the new CTC. I was estatic to be finally freed of RD. I rushed to QC City Hall for the final step H, only to realize that there were a couple of missing documents that the RD office failed to provide me.
I could have acquired these documents during the waiting period, but no one in RD told me or informed me. So I have to went back there again to get the missing documents.
As I was filing out the request forms for the documents, the clerk asked me if I was in a rush to get my documents done. I said yes. He told me he can help, but the people who would do the work were in another office. This means I have to bribe him and his contacts (and I still don't know how many they were). I got fed up, disgusted, and politely said no.
I could have accepted the clerk's offer, but I was at the end of the process. I'm fed with the agency and I don't want to spend another peso to feed on their laziness and corruption.
You have to wrestle with one of the most corrupt, laziest, and inefficient government agencies here in Metro Manila. God help those poor souls who have to deal with the officers and employees of this agency.
I had the most unfortunate encounter with the QC RD and boy, it was like the worst kind of bureaucracy -- my papers have been in the process for over eight months already (and is still in the process).
The problem started when we had to fix one of our relatives' townhouse (who just left the country). To make the story short, the land was transferred to our family and we had to deal with snail-paced service of the Quezon City government. We should have ask for a real estate agent to do the work, but we thought it would be easier (quicker) to do it on our own... and we were so wrong.
Here is a step-by-step account of what happened:
(1) November 2007. Finished all the payments, tax declarations, and tranfer fees at QC City Hall. The second-to-the-last-step involved surrendering the old Transfer of Certificate Title (TCT) and getting a new one. To get a new certificate tile, you have to go to the Registery of Deeds.
(2) December 2007. Went to the Registry of Deeds (RD) to get certificate title. Apparently, the old office was burnt down, along with all the orginal documents in the department (stupid people don't even bother to get a vault to store these important documents). Rather than fix the problem themselves, the RD people decided to pass on the responsibility of reconstituting the missing certificate titles to the public.
In a nutshell, the process of re-constituting (recreating) a new title involves the following steps:
(A) get an affidavit to request for reconstitution.
(B) make sure to have all required documents ready and fixed.
(C) pay the reconstitution fee (Hell, we pay for their salaries and they still ask us to pay more for them to do their work).
(D) Wait till your application goes to the Surveyor's office (to survery the land in question) ... which takes around 4 or 5 months to do.
(E) Get the approved application and return to RD office.
(F) Pay another fee to have RD office process your approved application.
(G) Get the new certificate title.
(H) proceed back to Quezon City Hall.
(3) January to February 2008. Got stuck in Step B. I think the process would have been quicker if the RD employees were more accomodating and helpful. But they were total a-holes. Some of them were rude and condescending. Their office starts at 8am. They refuse to speak or answer to your queries before that time, cursing you for bothering them. Some of them (those in key positions) come to work around 9 or 930 am. Still others would vanish while in the middle of work. I waited 1.5 hours for one of the checkers and learned that she was out collecting her 5-6 "utang".
(4) February to June 2008. I thought my ordeal with RD was over as soon as my application went to the surveryor's office (step D). But the waiting game had just started. It took over 5 months for them to check the land title, survey/assess the land, and process the documents. I followed up every month but they always told me the documents were still being fixed. Our application was further delayed for two more months when I followed up and learned that it was "collecting dust" in one of the trays (apparently the clerks misfiled it or forgot about it totally).
(5) June to July 2008. Got the approval from the surveyor's office (Step E) and I was supposed to go back to RD to make the final processing (Step F). The whole process took another month. And I had to pay another amount of money. What annoyed me further was the indifference of the RD employees to the people they serve -- the way they rudely answer at queries and their attitudes.
(6) July 2008. Got the new CTC. I was estatic to be finally freed of RD. I rushed to QC City Hall for the final step H, only to realize that there were a couple of missing documents that the RD office failed to provide me.
I could have acquired these documents during the waiting period, but no one in RD told me or informed me. So I have to went back there again to get the missing documents.
As I was filing out the request forms for the documents, the clerk asked me if I was in a rush to get my documents done. I said yes. He told me he can help, but the people who would do the work were in another office. This means I have to bribe him and his contacts (and I still don't know how many they were). I got fed up, disgusted, and politely said no.
I could have accepted the clerk's offer, but I was at the end of the process. I'm fed with the agency and I don't want to spend another peso to feed on their laziness and corruption.
Scouting around for bargain chairs
At first I thought I could buy a nice wooden chair for around 500 to 600 hundred bucks, but I was wrong.
The wooden chairs at SOGO and Blims costs around 2k to 3k. The plastic, foldable chairs at Ace Hardware costs around 600 to 900 bucks. I realized that wood costs a lot more than plastic or metal.
So after window-shopping in the malls, I decided to go chair hunting online. I searched for second-hand chairs over ebay, bidshot, and the HMR website. There are a lot of bargains online and I took my time to look for something that I want.
Eventually I realized that I'd stick to my budget of 500 to 600 pesos, and I can settle for a nice decent chair (wooden or not) that has a nice cushion.
And I found the chair I wanted at Office Busters Philippines (http://www.licagroup.net/officebusters/index.html).
Like HMR, Office Busters sells second hand office furnitures from Japan. The store is located along Pasong Tamo extension and has tons of office stuff -- ranging from cabinets, chairs, tables, printers and copiers.
I drove there, hoping to find a suitable chair and I found tons of stuff. The store looks more like a warehouse with different types of furniture piled up on top of each other. There were a lot of second hand cabinets and tables, but there were some new ones as well.
In the end, I found the chair that I wanted. It wasn't made of wood, but it was sturdy, nice looking, and has cushions. And it cost me six hundred pesos.
Food Tripping at Mien San Dimsum Noodle House
-763739.jpg)
-764679.jpg)
-765011.jpg)
Mien San Dimsum Noodle House is one of the shops as you pass by Avalon, going straight pass the intersection. The small restaurant stands in front of the In and Out Steak House and, according to my officemate, serves the best xiao-long-pao in the city.
So we paid a visit at the store and had a light dinner there. And for a Sunday night, the place was filled with Tsinoy customers. We ordered an order of xiao-long-pao (4 pieces worth 60 bucks) and a beef noodle soup (worth 148 bucks).
The xiao-long-pao came first, and I was reminded of how small they were. I imagined them to be miniature bola bola siopao, soaked in hot juice, and wrapped around thin dimsum wrappers.
We quickly finished the dimsum and waited for the noodles to arrive. Jen said the xiao-long-pao were good, but Shu-zhou restaurant's is much better.
After a couple of minutes, the beef noodles arrived. We stirred the bowl and saw the noodles were hand-tossed "la-mien" ("pulled noodles"). The taste of the broth and the noodles were authentically Chinese, not the typical Chow-King noodles (or Filipinized Chinese noodles as I like to call it).
Overall, the food was excellent. Jen and I would want to come back again to try the other food. There were other interesting dishes like onion pancake (or Chinese pizza) and their fried vegetable noodle soup.
San Juan Feista 2008
My parents dread this day. Commuters and passers-by get sprayed (or drenched) in water. The only way to avoid this unfortunate fate is to travel by car. But with the prices of gas soaring up these days, I think it would be better to stay at home.
I guess I inherited my parents' dislike for this celebration. My dad considers it a day when San Juan folks would go crazy and throw water at anyone they see. There's even this rumor circulating (every year) that some people would use dirty water from the sewage drain and throw it at people. And another rumor saying that one of the local residents was shot by an angry politician who got thrown water.
Good thing I drove to work today, as a precaution. And I avoid the streets where all the celebrants are throwing water at each other. I also noticed that certain parts of the city are free from these water spraying activities, namely the exclusive subdivisions and the streets where the more affluent people live in. The more aggressive water sprayers seem to gather near the municipal area, and the places where the less privileged people reside.
Canyon Woods Tagaytay (June 2008)
I went there with my officemates for some R & R.
Spinning Sugar
Nano and Min's exhibit at Mag:Net Gallery (Katipunan QC)
The show runs from May 10 to 29.
The show runs from May 10 to 29.
Fool Moon (Book Review 4 out of 5)
Werewolves, FBI agents, Mobsters and Wizards. All of these make up Jim Butcher's second Dresden Files novel aptly named "Fool Moon".
Took me a couple of months to finish the book, but I finally did. It took me a while to get some momentum, I think the first few chapters were a bit slow. But once you get pass the incident with Harry meeting the FBIs and the college geeks, the story gets interesting.
The story is fairly simple. Harry Dresden tries to track down a "werewolf" serial killer who happens to strike its victims during the night of the full moon. His investigation causes him to bump heads with the local police, a group of FBI agents, some wild bikers, and Chicago's mob lord.
What I loved about the series is nature of magic and how Jim Butcher uses it minimally in the story. While Dresden is a wizard, we don't see him controlling the weather, changing lead into gold, or killing people with a few incantations. Magic supplements his investigative work, and helps protect him at times. Dresden still has to rely on his physical prowess, instincts, and luck to survive.
I think Jim Butcher has done a good job with the series. Harry Dresden is an interesting protagonist, a hero with enough angst and issues to make the readers relate to him. Butcher also successfully depicts the supernatural underworld living in Chicago, and how each magical creature would interact with its neighbors.
I also like the way each novel in the series is self-contained -- dealing with one case or work at a time. But each book has its own clues and hints as to the overall meta-plot of the story.
Took me a couple of months to finish the book, but I finally did. It took me a while to get some momentum, I think the first few chapters were a bit slow. But once you get pass the incident with Harry meeting the FBIs and the college geeks, the story gets interesting.
The story is fairly simple. Harry Dresden tries to track down a "werewolf" serial killer who happens to strike its victims during the night of the full moon. His investigation causes him to bump heads with the local police, a group of FBI agents, some wild bikers, and Chicago's mob lord.
What I loved about the series is nature of magic and how Jim Butcher uses it minimally in the story. While Dresden is a wizard, we don't see him controlling the weather, changing lead into gold, or killing people with a few incantations. Magic supplements his investigative work, and helps protect him at times. Dresden still has to rely on his physical prowess, instincts, and luck to survive.
I think Jim Butcher has done a good job with the series. Harry Dresden is an interesting protagonist, a hero with enough angst and issues to make the readers relate to him. Butcher also successfully depicts the supernatural underworld living in Chicago, and how each magical creature would interact with its neighbors.
I also like the way each novel in the series is self-contained -- dealing with one case or work at a time. But each book has its own clues and hints as to the overall meta-plot of the story.
Re-applying for NBI Clearance
The only time I return to Quiapo is when I apply for a new NBI Clearance. I have no idea why the NBI office decided to set up their office on top of a mall located near the LRT Carriedo station. I find it ironic that the country's criminal investigation office is at the heart of a place crawling with pickpockets, fixers, illegal immigrants (posing as store owners), and street vendors selling pirated DVDs.
It's easy to look for the NBI office. Just follow the trail of vendors selling ball-point pens, cedulas, and brown envelopes. These vendors would convince people to buy their trinkets, claiming that these things are required inside the office.
Once you reach the main entrance of the office, you have to pay 20 bucks to get in. Then you have to follow the line of people to pay another 115 pesos for the actual clearance.
The place looks chaotic, with over a dozen long lines. Applying for a clearance consists of a series of steps. If you don't know which step you are in, you might find yourself waiting in the wrong line and wasting your time over nothing.
I feel so fortunate to only go through the renewal process. Applying for a new clearance takes double (or even triple) the time and effort. Despite the recent "improvements" in the application process -- with the computerized kiosks and payment machines, the lines at the NBI office are still long.
I'd suggest bringing along a good book or something that would help you pass the time while waiting in the line.
It's easy to look for the NBI office. Just follow the trail of vendors selling ball-point pens, cedulas, and brown envelopes. These vendors would convince people to buy their trinkets, claiming that these things are required inside the office.
Once you reach the main entrance of the office, you have to pay 20 bucks to get in. Then you have to follow the line of people to pay another 115 pesos for the actual clearance.
The place looks chaotic, with over a dozen long lines. Applying for a clearance consists of a series of steps. If you don't know which step you are in, you might find yourself waiting in the wrong line and wasting your time over nothing.
I feel so fortunate to only go through the renewal process. Applying for a new clearance takes double (or even triple) the time and effort. Despite the recent "improvements" in the application process -- with the computerized kiosks and payment machines, the lines at the NBI office are still long.
I'd suggest bringing along a good book or something that would help you pass the time while waiting in the line.
很奇怪的電郵
前天, 我收到一個很奇怪的電郵。這件電郵是我高中同學寫的。我跟這個同學無關﹐並且我們從未做朋友。
我們在中學第四年成為seatmates。在整個學年﹐他就複製我的數學﹐科學﹐中文功課和考試卷子。有時我拒絕﹐他就會發大脾氣﹐咒罵和恫嚇我。在一年中﹐我見證到他的壞個性﹐他怎樣對待其它同學﹐凌辱朋友。
畢業後﹐我就跟他分開無關。我從來不想跟這種人接觸交友。
現在我得到他的電郵。他就在找我﹐在網上搜尋﹐發現我的電子郵件。並且他發現了我的圖片和我寫幾年前的一篇網上文章。
他為什麼會尋找我? 當我讀完他的電子郵件﹐我覺得驚奇。他為什麼會想找我? 我們從未是朋友。他也許認為我是他的朋友, 但是我覺得他是一個懶惰的机會主義者﹐只懂得利用別人。
他大概欺騙自己﹐認為我是他中學的好朋友。或者他想要利用我為他辦某事。。。
我希望他改變了﹐但是我還懷疑他的心意。
我們在中學第四年成為seatmates。在整個學年﹐他就複製我的數學﹐科學﹐中文功課和考試卷子。有時我拒絕﹐他就會發大脾氣﹐咒罵和恫嚇我。在一年中﹐我見證到他的壞個性﹐他怎樣對待其它同學﹐凌辱朋友。
畢業後﹐我就跟他分開無關。我從來不想跟這種人接觸交友。
現在我得到他的電郵。他就在找我﹐在網上搜尋﹐發現我的電子郵件。並且他發現了我的圖片和我寫幾年前的一篇網上文章。
他為什麼會尋找我? 當我讀完他的電子郵件﹐我覺得驚奇。他為什麼會想找我? 我們從未是朋友。他也許認為我是他的朋友, 但是我覺得他是一個懶惰的机會主義者﹐只懂得利用別人。
他大概欺騙自己﹐認為我是他中學的好朋友。或者他想要利用我為他辦某事。。。
我希望他改變了﹐但是我還懷疑他的心意。
Digital Camera 101
My parents are going out of town next week. We convinced them to use our Canon Digital Ixus for their trip. This is a major adjustment for them since they have been using film cameras all their lives.
After telling them the advantages and benefits of using digital camera, they finally agreed to use one. We helped them take sample shots while shopping at Glorietta and Rockwell. So far they have taken a couple of good pictures, and they are amazed with the capacity of the camera to store over a thousand photographs (thanks to a 1 GB SD card). The next thing we’re teaching them is how to charge the camera.
The whole experience made me think about an old e-learning tutorial our team made several months ago. It was a teaching demo, aimed to introduce the benefits of digital cameras to older people (ages 60 up).
The tutorial was supposed to highlight the advantages of a digital camera, as compared to a film camera. One of our team member wrote the script for the course, another one did the storyboard and the graphics. I was the one who proofread and transferred the contents into the authoring tool (Exe-learning).
The final output was generated from Exe learning into a SCORM compliant html output. Unfortunately, the project was shelved shortly afterwards. Too bad though, I thought the course had a lot of potential. I could have used the course for my parents and let them appreciate the wonders of digital technology.
After telling them the advantages and benefits of using digital camera, they finally agreed to use one. We helped them take sample shots while shopping at Glorietta and Rockwell. So far they have taken a couple of good pictures, and they are amazed with the capacity of the camera to store over a thousand photographs (thanks to a 1 GB SD card). The next thing we’re teaching them is how to charge the camera.
The whole experience made me think about an old e-learning tutorial our team made several months ago. It was a teaching demo, aimed to introduce the benefits of digital cameras to older people (ages 60 up).
The tutorial was supposed to highlight the advantages of a digital camera, as compared to a film camera. One of our team member wrote the script for the course, another one did the storyboard and the graphics. I was the one who proofread and transferred the contents into the authoring tool (Exe-learning).
The final output was generated from Exe learning into a SCORM compliant html output. Unfortunately, the project was shelved shortly afterwards. Too bad though, I thought the course had a lot of potential. I could have used the course for my parents and let them appreciate the wonders of digital technology.
August Rush (Movie Review: 3 out of 5)
You don't have to be a music lover to enjoy this movie. However, you must be prepared to accept all the freaky coincidences and odd circumstances that play around the main protagonist of the film.
The hero (August Rush, aka Evan Taylor) is an orphan who is driven to find his birth parents. He's a music prodigy who has the "gift of listening to the world". Thanks to this gift, he is reunited with his family at the end.
It's a modern day fairy tale of sorts -- we have a young boy who gets thrown into a cruel/nasty world (aka New York City). But thanks to his musical talent, he meets people (like a character named "Wizard") who either helped or exploited him along the way. But August stays true to himself and his dream does come true.
Jen loved the film while I found it just okay. It's a feel good movie with a nice soundtrack, but there are better "feel good" movies out there. The only point that I found interesting were the movie's attempt to portray the "underground society" of New York through the eyes of children. We see the flaws and the issues of the child welfare system and how many runaway kids get used and exploited off the streets. August was lucky that he had the magical talent to get himself out of the gutter. I pity the other kids who got left behind.
Content Editing
I was recently given a project, to edit the contents of a company website.
It would have been a fairly simple work, but most of the information is either incorrect, vague, or simply outdated.
The original writer of the site failed to address the actual purpose of the page. Was it made for marketing purposes? Is it for investors? For job seekers?
Judging from the site's content, I'm guessing that the original writer was either a technical programmer or a high level manager who took on the task of creating the website. The content was too repetitive, technical and often times boring.
It would have been easier if I knew the target audience. Unfortunately, that information was not given to me. So I did was I was assigned to do -- improve on the sentences, make them easier to read and understand.
Another thing I found humorous was the site's marketing tactic. I knew about the company and its day-to-day operations. The fact that much of the company's credentials and accomplishments have been hyped up -- with people becoming managers and corporate officers in their twenties, imaginary teams of competent professionals delivery top-notch services, and so on.
In the end, I became a skeptical of the company's claims to success. But I guess this is part of image building and marketing. This project only reaffirmed the fact that some of the stuff you read online can be misleading and deceiving at times.
It is easy to claim a lot of accomplishments online and make people believe them. So how much of the information you read online is the truth, and how much of it is just made up?
It would have been a fairly simple work, but most of the information is either incorrect, vague, or simply outdated.
The original writer of the site failed to address the actual purpose of the page. Was it made for marketing purposes? Is it for investors? For job seekers?
Judging from the site's content, I'm guessing that the original writer was either a technical programmer or a high level manager who took on the task of creating the website. The content was too repetitive, technical and often times boring.
It would have been easier if I knew the target audience. Unfortunately, that information was not given to me. So I did was I was assigned to do -- improve on the sentences, make them easier to read and understand.
Another thing I found humorous was the site's marketing tactic. I knew about the company and its day-to-day operations. The fact that much of the company's credentials and accomplishments have been hyped up -- with people becoming managers and corporate officers in their twenties, imaginary teams of competent professionals delivery top-notch services, and so on.
In the end, I became a skeptical of the company's claims to success. But I guess this is part of image building and marketing. This project only reaffirmed the fact that some of the stuff you read online can be misleading and deceiving at times.
It is easy to claim a lot of accomplishments online and make people believe them. So how much of the information you read online is the truth, and how much of it is just made up?
Spanish School and Second Hand Books
A couple of weeks ago, Jen and I met up with Ching at Instituto Cervantes. I was supposed to get three books from Ching (who got them from Miko).
We met up around 12 noon. The Institute was having their annual Spanish book fair. Ching and I agreed to meet up in the lobby (amidst the booths and caterers). There were a lot of people wandering around, talking in Spanish, and book shopping. Good thing I spotted her right away.
It's nice to meet up with Ching. She's passionate with her Spanish classes and wants to travel to Spain in the near future. Somehow our topic eventually went to Mike's newly acquired dragonfly, and her reaction to it. I think it looked cool, but I doubt if he acquired it by accident.
Ching then got me the three books I ordered via Amazon.com. There are actually used books which I got for less than a dollar each. Thanks to the low Peso-Dollar exchange rate, I got them for like 150 pesos each (this includes the postal delivery).
Thanks again Mike for taking the time and effort to send these books over. Thanks also to Ching for delivering them to me.
We met up around 12 noon. The Institute was having their annual Spanish book fair. Ching and I agreed to meet up in the lobby (amidst the booths and caterers). There were a lot of people wandering around, talking in Spanish, and book shopping. Good thing I spotted her right away.
It's nice to meet up with Ching. She's passionate with her Spanish classes and wants to travel to Spain in the near future. Somehow our topic eventually went to Mike's newly acquired dragonfly, and her reaction to it. I think it looked cool, but I doubt if he acquired it by accident.
Ching then got me the three books I ordered via Amazon.com. There are actually used books which I got for less than a dollar each. Thanks to the low Peso-Dollar exchange rate, I got them for like 150 pesos each (this includes the postal delivery).
Thanks again Mike for taking the time and effort to send these books over. Thanks also to Ching for delivering them to me.
Translation Job
I got myself a one-shot project translating six Chinese articles to English. It felt good to be working as a translator again. Working with languages is something that I am passionate about, and I already have experience translating documents from Chinese to English.
It is easier for me to translate from Chinese to English since I am more fluent in English and can fix the grammatical syntax of the sentence. I still find myself having some difficulty expressing myself in Chinese, which is why I am reluctant to translate English documents into Chinese. But I hope that I'd eventually learn to translate the other way.
Here is one of the sample articles I translated. It's not a business article, and there are no top secret company information. So I decided to publish it and get comments (hopefully) from people who are fluent in both Chinese and English.
-----
中国七夕
China's Seventh Month Festival
(Pertaining to the Chinese Valentine's Day)
中国五千多年的 历史造就了中 国 许许多多的传统节日，不必说众所周知的春 节、元宵，也不必 说那为纪念伟大诗人屈原而赛龙舟、吃粽子的端午 节，单单这有着浪漫色彩的“七夕节”，就赋予中国文化无穷无尽的魅力。
With five thousand years of history, China has created a lot of traditional festivals/celebrations. This does not include the publicly known Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival, as well as the commemoration day of famous poets, the Dragon Boat Festival, etc. But the most colorful and romantic festival is the 7th Month festival, which is filled with the local culture's charm and allure.
在我国，农历七月初七的夜晚，天气温暖，草木飘香，这就是人们俗称的七夕节，也有人称之为“乞巧节”或“女儿节”，这是中国传统节日中最具浪漫色彩的一个节日，也是过去姑娘们最为重视的日子。
Based on the Chinese Lunar calendar, the 7th day of the 7th month is a time when the climate is warm and temperate, the grasses and trees are fragrant. This is the Chinese Valentine's day (also the pleading for favors day). It is also the known as the festival for young women. Traditionally, this is China's most romantic and colorful festival, it is also the most important festival for young women.
在晴朗的夏秋之夜，天上繁星闪耀，一道白茫茫的银河横贯南北，银河的东西两岸，各有一颗闪亮的星星，隔河相望，遥遥相对，那就是牵牛星和织女星。
In this evening bordering Summer and Autumn, the sky is filled with stars. One can see the whole stretch of constellations from East to West. These are numerous constellations; the most popular of them (for this festival) are that of the Goat Herder and the Seamstress.
七夕坐看牵牛织女星，是民间的习俗。相传，在每年的这个夜晚，是天上织女与牛郎在鹊桥相会之时。织女是一个美丽聪明、心灵手巧的仙女，凡间的妇女便在这一天晚上向她乞求智慧和巧艺，也少不了向她求赐美满姻缘，所以七月初七也被称为乞巧节。
The Valentine's Festival resolves around the popular story of the Goat herder and the Seamstress. Based on folktales, every year this evening the two of them are reunited. The Seamstress is a beautiful and smart spirit. On this special night, women would pray for her and ask for wisdom and skill. Many of them would also ask for a beautiful and fulfilling marriage. That is why this occasion is also known as the "pleading for favors festival".
人们传说在七夕的夜晚，抬头可以看到牛郎织女的银河相会，或在瓜果架下可偷听到两人在天上相会时的脉脉情话。
People believe that on the eve of the Valentine's festival, one can look up to the heavens and see the goat herder meeting the seamstress. Others believe that they can overhear the two lovers exchange sweet words.
女孩们在这个充满浪漫气息的晚上，对着天空的朗朗明月，摆上时令瓜果，朝天祭拜，乞求天上的女神能赋予她们聪慧的心灵和灵巧的双手，让自己的针织女红技法娴熟，更乞求爱情婚姻的姻缘巧配。过去婚姻对于女性来说是决定一生幸福与否的终身大事，所以，世间无数的有情男女都会在这个晚上，夜静人深时刻，对着星空祈祷自己的姻缘美满。
In this romantic night, women would look up to the sky, offer melons and pray to the heavens. They would ask the Seamstress to bless them with wisdom and talent, as well as a love and a fulfilling relationship. During those times, countless men and women would pray for love filled and peaceful marriages, since marriage is an important life-long event.
在当代，许多年轻人把这一天当作中国情人节，他们都会在这天晚上，对着天空，许下自己最美好的心愿和祝福。
In present times, a lot of young people treat this day as the Chinese Valentines day. They would pray to the heavens asking for their heart's desire and good fortune.
It is easier for me to translate from Chinese to English since I am more fluent in English and can fix the grammatical syntax of the sentence. I still find myself having some difficulty expressing myself in Chinese, which is why I am reluctant to translate English documents into Chinese. But I hope that I'd eventually learn to translate the other way.
Here is one of the sample articles I translated. It's not a business article, and there are no top secret company information. So I decided to publish it and get comments (hopefully) from people who are fluent in both Chinese and English.
-----
中国七夕
China's Seventh Month Festival
(Pertaining to the Chinese Valentine's Day)
中国五千多年的 历史造就了中 国 许许多多的传统节日，不必说众所周知的春 节、元宵，也不必 说那为纪念伟大诗人屈原而赛龙舟、吃粽子的端午 节，单单这有着浪漫色彩的“七夕节”，就赋予中国文化无穷无尽的魅力。
With five thousand years of history, China has created a lot of traditional festivals/celebrations. This does not include the publicly known Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival, as well as the commemoration day of famous poets, the Dragon Boat Festival, etc. But the most colorful and romantic festival is the 7th Month festival, which is filled with the local culture's charm and allure.
在我国，农历七月初七的夜晚，天气温暖，草木飘香，这就是人们俗称的七夕节，也有人称之为“乞巧节”或“女儿节”，这是中国传统节日中最具浪漫色彩的一个节日，也是过去姑娘们最为重视的日子。
Based on the Chinese Lunar calendar, the 7th day of the 7th month is a time when the climate is warm and temperate, the grasses and trees are fragrant. This is the Chinese Valentine's day (also the pleading for favors day). It is also the known as the festival for young women. Traditionally, this is China's most romantic and colorful festival, it is also the most important festival for young women.
在晴朗的夏秋之夜，天上繁星闪耀，一道白茫茫的银河横贯南北，银河的东西两岸，各有一颗闪亮的星星，隔河相望，遥遥相对，那就是牵牛星和织女星。
In this evening bordering Summer and Autumn, the sky is filled with stars. One can see the whole stretch of constellations from East to West. These are numerous constellations; the most popular of them (for this festival) are that of the Goat Herder and the Seamstress.
七夕坐看牵牛织女星，是民间的习俗。相传，在每年的这个夜晚，是天上织女与牛郎在鹊桥相会之时。织女是一个美丽聪明、心灵手巧的仙女，凡间的妇女便在这一天晚上向她乞求智慧和巧艺，也少不了向她求赐美满姻缘，所以七月初七也被称为乞巧节。
The Valentine's Festival resolves around the popular story of the Goat herder and the Seamstress. Based on folktales, every year this evening the two of them are reunited. The Seamstress is a beautiful and smart spirit. On this special night, women would pray for her and ask for wisdom and skill. Many of them would also ask for a beautiful and fulfilling marriage. That is why this occasion is also known as the "pleading for favors festival".
人们传说在七夕的夜晚，抬头可以看到牛郎织女的银河相会，或在瓜果架下可偷听到两人在天上相会时的脉脉情话。
People believe that on the eve of the Valentine's festival, one can look up to the heavens and see the goat herder meeting the seamstress. Others believe that they can overhear the two lovers exchange sweet words.
女孩们在这个充满浪漫气息的晚上，对着天空的朗朗明月，摆上时令瓜果，朝天祭拜，乞求天上的女神能赋予她们聪慧的心灵和灵巧的双手，让自己的针织女红技法娴熟，更乞求爱情婚姻的姻缘巧配。过去婚姻对于女性来说是决定一生幸福与否的终身大事，所以，世间无数的有情男女都会在这个晚上，夜静人深时刻，对着星空祈祷自己的姻缘美满。
In this romantic night, women would look up to the sky, offer melons and pray to the heavens. They would ask the Seamstress to bless them with wisdom and talent, as well as a love and a fulfilling relationship. During those times, countless men and women would pray for love filled and peaceful marriages, since marriage is an important life-long event.
在当代，许多年轻人把这一天当作中国情人节，他们都会在这天晚上，对着天空，许下自己最美好的心愿和祝福。
In present times, a lot of young people treat this day as the Chinese Valentines day. They would pray to the heavens asking for their heart's desire and good fortune.
Mistakes
In our life, we would definitely make all sorts of mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes -- some mistakes are forgivable, others are easily forgettable, and there are mistakes that would be remembered for the rest of our lives.
Ever since I was small, I was afraid to make mistakes. Back in elementary school, I was afraid of being criticized and being reprimanded by teachers. When I grew up, I was also afraid of making mistakes. In trying to avoid mistakes, I was afraid to do even the smallest things. I was afraid of making mistakes, afraid that people would see my own weakness.
But mistakes can help us understand ourselves, it can help change our weaknesses. Whenever we make mistakes, we can learn a lot of things. We are then able to make improvements in our own lives.
Accounting terms in Chinese (Balance Sheet)
I used to translate annual reports of Chinese companies from Chinese to English. I made up a list of accounting terms with their English and Chinese versions, which helped me in translating the financial documents.
Now that I have moved on to another company that deals with teaching English to professionals in Mainland China, I discovered that these terms are still useful and could be used as a guide for accounting lessons.
I am posting this list as a reference, just in case I might need them again in the future.
Now that I have moved on to another company that deals with teaching English to professionals in Mainland China, I discovered that these terms are still useful and could be used as a guide for accounting lessons.
I am posting this list as a reference, just in case I might need them again in the future.
BALANCE SHEET 資 產 負 債 表
ASSETS 資 產
LIABLITIES AND OWNER'S EQUITY 負債及所有者權益
AT BEGINING OF YEAR 年初數所有者
AT END OF YEAR 期末數所有者
CURRENT ASSETS 流動資產
CURRENT LIABILITIES 流動負債
Cash or Cash on hand 現金
Short term loans 短期借款
Cash in bank 銀行存款
Notes payables 應付票据
Marketable securities 有价債券
Accounts payables 應付帳款
Notes receivables 應收票据
Accrued payroll 應付工資
Accounts receivables 應收帳款
Tax payable 應交稅金
Provision for bad debts 坏帳准備
Dividends payable 應付股利
Advance to suppliers 預付帳款
Advances from customers 預收貨款
Other receivables 其他應收款
Other payables 其他應付款
Deferred and prepaid expenses 待攤費用
Accrued expenses 預提費用
Inventories 存貨
Staff and worker' bonus and welfare fund 職工獎勵及福利基金
Provision for loss on realization of inventories 存貨變現損失准備
Long-term liabilities due within one yeari 一年內到期的長期負債
Long-term investments maturing within one year 一年內到期的長期投資
Other current liabilities 其他流動負債
Other current assets 其他流動資產
Total current assets 流動資產合計
Total current liabilities 流動負債合計
LONG TERM INVESTMENTS 長期投資
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES 長期負債
Long-term loans 長期借款
Receivables clooectable after one year 一年以上的應收帳款
Debentures payable 應付公司債
FIXED ASSETS 固定資產
Premium (discount) on debentures payable 應付公司溢价(折价)
Payable due after one year 一年以上的應付款
Accumulated depreciation 累計折舊
Total long term liabilities 長期負債合計
Fixed assets-net value 固定資產淨值
CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS 在建工程
OTHER LIABILITIES 其他負債
Exchange gain during start-up periods 籌建期間匯兌收益
INTANGIBLE ASSETS 無形資產
Deferred gain on investments 遞延投資收益
Land occupancy rights 場地使用權
Deferred taxes credits 遞延稅款貸項
Proprietary technology and patents 工業產權及專有技術
Other deferred credits 其他遞延貸項
Other intangible assets 其他無形資產
Unamortized exchange gains 待轉銷匯兌收益
Total intangible assets 無形資產合計
Total other liabilities asset 其他負債合計
OTHER ASSETS 其他資產
Total liabilities 負債合計
Organization expenses 開辦費
OWNERS' EQUITY 所有者權益
Exchange loss during start-up period 籌建期間匯兌損失
Registered capital Currency and amount 資本總額 貨幣名稱及金額
Deferred taxes 遞延稅款
Paid in capital 實收資本
Deferred loss on investments 遞延投資損失
Other deferred expenses 其他遞延支出
Unamortized exchange loss 待轉銷匯兌損失
Foreign investment (amount of foreign currency at end of period) 外方投資 (非人民幣資本期末金額)
Investment returns 已歸還投資
Capital surplus 資本公積
Reserve funds 儲備基金
Profit capitalised on return of investment 利潤歸還投資
Current year profit 本年利潤
Undistributed profits 未分配利潤
Total other assets 其他資產合計
Total owners' equity 所有者權益合計
TOTAL ASSETS 資產合計
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND OWNERS' EQUITY 負債及所有者權益總計
Consignment 受托代銷商品
Goods held for others 代管商品物資
Fixed assets under operating lease 租入固定資產
Accounting terms in Chinese (Income Statement)
I used to translate annual reports of Chinese companies from Chinese to English. I made up a list of accounting terms with their English and Chinese versions, which helped me in translating the financial documents.
Now that I have moved on to another company that deals with teaching English to professionals in Mainland China, I discovered that these terms are still useful and could be used as a guide for accounting lessons.
I am posting this list as a reference, just in case I might need them again in the future.
Now that I have moved on to another company that deals with teaching English to professionals in Mainland China, I discovered that these terms are still useful and could be used as a guide for accounting lessons.
I am posting this list as a reference, just in case I might need them again in the future.
INCOME STATEMENT 利 潤 表
MONETARY UNIT:YUAN 單位：元
ITEMS 項 目
LINE NO. 行 次
CURRENT PERIOD 本 期 數
CURRENT YEAR CUMULATIVE 本 年 累 計 數期
LAST YEAR CUMULATE 上 年 同 期 累 計 數 數
Sales 產品銷售收入
Export sales income 出口產品銷售收入
Sales discount and allowances 銷售折扣与折讓
Net Sales 產品銷售淨額
Sales Taxes 產品銷售稅金
Cost of sales and alllowances 產品銷售成本
Cost of export sales 出口產品銷售成本
Gross profit on sales 產品銷售毛利
Selling expenses 銷售費用
Administrative expenses 管理費用
Financial Expenses 財務費用
Interest expenses 利息支出
Interest income 減利息收入
Exchange loss 匯兌損失
Exchange gains 匯兌收益
Profit on sales (loss) 產品銷售利潤 (損失)
Income form other operations 其他業務利潤
Operating profit (loss) 營業利潤 (損失)
Investment income 投資收益
Non-operating income 營業外收入
Less:Non-operating income 營業外支出
Adjustment of prior year's income and expenses 已前年度損益調整
TOTAL PROFIT 利潤總額
Income tax 所得稅
NET INCOME 淨利潤
Accounting terms in Chinese (Cash Flow Statement)
I used to translate annual reports of Chinese companies from Chinese to English. I made up a list of accounting terms with their English and Chinese versions, which helped me in translating the financial documents.
Now that I have moved on to another company that deals with teaching English to professionals in Mainland China, I discovered that these terms are still useful and could be used as a guide for accounting lessons.
I am posting this list as a reference, just in case I might need them again in the future.
Now that I have moved on to another company that deals with teaching English to professionals in Mainland China, I discovered that these terms are still useful and could be used as a guide for accounting lessons.
I am posting this list as a reference, just in case I might need them again in the future.
現金流量表Cash flow statement
項目items
經營活動現金流量Cash flow from operating activities
銷售商品、提供勞務收到的現金Receipts from customers
收到的稅費返還 Tax refunds
收到的其他与經營活動有關的現金 Receipts from other business activities
經營活動現金流入Cash in flow from operating activities
購買商品、接受勞務支付的現金Payments to suppliers
支付給職工以及為職工支付的現金Wages and salaries to employees
支付的各項稅費Other tax Payments
支付的其他与經營活動有關的現金Payment for other business activities
經營活動現金流出Cash out flow for operating activities
經營活動現金流量淨額Net Cash flow from operating activities
投資活動現金流量Cash flow from investment activities
收回投資收到的現金Proceeds from sell of investment
取得投資收益收到的現金Investment income
處置非流動資產收回的現金Proceeds from disposal of non-current assets
處置子公司收到的現金Proceeds from disposal of subsidiary
收到其他与投資活動有關的現金Proceeds from other investment activities
投資活動現金流入Cash in flow from investment activities
購建非流動資產支付的現金Payment for purchase of capital assets
投資支付的現金Payment for investment
取得子公司支付的現金Payment for acquisition of subsidiary
支付的其他与投資活動有關的現金Payment for other investment activities
投資活動現金流出Cash out flow for investment activities
投資活動現金流量淨額Net Cash flow from investment activities
籌資活動現金流量Cash flow from finance activities
吸收投資收到的現金Receipts from equity securities
取得借款收到的現金Receipts from loan
收到其他与籌資活動有關的現金Receipts from other finance activities
籌資活動現金流入Cash in flow from finance activities
償還債務支付的現金Payment for debt
分配股利、利潤或償還利息支付的現金Payment for dividend and interest
支付其他与籌資活動有關的現金Payment for other finance activities
籌資活動現金流出Cash out flow for finance activities
籌資活動現金流量淨額Net Cash flow from finance activities
匯率變動對現金的影響額Foreign exchange effect on cash and cash equivalent
現金流量淨增加額Net increase on cash and cash equivalent
期初現金余額 Cash and cash equivalent, beginning of year
Celebrating Earth Day....
Sadly, there wasn't much promotion or awareness of the event. I only learned about "Earth Day" when I logged on to the Yahoo website and noticed the change in the website's logo.
Life in Manila continued as usual. The traffic around the city was still the same, the PUVs were still bleaching out black smoke, and the afternoon sun was hotter than ever.
I think people (in general) are too busy to think about the ozone layer, global warming, and the dangers of climate change. Who can blame them? There are other more pressing issues to worry about, like food, money, and personal security.
Life in Manila continued as usual. The traffic around the city was still the same, the PUVs were still bleaching out black smoke, and the afternoon sun was hotter than ever.
I think people (in general) are too busy to think about the ozone layer, global warming, and the dangers of climate change. Who can blame them? There are other more pressing issues to worry about, like food, money, and personal security.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)