Kahit anu'ng mangyari, tuluy-tuloy ang palabas

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December 13, 2006
Wednesday

My last blog entry was relatively quite a while, considering that in the past I write almost thrice a week.

Anyway, here are some significant updates concerning my activities here in Canada.

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Finally, I resigned from my job at the A&W Restaurant on at Keewatin and Burrows. Today was my last day. In as much as I would like to stay, I decided to move on. My five months with the company had been fruitful and educational. The best thing that I learned from that job is, I was able to validate my belief that the most formidable weapon any worker could have, to gain the respect of his coworkers--regardless of the race of these fellow workers--are knowledge and hard work. Add these two and you get that quality known as competence. I was surprised by the branch manager, who called me to let me cut the farewell cake. She also gave me a souvenir watch. All of them bade me well, telling me that they would not want me to go.

Some Filipinos that I meet here always tell me to beware of Caucasians at work because they kind of look down on you. Well, they were wrong, as what I thought anyway. As I said, stripped off of their racial or religious affinity, human beings are basically the same. People are people. regardless of race or religion, there'll always be the good and the evil. It's up to you how to deal with them. And usually, people react to you based on how you react to them. Fear them and they intimidate you. Show them that you're competent with what you do, and they'll look up to you. Respect them and their culture, and they respect you. Feel inferior and they'll look down on you.

I have to thank these A&W people for being kind and supportive coworkers; I'd like to believe that, in my short stint at this job, I and they have influenced each other in positive ways:
Celine, Tobey, Joshua, Natalie, Brian, Donna, and Gayle.

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I remain a health care aide for the meantime. The good thing is, now that I no longer work at A&W, I will virtually be always available for a healthcare-aide work, which means more earnings and more time to rest and study and a bit to spend on my other important activities like writing and music making.

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The past weeks have made me a bit busy. Aside from work, the preparation for the CD release party of my debut album as haLf man haLf eLf ate much of my extra time. I was the one who took care of the CDs' cover and disc designs, had these replicated by a professional, Polar Bear Limited Productions. At last, this musical project that I began with fellow musician Ardie Sarao last December 2005 is now finally finished. And we have also been practicing for Friday's CD release party.

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Winnipeg artists Alas and haLf man haLf eLf are holding their CD release party on December 15, Friday, at Howard Johnson Hotel on Ellice Avenue. Tickets at $10 each. Supporting Alas and haLf man haLf eLf are fellow bands Studio 69 and Side F/X.

Alas is releasing its self-titled debut album, which includes the songs "Reason to Live," "Never Let You Down," and "Sigaw ng Puso."

haLf man haLf eLf is unleashing its debut album, The Woes of Emong Payaso, which contains a single, epic song that is comprised by four parts:

"Mahiwagang sapatos ni Emong Payaso"
"Parang karnabal (ganyan ang buhay ng tao)"
"Walang tigil ang palabas sa entablado"
"Sa likod ng bawat tagumpay ay kalbaryo"