Divisoria! Divisoria!

I am on leave today since I still have a lot of unused vacation leaves which will be forfeited comes year-end. That gives me time to write on this blog :-) ....

Yesterday, I had to walk going to and from Binondo Church. I go there every lunch time since they have a celebration of the mass at 12:15 noon. I usually take a jeepney ride since it involves a long walk and I want to make sure I get there on time but yesterday I had to walk to and from the church! I guess it is already the beginning of my "walking to church" season since the traffic along Juan Luna Street is getting to be heavy.

Our office has moved back to the area in 1993, when the company built its own building. We stayed in Makati from 1986 to mid of 1993 and before that in a nearby building in the same area we are in now which have been recently demolished to pave the way for another new mall! Gosh.. lots of malls sprouting in the area!!!

Lots of things have changed in Divisoria particularly the construction of more high rise buildings and malls but I guess Divisoria will never be Divisoria without the people... (particularly the sidewalk vendors and the petty thieves)... the trisikads (the king of the road there!)... and the calesas (the favorite vehicle of the Tsinoys).. the goods being sold (anything you need you'll find it in Divisoria...that is why is it the Bargain capital of the Philippines)... the traffic of people and vehicles (yup particularly on Christmas season)... and the black murky mud that sticks in your footwear and splashes on on your legs during the rainy season... especially after a little rain (eek!!!)

The government has been trying to eradicate the area of the illegal sidewalk vendors but they could never do so... actually these vendors have even EVOLVED... I remember that when the government has operation to catch these illegal vendors they would run like crazy and sometimes some of their goods are left on the way.. Those are precious goods to them even if they are just cheap so that circumstance have forced them to be creative... NOW they don't use wooden sheets anymore whre they display their goods... instead they use strong sacks with holes around the sides where they place nylon cords... they lay these sacks on the sidewalk or even the street with their goods on it but when they hear (yup they are actually organized.. there have a lookout who signals them of danger!) that the raiding teams are on their way... they immediately pull the cords and the sack turns into a bag-- a big bag which they carry on their shoulders and they run for safety! As I said they WILL NEVER be able to get the vendors out.. Divisoria is their LIFE and no one can take their LIFE away!

The raid is actually a common sight in the area and I would watch them... sometimes I even get hit by the people when they run. It is a funny yet sad sight which I have learn to accept as something ordinary...

I'd rather just walk than ride a trisikad since I think I walk faster than the driver could pedal his trisikad BUT they are really useful if you bought a lot of things since the normal ride or even your building is far from where you bought your goods. They could go anywhere.. as I said they are king of the roads of Divisoria.. they don't follow traffic.. and sometimes if you don't watch out where you are walking they might just hit you! I actually get irritated when I see them but when I see the long line of these trisikads in rope... one tied after another... after being caught by the police (on a raiding operation... hehehe... that's how it is there.. the police will actually take a different look everyday but one their head thinks of an operation then they follow!) being towed away... I do pity them! Oh well they won't be earning anything on that day... but then again there's always another day!

Ah the Calesa... I never ride them too for they are very very expensive!!! Many Filipino-Chinese loves riding them though, guess it feels "COOL" to be on top getting a view of everybody else... I have seen horses collapsed though. Gosh, really a pity!!! and when these horses decide to PEE... watch out! The liquid is plentiful and the odor stinks!!!

Now for the goods! I have NEVER been a shopper. Bad trait for someone who works in the Bargain capital of the Philippines... I don't know but when I see those products on display I get overwhelmed BUT the girls in the office are shoppers... Boss Helen is an ACE shopper! Even Raul has become a shopper... hehehe.. the other day... he went out and when he came back he had lots of goodies with him, he said he is starting to buy little by little for Christmas! Sometimes I am amazed where they get the products to sell... anything that you can think of you'll probably find there... they even sell rubberized cockroach (eek!).. and more amazed how they could sell the product at the amount! BUT then thanks God there is DIVISORIA where you could buy at bargain prices.... otherwise.. at the rate of inflation in our country...the common people won't be able to buy anything anymore.

Oh well that's Divisoria... chaotic... noisy... but really colorful!

Bong and my other field auditors!

Bong, the auditor i liked best moved to the US last June and he only called last Friday...I really missed him.

Hearing his voice made me realize that i missed him a lot!

While he was here we did no really get to see each other often... there were years when we only saw each other in December and for a short while too but i would say that our connection is good... thanks for the telephone of course... we only did not discuss about our works but also kept updated about our lives. He was not really the best auditor... if i say that then my other auditors would definitely be hurt for many of them are actually good! I guess it would be safe to say that he was one of the best auditors I had and I had a lot!!!

Sometimes the big guys don't really appreciate them much since they only get to see the completed audit report and have never seen how they were able to come up with such report... the efforts they placed to be able to conduct a good and fair undertaking. During our training period, the only time the whole field auditor gets to be complete, we could really be noisy. They don't only get to get excited about the new gadgets they have (yup.. they had their laptops pretty late) and new knowledge they can use...but they get excited as they share about their lives on the field! They are a different bunch of auditors... they are not just those who stay in the office to check the records but they literally swam the seas (well at least some of them! imagine riding a small boat that capsizes... or a bigger boat that gets burned and you have to jump ship knowing you can't swim!!!)... they encountered rebels and other bad elements while doing their personal confirmation of customers accounts...monitored an active volcano, keeping on their toes for a possible major eruption....missed explosion by just a hair (oops Felix did... but then again many his hair has vanished over the years)... got death threats...Ohh.. they have really been through a lot and i guess many will go through some more... but these things have not really discouraged them. Of course it was terrifying while they were still in the situation but knowing they were able to pull through makes them share their experience with laughter and awe that they were able to make it!

Last Friday - November 5... was my 20th year anniversary with the company. One of the things i really treasure is spending the times with my auditors... my family. Some things you can put value on... but our moments together... those are priceless!