Mercedes Benz

W 115The boss drives a red Mercedes Benz W 123 to work. Hailing from the late 70's, the sedan is honored as the best of its time. The boss also has a large poster adjacent to his table. Framed in old wood, and with words Gut Getroffen below the three-pointed star, there is no mistake that the wall decor refers to Karl Benz' early creation.I do not know what other Benz stuff my superior collects.

Hubris

Previously on Souljacker.We were learning the ropes, and the once-sour relationship between me and the client had sweeten a bit. This morning, I just penned my first business proposal - to offer our skills in managing the website's wallflower social media accounts.The team was confident it was doing well. The CEO just sent a congratulatory note last Thanksgiving for a "job well done." But then,

Scale Back

Previously on SouljackerSpring came to the office when the new project was announced last month. It was a piece of good news for a workplace that is on the verge of a slump. With me as the project liaison, I saw everything like it was a god-given break. Assured that I knew the business as it was part of my knowledge, we were certain to break new grounds before the month ends.Me and the boss

Compassion

An SMS Conversation:October 27Hello Mugs. Salamat sa pag-allow s akin ng homebased ha malaking tulong sa pakiramdam ng mami ko pag andito ako sa haus dont worry ndi ko naman napapabayan mga trabaho saka alam nman ng mami ko ndi ako pwd istorbohin basta kampante lng cya na andito ako sa haus.Masaya na ako na nakikita mo siya habang nagwowork ka. You owe your team mates part of the credit as

Trusteeship

At nineteen, I took over the family business as my dad and his business partner decides to spend the summer in Europe.For two weeks, I stayed at my dad's rat-infested office to look after the company's 24-hour operations. I had to make tough choices - decisions that ran against the ideals infused in our heads in school. There were brief moments of euphoria too: road trips at 3 in the morning to

Dog Days

To be rewarded with weekend rest days should be a cause for celebration. The last time I had my Sundays for leisure was ages ago, and to secure that one day, I had to make sacrifices and spend years having separated days off at work.But the expected switch was met with ambivalence, if not downright dismay. It is because it was announced by the director during the end of my work week, and that I

Kind and Generous

I can be very nice to people.Despite my tendency to be aloof, I can be very accommodating to those who see beyond the impression. I can bend rules if reasons justify. And I can be very patient, when it comes to loved ones, to colleagues, or to fellow travelers who got heavy burdens to carry on their back.I try to be considerate and non-confrontational. I won't raise issues and shake

Meanie, I Refuse To Be

How do you know when you're already picking on a subordinate? Is it measured by how easy it ticks you when she doesn't follow work guidelines, and being the person of authority, you won't hesitate sending her electronic letters - with the director included in the address field - to point out the mistakes only she at work commits? Does it show when you add your voice to the growing chorus of

The Purpose

At four in the morning, I knew sleep won't come. My work begins at 6 o'clock and to make a shut-eye tempts an overstay in dreamland. So rolled over I did, until I was at the edge of the bed. I then got up, looked at the mirror, said hello to my puffy eyes, before leaving the room with a moist towel. And just when the water from the plastic dipper cascaded down my head, the sky bursts open,

El Trabajo

I would tell my partner that I am that delinquent officer who sleeps in full view of his subordinates; who surfs the web, stream video clips on YouTube, and blog instead of reviewing the work logs of my agents. I'm the supervisor who plays Transport Tycoon Deluxe on my workstation, tops the days of tardiness, thus setting a fine example for the rest to follow, and just last month, I had to be

Utang

"Anak pautang na lang ulit ng 1K. May 500 pa ako. Withdraw na lang ulit ako bukas."Walang matinong anak - sa kaso ko - na panganay ang magsasabi lang ng "ok" kapag nanghiram ng salapi ang magulang. Sa edad na 30, dapat ay kalahati ng mga gastusin sa bahay ay sinasalo ko na. Ngunit sa liit ng aking take-home pay, tanging ang cable TV at broadband Internet lang ang binabayaran ko. Kasama na dun ang

The Beginning Is The End | Evening Graces

6:00 PM, June 4, 2012"What subject do you intend to teach?" The dean asked, while accepting my photocopied transcript of records. "Journalism po..."She then went on to inquire about the major I took up in college. Said I was a Journalism graduate from the Pontifical University. My mother, who was beside me added that I'm taking up my Master's Degree in Diliman."Matatapos na ang thesis niya," she

The Beginning Is The End | Morning Praises

4:00 AMThe last thing I remember is having a nasty argument with my mother, a verbal tussle that has not happened yet in real life, over her insistence to cross a craggy ledge. The drop below is simply too difficult to fathom. And just when we both agreed to let her sit on a man-sized skateboard, which I would gently push across the narrow passage, I was kicked out of dreamland, never to find

Dream Journal Twenty Five

I was crouching in a street corner. With my knees folded and my hands pressed against my face. Not far away is a dying man surrounded by a crowd. I could hear them saying, "lumalaki yung ulo niya o!" (his swollen head is about to burst!)  But I didn't care. So are my other two companions who were close by. Their backs turned away from the commotion.And then without a word, someone wrapped a piece

Self-Help

I pray, not just because I'm scared.But because I have pushed myself to the edge.My body suffers from abuse in ways I can never tell.Bumangon ako ng kama na walang katiyakan kung mag-aabsent ba o hindi. Maari rin naman kasi na pumasok na lang ako ng hapon, gaya ng paalam ng isang katrabaho na nag-beach at sumali sa isang Miss Gay Beauty Contest sa Bataan noong linggo. Subalit nagsabi nga pala ang

Submerging

And so begins the grind, a day ahead of the work week. We expect more overtime. Frustrating revisions may pop out unexpected, and maybe even a dress down from the director if we royally fuck-up this side project. We try not to be eaten alive by the pressure, but we can't help it. Time is of the essence.We will open the week, with the project three days behind schedule. And out of our desire to

Surfacing

I go to sleep lately thinking about work. This is how preoccupied I am. I couldn't even let my mind cuddle in the arms of dreams. The habit shows my obsession. Given a responsibility, I tend to make it a calling. I wage a holy war when my heart embraces a task. It has always been my nature - to go beyond the extra mile to honor a word. Sometimes at the cost of my own well-being. The

Liberty

It all began with a discovery. That I, Mugen the careless didn't pay attention to my credit card's billing statement. It took me a week to realize that I was way past the due date, and that, a heavy penalty was already forthcoming.I paid the full amount the next day and called the credit card's customer service hotline to report my delinquency. At first, I said that I'm planning to cease using

Underrated

I have never been a fan of Mathematics. Not with numbers. When I was still in school, my intellect was measured by the number of times a line-of-seven grade blotted my report card. The glaring dip, a few notches away from a flunking grade was because of that wretched subject. I was seen less, not only by my teachers but my family as well. And instead of being praised, or at least commended for my

The Uninformed

A few minutes ago, a credit investigator from China Bank dropped by the office. He explained that he will conduct a background check. An ex-colleague applied for a car loan. Instructors were already given days before by the said employee and a spiel has been made. If I'm not mistaken, the ex-colleague didn't speak to me directly. Being the only officer who meets with the director to discuss