Friday, January 14, 2011

Outsider





Matagal rin akong nag camp-out sa labas ng inner office matapos ma-promote bilang analyst. Bukod kasi sa malamig ang aircon sa loob ay sobrang bagal ng computer na na-assign sa akin. Naroon rin na baguhan ako sa QA department at ilag sa mga kasama, maliban kay Mami Athena.

I work best when left alone. Nothing distracts me more than two people talking about their finds on the Internet instead of doing their job. Bukod pa roon, hindi ako makapag-blog hop ng may nakatingin sa akin. Kumbaga, kahit mainit at madalas patay ang ilaw, priceless pa rin ang katahimikan sa training area.

Nang mag-resign si Bishop last August ay pinasa sa akin ang kanyang  work station.  For the first time matapos ang tenure ko sa pagiging team leader reliever ay nakahawak ulit ako ng mabilis na desktop sa trabaho. Subalit may dalawa pang henchman na natitira si Mami Athena.  Left out at hindi pa rin ako makasabay sa kuwentuhan ng duo. 

Nagresign si Mister Snort ilang buwan bago matapos ang taon.  Kung si Bishop ay feeling all-knowing, si Mister Snort naman ay may saltik kapag kargado. Mannerism rin niya ang mag-snort na parang laging may Cocaine sa paligid. Anyway, we're down to two pero casual lang kami nung kasama ko sa department. Maliban na lang kung trabaho ang pag-uusapan, wala talaga kaming pakielaman sa isa't isa.

Nang ma-istroke si Mami Athena at naiwan kaming dalawa ni Petong the Unhealthy One, kanya-kanyang kaming gawa ng report. Since walang QA head na titingin sa amin, sa director kami nagrereport.  Kapag absent ang isa, nalalaman na lang namin sa mismong boss ng kumpanya.

That's how distant we are.

Sa mahigit limang taon ko sa trabaho ay pili lang ang talagang pinakisamahan ko. Naroon si Jerjer na tinuturing kong kakambal at si Mami Athena bilang fag hag at mentor. Siguro snob lang  talaga ako. Wala rin akong pakialam kung impression sa akin ay unsociable. Since wala rin namang nagaganap na inuman sa office at yun lang ang paraan para ako ay mag-open up, tingin ko sa lahat ay pawang katrabaho lang.



Last week ay inabandon yung isang floor na dati rati ay napupuno ng agents. Maraming office chairs ang nakatambak ngayon sa training department kaya nakapili ako ng mas kumportableng upuan. Ilang araw mula ngayon ay last day na ng kasama kong si Petong.  Dahil sa kanyang work habits na talagang kaiingitan ng lahat, hindi siya sinama sa restructuring program.

Now that I'm the only one left, parang may kurot tuwing binabalikan ko yung  mga panahon na saling-pusa lang ako. I don't have any regrets not getting close to anyone - except kay Petong na niregaluhan ko ng T-Shirt noong Pasko. Tanda ko pa, noong kaming dalawa lang at nagrerecover pa si Mami Athena,  binigyan niya ako ng brownies na binili niya sa canteen.

The Patroness and I were sorting out company materials this morning when I realized how things have changed. Dati-rati ay sabay-sabay pa kami kumakain kapag may sinipag magluto sa tatlo o kaya naman ay yung walang sawa kong pagtatanong kung kailan ang next gig ni Mister Snort na hindi ko naman pinupuntahan. Naalala ko rin na si Bishop ay mahilig mag-brew ng coffee at kung minsan naman ay nagba-bake ng bread na pinapatikim sa amin.

I suddenly remembered them all because of the things they left behind.



Meanwhile, having a skeleton force means there is no need for a QA anymore. Austerity measures indicate that the team will be dissolved and the training room and its inner office will be abandoned:


ang mahalay na desktop pc



It took some time before I was able to put up my working space; and just when I got everything, (including the permission to bring blankets instead of jackets at work)

my little corner is finally no more.




19 comments:

Nimmy said...

awwwwww. support staff talaga ang isa sa mga staff ang nauunang nauubos.

Good luck kuya! :D

red the mod said...

I wish I had better words to encapsulate my sentiments. But moments like this, I find how implacable language is when we speak of emotion. All I could offer are these borrowed lines.

"You get a strange feeling when you're about to leave a place, I told him, like you'll not only miss the people you love but you'll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you'll never be this way ever again."
- Azar Nafisi in Reading Lolita in Theran

casado said...

i used to manage fastfood restaurants sa pinas ahaha ngaun ko lng sinabi to...ganyan din ang feeling pag nilipat ka sa ibang branch kc napamahal ka na sa store mo at sa mga tauhan mo..hayyst ganyan tlaga :)

DBoy said...

Better things are on their way!
.
.
Parang di naman ako nalungkot nung lumipat ng company,hehe.
.
.
Good luck!

James - M.I. said...

When one door closes, another one opens... and it is much better than the first one. :)

Ms. Chuniverse said...

ganyan din ang kaganapan sa office ngayon. isang dekada na ako dito. and though i don't necessarily
miss those na mga nagsi-alisan at mga pina-alis... somehow i couldn't stop remembering the memories we shared. pramis hindi sex 'yon.

Mugen said...

Nimmy:

In a corporate setup, the production people always leave last. :) We understand. :)

Miss Chu:

Bakit ka defensive aber? This is the problem kapag matagal ka na sa company, in my next lifetime parang gusto ko tuloy magturo na lang. At least, walang teacher na nareretrench. Hehehe.

Mugen said...

James:

Sana nga. :)

DBoy:

Baka naman mas masaya dun sa nilipatan mo na company? Hindi kaya?

Soltero:

Lemme guess, naging manager ka sa Kamayan o kaya sa Triple V? Hehehe.

Mugen said...

Red:

Until the final days come and I leave this realm, I will try to let things remain the same. For when I take off and soar towards the horizon, I won't find myself in these skies again.

Kapitan Potpot said...

I pray for your peaceful transition. Goodluck on your journey. Dito lang kame para suportahan ka. May He be with you. :)

Jake said...

Tsk, tsk. Ganyan naman talaga ang business - contract, expand, contract, expand.

Pero kung nag-iisip ka namang umalis, mahirap palipat-lipat ng work. Sometimes a big reward is given for your loyalty when you least expect it.

Anonymous said...

Goodluck nalang. Enjoyin mo nalng. masasanay ka din. mahirap talga magadjust.

dario the jagged little egg said...

It's really sad sis'. Thanks for mentioning me. I really like the code name JerJer ahihi- get together tayo nila Mami soon. Yung number ko minessage ko sa facebook mo. Godbless sis'

I'ts really sad to know, specially na naging part rin ako ng company. : )

Mugen said...

Daniel:

Yeah. So nung nawala kayo, it was just the beginning. Now its all coming to an end.

Arvin:

Salamat pre.

Mugen said...

Jake:

Before this, I usually stay just 6 months in one company. Halos anim na taon na ako dito sa present. Hehehe.

Louie:

Hihingin ko ang tulong mo sakaling lumubog ang barko.

Sean said...

good luck ulit mugen. yan lang masasabi ko dahil dakilang housewife lang naman ako.

Unknown said...

Naku, for me i really hate goodbyes.. But good luck for the better journey!

Viewfinder said...

natuloy din ang pag-alis mo parekoy? I thought your sticking it out with the company?

Mugen said...

Clarence:

It's the workstation that abandoned me. As for your question, abangan ang susunod na kabanata. Heheh.

Tim:

Goodbyes could also mean hellos. :) I hope my new station is better than the old one.

Sean:

Inggit kami pareho ni baabaa sa iyo.