Will I ever find one like him again? (Part 1)
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The best boss I ever ran across:
Haddonfield
Dati sa Haddonfield, New Jersey ako nagtatrabaho. An taray taray nang boss kong babae. Mataas ang posisyon ko noon. Meron akong staff. Napakatamad, bastos at maldita. Wala akong magawa. Chika chika nya yong me ari. Ginawa nyang siraan ako porque’t puro sila tsismisan nitong maldita kong boss. Tiis lang! Darating din ang araw! Makikita nyong mga tifaklong kayooo!
Few months - anak nang kuwago! Nagbibiro lang ako! Dumating nga ang araw! Pucha! Na-aksidente ang husband sa Pennsylvania Turnpike, na-ospital nang pagkatagal tagal, away-away mga anak nang trust funds. Ayon, nagkamalas malas ang hudas! Kaya binenta nang dati kong boss ang business nya. Bigla ako nawalan nang trabahooooo!!! Hindi pa naman ako rediii!! Kaya ayan, careful what you wish for at baka biglang dumatinggggg!!!
Dayton
Madalas ako non sa bahay ni John. Yon ang meeting point naming nang mga babae kong kebigan. We hang out in a lot of New places – New York, New Brunswick, New Hope atsaka sa Princeton, Route 9. Mababa ang tingin namin noon sa mga nag-hahangout sa Philly. Ha! Ha! Ha!
One time, pauwi ako galing Dayton, I stopped by at Wawa. I bought a local paper in Princeton. Splashed on the cover, litrato - GWAPOOOO! mega-buy daw sila nang sangkatutak na radio stations sa buong Jersey, Western Pennsylvania at Nueva Yorka. Aba?! Nakalagay lang ang pangalan nang company nila, KBC (Kilalang Broadcasting Company).
Philadelphia
Soon as I got home, hinanap ko sa yellow pages ang KBC. I found the address and a number, pero wala akong name to go with the company name! Hmm.. teka, tawagan ko kaya???
Tinawagan ko nga in the morning. Pretend ako na I have an appointment with the President and I was going to give him a presentation copy kaso I could not spell his name right. Aba?! Say nang receptionist, eto… spell ko. Bam! I got a name! I got a company name! I got the address! I got everything! He! He! He!
Then I started crafting a letter:
My name is DonJeff. I am writing this letter because I read about your company on today’s Tempo. I work for another KBC in Philadelphia and I remember, we were in the same position five (5) years ago, blah, blah, blah, zizhabom, chika, chika, chuvalinga.
3 days later, there was a very handsome message on my voicemail. “If you’re available tomorrow or Friday, call us, we would like to talk to you!”. Avaaaaa!!! Chuvalais!!! I was really, really excited, it was like winning bingo dun sa Ever Gotesco sa Pasig. Really!
Following morning, I called the number. He answered. Why wait for friday?! “Ah… let me check my hectic schedule… AHA! I got one free! Right here! ‘To o! Kitang kita! It say’s right here “tomorrow!”. So, tomorrow it was.
Palis shoes. Kukus nails. Ahit heirs. Was car. Vroom, vrroom!
Princeton
I was nervous. The secretary said that he should be coming in a few minutes. Then… “Hi! My name is Mike. Did you find our place alright?”. OhMYGOSH!! Honestly, I have no idea what he was talking about. He was cute! Goodlooking! Handsome! Oh! We shook hands. Electrified!!! Then he smiled.. “Are you alright?”. “Oh, I’m fine. Thank you!”.
He never really asked me about what I do in my current job. We talked about the broadcasting business of which I was familiar with. We talked about strategies that I am familiar with as well. Then he switched to “how’s your family?”. I laughed. I said “Oh, they must be doing fine, because I don’t hear anything. You see, I come from a dysfunctional family.” Lakas nang tawa and said “Well, welcome to America!”.
We talked for hours! I realized that I am very comfortable with him as he was with me. Otherwise, I don’t think he’s gonna keep me that long. He started introducing me to everybody there! Then we went back to his office and said… “So… when can you start?”.
Huh?! Ano yon? Di ba kelangang pahirapan mo ako? Wala bang initiation???
Give me two weeks say ko. Else I lose my 401-k with my employer. He said, ok. Handshakes and he gave me a pat in the back, led me to the door and (!) to the parking! He said “I’m really excited you’re joining us!”. Me too.
I was in heavens!!! I was like in tralala-land singing “Da hills ar aliveeeee!!! Wid da zawnd of myuziiikkkk!!!”
I’ve been meaning to leave my job badly! So, when I told my boss that ” AYKWIT! “, I felt those magma boiling deep inside my intestines just blew up and released all the pressures in my ass that eye em free!!!
And so, I moved to KBC. I love it there. After all, Princeton is Princeton. Sosy. People dress up nicely, talk very professionally at maganda ang lugar, especially the University. Dami gwapoo!
Mike would turn out to be a very, very nice boss and we’d become very close. Naiinggit tuloy mga puti to me. But they see the closeness in us. Have you ever met someone na sa mata pa lang eh you already know kung ano ang iniisip nya? Ganyan kami ni Mike. I could not explain it. But more often than not, prehas ang vibes namin 99% of the time.
And he’s funny too. Nasasakyan nya mga katimangan ko. So, as years passed, sangkatutak ang promotion ko pati bonuses. When I designed an entire budgeting program for him para ma-solve yong problema nya sa mga timang na General Managers, naku! muntik na akong pakasalan! Kaya lang di pede kasi me asawa na sya! Ang ginawa, promote uli ako at ako’y ginawang Controller. I was really, really lucky sa kanya.
Na-meet ko mother nya. Luka-luka din gaya ko. We would laugh and laugh at binibili din nya mga corny kong jokes. I also met the father. Puro naman business pinag-uusapan namin. I also met yong Grandma nya. Isa ring lukaret. And he introduced me to his wife. Ang gandaaa!!! Mga Italians sila. I met everyone! They’re really really nice to me. I can’t even believe it! We were having dinner one time at tinanong ako ni Granny - “So DonJeff, what are you?” Say ko… “I’m Irish!”. Mabasag yong bahay nang tawanan nang madla! They knew what I was talking about!
Mayayaman sila sa northern part nang Italy who moved to the US. It was funny because one weekend na andun ako sa bahay nila for a party, ipinakita nila yong movie nang great grandfather nila noong dumating sa Amerika. Shock ako! Akala ko, I was watching a Kennedy film! Ganun pala sila kayaman! Ugh! And to think that he acts just like… well.. he simply doesn’t act like yong mga conio saatin… The more I like him.
He loves cars. Ang garahe nya eh nagmistulang car dealer! He loves Lexus. He’s got a Mercedes, a boxter, a Lexus SUV and a Toyota V8. But he specially love to drive the SC Lexus.
He works late and stays late. In the morning when he comes to work, he’s got most of my officemates in his office. They would talk for hours. When he’s finished, he moves around the offices and talks to everybody. Wala lang. Chika lang. That’s the reason why he stays late. He starts working around 4 or 5pm.
Days passed…
Weeks…
Months…
Me kinakainisan pala sya sa work. Aha! Si Pidro.
Si Pidro is our CFO. He too wanted to be the COO. Eh si Mike na ang COO. So mega-away sila in a subtle way. Mga professional eh. Kaya alang kalmutan. Meanwhile, I was in between. Kaya galit ang Pidro saakin. You know the drill. Yet, I get along very well with everybody pati na sa CEO namin. But the CEO has to appease the CFO, kaya tinanggal ako sa management meeting. Umiyak ako. Aktwali. Atungal yata yon eh.
Si Mike naman to appease me, alang ginawa, promote ako nang promote. Tahan na anak! Eto bonus, bonus, bonus!!! Aba? Cries no more!!! Chuvalais!!
Since Mike loves to drive fancy cars, one time, I parked my old, clanky, green civic sa tabi nang kumikinang na Lexus nya. I waited for him to get out of his car… and then… “Aren’t you annoyed that your staff drive a nasty and ugly looking car like that? I mean, dizguzzzting, ain’t it?” Tawa sya! F@#$%^& YOU sabi. Hindi ko sya tinigilan that week! Inis na inis na. He He He Napipikon na. HA HA HA Sige pa rin ako. Sa totoo lang! Everytime na ginagawa ko yon, naloloka sya saakin!
Then…. one day…
“Here’s they key. You car is downstairs”.
A what? Downstairs? Yong puso ko! tob!tob!tob! Karipas ako sa parking lot! Eh di sinabi kung azan eh! So, para akong timang! Klik nang klik nong key!
TADANGGG!!! It’s a Lexus LS 400.
Hmmm…. *isip* ….. *tsinitsek car*…. *kamot ulo*
Anoto? Kasimangot ako. Di yata tama to. Biro ko lang namang sitenta anyos ako ah! Hmmpptt! Umuusok ang ilong ko! Binalik ko ang susi. “You nuts?!” Say nya. A ewan. Mag-ta-traysikel na lang ako from Philadelphia to Princeton!
Nagsumbong ako sa sawa ko. Ngek!!! Namura tuloy ako! “Hindi mo ba alam kung ano ang Lexus LS 400??? Tanga ka ba?! Palibhasa karitela lang ang alam mong luxury car!” Naku, kung ano anong tuldok hyphenated exclamation point ang inabot nang lola ninyo sa asawa ko!!! Muntik na akong tumalon sa Golden Gate Bridge. Malayo lang samin. Eeroplano pa ako.
Kina-umagahan sa opis… me note… me susi… he he he ano kaya to? Balik ako sa parking lot!!!
Avaaaa…. Mazda Millenia!
Medyo maliit sya sa LS kaya get ko na sya, else, baka jumbagin na talaga ako nang asawa koooo!!!
Years passed, nagpalit nang nagpalit ang kotse ko. Pinaka-latest na binigay sakin ni Mike, which I lurrrveee so much is this: TADAANNNGGG!
I drove this SUV kung saan saan. Sa Boston, sa Montreal, sa Toronto, Wash Dizzy at kung saan saang kanto. Nagalit saakin si Mike! He He He “Where in da world have you been driving! Eh, you’re only just about 34 miles away? Did you go to Mars?! You have 880,000 miles in one year!!!” Ngi-ngiti lang ako, da-dramahin ko lang nang … “kwan eh…ah.. ano… ahhh…detours are really far! daming construction kasi eh!” ‘taz wala na. Mahal na naman ako. He He He
I made everything easy for Mike. Umuusok pa lang ang problema, sino-solve ko na before it even gets to his desk. By the time he finds out, mega-ready ako nang “this is how I resolved it”. Pag di ko kaya, mega-warn ako to give him some heads up. I’d give him list of possible alternatives. At pag nag suggest sya, I’d study and analyze the proposition at say ko kung alin ang better, best at throw away. But always, it’s all about making it easier on his part. Ang alam ko, kahit I work for the company, I actually work for him. Yun lang.
An sarap kebigan ni Mike. Minsan pag wa sya sa opis, naiinis ako! Pag nawawala sya nang ilang weeks, natataranta ako! Ano ba tong nangyari sakin!!!
I was on my 2nd year sa french classes. He was willing to pay my 6 months immersion classes at stay in France. Ow? Why not this… ahh… MBA? He He He…Avaaaa! Pumayag!!! So, yong France ko naging Temple University. O di chienes!!
Sabi nga, once na pataas ka nang pataas, the more they see your ass kaya binabato ka. Ngayon, napapag-initan na ako sa opis. Especially now na the next logical step for me is VP. Napapansin ko na talaga ang init. I can see the signs on the wall. The sign says dun lapit office ko: EXIT.
Pero sabi naman, I stay with them for the next 10 years daw piktapos nang MBA ko. Ahh… Ok. Bahala na! Tutal mahal naman ako nang Mike eh. So, my MBA went on… and I really loved and enjoyed my MBA experience… On my last year at school, I have a project I was doing that I have to go home and implement it. Then bumalik ako nang US.
Few weeks later, biglang na-ospital ang Mike. Bumalik daw ang colon cancer. Na-depress ako. We would eat lunch together, nakatunganga lang kami. Wa talk. We just look at each other. Smile, ngiti. Kain. Talk shit. Halakhak. Then, silence. We even go to the gym together and sometimes, I just see him there.
In our minds, alam ko ang pinag-uusapan namin. One time, sa opis nya, naka-upo lang ako. “Everything will be ok!” ngek! sya pa tong nagsabi! But I could see the big change. He lost a lost of weight. He turned yellow. And he’s always been absent.
I went home to Manila for vacation. I stayed there for a month. Yet all those times, ang isip ko eh naki-Mike. Bihira akong magdasal, but this time, matindi ang dasal ko. I love my boss. I do. I care about him a lot, lexus or no lexus.
I went back to the US. Miss ko na si Mike. Nagmamadali to get to work.
Mike was not there.
“Where’s Mike?”
Nasa Mt. Sinai daw sa New York. Nalungkot ako. This time iba ang feelings ko. I can’t seem to work. Mas lalo akong na-depress. I went to the CEO’s office. “Can I go visit Mike?”. Sabi, they will find out. So, I waited… and waited…
Walking to my office one day, nakasabay ko yong head nang legal namin.
“Hey! Did you know it already?”
“About?”
“Don’t be shock.”
“Mike is gone.”
37 years old, very handsome, 2 kids, beautiful wife.
Popularity: 5% [?]
December 16th, 2006 at 4:54 am
reyna naman,kung nitong mga nakaraang araw ay sayang-saya ako sa mga kapraningan natin, ngayon naman nalulungkot ako sa post mo. sad naman ang nangyari sa iyong bossing. ako kaya, pag nawala, may malungkot o ma-shock kaya sa mga alipin ko sa opisina?hehehehe
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reyna elena (32 comments.) reply on April 2, 2008:
i can’t believe ngayon ko lang nabasa to bea! hehehe
Anonymous reply on April 2, 2008:
sakit naman nun
December 16th, 2006 at 4:58 am
nakakalunkot naman nito..di ito ang inaasahan kong post mo!
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December 16th, 2006 at 5:20 am
sori… eh ganun talaga eh… minsan timang ako…masaya… di ko na nga post part 2…
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December 16th, 2006 at 6:10 am
hmn, sige na nga, i-post mo na
seryowsow na muna tayo.
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December 16th, 2006 at 6:43 am
wag na lang! nasanay na kasi kayo na timang ako eh! hu hu hu
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December 16th, 2006 at 7:22 am
yan mahirap pag nasanay saiyo na timang ka. natitimang din sila. hehehe
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December 16th, 2006 at 11:33 am
sige na nga, buksan ko na library nang aking buhay karon
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December 16th, 2006 at 7:18 pm
Buti na lang di ko tinapos basahin…sad ba yung ending? thanks for the heads up, di ko na lang tatapusin, yeyyyy!!! Kanina pa ako nagpipigil pero sasabog na talaga ang bumbilya sa ulo ko pag di kita naintriga.
I noticed na bigla kasing nag iba ang writing style mo when you started making wento about sa kanya, uyyy.. Ahm…farang teenager na kinikiligg habang make ng paynal draft ng pormal tim sa crieytib writing vah, heheheh…
Okay wad I meant to say izz dat thiz piece got heart in it, ya know wad’m seyin’? Lyk the booze got into you, baby…I mean, I’m feelin’ wat yo feelin’ kinda…ya know wad’m seyin doug?
Pero may westyon nga ako eh… Soulmate kayo, obviously…ahhhmm, eto yung westyon…ahhhmmm, wag na nga, si mike na lang tatanungin ko! Ahemm, Mike, MIKE, MYYKKK! WEDENG MAGTANONG?
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December 26th, 2006 at 10:08 am
[…] December Reyna Elena10:08 amAdd comment Read Part 1 […]
February 1st, 2007 at 1:18 am
[…] Pag ako nagbabasa nang mga application letter, iisa ang hinahanap ko. Yanigin mo ako. Di ba? Ayoko nang boring letter. Kelangan ma-stimulate mo yong interest ko. For example, you may want to begin with a reference to an advertisement that prompted your application. (Basahin nyo tong story ko kung saan ko nakuha yong ad nang trabaho ko sa Princeton.) Pag sinabi mo yon, magugulat pa sila dahil epektibo pala yong ad nila. O di winner ka na agad! […]
February 1st, 2007 at 5:21 am
Na-detour lang ako dito from How to Write an Application Letter…kakaiyak naman ng kwento mo…pero things happen for a reason, most often than not, for a very good one…
Don Jeff ba real name mo? Hmm..surname mo ano? Gusto ko makita yung plain you…sana email mo ako ng pics…would appreciate it real much!
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February 1st, 2007 at 11:48 am
Don Jeff? He He He Hindi. Gusto mo nang makilala si Reyna Elena? Naku! Baka himatayin ka! Tanungin mo si JC at Ross!!! Pinapa-alahanan kita! PINAPA-ALAHANAN KITAA!!!
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February 1st, 2007 at 12:32 pm
***iling iling***
walang alam kungdi si REYNZ ay isang beautiful SLUT!!! heheh
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February 1st, 2007 at 12:40 pm
ross… discreet naman. he he he
oi cinco, bat mo pa ba kelangan surname ko? eto si reyna elena…
100% unbelievably gorgeous, iritatingly nice, ridiculously wonderful, discreetfully slutty, achingly funny, forgetfully smart, cluelesss intellectual, moneyed unprofessional, romantically unlinked, classless bitch, absent-minded sharp princess.
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February 1st, 2007 at 1:27 pm
para sa kin totoong tao si reynz, a true person inside and out, with weaknesses and strengths that make reynz complete…we people wouldn’t be here if we had not sensed a difference…basta yun na yun…^_^
nga pala midterms namin ngayong week kaya medyo matagal me makapag-comments, hehe grabe po kasi ang thread minsan di ko masundan sa haba…basta nandito lang po me sa tabi tabi…
nga pala, kutz wer u na?
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February 1st, 2007 at 1:55 pm
jc, lam ko yun, sense ko yun, feel ko yun…pero syempre, kahit man lang sa email pakita ng pic kahit kamukha pa ng kung sino, wla akong pakialam basta yun ang totoong itsura, diba? diba reynz?
unless, di pa sya comfortable sa akin, o di pa nya ako trust…yun lang naman ang valid reasons kung bakit ayaw magpakilala ng tunay na itsura at pangalan ng isang tao…may reservation pa sya sa akin…PATUNAYAN MONG HINDI, MAHAL NA REYNA!!! 
sige na, pramis, di ko ipagkakalat kung ayaw mo…pero ipagkakalat ko na ang galing galing mo talaga!!! o ayan ha, may pabaon na ako ulit sa yo bukas…
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February 1st, 2007 at 11:41 pm
Ekkkkkkk!!!!! *tumatakbo* EEEEEEE!!!! *tago closet* Creeeekkkkk *sinarado closet* AYOKO!!! AYOKONG LUMABAS AT IWANAN TONG MGA HANGER NA TOO!!! AAAYOOOKOOOO!!!
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February 2nd, 2007 at 2:25 am
MAY DAGA! MAY DAGA! MAY DAGA! BILIS REYNA, LABAS JAN!!!
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February 2nd, 2007 at 2:55 am
*@#$%^&*BLAG!* (tinodas nam sapatos!)
*nilabas frying pan*
*nilabas arina*
*tsaka mantika*
*tsaka lighter*
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February 2nd, 2007 at 3:58 am
batit lighter? gamitin mo yung LPG, one click lang! Naku, nangangamoy na! Takbooooooooo!!!!!
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June 18th, 2007 at 3:04 am
[…] Read Part 1 […]
September 23rd, 2007 at 12:00 am
[…] then. I worked for this company for about eighty (80) years as a super-abacus guy where I met the super-nicey-nicey-boss in the whole wide world. Sorry for the name drop, but it was here that I got the chance to meet two […]
October 17th, 2007 at 4:52 am
[…] example, you may want to begin with a reference to an advertisement that prompted your application. (Basahin nyo tong story ko kung saan ko nakuha yong ad nang trabaho ko sa Princeton.) Pag sinabi mo yon, magugulat pa sila dahil epektibo pala yong ad nila. O di winner ka na […]
December 24th, 2007 at 12:09 am
[…] miss my boss. No, I don’t need a replacement. But, can you give me somebody who is […]
January 23rd, 2008 at 1:27 am
[…] example, you may want to begin with a reference to an advertisement that prompted your application. (Basahin nyo tong story ko kung saan ko nakuha yong ad nang trabaho ko sa Princeton.) Pag sinabi mo yon, magugulat pa sila dahil epektibo pala yong ad nila. O di winner ka na […]
January 24th, 2008 at 6:55 am
How sad! Incidentally, Mike din boss ako, ang boss ng boss ko at boss ng boss ng boss ko. Hahahahahah. hindi joke yon. Anyways, dapat talaga ganun, solve na ang problema bago makarating sa amo o may proposal na pano ma-resolve yong problem.
Ako naman like ko yong boss ko pero ayaw ko siya nakikita alam mo na. The mouse is playing when the cat is away hehe
nina’s last blog post..Doha is out of LPG, can you believe that?
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January 25th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Hmmm… I have not had this kind of relationship with any of my boss/es here. Sa colleague pwede pa…
nice to know that once in your life, you’ll find someone like him. May his soul rest in peace.
serious comment ah..
angelofthewaters/ruthie’s last blog post..in need of cash?
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reyna elena (32 comments.) reply on April 2, 2008:
naKu ruthie, sorry ngayon ko lnag nabasa komment mo!
January 31st, 2008 at 7:42 am
nakaka-L naman tong kwento mo, Lungkot.
eto ba yung kwento mong after mo matapos ang MBA e sinabihan kang they don’t need your service anymore? tapos todo iyak ka. did you cry because you lost your job or because you lost a very special person.
bihira magkaron ng ganyang boss pero double edged yan. dahil magkagaanan talaga ang loob nyo, natural lang na lulutang ang kasipagan mo but then iisipin nga mga tao sobrang sipsip ka o dahil close kayo kaya ka napopromote.
mga pesteng tao, hahaha.
nga pala reynz, napapadpad ako dito sa paghahanap ng pagsusuksukan ng tanong. yung sa hosting mo, anong CPU Hz/Mb ang bigay nila sayo as $20/month. tinitingnan ko din kase yung sakin incase na dumating ang araw na kailanganin ko sya. yon e kapag nahatak ko na lahat ng readers mo. hahaha.
kotsengkuba’s last blog post..How many Philippines can inhabit China railways this Chinese New Year?
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reyna elena (32 comments.) reply on April 2, 2008:
ngayon ko lnag to nakita kk! sukat kasi 2006 pa tong entry na to! an tagal na pala tapos ang comment mo jan pa at april na ngayon?! hahaha
March 13th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Reyna kakatakot ka….nadededs ngiging bosing mo..hehehehehe
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April 2nd, 2008 at 3:38 am
ngayon ko lang nabasa to…sya pala si Mike. Ambait bait nya. Will I ever find someone like him too? mukhang dito sa Pinas walang ganyang boss dahil lahat ng boss dito either ma-ere or adik, lol
chuvaness’s last blog post..Girls Just Wanna Have Fun In EK!!!
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reyna elena (32 comments.) reply on April 2, 2008:
he’s the best ever that i ran across. nung nawala, nagkaloko loko buhay ko.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:53 am
hay ang cutie pie ng story khit mejo sad ung last part….
kakatawa promise!!!
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reynz (4530 comments.) reply on June 26, 2008:
thanks melissa! he was the best ever ever na boss that i met and i wish and i hope that i meet another one! interestintly, my current boss right now is a boss from hell.