A day in the life of Mars

I start the day at around 5:30 am, but I only get to my senses halfway through finishing my breakfast… the first part of which is spent in half a daze and staring in space 'til my father yells me back to the kitchen.

By the time I get out of the bathroom though, I'm already full of energy as I start doing my morning rituals. By 6:30 am I'll be found rushing to the pickup point of our shuttle service, which leaves by 6:50.

I always like it when the morning traffic is heavy, because that means I'll get to listen to my favorite morning radio show (Good times with Mo, Magic 89.9, which always leaves me laughing out loud to the bewilderment of whoever chances to sit next to me), or I could listen to more rockin' good music at NU. Our company always excuses bus lates, no deductions.

By 7:50am we're already within company premises. I'm a process engineer in a semiconductor company (subcontractor) which lives and breathes pressure and has an unforgiving work schedule and pacing. So before I get into the battlefield, I try to unwind and laugh with a few co-engineers for breakfast at the canteen. I see to it that I get to give my friends a high-pitched, cheerful "good morning!" =D

I get into the production line by around 8:20am, and start working my ass off, taking a peek at yahoo messenger and blogs and my other online vices (all forbidden in the office) every once in a while. We only take a 1 hour break from 12-1pm. We work 10hours a day, 5 days a week. If you're lucky, that might stretch to as much as 14 to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and you can't even guarantee that you'll get a complete overtime pay. That's for worst case scenarios.

I'm quite new to it because I just had a lateral transfer from product engineering, so I still have lots to learn. Thankfully I'm starting to enjoy it. There's never a dull moment. Action action action… but after a few months or so, it can really burn you out and eventually it will be a test of endurance. (not to mention the disappointing pay that comes with being in the manufacturing industry)

So on a normal and not-so-busy day (which I hope just stretches til forever), I get to go home by 6pm, reach the house by 7:30. eat dinner, do the dishes, watch Tayong Dalawa and Only You, or try to finish up on my pending books to read. By 10:00 pm, my mother would be incessantly nagging me to sleep. It goes on til 10:30, when I start putting out my bedroom lights and turning off my computer. But I don't really get to sleep until 11:00pm.

During that time before I sleep I'd be daydreaming or pondering on how one day is just never enough when you have to work for 10 hours, (I always rant at how I never seem to get to do anything else at all because work just drains the shit out of you), how and when I'll get my lifelong dream of independence, if this crap of a schedule will ever get me a boyfriend, if I even want to have a boyfriend at all at this point, I think of my dreams I think of my plans and I fear that they might be too big or I might be too weak … what I can do to be a better person, and the list goes on and on and on…

And then I pull the sheets over my face and scold myself that I should sleep earlier next time… and then I dream once more…

A Day in the Life of B-side

Today I woke up before 7am. Usually, I need at least an hour to prepare whenever I go out. Two things that I immediately did when I got out of bed: made sure my brother was awake so we won't be late since we're both headed to Diliman and plugged in the heater which takes around 15 minutes to heat the water. I like warm baths. When I saw that my brother was already awake, I ate breakfast - which is usually oatmeal and bananas because I've stopped eating red meat over a month ago.

Ended up leaving the house at around 830am, not because of too much time spent on applying makeup or blow drying my hair - I rarely use makeup and my haircut's always wash and wear - but because...I'm not really sure; time just seem to fly by when I'm in a hurry.

The usual one hour drive was cut short to 30 minutes because traffic was in a cooperative mood. I arrived five minutes early in class; but not without my brother's errie display of concern before I stepped out of the car - "may hand sanitizier ka na ba? may gask mask, e , facial mask ka ba?"

After one and a half hour with intellectual giant Cynthia Bautista (she was a substitute professor), I spent some time with friends who were also part of the same class while I had my staple sweet corn at FC. We visited a friend's boarding house, had our IDs countersigned at the Main Library, had lunch inside the Beach House while we did some catching up. We parted ways around 1pm and I walked to SC with one of them despite the rain. I had a book alike of Rainer Maria Rilke's 'Letters to a Young Poet' made for my little sister and afterwards, walked to J. P. Laurel to look for the recycling center I read about in Peyups. My search led me to the Solid Waste Management Training Center, a few blocks from Lutong Bahay, and a DVD stall, selling four for P100. My search proved worthy, the men inside the facility were very accommodating and informative; I now plan to donate recyclable materials in the house on a regular basis - not to mention a new source of cheap thrills inside the campus.

I left UP around 2pm and headed to the mall to buy a bottle of Ascorbic Acid brought about by the AH1N1 scare. Originally, I was supposed to meet a consultant from the OPACC (Office of the Presidential Adviser on Climate Change) in the evening for an informal interview as part of my stint in an NGO. I planned on watching "My Fake American Accent" in Robinsons Galleria to pass the time. But we had a change of plans so I headed to SM Fairview. My trip to the mall was a futile search for cheap and lip-friendly pink lipstick (vanity was calling but I ended up not answering), frustrating grocery due to too much commercial products disguising themselves as natural and organic (where does a consumer turn to against synergistic toxicology?), and comfort food from a large mashed potato from KFC. I was at home before 5pm.

Tonight's dinner was steamed plapla with mayo sauce courtesy of Pinoycook. After the evening news, I lounged in front of my laptop - emailed a cancellation of my online classes on Saturday since I have a family event on that day, checked facebook, UPVC, Peyups, my blog and the Peyups Webring, and resumed my torrent downloads. Also had small talk with my brother when he arrived.

It''s now 10pm and I'm still in front of my laptop with the TV on (trivia from the Discovery Channel: jaw muscles are the strongest muscles in our body, our nose inhales 20 billion dust particles and the fastest sneeze recorded was at 110mph). Thursdays and Fridays require no early wake-up call since my classes are in the late afternoon so I have the luxury to just waste away in cyberspace until I fall asleep. That is until the demands of graduate school gain momentum again in the coming days.

A Day in the Life of Leela

5:15 AM – Leela wakes up to her cell phone alarm “I Love The World (aka Boomdeyada),” Discovery Channel’s theme song. It wasn’t a conscious decision to use a very optimistic and cheerful song but looking back, she thinks it’s a great song to start the day.

Every morning, without fail, she turns on the TV and watches Unang Hirit on GMA. She catches up on the day’s news, especially now that H1N1 is wreaking havoc in the country. Her work in corporate communication requires her to monitor the news about H1N1.

5:50 AM – By this time, she has already kissed her husband goodbye and has stepped out the door. She rides a tricycle to get her to the FX terminal bound for Makati.

6:50 AM – Leela arrives at the office. She checks the cafeteria on what breakfast it is serving. If the cafeteria is serving something edible, she’ll join the casual employees from her division. If it’s just hardboiled egg, she’ll forego eating breakfast.

7:30 AM – Leela checks her emails—office and three personal emails. She also checks the Inquirer and GMA News websites to read on the latest H1N1 updates.

8:30 – 11:30 AM – Work, work, work. :)

11:30 AM to 12:30 PM – Lunch with officemates

12:30 to 5:30 PM – Work, work, work. :)

5:30 to 6:30 PM – Leela travels from the Mandaluyong office to ABS-CBN, where her husband works. Unless it’s Monday (color-coding), Leela and her husband usually goes home together (or go to Trinoma).

If going to ABS-CBN is not convenient, Leela usually goes to Trinoma to meet her husband.
6:30 – 7:30 PM – Trinoma has been their hangout place since Leela’s husband transferred to ABS-CBN (it used to be Robinson’s Galleria). It is in Trinoma where they have dinner, do the grocery, pick up their weekly comic subscriptions, buy hubby’s toys.

7:30 – 8:15 PM – Leela and her husband head home.

8:15 – 10 PM – Leela de-stresses at home by watching TV, surfing the Web (harvest her farm in Farm Town), read magazines, discuss things with her husband (from the most mundane to the latest show biz chismis to money matters).

10 PM – Leela retreats to bed.

A day in the Life

For the past 10 months, this has been my schedule. Most of it is influenced by my work which predominantly controls my everyday life. Not that I am complaining; I just find it hard and exhausting. However, all is going to change come next month (hopefully), that’s the reason why I am very excited now. But for the mean time, here’s my daily agenda.

5:00 a.m. – My cell phone’s alarm clock rings telling me “Hoy gumising ka na kung ayaw mong ma-late!” Usually, I don’t get up immediately. I still linger on the bed waiting for my sluggish state to subside.

5:30 a.m. – This is the time I usually get up and take a bath, brush my teeth, empty my sh*t, and dress up. You know, the boring stuff.

6:00 a.m. – By this time, I have got to be at the MRT Kamuning Station. I go down at Taft station which usually takes the train 30 minutes to do so.

6:30 a.m. – Breakfast! Usually at McDo Taft or I just buy bread if I am saving up or in a hurry.

7:00 a.m. – I should have left with the van or jeep already going to my site (which is in Cavite). This is the time-consuming part because it takes me more or less an hour to arrive at the office. While some people are still in their homes probably eating or taking a bath, I have to wake up and travel early or I would be late. Yes, I’ve been doing this for the past 10 months already.

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Office hours (actually, more of site than office work). Let’s leave it at that. Hehehe.

5:00 p.m – Batsi na! that’s what we often call it when it’s time to go home. My most favorite part of the day. Hahaha (That is if there’s no overtime work).

6:00 p.m. – I usually arrive at the MRT Taft station by this time. Sometimes earlier, sometimes later depending on the traffic.

7:00 p.m. – I should have been in Cubao station by this time. It’s also time to eat. And buy some personal stuff before going home.

8:00 p.m. – If I am not yet at home this time, probably I am at an internet café surfing or in the mall watching a movie.

9:00 p.m. – My set time to sleep to achieve the needed 8-hour rest. I usually sleep at 10 p.m. though.

This is a typical day for me. I also have work on Saturdays though half day only. After that, I go home in my home province (Bulacan). Sometimes, when in the mood, I also go clubbing or bar hopping with my friends somewhere in Quezon City. But that’s very seldom.

Well, that’s it for now. Til next time again. (I'm bored. Sorry.)

selenakyle: My Life As An Amateur

When I left my 9-to-sawa corporate job months ago, I had a long to-do list for my own fulfillment but what I didn't anticipate was that I'd be stuck on one item for a long time.

Designing our provincial family home remodel was not on my list at all but it was a challenge I just can't say no to. I love doing it, for one. A few years ago I tasked myself with our pied-à-terre in the city and from there considered myself quite an authority on small spaces in my social circle. This time, it's a 5-bedroom/2-bathroom bungalow with dated interiors - a nice opportunity to expand my skill set, as I gear up for a home of my own some day. And so I'm here, detached from my "real life" for a while, oftentimes wondering why I never became an architect when I've begun sketching floor plans in my formative years.

Here then is my typical day, with a disclaimer that it usually starts late because living in the midst of a "construction site" leaves you with minor inconveniences - a disoriented cat that needs to be let out in the middle of the night being one.

7am. Wake up in time for workers to arrive. Leave instructions from previous day's inspection. Eat breakfast, freshen up, and on most days, fall back to sleep.

10am-12nn. Research. Which means reading up on the latest apartmenttherapy posts tuning and tuning in to the Lifestyle Network (House & Home's on everyday at 11am). I constantly need inspiration to avoid the track of a one-trick pony. Check emails from my "client" (i.e., Dad who's abroad) in reply to previous day's updates.

12nn. Lunch and mini-rounds around the house while the workers are on a break.

130pm-5pm. Do stuff: paint pallettes, cabinetry design, space planning, devise solutions to mini-disasters, answer questions, check output and make other decisions. On some days it's time for home depot visits. On other days, it's just letting all information sink in to inspire me.

On days that I'm at home, I'd usually "work" with the following TV shows in the background:
3pm. The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien
4pm. Homes With Style
430pm. Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic

5pm. Workers call it a day, I check the work, take pictures, and send my Dad an email.
6pm. A little pocket of time for yoga or Tracy Anderson. Let the cat in and feed it.
7pm. Nice long bath.
8pm. Dinner.

9pm-12mn. If so needed, check in with my Dad again for urgent instructions. Usually I keep my Mom company while she watches her telenovelas. Watch the news, blog, see what friends are up to on Facebook, chat up with a few, take stock, make to-do lists for next day.

It's a little odd, my slice of life these days, but, it's definitely a nice break from the usual 12-hour workday at the office. Sometimes I wish I get paid for it, but as far as my long to-do list goes, this too merits a checkmark, because (1)The list was all about getting to wear different hats for different periods of time anyways, and an interior designer's is one I'll never get tired of wearing. (2)In the grander scheme of things, I know this has a lot to do with my yet hazy path, and (3)Doing something I love for people I love is always worthwhile.

So, how's your day going?

Topic Of The Month (June): Day-In-A-Life

In keeping with last month's getting to know the bloggers on this site, I think Jipre's suggestion is the perfect follow-up.

For June, let's take a peek in the what goes on in our typical day from sun up to sun down and post it here. Any form is okay! Be it a chronological list, a diary entry in prose or poetry, a photojournal - you decide.

In the same spirit of flexibility on the format, you may use any title as you see fit . But ***please include labels "topic of the month" and "day-in-a-life" in your posts.***

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives."
- Annie Dillard

"There's more to those insignificances that contribute to our dreams, desires and desperations."
- Jipre

Check out the discussion on this topic on this thread. Post away!

Do you have brilliant ideas on next month's theme? Join in the discussion and see other suggestions here or you can post your topics on the shoutout box on this site.