An Incident in The Atrium Mall's Iloilo Supermarket Regarding Laptop Backpacks

WARNING: I probably sound like a ranter in this post.

One of The Atrium Mall's Entrances

This was the first time my laptop backpack was not allowed into the grocery store. After multiple entries in different Iloilo Supermarts bringing this knapsack with my lappy safe and sound, a security guard (a young Mr. Lasanas) stops us in our tracks saying the backpack is not allowed inside the grocery.  Of course, I've read the rules and am willing to comply, but the fact is THE MOMENT YOU LEAVE YOUR STUFF IN THE BAGGAGE COUNTER, YOU'VE WAIVED YOUR CLAIM FOR ANY DAMAGES IT MIGHT INCUR.

I was shocked but not fully confrontational during that time. I told him that if he could assure me that my gadget was safe, I'll entrust that with them. But then Mr. Lasanas says, "Just take out the laptop and bring it with you in the grocery." It was one of those YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! moments. Why would I do that? Am I that stupid? There's a reason laptops aren't carried in ordinary bags. Imagine the following scenarios.

Scenario 1: I carry the laptop in my arms while I do my shopping. Okay... I'll just pretend I didn't hear that. Count the loud thud of the laptop dropping from my arms the moment it slips out of my grip.

Scenario 2: I put the bare laptop (without any kind of protection) in the grocery basket while I do my shopping. Aside from the crowds I have to maneuver my way through, I have to be careful not to place anything wet or heavy on top of it.

Scenario 3: I use the giant stroller to carry my laptop while I go through aisle after aisle getting the stuff I need. Sure, that sounds safe... until you hear someone bumping into your cart accidentally. With enough impact, there goes your hard drive.

Since it was my boyfriend who decided to talk to them, he went to the baggage counter where their so called "head of security" (Mr. Regene Gepana) was saying that it was part of their policy to not allow laptop backpacks inside. He even claims that he is the "head of security" in all the Iloilo Supermarts which sounded a little far-fetched especially when my laptop backpack has already entered the Molo and Villa branches of this said grocery chain without a fuss.

Mr. Regene Gepana laughs annoyingly upon seeing me take a shot of Mr. Lasanas, the security guard who told us to remove the laptop from the bag and carry it with us while I do my grocery shopping.

With all due respect to the age-old policy, electronic gadgets and important personal belongings should be secured and carried with you (but what about laptops? or CPUs? or God-forbid two laptops?). How I wish my laptop was as small, thin and light-weight as an envelope of 1,000 peso bills. Or at the least, as big as a tablet so it could fit perfectly in my purse.

Now, you must be wondering why in the world would I be bringing my laptop in a crowded grocery store? Well, for starters, I'm trying to save on fare and time by multi-tasking on a Monday. I had dropped by a friend who was helping me fix these BSOD issues I've been having.

From this day forward, this laptop backpack is banned from entering The Atrium Mall's Iloilo Supermart.

Anyway, to cut things short, my beau finally asked to talk to the manager. Mr. Regene Gepana never gave us the name of the manager, or whoever was in charge of the grocery store... which I'm assuming would probably be a Que.

Finally, my beau called me saying that he wasn't able to follow me inside because in order for him to get in, he had to take the laptop out of the backpack (surrender the bag in the baggage area) and carry it with him all throughout the grocery store. I proceeded with finishing up my purchases and met him outside. Of course, I couldn't allow to  leave this undocumented so I took some pictures and names.

Just to make things clear, I am not mad at Mr. Lasanas nor at Mr. Regene Gepana. I am, however, dismayed on the treatment of laptop backpack users who go into the grocery store. What if I'd been alone? In order for me to accomplish my shopping list, I had to take my laptop out of my backpack and carry it with me throughout my entire grocery ritual?

Moral of the Story: 

1. Don't bring your laptop backpack to The Atrium if you're to enter Iloilo Supermart. Moreover, if you're going to the grocery store, leave the laptop behind.

2. Don't raise your voice or be rude to Iloilo Supermart security guards if they stop you. They're just following orders. In fact, some of the guards there are actually nice. It's nothing personal.

Would you believe that I didn't raise my voice or scream at them the entire time we had this discussion? I didn't go Claudine Barretto- Santiago on them because that certainly isn't right.

3. If they tell you it's according to the policy, be sure to ask them to show the policy to you.

4. If you think the person talking to you isn't taking you seriously, demand for their manager NICELY.

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Would you stop buying something if you knew the manufacturer was a devil worshiper?

Last night I had a talk with my partner's mom about life in general.

We came to discuss about her dishwashing soap. I recommended a dishwashing soap that belonged to Procter and Gamble. And since she was a very God fearing and God loving person, she's a strong advocate of not using their product because Procter and Gamble had mentioned in an interview that he was a devil worshipper. And if I buy their products, I am infact promoting their mission.

So I told her, this may be the case of the person who talked during the interview, but not on the newer generations that's running the company. She says that it is still promoting devil worship because that were the mission of the company.

So my question would be, if you work for Procter and Gamble, should you be judged as someone promoting their mission? I am applying the same question for people buying and using their products.

By the way as for the interview I was mentioning about, I still have no proof that it exists. Nor have I seen any news clippings of it.

posted from Bloggeroid

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What is there to talk about?

So at this moment, I'm just enjoying one of my nights typing useless bickering on my phone.

Blogging may be a thing of the past, but it is definitely still alive.

True, forums are what's currently in, but the upkeep is also expensive during its early phases.

Unfortunately, if you aren't a celebrity blogger, traffic is scarce which makes income generation pretty difficult. One of the important things to consider in blogging is networking. Sigh, that I lack of.

Just a piece of my mind. Good night!

posted from Bloggeroid

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Junk Food Dilemma

And for my first written article for this year, why are nuns still allowed to run schools? Alot may answer that children especially girls who've graduated from said schools usually become successful and as an added bonus, turn out to be prim and proper young ladies. And my answer would be, I supposed regular schools don't teach children such. I'm sure someone would interject that most schools run by nuns have etiquette lessons that regular schools don't teach. But in my experience, most of the schools wherein parents pay as much as they would in a run-by-nuns school DO teach table manners and proper etiquette.

If you want your children to attend more than 52 masses in a year, let her attend Sunday school or singles for Christ, it would definitely nurture them as much as they'd have in school.

And why do I have such a vendetta against schools run-by-nuns? Because sometimes, they have the most absurd rules and a tad sensationalized judgement.

The colored bra, even when hidden beneath the frilly blouse and geriatric-designed-fashion jumper, I can deal with. But others are too much.

Some of the stories I heard are about a child getting suspended for 5 WHOLE DAYS because of ACCIDENTALY hitting her classmate on the head (and when I say accidentally, it means unintentional, by chance, fortuitous, unplanned).

I've heard of teachers throwing children's stuff into garbage bags just because she decided to change the date of locker cleaning from Friday to Thurday (a week before she had said Friday and then just like that when Thurdays came, she told her students that she wanted all their lockers cleaned today so all of them had to find boxes or plastic bags to place their stuff in).

These are just the most recent ones, I've encountered. But one of the most absurd things which is contradictory to what they implement and promote in school is the Junk Food Project. Every year, my niece gets this project of being required to bring 30 big or 60 small junk food wrappers to be used for making bags. However, the food itself is banned in school. And for those who do not eat junk foods often, this is alot of hassle. My niece had to ask my sister to buy 18 large junk food wrappers just in order to submit a project in a school who does not encourage eating any. During which, she had also found her classmate in the same grocery store carrying a bag filled with the same thing.

As to my suggestion (which in the business world is a complete must if you want to complain about something), nuns should open up their thoughts to considering giving their students an optional assignment rather than be stuck with this junk food dilemma. On the bright side, I suppose my niece is pretty happy to have alot of junk foods readily available at the moment.

I have no personal hate against nuns. Some of them are kind, gentle and loving. But I believe that a well-balanced school is most essential to this ever changing world. Rules are rules but sometimes versatility and adjustments need to be made to cater the needs of the future generations.

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Thank You

Thank you for making leaving me hurt.

Thank you for not listening.

Thank you for not feeling.

Thank you for not knowing something's wrong.

Thank you for making me realize I'm weak for relying on you.

Thank you for making me feel I'm stupid for trusting you.

Thank you for making me trust for believing you'd never hurt me this way anymore.

Thank you for making me feel purposeless for living my life not having you by my side.

Thank you for hurting me like I've never felt before.

Thank you for making me feel more of a failure than I used to.

Thank you for making me depend too much that I no longer feel I could stand on my own.

Thank you for never knowing...

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Why Ask When You Can't Take the Truth

Dear You,

Tonight, you asked me to talked about how I feel. And trusting you'd listen openly, I did.

Should I have known that you couldn't take or accept the fact, I shouldn't have told you at all.

I'm tired of telling people of half truths regarding my feelings. I just thought that you'd be that person who'd understand.

But, not much to my surprise, you're just like everybody else. You will never understand it because you feel I should be happy having you as my purpose.

The fact is, I can't accept the truth either. I was hoping someone would help me get through it.

You asking me what I felt, and running away from our conversation which hasn't ended, makes me even more miserable.

I just realized that even you, the person I love and trust most, cannot accept who I am and cannot accept the truth.

I should've just kept it on my own. It took alot of effort for me to tell you.

Now it hurts even more, that I don't have you by my side to comfort me.

I'm sorry if I hurt you for telling the truth. Now I just feel like an opened faucet without someone to close it.

Throbbing Head from Crying,

Me

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I Tried to Reach Out

Dear M,

I tried to reach out but I feel as if I'm still walking towards an endless road of despair and frustration. When will it end?

I try my best to talk to you... but you never listen. Why is that?

I try to lower my voice... but even a louder one doesn't make a difference.

I try listening to you first and talking next, but you always run away.

I try talking first and listening second, but you cut through my words and select the ones you want to hear.

I try crying my heart out but that never affects you.

I try understanding what you are going through and explain it the way you would but that's always used against me.

I try saying the hurtful truth but that just gets as nowhere.

I try understanding why you always say you're a bad person, ending up thinking if you just say that to shut me up because it never changes between us.

I try to improve for the better just to realize that finances don't even make a difference.

I'm confused and now I feel like losing hope. I don't want to run away. But what happens when you are the one running from it... how long shall you be calling me a bully for following after you.

I know I come on strong... but I also know that if I will leave this as it is... our relationship will never be the one I wanted for us.

How hard it is.... to fight for what you believe... and not run away....

I don't want to give up... I'm still trying to reach out.

Depressed and Irritated,

Me

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Muted and Hurting

Dear You,

It's been a long time since I cried as much as I did. I feel sick and tired of the things we fight about. Sometimes, I keep wondering if I should be more strict in our relationship regarding the things that I am annoyed of with you. Because now, it's like I'm the one at fault because of getting mad for something I feel is the best way to deal with a certain situation.

You've told me you're giving me a second chance to correct my wrongdoings and my quirks. But can't you see my frustrations with you as well? Can't you see that every time I let small errors pass, I strip myself of the personality that built me into the strong person I used to be? Are my efforts not considered as sacrifices of my individuality?

It's too painful and I want to fight my point 'til the end. But what's the use if you'll never listen anyway? What's the point in impressing my opinion when I know for a fact that you have filtered listening?

I always tell you I don't have a choice anymore but to forgive you because it's been done. After all, the things I get mad at are just minor details of the life we will have ahead of us. How much more can I take? Am I doing a downward spiral to feeling choice-less and powerless once again? Will I reach the point of shutting up even when my heart is being wrenched inside? Will I no longer feel any passion to what I firmly believe because I love you? Is it even considered love? Or a single-sided relationship?

My eyes hurt.... and my body has switched from raged to numb.... no fire in my eyes nor anger in my voice... I am now your wingless bird.

Too Battered To Fight,

Me

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Sadness and Guilt

Dear M,

Why do you never listen to me?

Why do you lie to a lot of people including me?

Why do you filter what you listen to when we talk?

Why do you use my words against me?

Why is it that you never try to understand my feelings?

Why do you walk away when we talk?

Why do you never try to consider our feelings?

Why do you expect people to respect you when I, who is close to you, feel betrayed and manipulated whenever you talk to me?

Why do I not say anything when I catch you lying most of the times?

Why do I feel guilty and sad when we fight?

Why do I feel that I've done myself and the world wrong for expressing my feelings to you?

Why can't I help but get mad at you sometimes when you try to avoid our conversations?

Why can't I stop making my voice louder when I feel that all my patience and restraints are being disregarded?

Why do I feel like I'm always at fault even when I did my best to make you listen to me?

Why do I feel depressed after you walk out on me?

Why can't I help myself in saying truthfully hurtful things whenever you leave me in the middle of the conversation?

Why did I grow up like this?

Why can't I even answer most of these questions?

Your Close Kin,

Me

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Avoidance

Dearest Conveniently Coward Person,

Why can you never acknowledge me? Why is it so hard to listen to me? Is it too much for me to ask you to face me whenever we have a conversation? Are you too scared to think of the things I said? Is it too much for you to face me whenever I need you to talk to me?

I know I'm a handful to listen to, but I feel like no one whenever you avoid interacting with me-showing it in your tone, your boredom and obvious sarcasm. Do I not deserve to be listened to when I try to prove a point?

Why is it whenever you say that all will be fine and I criticize you seeing it isn't, you withdraw away? Why can't you just truthfully listen and accept it rather than give me a dry sorry or leave or deafly ignore the issue, expecting later all will be fine?

Thank you for making me feel powerless and helpless in our relationship. I feel that no matter what I do, nothing will ever change. I've always told you that in life, we just don't have choices anymore and you've always promised me that I will have a choice... I guess what you said was just pure bullshit and our relationship is one of those things I don't have a say in anymore.

You'll still be a coward when it comes to confrontations and avoid it by pretending to sleep, or be bored or deaf. You've always told me that you'd rather us face each other when we talk but I guess those were just crappy lines.

You always asked me to give you the benefit of the doubt that you will never change, but once again, I'm disappointingly right. You've changed...

Sad and Disappointed,

Me

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Another Day of Ignorance

Ever Frustrating You,

I just don't understand why you refuse to do a simple task that you normally do on a regular basis. Are you mad at me for waking you up early in the morning? Is it my supposed fault that we have both agreed on a specific hour of waking up? Is 10 a.m. freaking too early for you!

I no longer get mad even when you stay up late because I expect you to follow our end of the bargain. Is it not enough to expect you to be awake by 10 a.m.? Why do I feel that I even have to sound submissive when I ask you to wake up by 11 a.m. or 12 p.m.? Didn't we agree on the specific time already?

Last night, you frustrated me so much that I immediately went to bed and fall asleep because of you driving me crazy. I was freaking sick, for crying out loud. I had a very bad tummy ache and because of your ignorance, I got hypertensive. How hard is it for me to ask something such as "please check this once in awhile or it will fail" and you not checking it at all?

Do I not have the right to be furious at you? Should sorry be enough when every time you make mistakes you say that word and do those mistakes all over again?

And to top it off, you're the one who got all stingy in the morning. You intended to ignore me and when I didn't stop, you just fled like a coward cow. I wasn't even ranting and raving, I was more sheepish and 'lamby'.

Drop-dead Angry,

Me

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How Expensive Your Listening Time Is

Dear You,

Once again, you promised me to come back early but arrived two hours later. What is it with men and time? I thought women were generally the weaker ones on punctuality issues. This is one of the things I hate about you- whenever you say "I will be here by 10" and you arrive by 12, you still assume saying sorry would be enough. Am I such a control freak that my being mad isn't justifiable?

This is always happening nowadays, you giving me promises you couldn't keep. To top it off, you never listen when I get mad. Even worse, you ignore my feelings and anger hoping it will subside the next day. Just because your happy, doesn't mean your happiness will rub on me.

I always can't help getting furious about this aspect of you. Now, I just feel that I don't have a choice anymore but to ignore it and feel hurt because if we fight, all hell breaks loose and we both know that it doesn't change a thing.

These mistakes will always happen again because you will never consider minor details important.

Frustrated One,

Me

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My First Letter- Helpless

Dear You,

Today, I couldn't help but write how I feel knowing whatever I said will never reach you. I always try my best to be happy and calm whenever we talk because I know you can never deal with my anger. But sometimes, we fight and I can't take so much. You always tell me that I try to control your life but in fact, you never listen to me. You promise me things but never do it at all.

Sometimes I always wonder whatever happened to that person I used to be with, but I know through experience, that people do change. Reason why I feel so stupid and naive, assuming you'd be different from the rest. You've always told me that I should give you a chance to prove I'm wrong about my assumptions. I was stupid enough to let my guard down and give myself hope that I may have met someone who would change my beliefs.

Tonight, like all sad nights, I've felt helpless once again- like a sad person who couldn't cry; like a mute bird who couldn't chirp; like a dog who couldn't bark; like a journalist who couldn't write.

I cry day and night, hoping you'd feel my hurt. But you never do... you say sorry and I know you mean it. It's just most of the time, it feels too late. It feels that I've swallowed my pride a thousand times and not get anything in return.

I feel weak. Maybe my present occupation is driving me insane but do i deserve this feeling of weakness... powerlessness... helplessness.... sadness....

It's just too much. I feel like an animal trapped in a cage, screaming on top of my lungs for help and yet no one will ever come...

But still I pray, one day, you will look at me and the feel the depth of my pain....before I sink to the blackness of my dark memories.

Your Grieving Partner,

Me

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