The Evil Empire and the Inattentive Attendants
I was planning to go to SM Megamall for lunch this noon, but as I crossed the footbridge near the back gate of the NEDA compound, I changed my mind. I decide to walk to the nearest Mini Stop convenience store (no website, but you can click here for a google search on "mini stop"), instead, which was located along St. Josemaria Escriva Drive, our building's street. I planned on buying prepaid credits for our extra mobile phone at home (Sun Celluar, with the new 24/7 unlimited call and text within the network). I remembered Sun had this promo with Mini Stop where you get free meals with every purchase of prepaid credit.
Since I was already walking along Gold Loop (where a section of the 'loop' is parallel to Escriva), I decided against re-entering our office compound, and instead thought I'd walk through the driveway of our neighboring building, the Gold Loop Towers. Now I have some very good and certainly some very bad experiences with this condo building. In particular, I could cite more bad memories than good, for it is in this very building where the Evil Empire is housed. Yes, I thought, I'd pass by the doors of the Evil Empire once again. Just to catch a glimpse of what was once a blissful encounter that had turned sour.
The Evil Empire, in this case, is embodied by a certain 'Internationale Preschool,' loated at the building's ground level. I will not mention the name here, but its name is a combination of the surname of the sixteenth president of the United States and the home of Frodo Baggins (go figure). I noticed that the school had changed its signage to reflect its accreditation by the Philippine Department of Education. Surely, I thought, the DepEd is unaware of the school's unfair labor practices. Either that, or they're privy to such, but choose to turn a blind eye to the fact that they had accredited a school whose management is known to inner circles as regularly, or at least occasionally, abusive to its employees. After all, money talks. And money talks loud!
I could probably blame most of my problems these days on the Evil Empire, particularly on how it handled the case of my wife, who used to teach there. All was going well summer of this year, until the Evil Empire arbitrarily chose to end its professional relationship with my beloved.
Yes, the case had been resolved through an out-of-court settlement, after we lodged a complaint with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Pasig office, but the damages done can not be compensated by the paltry amount they had provided. Perhaps no monetary amount can compensate for the emotional stress our encounter with the Evil Empire had brought upon us, for the repercussions of their actions are felt by my family to this very minute.
In fighting our legal battle with the Evil Empire mid-2004, we decided to settle, for the reason that we were advised that it would be too taxing for us emotionally, financially, and physically to bring the argument to a higher level. Yes, we agreed. Indeed, this is the trade-off. And we could not afford to fight a protracted battle against an enemy who may be better equipped in terms of connections and legal weaponry. In battles between Davids and Goliaths, the Davids may not always win.
Moving on, I crossed Escriva (amid a speeding maroon Honda Civic) and entered the Mini Stop Convenience Store. I proceeded to the counter to ask about the free stuff that supposedly came with Sun prepaid credits, as advertised in about four posters on different parts of the store. The attendant manning the cash register, sniffling with perhaps a cold or allergic reaction (it was indeed raining this afternoon), asked his boss about my query, but not before seemingly ignoring me and instead attending to the timer of the deep fryer located in the store's restricted area. I approached the Assistant Store Manager, who was manning the other register, and he told me that the freebies were only for purchases of prepaid SIMpacks, and not prepaid credits. It was clearly stated in the posters, though, that one could avail a free hotdog sandwich meal with a purchase of PhP 150 e-load. So I asked again, citing the poster, but to no avail.
I decided against arguing, for I would only waste my precious time and energy with people who do not seem to care about their clients. So I ended up purchasing a krunchy-pao meal instead for my lunch. And on impulse, I bought a pack of instant coffee (for those times I'm too lazy to brew by french-press) and soupy snax, for my merienda. Money was tight these days. And I could not afford to spend on anything more expensive after all the money I spent on transportation and food the past three days. I could have went on to look for cheaper food, but it was raining harder, and I had only brought my small umbrella. I dared not get myself wet, or worse, sick.
Total bill: PhP 28 + 30 + 12 + 12 = PhP 82.00.
Oh, I also visited the Off Price Store beside Mini Stop, and bought a cute red sweatshirt for Sofia.
Total bill: PhP 59.00.
Total money spent: PhP 141.00.
Total emotional drain experienced: priceless / unquantifiable.
Since I was already walking along Gold Loop (where a section of the 'loop' is parallel to Escriva), I decided against re-entering our office compound, and instead thought I'd walk through the driveway of our neighboring building, the Gold Loop Towers. Now I have some very good and certainly some very bad experiences with this condo building. In particular, I could cite more bad memories than good, for it is in this very building where the Evil Empire is housed. Yes, I thought, I'd pass by the doors of the Evil Empire once again. Just to catch a glimpse of what was once a blissful encounter that had turned sour.
The Evil Empire, in this case, is embodied by a certain 'Internationale Preschool,' loated at the building's ground level. I will not mention the name here, but its name is a combination of the surname of the sixteenth president of the United States and the home of Frodo Baggins (go figure). I noticed that the school had changed its signage to reflect its accreditation by the Philippine Department of Education. Surely, I thought, the DepEd is unaware of the school's unfair labor practices. Either that, or they're privy to such, but choose to turn a blind eye to the fact that they had accredited a school whose management is known to inner circles as regularly, or at least occasionally, abusive to its employees. After all, money talks. And money talks loud!
I could probably blame most of my problems these days on the Evil Empire, particularly on how it handled the case of my wife, who used to teach there. All was going well summer of this year, until the Evil Empire arbitrarily chose to end its professional relationship with my beloved.
Yes, the case had been resolved through an out-of-court settlement, after we lodged a complaint with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Pasig office, but the damages done can not be compensated by the paltry amount they had provided. Perhaps no monetary amount can compensate for the emotional stress our encounter with the Evil Empire had brought upon us, for the repercussions of their actions are felt by my family to this very minute.
In fighting our legal battle with the Evil Empire mid-2004, we decided to settle, for the reason that we were advised that it would be too taxing for us emotionally, financially, and physically to bring the argument to a higher level. Yes, we agreed. Indeed, this is the trade-off. And we could not afford to fight a protracted battle against an enemy who may be better equipped in terms of connections and legal weaponry. In battles between Davids and Goliaths, the Davids may not always win.
Moving on, I crossed Escriva (amid a speeding maroon Honda Civic) and entered the Mini Stop Convenience Store. I proceeded to the counter to ask about the free stuff that supposedly came with Sun prepaid credits, as advertised in about four posters on different parts of the store. The attendant manning the cash register, sniffling with perhaps a cold or allergic reaction (it was indeed raining this afternoon), asked his boss about my query, but not before seemingly ignoring me and instead attending to the timer of the deep fryer located in the store's restricted area. I approached the Assistant Store Manager, who was manning the other register, and he told me that the freebies were only for purchases of prepaid SIMpacks, and not prepaid credits. It was clearly stated in the posters, though, that one could avail a free hotdog sandwich meal with a purchase of PhP 150 e-load. So I asked again, citing the poster, but to no avail.
I decided against arguing, for I would only waste my precious time and energy with people who do not seem to care about their clients. So I ended up purchasing a krunchy-pao meal instead for my lunch. And on impulse, I bought a pack of instant coffee (for those times I'm too lazy to brew by french-press) and soupy snax, for my merienda. Money was tight these days. And I could not afford to spend on anything more expensive after all the money I spent on transportation and food the past three days. I could have went on to look for cheaper food, but it was raining harder, and I had only brought my small umbrella. I dared not get myself wet, or worse, sick.
Total bill: PhP 28 + 30 + 12 + 12 = PhP 82.00.
Oh, I also visited the Off Price Store beside Mini Stop, and bought a cute red sweatshirt for Sofia.
Total bill: PhP 59.00.
Total money spent: PhP 141.00.
Total emotional drain experienced: priceless / unquantifiable.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, November 11, 2004 at 13:22.
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