Mabangis - Fierceness at Life

It has been several days when my Tita Marlene and I talked and still I have not even texted Mama Eva about it. I was so busy with my life here I guess. Or maybe, like before, I was just not interested in going to the States. Moreso, I am enjoying career successes here in my place of work. My new Honda Civic has just arrived and its really cool stuff I have always dreamed of playing with.

From the looks of it, Mama Eva would eventually invite me again to visit her and see the US. I can play the talk in my mind and how I will let her down again because I am simply not into going away from the Philippines. Why should I? I am considered successful here career wise.

But then out of courtesy and respect, I felt the need to comply with her request. So I texted her first this morning and ask her what's the best time to call. She replied immediately and said she is still at work at that time and that I should wait a few hours and she will call me back.

After some hours I decided to call her on the cellphone number she texted me earlier. I did this to show her I can afford an international long distance call. That its not a big deal to me. I also want her to feel that I am capable of spending a few bucks for a call to the US from time to time.

And so she picked up the phone and we talked. We talked a lot about how she wanted to help us get to the states as her primary concern is to bring her older brothers and sistes there (she is the youngest). She said that she is finally set up emotionally and financially to help those who are interested in settling in the States. She sounded so desperate, lonely and longing to do what she always wanted to do - to bring the family to the land of excesses.

The plan is for her to help her nephews and nieces to settle in the US and after some time bring our old folks there so she can mingle with her brothers and sisters that she missed so much. I can't blame her. She is living in the states for 20 years now. She and her family struggled there half of that time until finally getting financially stable this time in their lives.

She have seen what America has to offer to us. She wants only the best for her other family members especially those for her older brothers and sisters who have been away from her that long. She knows they are aging and soon death will knock upon each others doors. Before that happens, she wants to give them back what she has not given them for the longest time - the help they deserve from a sister in the US.

And so she went on saying that she contacted me first because she felt that amongst her nephews and nieces, I am the most qualified to come in and start the exodus. I was on top of her list and I was elated to hear that.

And so as always, I made it sound that I am a bit hesitant to even dream of going there. We discussed (and argued sometimes) for a while on my status here in Manila, my work, my life and my family. In short, I was saying to her I am not really interested to live and work in the US as I am happy to live here.

But she made a counter offer I cannot refuse. She promised me that if I would only give her a chance, she will pay for the cost of my travel and accommodation. It was like winning a major prize here in a Manila - an all expense-paid trip to the US!

Amazing! How can I resist that? Or should I?

To be continued...

Finally, today I got a call from my sales agent at Honda Cars Pasig that my new Honda Civic is now ready for pick up. They just finished talking to BPI about the loan and all has been settled finally.

Prior to today, I received several calls from BPI confirming so many things from me. I answered every questions promptly and swiftly so they can process my loan just in time for the September 15 delivery.

And finally there I was at exactly 1:00 PM today. Before this, I was waiting for a cab to get to Libis. It took me an hour and a half to get one in my place. Now more than ever, I realized that I can no longer tolerate waiting too long for a cab.

The blistering heat just gets to my nerve. I was practically ranting about it as I talked to my wife. I hate the feeling or I am just used to just having a car of my own for the longest time.

I remember before that this waiting time is nothing to me. And the heat... its nothing. I was practically working under the torrid kiss of the sun when I was a working student.

Anyway, so much of nostalgia there... I was on the cab and the driver just keeps on talking about the traffic and how hard it is to make money in a day like that. He was aldo fuming with madness since he was stuck too long in Makati.

Oh well, I guess I was still lucky than others. I dont have to compete with this terrible Manila traffic congestion just to make money.

As I step down near the main door of Honda Pasig branch, the guard meet me with a smile. Its like he knows that I am getting my new car or maybe that's just part of their customer service. Thats great I think for a security guard to do.

Inside the showroom my agent was still talking to another customer but when I waved my hand to him he saw me and hurriedly run and meet me leaving his guests with another sales person. This Sales Manager happens to be my brother's office mate before so its a good thing to have those connections in cases like this.

Anyway, the guy swiftly gave me the owners manual and some documents to fill up. After I am done, he said to wait for a while. He pulled a key from his pocket and gave it to another guy (probably a technician or something) and gave instructions. From the looks of it I know that I am going to see in a while what i was there for.

After 5 minutes, the guard called my name and I saw the Sales guy waving at me outside with the black shiny Honda Civic. Oh Boy, this is a dream come true to me!

I never imagined I will be able to buy a new card this year but here it is. I thought I was still dreaming but as I touch the door handles to open it, I know this is true. Its my new Honda Civic alright with all the fancy flavors stuffed inside.

The smell of the new car captivates me. Although in reality I dont like the new car scent, I realized that when its yours, it smells so good. I will get used to this I said to myself.

The Sales guy showed me again the amazing dashboard (I love it!) and how to operate this beauty to the max. My head was spinning with joy so I cant really understand some things that he said. I was thinking I would be able to figure it out later.

I felt the urge to finally took off and drive it on the road. I immediately said to the Sales guy that I have to go as I have to meet with someone in the office. But although its true, I was just trying to end the conversation and drive it.

So I carefully shift the fully automatic gear, back off carefully like a child and drive the thing with pride and caution along C-5 road. The beast just works perfectly alright. It was so silent I can't hear the gear running unlike my old Mitsubishi Lancer named "Kirara.

I always imagined this day happening so I rehearsed everything in my mind even before today. As I always did in my imagining, I will name this new car of mine the first day I will be able to drive it. This is the day.

The fierce look of this new Honda Civic just gives me an added "macho" feeling. Its so masculine to me I would have to call him (not her) with an appropriate name. So as I always wanted, right there and there at C5, I named this wonderful Honda beast with "Bangis".

Bangis is my new car. And I am proud to say that he is so good he deserve the name. The fierceness, the intensity, the passionate feeling, the looks that earn his kind the most coveted Car of the Year award for 2007.

Bangis and me along C5 avenue strolling together in perfect harmony. And the rest is history..

Today I received a text message from my Tita Marlene about her conversation with my Tita Eva who lives in the states. The message reads:

"Nono, Tita mo Eva wants to speak with you ASAP. She said she has something for you but I cannot tell you about it. She wants you to text her the best time to call you. Swerte mo."

The message rang like church bells in my ears. I cleared a big lump on my throat as I hurriedly called up my Tita Marlene as if not sure if that text is really for me. Tita Marlene was ecstatic and happy when I called her up. She said that Tita Eva has finally deviced a plan for me to go the States and live there. She said that I was so lucky.

For a moment I recalled that Mama Eva really wants me to be there in the US. Ever since I worked in SGV in Makati after my passing the Philippine CPA Board Exams back in October of 1994, she has been inviting me to visit her there and see what America has in store for me as a working professional.

She was aware of my successes in the corporate world here in Manila through my father's constant talks and letters to her. She was so proud of me like and my family because she knows what we have been through back when I was still studying in high school and college.

Like many of my cousins that she has been trying to convince to live and work there, I am always in hesitation. We are not like many of the Filipinos who wants to go there and take their chances. I know some would even go as far as becoming a TNT (Tago ng Tago) or illegal aliens. But we are not interested to work or live in the states. Well as far as I know my cousins.

I guess me and cousins believe in the same thing - that we can survive here in the Philippines no matter what. After all, we have proven that already to Mama Eva several times. The successes we have here in our own fields of expertise has proven to everyone that we share the same genes and same set of values instilled to us by our fathers. And we are proud of that for the most part.

Then Tita Marlene continued as if sharing a secret that Mama Eva wants to meet with me to discuss a business venture. She further said "Gusto yata nya na imanage mo yung business nila dun kaya ang swerte mo. Buti ka pa. Di kagaya nitong pinsan mong si...".

And so she said other things about her eldest son who has not really made it big yet. She sounds frustrated with my cousin but not envious about my fate at all. I guess its unique in our genes. We don't feel bad about another's successes even if we are not successful at that time.

So I asked Tita Marlene to text me Mama Eva's number in the states. And so she did and the rest was history...

Will continue on my next blog. I was sleepy already...

Now the time is getting near for me to get my new car. I can smell the sweet "new car scent" inside my old Mitsubishi Lancer. I guess my memory stored the scent and replayed it back for me as I head to BPI Julia Vargas to meet with my banker.

Actually, getting a new loan, car loan that is, gives me a cringe in the neck. Not again. I have been in a hurry during the past few months to close my credit cards and now I am here getting a loan again. Its like I want to get out of the pit but now I am planning to dig a new one.

Oh well, I am a loan-phobiac. I should be. I have been in credit card debt for so many years. And I felt literally like a slave to the credit card companies... More of this rant later...

OK so my banker smiled at me really big when she saw me walked in to her office. We have the usual chit chats firsts then proceeded with the very essence of why I am there - to get a car loan.

As I learned it, BPI really offered the best car loan rates in the Philippines. This is not a paid advertisement. I shop around so I know. I have this habit of making sure that I get the biggest bang for my buck. And as I see it, BPI gives me the best rate there is.

Maybe I should thank the fact that the banker am with wants to get the piece of the treasures from where I work. I handle the Treasury function of the Company so she knows very well how my recommendation counts to her winning the bid. Nonetheless I dont focus on that on the very moment I am there.

BPI is fast and furious in giving me the loan. I was literally approved within 6 hours from applying. Very fast indeed and I guess that is one of BPI's winning moments.

Again, not advertising here. I am just happy with the service. If you want a car loan here in the Philippines, be sure you call BPI. You'll never know what you'll gonna get.

When I first started this blog, my aim is to teach myself as I blog my way to others. One of the things that I would like to happen is to finally apply what I learned from various books and ebooks I have read so far on this sensitive subject - my financial literacy.

For a while I thought I am financially literate. I am a CPA by profession and a financial planner at that but I can say that my finances, for the most part, is in a mess. As of now, I am still getting out of the pit of debt hoping that within early next year I can pay of all my nasty credit cards and loans.

But I am on it. From a whoping half a million pesos 6 months ago to less than P200K now. My recent financial struggles have brought me to a realization that prompts me to make certain decisions that changed my life entirely. Spinning my financial mess 360 degrees would mean a lot of sacrifices for the luxuries I once had from debt. I have to pay the price. I have to...

I HATE CREDIT CARDS! (Well, lately I guess coz I kept on using it before so I will be hypocrite if I say I never loved to use it.)

It was my fault though. I thought all these loans will help me out propel my business so I kept on borrowing and borrowing until I woke up one day my debt is full to the brim of my credit limit. I thought it will give me the luxury of owning things I dont need at the moment but are nice-to-haves in our lives. I thought this credit will help me secure a bright future for me and my family. I was wrong. Sounds familiar? I hope this would not happen to you.

This blog will tell my story and my family and friends' stories of struggle and battling our way of the crisis that is within most of the Filipino homes today - the rising and menacing costs of credit in our lives. The credit card that I thought was a friend was now an enemy to me. And I want to get rid of it fast and quick.

I hope this blog will help me instill in my system everything that I will write here and continue this momentum and focus on becoming debt free and wealthy in 2008. I dont want to get back to my old debts. I want my life back.

Are you with me?

Today is my lucky day. I went to Honda Cars Shaw and found myself inside the demo unit of my dreamed 2007 Honda Civic.

Why am I doing here? Well, I will be getting pretty soon this 2006 Car of the year awardee and I can't get the hang of it until I am sure it deserves that award.

This is totally exciting. The new Honda Civic was really awesome. Too much for me so to speak. I get totally excited to see its perfect contours and curves all over. And the dashboard - WOW! It captivates me. Its like I am inside the cockpit of an airplane.

Ok OK, I know its too much for some enthusiast reading this. But you have to see where I am coming from. Getting off a 17 year old car (I got a 1989 Mitsubishi Lancer btw), and getting inside this Honda Civic is a super upgrade for me. I am elated. Heaven. Not to mention the beauty named Cathy who assisted me while I am there.

It was a totally new experience for me. At least for me. To come to an auto showroom to look for a car is something I dont do in my crazy life. Now I realized I am getting to where I dreamed I should be. As Honda puts it, "What dreams have become".

But today I am on it. And it will be the start of a new journey at life.

More soon...

Today I went to the gym and started again my usual crunch sessions to get rid of the flabby waistline engulfing my belt recently. I hate it since and I hate it now. I can't stand to see it as I tucked in my slim fit long sleeves for work. I think I am one of the few people who wants to maintain a stiff abs for as long as gravity will allow. And I am proud to be one...

You see its been a while when I went to gym. I calculated probably a year and a few months. Now I am back again, at the "break in" stage when every part of my body that have been stretched, pumped and curled are aching. I hate this feeling. It usually last 4 days when I felt pains as if I had a flu.

But yeah I have to get back. At least I was able to start again last week. I have been passing by that gym for so long that I finally broke the monotonous look and sigh as I I only hoped to start. Now I started... (sigh again)

The reason? I was listening to Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People audio book in mp3 about 2 weeks ago and one of the things he mentioned about successful people is the power to control one self. Again, I heard Discipline 101 and struck me hard to think that I hate something (my flabby abs) and I am not doing something about it. I am letting it eat my belt and push out my underwear!

Mr. Covey further pointed out that the reason successful people are successful is because they know how to take action when they have to - even in little things like going to the gym and taking care of one's health. Its often viewed as chore by most people but to the few successful ones, its the secret to their conquest of life's challenges.

Now I am going to the gym not only for health but also for discipline. I am starting a new look at life and not forget what matters most to me. To be ready for success whenever it may came.

How about you? Have you been in the taking care of your health lately?

As always in my life, its always hard to start something different.

Blogging is new to me and the thought of opening up myself and my thoughts in these online journal is oftentimes scary. Like some of you, I hate change. Its always stressful and scary to say the least.

But in spite of that, I need to continue. I will make this blog as useful as possible to my readers and of course, myself. I wanted to share with you, my readers, how life taught me hard enough to make things right where I went wrong and be right the next time around.

I will continue... I will change... for the better...

How about you? Do you also dislike changes in your life?

Mabangis.com - What's in a name?

Mabangis is a Filipino or Tagalog equivalent of the English word fierceness. It is often used to describe how wild animals behave when threatened or confronted by danger. Its an act of self protection to intimidate an opponent or an enemy (like the showing of the pangs of a wild cat or loud barking of the dog to protect itself). It came from the root word "bangis" meaning fierce in English.

On the streets of Manila, "bangis" means someone or something that stands out from the rest. It also means unique, different, out of the box, bold and brave.

Mabangis has been one of my favorite Tagalog words (in fact I want to adopt it as a surname) simply because I want to have this trait - to protect my self from the fierceness of life and other (bully) people. I can say I don't have it (yet) and I am not sure if I will have the ability to acquire this trait (the human way).

This is my simple way of subconciously embedding this trait to my life system and I hope this blog helps me achieve this goal.

Welcome to Mabangis.com! This is a the view of life in the eyes of an ambitious Pinoy who want to make a difference in other people's lives.