Disclaimer: These are not me / mine

Years ago, I would have considered myself a proud owner of a unique first name - Genefel (coined from my parents' first names. Which old Filipino names? - often a good guesswork exercise for new acquaintances.)

Years later, when I put in "Genefel" in the Google search engine, dozens of search results pages appear, ranging from namesakes (G Conte and G Pidor, even G Marchan - haha)...to coincidences (the Attorney General of Texas)...to nonsense (Hypo-allergenic pets Gene fel-ine).

Oh this is becoming a fun activity sometimes...especially when I'm extremely bored. It gets addictive ... pinning you through points of familiarity (yeah, I wrote that in 200X) and denial (I never said this! Who is this?!).

SOOO just to set the records straight (and before anything close to identity theft or mimicry happens), I'm disclaiming any association or relation to profiles/personalities/incidents/references below : 

1. Genefel Conte
• genefel conte - LinkedIn
• Friendster - genefel conte
• Genefel Conte on Netlog

2. Genefel Pidor
• Genefel Pidor Facebook
• FanBox Profile - genefel pidor

3. Genefel Aqilla
• Genefel Aqilla - Pipl Profiles
• Friendster - genefel aqilla
- Friendster: ; location: Philippines, PH; calajoan minglanilla;
profiles.friendster.com/52459460

4. genefel Pid - UNYK
- People: genefel Pid, , New York, United States. Use our address book to manage your contacts, search people, find people. UNYK is a free online address book ...
www.unyk.com/en/id/genefel-pid

5. Genefel "Impel" Viter Quintero
• Genefel Viter Quintero Facebook
• Mary-Infant Jesus School: January 2007 - 1 Jan 2007 ... Ms. Genefel Quintero
• Friendster - genefel quintero
• IIT Alumni and Friends » Tadman »2001»GENEFEL "Impel" VITER QUINTERO

6. Genefel Masahud
• Genefel Masahud (APO 24th National Biennial Convention Page
• Genefel Masahud Facebook
• Registrants - Rotary Institute Manila 2009 Official Website - Genefel Masahud, 3810
• FULL NAME: GENEFEL ALVERO MASAHUD APO CHAPTER: ALPHA OMICRON SCHOOL:
Divine Word University E-MAIL: genefem@yahoo.com.

7. Genefel P. - Data Entry/ translator from United States - Scored 4.2 out of 5.0 on oDesk Readiness Test for Independent Contractors and Company Managers

8. Friendster Who?

• Friendster - genefel
- Friendster. New: Friendster Profile Skins. ♥ genefel ♥ ii. ♥ genefel ♥. Female, 17,. More about ♥ genefel
♥ • Friends (1) • Photo Albums (1) ...
m.friendster.com/profile/user/105212326

• Friendster - ஐ •GENEFEL•ஐ
- ஐ •GENEFEL•ஐ. "♥ iim szOo blessed that ii have him. ii LOVE my bhoi 'TBS_MADBROWN'. ... Messaging Off [Restricted to ஐ •GENEFEL•ஐ's friends] ...
m.friendster.com/profile/user/28846438 - Naka-cache

9. LEVEL UP! GAMES
Name: Genefel Marchan Telephone No.: +632.2.751.9600 local 144. Fax: +63.2.813.5700. Mobile:+63.918.907.5872. Email:genefel-marchan@level-up-games.com

10. MySpace.com - My hart belongs 2 RAchel - 22 - Male - SaCramEnTo ...
- Rachel And Genefel 4 EvER!! Male 22 years old SaCramEnTo, CALIFORNIA United States .... Mar 14 2007 10:31 PM hey GENEFEL. how r n Rachel? wat's new? ...
www.myspace.com/27786025

Dinagyang, Rat Races and Life

Iloilo had its Dinagyang last last weekend (January 23-24).

(Hmm, I always have belated posts these days)

In all my 20 years back home, I was never able to watch it "live"; always through TV's local coverage. I bet the Ilonggos had a blast in this year's celebration. Then again, festivity continues on until the Jaro fiesta.

I've heard good things about the recently concluded Dinagyang from my Mom :)

All I can say is "Well done, Iloilo!"







There's a lot to miss when you're not home.

Every time something big happens and I wasn't there, that's when I'd say: "I missed a memory."

"You only have your youth once." -- a classic life lesson reiterated in Sophie Kinsella's "Undomestic Goddess".

I re-read it over the weekend just for kicks. Suddenly, this book became my "book of the moment" --- since it accurately captures today's workplace (my workplace) in the eyes of women like me. Bossy bosses (I have comparably lenient ones), office politics (it's everywhere), all-nighters and cramming for the glory of deadlines, six-minute-interval Time Reports (this ofcourse is too much, though our time reporting is something that makes me crazy too), and all the worse things we tolerate because we need the job or the success.

Life is a rat race in a pressure cooker (that's my Sametime status, by the way; I just combined my two fave definitions of the tricky sides in life). Some of us have turned into "husks" or "empty shells" walking from workplace to bed, impatiently tapping our feet in our own definitions of wasted time. Most of us --- lost in our ambitions and drive to climb some corporate ladder or just get up there. But where's the life? Where are the memories? Do we realize how much memories we actually lost in the process? (You must realize that I'm talking to myself as well.)

We do not have solid proof (not yet) that humans reincarnate, and even if we do --- we only live this particular life once. Even with any equivalent of reincarnation, I believe that every memory is unique to an experience.

You can never re-live a memory of one good afternoon walking with your best friend 10 years later and feel the exact joy and carefree fun you had 10 years ago. It's not going to be the same. For one, your youth is gone. You wouldn't see the same afternoon in the same eyes. If you missed that memory, it's gone forever.

Life is a rat race in a pressure cooker. Who wants to live that life?

There are memories which we wouldn't miss for the world. And we only get to really live these when we are not too obsessed with worldly time and deadlines.

Chill. Relax. Have a life. That's what I'll do - in 2010 and moving forward.