The Job

March 12


Last Wednesday, 4th of March, I finally decided to find a job. I rode a bus from Kamuning that took me 20 useless minutes standing in front of pink and blue waiting shed that was provided by Metro Gwapo boys. I looked around for a window seat that was located in the middle of the bus. I stared blankly to the billboard scenery. Everything is the same as it used to be: polluted, greenless, bumper to bumper traffic city. Nothing spectacular. Nothing special.

I find myself wrapped up with hundreds of applicants inside the room waiting to be called.

“Isang mahabang pila, mabagal at walang katapusan”
- Earaserheads

There were two interviews and 4 exams. My brain turns to mash. I’m hungry, cranky and my level of patience goes down to zero. From 11:00am – 11:00 pm of maximum screening, I end up looking like a rape victim.

The salary, benefits and compensation that were offered was rewarding though the requirements are too complex. Rewarding yet nerve-wrecking.

Life again is oxymoron.

I drank with Ivy like useless bystander ranting about how inconvenient the day was. I joyously drank forgetting about the medical exam the following day.

Medical Exam:

Repeat Chorus:

“Isang mahabang pila, mabagal at walang katapusan”
- Earaserheads

Yeeha!
1. The clinic is clean.
2. The clinic is spotless.
3. The clinic is gleaming.

Oh no!
1. They make me pee on a specimen bottle and on a large gravy size plastic cup.
2. There was a scarcity of tissue or just another cost-cutting issue.
3. The clinic was located outside the vicinity of roads and highways and walking under the angry sun was an only option. My BP turned out to be 160/110 and I was advised to see a cardiologist, how cute!
4. The lady doctor stuck her finger on my virgin ass.
5. They didn’t inform me that it took 3 hours to get the pregnancy test. I sat there waiting na tipong tinutubuan na ko ng ugat. They should have informed me because I can still use the time to get other requirements. Yan ang hirap pagnagkatrabaho e, ikaw na ang naghahabol sa oras hindi tulad nung bum ako e oras pa ang naghahabol sa akin. Sa sobrang badtrip ko e sinabi ko sa receptionist ay ganito:
“Miss alam kong SOP ang pregnancy test, but I can guarantee you that I’m not pregnant kasi una, single ako at pangalawa lesbiana ako” – e di tapos!