I bought a new car on April 29. The dealer via the Philippines’ transportation bureau, the Land Transportation Office (LTO), gave me the registration papers twenty-seven (27) days later on May 26. The licence plates were finally released on June 17, twenty-two (22) days after the registration papers and forty-nine (49) days total from theContinue reading “Waiting for My Car’s Licence Plates—A Case of Urgency vs. Importance”
Category Archives: Aha!
Goodbye, Sky
My home’s solar panels don’t start generating until 8am every morning. A nearby high-rise building to the east of my home obstructs the rays from the rising sun, preventing my house’s roof-mounted solar panels from generating electricity. The same happens at 4pm when another high-rise to the southwest blocks the sun. My home, therefore, onlyContinue reading “Goodbye, Sky”
Avoiding ‘We’ in Writing
I had been using ‘we’ in my essays and in conversations. Priests & pastors after all use them often in their sermons. I had surmised that using ‘we’ provided an interpersonal connection with the audiences I address. Some advice gleaned from the Internet, however, tell me to avoid using personal pronouns and that I shouldContinue reading “Avoiding ‘We’ in Writing”
Separating Facts from Inferences
When it comes to solving urgent problems, I use whatever information is already available. I don’t spend any more of my valuable time to gather or validate any more data. Time is of the essence. I’d like to remedy any adverse situation as fast as possible. In some cases, the remedy does the job. ButContinue reading “Separating Facts from Inferences”
Never Make the Boss Wait
A field sales manager was late in fetching his boss, the multinational corporation’s director of sales. Rumour had it that as a result of that snafu, the field sales manager was passed over from promotion and was eventually re-assigned to an obscure position at the logistics department. Some years later, the field sales manager resignedContinue reading “Never Make the Boss Wait”
It’s a…What Is It, anyway?
Subic Bay at Luzon island, the Philippines, is a former United States naval base. In its heyday from the 1950s to the 1970s, it was the Americans’ largest military facility in the Western Pacific. Subic Bay served as a logistics hub and port for the US Navy. Together with the nearby Clark Air Base, SubicContinue reading “It’s a…What Is It, anyway?”
Praising Unsung Heroes
National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) administrator Jared Isaacman praised the United States space agency’s workforce for the success of the Artemis II mission which brought four (4) astronauts to orbit around the moon and back for the first time since the Apollo missions in the 1970s. Mr. Isaacman’s praises were noteworthy given all theContinue reading “Praising Unsung Heroes”
What Is Your Masterpiece?
Twenty-eight (28) out of Vermeer’s known thirty-four (34) masterpieces were exhibited at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum in 2023. My sisters & I immediately bought tickets as soon as they went for sale. In March 2023, we travelled to Amsterdam and the Rijksmuseum to see Vermeer’s paintings. Relatives and friends were amazed that we would go all theContinue reading “What Is Your Masterpiece?”
Her Problem Was Worse Than Mine
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) employee told me to come back with several documents before the agency would give my business firm access to the forms on its electronic payment portal. I already submitted the application for the new forms via the BIR’s registration portal, I said. And it was already approved, I toldContinue reading “Her Problem Was Worse Than Mine”
Arguing for Adversity vis-à-vis Risk
The built-in artificial intelligence (AI) program on the word processing software advised me to replace the term, adversity, with risk. Risk, the AI app said, is a more familiar term than adversity. I didn’t agree and I kept writing ‘adversity’ into my essay. Risk is the likelihood an unfavourable event shall occur. Adversity is anContinue reading “Arguing for Adversity vis-à-vis Risk”
Ellery's Essays 