BIRTHDAY GIRL: SHAMITO

This is my post birthday gift to one of my close friends and one-time housemate. And this is also the first time I'll feature one of my ex-housemates in my blog. But if you've been missing out on my other featured friends, just click on the names below, or alternatively, click on the link above the comment field to see who I've featured before.

Jaja
Francis
Sugar

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FROM ACQUAINTANCES...
The first couple of weeks that Shamai started taking calls on my account, I thought that this girl was not going to stay long with the company. She always looked tired, harassed and drugged at work. Her eyebags were really big, she had unkempt hair and she's always caught sleeping.
I can't really talk to her, because she's being handled by a different Team Leader at that time. So I just kept my opinions to myself.

Actually, for almost the entire duration of our working together, we never were close. I know her, because she became one of my agents, but other than that, she wasn't included in my usual circle of friends. So for most of the three plus years we've known each other, we weren't actually really friends. More of acquaintances.

Then, the whole kidnappings happened.

No, not the criminal type of kidnappings. These are a group of my agents who call themselves "party peeps." They usually go out drinking in bars or going out of town to party. Shamai's one of the willing victims of this, or perpetrators perhaps. To say that they've been pains in the behind is an understatement... I could've terminated all of them... but then again, I became one of them. Another willing victims of the party people.

...TO HOUSEMATES
Last year, when my account was moved to Marikina, I thought that I'd resign right away. I actually wanted to leave the company the moment I found out that my program was one of the lucky ones that's being transferred. But my kidnappers had this bright idea that we all live together. It was tempting, so I agreed.

Moving in with them, I got to know Shamai a little bit more. I think there was an effort there for us to get to know each other more, because among my four other housemates, she was the one that I didn't hang out much with.

So for the four months I lived with her, I really found out alot... a lot of things that turned me off... JUST KIDDING!!! I don't think I'm allowed to spill some negative things about this girl, as she knows alot of stuff about me as well. And her boyfriend (uyy... I can use the term already...) might clobber me if I blew the whistle.

For like 3 weeks, all 5 of us housemates slept in one room (the sala), so I know how strong Shamai snores. It's very loud... trust me.

She was really a good housemate. She knows if a person is bored and will cheer you up. She hates dull moments, so you won't get bored when you're with her. From knock knock jokes to "use the ___ in a sentence" games, she'll start that just to get the ball rolling. And if you're her friend, you'll never feel you'll be out of place even if you're with her other friends. I think I know almost all of her teammates and batchmates from her current job, which is always great to widen your network.

You know it's nice to have girls as housemates. They always volunteer to wash the dishes. So that's always nice. She doesn't cook that much, they left that for my guy housemates. Shams was actually the one who told me that the fried eggplant's skin is not to be eaten... after I devoured like five of them already. I think all 5 of us, and even our other friends share one common interest... to eat. I think during our one-year stay in one house (I often visit our apartment even after I left), all of us gained weight.

What I really like about Shams is that she's game with anything. I think that's the reason why she's part of the party peeps, ask her to go to Quezon, she's there. Enchanted Kingdom, present. Glorietta for a movie, there. Visit our ex-colleagues in Marikina, count her in. A birthday celebration of your friend's acquaintance's cousin, even if she knows no one... she's still there. In tagalog... kaladkarin.

ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END
Four months later, I had to leave, and a few months after they also had to move on to something better with their lives. Suddenly, the One House family was no more. It's really difficult to keep up with everyone else when you're miles away, but Shams is the only person I see almost regularly now.

She followed me to my other job, where she's working now. The good thing is that it's only in Makati, so we're only a few buildings apart. And during the days when I was working the day shift we often see each other so that she could treat me to a movie or free food.

She's actually the first person I talked to other than my mom when I found out that I'll be going to New Zealand. She was even kind enough to lend me her mom's digicam for my almost month stay there.

I'm looking forward to you following me here in my little gas station Shamito!!!

TAKEN
Sorry guys, Shams is already taken. As one of the willing kidnap victims, I was one of the few people who witnessed the love story between her and Hansi. I'm not sure if I have permission to tell their story as it's got a lot of twists to it, similar to that of a television dramas.

Now she says that Hansi is lucky because Shamai has almost everything a guy looks for in a woman. She's appreciative, generous, patient, understanding and is not insecure. I don't know if it's true, but the guy seemed satisfied. I'm not sure if she is though (joke!!!).

I find it funny sometimes when they fight, because they're in a semi-long-distance-relationship, that they can 'not see' each other for weeks at a time. And what Shams usually do is have me or another friend text the other if there's something they wanted to tell. And oftentimes, she loses her appetite. You see, before she was a tabs (what we call our weight-challenged friends), but after their first fight, she's lost a lot of weight.

But seriously, I like hanging out with this couple because I don't really feel like a third wheel whenever I'm with them, so that's nice. You don't get that with other couples.

It's been awhile since I last saw Shams, I haven't got the budget to go out of town, and I think they know that. But we'll be seeing each other again along with our other friends next week. So I'm very much looking forward to that.

Belated Happy Birthday Shams. I'll see you on the 26th!!! Bring food!!!