Today is INTERNATIONAL TOWN CRIERS Day.

Well, I got the job. Talked to the senior vice-president last Friday and the company president today; and they liked me and I liked them, so there you go. The position is marketing communications manager. I'm actually a bit younger than most people in the same job, but since the prez is only two years older than me, the age thing was pretty much a non-issue.


Anyway, I'm taking the offer. Crucial to the decision was the fact that my long-coveted Clean perfume is now available at Rustan's, and right at the moment I can't afford it... I'm kidding; I'm not that vain. (Close, but not quite!) Seriously, it looks like a good company-- with a good culture and good people-- that could use the skills I'm actually good at. Plus, okay, I've never had my very own office and very own assistant before, so I'm kinda tickled. Seduced by the establishment, that's me.


The problem now is that I have nothing to wear. Some of you may know that when I came back to Manila from Hong Kong a couple of years ago, my luggage was stolen, along with nearly my entire wardrobe. I've been working freelance since then, so I've never had the need to build up the kind of closet that can take me through a five-day workweek. And it's a corporate company, so I can't get away with the 'I'm a creative' excuse that works in ad agencies and the like. And I already wore my entire 'take me seriously' repertoire to the two interviews.


Which means I'm going to have to spend a good amount on shopping. Which, obviously, is not entirely a bad thing, but it does cut into the ol' budget. Geez, I guess you really do have to spend money to make money!

TRIVIA QUIZ
What were Cinderella's slippers originally made of?


answer to Thursday's question
The word ketchup is derived from the Chinese word 'koe-chiap' or 'ke-tsiap', which loosely translates as 'brine of pickled fish'. This was a sauce brought home to England by British sailors in the 17th century. The original ingredients are unclear, but as the sauce became popular in other nations, cooks began modifying the recipe to suit available ingredients, using such innovations as mushrooms, walnuts, cucumbers, and oysters. Perhaps predictably, ketchup as we know it was invented by the Americans, who had begun cultivating tomatoes from Mexico. Modern ketchup is made from tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices.


saucy folks: Marc, Ariel, and Charles


Grammar and Punctuation: By the way, both the spellings 'ketchup' and 'catsup' are perfectly acceptable, although the Brits and Heinz prefer the former. The archaic 'catchup' was once the norm, but has since fallen into disuse.