Long Weekend

With the Thanksgiving season just these past few days, we had a long weekend to, err, relax. How? We went to Batangas for an overnight teambuilding (translated: magdamagang inuman sessions). It's really funny how it all came to be. Right after our shift ended on Thursday morning, our TL called a post-shift meeting to decide on how we were going to spend the long weekend (and the prize money that both our teams collected last Tuesday). It was then decided to have a beach outing, as Sir Matti's team were going to spend their weekend in Galera (of course, they've been preparing for this for weeks now). So, the venue was decided, and the final destination: Matabungkay in Batangas.

I don't think I'll relate the finer points of our stay in Batangas. Suffice to say that some had a good time, others more so than the rest. Moral lessons learned during our overnight stay:

(1) Never drink more alcohol than you can handle.
(2) Be careful with your stuff.
(3) When going swimming near coral reefs or the like, make sure you have aqua socks or slippers at the very least.
(4) Never fart in a vehicle, especially after a long night with Granma (translated as Gran Matador Brandy).
(5) Above all, after all has been said and done, mas masarap pa rin jumebs sa sariling palikuran sa sariling bahay.

Well Wishing

Someday when I'm awfully low / And the world is cold / I will feel a glow just thinking of you / And the way you look tonight / You're lovely, with your smile so warm / And your cheeks so soft, there is nothing for me but to love you / And the way you look tonight / With each word, your tenderness grows / Tearing my fears apart / And that laugh that wrinkles your nose / Touches my foolish heart / Lovely, don't you ever change / Keep that breathless charm / Won't you please arrange it / 'Cause I love you / Just the way you look tonight / With each word, your tenderness grows / Tearing my fears apart / And that laugh that wrinkles your nose / Touches my foolish heart / Lovely, don't you ever change / Keep that breathless charm / Won't you please arrange it / 'Cause I love you / Just the way you look tonight. Michael Buble, The Way You Look Tonight.

Words will never be enough to describe how happy I am for you both, my brother and my soon-to-be-sister. May you prosper in your love for each other.

picture by Fitz Javate, October 2005

Light Life Love

There used to be a greying tower alone on the sea. You became the light on the dark side of me. Love remained a drug that's the high and not the pill. But did you know, that when it snows, my eyes become large and, the light that you shine can be seen. Baby, I might compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey. Ooh, the more I get of you, stranger it feels, yeah. And now that your rose is in bloom, a light hits the gloom on the grey. There is so much a man can tell you, so much he can say. You remain, my power, my pleasure, my pain. baby, to me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny, won't you tell me is that healthy, baby? But did you know, that when it snows, my eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen. Baby, I might compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey. Ooh, the more I get of you, stranger it feels, yeah. Now that your rose is in bloom, a light hits the gloom on the grey. I've been kissed by a rose on the grey, I've been kissed by a rose ( on the grey)... And if I should fall, at all, I've been kissed by a rose (on the grey). There is so much a man can tell you, so much he can say. You remain my power, my pleasure, my pain. To me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny, won't you tell me is that healthy, baby? But did you know, that when it snows, my eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen. Baby, I might compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey. Ooh, the more I get of you, stranger it feels, yeah. Now that your rose is in bloom, a light hits the gloom on the grey. Yes I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey. Ooh, the more I get of you, stranger it feels, yeah. Now that your rose is in bloom, a light hits the gloom on the grey. Now that your rose is in bloom, a light hits the gloom on the grey. Seal, Kiss from a Rose

Picture by Tim Dono, August 2003.

Epiphany

I just had an epiphany.

I was just sitting in our office pantry just a few hours back, thinking about my work options, when suddenly it hit me. Ang trabaho, parang relasyon 'yan. Kapag masaya ka sa relationship, magtatagal kayo. Ganyan din sa trabaho. Kung masaya ka sa ginagawa mo, kahit ano pa ang trabaho mo, matatagalan mo yan.

Now what made me realize this? I guess, hindi na ako ganoon kasaya sa trabaho.

Chocoholic

I love chocolates.

Milk chocolate (which I am told is really not chocolate at all), dark chocolate (which is my second favorite kind of chocolate), mint chocolate, truffles, Belgian chocolate, choco balls, black forest, fruity chocolates, nutty chocolates, chocolates with rice crispies, peanut butter, or almost every other ingredient you can think of (I am told that there is a certain brand of chocolate that is sweet and spicy at the same time, with cayenne pepper in the mixture, but I have yet to taste this).

Which is why my determination to trim down on my weight was put to the ultimate test last Sunday. We went to Robinsons Ermita for lunch and a bit of shopping, and when we got to the circle near Chef d'Angelo, we saw that Red Ribbon was celebrating its Chocolate Festival, where people were invited to come and taste the chocolate. What made it impressive was a sixteen-foot-high fountain of melted chocolate, where people went in droves to dip pieces of marshmallows in the chocolate, sort of like a giant fondue. I was torn between lining up amongst the multitudes of fellow chocoholics and sticking to dieting. I was like, tang'na naman, pa'no ka papayat kung ganito ang mga makikita mo? Damn.

End of story? I went to Ice Monster and bought myself a Mudslide. Not quite as yummy, but delicious nevertheless.

101005

October 10rs of UST-BSCS-CS2K5 (with a few missing persons who, unfortunately, had to work) at Friday's Glorietta, Oct. 10, 2005.

Standing (L to R): Rouie, Edwin, Dya
Sitting (L to R): Poli, Anna, Michael, moi, Gheof, Jonathan

Insomnia Zombie

Staying awake for more than 24 hours has quite an interesting effect on me. How should I know? I've been awake from Monday morning at 7am til Tuesday at around 11am or 12nn. I know, it's my fault, that I should have slept before going to work, but what the hell. It made for an interesting day.

What happened? I woke up on onday at 7am, and it was a pretty normal Monday morning for me. Staying at home, Internet, etc. I was supposed to be sleeping from 3pm til 11pm for before going to work. But fate conspired not to let me sleep. First of all, it was the 10th of October, and I promised to meet with my college friends for dinner in Makati (it's a tradition that they started in college) at 8pm. So, sleeping til 11 was no longer an option. Second, I had a hard time sleeping. I was still wide awake at 5pm. I set my alarm for 6:30 so that I'd have enough time to prepare, but no go. I was still trying to sleep when the alarm went off. So there.

I met with my classmates (some of whom I haven't seen since March) at 8pm in Friday's Glorietta. Dinner til 10:30, and then a lot of goofing off and picture taking (no, I don't have the pictures, and I'll post in greater detail when I get copies of the pictures). No chance to ride the MRT, as it was already closed when we got out of the mall, so we opted for a northbound bus instead. On the way, it started raining, so I had to ride a tricycle from EDSA to Sct. Borromeo, as I had accompanied Jonathan to his apartment (and I had limited options as my money had just about run out). So, from Borromeo, I walked in the rain to Timog Ave. Not only was I sleepy, I got wet on the way to work.

When I got to the office, it was downtime. "Yes, I can finally get some sleep," I thought to myself. But no go. Our team leader insisted on doing a lot of stuff during the downtime. End result? I ended up trying to annoy everybody, but in a funny and naughty way. My besugo (translated as best friend) Happy even said that she'd never seen me so naughty. I was slapping her butt, mentioning a lot of sexual innuendoes, and generally just being naughty. And all this continued up until our shift ended. Imagine, me being as naughty as I was, and all because of lack of sleep. Maybe I should try this again (hehehe) but not anytime soon. :P

~~~~~~~



Here's my picture taken on October 1 for Da Crew's planned support activity for RockEd. Just felt like sharing. :P

Questioning

Is my current job the right one for me? Lately I've been having a hard time going to sleep in the afternoon and waking up in the evening. What usually happens is me trying to sleep at noontime, but eventually drifting off to sleep four or five hours later. And the hardest part is trying to sleep from 7-10pm, while telenovelas blare from the TV in our room while my mom and sis watch.

Yesterday there's been a flurry of movement in the center, because of the current reassignment of positions (and not to mention the downtime we had during the first few hours). I asked my supervisor about the possibility of a reassignment, but no go. I'll just have to try to stay alive in operations.

Can't wait for March next year... Maybe then I'll be able to find my true career calling.

No More Excuses, Philippines!

Our country is in a dire situation right now. Oil prices have gone nowhere but up, the cost of living is becoming too expensive to be afforded by our fellow countrymen. Salaries stay almost the same, we have so much problems with traffic, garbage, crime, graft - you name it, we've got it.

What can we do? Do we need new projects?

I say (and a lot of other people say this too), we don't need new projects. What we need are new ways to implement existing projects. It's there already - from traffic rerouting to garbage segregation - the works. Basically our main problem is discipline (or, shall I say, the lack of it). If all people were disciplined enough to keep their candy wrappers in their pockets and wait till they get to a proper trash bin to throw it out, then our streets would be a lot cleaner. If our drivers were disciplined enough to follow the traffic rules and regulations, then our roads would be a lot less congested, and fewer accidents would occur.

The thing is, we always tend to put the blame on a lot of factors - the MMDA is not doing its job properly, we don't have good roads, garbage collection is almost nonexistent, we're not getting support from the government, much-needed funds for country-wide development projects are being used for country clubs and mansions of the corrupt officials, etc., etc. The question that arises now here is, SO WHAT? Should we worry about who to blame for everything, or should we worry about what we can do to help lessen these problems?

We should not be so hasty as to assigning a scapegoat for our problems. All of us - myself included - are guilty as to why we are all suffering. We are all guilty for our lack of self-discipline. No more excuses, Philippines! It's time to stop quacking, get off our asses, and start actually doing something to lessen these problems, one small step at a time. Believe me, big accomplishments start with small steps.

Join Rock Ed Philippines and start making those small steps.

Friends?

"I can't carry it for you, Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you..."
- Samwise Gamgee in LOTR: The Return of the King

What is the mark of a true friend? Is it the one who says that he will stand by your side, no matter what? Or is it the one who will not say anything more, but just stay with you throughout your darkest hour?

I Ain't Changin'

It's funny how people will always talk behind your back. Even those whom you counted on as friends. It's quite sad, really, especially when these people are saying nasty things, like how cowardly you are, how bad, how nasty, etc., etc. I had a sudden moment of insight - no matter what they say, these people are the real cowards, when they can't even work up the guts to face you and say these things to your face. Pathetic, really.

To my detractors and would-be detractors: say anything you want about me, my lifestyle, my personality, but you ain't changin' me. Say you know me, but I know myself better. I ain't changin', especially just to suit your needs or just to please you. If I do change myself, it will be because I wanted to, not because you told me to.

Updates

Blogger's Note: At last I've been able to update my blog (that should be all right with you, Gaget)...

It's 3:45 am right now, and we're not doing anything as of the moment. We're supposed to make calls (in short, work), but systems are currently down as of the moment. So as I sit here doing nothing, I can hear my officemates either snoring away or crowding around our team leader's desk as they try to guess every word in Text Twist. Just goes to show what people would do out of boredom. And speaking of boredom, I'm bored... Sigh.

I'll be planning to update this blog weekly, or (if I can manage it) a few times a week. Or whatever, whenever I can manage it.

Humdrum

Monday morning: wake up, have breakfast, watch a little TV
a little later: grab lunch, then watch more TV, then sleep for 8 hours
Monday evening: wake up, eat dinner, take a shower, get dressed
Monday midnight - Tuesday morning: "I need to speak to the person that's in charge..." ad infinitum
*Repeat until Saturday morning
Saturday noon: grab a bite to eat, then sleep for 8 hours
Saturday evening: wake up, eat dinner, shower, get dressed, go to (insert gimmick place here)
Sunday, 2 or 3am: go home and sleep for 5 or 6 hours
Sunday morning: wake up, eat breakfast, shower, get dressed, leave for mass
Sunday noon: go to (insert restaurant name here), eat lunch
Sunday afternoon: wander around
Sunday early evening: watch a little TV, sleep for 8 hours
**start all over again

I guess this is why most of my friends have been telling me (when I was still a student) that nothing beats going to school. I used to be disbelieving, until I experienced it firsthand.

I guess this is what it means to grow older. Even if you try to deny it, a sense of routine will always overcome you. But it doesn't mean that you have to live with routine all your life.

Thought of the day: Be spontaneous.

Yatta yatta yatta.

Heard During Office Hours...

Person 1: "Asan na yung kape ko?"
Person 2: "Kinuha ni _____..."
Person 1: "Mga magnanakaw..."
~~~~~
Person 3: "Nakailang benta ka kanina habang kasabay ka namin sa inbound?"
Person 4: "Naka-apat akong benta..."
Person 3: "Lahat galing sa amin?"
Person 4: "Yup..."
Person 3: "Magnanakaw ka... Layas!!!"
~~~~~

It's quite funny, once you hear these things being shouted almost at the top of their voices, especially the term magnanakaw. I dunno, but maybe it's just another form of camaraderie. It's kinda hard to describe only using the written words, since you can't even begin to describe the flavor of these exchanges, but it's funny, especially if you get to hear them in person. =)

Tagged

It's obvious that I don't have anything to post. Anyway, here's something I got from Anna...

three names you go by:
1. AJ
2. Arriane
3. James

three screen names you have had:
1. s3cr3tiv3
2. -=DSD=-
3. Body Shot Boy

three physical things you like about yourself:
1. eyes
2. hands
3. ears

three physical things you don't like about yourself:
1. tummy
2. thighs
3. feet

three parts of your heritage:
1. Filipino
2. Spanish
3. (not sure what else)

three things that scare you:
1. not-so-benign ghosts
2. really high heights
3. really tight places

three of your everyday essentials:
1. cellphone
2. money
3. glasses / contacts

three of your favorite musical artists:
1. Hale
2. Michael Bublé
3. Mike Francis

three of your favorite songs:
1. Blue Sky (Hale)
2. The Way You Look Tonight (Michael Bublé)
3. Let Me In (Mike Francis)

three things you want in a relationship:
1. love
2. trust
3. openness

three lies and truths in no particular order:

lies:
1. I'll eat almost anything
2. I have a very radical outlook
3. I'm ultra-conservative

truths:
1. I can't see clearly without my glasses
2. I procrastinate on dieting
3. I swear a lot

three physical things about the opposite sex that appeals to you:
1. eyes
2. body
3. (the last one isn't physical - actually, this will always have the highest appeal for me)

three of your favorite hobbies:
1. reading novels
2. blogging and reading other people's blogs
3. hanging out with friends

three things you want to do really badly now:
1. sleep
2. go on vacation
3. movie tripping

three careers you're considering/you've considered:
1. graphic arts
2. literature
3. IT

three places you want to go on vacation:
1. Bali
2. Seychelles
3. Cayman Islands

three kid's names you like:
1. Lauren
2. Sophia
3. Martine

three things you want to do before you die:
1. go kart racing
2. (hmmm... haven't really thought of it)
3. (hmmm... haven't really thought of it)

three ways that you are stereotypically a boy:
1. I go out for sports
2. I'm a bit dense at times
3. I eat a lot and belch loudly ('specially during nights out with the guys)

three ways that you are stereotypically a girl:
1. I have my nails done regularly
2. I love to cook (or at least, experiment with cooking)
3. I watch chick flicks without flinching

three celeb crushes:
1. Reese Witherspoon
2. Elisha Cuthbert
3. Jennifer Garner

Tag 3 bloggers:
1. Aglaea
2. SMD Kai
3. Gaget

Back Again

It's been quite some time since I last had the time or the energy to blog. Yeah, yeah, it's been less than a week, actually. But hey, I was almost constantly online during the past two months, and a few days of me being offline - that's something almost unheard of. Maybe it's one of the few disadvantages of having to get up to work. You sacrifice something in order to continue working. In my case, I sacrificed my almost daily fix of the World Wide Web.

It's quite hard not to be able to go online as often as you used to. I kinda miss my old life, when I used to have the luxury of leisure time. But I guess that it's a sign of the times. As you get older, you gradually seem to lose leisure time. It's something like this - when we're young and in school, we always wish that we already were finished with school and that we had jobs, so that we'd earn money in order to be able to spend it on leisure. Now that we're done with school, here we are wishing for that lost innocence, when we didn't have to worry about income tax or trying to please your boss or whatnot. Which goes to show that people will never be content about every aspect of their lives. There will always be something that will make them realize that something is lacking in their lives.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



9Ball Cafe, Tomas Morato, Quezon City
June 18, 2005

Yatta Yatta Yatta

I got my first paycheck last Saturday. Technically, it wasn't a real salary as of the moment, since it was, as they said, a "training" allowance, but still, it feels good to finally be earning money on your own. I've been in training for two weeks, and I've only gotten my allowance for the first week, but they said that we'd be able to get the allowance for the second week sometime this week.

I'm getting kinda used to the work schedule by now, but my only problem is surviving the weekends. I could make do by going on nightouts on Saturdays, but then again, Sundays would be another problem. Just like what happened last night and this morning. I went out with my workmates on Saturday night, just to celebrate payday. We ended up drinking up to around 2:30 am, and then went cruising for still-open billiard halls. End of story: I went home around 3:30 am, fell asleep at 4:00 am, woke up at 6:00 am, went to church with the family at 10:00 am, had lunch at 11:30 am, went shopping from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm. Tiring.

Adbentyur Tweeping

Nothing much to tell. Oh, I watched Mr. and Mrs. Smith with my brother and sister at Greenbelt. We were supposed to watch at the Gateway Mall, but the number of people was unbelievable. So we opted to go instead to Greenbelt to watch.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith: Astig *thumbs up*

Oh, and I also bought my first ever original audio CD. I bought a copy of Hale's new album at Music One. And, like others before me, I think that the album was a steal at P250. I mean, it's really worth every peso. ;)

Aaaarrrrgggghhhh... can't finish this post due to all the messages in YM. Maybe I'll finish this sometime later. :P

Mama Fund

Mama Fund

I implore everyone to please click the above link. Here I am hoping to help in some small way. I figured that I could do my part by spreading the word, so that more and more people would be aware.

Nothing touches the heart more than a parent's love for his/her children, or the children's love for their parents.

Pichur Pichur

Okay... A few pictures of the very fun time I had in Zambales...



Which of us is the real Supah Bins? *ROFLMAO



DMC's beach tradition



The inuman sessions



Cards, anyone?

Special thanks to Tim for the pictures.