Sleep all...sleep all day!!!

Changes

2007-09-09T10:06:00.003+08:00

The Comeback!

2006-08-14T00:12:00.001+08:00

I accounted that it had been nearly two months since I last posted here on Blogger. La lang, as I told Phillip over SMS, I just couldn't think of anything interesting to write about.

I've struggled over the past couple of months balancing time for both professional and personal commitments. But then I realized that I sacrificed a significant fraction of my personal time just so I could finish all the crazy stuff I do in the office. It made me feel really depressed most of the time, and when I'm depressed, I easily lose focus and direction. That triggered me to post a gloomy one-liner, after which I decided to post gucci handbags entry on this blog for several weeks.

It was a good breather. I didn't intend to spread my strain of negativity in the blogosphere, and I thought nobody would dare empathize anyway. Oh well, I proved myself wrong that after fetching comments from blogger friends and reading their just as poignant narratives, I realized it was just a phase and I'd soon get over all these depressing thoughts. I'm just happy that I still live a normal life.

So there...I didn't have a single entry for July because I was 'depress-depressan' about life in general. But it didn't mean I totally missed out on one of my pastimes. I was just on blogging stealth mode to most in my few weeks of hibernation. Uhm, unless we've been mutual friends on LJ since '05, you'd think parang di rin naman ako nawala. Hehe! =) Anyway, say you'd like to know about those little yet profound episodes, feel free to visit the other blog.

Haay, it's nearly 1am and I still can't sleep. I'll log off in a while and will probably read some. Hopefully, I'm back to some serious blogging. Hehehe! =) Night everyone!

...

2006-06-18T19:39:00.001+08:00

Suddenly, I feel so trapped in the monotony of this corporate life. Sadly, I don't know where I'm headed ~~for.~~gucci handbags

Sound trip...

2006-06-09T21:07:00.001+08:00

I listen to Chico and Del's "Morning Rush" before I go to work, so I always get the chance to hear their movie premier plugs in between TOP TENs and song queues. Also heard they're set for the premiere of "The Lakehouse," which stars Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. The film has quite an intriguing plot by having two lovers separated by time, if I may base it on the clips...Hmm...better if I save all these comments until I see this movie, hopefully by next weekend. Hehe.

Anyway, what caught my attention, really, was that song playing on the background, "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane. I heard the song a number of times over Jam, but it was only until a couple of weeks back that I had been repeatedly humming the tunes to the chorus. I finally got the chance to download the song tonight (YAY!!!), so it's already in my iTunes player's most played songs. hehe! = )

I looked up for video codes and finally posted it on friendster, too. The lyrics are as enchanting as the music and the video, so feel free to sing along...

Somewhere Only We Know
Keane

I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete
Oh simple thing where have you gone
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

I came across a fallen tree
I felt the branches of it looking at me
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?

Oh simple thing where have you gone
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

And if you have a minute why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know?

Oh simple thing where have you gone
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

And if you have a minute why don't we go
Talk about gucci handbag somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know?

This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know?

FIN...

Happy weekend everyone!!! TOKYO PROJECT night tomorrow!!!

Nearly ranting...

2006-05-25T18:40:00.001+08:00

I thought it was madness to set a full-day meeting on a weekend when I got gucci bags plans all set weeks ahead. But then, I'm just thankful people are considerate enough to postpone it until the next, or else...(devilish glare...ahehehe!)

Mwehehehehe!

2006-05-23T15:33:00.001+08:00

Funniest quote I got from Rosey:

"Oo, aaminin ko. Sila ay mga yakal, lawaan, apitong, at narra..at kami ay saging lang and gucci handbags. Pero maghanap kayo ng puno sa buong Pilipinas..saging lang ang may puso...SAGING LANG ANG MAY PUSO!"

- Mark Lapid in Apoy Sa Dibdib Ng Samar

Waging wagi!!!

Meme time!!!

2006-05-21T12:14:00.002+08:00

Your Deadly Sins

Sloth: 60%

Greed: 20%

Lust: 20%

Envy: 0%

Gluttony: 0%

Pride: 0%

Wrath: 0%

Chance You'll Go to Hell: 14%

You will die with your hand down your underwear, watching Star Trek.

How Sinful Are You?

Your Brain is 53% Female, 47% Male

Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female
You are both sensitive and savvy
Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed
But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve

What Gender Is Your Brain?

You Are 28% Abnormal

You are at medium risk for being a psychopath. It is somewhat likely that you have no soul.

You are at medium risk for having a borderline personality. It is somewhat likely that you are a chaotic mess.

You are at medium risk for having a narcissistic personality. It is somewhat likely that you are in love with your own reflection.

You are at low risk for having a social phobia. It is unlikely that you feel most comfortable in your mom's basement.

You are at low risk for obsessive compulsive disorder. It is unlikely that you are addicted to hand sanitizer.

How Abnormal Are You?

Who Should Paint You: Andy Warhol

You've got an interested edge that would be reflected in any portrait
You don't need any fancy paint techniques to stand out from the crowd!

What Artist Should Paint Your Portrait?

Your Life Path Number is 7

Your purpose in life is to find truth and meaning

You are very spiritual, and you are interested in the mysteries of life.
You are quite analytical and a great thinker. You have many theories and insights.
A life of solitude is perfect for you. You need time to think and do things your way.

In love, you are quite charming. You attract many with your confidence and wit.

While you enjoy being alone, sometimes you take it to an extreme.
You can become too isolated, shutting out loved ones and friends.
Express yourself a little bit more, and you'll be surprised where it takes you! up:gucci handbags

What Is Your Life Path Number?

Your gucci bags Blog Should Be Purple

You're an expressive, offbeat blogger who tends to write about anything and everything.
You tend to set blogging trends, and you're the most likely to write your own meme or survey.
You are a bit distant though. Your blog is all about you - not what anyone else has to say.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

You Are a Mai Tai

You aren't a big drinker, but you'll drink if the atmosphere is festive.
And when you're drunk, watch out! You're easily carried away.

What Mixed Drink Are You?

Photos in random

2006-05-14T16:49:00.001+08:00

And as promised, here are some of photos taken from the last trip...

The ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral

Lemon Cello Gelato, one of Macau's best!!!

Walking 230 meters above the ground

Senado Square

Nighttime in Mong Kok

My sister, jumping the soccer bandwagon!

World Cup Craze in Kowloon

A View of the Fisherman's Wharf from Vulcania =)

Stinky tofu, anyone?

River cruise

Malcolm =)

Centuries-old Macanese dwellings

OldTaipa Village

Apartment block

Taipa at Nighttime
up:gucci handbags

Macau diary (third installment)

2006-05-11T19:12:00.001+08:00

April 26, Wednesday.
Oi accompanied us to Hong Kong for some dining, haggling, and even more sightseeing. The weather was fine so it was perfect timing to see places that gave Hong Kong the merit of being Asia’s shopping Mecca.

We boarded the turbo jet around 11.15 in the morning, and it only took us about 45 minutes to reach the Hong Kong ferry terminal.

Immigration was hassle-free because there weren’t a lot of tourists lining up. However, as I was on my way out to the arrival lounge, surprisingly, a Hong Kong Customs officer led me into his office. Questioning was very informal, and I’d like to assume that they did it indiscriminately. They checked my bag and found nothing else but my travel documents. After inspection, they just led me to the arrival lounge and where I met my Angel and Oi. Told them HK Customs thought I was a smuggler. Hehehe!

We started our tour few minutes past lunchtime. We took the subway train going to Causeway Bay. All the places we went to were so packed with people and I guess I’m no longer used to this city life for having worked in the suburbs of QC for nearly 9 months now, and I somehow felt so “promdi.” Hehehe!

First stop was for my sister to buy herself a wristwatch, but it ended up with Oi’s buying her one as a gift. Lucky girl. =)

We also stopped by Hong Kong’s Times Square to have late lunch at Simply Thai. It’s a nice restaurant with skillfully designed interiors located at the Food Forum on the mall’s 11th floor. Things to rave about the restaurant would have to be: 1) a wide selection of mouth-watering Thai deli, 2) cozy ambiance, and 3) great customer service. It's a bit more pricey compared to other local restaurants, though, but you'll surely get your every penny's worth.

I checked out several local brands, similar to our F&H or Bench, but I felt the price tags were “overly promising” when I could get the same designs for less if I bought them back here in the Philippines. After half-an hour of window-shopping, I asked Oi to bring us to Mong Kok. =)

When we arrived in Mong Kok, there were bargains galore! ‘Nuf said.

It was a shopping marathon for the three of us. But I gave up when I realized it was already 7pm. As we walked past the crowded alleys, Oi asked me to try the stinky tofu, which happens to be one of the popular street foods in Hong Kong. Man, it really was stinky!!! Sample this...

Few minutes past 7, we met our brother at the Kowloon subway station so we could have dinner by then. While looking for a place, he showed us around familiar districts and shared stories like how it was during the SARS scare when he worked at this part of Asia 3 years ago.

After passing by several establishments, we settled for Hong Kong Sheraton’s Someplace Else. The restaurant is packed with a number of expats, and sensing the crowd, I’d compare it to Fridays or National Sports Grill. Major leagues are shown on large screens and video walls, which seem perfect for sports fanatics. Food was great, but since I ate a lot in between haggling along the alleys of Mong Kok, I ate just a little. We stayed for about a couple more hours, after then, we went out for a walk.

It was a quarter after 10, so we didn’t have a lot of time to see more places and store of gucci bags. We took few shots of ourselves with the Kowloon and Hong Kong cityscape on the backdrop. When we started to feel tired after this half-day marathon, we boarded a ferry on our way back to the Hong Kong Island. Boarding a ferry is very cheap, but I got the impression that fewer locals prefer it because the bus, tram, and railway systems are obviously faster and more efficient. Tourists like us, however, still find it charming to take the cruise. =)

It started to rain as we disembarked so right away, we hailed a cab on our way back to the Hong Kong Ferry Terminal.

We boarded the turbo jet few minutes before midnight, which I guess that capped our trip. Though I was a bit lonely because that was our last night, I felt much fulfilled for having a great vacation. Hehe!

So there, I really had a blast! I enjoyed it to the max and I thank Kuya and Oi for being the greatest hosts. I fell in love with Macau the most. It’s developed and laid back at the same time, which makes the city very ideal for me. Seriously, I couldn’t get enough of it, and I secretly wished our vacation would have lasted for a month. Hehehe! Pero okay na rin, I know they had spent a lot over this short duration. Kakahiya na if we stayed longer. =) Hay, can’t wait for the next visit. =)

***
Nga pala, I still owe my friends photos from the trip. I really wanted to upload it, but too much work in the office has taken much of my time. As a matter of fact, I’m just taking a breather this time, and by 8pm I’ll be participating in a 2-hour global telecon for a new project. The team has been gritty about this new endeavor over the past few days, and sad to think that I only have a week to complete it. Our GPO’s scheduled Manila visit next week just added pressure to the work we’ve been aiming to complete. Hay, sana matapos na talaga!

Next time guys!!!

Oh sya, sya...

2006-05-05T19:22:00.001+08:00

Been very busy over the past few days after a long, long vacation, so I'll post the third and hopefully the final Macau diary installment this weekend.

Haay, how I wish I could meet up with friends, but I didn't get to sleep well last night. I need to rest or else I'll look "bangag" tomorrow at the company outing. Dami pa naman kasama from other sub-bundles. hehehe! =)

Anyway just so I've something to post on gucci handbags my blog, nakigaya na rin ako...

***

You Should Be A Poet

You craft words well, in creative and unexpected ways.
And you have a great talent for evoking beautiful imagery...
Or describing the most intense heartbreak ever.
You're already naturally a poet, even if you've never written a poem.

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

Your Blogging Type is Pensive and Philosophical

You blog like no one else is reading...
You tend to use your blog to explore ideas - often in long winded prose.
Easy going and flexible, you tend to befriend other bloggers easily.
But if they disagree with once too much, you'll pull them from your blogroll!

What's Your Blogging Personality?

Your Hidden Talent

You have the natural talent of rocking the boat, thwarting the system.
And while this may not seem big, it can be.
It's people like you who serve as the catalysts to major cultural changes.
You're just a bit behind the scenes, so no one really notices.

What's Your Hidden Talent?

Macau diary (the second installment)

2006-05-01T23:22:00.001+08:00

April 23, Sunday. We left the house for Zhuhai at around 11am Sunday morning. Before heading for Macau-China border gates, my brother took us to Cafe Tai Lei Loi Kee, a local restaurant similar to a “carinderia” or “pares” (if you live in the Philippines). Kuya told us that Chinese/Macanese locals and even tourists from Hong Kong and Singapore would stop at this place to try out their pork chop bun and noodles. It wasn’t as full-packed as the past days, said my brother, because it was too early and a lot would dash into this place around late afternoon ‘til early evening.

Anyway, since they didn’t serve pork chop bun in the morning, I had to try the pork chop noodle. Hehe! The soup was okay, but it really was weird eating those big fried pork chops out of a bowl of noodles. I thought there was nothing special about the combo, though I really liked the authentic Cantonese noodles, way better than what I regularly order at Chowking. =)

After a quick brunch, my brother drove us to the Macau-China border. Since we couldn’t take the car past the gates, he left it at a nearby parking building, then just walked our way to the border gates.

The place was flooded with locals and tourists. Still, majority of those crossing were also from the Mainland, most of which actually go to Macau to work on weekdays and then return to the nearby Zhuhai Meixi district of China’s Guangdong province for the weekends.

It was rather amusing that people would frantically change lines whenever a counter was opened. It was probably the closest thing to a stampede that even this overly familiar dash of passengers at the MRT Cubao station during the rush hours wouldn’t even match up. Di lang pala sa Pilipinas nangyayari yun. Hehe!

We got really hungry after lining up for nearly an hour, so we decided to have lunch. Everything seemed typical, except that one of the servers in his early 20s tried his best to speak to us in English. He spoke at a snail's pace, but much to my admiration, he was grammatically correct. He rendered very good service and I guess he was just happy to have found people to speak English with. I asked him if he attended classes in school, but he said that he only learned by tuning in daily to an English radio broadcast and constantly playing the Carpenters on his CD player. I thought it was exceptionally impressive to learn it through these alternative means.

We left the restaurant around 2.30 pm and finally set for the Zhuhai Meixi Torii.

Riding a cab, we got a glimpse of the booming Zhuhai city, which is one of the established special economic zones in China. I assume the residential condominiums and high-rise business and amusement centers outnumber historical landmarks and traditional Chinese dwellings – certainly characterizes China’s modernization over these past few years. We were cruising down this avenue alongside extensive South China seashore, which I’d compare to our very own Roxas Boulevard-Baywalk area. It would have been nice to stop by and join the locals, but we were time-constrained.

It was about a 20-minute drive to the Meixi Torii. This landmark occupies an area of about 12 hectares, which housed the first Chinese consulate to Hawaii by the end of the Qing Dynasty.

The stone archway was built in tribute to Mr. Chen Fang and his family, who became one of China’s prime movers in business. There are several other halls relating the history of the Chen Family and the Zhuhai over these last two centuries.

(will upload photos on my next post...)

There weren’t a lot of activities when we went there, but on special occasions, they’d show Chinese operas, lion dances, and other cultural presentations. We left around 5 and hailed a cab on our way back to a shopping center near the China-Macau border.

I was not very good at haggling, and I learned it all in China. =) It necessitates one some good acting skills to get big discounts on the bargains. I bought mainly for friends expecting to receive “pasalubongs.” I wanted to buy shirts and pants, but I decided not to because the designs were way too rugged for my style. I needed to buy something smart-casual that I could wear at work. For myself, I bought few pairs of underwear. =)

Taking a break from shopping, we had dinner at this little café called Fruity Mix, similar to Fuzion smoothie bar. They serve really good pizza and pasta by the way.

Last round of shopping followed and at quarter before 10pm, we decided to leave the mall. It was still jammed with people at that time of the night and the way to the border gates were even more crowded. It was the most stressful part of the side trip. We lined up again for a little over half an hour to pass through the gates.

We were done with the immigration checks at nearly 11pm. Kuya drove us back home and we arrived at around 11.30pm. I guess I was just so tired that night that I slept right away after cleaning up and changing to my usual sleep clothes.

April 24, Monday. We had lunch at a Portuguese restaurant beside the Quartel del Mouros in Barra. This time, the food is certainly much better and I specially liked the roasted beef with garlic and potatoes.

We proceeded to the Coloane Island to see the Temple and Statue of A-Ma, located on top of a hill where one gets a good view of the Coloane Beach and the high-class suburbs. The temple is over 5 centuries old and showcases splendid Chinese art and architecture.

The statue of the Goddess A-Ma stands majestically on the pinnacle. The locals, particularly the fishermen have venerated the statue and have relied on her protection whenever they sail off to the sea.

We really intended to reach the summit, but it began to rain just after few minutes of the trek. We chose not to go, so we drove to the Macau Sky Tower for more adventure.

We had a spectacular view of the Macau cityscape and the islands of Taipa and Coloane because it wasn’t hazy on that side of the peninsula. We were about 230 meters above the ground and mejo nakakalula when I saw passing vehicles beneath my Chuck Taylors. I’ve always had fear of heights, but I suppose I was feeling a little more daring that day.

The thought of skywalking at the outer rim of the tower 233 meters above the ground never crossed my mind. It took Kuya and I about few minutes before we finally decide to walk the walk. After paying about 400 HKD for us both, we hopped on to our suits and gears. I remember I was discharging cold sweat as we exited through the secure gates. At first I couldn’t take my eyes off the plank we were standing on, but we had to get going because a number of other tourists were excitedly waiting for their turn.

I had mixed feelings as we skywalked. I feared that there would be some sort of harness malfunction that, if I may morbidly imagine, would end it all. But then, I couldn’t deny how breathtakingly beautiful the cityscape at sunset was. The experience was simply priceless.

It seemed quite a long walk, which I did together with my brother and two other Indian tourists. There were a number of photos taken and I’d really hate it when our guide would let us sit over the ledge. I silently freaked out as I felt the void around my legs and of course my Chuck Taylors. But anyway, it was a great adventure, and we’re certified to talk the talk. I’m super if I sky jump the next time around. =)

This capped off day 5 of the trip. Quite tiring but uber cool!!!

April 25, Tuesday. We started our rounds past lunchtime since we had gone to so many places over the past few days. Tuesday was Fisherman’s Wharf day!

The place was newly built and an Australian firm actually commissioned the construction of this theme park. This could be part of the reclaimed land fronting the Sands Casino in the Macau downtown.

The place is a luxurious spectacle of some of the world’s greatest wonders. For about 10 patacas, one can get a guided tour of the place, which showcases replicas of great landmarks like the Roman Colosseum, Aladdin’s Fort, the Qing Dynasty castle, and the period-style residences in Africa, Europe, and the Americas. I particularly liked the alley with old New Orleans-inspired buildings. It would be fun to celebrate Mardi gras at this venue. Mascots and men on stilts were also an amusing attraction.

More picture-taking along the dockside, after which we went to buy souvenir items at a store selling various Portuguese and Macanese novelty goods and gucci bags.

We went back to the apartment around 5 in the afternoon to rest for a couple of hours. At dinnertime, we went to Oi’s parents’ house where we met the rest of her extended family. That was my first interaction with a Chinese family (na hindi Chinoy), and I must say that the Chinese value their kin as much as the Filipinos do. I didn’t comprehend a single Cantonese word they utter, but there was some mutual understanding. Dinner was yummy, and just for the record, it was the first time I tasted sea snails and sipped on Chinese rice wine. =)

to be continued...

Macau diary (the first installment)

2006-04-30T00:32:00.001+08:00

Finally, I'm back! It had been a great, great week just relaxing and visiting new places in Macau, Hong Kong, and in China’s Guangdong business district Zhuhai. Below just recounts how I spent those fun-filled 7 days. There are just so many stories to tell, so I think it would be better to write about our vacation in two or three installments. Here goes the first...

***

April 20, Thursday. Stressful morning. I barely slept the night before to pack my stuff, and throughout the day, constantly felt dehydrated compliments of Manila’s torrid weather. My sister and I left the house around 10am to catch a bus scheduled to leave for Clark Airport at 11. It's the most cost-effective means of transport since we didn’t have to worry about the toll charges, parking, and directions. After boarding the bus and paying 600pesos for us both, I dozed off for about an hour and a half. The ride was very smooth because by the time I awoke, we were at the Clark Airfield already.

We arrived at the Diosdado Macapagal Airport a quarter before 1pm. Since the small airport departure lounge could only accommodate so much, we had to stay at this little outdoor waiting area. The air outside was scorching and it felt as if I was bathing in the sauna.Gucci bags good thing, they allowed us to proceed to the departure lounge and check in our luggage before 2.We were scheduled to fly at 3.45 pm, but we started boarding at 3.40. Tiger Airways, being a budget airline, has a free seating policy so whoever comes first gets to choose their preferred seats. Because we wanted to avoid the hullabaloo, we were among the last ones to board the plane. It was a good consolation that I got a seat next to the aisle so I could freely move around just in case I got bored. I was 90 percent satisfied, well, with about a ten percent differential for the 15-minute delay.

TR 803 flight CRK to MFM

After about an hour and a half, we arrived at the Macau International Airport in one piece. Brother Marvin and sister-in-law Oi welcomed us at the airport and drove us around to give a little sightsee of Taipa. I couldn’t count the number of ongoing projects to make way for more and more plush hotels, resorts, and casinos. I was astounded by the enormity of these constructions and I can imagine Macau eventually competing with Las Vegas or Monte Carlo within the next 2 or 3 years.

After about an hour and a half, we arrived at the Macau International Airport in one piece. Brother Marvin and sister-in-law Oi welcomed us at the airport and drove us around to give a little sightsee of Taipa. I couldn’t count the number of ongoing projects to make way for more and more plush hotels, resorts, and casinos. I was astounded by the enormity of these constructions and I can imagine Macau eventually competing with Las Vegas or Monte Carlo within the next 2 or 3 years.

After dinner at this small Cantonese restaurant near their apartment, we were finally home. I was so happy to see my nephew Malcolm for the first time since they came to Manila in May of 2005. He was so big and anyone could have easily mistaken him for some 3-year old toddler. But in fact, he’s just a year and ten months-old, but with a physique and vigor of a 3-year old kid. He's so cute but he's sobrang kulit. Ehehehe! I bought him 7 educational videos with Maisy, Barney, and Elmo on these sets. I’m happy that he liked watching these because for the next several days, I could hear him singing and dancing along these multihued creatures. Ahehehe! =)

At 10, we called it a night. I was so sleepy after bearing several hours of travel and was thinking that I needed a good night’s rest to prepare myself for a tour the next day.

Friday, April 21st.Headed off early to visit places in Taipa. Since my brother lives quite near the Coloane, we decided to head for this area first. We stopped by the new Macau Stadium in Taipa, where the 2005 East Asian Games was opened middle of last year.

Overlooking the Macau Stadium, Race Track and that road going to Coloane from the house

With Malcolm and Angel at one of Macau's many sports stadiums

Coloane, our next stop, was very serene. The surrounding mountains and Macau shoreline give a spectacular natural backdrop. The sand on the beach is darker than usual, so no wonder they put white sand over the gray sand to make it look more appealing. Still, walking along the beach has always been bracing, and so we took few photos as well…=)

Coloane Beach

Pine trees near the shoreline

There were few shops opened around the area, and a friend actually recommended Fernando’s, but since it was about an hour and a half past lunchtime, we had to leave after about 20 minutes and rush to that complex back in Taipa where the Chapel of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is situated. We took more pictures of the church and the surrounding centuries-old colonial houses/museums before we finally meet our sister-in-law for lunch. My nephew was baptized at this church about two years ago. It has a Baroque-inspired architecture built in 1885 upon a hill overlooking colonial dwellings and a pond that flows into a river. The surrounding Portuguese-inspired structures along Avenida da Praia used to be Portuguese residences and establishments, but now these have been converted into archives for locals and tourists to learn Macanese history from. The lagoon opposite these edifices is home to migrant birds from the mainland at this time of the year. So why don’t we say hello to Avian Flu?! Ahehehe! =)

Avenida de Praia

Colonial dwellings opposite the lagoon

Chapel of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Walking along the centuries-old Taipa Village

My sister and I both had a taste of genuine Cantonese cuisine at this quite posh restaurant at the Macau Sky Tower complex once more which was really, really tasty. Lunch was simply great when I wasn’t eating with those long, plastic Chinese chopsticks.Went home around 4pm to rest.

At dinner time, Kuya and Oi brought us to Pousada de Sao Tiago in Coloane to try some Portuguese cuisine at Os Gatos Lounge (Portuguese for “The Cats”). The restaurant offers a choice of scrumptious cuisines from Macau, Portugal, Provence, and Greece; and it’s located at one of Macau’s celebrated historical landmarks, the 1641 Fortaleza da Barra. To give a little background…

“Romantic and intriguing, Macau has retained the historic beauty of the Orient - a timeless quality searched for by travelers from both near and far. The Fortaleza da Barra was one of the fortresses built in the 17th century by the Portuguese to defend Macau against hostile European nations and local pirates. One hundred years later a chapel was built within its walls and dedicated to Saint James, the patron saint of the Portuguese garrison. Today, much of the fortress and the Chapel have been preserved as part of the Pousada de Sao Tiago.” – http://www.saotiago.com.mo/

This charming little restaurant amazingly employs quite a number of Filipinos as servers and musicians and the service is generally okay. Patrons are a mix of Chinese locals and Asian and European expats. People say that it serves authentic Portuguese dishes, which are a little salty for the Filipino palate. Further, I suppose I can only consume so much of those baked potatoes, which certainly are a Portuguese staple. And of course, we couldn’t miss the photo opportunity, which capped off day 2. =)

Friday was both fun and tiring. So we just went home straight right after dinner.

Saturday, April 22nd.

We were blessed of a sunny weather for a walking tour of the Macau center. It was a bit hotter than usual, but at least it didn’t rain that time. The initial plan was to go to Chinoy Express, a sort of Filipino-managed travel agency located at an old building near the Senado Square, to arrange our visa for our trip to China on Sunday afternoon. Processing was completed before 12.30, after which we started our tour of the Largo do Leal Senado (or the Loyal Senate Square).

It’s a grand spot for tourists to get a glimpse of the Old Europe. It is bordered by the Leal Senado Building, the Macau Business Tourism Center, and other restored Renaissance-inspired edifices transformed into historical museums and business centers.

Oi brought us right away to that place famous for homemade gelato. I don’t exactly remember the name of this alley, but if I may vaguely remember, it bisects the plaza fronting another antiquated baroque and Filipino-inspired church, Santo Domingo Church. Oi said the place is quite popular among locals so one can simply ask people to show directions to this ice cream parlor called Lemon Cello Gelato. All are homemade and one may find such “queer” flavors like Guava, Grapefruit, Kahlua, Yakult, Green Tea, and even Ginger! I tried guava and it tasted astonishingly like heaven! =) Kuya, Oi, and Angel settled for the safer flavors Tiramisu and Mango, and they said it was good, too.

We walked past the Largo do São Domingos, Rua de São Domingos, and Travessa do Soriano on our way to the Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral, which is another Macanese heritage site.

The place was full-packed with tourists, majority of which according to Oi came from the Mainland. I could also see quite a number of other tourists who I guess hailed from Europe. It was just amazing to see different races converged in a single location. I think I heard nearly 7 different languages as we walked past the food and souvenir stalls and archaic structures.

Only the façade of the St. Paul’s Cathedral remain after it was devastated by fire in 1835. Still it serves as a great historical and cultural reminder to the people of Macau about the beginnings and ultimately the strong influence of Roman Catholicism in the peninsula.

At the basement of the cathedral, an inner sanctum once stood. Now it houses a museum that displays very old religious icons, paintings, and other articles. On the other side is the chapel-crypt where the relics of Jesuit martyrs and the religious from the previous centuries lay.

A thing that surprises me, though, is that most Chinese tourists actually throw money over the crypt. I’m not sure what it means, but I guess it has something to do with the Chinese people’s beliefs that doing so could bring them good fortune. Will somebody help me understand, please?Around 2pm, we had our lunch at a Japanese restaurant back at the Senado Square. After which, we stopped by the Leal Senado Building to take more pictures.

Sidenote: One embarassing encounter was that I lost my balance and fell over a flower bed as I tried to take pictures of my sister over at the fountain area. I didn't notice that slab of concrete that I stepped on. Hehe! I was lucky that only Angel, Kuya, and Oi saw my acrobatics. Yak!!! Kakahiya pa rin! hehe!!!

We ended our tour around 4pm and headed for the wet market to buy seafood and veggies for dinner. It was interesting to see how live fish was taken out of a water basin, then pounded and sliced right before your eyes. I suddenly realized the pain that these sea creatures go through just so we could have something scrumptious to share over dinner. But then, it was a momentary thought. Dinner was good and apparently, I didn't turn into a vegan. =)

To be continued...

2006-04-24T11:32:00.001+08:00

Hey guys! Just a preview of what ive been doing these past few days of pleasure...hehehehe!up:gucci handbags

Pre-departure mot-mot...

2006-04-19T16:38:00.001+08:00

Guys, I’ll be on blogging gucci handbags and blog-hopping hiatus for about a week or so. We’ll visit my brother and his family in Macau and I’ll have limited or no access to the internet by then.

Too bad, I’ve had no time to look up online the must-see attractions, so I just let my brother plan for our itinerary in the coming days. My parents who went to my nephew's baptism in September of 2004 tell us that Taipa (where my brother first stayed) and the surrounding suburbs are laid-back which makes the place even more tourist-friendly. And since the city is small, one can drive around and see all the famed places in a day. Since my brother and sister-in-law both go to work, we will be on our own most of the time. I guess we're fortunate that neither traffic nor pollution are a major hassle once my sister and I decide to go on a walking tour around the town square.

I still don’t know if we’ll set for Hong Kong. Parents and friends suggest that we do, but I’ve yet to know if my brother could get complimentary seats on the turbojet. I keep my toes crossed that he could so I don’t have to shell out dollars which I’ve saved mainly for the best-buys in Macau. Ahehehe! =)

So there, I know it’s only for a week but I’m starting to miss friends. How I wish all my loved ones were with me on this escapade. Haay…Yun lang...hehe! =)

By the way, I’ll take this chance to greet everyone a HAPPY EASTER!!!

Visita Iglesia

2006-04-14T21:11:00.001+08:00

I went out with Anj and Rose for the traditional visita iglesia, a pilgrimage that essentially follows the path of Christ when He carried His cross from the streets of Jerusalem to Golgotha. Ideally, one would visit 14 churches to reflect on the 14 stations, but since it was our first time to do it in Manila, we settled for 5 churches.

We relived the Way of the Cross at the UST Chapel, Sta. Cruz Church, Binondo Church, Manila Cathedral, and San Agustin Church. I had a great time going on a walking tour around the Old Manila (though more circumspect of bad elements in crowded spaces) while seeing these historical pieces from the Old Hispanic times. These centuries-old churches have become silent witnesses to all changes in our society. I took pictures of the places we went to because we were amazed with the regal architecture and design. Here are some of those:

We caught sight of a reenactment of Christ’s washing of the disciples’ feet on the Last Supper Mass. This happens simultaneously in almost all Catholic parishes in the Philippines and has become one of the highlights of the Catholic Lenten celebration.

It was a well-spent Maundy Thursday. We reflected on the passion and sufferings of our Lord, which I believe is the very core of why we, as Christians, observe the Holy Week. In the past couple of years, I’d find myself very much on vacation mode – just freeing my mind while relaxing at the beach. But this year is different, and I’m glad I rediscovered the very meaning of the Holy Week through our visita iglesia.up:gucci handbags

At syempre, di 'to mawawala... =)

Happy Easter, in advance!!!

Before I forget...

2006-04-12T21:18:00.001+08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TINTOIS!!! =)up:gucci bags

Burp!!!

2006-04-12T21:17:00.001+08:00

Grabe, I'm soooo BONDAT! Just had nearly 2-hour lunch at Dampa in Libis and I absolutely enjoyed it! I heard people rave about a different dining experience wherein you buy fresh sea "creatures" from the seafood market, and then have it cooked for you at the adjacent restaurant. None of us workmates are very good at haggling for "sugpo" or "maya-maya," but a 10-15 percent discount for every kilo is not that bad! Nga lang, they charge high for the cooking and it would normally cost as much as (if not more than) the price of the fresh seafood.

But it really was a big lunch for a group of 8. I especially liked the "sinigang na ulo ng maya-maya" (served in two big bowls for half a kilo!!!) and the baked tahong. We also had buttered shrimps and tempura for the main course and ripe mangoes for dessert. I think it was sulit since we only paid PHP200(with a can of dalandan soda na yun), all-in! I was so full after and I'm starting to feel guilty because it's the Holy Week when I'm supposed to be fasting and reflecting...Oh well, I'm only human, but I'll make up to Him in the coming days. Peace, God!!! =)up:gucci handbags

Some thoughts...

2006-04-07T17:36:00.001+08:00

Though I've struggled this first quarter handling my last few international relo cases, testing our department's internal control measures, and crunching numbers for the next fiscal year's firm forecast, I'm very happy that the team has reaped a number of awards from our last town hall meeting.

Good job to the leadership and customer consulting teams for their contribution to even the raise the quality of service that SOs deliver. I guess the recognition is sweeter when we least expect it. In the end, all our hardwork and the sleepless nights, stress, and sometimes heartaches that go along, are all worth it. =)

I told friends that work has stressed me out during these first few months of taking on the Finance SPOC role, and these little tokens of appreciation matter big time to me. I remember when I was on the verge of quitting my job, I received this note from our client's global program executive congratulating me for ranking number 1 in Asia for expatriate settling-in services in the last quarterly assessment. Global and regional process owners, as well as other other bosses in the center were copied in her email, which made it, I guess, worth mentioning. I tried to be as modest and discreet to share the good news with my TL, but she was just too excited that she announced it to everyone. Well, I have received some awards over the years but I'm not used to telling the whole world about it. In high school, my parents once put out all those golds and silvers for display in the living room, but when I came home and found out, I took these out of the display counter and kept them in a box. So it's not that I crave for recognition for my job or something, it's just that when too much work takes energy and sanity away from me, I need some form of reaffirmation that there's some good value in my output. up:gucci bags

Just very recently, I've regained control of my work and I guess I'm getting better at proposing more measures to improve our processes and leading new projects within the team. Besides, for the past three weeks Ive been able to hit the gym more often and spend time doing things other than work.

I don't like to think that I am in the"eye of the storm" phase. Rather, I'm hopeful these are finally the better days that I imagined savoring few months back.

Musings of a manic-depressive twentysomething

2006-04-02T20:18:00.001+08:00

The weekend was a bolt from the blue for me. Amal, whom I haven’t seen for nearly a year, came over our place and I knew she had something important to discuss with me. I was right, so I called in other friends Rhea and Ken to come over as well. It was impossible to ask Tin and Arlo to join us because Tin is in China and Arlo lives quite far from our place. My friend had serious domestic issues to tell us, so even if we were upset for her letting us wait till 4 in the morning and her not making it to our supposed meeting/night-out in January, we listened very intently to her. up:gucci handbags

From amongst the 6 of us high school friends, I guess it is Amal who speaks so differently. Well, maybe because she’s become a mother at an early age of 20 and since then, doesn’t have much liberty to enjoy the seeming pleasures of her youth. I’ve grown close to her over the last ten years, but she’s the least I’ve spoken to and hung out with over the last decade. That doesn’t ever change the way I delight in our friendship, but I sometimes feel sad for knowing that in 90 percent of all occasions that I’ve had the chance to talk to her, she’s ostensibly problematic and is urgently needing everyone’s support.

The five of us surely have had “tampo” episodes with Amal, but she’s a friend and it’s even more heartbreaking should we turn her down. I just pray that sooner, she gets through all the challenges that she’s prematurely going through.

Having heard it all from Amal, we’ve thought again about the pains and pleasures of raising a family. I dunno, maybe it’s just a matter of perspective. At least for now, I have a different way of looking at things and it will surely change by the time I’ve reached that certain point.

It feels weird talking about mature issues as such. Dear Lord, I’m becoming manic-depressive!

Thankful at 24...

2006-03-30T14:01:00.001+08:00

Yesterday was a blast! I'd been used to my birthdays' being uneventful (because it would usually fall on a Holy Week) but my day turned out very differently yesterday. up:gucci handbags

Well, people at work got me a really nice surprise. They decorated my workstation with photos of me and my closest "emotero" teammates. Then by lunch time, they surprised me with a birthday cake and why I say it was different is that I blew a candle this year. Thanks to them, I especially like the banana creamy cheesecake which was really addicting. =)

I had to leave the office at 2pm so I could make it to my sister's graduation ceremony at PICC. There were more than 800 graduates from Artlets and the ceremony lasted for more than 3 hours! I was nearly bored to death since my seat assignment was different from my parents' and I had to sit alone at the gallery. It was a big surprise that I saw Romi at the plenary hall lobby and we spent few good hours talking about friends and catching up on each other's comings and goings. We could have talked more but we were with our folks and we had different post-graduation engagements.

Amazingly, I met other familiar schoolmates from way back college and elementary days whose younger brothers and sisters were also part of the graduating batch. It just felt great talking to these people and seeing them how they matured (and finally made sense) after all these years!

Dinner with family was nice, too. I figured it had been months since we sat down together over dinner so last night was very special for the four of us. I remember when we were kids, our parents would take us to a Sunday afternoon cruise at the Manila Bay area (used to be a quite famous activity/attraction, which for some reason I didn't like much), so I guess my parents liked it that we decided to go to Harbor Square because they still find this area of the Metro one charming place. Friends from high school, who've gotten really close to my sister, also celebrated with us.

It's great that I've reconnected with a bunch of people from my past and such a wonderful encounter has kept me grounded. It was a great birthday present. =)

It was a fun, fun night! I'm grateful for my family and friends, whom I realize I cannot compromise with anything material. To all my friends who called and sms'd but I didn't get to return thankful words to, I ultimately take this chance to say I'm so blessed to have you as friends. In spite of all the constant stress and heartaches that life embitters me with, I'm still inspired to live my life to the fullest. I now pray that God blesses me with more years to celebrate life with you. Love you, guys! Take care and God bless you all!

Thursday madness!!!

2006-03-23T18:58:00.001+08:00

Gah!!! I'm beginning to hate Thursdays! I'm compelled to stay late in the office to participate in weekly telecons with peers from the UK and Costa Rica. up:gucci bags

Good thing is I'll only wait for a week till this project is (hopefully) done; bad thing is major conflicts just got uncovered within these last two weeks...Hayrreett!!!

La la la la la...

2006-03-20T18:35:00.001+08:00

I told friends that I wouldn't go out last weekend since I had not fully recovered from whatever viral infection I caught from Metro Manila's germ-infested troposphere, but then I was deeply moved by Anj's text message...("Kaliliit lang ng mikrobyo nagpatalo ka! Puksain mo sila sa pamamagitan ng iyong lakas ng loob!!!" )

I rushed to Eastwood around 8:30, and few minutes past 9, I was with the rowdiest bunch at Teryaki Boy. Crazy night, really! Anj and Paloys, of course, didn't fail to notice the Pocholos, the Stephanies, and their yayas. (Sa kaingayan natin , napansin nyo ba na nahiya si Fria para sa 'tin? haha! I remember the same feeling I had at Carl's Jr about 5 years ago. hehehe! )

I promised a third of EHS to post pictures from last Saturday. Ang payat mo na, Paloys!!! Pictures to follow...=up:gucci handbags)

Let's talk Brit

2006-03-14T16:03:00.001+08:00

Got this from a friend who's now based in the UK. BLOODY funny (can't think of a fancier term...) =)

Opinion: Absurdia
By Carla Montemayor
Newsbreak Contributing Writer

The King's English and I
Sheffield

I have always had a love affair with English, and for that reason I write in this language. I've encountered Singlish (the okay lahs of Singapore), Deep South English (brung and y'all), Japanese English (no R's), Ilocano English (all R's), and I have never had major surprises until now with English English, the way they speak it here in the UK. It's not that I was ignorant of its peculiarities. I had read British authors, watched British films, and spoken with British people long before I got here. All that, however, still did not prepare me for the shock of the colloquial.For starters, there's the verbose politesse. The British will not just say "thanks," they will invariably say, "Thank you very much indeed," or "Thank you ever so much." Ever so much na, indeed pa. How does one reply adequately to that? "You are profoundly welcome from the deepest recesses of my heart"? Sometimes I feel like bowing. Then there are the dramatic exclamations. Things are never just "okay" or "nice" or even "great"; they are "splendid," "fantastic," and "brilliant."

It's overwhelming and somewhat suspicious for someone whose own language is restrained in the deployment of superlatives. Maganda (beautiful), magaling (good), and ang galing-galing (really good) are about all we can bring ourselves to describe anything we're impressed with, although we do make up for it with emphatic gestures and lively vocal tones. The British, when pronouncing something as being "superb," will make the most frugal of lip movements and the slightest of eyebrow lifts.

Requests are bound to be long-winded. "You don't suppose you could turn the light on, do you, that is if you don't mind and if it's not too much trouble, of course?" I'm tempted to reply with a similar treatise, but I just say, yes, I suppose the Filipino CAN! But CANS are not in vogue here. My housemate asked me for a TIN opener, not a CAN opener. And we're all supposed to throw our trash in the trash BIN, not the trash CAN. This must have confused the English when Bin Laden burst into the political scene because, well, the bin is always laden and that is why one must empty it regularly.

One evening, I decided I could speak fancy English as well as everyone, and so I announced to my housemates that I would be buying a small SKILLET. That was met with blank expressions. I am buying a small skillet so that we won't have to fry eggs in that big pan, I announced again. Oh, a FRYING PAN, they chorused. (Celtic barbarians, I muttered under my breath.) But when they did fry poTAHtoes in that pan, they weren't FRIES at all but had somehow been transformed into CHIPS. Don't get me started with those poTAHtoes and toMAHtoes. I scoured the grocery shelves and there wasn't any toMAHto SAUCE, just diced toMAHtoes in toMAHto JUICE. But I don't want to drink it! I want to cook with it! I went on to the vegetable section already stressed out. No one knows of EGGPLANTS around here, just AUBERGINES. I could not positively identify the ZUCCHINIS because they were hiding under the alias OURGETTES. I've lostall hope of finding mustasa because I'm sure they're not called "moustache." I've seen menus featuring "spotted dick," but I'm too embarrassed to order it. I searched for BISCUITS, ignoring large packages of DIGESTIVES, which I thought were for septuagenarians who had to put all solid food through a blender. And because this is the north of England, I've been invited to TEA in the evening in which no tea was served it was actually DINNER. Then I was asked to DINNER, which turned out to be LUNCH. So now when they ask what I'm having for "tea," I say "rice." And when someone invites me to "dinner," I no longer plan to wear a shiny dress. I have also ceased to recoil upon hearing the various endearments with which total strangers address me: "luv" (fairly common), "flower," "angel," and get this "duck." Why the name of a domestic fowl is considered a fond nickname, I have no idea. If someone called me "bibe" (duck) back home, I would surely be livid and yell back, "Itik" (skinny Philippine fowl)! up:gucci handbags

I have had to LOAD credits onto a local SIM card given to me by a friend, but I found out right away that there is no pre-paid "loading" here, only TOP-UP service. You top-up your mobile phone, tuition, bank balance. All that topping up requires money, of course, and I cannot help making mental computations to convert pounds into pesos. (One pound is now about ahundred pesos.) So when I get a "concession" ticket (a discounted ticket for students) to watch a movie for "just" five pounds, I have actually spent P500 to see a film.

Oh, bollocks! As the Brits would exclaim, and to that I can certainly relate because it sounds like bulok (rotten) and in the plural, too. In other words, bulok na bulok (very rotten). Due to all the budgeting I have had to do, I have become better at MATHSyes, in the plural, as well. But for the first time in my life, my spelling skills have to be, er, topped up. It's labour, with a U. It's analyse and offence. All my written academic work is riddled with words underlined in red. I am completely DISORIENTED, but since this is England, I must be DISORIENTATED. Bloody strange, if you will excuse my English. Anyway, I don't understand why "bloody" or "bleeding" is considered a swear word in this country. In Tagalog, if a meeting or a confrontation is particularly tense, it will be described as madugo (bloody). How is that filthy? Probably for the same reason that here, "phlegmatic" is something of a flattering adjective. To be full of phlegm is to be quintessentially British: calm and unflappable. Me, I'm from a population of weak lungs where the horror of tuberculosis is still euphemized by the term "primary complex." I neither possess nor desire any phlegm whatsoever. To each language its own bodily fluid

2006-03-14T14:08:00.001+08:00

You Are Internal - Realist - Empowered

You feel your life is controlled internally.
If you want something, you make it happen.
You don't wait around for things to go your way.
You value your independence and don't like others to have control. up:gucci handbags

You are a realist when it comes to luck.
You don't attribute everything to luck, but you do know some things are random.
You don't beat yourself up when bad things happen to you...
But you do your best to try to make your own luck.

You have a good deal of power, but you also know the pecking order.
You realize that working the system does get you further.
You know who to defer to and who to control.
When it comes to the game of life, you play things flawlessly.

The Three Dimension Luck and Power Test

Hatest...

2006-03-11T18:48:00.001+08:00

Stressful week!!! I think I’ve done a lot to exceed my limits as far as work is concerned. I exhausted all means to contain quality work within the normal 9-hour frame, but I’d still find myself leaving the office very late, around 80 percent of the time. Things make me unspeakably “neurotic.” I.Can’t.Bear.It…up:guccibags

Natawa ako...

2006-03-10T02:07:00.001+08:00

Thanks Anj, I'm ROTFL na rin!!! Ahahaha!

Guys, if you need some good laughs, read this...
up:gucci handbags
And if you need one smart buddy to share those good laughs with, read this...

Narcissism

2006-03-08T23:59:00.001+08:00

haha! i didnt know i could surprise a lot of people with a crew cut.
vain na kung vain! =)up:gucci bags hehehe!

Excited...

2006-03-04T16:29:00.001+08:00

Haay...see you in April!!! =)

Heritage Pride

Charming Twilight

Great Jubilation
up:gucci handbags
(Photos courtesy of TrekEarth.Com)

Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybeeehhh...

2006-02-28T20:47:00.001+08:00

Favorite band of the month...

UP DHARMA DOWN!!!

We sampled few tracks from the new cd "Fragmented" and a couple of faves would be "Pag-agos" and "Oo." First heard about them through the Sound (Bossa Manila) yahoo group sometime early '04, though, I never minded their announcements for upcoming band performances, then. It was only in late '05 when I got hooked to the video of "Maybe" (that video starring a frantic Meryl Soriano with the mascarra smudges/smoky-eye effect =)...the rhythm of which reminded me a lot of the bossanova-induced sounds of Sound in the song "Habulan."

I find their music very hypnotic and reviving. The genre is alternative without the metallic/distorted sounds you commonly hear whenever punk rock bands play. I haven't had the chance to read more about the album, but I suppose most of the songs are originals...something not very usual among signed OPM artists these days.

Anyway, to download snippets, you may visit this site and gucci bags. Better yet, buy the album!!! It's (more than) worth your 290 bucks =)

Amoy kudeta...

2006-02-27T00:43:00.001+08:00

A peaceful people power revolution will never, ever instill in the Filipino the value of his country's historical past. But a BLOODY CIVIL WAR will.

Gusto nyo 'yon? up:gucci bags

Meme time again!!! =)

2006-02-26T17:46:00.001+08:00

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
>> ”Ang laking pimple!”

2. How much cash do you have on you?
>> PHP100 and USD70

3. What's a word that rhymes with "TEST"?
>> Chest.

4. Favorite planet
>> Neptune seems very mythological

5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell?
>> Can’t figure out. Well, I don’t really know what function to use on my phone. Hehe.

6. What's your favorite text you still have saved on your phone?
>> Okay, I’m bad. I didn’t save a message from last Christmas. =)

7. What shirt are you wearing?
>> I’m wearing a white sando.

8. Do you "label" yourself?
>> Only when needed.

9. Name the brand of your shoes you're currently wearing?
>> My feet are bare.

10. Bright or dark room?
>> Need a bright one (but naturally, I need a dark one when it’s forty winks time)

11. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?
>> Lifted this from a blogger, who I do not know personally. But I think he’s very logical and sensible.

13. What happened to number 12?
>> Multiplied by the derivative of 2/x raised to 5.

14. What were you doing at midnight last night?
>> I was watching “Booba” on ABS. Sobrang bakya at babaw ng kwento, but in fairview natawa pa rin kami.

15. What did your last text message you received on your cell say?
>> Some friend apologizing for not making it to our scheduled movie night-out and up:gucci handbags.

16. Where is your nearest 7-11?
>> Sa may 7-11 sa tapat ng Sacred Heart.

17. What's a saying that you say a lot?
>> Oh my gas!!!

18.Who told you they loved you last?
>> Meron nga bang nagsabi?

19. Last furry thing you touched?
>> Head up there… =)

20. How many drugs have you done in the past three days?
>> Revicon. Centrum. Kremil S Extra Strength

21. How many rolls of film do you need to develop?
>> None.

22. Favorite age you have been so far?
>> I guess 19.

24. What is your current desktop picture?
>> The Windows XP desktop (“The hills are alive” theme) at home and the photo of the Batad mountain range at work23. Your worst enemy?
>> All forms of pollution. Drivers and pedestrians who don’t abide by the traffic rules

25. What was the last thing you said to someone?
>> “Ha?!”

26. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to change a major regret?
>> A million bucks na ‘no! Pagsisihan ko rin pag di ko tinanggap.

27. Do you like someone?
>> Hmmm…

Your Five Variable Love Profile

2006-02-26T17:24:00.001+08:00

I'm really sabog! On the previous post, I was talking about human rights abuses, and now I'm talking about my love profile (or how Blogthings describe it...) up: gucci handbags

***

Your Five Variable Love Profile

Propensity for Monogamy:

Your propensity for monogamy is low.
You see love as a gift that you should give to many.
It's hard for you to imagine being with one person at at time...
Let alone one person for the rest of your life!

Experience Level:

Your experience level is high.
You've loved, lost, and loved again.
You have had a wide range of love experiences.
And when the real thing comes along, you know it!

Dominance:

Your dominance is low.
This doesn't mean you're a doormat, just balanced.
You know a relationship is not about getting your way.
And you love to give your sweetie a lot of freedom.

Cynicism:

Your cynicism is high.
Sure you believe in love, but you know it doesn't come easily.
You scoff at "love at first site" and "soumates."
You rather take the real thing, as unglamorous as it is.

Independence:

Your independence is high.
You don't need to be in love, and sometimes you don't even want love.
Having your own life is very important for you...
Even more important than having a relationship.

The Five Variable Love Test

Statement from CHRA

2006-02-26T17:00:00.001+08:00

Got this from Phillip through email and it's a statement released by the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance in Baguio City.

This is very, very disturbing if the human rights violations were true...

***
PNP ARRESTS AND TORTURES 11 GUCCI BAGS BACKPACKER

Exploring the mountains of the region and visiting the famous tourist destination, Sagada, Mt. Province, was a plan-come-true for eleven backpackers coming from different parts of the country who journeyed to the city with a plan to hitch hike their way to Sagada. Little did they know that their adventure would lead them to their most traumatic and tragic experience in life.

In a personal interview with the hitchhikers, they related that on February 14, 2006, while the eleven backpackers, one of them a woman, were hitching a ride in a dump truck along the Halsema Highway, they were stopped by members of the PNP Provincial Mobile Group and the PNP Regional Mobile Group who were in full battle gear, and who ordered them to alight from the vehicle while brandishing and pointing their long fire arms against them. Their nightmare has just begun. All their belongings were confiscated. Any movement from them, while they were lying face down on the side of the road, brought them punches, kicks from feet wearing combat shoes and smacks from the butts of M-14s and M-16s. One was even ordered to kiss with a dog brought by the PNP. They were thereafter brought to the 1604th camp where they were subjected to various forms of torture – they were hit on different parts of the body, including the genitals, gravely threatened to be killed, ordered to kneel on the ground under the heat of the sun, drowned in water, suffocated in plastic bags, thrown in dug outs deep enough to be human graves, made to stand in the nude in the middle of the night while really cold water are being poured on them and punches and kicks were being delivered to their bodies, and so many other forms of torture were done on them.

All the physical, emotional and mental torture done on them were primarily for the purpose of making them admit a crime which they never committed. Their torturers wanted them to admit that they were the ones who staged a raid on a military camp in Cabiten, Mankayan, Benguet on February 10, 2006. The New Peoples Army in press interviews and releases earlier admitted being responsible to the Cabiten raid. Due to the unbearable suffering they received, the eleven backpackers admitted all the charges against them. Finally, after more than a day of continuous torture, they were brought to the Benguet Provincial Jail where they are now presently detained. They were charged with Robbery with Homicide.

The eleven backpackers are:

1. Rundren Berloize G. Lao, Davao City
2. Anderson Tabocanon Alonzo, 18 yrs old, Malagos, Baguio St., Purok 2, Calinan, Davao City
3. Aldoz Christian Manoza, 18 yrs old,, #2 Sampaloc St., Santolan, Pasig City
4. Ron Baquiran Pandino, 20 yrs old, Brgy. Mayatba, Siniloan, Laguna
5. Ray Lester Esguerra Mendoza, 16 yrs old, Blk. 157 Lot 32 San Francisco St., Barangay Rizal, Makati City
6. Jethro Villagracia, 21 yrs old, Malagos, Baguio St., Purok 2 Calinan, Davao City
7. Neil Russel Sarmiento Balajadia, 25 yrs old, #026 Tawiran St., Santolan Pasig City
8. Darwin Padilla Alagar, 21 yrs old, Brgy Tipuso, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
9. Arvie Molmog Nunez, 21 yrs old, Brgy Silangang Mayao, Lucena City
10. Jefferson delacruz DeLaRosa, 20 yrs old, #211 A.M. De Leon St., Santolan, Pasig City
11. Frencess Ann Galdonez Bernal, 15 yrs old, Camupang, Marikina City

They are appealing to the authorities for justice and they are seeking the assistance of the media to inform their families and the Filipino nation of their unfortunate plight. As they stated in a letter addressed to the Benguet Governor and to the PNP Chief Gen. Arturo Lomibao, "This has been a tragic and traumatic experience for us. We no longer feel safe to travel anywhere in the country because the very persons whom we depend to support us are the very ones who would subject us to unbearable and unimaginable physical, mental and emotional torture. We are still suffering from this disastrous experience and at this time of distress, most of us cannot even contact our families because our cell phones were confiscated. We can only turn to you as a public officer while we are in this strange region where we don't have our families and friends nearby."

Reference:

Manja Bayang
Cordillera Human Rights Alliance
#10 Rimando Rd., Baguio City

My ABC

2006-02-25T18:49:00.001+08:00

A-ge: exactly 23.9

B-and Listening To Right Now: I’m digging Franz Ferdinand!!!

C-areer: Human Resources / Finance / Outsourcing

D-rink or Smoke: Drink!

E-asiest Friends To Talk To: EHS and high school friends

F-avorite Song/s at the moment: No Ordinary Morning – Chicane, Mr. Brightside – The Killers, Just A Ride – Jem, and that new song by Session Road (the one with “angels” on the lyrics…kalimutan ko na. Hehe!)

G-ummy Bears or Gummy Worms: Indifferent

H-ad a dream last night: I can barely remember.

I-nsomniac: I had been for the past two weeks. Now, I’m nearly recovering.

J-unk Foods You Like: Lay’s and Oishi Ridges

K-ids: ?

L-ongest Ride Ever: Cincinnati – Detroit – Narita – Nagoya – Manila (whopping 28 hours!!!)

M-y Favorite Sport: Hiking/gucci bags (oh well, mostly adventure sports)

N-ames For Your Future Kids: Elisha / Pablo Miguel

O-ne Wish You Have Now: A long vacation!!!

P-hobias: Heights

Q - Favorite Quote: Carpe Diem!

R-easons To Smile: the free mp3 music, the friends, the family, the subsidized gym membership, the pig-outs, the travel perks, photography

S-leeping Hours: 12-7am

T-ime You Woke Up: 7:30am

U-nknown Fact About You: I used to sleep walk until I was 12 or 13.

V-egetable You Hate: I guess okra

W-orst Habit: Spending at least two hours on morning rituals (as in breakfast, bath, brush)

X-rays You've Had: chest

Y-ummy Foods: Sinigang, Indian food, lamb chops, adobo, Super Bowl’s Yang Chow

Z-odiac Sign: Aries

Some photos from the last two weeks...

2006-02-24T20:57:00.001+08:00

La lang, kesa naman sa mafrustrate ako sa mga balitaktakang kudeta...heto na lang =)

Cheska's surprise birthday bash at Bamboo Lounge last night (Sya yung kita cleavage ;=)). Ganda ng place and i love the chill out music (Fria, Anj, JC, bigla ko tuloy naalala yung Bora Bar gimik nights natin...) Sayang, I missed the part when everybody else was there to surprise our friend because I had to attend this 8pm telecon. I was glad, though, that it ended sooner than scheduled, kaya by 10 pm, I headed off for the Fort.

We were drinking and, as usual, camwhoring until past midnight. Di namin alam may coup attempt na pala.

***

Friday, last week...hayun...strategic planning session at Canyon Woods. I didn't have much sleep the previous night so no wonder, mukha akong bangag. Hehe!

***

Valentine's Night. Kahit pano di ko naman kinalimutan. Marells chose us over her boyfriend to spend Valentine's with. Aww! up:gucci handbags

Happy Weekend, everyone!!! =)

People Power, my ASS!

2006-02-24T16:48:00.001+08:00

Shame to the people who do nothing but destabilize the institutions and further polarize our society.

What enrages me even more is the fact that they seem oblivious that over a thousand of my countrymen in Leyte are buried under several feet of mud and debris...Them families praying for miracles amidst almost futile, but faith-driven, rescue efforts. up:gucci handbags

People Power, my ASS!

The week that was

2006-02-18T19:06:00.001+08:00

Okay, so I had been hibernating for almost a week already. Surprisingly, I couldn’t exactly remember the times (though few) that I browsed other people’s personal spaces because, as always, I had been swamped with several projects and meetings in the office. For the past month, I guess my job has overstretched me, as I needed to assume multiple roles again in the close out of my work transition and in the initial phases of a major undertaking.

I didn’t go to work Monday when I had to work Sunday evening till Monday morning on some budget forecasts. This is how work has affected my weekends and worse, my sleeping patterns. I couldn’t doze off to dream land earlier than 2 AM, or if I could, I’d wake up probably after nearly a complete REM cycle (which is in about 3 hours). The nature of my job is really stressful (and I’ve started feeding myself with issues all day) but I feel lucky that we can follow flexible work schedule to compensate unpaid overtime work and to catch up on hours lost for slumber.

I was tremendously busy that I almost forgot it was Valentine’s Week. But I realized that it’s a lucky thing to be oblivious of such an overly commercialized occasion especially when I didn’t have a lover to spend it with. It was bizarre that I was devoid of any overly sentimental feeling of yearning to be with someone when in the recent years I’d get too mushy with “what might have been” thoughts. I’ve grown insensitive (on this aspect) over the past couple years, I suppose. Oh, well, I was just content to have spent Valentine’s Day with very close and just-as-happy-to-be-single workmates in a cherished treat of smoothies, crepes, and a lot of “uproarious” laughs. =)

Wednesday and Thursday, I attended a number of meetings again. I had to sneak out in between breakout sessions so I could quickly respond to flaming emails. I had no other choice but work my butt off through the night. Wednesday was the hardest when after working for days on one of the many budget forecast, I accidentally deleted a tab on my workbook and I couldn’t work my brains out to undoing the changes. It seriously cost me two hours of rework, which was simply MADNESS! I was so frustrated that at midnight, I nearly pounded my computer with my Avaya handset. I went out of the office to let off steam and then went back to my desk and worked on the file about ten minutes after. Riding on a cab at 3 am following that wearisome incident, I realized I have above average anger management skills.

Friday was strategic planning session day at Canyon Woods in Tagaytay. It has always been good to plan for the year out of office. This lets everyone think clearly of the challenges of the past year and chart the year better with well-thought strategies. Everything Tagaytay is so reviving. It was my first time to stay at Canyon Woods and the sights and sounds of nature were PRICELESS!up:gucci bags

Random musings again…

2006-02-12T01:01:00.001+08:00

***Friends, you’ve got to watch “Maria Full Of Grace!” It was a great consolation that HBO featured this film of powerhouse caliber on that gloomy Saturday morning when I couldn’t go out because of an ill-timed snowstorm.

Great reviews available on this site and gucci handbags…

*** I’m all happy to rip a copy Vanessa Mae’s “Choreography.” If you just happen to be lovers of “classical pop” (I made up this genre) acts, as in the likes of Maksim and Bond, her music’ll definitely blow you away. A friend was charitable enough to rip all the songs from her album, and I can see that it’s becoming one of my iTunes player’s most played tracks.

***I love my friend Michiko who’s gone on US vacation for the past three months now. It excited me when I knew she flew in from California to Kentucky to visit relatives, so I sent her a message asking her if she could visit me in Cincy (it was obvious that I was desperate for some company back then). Unfortunately, her cousins had work on a weekend and no one could drive her to my hotel (‘twas supposed to be an hour or so drive from her place). Still, Mich made my day when she called me up just to know how I was doing (uhm…jaded…). We had one bubbly conversation for 10 minutes and it was enough to bring warmth to a frigid weekend (Chummy! Hahahaha!).

Next time let’s hook up at some far-off state! =) hehe!

***I adore the lights and sounds show at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. I took snapshots of the tunnel that leads to the concourses...

***During that long trip, this is what I did.

***I’m too excited for another off-site planning session with my team. This time, we’ll hold it at Canyon Woods in Tagaytay. Summer of ’02 was last time I stayed there overnight with EHS, so I’m all excited to do it again. The session will only last a day (as in we’ll leave the place by 6), so we better search for a less expensive place to stay for the night. We’ve thought of having breakfast at Sonia’s and then have some nature trek at the Taal vicinity. No concrete plans for the itinerary so we’re open for good recommendations.

***I was blog surfing when I got the chance to read this article. As more depressing news unfold after that fatal incident at the Ultra, this blogger surely has a profound viewpoint to speak about. Very good read, indeed…

Stress Break...

2006-02-10T22:13:00.001+08:00

Crazy week! Thank God it's the weekend. I don't see a very restful one because there are lots of deadlines to meet in the next couple of days. I will surely be crunching numbers over the weekend, but at least I can work at my own pace...No other clients to deal with...No other issues to address... up：gucci handbags

Been terribly missing friends already. =(

Of False Hopes

2006-02-07T20:29:00.001+08:00

What astounded me the most as soon as I got home at 3 this morning was the banner news off the Sunday Inquirer of “74 Dreams Crushed.” I swiftly leafed through the pages and for minutes it left me speechless. It was beyond imagination! up：gucci handbags

I’ve long agreed with my sister that Wowowee had been giving our less fortunate countrymen false hopes whenever Willy Revillame pronounces “Nasa Wowowee ang pag-asa ng bayan.” Countless are the times he said it on air, but I never thought that false hopes could lead to such tragedy.

I’ve browsed several blogs and news sites and I guess I’ve read enough trash-throwing and finger-pointing over the whole incident. So I’d rather mourn…

Some post-biz trip thoughts…

2006-02-07T19:51:00.001+08:00

1. The food served on the plane was just unsavory. I’d strangle to death whoever invented beef slices with orange (the fruit) sauce!

2. I realized I wouldn’t survive a week eating cold, bland turkey sandwiches, chips, and fries. Unang gabi pa lang, umay-umay na ako, Thank God for Shanghai Mamas and Sakkiyo for the delectable Asian fried rice, Schezuan beef, and chicken teryaki!

3. Hate it when I struggled with choosing amongst quite few dining places to gratify my ever-craving palate. Most restaurants around downtown Cincinnati close by 7 in the evening.

4. I missed the big dinner at Nicola’s Ristorante. Food critics say it’s the most authentic Italian restaurant in Cincy, but I couldn’t drag my butt off my hotel room that Thursday night after two sleepless and very tiring days working on presentations.

5. I sooo looooove our client’s headquarters! It’s the best office I’ve ever been to. Imagine an office where there’s food galore at every corner (and it’s a typical work day ha.) Yogurts, donuts, pretzels, fresh fruits, green salads, pastas, coffees, teas, chocolate and coffee beans, Pringles, Swiss Miss Gucci bags, and so on… Call me skwater but I discreetly lifted 3 Swiss Miss packets from the snack bar and brought these with me to the hotel just so I had something free to drink in the morning (Mahal din yung breakfast sa hotel ha…Hehehehe!)

Career Advice

2006-02-07T18:11:00.001+08:00

The Hot Major for Undergrads Seeking High Pay Is Economics up：gucci handbags

I'd love to imagine so...

Jet lag

2006-02-07T05:51:00.001+08:00

Finally, I'm home!!! After about 28 hours of travel time (w/c includes four airport transfers and 4 hour flight delay due to bad weather), I'm back in our humble homeland.

I don't have all the energy yet to narrate how the week went, but just to give you a macro perspective...it was about 90 percent work. On the average, we were discussing issues and action plans for more than 14 hours a day! Wednesday was the toughest when we had to work our arses off for the big presentation until 4:30 in the morning. Who would've imagined?! But I was very satisfied that the meetings went well...and people were diplomatic, which was a bit unexpected.

We were lucky to have left the office at 3 pm Friday so by 4 in the afternoon we went camwhoring to capture those interesting sights around downtown...quite few actually.

I was supposed to visit other places by Saturday lunchtime, but it started to snow by 10 AM. Plans got discarded and so I was stuck in the hotel for an entire day! Oh well, I had all these coming so I'm just happy that I got home in one piece.

Whoa, I can still feel the turbulence...

Heto pala picture...(taken from the Cincinnati Reds Stadium one sunny yet chilly Friday afternoon ;=) up:gucci bags

Before take-off

2006-01-28T21:35:00.001+08:00

I'm counting 10 more hours till I fly out of Manila. Thing is, I haven't really finished packing my stuff, yet I still have time to check emails and blog...hehehe! I'm absolutely living the dangerous life now. =) up：gucci handbags

Heard that temperature in Cincinnati could go below freezing but I didn't pack a lot of winter gear with me. Hello, hypothermia!!! (Waaahhhh!!!)

Anyway, I'm sure the week ahead is expected to be horrendously busy, and for the past couple of weeks I've been freakin' nervous just thinking about our set client meetings. So friends, please pray that I do well... =)

One word...

2006-01-18T19:31:00.001+08:00

HAGGARD!!!!!!!!!!
up:gucci bags

Hello, Moto?

2006-01-15T15:16:00.001+08:00

Got my Motorola and gucci bags ROKR iTunes, finally!!!

Full specs available here.

I like the features and the interface is way better than the old unit I lost. Kaso I couldn't figure how to use its iTunes player. I couldn't sync it with my iTunes. Pahirapan...

The Metamorphosis of Sheila And The Insects

2006-01-15T15:13:00.001+08:00

Di ako nagkamali, Sheila and the Insects is one great punk rock band!!! Their music reminds me so much of The Cure’s and slightly those of Franz Ferdinand and The Strokes. I somehow got deadbeat of listening to emerging Pinoy bands who luckily made it in the mainstream, so it’s time to listen to fresher music.

My favorite track off their “Flowerfish” CD is “Maude,” which happens to be hauntingly sentimental. “Maybe Only Maybe” is a super song to wake up to. The distorted guitars give a feel of Franz Ferdinand’s music up:gucci bags.

So, grab yourself a copy of Flowerfish and witness the metamorphosis. I witnessed it all for free (pinahiram ng cd ng officemate..hehe!!!)

Busy-busyahan...

2006-01-15T15:09:00.001+08:00

The past week just marked the end of Holiday sloth 0506. We were back to reality…a horrid one when I had to start clearing out the clutter from my old international relocation cases before I turn them over to another teammate who shall take on my previous responsibilities.

Work’s been crazy these past few days. I never imagined that the work changeover would be this mentally taxing. There are a number of ad hoc requests for people cost projection reports across all Asian markets by a principal client so you can just imagine how hellish the past days had been for me. All markets needed their reports by end of January, but some required that we provided a partial analysis (…Just tell how could this be achievable when you don’t have all the needed data at hand?) My senior and I are lucky enough that some managers conceded to extend their deadlines after we pushed back.

On top of those, several ongoing Finance issues have been taking away our sanity and after an extensive discussion with the current accounting SPOC, I right away admitted that it would take a supernatural phenomenon to resolve all issues by Tuesday. We’re taking transparent and more constructive steps, though, little by little. My goal is to clean up 50 percent of the recurring issues by mid-Feb, and then work out the rest by mid to end of the next month. up：gucci handbags

I’ve a piece of good news, for myself and very close people at work; in spite of all the negativity we confront at the workplace. I’m set to attend a global meeting by the first week of February in Cinci, Ohio (this is 99 percent sure unless my US visa application gets rejected…wag naman sana!). This is to kick-off a project aimed at getting to the bottom of all the exceptions/findings of the 2005 global audit season by this major client. It was totally unexpected that we didn’t meet their business controls requirements, according to our seniors, so the Global and regional process owners decided to bring together representatives from each region (Americas, EMEA, and Asia) to carry out action plans to remedy these ailments on the aspect of business controls. Two of us from Manila were tasked to share Asia’s perspective. Although challenging, I consider it another grand opportunity to closely work with and learn from global and regional team leads. I worked in this business for a little less than 2 years, and I figured I’m the youngest to qualify for this global endeavor. One big break, indeed!

Now, there (turo sa taas) go my to do’s for the month. I’m contemplating how I can effectively manage my time to meet my targets. Perhaps, I’d forego a fraction of my social happenings to make way for other urgent and important matters. Haay…how I wish I didn’t’ really have to…

Don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry)

2006-01-15T11:42:00.001+08:00

I rarely like Pop music these days but we've been humming its melody lately. I was lucky to have rightly guessed the words to the chorus but we wanted to know the rest. So here I decided to post the lyrics for my easy reference. =) I've gone "senti" this weekend...So perfect!!!

Don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry)
Craig David

For all the years that I’ve known you baby
I can’t figure out the reason why lately
you’ve been acting so cold (didn’t you say)
if there’s a problem we should work it out
so why you giving me the cold shoulder now
like you don’t want to talk to me girl (tell me)
okay I know I was late again
I made you mad and dinners thrown in (the bin)
but why you making this thing drag on so long (I wanna know)
I’m sick and tired of this silly games(silly games)
don’t think that I’m the only one here to blame
it’s not me who’s been going round slamming doors

That’s when you turned and said to me
I don’t care babe who’s right or wrong
I just don’t love you no more

Rain outside my window pouring down
what now, you’re gone, my fault, I’m sorry
feeling like a fool cause I let you down
now it’s too late to turn it around
I’m sorry for the tears I’ve made you cry
I guess this time it really is goodbye
you made it clear when you said
I just don’t love you no more

I know that I’ve made a few mistakes
but never thought things would turn out this way
doesn’t make sense to me now that you’re gone (I see it all so clearly)
me at the door with you in a state
giving my reasons but as you look away
I can see a tear roll down your face

That’s when you turned and said to me
I don’t care babe who’s right or wrong
I just don’t love you no more

Rain outside my window pouring down
what now, you’re gone, my fault, I’m sorry
feeling like a fool cos I let you down
now it’s too late to turn it around
I’m sorry for the tears I’ve made you cry
I guess this time it really is goodbye
you made it clear when you said
I just don’t love you no more

Those simple words hit so hard
they turned my whole world upside down
girl you caught me completely off guard
on that night you said to me
I just don’t love you no more up:gucci bags

Rain outside my window pouring down
what now, you’re gone, my fault, I’m sorry
feeling like a fool cos I let you down
now it’s too late to turn it around
I’m sorry for the tears I’ve made you cry
I guess this time it really is goodbye
you made it clear when you said
I just don’t love you no more.

Rain outside my window pouring down
what now, you’re gone, my fault, I’m sorry
feeling like a fool cos I let you down
now it’s too late to turn it around
I’m sorry for the tears I’ve made you cry
I guess this time it really is goodbye
you made it clear when you said
I just don’t love you no more

Testing

2006-01-11T02:18:00.001+08:00

Bob Sinclair - Love Generation up：gucci handbags
HTML Provided by: OFFUHUGE.COM

What’s on your iTunes Top 25 Most Played?

2006-01-09T19:51:00.001+08:00

...uhm..here goes...

1. I Love You Always Forever. Donna Lewis. 12

2. 83. John Mayer. 12

3. A Star Is Born (Original Mix). Chocolate Puma. 10

4. Let Go. Frou Frou. 10

5. Don't Tell Me. Madonna. 10

6. Home Again. Vonda Shepard. 10

7. Wherever You Are. Celeste Prince. 9

8. Thank You. Dido. 9

9. Walking After You. The Foo Fighters. 9

10. Holding Out For A Hero. Frou Frou. 9

11. Stupid Girl. Garbage. 9

12. I Don't Wanna Be. Gavin Degraw. 9

13. Hung Up. Madonna. 9

14. Bad Day. Daniel Powter. 9

15. The Long Day Is Over. Norah Jones. 9

16. Doughnut Song. Tori Amos. 9

17. Operator. Tori Amos. 9

18. Baby, Don't You Break My Heart Slow. Vonda Shepard. 9

19. Clocks. Coldplay. 8

20. Easy Like Sunday Morning. Faith No More. 8

21. One Hundred Years. Five For Fighting. 8

22. Flake. Jack Johnson. 8

23. Behind These Hazel Eyes. Kelly Clarkson. 8

24. Hollywood. Madonna. 8

25. The Nearness of You. Norah Jones. 8

So what's on yours?up:gucci handbags

=)

2006-01-08T17:06:00.001+08:00

Few things to rave about as I welcome the year of the Fire dog (my birth year)…

1. A new role in the team. I’ve taken on a more challenging, and positively, a more fulfilling one! =)
2. My new MP3 house, dance, and downtempo tunes to accompany me during those “gimmickless” nights. I have a treasure chest in iTunes!!! =)
3. A new gym membership at Pinnacle. This could be a downgrade from last year’s Gold’s membership but when you're getting subsidy for it, okay na rin!!! =) up:gucci bags
4. My vacation getaway and other travel prospects. I’ll start saving up for Coron, Bora, or Bohol. Can’t get enough of these summer destinations. =)
5. New business prospects. I keep my toes crossed so these would materialize in the coming months..all we need is time…haay...=)

Touch my bum...this is life!!!

2006-01-07T21:34:00.001+08:00

I swear that this was the best videoke song we sang last night...we simply adore the lyrics!!! =) hahaha!

Cheeky Song

By the Cheeky Girls and gucci bags

Never ever ask. where do you go.
Never ever ask. what do you do.
Never ever ask. whats in your mind.
Never ever ask. if you'll but my.

Come and smile, don't be shy
touch my bum this is life.

[chorus]
We are the cheeky girls, we are the cheeky girls'
you are the cheeky boys, you are the cheeky boys.
We are the cheeky girls, we are the cheeky girls,
you are the cheeky boys, you are the cheeky boys.

mmm,cheeky cheeky,

ooh boys, cheeky girls
ooh girls, cheeky boys
ooh boys, cheeky girls
ooh girls, cheeky boys
ooh boys, cheeky girls
ooh girls, cheeky boys
ooh boys, cheeky girls
ooh girls, cheeky boys

Never ever ask,where you go
Never ever ask,what do you do
Never ever ask,whats in your mind
Never ever ask,if you'll be mine

Come and smile, don't be shy
touch my bum this is life.

[chorus]
We are the cheeky girls, we are the cheeky girls'
you are the cheeky boys, you are the cheeky boys.
We are the cheeky girls, we are the cheeky girls,
you are the cheeky boys, you are the cheeky boys.

[Instrumental]

Come and join the cheeky club,
This is what you want,
Come and sing the cheeky song,
Our cheeky song
Come and join the cheeky club,
This is what you want,
Come and sing the cheeky song,
Our cheeky song.

Come and smile, don't be shy
touch my bum this is life.

Cheeky Cheeky

[chorus 2x]

Cheeky Cheeky.

Carpe Diem!!!

2006-01-07T18:49:00.001+08:00

I’ve been a fan of Tickle (used to be Emode.com) ever since Grumble Girl Anj introduced all those fun personality quizzes to moi way back in college. Those were simply the days when I would, at full volume, interject “My flavor is Mocha!” (with last syllable pronounced “cha”) out of Emode’s “What’s Your Flava?” test. So much for the booboos =)...This time I took the “Is Your Life In Drive” test, well…just to test out if mine really is. up:gucci handbags

So Tickle says…

Marlon, your life is in drive when you're Living in the Moment
You don't miss a beat. Not one to try and redo the past or worry about the future, you know that the best way to enjoy life is to pay attention to what's going on around you. A fun and easygoing person, you turn even the dullest events into a memorable adventure. It doesn't hurt that you know how to kick up your heels and have a good time.Passionate and independent, you're not about to be constrained by what others say or think, and you're certainly not afraid to buck the system from time to time. After all, following your heart and trusting your instincts have gotten you this far. Up next? The world!

Can I just say...

2006-01-07T16:54:00.001+08:00

Thanks boss (lady in black) for this photo taken from your blemish-minimizing Nokia 6230i camera fone. =) up:gucci bags

Sana ganito lahat ng camera at camera phones...ehehehe! =)

Huli na ang lahat

2006-01-04T04:08:00.001+08:00

...graduate na ako ng Econ eh...

You scored as Sociology. You should be a Sociology major! up:gucci handbags

Dance

100%

Linguistics

100%

Theater

100%

Anthropology

100%

Sociology

100%

Psychology

100%

Philosophy

92%

Journalism

92%

English

83%

Engineering

83%

Mathematics

83%

Biology

75%

Art

75%

Chemistry

75%

What is your Perfect Major?
created with QuizFarm.com

Natural Thinker!!!

2006-01-03T10:44:00.001+08:00

Your Brain's Pattern

You have a tempered, reasonable way of thinking.
You tend to take every new idea in, and meld it with your world view.
For you, everything is always changing. Each moment is different.
Your thinking process tends to be very natural - with no beginnings or endings.up:gucci handbags

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

Oh well...

2006-01-03T10:33:00.001+08:00

You Have a Melancholic Temperament

Introspective and reflective, you think about everything and anything.
You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life.
You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you.

Given enough time alone, it's easy for you to find inner peace. up:gucci handbags
At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you.
You are reserved and withdrawn. This makes it hard to connect to others.
You tend to over think small things, making decisions difficult.

What Temperment Are You?

Crotch-o-tard in 06???!!!

2006-01-03T10:31:00.001+08:00

Your 2005 Song Is

Hung Up by Madonna up:gucci bags

"Every little thing that you say or do
I'm hung up
I'm hung up on you"

You'll be rockin' in the New Year in your croch-o-tard!

What Hit Song of 2005 Are You?

Oooh!!!

2006-01-03T10:27:00.001+08:00

Your Personality Is

Rational (NT)
You are both logical and creative. You are full of ideas.
You are so rational that you analyze everything. This drives people a little crazy!

Intelligence is important to you. You always like to be around smart people.
In fact, you're often a little short with people who don't impress you mentally.
up:gucci bags
You seem distant to some - but it's usually because you're deep in thought.
Those who understand you best are fellow Rationals.

In love, you tend to approach things with logic. You seek a compatible mate - who is also very intelligent.

At work, you tend to gravitate toward idea building careers - like programming, medicine, or academia.

With others, you are very honest and direct. People often can't take your criticism well.

As far as your looks go, you're coasting on what you were born with. You think fashion is silly.

On weekends, you spend most of your time thinking, experimenting with new ideas, or learning new things.

The Three Question Personality Test

6 Years and still counting...

2005-12-31T22:20:00.001+08:00

Sa loob ng mahigit anim na taon...

Naging classates (ni Rosey) sa Lawn Tennis PE...
Naging review buddies sa may corridor ng UP Main Lib...
Naging chummy matapos maglakad mula Vinzons Hall hanggang Philcoa one rainy Friday night...
Naging mapagbidang mga aplikante sa aming college org...
Naging aktibista for the first time noong kapanahunan ng Juetenggate Scandal...
Naging tambay ng ECON...
Naging jologs na Execomers...
Naging corporate junkies...
Naging mystery shoppers sa Cebu...
Naging Hidalgo DVD shopaholics...
up:gucci bags
At sa loob ng anim na taon, heto pa rin ang hilig...

HAPPY ROCKIN' NEW YEAR, TRIUMVIRATE!!! =)

Looking back...

2005-12-28T20:17:00.001+08:00

1) Was 2005 a good year for you?
Oh yeah!!!

2) What was your favorite moment of the year?
I have to say moments...both the Kyoto and the Batad trips were the best!!!

3) What was your least favorite moment of the year?
Haay...That frightful night on our way to Wow Philippines

4) Where were you when 2005 began?
I was home =)

5) Who were you with?
Family

6) Where will you be when 2005 ends?
Still at home =)

7) Who will you be with when 2005 ends?
I'll have rocking good times with family and childhood friends =up:gucci handbags)

8) Did you keep your new year's resolution of 2005?
Only few

9) Do you have a new years resolution for 2006?
But of course, we do!

10) Did you fall in love in 2005?
With anyone, thank God, I didn't

11) If yes, with who?
Next...

12) If yes, do they know?
Ho hum...

13) Are you still in love with them?
This is boring...

14) You regret it?
Oh well...

15) Did you breakup with anyone in 2005?
Nope

16) Did you make any new friends in 2005?
Yeah! =)

17) Who are your favorite new friends?
I must say Christian (because he's just as spontaneous as the rest of my kada)...hmmm...
Well, I also bonded with the Japan girls (Mich, Fides, and Hopia) =)

18) What was your favorite month of 2005?
September

19) Did you travel outside of the Philippines in 2005?
Yep.

20) How many different countries did you travel to in 2005?
Only one.

21) Did you lose anybody close to you in 2005?
No morbid loss, thank God!
But I've had friends who fled the country in search for a greener pasture...only that.

22) Did you miss anybody in the past year?
Terribly, yes!

23) What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2005?
Finding Neverland (I'm simply a child at heart.)

24) What was your favorite song from 2005?
I can name 2: "We Belong Together" (Mariah) and "Collide" (Howie Day)

25) What was your favorite record from 2005?
Mishka Adams' "God Bless The Child"

26) How many concerts did you see in 2005?
Only Fete de la Musique

27) Did you have a favorite concert in 2005?
Fete was crazy this year. 2004 was better.

28) Did you drink a lot of alchohol in 2005?
Well, just the right amount. =)

29) Did you do a lot of drugs in 2005?
Cough syrup, yes!!!

30) How many people did you sleep with in 2005?
I can't confirm yet, baka kse may humabol for the remaining couple of days. hahaha!

31) Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Of course, I did. hehehe!

33) What was the worst lie someone told you in 2005?
Kinalimutan ko na.

34) Did you treat somebody badly in 2005?
Hmmm...wala naman.

35) Did somebody treat you badly in 2005?
Yes!!!

36) How much money did you spend in 2005?
A lot. Spend to the max left and right...

37) What was your proudest moment(s) of 2005?
That I conquered Batad on my first hike up the mountains of Cordillera

38) What was your most embarrassing moment of 2005?
Kinakalimutan ang mga ganyan. =)

39) If you could go back in time to any moment of 2005 and change something, what would it be?
Haay... kindly refer to question number 3

40) What are your plans for 2006?
Be more decisive and aggressive. Be better at balancing both my professional and personal lives.

Tag yourselves.

Happy New Year to one and all!!! =)

Ho Ho Ho!

2005-12-23T22:51:00.001+08:00

I was feeling very sickly over the weekend until Tuesday, but thank God, I was back to being hyper again come our company Christmas party on Wednesday night. Employees from the 4 major bundles came in their favorite fiction hero outfits. I surely couldn't spend the night cavorting in tights, so I decided to just party as a dressed down "Incredible."

I didn't expect that people (majority of which are IT professionals) would just be game to don leather tights, gothic makeup, and full-size helmets and headdresses. Prizes were at stake for the best guy, gal, and team in costume. Darna, Sponge Bob, and the Star Wars ensemble took home the awards of the night. I was actually rooting for either Storm or Queen Amidala for their efforts to dress up like the characters on film, but the judges just had to choose Mars Ravelo's heroine. up:gucci bags

The party turned out really eventful. We were dancing to disco and new wave music (Imagine!) and drinking drafts and drafts of beer until the wee hours of the morning. No wonder I've been feeling hyperacidic since yesterday. (Hayreeettttt!!!)

Oh well, I'm glad that it's the weekend and the entire Christendom will be celebrating the birth of the MESSIAH. So I end my blog here as I wish everyone a CHRISTMAS that's full of LOVE and JOY =)

PDA!!!

2005-12-19T20:21:00.001+08:00

Looks like we both got carried away. hahahaha! =)

up:gucci bags

2005-12-16T20:24:00.001+08:00

I've no doubt this cold virus will spoil my weekend! Haay...
up:gucci handbags

2005-12-14T12:25:00.001+08:00

My friends in the office are starting to notice how I've significantly lost weight over the past few weeks. I've realized this as well and I think it's mainly due to my losing hours for sleep for almost a month now. No very drastic change in my eating patterns except that lately, I fail to eat on time especially in the morning when I usually have breakfast at 10.

From this time on, I resolve to double my food intake, add two more hours in my normal 4- to 5-hour snooze, and cut my usual overtime work by at least 1 and a half hours. I'm giving myself two to three weeks to give my mind and body a much needed boost. With the Holiday celebrations coming (and the stress that go along), all it takes is an uncompromising willpower. Well, I'm all set to unleash mine. up:gucci handbags

Toast for the Year-end

2005-12-12T20:54:00.001+08:00

...And so we capped the year with a year-end review of the team's objectives, goals, strategies, and measures. My one-year stint serving my markets was very trying. It tested my energy and resilience as I went on with managing these employees' international relocation. It was tough, but I admit that generally, I had been productive in taking part in the daily operations and proposing transformation in our work processes. I didn't get a lot of customer service citations, but I console myself with the fact that I never worked on an RCA (Root-Cause Analysis). I always score above the SLA so I guess I'd have to thank my difficult clients who never returned their survey forms to my TLs. lol!

Friday was full-packed with the senior associates' giving brief talks on customer service, time management, and personality development (and some interesting perspective on the ENNEAGRAM).

We are the assertive type!

The team gave out awards - ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. The ceremonies were promising as I received an award for customer service and 2 off-the-wall nominations for "Sexiest Male" and "Mr. Close Up Smile," ha! It's okay that we're a runner-up material this year, but we're heading towards THAT direction..Bwahahaha!). up:gucci bags

Ang Best In Theatrics

Ang Boss at ang "Comedy Queen" Scam (Take it..take it!!!)

After the reviews, talks, and awards, we car pooled to Makati for dinner at Fridays. We came an hour late after getting stuck in traffic as we ascend that flyover from C5 approaching the Kalayaan intersection. (Horrible accident! Man in motorcycle smashed into the backside of a 4x4, stumbled on a slippery highway, and then got run over by a ten-wheeler!!! The scene was very disturbing and it would flash back every so often...)

Our group were amongst the last to arrive at the place. Witnessing such scene was haunting, but it was already 9 and I was starving to death. After a full dinner and a little more camwhoring, we went straight to Oakwood ahead of others. I was so exhausted after a long day so I needed to get settled in for a longer and much eventful night.

Around 10, we checked in at Oakwood for our year-end bonding session. Because we came ahead of THE roommates, we prepared for the morning's Big Breakfast Challenge (two teams each given 350 pesos to prepare breakfast for a team of 23!!!). I obviously didn't have any good recipe to put in so I volunteered to peel and slice the cucumbers..hehe! I tried, at least, infront of the camera to appear very domesticated. =)

And so there was singing...

And dancing...
And drinking...

Some people went on with the boozing in the bedroom, pero bagsak na talaga ako at 3:30 AM. I took the pillows and sheets to the living room at nagpaka-YAYA na naman ako sa couch. hehehe!

Morning after, we had the Big Breakfast Challenge. At kasing fresh ng morning ang mga pipino!!! =)

Syet ang sarap! Yun lang. =)

And then we were on for the Grand charades. It was all about getting to know one another, so the game host proposed that one team let the other guess some trivia out of a team members' personal experience. It was all fun to hear revelations about someone nearly entering the Carmelites, a Miss SM Centerpoint (hahahaha!), a guy kissing another guy, and bisexual threesomes. The people's candidness was extreme!!!

By lunchtime, we went senti. We were exchanging thank you notes and writing "I like you because..." phrases on one another's shirts as sweet souvenirs for this event. It was uplifting to read words of appreciation that are mostly non-work related and very personal. This momentarily relived our EcoSoc Planning Sem days...(minus the candlelit one-on-one's...hehehe!)

After a filling lunch and some more wacky photo-ops, we called it a day. I changed clothes to look more decent in pictures, but no...they took the photos while I was away. Weh 'no ngayon?!

It was really really fun, and I think in few ways, it rekindled my passion to work with the team... Hope 2006 is even more promising.

At the end of the day...

2005-12-07T21:49:00.001+08:00

Guys, meet my workstation...Just as it is after a long and hard day's work. La lang, I'm just destressing...=)

By the way, many thanks to Folkvang for the pug screensaver!!! =) Everyone at work just adores it up:gucci handbags .

***
Just got back from a company sponsored talent search auditions a la American Idol. Of course, I didn't join because i don't have the nerve to perform infront of a music-amateur yet nastily berating spectators (read "officemates"). I was there as part of the organizing committe who shall be very busy for the next couple of weeks until the superhero-themed Yuletide bash kicks off at the Crowne Plaza Ballroom. We had so much fun gracing the auditions and I realized today how many frustrated Sarah Geronimo and Christian Bautista-wannabees at work have competitively taken the next big leap to heed their inner calling. Makes me think...

Anj and Rose - let's IO!!!

Got a new number!

2005-12-06T19:19:00.001+08:00

You may check out your Friendster Bulletins to get my new number. I'm temporarily using this until I get a new plan. Please identify yourselves when you send me your numbers (I prefer it complete. =))up:gucci handbags

Semi-clean slate

2005-12-06T17:43:00.001+08:00

Been slaving at work to finish off some jobs pending for the year. I have been assigned a number of relocation cases so the past couple of months have been very high touch for me. However, I'm glad that I have not been involved in new cases ever since I accepted the consulting TL's job offer to be the team's Financial SPOC.

This position was open for the longest time and rumor has it that they had searched for the right one over a period of 3 months; weeks before the former SPOC resigned to accept an offer by another BPO-company. I didn't really find budget accruals and reviews, accounts reconciliation, financial controls compliance, and all these number-crunching team projects/initiatives attractive when it was first presented to me, but I realized even if Finance wasn't really the field that I dreamt of pursuing, this would benefit me in the long-run as money undoubtedly matters in any enterprise. I'm all set for new challenges...and assuming a totally different role is what I need to stay longer with the company.
up:gucci bags.
The Greater China and Northeast Asian markets are very demanding regions, and I will surely miss working with my HR colleagues. I don't know if I will ever work with just as professional and warm people in Finance, but well, those days when I had escalated finance issues were just a nightmare! I may need a character overhaul to get down to business with them. =)

Where I am on the highway of life?

2005-12-02T23:29:00.001+08:00

sleepyhead29 Highway

Contentment Meadows	6
Mt. Happiness	17
Tower of Commitment	41
Bankruptcity	128
Valley of Depression	351
Please Drive Carefully

up:gucci handbags.

Where are you on the highway of life?

From Go-Quiz.com

Cooking it up

2005-12-02T21:54:00.001+08:00

I'm glad the work week is finally over. At least for the next couple of nights I'd get at least eight hours of sleep. =) A friend has promised to fix the home PC so I'd be back to pounding my keyboard again. This is partly the reason why lately I've had very few blog updates up:gucci handbags.

I've no specific plans for the weekend, though. Maybe I'll just stay home and continue reading Dan Brown for the next couple of days. My senior associate has lent me her "Angels and Demons" but I was too busy to even read the reviews. Hmm..I could probably lift its covers should the mood allow us to.

As I have been telling people, I've promised to learn cooking Adobo and Pasta at least before the year closes. I finally got inspiration from one of those emerging casual diners (Heaven and Eggs) that serve big plates of omelette, pasta, and pancakes. The last dinner I had with friends at their Glorietta outlet, I ordered Adobo Pasta. We'll cook out our version, two in one! I 'll go scavenging the neighborhood supermarket for fetuccini, some plum tomatoes, spices, anchovies, and adobo ingredients. I've likewise spent a considerable amount of time searching the internet for recipes that I'll be experimenting on pretty soon. =) This could be one cool creative outlet that I badly need these days.

Anyway, I'll end it here. I can just wish that the weekend would be eventful for me. =)

Tokyo Project - The Collection

2005-12-01T23:50:00.001+08:00

I love this album!!!
up:gucci bags.

And this too shall pass...

2005-11-30T17:54:00.001+08:00

Sorry guys, but personal issues made my last two weeks unbelievably bad.

After the mugging and the (quasi-PC)crashing incidents (honestly, I'm very fine to say that I'm in the acceptance stage!), I've exerted an incredible amount of effort in diverting my attention to other things productive. It was not until the passing of the long weekend that I realized how many good reads I had not bothered myself with ever since I got hooked to blogging, blog-hopping, iTunes, and podcasting early this year. I found myself leafing through the glossy and animated pages numbering to hundreds. It felt like reading for an AS elective, minus of course the pressure of submitting a book review up:gucci handbags.

***
I was in a deep financial pit last week when I had no ATM access to all my accounts. I was lucky enough to have saved the AMEX card from that ghastly Saturday night encounter. Unfortunately I never requested to have its cashing feature activated, so useless! haay...

I even asked a work partner to lend me 500 bucks just so I could support myself for few more days before the bank reissued those lost cards (as I still have no intentions to shock my family about what happened). I had to endure traffic of all forms and magnitude as I resolutely skip all the morning cab rides to take the Cubao-Libis jeepney route. I did all these to budget 500 for one week. My consolation would have to be those free lunches and dinner treats feeding me through these tumultous times (the team sponsored a dinner buffet with suppliers at Twist Monday night...talk about perfect timing!).

Oh well, I'm still (almost) cashless to this minute (as the bank confirmed that my cards would only be activated by tomorrow). But it's good to know that I've few bucks to spare for a hearty dinner tonight =)

God still loves me. hehe!

My rant for the long weekend

2005-11-25T21:07:00.001+08:00

Don't you just hate it when you've got no money, no celfone, no functioning home PC, and no weekend getaway???!!!
up:gucci bags.
Man, I'm soooo fucked up!!!!!!!!!!!

I got mugged!

2005-11-21T12:24:00.001+08:00

Long horrific recount...

Oh well, if you had my contact details saved in your phone book, kindly delete the old Globe number, I'll get a new one soon up:gucci handbags.

SOS!!!

2005-11-18T21:54:00.001+08:00

Home PC got infected by Trojan...
up:gucci handbags.
Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another Fleeting Thought

2005-11-13T18:07:00.001+08:00

Gender has no absolutes, and life is all just elaborate drag. We create ourselves from nothing, and we all return to nothing in the end. Why not be whoever we want to be until then? up:gucci bags.

Margaret Cho in her "defence" of JT Leroy

Some Comic Diversion

2005-11-13T16:57:00.001+08:00

I hate to think that the weekend will soon be over, but I feel good to have shared good laughs with my folks when we watched “Monster In Law” starring Jane Fonda, J Lo, and Michael Vartan (of Alias fame) on DVD this late afternoon.

Well, the movie is so-so. To me, it isn’t as remarkable as romantic comedies like “Bridget Jones’ Diary” or “Something’s Gotta Give” but it surely gives a good comic relief. Jane Fonda outshone everyone else in the movie with such natural acting and side-splitting punch lines. I love it when she exchanges blows with J Lo. Very classic! Can I just say that Wanda Sykes is one comic side-kick, too! up:gucci bags

Overall, I think the film is okay. It doesn’t make one think a lot so this rightly fits for frazzled people who want those much-needed endorphins spewing into their bodily systems.

Paradiso

2005-11-12T19:49:00.001+08:00

So the holidays went by without us ever planning to head for the beach (well, last minute I invited some friends to set for Galera, but no one was in the mood for a 3 hour road trip and an hour boat ride). Now, this becomes an object of too much envy. I love Panglao!up:gucci handbags

Cry Rape!

2005-11-12T19:39:00.001+08:00

And because I could not have said it any better...
up:gucci handbags .

Cry Rape!

Hayreeetttt!!!!

2005-11-12T17:25:00.001+08:00

I always hate it when I go back to working after a series of long holiday breaks. Hundreds of urgent and important emails flooding my Lotus inbox, a number of clients intolerantly queuing in the telephony system, and a long list of TO DOs unmarked off my organizer!

I say that the work week that ended was just horrible. I would console myself for not having too many escalated issues to address, but there were just a lot of work to do. There was a day when some teammates took an emergency leave so I had to immediately cover in their absence. From Monday to Friday, I consistently stayed in the office for 10-12 hours. I’d get home by 11PM (the earliest) or worse by 1AM!

All the work strain took its toll yesterday when, after oversleeping for 10 hours or so, I woke up feeling all worn-out and muzzy. Dreadful really, as I got up at 11AM and reach the office past 1PM. It was crazy, crazy, crazy!!! Whenever I’d spend days like these, thoughts of resigning always promptly come up up:gucci bags.

Thank God for the weekend, but I think I need more than 48 hours to recuperate from the terrible stress I had the past week. I’ve thought of getting Shiatsu massages or if the budget allows, may be a top-to-toe spa treatment. I’ve, as well, planned to hit the gym because the sauna and the steam bath are a perk, but I don’t have the energy to tow my limbs off to the gym and further punish myself by lifting those plates. But man, it’s past 5pm and I haven’t decided really on which destressing activity to spend on. Dammit!

I ultimately hate hate hate stress!!! It just sucks the juice out of my pulp!!!

Don't Leave Home

2005-11-10T00:56:00.001+08:00

And here goes my most recent LSS...

Don't Leave Home
Dido
up:gucci handbags.
Like a ghost don't need a key
Your best friend I've come to be
Please don't think of getting up for me
You don't even need to speak
When I've been here for just one day
You'll already miss me if I go away
So close the blinds and shut the door
You won't need other friends anymore

**Oh don't leave home, oh don't leave home

***If you're cold I'll keep you warm
If you're low just hold on
Cause I will be your safety
Oh don't leave home

And I arrived when you were weak
I'll make you weaker, like a child
Now all your love you give to me

When your heart is all I need

**

***

Oh how quiet, quiet the world can be
When it's just you and little me
Everything is clear and everything is new
So you won't be leaving will you

**

***

When you only got a hundred years to live

2005-11-06T16:03:00.001+08:00

100 Years by Five for Fighting

"Every day's a new day...
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to choose
Hey 15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live" up:gucci handbags.

2004 was about thinking and reflecting - but isn't every year?

What 2004 Hit Song Are You?

This perfectly describes my ‘04. It was most painful when all the hurts were self-inflicted. It led me to believing that life’s just about hurting, accepting, and (so to quote Anj) carrying on. It’s a cycle of paradoxes.

Of Grieving and Carrying On

2005-11-06T06:03:00.001+08:00

My dear friend gucci bags Grumble Girl deeply moved me with her perspective.

Never givin' up on the good times

2005-11-06T05:49:00.001+08:00

Some late-night escapade with Ken, Tin, and Tian... up:gucci bags

Old high-school hang out took the waffle dogs and the coleslaw off the menu...

Camwhoring after one big shot on the Zombie

Looking tipsy, eh!

Raves

2005-11-06T02:31:00.001+08:00

Parang nasagutan ko na 'to sa Friendster, but anyway...

Favorite Flower: Sampaguita
Favorite Scent: Black Cherry and Lavender Incense scents =)
Favorite Authors: Haruki Murakami, Paolo Coelho, David Sedaris
Favorite Book: Sedaris' "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim"
Favorite Condiment: Vinegar with lots of Siling Labuyo, Onions, Garlic, and Pepper
Favorite Pair of Shoes: None
Favorite Local Channel: Studio 23
Favorite Beauty Products: L’Oreal Out of Bed works best!
Favorite Magazines: Time and Reader’s Digest
Favorite Cookie: Nothing beats Hi-Ro!
Favorite Ice Cream: None in particular
Favorite Chocolate: Meiji Black
Favorite Junk food: Humpy Dumpy ('yung orange) haha!
Favorite Restaurant: Queens Indian and Asian Fusion!
Favorite Months: The summer months
Favorite Number: 5
Favorite Day: Payday!
Favorite Fast-food Joints: Chef D’ Angelo, McDonald’s and Jollibee
Favorite T.V. Shows: Just Shoot Me, VH1 Video Collection, Friends
Dream Car: none really…though, I like the Dodge trucks
Favorite Comedian: None
Favorite Subject: Creative Writing in high school
Favorite Radio Station: Stations: RX 93.1 (Morning Rush), Wave 89.1 (The Blue Room), and Jam 88.3 (for the rest of the day)
Favorite Occasion: Christmas
Favorite Cartoon Characters: Sponge Bob
Favorite Fashion Designers: None
Favorite Clothing Store: None
Name of Pet(s): My pusakals: Baklita, Bakokang, Pochay, Polverine, Muning, Ming, Ton-Ton; My askals: Peachy, Sampras, Pot-pot, Koala, Lassie, Nog-nog
Favorite Athlete(s): None
Favorite Sport(s): Extreme Sports
Preferred Sports Team: None
Preferred Brand of Jeans: none
Favorite Season: Summer
Hobbies: Blogging, cyber-lurking, Yoga, photography, reading, singing in the shower
Favorite Accessory: Tralala Beads
Favorite Fruit: Oranges
Favorite Vacation Spot: The beach!
Favorite Drink: Zombie
Favorite Food: Sinigang sa Miso and Adobo
Favorite Hangout: None in particular (anywhere for as long as I’m with my dear friends…yaak! Cheesy!)
Favorite Dessert: Queens Cassata Ice Cream
Favorite Movie(s): Hable con Ella, Eternal Sunshine…, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, LOTR, dami pa!
Favorite Cable Channel(s): Star World, Discovery, ESPN
Toothpaste: Colgate
Favorite Cake: Black Forest Cakes
Trademark Expression: Hokie!
Usual Get-up: Business casual
Favorite Place: gucci bags Home

The Buzz Log and The Low Cholesterol Bibingka

2005-11-01T12:22:00.001+08:00

Okay, this shall be random.

So as I set my homepage to Yahoo, I checked this section called "THE BUZZ LOG," and here's what I found...

Oh yeah, I finally saw the images on email!

***
Traditionally, Mama prepares her native kakanin during the Feast of All Saints. I don't exactly know why, but there wasn't a year that she has not placed a bandehado on the dining table and the sacred altar (Imagine!) . The former was for the whole family to feast on, whereas the latter was for the lost, tired, and hungry souls to devour (...Mama strongly believes so). Well, that custom of offering food to the spirits may appear un-Christian and idolatrous, but we don't question her.

So still in relation to her customary preparation for the Undas, it had always been a Biko Day(made of malagkit rice, latik or coconut extracts, and some sweetening agent...haha, surely I'll never be a good cook book writer) . But this year, Mama experimented on Bibingka, which I think she didn't ever attempt cooking. Since she already bought tons of kamoteng kahoy, she went on with the grating, extracting, mixing, and cooking all those ingredients. She placed a tray into the pre-heated decades-old La Germania oven, and after about an hour or so...daraaan!!!! the Bibingka was finally fit for human consumption.

The Low Cholesterol Bibingka up:gucci handbags

I had the first big bite. Okay naman, but as I fed myself with more and more slices, the Bibingka started to taste really weird. It was "coco-sweet," but it would leave a bizaare after-taste. I asked Mama if she put any other ingredient besides those I saw on the Pinoy cook-book, but she said she circumspectly followed all the directions. I didn't do further interrogation, but later on, I found out that she used scoops and scoops of Star Margarine!

Me: Ma, gumamit ka ng Star Margarine!
Mama: Meron talaga nyan. Kahit yung binibili natin sa Ilocos.
Me: Garlic Flavor?!!
Mama: (inspects the container) Ay! Garlic nga! Haha! Ayaw nyo yun, heart-friendly?! (sabay tawa na lang...)

Everybody thought it sayang to just dispose one big tray. So regardless of the tang, we savored Mama's kakanin like it was the best in the world! Swear, we were simply laughing our hearts out recalling Mama's blooper. It was such a blessing that the human palate wasn't hostile. 'Yun nga lang, we're not sure if the spirits' were. Hehe! =)

2005-10-31T04:00:00.001+08:00

Sa Jack's Loft: Ang Muling Pagkikita =)

Sorry if I had not blogged for the past week. As usual, work was atrociously crazy and had demanded much of Yours truly’s attention. Other than that, I was also busy with organizing this masquerade and “trick-or-treat” party for the employees’ kids. I’m glad, though, that the event was a success in spite of the deficient manpower.
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It was late in the evening when I left the office (that was around 9) to meet some of my dear college friends at Eastwood. Sad to realize that ever since we changed work locations, we had been physically out of touch, so it was heartening to know that they had gone the distance to spend some quality time with me (and Joanne na rin).

It had been 5 months, too, since I last partied with them, and it felt really weird that I wasn’t ingesting alcohol that evening. In their absence, the night would be booze-packed with either workmates or high school buddies. Later did Anj exclaim that I was with “too-wholesome-to-be-cool (mala-DKU)” friends. Kaya yun, we shared desserts at this cafe called Fuzion.

I wasn’t really in the mood for sweets, so I took their pictures na lang. hehe! =)

Fria, JC, Rosey, and Jo (Acting lang 'yan!)

Ang Pinagkaguluhan

At dahil di nakasama si Anj sa picture...

JC and Jo =)

EHS: Don't worry, guys, I'll send the other pictures through the e-group. Nga pala, I won't be able to join you at EK this Friday. =(

Nature-tripping

2005-10-24T02:06:00.001+08:00

Must-see waterform in QC

I never imagined that about a 15 minute drive from our house would lead us to this breathtaking natural spectacle. I’ve lived in the suburbs of QC (Planet Nova to be particular) for the last 20 years, but it was only this afternoon that I ardently set off to experience the splendor myself. up:gucci handbags

Boys and bi’s, girls and gays…we’re talking here of the reputed La Mesa Dam Ecopark right in the navel of Quezon City. I had long wanted to pay a visit after I heard fine testimonials from my parents and childhood friends who have frequented the place ever since. I recall that my mother, in particular, had wanted the whole family to have a Sunday picnic at the lagoon grove. But for some unfounded excuses, this plan never pushed through. Besides, when I was a kid, the thought of going to La Mesa never stirred me up; thus the reason why we never went there. It was only this afternoon that I realized how much time I had foregone because of these silly alibis. Oh well, at least, I’m feeling really blessed that I found this place even before I set foot at some far-off locale. Menos gastos!

***

I was calling up high school friends past lunchtime to ask what their plans were for the rest of the day. Ken, being the most spontaneously on-the-go member of my high school circle, was the first one I called. It was his brother who answered the phone and when I learned that at about half an hour past lunchtime he was still off to dreamland, I told his brother to wake him up. I assumed he couldn’t fail me at that critical instance when I needed to get these feelings of boredom out of my system. It was a good thing that I convinced him to go along with me. Next goal was to convince Tintois, who is a fêted Senorita Laquachera herself. Unfortunately, she couldn’t make it because her family would head off to Galeria to watch a movie. I didn’t make an effort to contact Rhea and Leng, because they couldn’t make it for sure. =) Anyway, Ken and I resolved to go there na lang even without the company of our so-called friends.

We met at Starbucks at around 3pm (as Ken was late for about an hour!) We had to buy food and drinks just in case hunger strikes. Then we set out for La Mesa.

***

The way to the Ecopark was easy. Just follow the map…

And if one doesn’t have a ride going there, one can simply take a 5minute-trike ride from the Winston gate of East Fairview Subdivision. Fare costs a reasonable PhP25.

The stairs lead us to the dam lake...

Anyway, we reached the place at around 3:40 and paid the entrance fee (that’s 40 pesos for adults). We had planned to go for a dip in the pool, but (Darn it!!!) gates to the swimming area close at 3:45. =( So we just decided to take a stroll around the picnic grove and into the orchidarium.

The lagoon and picnic grove

Into the Orchidarium

One of the very few lotus blooms

Surrounded by hundred year-old trees

There weren’t a lot of activities being offered besides swimming and picnicking. However, taking a protracted meander around the eco-park was enough to soothe our techno-stressed minds and bodies. Furthermore, no one in the city sees such calming scenery on a daily basis.

There were hundreds of different species of plants in the area. For sure there were a hundreds of animals out on the wild as well. (Sorry to say, we were too busy taking photos for our very own gratification. =))

My favorite spot would certainly be the lake. I would only see it on TVC’s and music videos. I could not even believe that 15 minutes away from our house I’d see a waterform as grand as this one. With the cool winds’ giving us a tender embrace and the sun’s flushing warm hues of red and yellow into our flawed skin, what more could I ask for?

Lake Placid

An hour wouldn’t be enough to read about the beginnings of this environmental project or even examine the elements of its wildlife. But I had a wonderful time and I promise to pack my swim gear because we’re going back soon!

For those who live quite close to Fairview or QC, I suggest that you see this place, too. Nature-tripping doesn’t have to be luxurious, so to speak. Furthermore, spending a day would be an enlightening one. It doesn’t take a whiz to decipher the obvious message – that we need to start thinking long term; that we must examine our ways and recreate it (if need be) for our beloved Mother Nature’s and the future generation’s sake.

And with that, I say farewell, and see you in Santiago, Chile!!!

Drained

2005-10-20T00:40:00.001+08:00

I'm back to slaving off in the office. This is one of those nights that I can't avoid to go overtime due to a number of systemic customer issues. I had a tremendously stressful afternoon after pacifying a seriously fuming client with whom I spent a considerable amount of time explaining the root-cause of the problem and the key steps to get this resolved in no time. Although mentally and emotionally draining, it was good to talk this over so both sides get heard right then and there. up:gucci handbags

For the past months, I've been very tamed as I've made it a point that nobody gets offended by my words or actions. Albeit this afternoon was just different. I unleashed the dozing fighter. Regardless of how this business values its clientele, I wouldn't let anyone of them dismiss a clear systemic issue into a case of individual neglect. This is butchery of my character! My words instantaneously came out like fireballs without giving her a bit of chance to fire back (it had always been her talking, anyway).

I rested my case. She humbly apologized. Hah!

Hay...at the end of the day, all I needed was a filling dinner and a few good laughs.

Syet, sana weekend na!!!

Nakakabagot!

2005-10-18T19:52:00.001+08:00

I am getting peculiarly jaded. For some strange reason, I long for something to bring smudges of neon into my monochromatic life. Not that I devote a big chunk of my time to work and the daily rituals that go along with it. In fact, I have been promising at observing a work-life balance; that for the past weeks I’ve managed to make it to our weekly after-work Hatha Yoga classes and swine out at new restaurants around Eastwood on Friday nights. Nevertheless, the experience doesn’t seem to completely please my hankering to embark on an escapade as overwhelming (but not essentially as grueling) as the one we had going to Batad. up:gucci bags

I’ve looked forward to the long weekend/holidays come the end of this month. But I haven’t decided yet where to head off. Getting stuck in the house for days could transform me into an extra bored stiff mortal. Haay, it’s not easy being a born-nomad. =(

The name's Blond. James Blond.

2005-10-17T01:32:00.001+08:00

Photo Courtesy of Reuters
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GET A LIFE

2005-10-16T21:29:00.000+08:00

Jose Dalisay Jr., PhD
Address to the Graduating Class
UP Baguio, 23 April 2005

Former UP President (Francisco) Nemenzo - whom I was privileged to serve - was frankly not too fond of the phrase “iskolar ng bayan” to describe the UP student. We are all, of course, scholars of the people in this university, in the technical sense that our studies are subsidized by the sweat of the poor, whose hopes we bear upon our shoulders.

But the President's point was that scholarship remains a distinction to be earned not merely by scoring well in an entrance examination, but by adopting a lifelong attitude of critical inquiry and rational judgment.

This, sadly, is something that many of us lose upon our entry into the University and our immersion in its life - not only its intellectual and academic life, but also its social and professional life. The curiosity ends, the magic fades, the writing dries up, and we retreat to a cocoon - to a dimly lit room marked "Me & Myself" - there to spend the rest of our career sulking over the next fellow's promotion and so-and-so's research grant.

"Get a life" has been one of my lifelong mantras. I have always believed that while a formal education is a wonderful thing, what I call an active life - with all its serendipitous detours and little accidents - is even better. It is a cliché by now to say that there are many things we can never learn in school - but for those of us who are in school, it is even more important to remember this.

Some of the best things happen when we step outside of our own lives and begin to be engaged in those of others. Often, the answers to our own problems lie in others, and in their larger predicaments. While involvement in a great cause can also create its own kind of blindness to everything else, I believe that, at least once in our lives, we should embrace a passion larger than ourselves; even the disillusionment that often follows can be very instructive, and will bring us one step closer to wisdom.

One of the best ideas I ever heard came from a friend whom I used to play billiards with until the wee hours of the morning: "Everyone," he said while cleaning up the balls on the table, "should be entitled to make at least one big mistake."

I would not have been the writer I became if I had chosen the safe path and stayed where I was supposed to be. It took me two years to finish my MFA, and only three to finish my PhD. But before that, it took me 14 years to get my AB.

At 12 - like your chancellor - I entered the Philippine Science High School. As my parents never tired of telling anyone who cared to listen (and even those who didn't), I was the entrance-exam topnotcher of my batch, No. 1 of about 6,000 examinees. However, what my parents didn't say was that after my first year in Science High, I was going to be kicked out - with a 1.0 in English and a 5.0 in Math.

What happened? Well, you might say that I got a life. From the grade-school nerd who read two books a day in our all-boys Catholic school, I suddenly discovered girls, parties, and fun. What did I do? I used my 1.0 in English to save my 5.0 in Math, by writing a letter of appeal that began with "At the outset, let me say that I bear malice toward none." I guess it worked, because they put me on probation for a year, and I survived PSHS by the skin of my teeth.

At 16, I entered UP as an industrial engineering major - and promptly got a 5.0 in Math 17, for too many absences - the bane of the arrogant Science High graduate, even the perennial flunker like me who thought he already knew more Math than he needed to know.

At 17, still a freshman, I quit college - over the tears of my mother, whose fondest hope was for me to graduate from UP just like she did. I wanted to join the revolution, like many of my comrades; at the same time I was impatient to get a job.

At 18, I was working as a newspaper reporter covering hospital fires, US embassy rallies, suicide cases, factory strikes, and typhoon relief operations.

I spent most of my 19th year in martial-law prison.

At 20, I was a husband and father.

At 26, I took my first foreign trip.

At 27, I learned how to drive - and went back to school.

At 30, I got my AB, and decided that what I wanted to do was to write and teach for the rest of my life, so here I am.

I have been shot at, imprisoned, and worst of all, rejected by more crushes than I care to remember. Aside from my abortive career in journalism, I once worked as a cook-waiter-cashier-busboy-janitor, cutting 40 pounds of pork and chicken every day before turning them into someone's dinner.

Much earlier, I worked as a municipal employee, checking the attendance of Metro Aides at seven in the morning, and then I studied printmaking and sold my etchings cheaply by the dozen in Ermita. Incidentally, it was at that printmaking shop that I met my wife June, who's here with me today, and for whose patience with my colorful moods I am forever grateful.

Some of these events have found their way to my writing; most of them have not and never will. I believe that creative writing should generate its own excitement, beyond whatever may have happened to the author in his or her own life. But neither can I deny that my outlook has been influenced by what I have seen out there, as bright, as indelible, and as disturbing as fresh blood.
If we are to abide by the Phi Kappa Phi motto to "let the love of learning rule humanity," we should first ourselves be ruled by the love of learning - learning from books, and learning beyond them.

On the other side of the equation, let me observe that there is, today, a nascent but disturbing strain of anti-intellectualism in Philippine politics and society. The vulgar expression of this sentiment has taken the form of the suggestion that we can dispense with brains and education when it comes to our national leadership, because they have done us no good, anyway.

It is easy to see how this perception came about, and how its attractiveness derives from its being at least partially true. Many of our people feel betrayed by their best and brightest - the edukado, as we are called in our barangays - because we are too easily bought out by the powers that be. Marcos and Estrada had probably the best Cabinets in our political history, well-stocked with prestigious PhDs from places like Oxford and Stanford; but in the end, even they could do nothing against their President and his excesses.

For us UP graduates, the seductions of power will always be there. Power and wealth are also very interesting games to play, and few play them better than UP grads - the power side more than the wealth, as I suspect that Ateneans and La Sallites are better at making money than we are.

But even these can put you out of touch. I have friends in Malacañang and Makati who seem to have lost all sense of life, thought, and feeling on the street, beyond what their own commissioned surveys tell them. Worse, they seem to have lost touch with their old, honest, self-critical selves. They forgot all about Sophocles and poetry and mystery and music you can't buy at the record store.

To be a UP student, faculty member, and alumnus is to be burdened but also ennobled by a unique mission - not just the mission of serving the people, which is in itself not unique, and which is also reflected, for example, in the Atenean concept of being a "man for others." Rather, to my mind, our mission is to lead and to be led by reason - by independent, scientific, and secular reason, rather than by politicians, priests, shamans, bankers, or generals.

You are UP because you can think and speak for yourselves, by your own wits and on your own two feet, and you can do so no matter what the rest of the people in the room may be thinking. You are UP because no one can tell you to shut up, if you have something sensible and vital to say. You are UP because you dread not the poverty of material comforts but the poverty of the mind. And you are UP because you care about something as abstract and sometimes as treacherous as the idea of "nation", even if it kills you.

Sometimes, long after UP, we forget these things and become just like everybody else; I certainly have. Even so, I suspect that that forgetfulness is laced with guilt - the guilt of knowing that you were, and could yet become, somebody better. And you cannot even argue that you did not know, because today, I just told you so.

2005-10-16T19:40:00.001+08:00

Been really crazy slaving out in the office over the past week. So to bring back my sanity, I answered this meme. =)

I can't believe it's Monday again! Oh boy!!!
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***

1. DO YOU SNORE?
No

2. ARE YOU A LOVER OR A FIGHTER?
Both. I could be a lover and a fighter for love.

3.WHAT'S YOUR WORST FEAR?
Gracing a fiesta in a barrio of "aswangs" (tapos kakainin ako ng mga aswang). Crazy, but it really is my worst fear.

4. AS A KID, WERE YOU A LEGO MANIAC?
Yeah!

5. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF "REALITY" TV?
It's unsuspectingly addicting...

6. DO YOU CHEW ON YOUR STRAWS?
No

7. WERE YOU A CUTE BABY?
I don't think so.

8. IS THE SINGLE LIFE FOR YOU?
Maybe for now, it is.

9. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR KEYBOARD?
Black at the office and white at home

10. DO YOU SING IN THE SHOWER?
A lot! It's a routine.

11. HAVE YOU EVER BUNGEE JUMPED?
Not yet. I'd die just thinking of free-falling hundreds of meters from above the ground.

12. ANY SECRET TALENTS?
Atin-atin lang 'to ha...I have a "secret" acting ability!

13. WHAT'S YOUR IDEAL VACATION SPOT?
The beach...with an amazing seascape of powdery white sand and pristine waters

14. IS JAY LENO FUNNY?
I don't get to watch his show often.

15. CAN YOU SWIM?
Yes.

16. HAVE YOU SEEN THE MOVIE "DONNIE DARKO"?
Nanalo ba ito sa Sundance? hehe.

17. DO YOU GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THE OZONE?
Yes. But I don't do much about it.

18. HOW MANY LICKS DOES IT TAKE TO GET TO THE CENTER OF A TOOSTIE POP?
Depends if there's some sort of suction involved. haha!

19. CAN YOU SING THE ALPHABET BACKWARDS?
Only when forced to do so.

20. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON AN AIRPLANE?
Ah, yeah..

21. ARE YOU AN ONLY CHILD?
Nope.

22. DO YOU PREFER ELECTRIC OR MANUAL PENCIL SHARPENERS?
Manual. I'd love the vintage-looking sharpeners

23. WHAT'S YOUR STAND ON HUNTING?
I set double standards..It's okay for "primtive" (sorry..i can't think of a more politically correct term) people, but certainly not for city people who abuse the wildlife.

24. IS MARRIAGE IN YOUR FUTURE?
I'm not even sure if I'll ever want to settle down.

26. WHAT ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO?
Pollution!

27. WHat WAS THE LAST (Significant) THING YOU SAID?
Addressed to my friends..."Which sex would you desire to ultimately settle down with (as in marriage or domestic partnership)?" (...and we heard noteworthy responses! hehehe)

28. IS TUPAC STILL ALIVE?
No

29. DO YOU CRY AT WEDDINGS?
No

30. HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS?
Which eggs? =)

31. ARE BLONDES DUMB?
Stereotypically, yes. lol.

32. WHERE DOES THE OTHER SOCK END UP?
Sorry, I don't get it.

33. WHAT TIME IS IT?
7pm

34. DO YOU HAVE A NICKNAME?
Yes.

35. IS MCDONALD'S DISGUSTING?
Sometimes. Just think of "Super Size Me."

36. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WERE IN A CAR?
This morning.

37. DO YOU PREFER BATHS OR SHOWERS?
Both. But if I'd have all the time in the world...bath ito! =)

38. IS SANTA CLAUS REAL?
I can't say.

39. DO YOU LIKE TO HAVE YOUR NECK KISSED?
Syempre naman. hahahaha!

40. ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?
Depends on where I'm at.

41. WHAT ARE YOU ADDICTED TO?
Blogging, I think.

42. CRUNCHY OR CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER?
Like it creamy...

43. CAN YOU CRACK YOUR NECK?
Oh, yeah. And I love it!

44. HAVE YOU EVER RIDDEN IN AN AMBULANCE?
nope.

45. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BRUSHED YOUR TEETH Today?
Just once (this morning)..amoy sibuyas na hininga ko..haha!

46. IS DRUG FREE THE WAY TO BE?
Sorry, I'm doped. hehe!

47. ARE YOU A HEAVY SLEEPER?
Only during the weekends

48. WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR EYES?
Dark Brown

49. HOW DO YOU SNEEZE?
Short and sweet..haha!

50. DO YOU LIKE YOUR LIFE?
Pwede na =) But of course, I'm constantly striving for the better.

51. WHO'S BETTER: STONE COLD OR THE ROCK?
The Rock because he has crossed-over to the silver screen (labo!).

52. ARE YOU PSYCHIC?
Slightly

53. HAVE YOU READ "CATCHER IN THE RYE"?
Not yet. Weird no? hehe!

54. DO YOU PLAY ANY INSTRUMENTS?
Piano and other instruments..hehe!

56. CAN YOU SNOWBOARD?
Sana lang merong snow 'no

57. DO YOU LIKE CAMPING?
Never went on camping..Pero mukha naman syang masaya.

58. DO U SNORT WHEN U LAUGH?
Sometimes I can't contain it. hahaha! hnggok!

59. DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?
Got to believe!

No Ordinary Morning

2005-10-08T16:16:00.001+08:00

If there was nothing that I could say
Turned your back and you just walked away
Leaves me numb inside I think of you
Together is all I knew
We moved too fast, but I had no sign
I would try to turn the hands of time
I looked to you for a reason why
The love we had passed me by
And as the sun would set you would rise
Fall from the sky into paradise
Is there no light in your heart for me
You've closed your eyes, you no longer see
There were no lies between me and you
You said nothing of what you knew
But there was still something in your eyes
Left me helpless and paralysed
You could give a million reasons
Change the world and change the tides
Could not give me the secrets
Of your heart and of your mind
In the darkness that surrounds me
Now there is no peace of mind
Your careless words undo me
Leave the thought of us behind
You could give a million reasons
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...Chicane

Not your ordinary turo-turo!!!

2005-10-05T23:03:00.001+08:00

Discovered this new barbeque-han somewhere in the Project 4-Katipunan area that serves really good pork barbeque, isaw manok, isaw baboy, and all other baboy and manok parts.

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Call this place DANNYLICIOUS!!!

Heto mga pictures nang magtreat si Hanzel (isang officemate) kani-kanina lang. =)

Galit-galit!

Ganito talaga pag pinausukan ka sa ihawan.

Mukha pa ring fresh. =)

Mukha nang busog...

Si Tomas at si Ligaya (la lang!)

Heto ang birthday boy!!!

2005-10-02T23:43:00.001+08:00

You're positive outlook is endearing, but your tales are far-fetched. Which Tim Burton character are you?

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Edward Bloom

Click Here to Take This Quiz
Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

In this lifetime

2005-10-02T11:03:00.001+08:00

Thanks, Bugsy! I finally got something to write about. =)

***
20 years ago…

We were living in a modest two-storey apartment in Tandang Sora. All I remember doing was play, eat, and practice my handwriting. My brother and I were probably Mama’s biggest headaches because we’d always come home soiled and injured.

1985 was the year when I lost my two-front teeth from a horribly bloody accident, again, involving my brother and I. The next years were even more tormenting as I endured my playmates’ and cousins’ constant repartee just because I was “bungi” and my case seemed hopeless. up:gucci bags

15 years ago…

I was in first grade, and two-front teeth started to come out.

I would elatedly come home and proudly show those perfect exam scores to my parents. I was consistently in the elite Top 10 of the class, but still felt insecure for not being appointed as an officer and not finishing first in the year-end academic ranking.

It was also in 1990 when I first experienced the wrath of Mother Nature. Our teacher was about to dismiss the class when everything around us just started shaking and swaying. I was noiselessly trembling at one corner while cries and screams echo all over.

10 years ago…

I had wet dreams. ‘Nuf said.

5 years ago…

My first time to be listed in my college academic probation list…I had to struggle for one semester to lift my probationary status and at the same time redeem my honor by becoming a college scholar at semester-end.

One day after Erap was impeached, we marched to Mendiola to clamor for the President’s ouster. It was the first time in about 20 or so years that our college (known to be moderate on campus and political issues) assumed an active role in this historic episode of our country.

3 years ago…

I was a part-time student and full-time officer-member of UP EcoSoc. I guess we preferred creating marketing proposals and signing event sponsorship deals over testing multiple linear regressions for the thesis. For this, thesis partner and I got an INC from Dr. Alburo. We had to stay for another semester and bear our parents’ constant nagging to finish our thesis. Well at least we got a final grade of 1.5!

My first try on the corporate life…

I worked at a call center during my final term in college. It was stressful, but I’d get my daily comic relief from teammates. It felt lonely spending Christmas away from home while irate customers yelled at you. I terribly missed living the normal life. Soon, I resigned.

Last year…

I was depressed.

I hated myself.

It was a year of personal struggle.

This year…

I rediscovered blogging and its cathartic elements. Moved from Joeuser to Blogspot for that matter.

Perhaps, I regained my self-esteem, acknowledged feelings of gloom, and finally accepted my imperfections.

Found absolute gratification from seeing new places...I am more than thankful to have visited Kyoto (the most charming place in the world!) and trekked the heights of Batad. I reconnected with my other artsy-fartsy self which helps maintain a healthy level of sanity within me.

Still hoping I’ll have better prospects in my career soon.

Yesterday…

It was a typical Friday. Too much of our clients’ anticipation for the weekend, I suppose, reduced our workload.

The company announced a new client deal. I’ve considered moving to this new account.

Last Night…

Music 21 sessions till sunrise!!! Singing Matchbox 20’s “Push” bared my Rockstar INXS talent…hehe!

Today…

Listening to D’ Sound and Utada Hikaru…I kind of missed humming their more popular tunes. Time-off from Saturday night happenings.

Tomorrow…

Wake up early and head for the gym.

Hopefully, I could also buy shirts that I can wear to work, a 256 MB flash drive, and a 128 MB memory card for my camera.

Planning to stop by the Megatrade Hall to see a transport show that Ken and workmates put up...

Next year…

Take up units in Graduate School. Not sure yet if I’d take up MBA or enroll in an entirely different course. (As you know, I’m quite interested in the culinary arts and I’ve resolved to learn cooking adobo and pasta at least before the year comes to an end. =p)

5-10 Years from now…

Have a personally and financially rewarding career or a successful business.

I would have experienced the tranquil land and seascapes of the Philippines by then (Panglao is on the top of my list).

Digital photography will be a major creative diversion and a part-time profession!

Not sure if I’ll desire to settle down. Hmmm…may be I won’t.
***

Go tag yourselves!!!

The Grandeur

2005-09-30T12:37:00.001+08:00

Batad Village...
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Walking past Ifugao huts and rice terraces...

Trek to the Tapia Falls (Where's Arlo?)

The rapids of Tapia