2007: A Year to Let Go

Imagine for a moment that you're in a rowboat a mile from shore when the boat springs a leak. The bottom is quickly filling with water, and the boat is about to sink. At this point you have three choices: You can stay with the boat and surely drown. You can jump out, abandon the boat, and swim for shore. Or, you can jump out and swim for shore dragging the boat along with you.

An excerpt taken from a book by Joe Caruso, which pretty much summarizes the year 2007 for me. A year of important decisions, changing perspectives, future planning and letting go of a lot of things.

To pick up where I left off before, here are some of the highlights for the remainder of this year.

July

• My Sister's Wedding
• The AOTS Incident
  
• Job Interview
  

August

• The Unofficial High School Reunion
• Resignation

September

• Last Day
• New Job
  
• Jasmine's Resignation
• Corregidor Trip

October

• Glorietta Blast
• My Birthday
• My New Phone
  

November

• JLPT Cram Sessions
• Condo Reservation
  

December

• JLPT Exam
• Palawan Trip
• House Cleaning
  
• UST Paskuhan
• Anniversary
  

It has been a really tough year for me, but I'm really thankful for all the blessings I have received this year. I'm also thankful to all my friends and colleagues, for making 2007 a fun and sensible year for me. Finally, to Jasmine, for being there for me all the time.

Happy New Year to Everyone!

I'm going to end this post with a continuation of the excerpt...

...Put in those words, the third choice sounds pretty ridiculous. But that's exactly what many of us do. We slog through life dragging along outworn ideas, false assumptions, and relationships that we've outgrown or worn thin, and all the while, we're exerting a lot of effort. If you can picture all that stuff as so much useless baggage, I bet you'll also be able to see that it's no more than dead weight that's keeping you from moving through life as effectively as you would if you just let it go. Your own dead weight may take many shapes and forms - including people and dead-end relationships. If you let go of it, your hands will be free to grab opportunity when it arises.

Old Toys: Childhood Memories

I've always reminded myself not cling on material things too much. Not only because I could never bring them with me when I die, but also, most of these things prevent me from giving attention and focus to things which are really important and significant.

A few weeks back, I started cleaning and disposing a lot of things from our house. Most of them barely useful to anyone at home, some decomposing, some just collecting dust particles. My personal things were no exception.

Starting with some of my childhood toys, they are not those which can be considered as collector's items. But it seemed that I was able to keep them for a very long time. Not due to their financial value but probably due to their sentimental value.

Some of them were given to me by my grandma, some by elementary friends, some bought from a different country but was never used. But one thing is common, all of them had once made me happy as a child.

And now, I think it is time to let others experience that happiness. I gave them away hoping that it may put a smile on some child's face somewhere.

I never experienced having a lot of cool and expensive toys when I was a child. Although I envied my cousins and classmates for having those toys, I learned to be contented and happy for what I have or I don't have.

S2 Reloaded

Finally, I got my camera serviced and cleaned at the Canon Service Center along Pasong Tamo (A.K.A. Chino Roces) last Thursday. It was a long walk from Jasmine's workplace to the service center, but it was worth it... I got them to inspect and clean my camera for free... maybe it was my "charm"... ha ha ha... >:)

They opened up my camera and showed me that there is no way the ants could get any farther inside. The speaker holes where I found the ants coming out is practically a dead end. Whew!

So I just asked the service representative if I they could clean the internals of my camera. While they were working on my camera I saw a notice saying that they will be charging P250.00 consultation fee starting from February 2006. I also overheard a customer commenting that the repair cost for her broken IXUS camera is P14,000, and she was nagging his son for dropping it.

When she returned my camera, I asked her where should I pay. But she told me it's OK and I don't have to pay anything. The cute... err... kind service representative just asked me to fill-up some form for record purposes, and the next time I come back, she'll be charging more. >.<>:P

Paskuhan 2007: Sweet Spot

I went to UST last December 19 for the annual Paskuhan event. This year is a bit different for me because I got to do things that I've never done before. Thanks to my younger sister who's working for the Project Management Office, I was able to get to the highest part of the UST Main Building. :)

I was really excited to be up there. I was a bit shaky when I got to the top. I wasn't really sure if it was just excitement or fear of slipping and falling or dropping my camera. :S

It was such an unforgettable experience for me. Somehow, just being up there made me feel privileged and proud to be part of the Thomasian community. >:)

I took a couple of shots while I was up there. It was UST in a different perspective, literally. :P

===============>
Here's a shot of the Paskuhan crowd with the UST laser flashed in one spot. This laser was installed in the Main Building. It was rented specially for this event. There was another laser in front of the Main Building which displayed acknowledgments and credits.

<===============
Here's a shot of the evening sky in Manila, with a bunch of well-lit buildings.

===============>
Here's a closer look of the Benavides Park. Decorated with flashing blue lights and four giant gift boxes in different colors.

<===============
Like any other Paskuhan event, the highlight of the evening would be the fireworks display, where hundreds of thousands of pesos are instantly burned in the sky. Every student should witness this event because they paid for it. >:P




===============>
Here's the 2nd laser that I've mentioned. It initially displayed acknowledgments and credits. Later, they allowed students to put custom messages and greetings, for a price of course.

If you will look closer, the name flashed in the facade is my sister's. They're the ones who gave the most effort in making sure all the Christmas lights and decorations were laid out in time for the Paskuhan event.

After taking pictures from above, we went down for quick dinner. Then we went outside to meet some of my sister's friends. Then we split up, and I went around the UST campus. Unfortunately, I didn't bumped into any people I know while I was circling the compound.

<=============== Here's my last shot before we went back. I was on that small platform when I took the pictures. There's a spiral staircase that brings you to the top most platform. This is my first time to be there and probably my last.

Click here to view some of my selected shots.

Merry Christmas to All!

Get to know me better?

This seems to be pretty interesting... Ha ha ha...
http://www.quizbox.com/personality/test82.aspx

Your view on yourself:
You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.

The type of girlfriend you are looking for:
You like serious, smart and determined people. You don't judge a book by its cover, so good-looking people aren't necessarily your style. This makes you an attractive person in many people's eyes.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:
You prefer to get to know a person very well before deciding whether you will commit to the relationship.

The seriousness of your love:
Your have very sensible tactics when approaching the opposite sex. In many ways people find your straightforwardness attractive, so you will find yourself with plenty of dates.

Your views on education:
You may not like to study but you have many practical ideas. You listen to your own instincts and tend to follow your heart, so you will probably end up with an unusual job.

The right job for you:
You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.

How do you view success:
You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying.

What are you most afraid of:
You are concerned about your image and the way others see you. This means that you try very hard to be accepted by other people. It's time for you to believe in who you are, not what you wear.

Who is your true self:
You like privacy very much because you enjoy spending time with your own thoughts. You like to disappear when you cannot find solutions to your own problems, but you would feel better if you learned to share your thoughts with a person you trust.

Ants on My Cam

It seems that ants not only like hard drives but cameras as well... T_T
Now I have no excuse for not bringing my camera to a Canon service center... T_T

By the way, I ran into this page while searching for some articles about cameras and ants.

http://www.whattheduck.net/

The Old Refrigerator

How long are you going to keep an item you bought 30 years ago, stopped using 10 years ago, and has been lying around for 20 years now?



My mom bought this refrigerator in 1977. If my memory serves me right, we replaced this with a new one around 10 years ago. And just 2 years ago, we replaced it again with another. The 2nd never lasted that long compared with the 1st. But the 2nd was never kept as long.

The 2nd fridge was immediately taken downstairs and was used as a cabinet to store different things. The 1st fridge was never taken downstairs, it was stuck here, in the 2nd floor, rusting, blocking the light and air from our windows, and accumulating dust as time goes by.



This fridge is just one of the many old and useless things that this household just couldn't let go. And for whatever reason, I could not really comprehend. The electric fan in the photo is more than 20 years old now, it broke 2 months ago. It's still here.

For me, this is no longer an issue of wasting money or resources. Everything breaks. You could repair them several times, but there will always come a time when it is no longer possible to repair them. And the only thing left to do is to let go.

Few months back, I made a promise to myself, that 2007 would not pass without me removing that old fridge from this house. Last Sunday, I began the eviction process. It was a daunting task. Because it was too heavy, I had to remove the compressor first. I consulted my dad first because I was not sure if it might blow up or something.

When he learned that I'm going to take it apart, he told me that the fridge is still working, that the parts were all new... Yeah right! The parts were new, 10 years ago! And even if it's still working, it's pretty useless to keep it here if we are not planning to use it in the next 10 or 20 years.

I never really said that to him. He probably knew that it won't stop me from taking it apart so he just told me what to do.



First, I need to cut the metal tubes attached to the compressor and to the body of the fridge. The tubes are quite thick and difficult to snap. I spent quite sometime bending and snapping the tubes.



Next, the compressor body must be unscrewed from the base. The most difficult part was removing the last screw located at the back of the compressor, which I couldn't really see.

After the compressor was removed. My dad used a hand truck to move to a temporary location, until we finally figure out how to bring it out of the house.

The end result...



Everything looks a little brighter now...

But I had to pay some price... T_T

My left knee...



My left thumb...



And my right arm...



That's for being careless and blind... :P

I'm Straight (Part 2)

Disclaimer: I have nothing against people who consider themselves homosexual or bisexual. And, I respect the right of a person to express himself in anyway that pleases him as long as it does not offend or violate the rights of others. Having said that, I would like to apologize in advance, if the content of this post offends anybody in anyway.

I do have my share of stories and encounters with people who are "different". This is part 2, because a few months back, I had an unusual "indirect" encounter with someone. I've decided not to put any details here since it would be inappropriate to do so. O:-)

I'm posting this because I had a rather awkward experience today. Not that I met someone. It's because I was mistaken to be one of them. T_T

It all began the moment I got a hold of that Pink Leather Shoulder Bag in Power Mac Center located in Greenbelt 3. I inspected it and asked the sales lady to get me new stock. The other sales ladies in the cashier had probably noticed me and started thinking that I was gay. When the sales lady returned, she brought a pink one and a black one. Then she offered me the black one. :-?

Then I thought, why the hell is she offering me the black one? As if bringing a black shoulder bag would assert manhood. From that point, I was pretty sure she was thinking that I'm gay.

So I told her that I'm giving it to a girl so I'm going to get the pink one, I also added that it's a gift. She looked surprise when I said that. Then proceeded to the payment section. But wait, there's more...

When the lady in the cashier started processing the item, she saw the bag and seemed to got disoriented. Probably because there is a pink bag on the counter with two guys standing in front of it. One of the guy, of course, is me. The other guy is a big guy who I thought was gay, because of the way he dressed, although he didn't really sounded like one.

So the sales lady told them that the item was mine and they seemed to be surprised too. I noticed that they were somewhat trying not to laugh but I can see their smiles. The sales lady then told them that it was gift for a girl. Then the sales lady at the counter asked me if it is really a gift for a girl. How many times do they have to ask? :-(

In the end, one of them commented that the girl who I will be giving the gift is lucky. One even blurted that she hope someone gives her something like an iPod Shuffle.

-------------------------------------------------------

I'm not angry with what happened, I actually find it rather amusing.

Before, it is normal to see a guy buying girl stuffs, since everybody knows he is going to give it to a girl. But now, when you see a guy checking out girl stuffs, more often than not, he is going to buy it for himself. Not to mention a group of "male" individuals checking out stuffs in the women section of a department store.

What I see is big change in the way people think about other people based on the circumstances that surrounds them. I don't have any idea when this actually began and how. Perhaps during Pinoy Big Brother Season 1 Celebrity Edition? or after some allegations thrown by that no good Lolit Solis?

One thing is for sure, their numbers are growing and there is probably nothing we could do about it. Whether it will be good or bad for the human race... we have yet to find out.

-------------------------------------------------------

Just a side thought, this might actually be the solution for our ever growing population in the Philippines and in the World. Natural birth control. >:)

120 Gigabytes of Ants

A couple of weeks ago, I removed a spare 120GB hard drive from my desktop. I intend to use it as a replacement of my old 40GB hard drive where my operating systems are currently installed. But since Service Pack 1 of Vista won't be available until early next year, I decided to store it in one of the shelves above my computer table.

When I got home today, weird enough, without any reason, I took it out of the anti-static plastic. A few moments later, I noticed several small red creatures moving around my hard drive... ANTS!!!

I've heard several tragic stories of ants invading hard drives and rendering them useless but it has never occurred to me that it could also happen to me. Arrrgh!!!

I've managed to drive some of them away by shaking and successively hitting the surface of my drive. I just hope that they still haven't penetrated the internals of my hard drive. >.<

What's with ants that they love nesting on hard drives?
Do they prefer bigger hard drives to store their food supplies?
Do they prefer NTFS over FAT32 formatting?

I have an older 20GB drive lying around for months without any protective covering and yet they still picked the 120GB drive. T_T

It seems that I'm not the only who has experienced this problem. Ants were actually ranked as the top 1 reason for data disasters in this recent article.

My Linux Desktop

I've been trying several Linux distributions which I'm getting from my monthly Linux Magazine subscription. It seems that Ubuntu Linux is still the most appropriate flavour for my configuration. It's simplicity from installation, to configuration, to usage is unmatched.

Long Day, Closures and Some Luck

JLPT Day

I woke up earlier than usual this morning. I usually get up around 9AM on Sundays, just in time for Power Rangers and Inu Yasha. Today is special, because it's JLPT day. I've dedicated the past few days doing some final preparations for the exam and of course, watching a couple of favorite TV shows... :)

The exam is, I should say "manageable". But I'm not so confident with my answers in the listening exam, specially because of the several times that I've spaced out (not because our proctor is pretty) while trying to catch up with the conversations played to us. The effect of the coffee that I've taken this morning had probably worn off.

Well, there is nothing more I could do about it but wait for the results in a few months. At least, now I could finally focus on my new job.

I don't have any progress with my work since Friday and I was worried that I won't be able to give some worthy report tomorrow. Luckily, our boss e-mailed us that the Monday's conference call have been moved to Tuesday instead. That gave me another day to catch up. Whew!!!

Marben's Party

But my day did not end with just the JLPT exam. We went to Glorietta afterwards to meet up with Marben for our Wii + Pictionary + Pizza Party at Helen and Mau's place. Bert and Ate Weng joined as well. It was tiring but we really had a great time. And it was really nice to see Marben again, after being gone for more than a year.

Going home is exciting as ever... the taxi that we took got some battery or alternator problem while we were on our way to Jas' home. To put it simple, the head lights are not working, and we are running along east service road with very few street lights. We got to Jas' place safe, but that's not the end of my "exciting" journey. I still have to go home, remember?

Dance with Death

The taxi driver agreed to drop me off somewhere along EDSA so I could transfer to another taxi. I didn't realized how dangerous it was earlier, because we were on the express way most of the time (traffic in only one direction). Since we took the poorly lighted service road (two-way), the driver was just relying on the hazard lights to warn the cars and trucks from the opposing traffic. Talk about death wish.

The taxi driver took a road which was well lighted at some point. But at a certain curved road, we almost (5-10 meters) hit a parked 8 or 10 wheeler truck. Luckily, he realized it and was able to slow down on time... :S

Come to think of it, I'm not even sure if he really saw the parked truck, because he made some comment on another truck beside the parked truck. That 2nd truck has it's brake lights turned on, the 1st one DIDN'T. Probably, if not for the weak red light of the 2nd truck, he won't be able to notice the 1st truck!!!

We managed to arrive safely somewhere along Pasong Tamo and I transferred to another taxi. I tested some of my social skills and was able to extract some information from the taxi driver. He lives in FTI, Taguig. Stays in front of City Land most of the time, where his most popular customers are staying. And most of them are call center agents working Makati. His daily boundary is P1300. Works from night to morning and spends the rest of the day sleeping and eating.

LPG Dangers

But the most important thing that I've learned from him is that, most taxi drivers nowadays do not prefer the conversion to LPG due to some side effects to their health, probably due to prolonged exposure to some LPG residues. I still have to verify this information though. But for the mean time, I'll be avoiding them.

---------------------------

Even the dimmest light shines in the darkest dark...

JLPT Cram Sessions

A few more days and we will be having the JLPT Level 3 exam. We've been preparing for this since December last year. It was originally planned that I will be taking Level 1 as advised by 田中先生. But due to some unforeseen circumstances (lack of ability), I was demoted back to Level 2 after a couple of months. Then, after the mock exam given to us, I was again demoted back to Level 3.

Not bad really. If I think about it carefully, even if I was able to passed Level 2, I would have just "passed" the exam. There is no real and deep understanding of the subject. And I'm not going to be satisfied with only that.

I never really had a chance to review ever since I started working for my new job. And after almost 2 months of avoidance (procrastination), I find myself cramming for it. Hopefully, I would find enough time this week to practice for the listening exams. That is, if I could finish the remaining vocabulary and grammar notes provided to us by 田中先生.

じゃあ、頑張ります!

Desperation: Part 2

After several months, I find myself trying to recall the conversation I had with my uncle a few months back. To my disappointment, I could no longer remember all the details of what we've discussed that time.

This post is the continuation of my previous entry here.

So, why my uncle? Probably because he's the only one qualified to do so. He's the only one among the siblings who I should say became successful career wise.

Why not my parents? For a couple of reasons: They weren't trained that way. They didn't want to take the risk. And they just couldn't do the job. Cause they probably thought that I might kill myself in the process. Ha ha... I may actually be able to use that to my advantage. Manipulation 101. >:)

Basically, he insisted to me it's impossible to get their approval. He was once in the same situation but he gave up then went to Taiwan where he met his wife and established his own family. But who said I need their approval? If they don't like it, then they have to deal with it. :P

Based from our conversation, it is pretty obvious that he is really not happy with his family right now. That's why he advised me not to get married soon. Hey, I never mentioned that I'm getting married soon!

I don't remember how our conversation ended, but surely, it's much better than that of my dad. My dad has NO ability to make good conversations.

Reflecting on those exchange of words, I got a few important thoughts...

• Respect, is earned by an individual through his actions towards others, not by his social status, affiliation, nor origin.
  
  
• We can't and shouldn't try to have everything in life, but we could always make the most out of what we have.
  
  
• We shouldn't blame anybody for our miseries, they may have indirectly caused us some troubles, but in the end, it is what we do about it that really matters.
  
  
• Real happiness, comes from within, and not given nor dictated by the actions of others.

Essentially, everything revolves around fear. Fear that their friends might laugh at them. Fear that I will lose all my money. Fear that I will have a broken family. Fear that nobody will take care of them when they get really old.

They've already wasted 50 years of their lives living in fear. I've also shared 20 of those years living in the very same things they've feared. But I'm not going to continue doing that. I'm taking control of every aspect of my life.

A Sinful Lunch

I was on my way to Glorietta for lunch when I saw a poster with a familiar name on it. It has never occurred to me that I would see one of those in this area. The home of the best ribs in Cebu is now in Greenbelt... :) It's La Maison!!!



I was planning to go for a regular "Barkada Ribs" but the waitress gave me this "Sigurado ka ba sa order mo?" look. Then she offered me the Baby Back Ribs Bento instead... :P



The food was as good as I expected it to be. Brings back some Cebu memories... :)

According to one of the crew members, two of them, including her, came from the Cebu branch. She also added that they have another branch in Trinoma which opened last June.

I'm gonna eat there again soon. :)

News Flash: Croc Blast

Someone just blew up the largest crocodile den in the Philippines. Poor crocodiles. :(

Hopefully this time, it's not some pile of shit causing the explosion. Either ways, it was a pretty good target.

We're saving around P65,000,000 for each dead crocodile each year. Taking into account the P500,000 "cash gifts", that's enough to feed hundreds of starving families in the country for a year.

Let's to some math...

Current minimum wage in NCR for non-agriculture industry is P362 per day which translates to roughly P7240 per month or P86880 per year. Assuming it's enough to feed a family for a year, that means P65,500,000 can feed around 754 families per year.

Therefore, each dead crocodile can "theoretically" help 754 families. So the more dead crocodiles, the better. :D

But still, the end does not justify the means. Taking away lives is still not right regardless of whatever good purpose it will mean. I'm just being sarcastic. :)

Click here to read more.

P.S.
You just can't get enough of this country...
And yes, lightning do strike at the same place twice and sometimes even more...

Halloween Season Thoughts

Halloween season is one of the very few times we get to go out together as a family. It's quite unusual that we only get to go out when visiting our deceased relatives in cemeteries or temples. This year is no exception. We visited 2 cemeteries and a temple in three separate occasions. Primarily to avoid heavy traffic, but it seems that we're not the only ones thinking that way.

As early as the Sunday before All Saints Day, we got stuck in traffic for more than an hour before reaching the Chinese Cemetery. By the time we head back home, the heavy traffic have disappeared. It's quite funny that majority of the population think the same way, that the more they try to get ahead of other people, the more they are stuck behind.

Not very far from commuters racing with and pushing each other, in order to get through one MRT exit while the other 4 exits have very short lines. It happens all the time.

P.S. More Halloween posts to come.

Help End World Hunger

For each word you get right, they will donate 10 grains of rice through the United Nations to help end world hunger...

Jas and Ria would love this...

http://www.freerice.com/

Touch Me Not

As I had promised myself a month ago, I got new gadget. I'm replacing my old Nokia 1100 phone with a new assistant. I bought this after receiving my last pay from NSP. A reward for my hard work, and also a gift for my birthday.

For the record, it took me a month to decide whether to buy it or not. It was a tough decision. At times, I feel guilty spending that much money for a gadget. >:)

Introducing, my HTC Touch...







Unfortunately, I accidentally purged all my 240+ contacts the moment I attempted to sync with Microsoft Outlook. Stupid ActiveSync! Stupid Outlook! Stupid me for trusting those softwares! I managed to restore some of my contacts through some of my friends, just 60 of them though. :(

Living in Fear

If you happen to pass by Glorietta last week, even until the last couple of days, you would have noticed the massive drop in the number of mall visitors. The activity center which is normally crowded with children and also adults, is almost empty.

Glorietta 4 cinemas, which should have been jam-packed on weekend afternoons, seemed like no movie is being shown at all. Even the most popular fast food chains are half-closed, there was even a time when the number of crew exceeded the number of customers.

There's no better word I could think of that describes this situation other than the word "fear". Yes, we all live in a fear-driven world. Although fear itself is just a matter of perspective, is not that easy to eliminate it from our system.

There are many kinds of fear, but essentially they only prevent us from achieving real happiness. We all know what we fear, and it is not so hard to realize them, but the greatest question would be what are you going to do about it?

-----------------------------------------------------

Personally, I am against the inspection in malls and train station.s Aside from a "false sense of security", we get absolutely nothing from it. Ever since the Rizal Day bombing, regular citizens like me has to endure long, slow moving lines just to get on a train or buy something in a mall.

Hell, that was 7 years ago. How long are we going to stay this way? People like me suffer because people who are getting paid by taxpayers like me are incapable of doing their jobs. And whenever another bomb goes off somewhere, sometime, God knows what other kind of "heavier" security measures they could think of.

We waste millions, or maybe even billions just to develop weapons, and to strengthen our so-called "security". For what? For safety? For a better life?

-----------------------------------------------------

So what are we really afraid of?
That we might fail tomorrow's exam?
That we might not get a perfect score?
That we might not receive a gift on my birthday?
That we might lose my job next year?
That we might not be able to meet a deadline?
That we might not wake up tomorrow?
That we might be stabbed to death by a drunk?
That we might lose our love ones next week?
That another explosion would occur in another mall?
That tomorrow, Earth is going to be hit by a meteor?

There is an infinite number of things that you could think of fearing. But who cares? People will only care about what they fear. Humans are selfish by nature. If they were not, they would have been extinct early on.

A Year Older, A Year Wiser

...or maybe not...

Jasmine, together with some of my friends in NSP prepared a surprise dinner for my birthday at Krocodile Grill. It was really nice of them to throw a party for me. I was really touched. T_T

A few weeks ago, Jas told me to reserve October 26. I asked her why, and she couldn't tell me why, after a minute of persuasion, she told me that her friend is going to be engaged. I knew there was something fishy, plus the fact that she's not good in lying.

After a couple of days, I forgot that event and believed that there is really going to be an engagement party. I even wore a polo for the occasion. I couldn't believe that I've fallen for it. :P

Anyhow, it was nice seeing some familiar faces again. I even got a new Gundam kit to add to my collection, and a bundle of messages from my NSP family.

To Jasmine, Bert, Rajah, Ria, Sheila, Cheann, Erik, Nelson, Renan, Roel, Harmy, Mabel, and those who've wrote a message for me...

Thank you! I appreciate the treat, the gift, and the messages. :)

Conspiracy Theories

False Sense of Security

For a few weeks now, I've been planning to post something about the worthless yet annoying security procedures in LRT, MRT stations and all of the shopping malls.

Recently, several walk in metal detectors were installed in Glorietta. Amusingly enough, the metal detectors were beeping almost all the time, to the point that the security guards are just ignoring them. Not to mention the improper use of those hand-held metal detectors. Most security personnel use them as a stick to poke through bags. What an expensive BBQ stick.

Well, just poking through someone's bag doesn't really work at all. I don't think they even have any idea what they are trying to look for. It only causes unnecessary delay and extreme annoyance to most passengers or shoppers. Plus the fact that bombs are not made out of metals.

False sense of security, as I call it.

Until now, I still could not believe that a bomb did explode yesterday despite of all the attempts to establish this false sense of security. This should be an eye-opener for the mall owners, our police force and normal people as well.

Conspiracy Theories

Upon learning that there's a possibility that it was a bomb. I immediately thought of theories behind this gruesome event. If this was done by real terrorists, they would have chosen a better target, Glorietta 4 perhaps, where most people would be having their lunch. Or maybe they just didn't want to kill too many people.

Like some people would think, this event might just be a diversionary tactic of the current administration, to shift the issues from "Malacañang Cash Gifts" and impeachment to something more serious like national security or terrorism.

Another one would be, this might have been planned by anti-administration groups to destabilize the government. Very similar to the Rizal Day bombings during Erap's administration, which ultimately lead to the fall of Erap's presidency. Some groups have claimed that it was orchestrated by GMA's camp. And a little over a decade ago, FVR used the same methods to control Cory's administration as well.

Whoever did this and for whatever reason, we will probably know in the coming days or in the coming months. Who knows, we might already be seeing the face of the mastermind on the news.

Laziness Always Pays Off Now

Yesterday, an explosion occured in Glorietta 2 instantly killing several people and injured several hundreds more. Earlier that day I was planning to have lunch at Yoshinoya, pay my credit card bill, then go to Park Square to buy some PC component.

An hour before lunch, Jasmine decided to have lunch with me instead of her officemates. Cheann also decided to join us for lunch, and tagged Erik along. Because Glorietta is to far from their office, we opted to have lunch near their office, World Topps.

The service at World Topps was unusually slow that time, we waited for more than 20 minutes before they served our orders. By the time we're done eating, it was way past 1PM.

I started walking towards Glorietta then Park Square to get the component. But then I got a bit lazy of the long walk (From PBCOM to Park Square) so decided to return to the condo instead. A few minutes later, I got a text message from Jas telling me not to proceed to Glorietta because there was an explosion.

A few minutes more, Rajah came. His hair was white due to the debris from the explosion. He was at the 3rd floor of Glorietta 2 when the explosion occurred. He's lucky he wasn't harmed.

I'm also lucky enough not to be there that time. I can't imagine what could have happened if I didn't have lunch with Jas, or the food came a few minutes earlier, or I didn't get lazy.

If it's halloween, It must be saw

You think it's over?

You think you're safe?

You are wrong!

The games have just begun.

http://www.saw4.com

A Little Dose of Demotivation

I came across this item while browsing at ThinkGeek. It's a poster containing a quote about procrastination.



"Hard Work Often Pays Off After Time, but Laziness Always Pays Off Now."

I find it funny and interesting so I did some research which brought me to the website of Despair, Inc. They're offering posters, shirts, calendars and other souvenir items that satirize motivational doctrines. They sell items which parody the motivational products produced by Successories.

They even produced a book called "The Art of Demotivation: The Doctor is out of Patience". I'm amused of their approach in problems of employee productivity, loyalty and self-esteem. If there's a chance I'm going to get myself a copy of this book.

Here are some of the quotes which I find rather interesting...

Apathy: If we don't take care of the customer,maybe they'll stop bugging us.

Blame: The secret to success is knowing who to blame for your failures.

Compromise: Let's agree to respect each others views, no matter how wrong yours may be.

Consulting: If you're not a part of the solution,there's good money to be made in prolonging the problem.

Demotivation: Sometimes the best solution to morale problems is just to fire all of the unhappy people.

Hazards: There is an island of opportunity in the middle of every difficulty. Miss that, though, and you're pretty much doomed.

Indifference: It takes 43 muscles to frown and 17 to smile, but it doesn't take any to just sit there with a dumb look on your face.

Mistakes: It could be that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others.

Quality: The race for quality has no finish line- so technically, it's more like a death march.

Underachievement: The tallest blade of grass is the first to be cut by the lawnmower.

Worth: Just because you're necessary doesn't mean you're important

Tech Support Mode

Nothing beats a series of network problems in the middle of the night. Imagine the pressure that you have to endure, just to make sure that everything will be operational before tomorrow's work starts.

I'm lucky that I no longer have to be that guy. I can just stay on the sidelines, giving technical support and advice over the phone, while still doing what I enjoy most. Figuring out problems and thinking of solutions and making them work.

It would be much easier though, if I had remote access to the servers. I like dealing with problems hands-on. For now, I'll have to settle with just imagining my interaction with the Linux terminal and let the guy on the other line do his job.

After nearly 2 hours, most of the major problems were fixed. Hopefully, everything will be back to normal tomorrow like nothing happened tonight.

It was tiring, not only for me. But it was worth the time and effort.
Experience would still be your best teacher.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Just because you're necessary doesn't mean you're important - http://www.despair.com

Farewell Message: Continuation

First of all, I would like to apologize to those people whom I wasn't able to formally say goodbye to before I left two weeks ago. I guess I was forcing myself to be busy with work so I won't feel sad about my departure.

As a consequence, I never had a chance to prepare a good speech, and probably have forgotten to mention some of the important people in the office. But what really bothers me is that I wasn't able to talk to some people even at my last day of work.

As a continuation of my speech...

I would like to mention a few names of people who have made an influence in me during my stay in NSP. In no particular order... :P

Jas, Dennis, Niña, Matt, Marben, Gloi, Donna, Melissa, Ben, Bert, Roel, Renan, Nelson, Ria Mae, Metz, Jemma, Dino, Tanaka sensei, Tanaka san, Miss Nene, Jaja, Troy, Ate May, Sir Jay, Sir Gonz, Jecal, Henrison, Sir Mike, Roovin, Mark Lim, Rinnel, Mike B, Robii, Dino, Jenny, Mang Jerry, Mang Dennis...

I was planning to give a dedicated message for each of them, but it would probably make this post very long. Too keep it short. I would just like to let them know that I'm really honored and thankful to have shared my time with them.

Goodbye... for now. But I'm still looking forward to seeing them again.

Thanks again and good luck to all.

-------------------------------------

P.S. I guess this is the closing of this chapter of my life.

Things to Miss: Yoshinoya

Additional post... :P

I almost forgot... He he... :)
One of my motivations in my business trips to Japan.
To find Yoshinoya branches in the different places that I visit.

http://lostsoulofshinji.blogspot.com/search?q=Yoshinoya

Too bad, it's no longer possible for me to do that.
I would have to settle with the Yoshinoya branch in Park Square 1.

At least for now...
But I would really loved to go back... someday. :)

Bankrupt

The money left in my wallet is running dangerously low... :(
I might need to pull some from my emergency funds... :S

Things to Miss: Friends

It's been almost a week since I've left...

I can't seem to find time to put some new posts. Probably because I'm still adjusting to my new job... :)

I left our "office" around 3:30 today and spent around 30 minutes in Park Square and Glorietta before heading home. I arrived home before 6, and realized that it has been a while since I was able to get home before 6PM... :(

Finally, I have the chance to put some updates... :)
This should have been posted weeks ago. I just got so busy, too busy... :(

----------------------------------------

To end my series on things in NSP that I would miss...

This is a post dedicated to everyone who've been a part of my NSP family. If there's any reason why I've managed to stay happy in NSP, it's them.

I may not be the most popular one. I may not be the most loved one. But indeed, I was able to feel that I am important to them. And I'm really grateful for that.

Every single story, and every single laughter that we've shared is a treasure worth remembering. I would surely miss those times. *Sniff*

To my friends, thank you for becoming part of my life, and thank you for allowing me to become part of yours.

Officially Unemployed...

...for the moment. I'm taking a few days off. Two days to be exact.
But I'll be joining my new employer this Monday.

I wished I could have more time to rest before I start, but I guess that's not gonna happen.
So I'm just going to make the most out of whatever I have for today and tomorrow.
And hopefully, I'll be able to get a good rest.

I got several more delayed posts to make before I could finally move on...

First Drops of Tears in Years

I can't remember the last time I cried. And I couldn't believe that I just did.
I guess leaving a place that you've learned to love is really harder than it seems.

Reasons for Resignation

A lot of people seems to be wondering why I've decided to leave my current employer. Several weeks before I handed my resignation, I've been weighing out different options. At one point, I even thought of quiting IT.

Until now, I'm still finding reasons that would justify my decision. So far, here are the most important ones.

1. Time
Life could sometimes be unexpectedly short, that's a fact. I've always thought mine would be shorter than I wanted it to be. So I wanted to make the most out of every possible moment. But I won't be able to do that if I'm stuck in the office for 12 hours a day, and in some worst cases, 7 days a week.

I wanted to spend my time doing things other than office work; Trying out new stuffs, possibly learning new skills and discovering new talents... >:)

Ultimately, I wanted to spend more time with my family, friends, and myself.

2. Health
Those countless overtime's have taken its toll on my body. I can no longer afford to pick up some immunity related disease every time a project phase ends.

My eyes are not getting any better either. Just 2 months after I got my new prescription glasses, it seems that it has gotten worse again. I can't imagine myself going almost blind.

This time, I'm banking on my health.

3. Money

As of this moment, I don't have any major expenses. Most of my salary goes to my life insurance and investment in Sun Life. Whatever is left goes to my daily expenses, food, travel, entertainment and some PC parts. A small amount also goes to World Vision.

I also provide my youngest sister's allowance. She's a freshman student. Other than that, I don't have any major contribution to our household expenses. This is one of the things that make "them" feel that they should be in control of every aspect of our lives. That is why I wanted to take over some of the household expenses.

Lastly, I wanted to save so that I could have my own house in a few years time. Hopefully, within the next 5 years... :)

A Week and A Half

Since I'm too busy to write some updates...
I'm just going to show my DTR since I handed my resignation letter...



No leaves so far...
Overtime almost 50% of the time...

Desperation: Part 1

My dad woke me up this morning and told me to go with my uncle and cousin to Greenhills to buy some PC and PS2 games. They came from Taiwan a couple of days ago to fix some immigration papers.

My uncle has been living there for more than 25 years now. He works as an E.R. surgeon there and spends most of his free time playing PC games and some forms of light hacking. He wanted to go to Greenhills to buy some pirated softwares he could bring back to Taiwan. I was a bit hesitant because I've hadn't bought any pirated stuff for quite a while now.

I didn't want to start a word war with my dad so I canceled my personal appointment for the day and agreed to go. Besides, I knew that Jas will understand my situation. It has been more than 7 years since I last saw my cousin. He has grown taller than me now even though I'm a couple of years older than him.

We took a jeep to Divisoria and another jeep to Cubao. My uncle decided to stop at Morayta first before proceeding to Greenhills. We checked out several shops and bought a bunch of pirated CD's and DVD's.

After almost 2 hours of plowing through several catalogs of pirated softwares, we proceeded to Ever Gotesco. I've never been there before. He used to hang out there during his college days. Next stop was National Bookstore, we spend around half an hour there after finally deciding to get something too eat. :S

We went to Jollibee (Ever Gotesco) and got ourselves a Chickenjoy bucket treat (6 pieces of Chickenjoy, 3 rice, 3 spaghetti, 3 soft drink), 3 sundaes and 1 taco overload. I can't remember the last time I got myself really full. :O

While eating, my uncle started a conversation about my relationship....

To be continued...

The Fiasco Continues

I learned today that the AOTS slots supposedly given to us last month was moved to January instead of its original schedule of October. Nothing is really sure in life. When we we're asked if we're interested, we were asked to decided immediately (on the same day that we we're asked).

At the end of that same day, one of the two slots was revoked by top management (Cebu), which led me to take back my decision as well. I'm not telling all these to justify my decision. I won't even bother to find out why it was moved to a later date. These things do not concern me anymore. >:P

Right now, I'm prepping myself for a new chapter of my career so I won't dwell too much on the past. I have no regrets. But I won't deny the fact that sometimes, I do wonder, what would have happened, if the screw up, unintentional or not, never happened at all. :-?

You might wonder, whether that was the reason for my resignation... to get even perhaps. After all, scorpions tend to keep grudges. On other hand, those born in the year of the boar are peace loving individuals, so I can't be doing this for revenge... :) Talk about contradicting characteristics!

My next post will be about the true reasons for my resignation. Till next time... :)

Things to Miss: Overtime, Overnight, Overload

I'm not really sure if anyone should miss these things. If not for the significant boost in my spending power during OT days, you really won't be able to appreciate whatever you're staying or doing for.

I remember a time when I had to render OT for a week. I was not able to see my sister even once. Whenever I got home, she's already sleeping, and when I leave for work, she's still sleeping. I was spending less than 8 hours at home, 3 hours traveling, and the rest working.

Those seemingly endless OT's have taken a lot from me, physically, mentally and emotionally. Aside from physical stress and fatigue, I'm often being scolded by my Dad for that.

In some extreme cases, we had to spend the night in the office. These are the times when we're a few days before our deadline. OT's are usually part of our regular schedule, we do OT's to be on schedule and overnights to meet deadlines. :(

In my case, I do overnights for other reasons, such as Network maintenance and support. I also stay in the office when its already too late and difficult to go home (past 11:00PM) and kind enough not to disturb Mang Jerry in his sleep. :P

Overload, like the other two, is not something unusual in our group. Mainly due to lack of man power and an unreasonable schedule.

But, what's really good about these 3 O's is the bond and friendship that we've built during these tough times. Having someone to support you in these difficult times makes everything lighter and easier.

A Mini HS Reunion: Geeks Reunited

I attended Glenn's celebration Gloria Maris, Greenhills last Sunday. His father hosted a sort of victory party for him, for ranking 3rd in the Architect Licensure Exams. ^_^

Relatives, friends, classmates, and teachers were invited. It was like a mini high school reunion for some of us. It is really nice to see some familiar faces. :)

I haven't visited my high school alma mater for quite a while now and meeting some of our school teachers and administrators made me feel a little anxious.

As a sign of courtesy, we went over to their tables and greeted them. Some of them doesn't remember my name any more. 7 years must have been really long. Some of them were also surprised to see me. Probably because I've grown taller and changed my hair style :P

And as my title suggested, some geeks were reunited.
Magan short for Marc Gan, the Anime Geek.
Thomas Ellyson, the Anime/Math/Science/History/Computer Geek...
and me, your Regular Geek.

Ellyson works for PLDT, he's in-charged with residential DSL subscriptions. Back in high school, we used to be partners in several math and science competitions. Actually, he's the one doing most of the thinking and solving. I'm just the attraction. >:)

Here's a picture from last Sunday...


The guy standing next to me wearing glasses is Thomas.
The other guy beside me is Magan.
The one standing next to Magan is Glenn.

Here's a photo taken while I was in 1st or 2nd year high school...


I was really short back then...

Water, Water Everywhere

Some photos from this morning...

Flooded street...


Flooded inside...


At least an inch...


Paper boats...

Road to Learning

I got a chance to talk with our manager when I submitted my letter of resignation. Not so long ago, I was just one of the people who feel anxious whenever an employee is talking to him. We all wonder whether that person is already resigning or not. And if he is, what are the things that they are talking about. Last Tuesday, I finally experienced the feeling of being that person, the one being watched.

It was one of the best conversations I've had in my entire stay in the company. Although I don't really remember much of the details, I felt good during the few minutes of our exchange of words.

After asking where am I transferring, he suggested that I should consider getting a master's degree since I'm still young. He also added that there are currently a bunch of scholarships in some of the best Universities in the world.

I think it's a pretty good idea to go back to school. But this time, I could take my time and don't have to be pressured just to pass or graduate on time... :)

I still have so much to learn in this life...

Why Boats Sink?

I came across this article while searching in Google...

WHY BOATS SINK (AND HOW TO KEEP THEM AFLOAT)

The cost of repairing a boat that has been underwater, even briefly, is usually about 40% of its value.

Besides having to pay the deductible, the skipper typically loses the use of the boat for several weeks while it is being repaired. The best defense against a dockside sinking?

Visit your boat. And, at least twice a season, inspect any fittings above or below the waterline that could be letting water into the boat. All too often, skippers rely on bilge pumps to bail them out when they can’t visit their boats.

The pump fails and the boat sinks. If you can’t visit your boat regularly, consider using a buddy system with other boat owners to watch each other’s boats.

Click here to read the full article.

I find the first few paragraphs rather funny and interesting...
Maybe, it's just me. :)

Soaked Wet

I woke up a bit late today because I was really tired from another series of overtime work. I left the house around 7:30AM hoping to catch the 8:20 trip.

But to my disappointment, the colorum van I was riding was caught in traffic even before it could reach Roxas Boulevard. So much for the 8:20 trip. I just hoped that I could still catch up with the last trip (8:45).

Again, to my disappointment, before we reach Makati, heavy rains started to pour. Which worsened the traffic conditions in the area. T_T

I arrived at my usual drop-off point (The Peninsula Manila) around 8:50 and it was really raining hard. My umbrella was pretty much useless in preventing my jeans from getting wet.

I've decided to get a cab near Starbucks instead of walking to the Fort Bus terminal.
Finally, I was able to reach the office in one piece. It's just that I'm soaked wet. T_T

The first thing I did was to change my clothes so I won't get sick. Good thing I kept a pair of shorts in my cabinet. Then, I left my shirt, jeans, and socks in the eating room to let them dry.

It was an awkward day. Having to wear shorts on a working day. Not to mention the lady slippers I borrowed from Harmy. I tried my best not to move around a lot. >.<


The black one is mine and I bought the green one for my younger sister...


And I'll be retiring my 5+ year old semi-automatic umbrella which has served my pretty well in the past few years...


29 days to go...

Things to Miss: The Risks of Going Home Late

For the next 30 days, I'll be posting the things/people/happenings that I would probably miss after I leave NSP.

First on my list, the thrills of going home late...

I live in Tondo, and it usually takes me more than 1 hour to reach home by LRT+MRT+Jeep combination. That is also by far the safest means of transportation available for me. But because LRT closes before 9PM, I'm left with some not so safe alternatives.

Jeepney, where I experienced my first and hopefully my last "Buko pie hold-up" incident.
Bus, where a gay dude w/ boobs tries to get my attention.
FX, where I was harassed by the same gay dude w/ boobs. T_T

I've pretty much tried every possible alternative in getting home. Luckily, I still haven't encountered any life threatening experience with any of them. Hopefully, I won't be encountering any in the next 30 days even though I'm asleep in most of my travel time. >.< ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For those who are interested in going to my place, here's a list of possible ways to do so: 1. (MRT to Edsa-Taft) -> (LRT to Tayuman) -> (Jeep to Pritil)
- Fast, Cheap, and Safe
2. (MRT to Edsa-Taft) -> (Jeep to Tayuman) -> (Jeep to Pritil)
- Slow, Cheap, and Unsafe
3. (MRT to Edsa-Taft) -> (FX to Tayuman) -> (Jeep to Pritil)
- Fast, Expensive and Safe

4. (Bus to Buendia-Taft) -> (Jeep to Tayuman) -> (Jeep to Pritil)
- Slow, Cheap, and Unsafe
5. (Bus to Buendia-Taft) -> (FX to Tayuman) -> (Jeep to Pritil)
- Fast, Expensive, and Safe
6. (Bus to Buendia-Taft) -> (FX to Moriones) -> (Jeep to Pritil)
- Fast, Cheap, and Safe

7. (Bus to UST) -> (Jeep to Tayuman) -> (Jeep to Pritil)
- Slow, Cheap, and Safe
8. (FX to UST) -> (Jeep to Tayuman) -> (Jeep to Pritil)
- Fast, Cheap and Safe

9. (MRT to Cubao) -> (LRT2 to Recto) -> (Jeep to Tayuman)
- Slow, Expensive, Safe

10. (Ask Donna to give you a ride) -> (Jeep to Tayuman) -> (Jeep to Pritil)
- Fast, Cheapest, Safe

For Food Lovers

Planning for a food trip? group lunch out?
Looking for a good place for a lunch or dinner date?
or Just feeling a little hungry?

Checkout this blog http://eatsmychoice.blogspot.com/
for some fresh ideas on your next food adventure.

Letting Go

I just had a pretty rough day indeed...

This morning, I talked to Ate May about my resignation next week.
It was really difficult, but it had to be done...
Tomorrow, I'll be talking to Tanaka-san and Sir Gonz.

But... this is not only reason why I had a rough day...

Though this may seem pretty embarrassing for some, I felt I need to put some details to complete my post for this interesting day.

Most people believe that "everything happens for a reason". I had weird experience today that can give a little truth to this statement.

As I came to the office this morning, my stomach started feeling weird. It seems that I may have eaten something wrong this morning or yesterday. It was making some weird sounds and was a bit painful.

And though I've already went to the comfort room twice this afternoon, it was still making some noise and getting more painful.

I had to leave the office early in order to reach home as soon as possible. While walking to the MRT, I felt that I should just "release" it right away.

I've decided to go the comfort room in basement of SM. When I got there, all the urinals we're removed and under maintenance. Because of this, all the people are using the cubicles instead. So I told myself that I may still be able to hold it until I reach home.

Surprisingly, the lines in the MRT entrance were short. This perhaps is my lucky day. At that moment I thought I'll be getting home in no time.

After a few minutes I found myself in the LRT station waiting for the train. At that point, I was desperate and trying my best to control it for another 40+ minutes.

After 4 stations, I realized that I really have to let go. I've decided to get off at Pedro Gil station, where there are several fast food chains. Just when I reached the door of the train, the train stopped, there was a technical problem. Talk about bad timing. After a couple of minutes, it moved and the door finally opened.

I went to Jollibee and headed for the comfort room. I won't be talking about what happened inside, I'll leave this to your imagination. After the "release", I bought the new Molo Soup and a glass of dalandan juice to replenish some lost fluids. Then headed back for the LRT.

The 1st train that came was jam-packed so I've decided not to get in. When the next train came, I got in. It was dark since some lights were not working.

After 3 stations, the guy standing on my left suddenly called my attention...
It was Matt! I was speechless for several seconds. Talk about coincidence. Meeting an old friend in such place at the weirdest moment.

Most of the time, we tend to question everything that is happening to us or around us. And most of the time, we fail to get the answers no matter how much of our time and effort we give. And sometimes, we simply have to let go in order to let the answers reveal themselves to us.

A Quote from Ratatouille

If you focus on what you left behind, you will never be able to see what lies ahead.
- Gusteau

Blog Blackout

I won't be posting any job related entries here for a while.
If you want to know what's going on, you will have to ask me personally.

And so it begins...

Patching Holes

I visited my dentist today to have my teeth checked because I was having problems with one of the dental fillings (amalgam) I got when I was still a kid (90's).

The last time I was able to visit her was during 2004. Talk about effective time management... :P

She found a problem with the dental filling in my second molar which caused a decay. No wonder it's aching sometimes. She told me that if I came a little later, it's going to be painful... whew!

Aside from a broken filling, she also found a new decay in my third molar... :(

She did some cleaning and removed the old dental filling while I was watching through a small hand held mirror. I was surprise when I saw the new hole in my tooth. I think you could almost fit an eraser of a Mongol pencil in it... >.<>.<

Stressful Weekends

These past few weekends have been really stressful for me.
I've spent most of my time thinking about my plans in the future.

I've also been consulting some friends both local and overseas.
I never thought it was going to be this hard... >.< style="font-style: italic;">The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty.
It is constantly being filled.

Contemplate

con·tem·plate (kŏn'təm-plāt')

v., -plat·ed, -plat·ing, -plates. v.tr.

1. To look at attentively and thoughtfully.
2. To consider carefully and at length; meditate on or ponder: contemplated the problem from all sides; contemplated the mystery of God.
3. To have in mind as an intention or possibility: contemplate marriage; forced by the accident to contemplate retirement.

v.intr.

To ponder; meditate.

http://www.answers.com/topic/contemplate

Architect Glenn

A post dedicated to my best friend Glenn for passing the Architect Licensure Exam last June 2007. He also ranked 3rd out of the 467 who passed the exam. He's really great.

Here's the link for the news:
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=architect_july_21_2007

Although we never really had the chance to maintain our friendship after high school, I still consider him a very important friend. I'm really hoping that we could still pick up were we had left off before.

Here's a picture of us from kindergarten.
If I remember correctly, this is the 1st picture of us together.

To my best friend...

Congratulations! Wishing for more success in your life.

Another Night in the Office

It's been a while since the last time I spent the night in the office. Something I never really expected when I came in this morning.

We had a very long meeting about our project plan for this development phase. It took us almost an hour for each productivity and quality target for every phase of the project.

It wasn't as boring as I thought it would be. In fact, I was able to pick up a couple of new things during the course of our lengthy discussions. Besides from having the opportunity to be part of a deeper estimation process, I came to understand and appreciate more the efforts made by my past project leaders during the planning process of our projects.

It's really not as easy as it may seem. Sitting in a conference room for a total of 7 hours trying to foresee any possible problems the project might encounter and prepare contingency plans for them is never a simple task.

It was past 11PM when the meeting ended, so I have no other choice but to spend the rest of the night in the office. I figured I could do something while nobody is around.

Looks like the perfect time to start updating a very important "document".

Realizations

The series of events last week had caused several commotions in my workplace. I anticipated most of it, and made it a point to condition myself not to give in to any negotiation attempts. Bottom line is, I told my bosses that I just don't agree with what had happened.

I don't really give a damn whoever screwed up. In both conversations, I assured my bosses that I'm not applying for a new job. Well, at least for the time being. Until I'm able to come up with a concrete plan of what I really want to do in the next 5 or 10 years.

It seemed like a wake up call for me. To realize that the are some things are never and will never be under your control. And that I just shouldn't rely on others to satisfy my career and personal goals.

In the past few months and weeks, even though I've not sent a single application to anyone. I've received several job invitations from different persons, teachers, classmates, relatives, and ex-officemates. All of them promises a better opportunity for me but I never took any of them seriously until after last week.

Looks like it's time to move on...

A Slap of Harsh Reality

No wonder I'm feeling a bit anxious and weird yesterday. My body seems to anticipate bad things even before they actually happen.

This morning, I've received a bad news about the AOTS. The original 2 slots for Manila was change to 1 in favor of Cebu.

Just yesterday, we were told that those 2 slots already belong to Manila. And just now, we got news that it no longer is.

So why the hell did they offered 2 slots in the first place??? We're professionals here, not small kids.

If they're plan is to wipe out the Manila office. Well, they seem to be doing a pretty good job. Screwing the right people at the right time.

First thing tomorrow, I'm going to inform my manager that I'm already withdrawing my AOTS application.

The selection process is flawed to begin with, so there's no reason for me to stick with my initial decision.

For me, the best way to fight office politics is to stay out of it. And that's exactly what I am going to do.

Crossroads

Stopping halfway is more difficult & tiring than progressing towards reaching the final goal.

I bought a fortune cookie during my afternoon break and got this message. I'm still wondering if I made a good choice of accepting the AOTS offer. That would mean being stuck here for another year and a half. But that would also mean another learning and growing experience for me.

What are my goals anyway? That's a question I've been asking myself these past few weeks. Recently, I've been accidentally meeting people who either wants me to work for them or wants to offer me a supposedly better job. I'm not trying to find a better job, I'm not even applying for another job.

Ultimately, I just want to become a better person than I am right now. And just like The Secret mentioned, you really wouldn't know and understand the "how", the universe will eventually reveal this for you as you go along. I hope they're right.

I'm just grateful for having these opportunities coming to me. I guess I just have to take a single step at a time until I reach my destination, whatever and wherever that is.

Now, I just have to re-write my plans for the rest of the year.

Sister's Wedding: New Beginnings

A rather late post...

A Sister's Wedding

Just wanted to wish my sister the best in her newest chapter in life.
She was married last week, July 1st at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Jesus near SM Mall of Asia.

It was indeed an unforgettable experience for me.
To see a member of the family in one of her most important events in her life. And to be part of that celebration.

I still couldn't keep myself from wondering what's gonna happen.
I could only hope for the best in whatever lies in front of them.

One lesser

With my sister leaving home to live with her new family. Our home will never be the same.

Though, sometimes we may feel incomplete, I guess things like these happen so we could learn and grow more. She has done her part in this family. Now it's our turn to do our share.

Photos

Here are some of the photos that I've taken...

The wedding gown...

My sister with her make-up artist...

My youngest sister...

The wedding rings...
At the church...

My other sisters...
My aunt from Taiwan and my mom...

The couple at the reception...

Cheers for the newly wed!

Perrin and Fritzie Sy