sick and working

i feel much worse now than when i woke up this morning.  i would have preferred to stay home today except that i had to travel to our faraway cavite office to meet up with one of our department manager from the US.  the only consolation is a free lunch at sonya's garden and i could probably swing by amira's from some delicious mango and blueberry tarts if i still have the energy to drive.  the cold here in the office is really killing me and when you're nursing a flu, that is really a bad thing.  the other bad thing is that i can't go home until 7pm since my car is banned today.  in short, i'm doomed.  i can already see myself being on sick leave tomorrow.  dang!  i need to get better for the shoot on friday.

today's sunday.

slept past MN.
woke up at 6am.
chat. chat. chat.
30ml of dayquil.
champ for lunch.
studio shoot in the afternoon.
2 slices of yellow cab. gawd, i want my charlie chan chicken pasta.
dead tired now.
feel worse than when i woke up.
more sick now.
30ml of nyquil.
20 more minutes to la la land.

i freakin' need to get well.

sicky sicky

after seeing tropic thunder (hilarious movie) last night, i felt the familiar signs of the flu driving home.  i always know when i'm going to get sick - i guess you get familiar with the symptoms already.  so i dutifuly took my nyquil last night and within 15-20 mins, i was pretty much knocked out.  i woke up still feeling kind of dizzy and yeah, still sicky.  i probably should eat something and hopefully pick up enough steam to start working on the avp for tonight's psn launch.  but damn, i can barely keep my head up.  la la land is just so inviting.

I'm booked!

Yay, after a week of trying to come up with the best travel schedule i finally managed to confirm and book all my flights today.  I'm kind of happy that its in Malaysia because its been a while since my last trip there.  I'll finally be able to visit KL (can't believe the plane fare is that cheap) and go back to Singapore to see the merlion (hahaha) and sentosa which i wasn't able to do last time.  And yes, our itinerary and booking for HK are good too!  its going to be a really fun two weeks!  and there's only two more weeks of waiting left.

PLS READ : PSN BOARD +++

19 Oct 2008

Starbuck's, Bonifacio High Street

Present :  Jay, Jenner, Malou, Ohsie & Mark

Assignment Checklist

• (Jay) Send malou the savings account where people can deposit the membership fee, launch fee and all money matters;
• (Malou)  Ask Rick to request permission to use HP's logo
• (Em)  Send sponsorship letter for review and validate sponsorship packages
• (Greg)  Ask how much to rent a projector or check who can we borrow from?
  
• (Malou) Find hosts for the PSN launch party - 1 male, 1 female
• (Malou) Find out who can we assign to take BTS for the launch
• (Rick or Ohsie) Can you bring your laptops for the Audio-Visual Presentation?
• (Jenner) Build map on how to go to the venue for the PSN Launch party
• (Rick) Follow-up with HP on raffle as soon as the sponsorship letter is approved
• -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• (Ohsie) Ask Erwin Mallari for ideas on what to shoot for the Xmas cards
• (Jenner)  Get quotes on printing of the Xmas Cards
• (Em)  Find out list of upcoming RCGM activities.  Check past charity they did which we can do a back shoot.
• (Jenner) Get quotes for the printing & framing of the photographs
• (Jenner) Get quotes for the panels for the photo exhibit
• (Sonny) Finalize the layout/design for the exhibit
• (Jay/Em) Finalize with UWP schedule of charity activities & concert dates, venues including agreement with venues to provide spare/location for the exhibit
• (Em) Confirm with RCGM on sponsoring the cost of the exhibit & merchandise (xmas cards)
• (Jenner) Finish PSN calling card design.
• (Jay) Check with Board on agreement for the Proposed Photographers Bond.
• (Ohsie) Send jay the rules & regulations for the Canon Photo Marathon.
• (Jay) Work on the mechanics of the photo selection for the exhibit.

PSN Launch Party

1. Publicity.  We agreed that Malou should create a simple flyer for the PSN launch party on Oct 25.  Malou will work on this tonight so that everyone can post this in their multiply account by tomorrow (Monday).  We need MORE people to commit to attend the launch next saturday.
2. Non-Paying Guests.  We agreed to invite a few of our partners in photography.  They will not be paying the Php 300 for the grand launch.  Non-paying guests include - Sir Bong Morris, UWP (Luis, Johann) & 2 guests from HP (when they confirm sponsorship).
3. Program.  As part of the program, we will have the following AVP presentations.  (a)  PSN History (Ohsie/Jenner/Mark); (b)  Up With People (Luis Petzhold); and (c) Photo Exhibit Mechanics/Details/Etc (Jay/Em).  We will also have Sir Benjie's speech as President of PSN.
4. Registration for Membership/Launch.  Malou will prepare the required materials for the registration of people who want to be members of PSN.  She (with Mark) will also take care of getting the payment for the Launch party.

Photo Exhibit with Rotary Club Green Meadows (RCGM) & Up With People (UWP)

1. Merchandise.  We decided that due to timing constraints, we will no longer pursue the original merchandise except for the CHRISTMAS CARDS.  This is still tentative depending on whether we can pull this off.  5 XMAS CARD variants.  Instead of photos from RCGM/UWP, we will shoot either a set-up (studio) or not set-up (street) christmas theme for the cards.  Only five photos will be selected for the xmas cards.  Need to do the shoot for the Xmas cards immediately after the PSN launch party.  Jenner will check the cost for the printing of the xmas cards.
2. Photo Exhibit.  We all agreed that we will still push for 30 photos.  18 photos we will need to shoot either past or upcoming RCGM activities.  The 12 remaining photos will be for the charity work done by UWP which we will have to RUSH shoot, choose, print, frame between Nov 19 to 27 because the first UWP concert is scheduled in Nov 28.
3. Printing & Exhibit Set-up.  Photo prints will be 12x18 in size with a 2-inch border and black frame (No glass).  Photographer watermark should be a scanned hand signature only.  PSN + Sponsor logos will be placed in the borders, not on the photos.  Our sponsorship proposal for HP is to provide printers for instant shoots during the exhibit and for funds for the printing.  We will get the photos printed somewhere else.  Jenner will get quotes for the printing & framing.  Sonny is still in charge of the layout/design for the exhibit.
4. Exhibit Schedules, etc.  Jay/Em will talk with UWP to finalize the schedules of the UWP charity events and concerts including venues.  We also need to make sure that UWP asks the concert venues to provide us with the space required for the photo exhibit and contacts so we can prepare ahead the paperworks required for the ingress, set-up and eggress of the panels.
5. Calling cards.  Jenner will finish the design of the calling cards.  Printing is at the option of the PSN member.
6. Registration for Exhibit.  We need to get a confirmed list of people who will participate in the exhibit.  Since this is a professional commitment, proposal is to ask photographers who would like to participate to deposit a Php300 bond which they can get back once they submit 3 photos (Php100 per photo).  This ensures that when we assign them to an event, they will honor their commitment and submit their photos.
7. Selection Panel for Photos.  Include Jenner & maybe Leo Castillo.  Who else?
8. Photo Criteria, Rules & Regulations.  Ohsie will send rules & regulations from the Canon photo marathon.
9. Reserved Slots for the Exhibit.  To be fair to everyone, the proposal is that only those officers/members who have devoted considerable time to making the exhibit come to fruition will be given automatic slots for the exhibit.
10. Photo Pricing & Selling.  When all the costs are available, we will calculate how much we need to sell the photos to meet our goal for the 20% PSN and 80% Charity fund for RCGM.  Photos that are sold will be shipped (cost included) to the buyer only after all of the exhibit has been completed.  Christmas cards will be on sale throughout the exhibit.

Its crunch time already guys/gals.  There's a lot of work required to make this successful.  I know everyone is busy with work & other personal stuff but we knew what we were getting into when we all agreed we will pursue this project.  Its too late to back out now if we feel we do not have the time required to contribute to this project.  I am going to rework the calendar and see where we can assign people to help out.  RJ & Jaykun have showed their interest to help out.  For the others, please let me know where you can help out so i can assign you properly.

I've attached a poll here.  Please select your answer from the choices.  PLEASE VOTE ONLY ONCE.  Please avoid turning the comments section into a chatroom - let's use YM for that.

WTF?

got home from a party this morning past 3am and manage to get some shut-eye a little past 4am and for some reason i was awake at 7am.  7 frakkin' AM ... what the hell is wrong with me?  dammit, i need some sleep ... two nights in a row, my poor body is going to give.

frak!

TGIF!

the best day of the week for me will always have to be friday because its the start of the weekend and tells me that the hustle & bustle of working is about to end. work can be taxing and this week was no exception - juggling multiple presentations is no easy feat. and i used to love doing that - painstakingly working on every detail of my presentations and making sure all of the colors matched up. it was really the OC in me and my compulsion to create the impression that this presentation was worth listening too. today, my presentations are much simpler - i wouldn't say hushed but more direct to the point. eleven years at the big blue creating and doing presentations almost on a weekly basis sort of teaches you the proper ways. you get over whatever presentation jitters you have and just do the best you can.

eleven years. life at the big blue for me is about to close, maybe in the first quarter of next year. sometimes i ask myself if i am making the right decision specially in light of the current economic downturn. i probably have the option to stay but my heart isn't where it used to be and that has been killing me for the past year or so. maybe i should stop using everybody else as an excuse and just take a leap of faith. maybe that's the best way to do it. and maybe i should stop worrying about it too much.

at 34, is it still seriously possible to be crushing on somebody? i should stop. i'm in a better place right now and i seriously don't need the distraction. b'sides, i'm not cut out for it.

well its friday today, i shouldn't be thinking too much. so whatever was written above was not written by me! LOL!

early morning hurrah

i can't remember the last time i had to wake up in the dead hour of the morning to work.  its been a long while since i had to do this - the very last one was when i had to go for 36 hours straight with no sleep finishing my thesis for grad school.  that was probably almost a year ago so let's just say i'm not used to this set-up anymore.  one thing is that i've never really been good at doing things (that involves a whole lot of thinking) until the dead hours of the night.  i'd much rather get some sleep time, wake up real early like i do now and start back working.   i think much better in the wee hours of the morning when i feel a bit more refreshed.

its to time to work on some excel magic for data i need to present seven hours from now!

random thoughts

some random thoughts from today and the past few days ...

• i have been sleeping waaay past my usual for the past few days which is the main reason i feel kinda exhausted and crankier in the morning.  i really need to get some longer shuteye soon because there's still so much stuff to attend to.
• met some cool new peeps from up with people last saturday.  sarah from sweden, brandon from denver and armando from mexico.  i did meet luis (from brazil) who is the tour manager for UWP and johann.  they were very chatty, very friendly folks who i enjoyed sharing stories with.  one great thing - they all thought i was in my mid-20s so yeah, hurrah for looking young.
• first time to see a juijitsu competition last sunday.  it was fascinating.
• unplanned as it was, went around trinoma from store to store with b & d checking out what was interesting on the shelves.  went home with two nice shirts and realized that there are so many drool-worthy clothes begging me to buy them.  but yeah, when i slim down more then i'll be able to buy them.  another reason why i should do the gym religiously.
• finally had lechon at chanda's dinner after craving for it for quite some time now. and strangely enough, i had lechon again saturday at tiendesitas.  finally satisfied as well my cravings for yellow cab's charlie chan pasta with wings and pizza last sunday.  cyma's roka salata for dinner (yum!).  cpk for monday dinner.

sure glad its wednesday tomorrow.  so many things to do workwise.  haven't even booked my upcoming business trip (need to do that asap).  i need to get my braces adjusted tomorrow.  so many things to do, so little time.

Exhibit Project Schedule in JPG/Acrobat

PSN Peeps,

Here's the schedule in JPG format & Acrobat for those of you who can't open the file.  You can download, print and put the 8 sheets together to see the full schedule.  This is not final - still subject to discussion.

love alone

i probably have posted this before but hearing this song on my ipod made me remember how much i love the message of this song. life really has a way of throwing you a bone when you're feeling the blues.

love alone
caedmon's call

No one would love me
if they knew all the things I hide
My words fall to the floor
As tears drip through the telephone line

And the hands I’ve seen raised to the sky
Not waving but drowning all this time
I'll try to build an ark that they need
To float to you upon the crystal sea

Chorus:
Give me your hand to hold
'Cause I can't stand to love alone
And love alone is not enough to hold us up
We've got to touch your robe
So swing your robe down low
Swing your robe down low

The prince of despair's been beaten
But the loser still fights
Death's on a long leash
Stealing my friends to the night

And everyone cries for the innocent
You say to love the guilty too
And I'm surrounded by suffering and sickness
So I'm working tearing back the roof

Repeat Chorus

And the pain of the world is a burden
And it's my cross to bear
And I stumble under all the weight
I know you're Simon standing there
And I know you're standing there

PSN Board : Exhibit Timeline

Peeps,

====================================================================
Things We Need to Do :
1. We need to meet this weekend to discuss the attached schedule, talk about the deadlines and the ownership of the activities.
2. The following activities need to start this week. See file for deadlines:

• Finalize venues for Exhibit (Em)
• Selection of Judging Panel (Benjie)
• Mechanics of the Photo Exhibit (Benjie)
• Final activity schedule for RCGM & UWP (Em)
• Finalize details of RCGM sponsorship (Em)
• Exhibit Prelim Estimate (Sonny)
• Merchandise Prelim Estimate (Ohsie)
• Marketing Prelim Estimate (Rick)
• Miscellaneous Prelim Estimate (Malou)
• Finalize letterheads (Jenner)
• Finalize PSN ID design (Benjie/Jenner)
• Finalize PSN Shirt design (Rick)
• Prepare other sponsorship letters (Em)

3. RCGM & UWP would like to meet with Kuya Benjie this coming saturday. We can schedule the board meeting after the meeting with them.
====================================================================

The confirmed UWP shows where we would hold the exhibit are the following:
Nov 28 - WTC
Nov 29 - MOA
Nov 30 - Glorietta

There is one BIG problem in terms of the photos to be included in the exhibit - that is, the inclusion of photos taken of the UWP activities beginning sometime in Nov 19 when they arrive. There seems to be no way we can take the photos, pick them out, print them and have them framed in time for the first exhibit (Nov 28). I am working on duration estimates right now so we will need to fine tune it so we can get a more accurate project schedule. The first exhibit on Nov 28 is a week earlier than our original plan.

I've placed owners (activity leads who can assign and form teams) on the activities in the file. It is up to everyone to review the assignments and find a replacement if you are not comfortable handling the responsibility.

I have to emphasize to everyone that the timings are VERY tight and there will be work that needs to be done on a weekly basis moving forward. We will have to help each other out and leverage on as much of the PSN people out there who are willing to help out.

I will be out of the country from November 9-23. Em will coordinate the deadlines.

I've created the project schedule in two files. The microsoft project version is better but i also re-created the schedule in excel that auto-plots based from a start & end date. Excel is 2007. Project file is Office 2003.

You can filter for any of the activities you own (or lead) or any of the activities that start on a particular date. Manually, you can also just check the columns for the week today and see which activities are hi-lited - that either means the activity needs to start or the activity should be in-progress.

I could talk more about the details of the schedule and explain the activities when we meet.

Sorry for the long post. Just need to get all that's in my head in writing.

not a good time to contemplate

one of the things i hate about having some alone time is that it gives me time to breathe and think of things i probably shouldn't have. alone time gives me time to reflect and reflection makes the fuzzy unfuzzy and right now i think its best to remain unfocused - at least on certain topics. i did say at least for the short term that i am going to just enjoy life, to have no attachments and just dive head on. i guess there are some things about me i can't change - like the fact that i can overanalyze too much and get worried about things too early to get worried about. its times like these that i feel vulnerable and the negative vibes start creeping in. its probably brought about by recent events and how i want for things and people i cannot have.

i think moving forward, the best recourse is to just enjoy the moment. to not expect anything from anyone. to not fall for the unattainable or those where there's no future together. to not get too attached to anyone because everyone will leave eventually. and to just accept that my life is how i choose to live it.

> lunch in sg [09/27/2008]

i met my good friends annie, jap and their hubbies for lunch when i was in singapore last weekend. annie has just moved to singapore for good a couple of weeks back and expecting jap was their visiting her husband. incidentally, it was jap's birthday last september 25 so there was one more reason to get together that saturday afternoon.

the thought of having lunch with a couple of friends in another country is just , i dunno, nice. i wish eric was with us that time because it was the four of us who originally bonded during that trip to galera a few years back. what is funny about lunch that day is that we went to pepper lunch which has a branch in rockwell. we were laughing throughout lunch as we talked about a whole lot of nonsense things and we made okray each other (i can't think of the english word for okray right now). we're just fun that way. i finally met annie's boyfriend kenneth and he seemed like a nice guy. i was surprised to see annie in a dress that day - i bet she forgot to launder her clothes hence the dress. i definitely looked like a tourist that time - shorts, shirt and a knapsack - the look that feels like they're going to die from the warm weather and the non-stop walking.

we walked around a bit to check out some stores that day and ended up at coffee bean and tea leaf . it was a fun afternoon . makes me sad that annie is in sg already and jap probably will move there soon.

just a few more months and i'll have my options open. maybe moving to sg is still an option worth pursuing. but i'd cross the bridge when i get there.

green gone blue

i spent the entire day today watching the uaap judo tournament at up diliman in support of em's hubby tj's team. the funny thing here is that tj (together with his brother) coaches the ateneo judo team - and we all know i'm a green archer by heart. if the archers knew i was there rooting for the blue eagles, arrows would probably have flung from their benches straight through my heart. as luck will have it, the blue eagles snag the men's championship for both the juniors and seniors division. the green archers came in second in the seniors division. both teams are winners in my book. and yes (tj), if you are going to say anything, you're team is #1 and i rooted for you guys! my fellow green archers are going to burn me at the stake.

mind you, its very rare that i drive to this part of the metro but i promised em i was going to watch the tournament. seeing that someone i was seriously crushing on was just an added plus that made spending my whole day there worth it. it was interesting to watch the judo tournament - a first for me and i wasn't disappointed. there was a lot of drama in the competition - bloody cuts, athletes being hauled out on stretchers, bodies getting thrown here and there, and probably a whole lot of broken bones. its such an honor to be an athlete, to represent your school and give them pride by coming home with a medal. the sad thing about games is that there are winners and there are losers. i think the mere fact of competing makes everybody already a winner. i can't even see myself doing judo, much less compete - i'd probably die and i wouldn't want that. this sport i'd say is not for the faint of heart - broken bones, bloody cuts and all. maybe if i was younger i'd give it a try it because there's something about youth and being fearless. one thing for sure though - since i'm friends with both em & tj, i'll probably be forever rooting for the blue eagles in this sport.

its really fun to hang out with cute couple em & tj. and even though i've only known them for a few short months, it feels like i've known them for more than that. i've been introduced to the world of juijitsu and judo which is actually quite interesting to watch. meeting them is probably fate - and like they say, you can't fight fate. teehee.

one thing i realized being around the ateneans is that they all speak english. is that a requirement? LOL! they're all so conyo! la sallians are more down-to-earth (a.k.a tagalog ever ang language). ok, for the record, i could understand them perfectly well and i'll answer in english if they talk to me in english. if not, i prefer to use the native tongue! pinoy ako e! =)

this blog is sort of nonsense. can't really think of anything to write since my legs hurt like all get out and i can't think of anything else but sam.

overheard during the competition: "what's ateneo saying during their cheer? volt & fight?" ... "uhmmm, its One Big Fight!" hahaha peace!

PSN Board: Activity Owners Needed

PSN Board, Committee Heads, Active Members,

I am in the process of putting up together a master schedule for all activities we need to work on for the upcoming December Photo Exhibit with RCGM & UWP. I'd have to say i've already listed a lengthy list already with some activities i've temporarily assigned owners already.

If you are interested in OWNING any of the activities listed then please let me know by tomorrow. Otherwise, i will randomly assign names to the activities. I am going to work on when are the deadlines for these activities but i anticipate that some of the dates will have to be discussed as a group. I think we will need to meet to discuss the schedule including the details of each of the activities.
*If you become an owner of an activity, you can solicit the help of other PSN members to help you out. What OWNING an activity means is that you will be accountable for making sure the activity is completed.

FYI ...Em informed me today that Mr. Tsai (President of RCGM) would like to meet Kuya Benjie so we will have to schedule that for next week. Kuya B, is monday a good day for you?

The Master Schedule is in Microsoft Project but i moved the activity list in excel manually.

SG - Almost Over

i can't believe i've been in SG for almost six days now. i'm having mixed feelings going home - partly because there are a number of places i haven't seen here yet (my feet just won't let me anymore) and partly because being on vacation and not having to do anything just feels great. on the other hand, i do miss home and friends and there are a lot of backlog on my downloading activities. The SG trip has been exhausting - late nights everynight, killer walks daily and alternating warm weather outside and cold blast inside the malls, trains and walkways. i'm surprised i don't have pneumonia yet. Quite frankly, i don't think i managed to get as much pictures as i hoped for - pain is such a mood killer. we'll see later on when i sort out the photos what comes out from this trip. there's a lot to blog about but words escape me right now - rest is frankly all i care for right now.

flight is at 230pm. yeah, this trip is almost over.

sing so far - part 1

after weeks of waiting and three hours after my plane took off manila, i arrived in singapore excited and jubilant. changi airport is as beautiful as i remember it to be - its different than the other airports i've been to - not as grand as hong kong but far better than narita, osaka and los angeles. this is turning out to be a trip worth remembering.

• feeling adventurous and going against my baser instincts, i took the advice of a friend (based in singapore, let's call her A) to take the train instead of a cab from the airport to Sengkang where my friend Cindy is staying. the great thing about the Singapore MRT is that its actually fast, efficient and comfortable and even with two luggages in tow, it was easy. it took me close to an hour before i got to Sengkang riding and changing trams from the green route to the purple route. when i got to Cindy's place, i asked her how long it would have taken me to get there if i took a cab --- 10mins! Bwahahaha, i'll remember to slap A when i get the chance.
• dinner thursday night along a long line of hawker stands made me realize how different hawker is in singapore versus that in malaysia. hawker here is like the food court in manila while that in malaysia, hmmm let's just say is different. the food is cheap, its filling and its very good.
• a couple of friends who got sponsored PIT GRANDSTAND tickets was not watching the practice sessions friday and decided to give us their friday tickets. aren't we the LUCKIEST? the 3-day pit grandstand tickets cost 40,000 pesos each. The whole F1 experience deserves a space of its own so i'd have to find time to write about that. Besides, the real race is still happening tonight.
• Riding the MRT alone made me realize how difficult it would be live here by myself. While there are still a lot of things to love about singapore, being away from my family and my friends will leave me in an emotional wreck. The best thing about riding the MRT was that it helped me make full use of my ipod.
• The other thing i hate is the non-stop walking. walking and being flat-footed doesn't really go along very well. walking for the last three days was like torture. i swear every step i made was excruciatingly painful. if there were any lactic acid build-up anywhere near the joints of my feet, i could guarantee they're all gone now.
• there's a thing about being on vacation and in a different country that makes you eat like there's no tomorrow. being with friends who love to eat too doesn't help also. so yeah, i expect to pack in a few more pounds when i get back tuesday.
• singapore is freakin' warm. i bet i would need a number of likas papaya soap when i'm home.

i do have a lot of pictures to share but i've been dead tired being here that sleep is the only thing i think of when i come near the bed. sing so far has been fun ... and tiring.

Looking for HOST Families

PLEASE REPOST THIS IN YOUR INDIVIDUAL SITE & FORWARD TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN!

Up with People exists today to spark people to action in meeting the needs of their communities, countries and the world while building bridges of understanding as a foundation for world peace.

Through travel and cultural immersion, Up with People has provided young people from around the world with a renowned international education and an unmatched passageway to see the world. And we've been doing it for four decades.

As the world has changed, so too has the Up with People program. Once primarily impacting communities through its musical productions, the current Up with People program addresses the very real need for young adults and leaders who have global perspectives, intercultural understanding, knowledge of worldwide social issues, leadership skills and a dedication to community service.

Today, through its distinct 6-month program, Up with People participants experience personal growth, leadership training, service learning and performing arts as they travel through three continents. For many students, it's a global education that lasts a lifetime; for others, it's a life-transforming experience.

UP WITH PEOPLE will be in Manila from Nov 19 to Dec 5, 2008.

reflections on nudity

when o! mentioned that they were going to do nude photography saturday night and that i could go, i said yes without a second thought. its not because of the thought of nudity but because in conservative manila, shoots like this is hard to come by. besides, its a chance to experience shooting a new theme.

the shoot was a whole lot easier because we had sir b directing the model poses. and while i await the day i get to start planning my own shoots, directing and all, i'm more than happy to learn from the more experienced photographers. it was a bit awkward at first and the first thing i realized is that shooting nude would be less awkward if done one on one. it was not the case with us because there were six of us and only one model. gotta keep the cost down baby! the shoot went without a hitch and i was able to take a few good photographs. and there are actually some more "nice" photographs but they're too risque for multiply so they'll most likely not going to see the light of day.

doing nude was a unique experience. the human body is indeed fascinating and the shoot was more a play of shadows and light than anything. we were kind of laughing from the middle to the end of the shoot because the awkwardness has passed and we happily snapped away. we finished almost midnight so i was really beat when i got home.

it would be fun to do an underwear theme - guy and gals. i wonder who'd be our willing "victims" for this underwear photography. gotta ask miss oh! to sched something. i remember when i was still working for bench, i was the product manager for men's underwear when the company did its first ever underwear fashion show. that show has indeed evolved into a phenomenon.

click this link for the album : sexy, seductive & nude

after all these years

i just came home from dinner and coffee with college friends and incidentally our college professor way back who could still pass for an older brother. it feels weird having to call him now by his first name when you've been conditioned to call him "sir" during college but calling him like you used to feels way more awkward. we had dinner at Silk at Serendra where luckily on a friday night we managed to snag a very comfortable table. The food was quite good and expectedly more expensive than your usual fare. i liked the soft shell crab even though it felt a little salty after a while, pandan chicken and the tom yum soup. one of my staple favorite thai dish, pad thai, was neatly presented and i probably should've eaten it ahead of the bagoong rice and other dishes because i couldn't really distinguish its taste right after. still the best pad thai for me is from malee's down scottsdale road in arizona. hands down, that is something i always have to partake on when i'm in town.

we spent the rest of the evening chatting about almost anything that has happened in the last fifteen years. at our age, reminiscing about the old days is a staple during conversations and seeing richard, who used to give us grief back in college, now feels a whole lot different. thirteen years of employment changes you - it makes you and your professor sort of equal. four years age difference i guess isn't much so richard felt more like an older brother than a relic from our past (lol!). he still looks much like he used to back in college, a bit older perhaps but i wouldn't be surprised if his students are still crushing over him. it was flattering when he said i was a smart student (uhmmm oh yeah!) and that we were a select few who managed to finish the course on time. it was a bit surprising when he said that in engineering, failing a few subjects is expected in industrial engineering. i actually never thought of it that way back then. tuition was expensive and failing was a letdown i couldn't really afford. richard taught some of the more difficult math subjects - difficult in the sense that grades during course card distribution ranged between 0 to 1.5 (4.0 being the highest). if you get 1.5, you were awfully pretty smart and 1.0 was passing. getting a 1.0 in his subjects was enough reason to celebrate.

its always nice to spend time with people from way back. there's common things to talk about and there is history there - whether good or bad. i think one of the most fun things is to talk about all those silly things you did back then and just laugh at your own naivete.

college was one of the best years of my life. it never fails to make me smile.

too much with such little time

its been a while since i posted something here that its starting to feel like this site is going to be more of a photo site moving forward than a personal blog. finding photography as a creative outlet has introduced me to some great people and my contact list has ballooned overnight. do i feel comfortable sharing my soul to people i barely know? i dunno yet. there's this option to create lists though so that you can post to a select group of people only. maybe i'd do that next time. we'll see.

life feels like its been given an adrenaline shot. there's so many things happening and the next three months is mostly planned for. two weddings, a bunch of traveling, probably a charity photo exhibit and come december a multitude of dinner gatherings. i've already said yes to arlene and juan to doing their AVP for their wedding so i'd have to that this october.

i can't wait to fly off to singapore thursday next week. there's a lot of things to do and to see out there. i hope i get to see the F1 drivers up close - maybe i should write "wish ko lang!" hahaha its going to be a hectic six days out there i bet. hope i get some neat shots of singapore for my photo albums. we'll have to see. there's shopping, touring and eating to be done.

we decided to check out the S&R storewide sale yesterday and was dumbfounded to see the lines snaking all over the place. their usual modestly filled parking space was packed and there were no carts available. we still bravely checked out the store and scored a few nice goodies. got a 4-flavor cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory which made me miss the US all the more. anyway, its cheesecake heaven this week. the prize of an hour and a half of waiting in line.

i've been on a binge the last couple of weeks. nothing more to be said after that. somebody please slap me.

thank God its friday. dinner #3 is tonight. lagot.

Green vs Blue

I probably am one of the last few remaining who doesn't know (been out every weekend) but both La Salle and Ateneo sealed the deal for a once again historic title match in this years UAAP Men's Basketball finals. I bet tickets to the games are going to sell like hotcakes and the games will be exciting. Ateneo has the upper hand here having beaten La Salle in all of their elimination match-ups. But La Salle has also been known as a late bloomer in the past so who knows. As they say "bilog ang bola."

Whoever wins, its still a match made in heaven.
... who am i kidding though, of course i want my alma mater to win!

the suckiness of ben 10's movie premiere

my cousin gave my nephew two tickets to cartoon networks made-for-tv premiere of Ben 10 at the mall of asia yesterday. i have to say that whoever is the events organizer for that premiere should just go and shoot themselves in the head for their incompetence. those poor schmucks are just downright stupid. can you imagine having those hapless people lining up before the supposedly start time of the activity only to be told they were at the wrong line. how can there be a wrong line when there were never any line directions to begin with? then this super feeling gay guy comes out and instead of pacifying the irate parents talked sarcastically and did an about face. talk about the lack of character and manners which wasn't surprising given what he looked like. poor, pathetic loser. its irritating when you have kids in tow and you are made to wait indecently for an hour and a half on an otherwise smooth event. clearly, the event organizers for this movie premiere didn't know what they were doing. i try not to do hate but that experience was just really irritating. if not for my nephew and those tickets being free, i would have walked out of there and demanded a refund.

to those who organized this ben 10's movie premiere event, get a brain!

water .... 48 years after

short post. finally, after 48 years (ok, i'm exaggerating but you get the drift), we have water service provided by maynilad (dapat nawasa pa before). even though its only from 12MN to 12noon right now, that's more than enough time to fill-up our water tank. what's great is that water expenses should go down now and taking a bath is finally an uninterrupted luxury. yeba!

natural high

for some reason, i am at a natural high lately. i'm happy. and here's a great song that goes with it. times like these are priceless.

with you
mymp

Not to worry on a rainy day
There?s a promise it will go away
What a joy, what a sunny day
Having you takes the sadness away
With you everything seems to go my way

[Chorus]
Hold on to a beautiful day
It will lift you up
Take you to the top
Hold on ?cause it?s here to stay
To help you get through the day
Everyday

Need a reason to celebrate life
There?s a promise for a sweet embrace
What a joy found a friend in you
Having you takes away the blues
With you everything seems to go my way

[Chorus]
Hold on to a beautiful day
It will lift you up
Take you to the top
Hold on ?cause it?s here to stay
To help you get through the day
Everyday

lalalala?lalalala?lalalalalalalala..lalala?

With you everything seems to go my way

[Chorus]
Hold on to a beautiful day
It will lift you up
Take you to the top
Hold on ?cause it?s here to stay
To help you get through the day
Everyday
Everyday

[Chorus]
Hold on to a beautiful day
It will lift you up
Take you to the top
Hold on ?cause it?s here to stay
To help you get through the day
Everyday
Everyday
Everyday

[Chorus]
Hold on to a beautiful day
It will lift you up
Take you to the top
Hold on ?cause it?s here to stay
To help you get through the day
Everyday

What's Next: 26 Things - The Alphabet Project

I think one of the best decisions i've had recently was take the Photoworks class led by Leo Castillo. Venue is a bit far and i've had my share of almost missing a few sessions, the whole thing kind of worked out in the end. I honestly learned a lot from all six sessions and Leo's tips alone about photography is worth attending. Frankly, what sold me about this class more than the other photography class is Leo's focus on developing the eye of a photographer. Thanks Leo for imparting your wisdom and experience!

One of the next steps Leo encourages us to do is to continue pursuing this passion for photography - to develop our creativity and help take us to the next level. i can seriously say his tips gives me a good feel where i should be next. so here's what's up ahead.

26 thIngs - thE AlphAbEt prOjEct
This is part of the photographic interview to help build creativity.
The challenge here is to take a photograph of anything that denotes the letter of the alphabet. Yes, all 26 letters of the alphabet. For example, you can take a photo of an apple for "A", a brocolli for "B" ... its really up to you.
Let's take 2 letters each week so this will run for 13 weeks.
Post your picture in an album called "26 Things - The Alphabet Project"

Ok, so i wrote that as if it was a contest or something but i wanted to encourage my co-photography newbies to join me in this photography project. I think after 13 weeks, we will have all 26 letters and hopefully some really cool pictures we could put into a collage, print and frame.

I'm excited.

notes to self

some realizations i've had over the weekend.

• its no secret that i've spending a lot of time trying to gain ground in my photography skills. i still envy photos of my "master" friends from PSN but i'm pretty much enjoying the ride getting to their level of awesomeness.
• i think i need to set my camera to take pictures at a higher resolution. whenever i edit, i start to see some grain already on the photos when i zoom really close so that sort of ruins having to blow-up the pictures. SD cards are pretty cheap these days so i should get another 2GB SD card.
• getting "low" on juice to power up your camera while in the middle of a shoot is a definite mood-killer. lesson learned here - keep your battery fully charge prior to a shoot, no exceptions. and save up for a spare battery.
• i did all my recent post-processings using mac (i call my macbook "mac" ... brilliant di ba? lol) and i have to say i was surprised by how responsive he was. it was a breeze opening up and saving files. i just need to get used to her awfully small 13" screen and resolution so i can get a really good feel of the photos during processing. i'm happy though that mac is getting some air time .... finally. i don't think i've used him enough to get an ROI.
• that shooting at less than ideal light (aka low light) can pretty much ruin your photos. and no matter how fabulous your compositions, framings, and themes are - blur and barely sharp photos just don't cut it. i think this is why our mentor (leo c) insists we shoot and shoot pictures because it can happen that only 1 out of 50 or a hundred will be useful.
• and while i've gotten a better understanding of the camera controls and better reading of what settings are appropriate given the situation, i need more shooting practice to be able to put everything together effortlessly.
• final note to self. jiu jitsu is seriously not for me, nor judo. i have full respect for those who are taking these martial arts. they're pretty awesome individuals and i bow before them.

all in all, great weekend. now i need to figure out what to shoot for my final project for tomorrow.

PLDT MyDSL Sucks

I think its high time we face the fact that PLDT MyDSL has one of the suckiest broadband service ever! I think the only thing that comes close to rivaling it in the suckiest throne is SMART BRO. I mean when the service is good and STABLE, its good. When its bad, don't try waiting to hear when their customer service tells you somebody will check with you - that rarely happens. If it does, then count yourself lucky. Why do they suck?

• Been subscribed to their plan 1995 for more than two years now. Noticed that they have upgraded the speeds for their plans so plan 1995 speed was boosted from 1MBPS to 2MBPS. If not for a colleague who told me i should check if i have been automatically upgraded, i probably would never have been upgraded to 2MBPS. Yes, you have to call them to tell them, "please give me the speed that i am paying for."
• When i got back from the US this year, i was bummed that my dsl wasn't working. I called them up dutifully and i got the standard brouhaha response. I followed it up everyday because i needed the internet to connect to the office and it was until after a week before they sent out somebody to check it. That is truly fast customer service - NOT! Compare this with PLDT's phone service, call today and you'd have a repairman on your doorstep on the same day.
• For the past several weeks, the internet light on my modem turns ON & OFF. This happens every morning and conks out every couple of minutes, even less. EVERY MORNING (between 6am to noon).

I really wish some foreign company comes into the Philippines and offer a better internet service than what PLDT is providing. Its high time somebody show them what it means to be a WORLD CLASS company which clearly they are not. If anybody works for PLDT reads this, know that this post is from a completely dissatisfied customer. And yes, i am considering moving to another service provider who will give me my P2,000 worth monthly.

life so far ...

i wonder if i was another person looking in how i would see the life i've lived i so far. at 34 now, i have come to the realization regretfully that for some, that has crossed the boundaries of middle age. half life. downright lucky if i ever reach double but i try not to count because i intend to live in the here and now.

• i think i'm finally done with formal schooling. college done. mba done. there's really only so much schooling i can go through. no regrets here - met lifelong friends in college, great new friends in grad school. i don't even regret missing out on a medal by 0.02 points. my head is where it matters - and even others see me as funny or even nonsense, i can be smart when i want or need to be. lol!
• career-wise there is something more i want to accomplish but not in the big blue anymore. i think my future lies somewhere else - where exactly i don't know. i'm just going through the motions right now. the waiting can be torturous but leaving ahead of the package like they say is downright stupid.
• i am definitely not one of those who apportion a big chunk of their salary to their savings account. i save as best as i can but i don't mind giving in to the occasional bouts of spending. with age at least comes wiser spending (or maybe not) habits and much more expensive stuff to lust for.
• two cars. the most expensive stuff i paid (and paying) for with my own salary. a black ford lynx ghia and a white honda crv. its a pain to keep two cars but i have my reasons.
• being able to support a family of six has its lows and highs. the natural high is from knowing you at least have been blessed enough to be able to support them. the low is seeing all the bills and having to pay for it and not being able to buy something you have been looking forward to.
• right now, this whole photography hobby is keeping me busy. i enjoy it because it seems i am improving and learning with each shoot and i have met a lot of great people during this ride.
• i'm happy that i've finally moved on pining for mcb. mcb will always hold a special place in my heart.

have i done anything fantastic in this lifetime? probably not to a global degree but i am hoping that just by being, i've made a difference in my family and my friends life. but who knows right? there's still hopefully 30 more years to get famous. lol.

musings on a steady thursday

this is going to be my 5-minute break from work ...

• i think i'm a little overly desperate now to slim down. started taking my "hydroxycut hardcore" a couple of days ago and i'd have to say i hate the feeling afterwards. its like there's a heavy load in my chest, can feel my heart pumping abnormally fast, my stomach feels like its always empty and i feel like dying everytime. ok, so now i am just being stupid. i should stop. look good or die? uhmmm such a hard choice hahaha i need a good, strong slap right across the face
• i just realized i haven't reimbursed my last semester of grad school but the problem being i seriously don't know where my receipt is already. i don't even remember how much i paid for last semester but it probably is around 15-20K. if i can't find the receipt, that's 15-20K non-reimbursible. bummer!
  

something more to be said this wednesday

a few more thoughts about wednesday ...

• being late going to the office and having no choice but to park so far away at least forced me to walk more than i normally do. that probably was more than 500 steps total so hopefully that burned some calories.
• going back to gym sure is a bitch. i barely got through cardio, as in barely. the plus i think is that my fat burners sorta gives me added energy in doing my reps.
• i'm happy that even after being away for quite some time from the gym, gym crushie's workout sched is still the same. and gym crushie looks better than ever.
• how working out forces me to drink more water than i've done during the day, curbs my appetite so much that downing a glass of protein shake equals dinner already.
• how much prices have gone up that everytime i go to the grocery, my bill will always be between 2-4K. And if i look at what's in my cart, there isn't really that much.
• that going home and finding out your cable isn't working is uber frustrating especially if you were looking at watching your favorite show. ok, its "my girl" and i'm so not caring if you call me "masa" ... its entertaining kaya!
  

rainy day tuesday

coming off from an extended 4-day weekend (on leave last friday and replacement holiday last monday), its hard to find the right energy to get back to work. surprisingly, i've finished quite a lot yesterday and in record time that i was happily looking forward to my photography class that night.

30 minutes. that was just how much time it took for me to prepare for class when the rain started pouring heavily. and in just that amount of time, the entrance to our subdivision was flooded knee-deep (and pretty soon waist deep) that even if i was driving a SUV, i wouldn't have made it through. I waited for a good hour before the rain let up and the flood waters to subside all the while fidgeting inside the car and getting anxious about the possibility of missing class tonight. that's me being OC - i get pretty anxious when i know i'm going to be late to anything scheduled. i live minute by minute and like everything in order and that's how i avoid chaos. surprisingly, i managed to make it in class just a couple minutes late.

class last night was very interesting and downright educational. even though i had an idea already of some of the topics being discussed, there were still a lot of ideas and new information that "wowed!" me! leo castillo is really a gifted teacher and despite the class extending until 11pm (ok, past my bedtime), i did not feel sleepy at all. i'm really looking forward to the next 4 more sessions.

i woke up late wednesday morning realizing i forgot to re-set the ringer of my phone to "ON". i had to rush driving to faraway cavite just to get news that the meeting i was rushing for is canceled. still managed to finish work i set out to do at the office despite my cubicle being so cold. this office is freakingly cold its a miracle people have not frozen to death (ok, i'm exaggerating but you get the drift).

4 more days and its the start of the "BER" months. Christmas is just around the corner. happy happy joy joy!

US Fall TV Show Guide (2008)

yes! after last season was cut short by the writer's strike, fall 2008 looks to be promising with some new shows and new episodes of staple favorites. everyday is going to be busy downloading the latest episodes. here's the premiere dates for fall 2008.

*i've only included here shows that i watch or those new shows i'm planning to watch!

Sep 1
Gossip Girl
Prison Break
One Tree Hill

Sep 2
90210 (New)

Sep 8
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Sep 9
Fringe (New)

Sep 16
House

Sep 18
Supernatural
Smallville

Sep 22
How I Met Your Mother
Heroes

Sep 23
The Mentalist (New)

Sep 24
Knight Rider (New)
Lipstick Jungle

Sep 25
Ugly Betty
Grey's Anatomy

Sep 28
The Amazing Race : Season 13
Desperate Housewives
Dexter
Brothers & Sisters

Sep 29
Chuck

Oct 1
Pushing Daisies
Private Practice
Dirty Sexy Money

Oct 3
Ghost Whisperer

Oct 9
CSI

Oct 10
Life

the big switch

no, this isn't the "switch" brand of watch dino gamely uttered during a round of destiny the other night. this post is about one of my good friends annie who is making the big move to singapore early next month. she went to singapore a couple of months back and mixing r&r and interviewing, she finally signed up with a company who met her requirements.

i met annie at grad school and we quickly hit it off because she was smart (well, minsan ewan ko! hahaha) and funny and we always laughed out loud. we were in a couple of classes together but we forged a friendship with eric and jap when we decided to spend a long weekend at galera. i will never forget her "kampanyerang kuba" video during our marketing class - it was a riot because annie is as natural an actress as they come. her quotable quotes are just downright funny and its at time when we hear them that we wonder how she ever got into UP. the barkada will surely miss annie when she moves to sing but i'm really happy that greener pastures await her there. besides, sing is just a few hours by plane from manila and i'm going to see her in a couple of weeks time when she settles there.

will miss you dearly friend! there's still a couple more weeks left - gimik to the max na lang!

a first of hopefully many more ...

yesterday was a day we have been waiting both with eager anticipation and inexplicable dread. some great people from multiply who we share the same interests with extended an invitation to malou & her kaladkarin friends (uhmmm yeah, that's i, dino and supposedly richard) to meet up, hang-out and shoot some models. unfortunately, malou & i (the ultimate kaladkarin duo) were the only peeps available yesterday to join the shoot. we were pretty lucky indeed that the shoot/EB/hangout pushed through considering it has been raining on & off the whole weekend. i guess its fate to meet 'em, and you can't fight that.

its amazing to be in the company of very talented people. just looking at them in action is enough to inspire anyone to try and get good photographs so you won't feel embarrassed showing them the results of your day's work. i am grateful to meet such wonderful people who welcomed us (the newbies) with such open arms that it didn't take long for use to feel at home with all of them. they are a fun bunch, probably because of the mixture of ages, generations even ... from as young as 16 years to as old as >16 (hahaha you'd have to guess), the energy is infectious. the models, blessed to have photogenic looks and damn goodlooking physiques, you just want to hate 'em except that they're such nice, down-to-earth, shy individuals cursed of registering well on cam (cursed daw! LOL!). i've been to shoots and fashion shows before but it was the first time for me to try taking snaps of real live dolls. i have to say, it ain't an easy feat - warm (scorching even), humid weather, mud & wet grass, damp clothes, aching legs & feet ... it was easy to feel exhausted at the end of the day.

i realized i have SO MUCH to learn and a LONG way to go before i can take photos as beautifully as my newfound photo buds but i'm in no rush. i am hoping to learn from them and from some other generous people as i go along. i'm glad that this is turning out to be a fun, productive and enjoyable hobby.

despite a very tiring day, i'm happy to be taking home with me a list of new people hopefully i am going to be seeing more and learning more from. my list of contacts has already jumped by 15 more people. for the most part, that is the best take away from yesterday.

*pics from the shoot yesteday to follow. it definitely won't be as great as my NFF's photos but they're mine and i'm proud of 'em. =)

How to be super conyotic effect, you know!

Lifted from Ric's blog who lifted it from somebody else who i probably lifted it from somebody else ... and the list goes on we probably will never know who was the original author of this super funny pinoy slangs. If you want to become one of the conyo's and conyitas, then read on, weep and laugh.

... and to be fair, i probably should tell everybody i'm also guilty of most of what's written below. yeah, i got it bad!

1. Thou shall make gamit "make+pandiwa".
ex. "Let's make pasok na to our class!"
"Wait lang! I'm making kain pa!"
"Come on na, we can't make hintay anymore! It's in Andrew pa, you know?"

2. Thou shall make kalat "noh", "diba" and "eh" in your pangungusap.
ex. "I don't like to make lakad in the baha nga, no? Eh diba it's like, so eew, diba?"
"What ba: stop nga being maarte noh?"
"Eh as if you want naman also, diba?"

3. When making describe a whatever, always say "It's SO pang-uri!"
ex. "It's so malaki, you know, and so mainit!"
"I know right? So sarap nga, eh!"
"You're making me inggit naman.. I'll make bili nga my own burger."

4. When you are lalaki, make parang punctuation "dude", 'tsong" or "pare"
ex. "Dude, ENGANAL is so hirap, pare."
"I know, tsong, I got bagsak nga in quiz one, eh"

5. Thou shall know you know? I know right!
ex. "My bag is so bigat today, you know"
"I know, right! We have to make dala pa kasi the jumbo Physics book eh!"

6. Make gawa the plural of pangngalans like in English or Spanish.
ex. "I have so many tigyawats, oh!"

7. Like, when you can make kaya, always use like. Like, I know right?
ex. "Like, it's so init naman!"
"Yah! The aircon, it's, like sira!"

8. Make yourself feel so galing by translating the last word of your sentence, you know, your pangungusap?
ex. "Kakainis naman in the LRT! How plenty tao, you know, people?"
"It's so tight nga there, eh, you know, masikip?"

9. Make gamit of plenty abbreviations, you know, daglat?"
ex. "Like, OMG! It's like traffic sa LRT"
"I know right? It's so kaka!"
"Kaka?"
"Kakaasar!"

10. Make gamit the pinakamaarte voice and pronunciation you have para full effect!
ex. "I'm, like, making aral at the Arrhneo!"
"Me naman, I'm from Lazzahl!"

kwadro kantos

with nothing to write about this rainy sunday afternoon, i decided to answer malou's tag. now i'm not one to believe in all these chain letters foretelling of bad or good fortunes if you don't respond. I guess, like malou said, this is just for the pure fun of it.

Four places i go over and over...

• cavite - not so much today but i did go there monday to friday for eight years since that's where i had to work;
• mall - who doesn't go to the mall?
  
• S&R - best place to go grocery shopping
• gym - i do go kahit not regularly hehehe
  

Four people who email me regularly....

• multiply - i'm a multiply addict. can't help it, i gotta keep tabs on what's happening;
• photobuds (dino, richard, malou) - kulitan where ang next place to shooot;
• men's health - naka-subscribe kasi ako e hahaha
• co-workers - i should worry if nobody from the office is emailing me na di ba?
  

Four of my favorite places to eat...

• KFC - hahaha can't help it, i love it.
• California Pizza Kitchen - so many things i love in this resto. mushroom pepperoni pizza is the best.
• Superbowl of China - what can i say, i love chinese food!
• Yellowcab Pizza - don't you just love charlie chan's pasta?
  

Four places you'd rather be....

• europe - my dream destination. so many places to see, so many things to do.
• greece - if there's a single place to see, this is where i'd want to go. this place is just awesome.
• arizona - among the places i've visited in the US, arizona is the one i'd love to come back too. so many friends there and the people are hot, hot, hot like the desert.
• sydney - heard so many things about sydney and i have a lot of friends who i can hang out with down there.
  

Four people i think will respond...

• no one! hahaha masyado ma-effort i-answer ito e.
  

Four TV shows i can watch over and over...

• friends - for me, its probably the most fun comedy series i've seen. i can watch all 10 seasons again and again and still laugh at their antics.
• grey's anatomy - one of the best shows out there. i can't get enough of it.
• house md - you either love or hate house. but i gotta admit, despite his devious ways he's one brilliant doctor.
• battlestar galactica - best sci-fi show on tv. too bad its on its final season. the only thing to look forward now is its prequel "caprica"
  

Yum : 10,000? calories Loaded Steakhouse Burger

Burger King's Loaded Steakhouse Burger

Loaded with crispy onions, baked potato topping, bacon, A.I. thick & hearty steak sauce and a slice of american cheese on top of 100% angus beef patty.

yeah, no diet non-sense this week. tried this burger this afternoon on my way home while driving. what can i say about it? for one, it kinda tasted different in a good sort of way. i was wondering what the creamy taste was and now realize it was the baked potato topping. in a way i can't compare it with a champ, they just taste differently. i feel like i'm "jughead" from the archie digests - if not for it being such an unhealthy treat, i probably could live on burgers alone. oh well, have to break-up with my relationship with fast food soon. healthy is so not fun.

shameless plug : MY GIRL

MY GIRL
(Kim Chiu, Gerald Anderson, Enchong Dee)

i don't care what everyone will say. I LOVE THIS SHOW! hahaha
Watch it weekdays at ABS-CBN around 10pm'ish!

sluggish on a supposedly fast day

it must have been all of the fat i feasted on but sleeping almost midnight and waking up at five today just didn't seem to cut it. i felt so sluggish waking up and had to pull myself out of bed to shower, dress up and drive to the faraway land of zeevee (we call our building CV, short for cavite). the only consolation is that driving an automatic (yeah, i'm a convert) makes it easy to navigate the backroads and hum into the emo-songs blasting from my ipod.

so far i had two presentations done by phone con today. first one, i kind of breezed through it and there weren't really a lot of questions. its really easier to attend phone cons in the office because the audio is better than my headset and wireless phone at home. my second presentation should have gone well except there was this pestering attendee from another country who for the love of life, i couldn't figure out what the problem was. i lost my cool for a while and chastised her for not raising her concerns months back when she had the chance. bwahahaha. i can really be bitchy like that, phone con or not.

one more meeting before the day ends and there still a number of things i need to do. all i can think of right now is the comfort of my bed and how nice it would feel to step back into la-la land. i really need r-e-s-t right now.

and yeah, i'm still waiting for an epiphany for me to get back into the gym.

mind your own business

i don't have to explain myself to you. in the first place, you are not my boss and we don't even work in the same company anymore. i deliver to all my commitments regardless of where i work. if my boss doesn't mind, why should it to you? your life will probably be more productive if you start minding your own business. its really irritating and nakaka-strike two ka na.

strike three and you are out for good.

mark this: january 27, 2009

OMG! i was listening to david archuleta's first single "crush" and decided to google for david cook hoping to catch some news on when his single (or album) is going to come out and found this piece of news instead.

Straight from Cook's mouth, he's coming over to the Philippines for probably a one-night show on january 27, 2009. Aaaaahhh, i can barely type right now. I am such a Cookie fan!!! Here's Cook's interview where around the 4-minute mark he mentions about his upcoming concert.

Time to save.

does true love really happens to everybody?

i don't think so. hearing barry's post of "the scientist" by coldplay on piano made me lookup that video of arguably (for me) one of the sweetest, romantic and most endearing movie ending i've seen. the movie is "wicker park" and while some parts of the movie may be confusing, everything sort of falls into place towards the end. its not your typical narrative since the movie is cut into different timelines. but enough of that right now, that's not what this post is all about.

seeing that ending made me ask myself if that can really happen in real life. maybe so, but likely to very few, select people who is lucky enough to find true love. it doesn't happen to everybody - and probably will never happen to me. some people call that jaded. i prefer to be called a realist. the heart isn't the one that makes us fall in love - its still the brain. i don't know how we have come to associate the heart with love - maybe its when our heart goes thump thump everytime we see somebody we fancy that we think that's what helps us feel. don't you just wish that people were created as half of a whole? that each of us is made as half of a couple - similar to that movie "hancock." wouldn't that be swell? that no matter what, fate brings two people together? maybe that's the easy way out of loneliness. are there really people who prefer to live life in solitude? or is that just an excuse for not being able to find a better half?

here's the ending of the movie "wicker park." if something like this (course i'm talking about just the ending, not the whole complications of the film) happens to me, i'd be the luckiest person in the world. finding your better half after a long time of searching has never been more romantic!

its been awhile

its been quite some time since the last time we managed to pool former colleagues from the big blue. with some of the barkada moving to other companies, its expected that our get togethers will really required effort. ria and i are the only peeps left at the big blue and we both have the same number of years put in. ice, who was the first one i have worked with x number of years back is now working for another company. jowell, who came in four or five years after is already working for accenture. ali, has moved to a new company we like to call the green bling. allan is with the separated company, numonyx. some of our other friends unfortunately couldn't make it that night - van is busy with her "alive! alive!" while arlene will be flying out to the US. trixy on the other hand is on night shift (we miss her a lot!).

thankfully, once every now and then, ali is the one who calls out these sorta impromptu get togethers. friday being 08/08/08 is supposed to be lucky and it was actually kind of - at least for me. had lunch with an old friend B who i managed to borrow an 18-200mm Nikkor VR lens from (cool!) and who also treated me to a hearty lunch at banana leaf. yum! mom confirmed already her prize from sunnex for our all-expense paid trip to HK which most likely will be on the last week of October. Dinner during the get-together at TGI Friday's was courtesy of Ali (thanks for being so generous girl!).

it was nice to see the old gang together again. surprisingly, despite the rarity of our get togethers, its still as if we just talked yesterday. i guess that's the nice thing about us - we have something that binds us together. its nice to have great friends.

wow philippines

while scouring youtube for some interesting videos, i felt a little bit patriotic and searched for the "wow philippines" video ads. interestingly enough, both the various artists and regine's commercials were posted on youtube. i realized that the perfect complement to this whole photography thing is to go around the country, attend the festivals and capture them as they happen. i've managed to see a few of the scenic places but there are still A LOT out there that begs to be seen. so maybe if i plan and save well, i can finally go visit these places.

looking at these ads, you just gotta love the beauty of this country. yes, perhaps there are other places and countries equally (or more) beautiful. but i love being in this country (traffic, corruption, steep taxes and all).

thirteen years after

aren't you amazed how after a long time, life sort of brings people from the past together? this is sort of whats happening now after that mini-reunion of sorts we had with a few college mates last friday. we're actually planning on holding a college christmas reunion for all of our industrial engineering classmates from la salle this year. while email was a relative unknown during our college years, we are hoping that starting off a yahoo groups and through our network, we'd be able to bridge everybody eventually. its no easy task i know but one can be hopeful. our target is to gather at least most of our classmates for that college reunion. i bet it will be pretty fun seeing how people look today and reminiscing how it was back then. had lunch with a few of them again today at the house of a friend nearby and we were all laughing reliving our college years (circa ... 199x hahaha). hopefully we can pull off the december reunion thing.

that will definitely be a blast from the past.

childhood reminiscing

its cool that a year back or so, i finally managed to get all episodes of this cartoon i grew up with. even during that time, voltes v has been ahead of its time - the japanese has always been tops in the anime department. they're visionaries. i would love to get my hands on this uber cool toy - its a collectors item and i think i saw one being retailed for a cool 20,000 bucks. pretty expensive.

the english version of its opening theme is blaring on my homepage. its pretty cool and i remember humming on to the japanese version even though i didn't know what the heck those lyrics meant or how to properly pronounced them.

voltes v theme (english version)

Someday the sons of light shall fill all the earth
The morning of justice shall have come to its birth
So we'll all wave our banners high and free through the air
For the love and glory we then all shall share

Soldiers boldly unite to fight and fight for peace
Hand in hand like eagles through the breeze
Over lands and over seas

Voltes V we come to you
Flashing through with wings of steel
Fates of foes are what we seal
With swords of laser light
And over lands and over seas
Onwards victory / Voltes V

so this is what limbo feels like

there's still no certainty about the current state of the big blue ...i think its mostly certain that there's a new building in sight but so far the only certainty in terms of headcount reduction is teh first wave for the factory by end of this year. after an hour of chatting with our manager this morning, from her perspective, it seems that "our" job is technically secure even if we are "regional" positions. this should be good, make that great, news if we were actually looking at staying. but the remaining pinoys in my group is a 25 year veteran who is all but ready to reap her millions, another who has plans of pursuing other options and i, who is but ready to move into a different industry. the only consolation i here is that our manager seems to be supportive of what we want (at least that's how it seems today). i'm kind of waiting to receive a package and while there have been a number of calls for job openings to which i've all indicated "i'm looking (for a job)" there really is no certainty of moving out until after i'm certain of getting the package. the additional responsibilities that i've inherited from a resigned colleague most certainly makes me busy these days. its downright tactical which can be exhilirating except that they're all issues (problems in semicon speak) that needs to be taken cared of.

i should be happy i have a very flexible job - and i am grateful don't get me wrong. i earn decently. the only thing i am wanting right now is the thrill into moving into uncharted territory - that should scare me but it really doesn't. almost 11 years in the semicon is a long time it makes me feel ancient. the thrill and the challenge a new industry and company poses makes me giddy and adrenalin all but shoots through my veins at the thought of it. i should be careful what i wish for but this lull career-wise is killing me.

this is what steady feels like, when you're not moving forward and you're not moving back - a limbo of sorts. well i should just make the most of it, take the time to pursue other interests like this photography thing, and hopefully soon my culinary obsession.

kailan ka ba

to complement the mood i am this week ...
i need someone to .... save me! or grab a drink with me! =P


Kailan Ka Ba - Sugarfree

Duda ang aking kasama, at sabay kami sa aming pag-iisa
Meron akong, matagal nang hinahanap
at ang takot ko’y di sya mahagilap

[refrain]
Dumaan na ba sya? Di ko lang napuna?
Ilang gabi pang laman ng isip?
Ilang araw pang magtatanong?

[chorus]
Kung sino? Nasan?
Kailan ka ba darating at ako ay sagipin
sa mundong malupit, at naiinip
Sino? nasan? kailan ka ba?

Walang silbi sa akin ang gabi
at di makatulog sa kahihintay sa 'yo
Kung ika’y dumating, kailangang tanggapin
na baka di ka naman maging akin

[repeat refrain and chorus]

Sino ka man dumating ka na please
Sino ka man dumating ka na please
Sino? nasan? kailan?

i need a drink

seriously, i need a drink. its one of 'em days when i spiral down into fits of depression. it comes and goes and maybe its because i've been trying to do too many things at the same time. its easy to forget about it when i'm with other people but its the alone time that gets me. shopping used to be good therapy but i'm over indiscriminate spending (ok, i've improved on that big time!). blogging lately has been a bit of a chore, not finding anything to talk about and not finding the words to write something much more coherent than this. its the lack of things to say that makes me babble ... its these momentary bouts of sadness that i hate so much because there's no hand i can hold on to except my own. its not for the lack of friends, i just prefer to sort out my own personal demons. i've never been good talking about my sad stories which has got me to start blogging in the first place. lately though, baring my soul to the public doesn't seem to be such a great idea.

where's that bottle of shiraz when you need one?

a dark knight to remember

so i probably am one of the last few who hasn't seen "the dark knight" but i did manage to catch it last night with d who incidentally was watching it for the second time. i was planning on running some errands before meeting up with d so i dutifully allocated 2 full hours to drive to makati. i left at 4pm thinking that was enough time to swing by a couple of stores and even took the skyway. wow, annoyingly, right after the tollgate, the cars were piled up - totally non-moving. it moved after a good 10mins and then stopped again right before the don bosco exit. i heard from passerby's (yeah there were people walking going down and checking things out) that they weren't letting cars pass cause of the streets were flooded. it was probably 45mins after when we started to move and i realized that there won't be time to swing by the stores anymore. two full hours just to get to makati.

we decided to grab a light meal at the small italianni's in glorietta and grabbed a full order of the sicilian salad. i thought the serving would be bigger but d & i were both disappointed that we each just had one serving of the greens and the bill racked up to around 600 pesos. while i love that sicilian salad, that was so not worth it. this is why italianni's kind of rank low in my list of restaurants - they're way overpriced so i prefer CPK any day.

what can i say about "the dark knight"? it was definitely very well made and bears that dark theme christopher nolan is known for. heath ledger did a fantastic job on the joker. this film definitely is not for kids. it is a grown-up flick and should have had a R-18 rating. i felt like i saw very little of bruce wayne (christian bale) throughout the flick and so much more of batman. i didn't like that batman had to talk in that deep, husky almost inaudible voice - what's the deal with that? the film was quite long and i must have been kind of tired because i committed the ultimate crime - i sort of felt sleepy in some of the scenes. (lol). batman is not your typical superhero. he is in some way but he's the only one in the justice league who doesn't have superpowers. some may not like that and others might because that means there's more realism to it. while i'm not really a big batman fan (i'm more inclined to the superpowered ones), i must admit that the last two bat flicks were very good (hmmm don't like katie holmes that much though) and they did an amazing job resurrecting this franchise. so here's to more superhero flicks ... may they keep on coming!

pet peeve: why is it that some people continue to answer their mobiles in the movie theater? talk as if the other people can't hear them. the other thing i hate are those who sit at your back and their legs, feet touch the back of your seat and they shift their them like non-stop. or even those who talk non-stop and make comments every freakin' scene. aarrrggghhh. silence is golden di ba?