Change in Plans

14. Get surfing lessons.
17. Get capoeira lessons.

I slash these two out in my future since after much consideration, I found out that these sports seem unhelpful to my personal development. I reconsidered and chose better sports that I plan to excel in. I intend to choose a sport that is practical, useful, has great discipline, hindi maporma o uso lang.

A martial art perhaps.

What's Your Poison?

My poison?

Three letters. ( SEX? Nah..)

MSG. Or Monosodium Glutamate.

Firstly, let us define it. Monosodium Glutamate is a sodium salt and is used as a food additive and is commonly marketed as a flavor enhancer. Some of the trade names of monosodium glutamate include Ajinomoto, Vetsin, and Accent.

We all know what M.S.G. is. It is mostly used as a seasoning in food, especially us Filipinos who like our viands tasty. It is also a common ingredient in junk food.
And that's what I like to share.

My poison is junk food. And here is the list of my favorite munchies every time I watch a DVD movie at home during Saturday night. Lets start with the local ones first:

1. Piattos - Category : Potato crisps
I just can't get enough of this. Every time I walk through the snack aisle of every supermarket, I just have to take one big bag.

2. Tostillas - Category : Corn Chips
One of the few junk food that I can find solace. Nacho corn chips and cheese powder. What more can you ask for?

3. Nova - Category : Multi-grain Chip
I love these when topped with ground beef, cheese sauce and grated cheese! I don't feel guilty!

4. Nachos - Category : Corn Chips
One of the more saltiest junk food I've eaten.

5. V-Cut - Category : Potato Chips
This one is a classic! Ever since high school, I never fail to eat this. In every inuman I go, it is always present. Maybe because of its spicy flavor.

6. E-Aji - Category : Corn Chips with Dips
I just like the dip. Not the chips.

7. E-Aji Potato Chips - Category : Potato Chips
Wow. San Miguel Corp. did a great job! It almost tastes like Lays! One of my favorites!!

Now, let's go international:

1. Pringles - Category : Potato Crisps
I will kiss you if you give me a can! Hahaha!

2. Pik-Nik - Category: Potato Crisps
Another classic. This junk food never fails to its promise. Its just that every time you eat it, you're OK!

3. Lay's Potato Chips- Category: Potato Chips
I will kiss and hug and kiss and hug and kiss and hug you if you give me a bag. This is my ultimate junk food enjoyment.


As an addendum to this entry, I'd like to share this recipe of mine for those people who are MSG-whores as well. This recipe is a good appetizer for a party, inuman or just bumming around the house. I call it - "The P.A.A.N.I." (potcha, ang alat naman nito!):

P.A.A.N.I. Recipe

Prepare the following:
- 50 grams of ground beef
- 500 grams of French Fries
- 2 bags of Tostillas Corn Chips or nacho chips
- 1 can of Tostitos Cheese Sauce
- small onion, chopped finely
- a pinch of salt and pepper

Fry onion and add in ground beef. Add the pinch of salt and pepper to taste. After cooking set aside. In a deep fryer, fry the French fries until golden brown. Drain oil using paper towels. Add salt to taste. Set aside. In a big serving bowl or plate, arrange the nacho chips around the plate to serve as base. Then top with the cooked fries. Pour over cheese sauce. Add in ground beef as topping.

Serve!

I cannot watch a movie without three bags of these munchies or one serving of PAANI. They really are a must. Sheesh.

Now, I can't wait for next Saturday for my usual fix of my poison.

How about you? What is you poison?

20 Things I'd Like to Do and Own

1. Find my true love and get married, have 3 kids(two boys and a girl).
2. Earn the respect of my family, especially my siblings.
3. Find true friends that I can really rely on.
4. Own a house in a prestigious village in the Philippines.
5. Own a Porsche car.
6. Get my M.B.A. abroad.
7. Go on a trip to Lourdes, France and Paris with my family.
8. Go to Australia.
9. Go to Singapore.
10. Go to California in United States to visit our relatives there.
11. Be a SAP-HR Consultant.
12. Visit Palawan, Surigao, Sorsogon, Davao, Cebu and Zamboanga.
13. Buy an IPod and a Macbook.
14. Get surfing lessons.
15. Maintain my waistline at 32 and join a bikini contest at age 25 and win!
16. Learn how to play the guitar.
17. Get capoeira lessons.
18. Learn how to do ballroom dancing.
19. Get a short course in Human Resources at the University of the Philippines.
20. Get Psychology units at the University of the Philippines next semester.

Two Birds with One Stone

I have been stressed for the past weeks and yeah, I'm stressed. Its all because of work, work and more work. I actually had no time for exercise since I go home late because of those customer requirements that our office team has to deliver. So finally after so much anticipation, I had a chance to swim last Saturday to get rid of stress!

But that day, was a long day.

So I decided to swim on a Saturday afternoon since I have been missing on exercise and my body is actually missing treading in the water. Packed my stuff, and headed off to my destination. The Department of Education - Ultra Swimming Pool in Pasig. Upon arriving, I noticed that the parking lots at the pool area were packed w because normally, its not that packed during weekends. Then I saw the Ateneo seal. They were having a sports event for the high school students. That's one down. I cannot swim here. Then I decided to go to the next public pool I know. Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City. Still, luck was not at my side because the pool is in use by a certain military group that has training. I tried asking the pool personnel to let me swim until it became an argument, but in vain. It's reserved and closed to the public.

I was feeling a bit low because that pool was my only hope for training. But something sparked in my mind to search for another public pool that might exist around Metro Manila. That's it! Search. I headed to the nearest internet cafe' and Google-d for public pools around the city.

Then luck came.

The Makati Aqua Sports Arena. Hah! I actually discovered another pool. So, I immediately went to the M.R.T. to go to the place. The Makati Aqua Sports Arena is a project of the local government of Makati City for sports development of the youth there. I actually read a few write ups about the place, and heard good feedback. The complex is located beside the Makati Park and Garden( parallel to the Pasig River), J.P. Rizal Extension, West Rembo. It's just a jeepney ride away from the Guadalupe station of the Metro Rail Transit(MRT). The pool is open everyday from 8:00 am till 8:00 pm, except Mondays for maintenance. The entrance fee for swimmers are as follows:

Php 50.00 - for Makati residents
Php 150.00 - for non- Makati residents

For more information, you can contact Ms. Juvy at (02)881-59-41.

Since I'm not a Makati resident, I paid the latter. But, the amount spent was worth it because the whole complex is clean and well maintained.

After my two hour training, I felt the stress disappear from inside.

Lesson learned? Do not give up! If the first few attempts were in vain, try again, who knows? You might get what you wished for if you try hard enough! And be resourceful as well!

A Night of Drama

Its been a long while since my stint on musical theater. And as of now, I'm sorely missing it. All the voice, dance and acting rehearsals at the Trumpets studio. And showing that to everyone we invited at our show. But tonight I'm the one sitting on a seat enjoying a show.

I was invited by a friend to watch a one act theater show by Koine' Theater Group held at the Conspiracy Bar last October 28. The group, Koine' has been in existence since 2001 and is the only professional intimate theater existing in the country.




The show was entitled "Huling Ensayo Para Sa Iyo" and tackled on bitter love. "The critically acclaimed plays on coping your significant other' parents who make you feel unworthy, and on; dealing with exes who might not be over you but too prideful fess up.."

Talk about bitter love.

Anyway, it was a memorable play for me since it is the first time that the show actually interacted with the audience. The actor on the second act really asked the opinion of the audience on how to deal with his problem ( on the play ). That was really new to me, and I was one of those "audience" who were asked to participate because I read a part on the script that is needed to make to show moving.

That at least made my week a bit more interesting.

Survey # 1

I asked a few guys at the office on what they think SAL2 means.

Here's what they said.

Them: salsal
Them: salto
Them: salala
Them: salsal = masarap na sawsawan
Them : Masturbation
Them : saltu
Them : saltwo
Them : madaldal
Them : Salary 2
Them : Master bate alam kuh...
Them : sal sal amf, tebats..

You will really have an idea how a person thinks with those answers.

How about you? What do yo think what SAL2 means?

The most creative meaning wins.

Who knows you might get free cellphone load from me?

Random Thoughts

1. Sometimes, even though you try to get something but if that something is not really intended for you, fate really keeps you away from it. I believe that every human has plan ( God's plan ) intended for him or her take. So any step you take straying from the intended plan, you always find a way to get out of that and get back on track. Based on my experience, I believe that true. If you really deserve something, you get it. You just need to hold on, keep going and never lose faith. Eventually, you will get there.

Random Thoughts

1. Have you ever met a person that you think you'll feel comfortable but then, after talking to them, you feel like shit? I mean, they're not at simple as they seem; or they pretend to be. Generally, I'm a simple guy with simple dreams. But these people, they tend to blow their trumpets out loud..too loud, that you become uneasy and insecure! It's totally devasting. After you put your defenses down and expect that somehow they appreciate you as you are, but in the end, they don't. And they do that just to feed their ego. These people think they're too perfect for anyone that they just throw people away like chewed gum.

Case in point: Dated someone in the higher part of society (or a social climber, perhaps) saying "I'm cool, I'm harmless, I'm totally friendly." Yours truly gave in. And after the first date, I felt like shit..being in the lower part of society. No cars, no gadgets, no condo-units. And was thrown away like that.



2. I have learned that some people who think you're friends, in fact are not. They're just some people who come into your life for a certain period of time, and after that, all is forgotten.

But some do stay, and they are the ones who you should treasure.

Comic Me

Me as a comic character!





This caricature of me was drawn by Lyndon Gregorio back in 2002, when he autographed my copy of the first ever Beerkada collection.

Everyday at the Office

A.M.

Breakfast

Co-Trainees

Work

A Day of Food

This is food trip number 3, plate 1.

And to think that I am gaining weight.

All I can say that is is one yummy day since I had to eat at three different restaurants in an afternoon!

Since I was new in the company, my boss sent me to a training. And its a company policy that they provides us free lunch. So they gave us a Japanese meal from Tokyo Tokyo. But I wasn't able to eat my meal( My training classmates just reserved the meal for me anyway) since my boss invited us (the team) for a lunch out at Pizza Hut Bistro to discuss something. So there we ate our lunch. And it so happened that day, we were invited to a dinner out by a former boss. So there you have it, a dinner waiting at Dad's for us. ( I finished 3 plates of food, by the way..refer to the picture above).

After all that food, I felt like bursting! But I'm not complaining.

Its food and the best thing....its FREE!!

Less Than Twenty Bucks

It was one of those days that new reminisce of those moments in the past that as a kid(or even as a college student), you used to buy street food less than 20 pesos and be satisfied. But as time goes by and the impact of the world financial crisis in the US, it seems that everything around you is pricey. Even the simplest food that you eat! So accompanied by a friend and armed with a hundred peso bill, we decided to meet up at UP Diliman in Quezon City and look for those treats around the campus that will satisfy your hunger and it won't even cost you an arm and a leg. And be ready to eat those, just in case food prices do soar up high...we may never know!

Without further ado.

Number 1 Find: Fishball and Kikiam
Probably one of the most popular street food of time and the all-time favorite. The taste of flour and fish, and more flour. We were at the UP Shopping Center when we found this booth that sells it and decided to eat this.
Cost: For Fishball - 50 centavos each ball
For Kikiam - 12 pesos per piece, divided in 6 bite size pieces

Number 2 Find: Kernel Corn with Butter and Cheese
One of my favorites! Steamed kernel corn with luscious margarine with sweet and tangy cheese powder. Man, when I saw this, I immediately ran to the stall bought one for myself. Satisfying the kid in me....again.
Cost: 20 pesos for a 16-ounce cup

Number 3 Find: Chicken Gizzard, or popularly known as Isaw
THIS IS THE REASON why I go to UP. Grilled chicken gizzard, with spicy vinegar on the side. Mang Larry, thank you.
Cost : 3 pesos per stick

Number 4 Find: Botchi ( or "butsi" ) Fried Chicken Stomach ( basta, laman loob din yun! )
Another reason why I want to study in UP. To visit Mang Larry.
Cost: 20 pesos per pack


So there are the 4 finds I made. I sorely miss those days back in Sta. Mesa where I used to eat all of these stuff everyday after school.

A Haiku

Would just like to share an attempt to create a Japanese haiku.

And Blue Wins!

This is actually a late post.

After all that has been said and done, the Ateneo Blue Eagles emerged as the champion of the Season 71 of UAAP Basketball showdown last September 25, 2008! The Final score was settled at 51-62 in favor of the Eagles.

I was at work as the entire game is going one so I kept track via online blogs.

Anyways, congratulations to the Ateneo Team!

Blue Versus Green - 2nd Chapter

Let’s get ready for some action as today’s the scheduled Game 2 of the UAAP Season 71 Basketball Championship between the two rivals, Ateneo and La Salle. We sure expect another heart pounding game as the Blue Eagles will try to clinch that championship title while the opposing Archers will try to seek another match.

It’s not surprising that some of my Atenean and La Sallite alumni officemates did not go to work just to watch the deciding game this afternoon. So much for school spirit.

What do you think will happen?

Did Coach Franz Pumaren change his strategy to make this an even game? Has he learned from the mistakes he did from the 1^st Game? Has he something up his sleeve?

Will Coach Norman Black be ready for this face off? The La Salle team has more championship experience than his boys. Will the Ateneo team succumb to the pressure?

We'll see!

Blue Versus Green

The battle is on for that highly coveted Championship Title and trophy of the UAAP Season 71 Basketball! ( And my alma mater is not even at the top 4! - Growls)

Who will win this season?

Take your pick Ladies and Gentlemen!

I was just watching the game earlier before I sat down and started my blog.

Man, it was intense. The game was so intense! As all may know, the De La Salle and Ateneo rivalry has been in place since both team played at the NCAA. And up to today, it never faded. Every time these two teams meet in a basketball match, its such a big deal. Ask their alumnus.

About the game.

The players of the Eagles were on fire headed by the Al-Hussaini who took home 31 points and 9 rebounds in this game! Nonoy Baclao ( who has 5 or 6 blocks! )was hot as Jai Reyes, Ryan Buenafe and Eric Salamat who stacked point against the Archers. The Team Captain-Chris Tiu was more of a support on this game.

The La Salle Team was on track until the second half, I observed that the team basically moved individually. Casio, Maierhoffer, Mangahas and Malabes are more the notable fighters of the game. Eventually, these plays took its toll on the team.

Ateneo topped the first game, with an 8-point lead against La Salle. The scores were 69 for Ateneo and 61 for La Salle.

Whew. Now, I'm off to wait for the next game. I'm on the look out who will be the champion this year.

How was my Weekend ?

Very good.

The weekend was indeed a blast! It was busy and tiring but enjoyable. The exhaustion was nothing compared to the hype it did me.

It was surprising that I did something personal, family, business, friends and religious-wise. Beat that! Haha!

The day started with me waking up late, around 8:30 am. This is what I like about Saturday mornings, I can wake up late with no one to bother me, and I can get that extra zzzz's without pressure! And nothing to think about except rest and recreation...(unlike weekdays). I got up, washed my face and ate breakfast. My mom called saying that my brother has a problem with his jaw, so I immediately made a way to contact them both for a meet up(Mom's at the office, Bro's at their bunker at work). Then, it was done. Then I remembered an errand my Dad told me to do, so after a little chat with our Ate's at home, I showered, dressed and went out to the streets in shorts and slippers. The usual Writer's clothing style. Simple but classy.

Then its off to Pasig for the errand. I went to a customer to get a payment for a product order. Then that done! So its off to personal! Since I'm at Pasig, I didn't bother going to other far malls. So I settled for SM Megamall. ( Shangri-la's not a choice for me for buying something essential, its a hang out place for me) So there I went. I actually have four things in mind that I need to buy.

1. Office Bag
2. Flash Drive
3. Khaki Pants
4. Pair of leather shoes

Due to monetary contraints, and its not payday you know, I just settled for the first two in the list. So I went off to find an office bag. And the qualifications for that bag are the following; number 1) it must not be a sports bag again, number 2) casual looking, number 3) fits with any attire I wear, number 4) must be one of its kind and not ordinary, and finally, the most important consideration of all...number 5) reasonably priced. After visiting Speedo, Toby's, Planet Sports, Human, Penshoppe, Surf World, Fila and the department store, I finally decided to get a bag from American Boulevard.

And the bag is....

The Lucky Pick since its basically reasonably priced.

I don't know, but for me, its the perfect bag. Its a backpack made of cotton cloth. Not only that, since I was friendly with saleslady who assisted me, she gave me an extra!

Extra Bag, that is!

So its settled! I got item number one. So its off to number two.

Since I was meeting my sister at Greenhills at around 2:00pm, I just bought a couple sandwiches at Mcdonalds and ate a quick lunch at a carinderia along EDSA, in front Robinson's Galleria. Mind you, their barbequed pork is good! And its only 25 pesos for a set. On that moment, I reminisced back the college days at UST; the same priced lunch I eat everytime at Dapitan. So then off to Greenhills.

Even though its junk, its still a favorite of mine

I met my sister there, and accompanied her since she'll be buying an 80 GB IPod Classic as a prize for herself because of her small business. Good for her. So there, we were browsing around the stalls, asking for prices of the gadget. The average price seems to be at 10,000 bucks but after a bit of haggling and some drama we set up, we got her video and music player at 9,150 pesos. Hmm...good enough. So after a tiring endeavor, I invited her at Krispy Kreme for a quick snack since she'll be going to her chorale practice too and I'm gonna meet a college friend. I bought her a half dozen donuts, of which one of the piece I ate..I just can't help myself with these donuts. And after getting the donuts from the counter, I escorted her to that taxi stand, and exchanged goodbyes.

The Gadget and yeah, she choose the color black.

Then at the same venue, Greenhills, I met a college friend. We just hung around, exchanged stories, looked at gadgets, ogled at the latest versions IPods and Mac notebooks. He accompanied me to buy a flash drive at CD-R King. Item number two, erased from the list. Then at 5:00pm in the afternoon, he left to meet his girlfriend.

Don't you think this blog can earn on product advertisements?

So, I'm off by myself again. I thought I'd buy myself snacks before I go home. So I went to Robinson's Galleria, not to shop, but to buy cheese flavored french fries at Potato Corner. Man, I just can't help eating this! I bought a large bag. And by the way, they give free iced tea! Then, its home time; rode the bus, slept for a bit along the way. I met my family at the village clubhouse, where they hear mass every Saturday afternoon. Fortunately, I came, not on time, but at least its not yet the end of the mass. After the mass, went home with my siblings and parents and end of day.

Woah. That was a blast! I was surprised myself that I wrote an entry this long. I do hope I get one of these weekends again.

A Step Closer to Success

Woohoo! I graduated again..but not the typical college graduation, though.

Another credential I can boast around in my resume'

I got my certificate last Saturday after finishing the Advanced Course in SAP Business One at Fast Track in Makati. Planning to pursue a SAP career after graduation, it seems that it's going on-track and schedule! After five meetings of information overload and staying up late at night ( since the class ends at 9PM and I live in Quezon City), I finally took the certificate in my hands!

Left to Right: Future SAP Consultant; Mr. Emil Gatus, Project Manager

This experience has been one of its kind(career-wise) since some of the participants of the course has been exposed at actual SAP Business One projects, and just imagine the tons of tips and other inputs they advise you as they have been there implementing the system on different companies.

Now this is what you call very professional

So its off to SAP!

Random Thoughts

1. Now I've felt what a bum feels like. For the past two weeks( since I left my last job ), I was slacking around the house, basically doing nothing productive. I just eat, sleep, watch television, sleep, play computer games and sleep some more. In those times, a random thought popped in my mind that maybe I can live this way for the rest of my life...thinking again, maybe not.
See this: When you get so darn tired and busy, you think of living like a bum; staying longer in your bed and sleeping in, then stay at your house doing nothing instead of waking up early in the morning just to get you at the office on time. But when you get too unoccupied, you feel like you need to go out there and do something. Human nature? Or just a plain irony of life? We can't get no satisfaction.


2. Have you ever thought that certain occurrences that took place in our lives happen for a reason? That there are no accidents in this life? That all the circumstance you are in is just a small part of the bigger picture you will fit? See this: This is from my own experience. You are employed in a company, then that company joins an event. On that event, another institution spotted you and offered you a better opportunity. Upon meeting that institution, they gladly accepted you to be part of them. Coincidence? Fate? Go figure.

Saying Good Bye

This is one letter I composed when I left one of the more homey companies I've worked in.

I love you guys, hope to see you soon!

Text text lang pag may lakad ah!

“The one thing that is constant in this life is change.”

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Pagbabago. Marahil ito ay isang bagay na hindi natin maiiwasan sa buhay. Kasali ang lahat sa umiikot na sirkulong ito at kailangan nating pagdaanan…

Naalala niyo pa ba noong tayo’y mga bata pa lamang? Noong mga panahon na tayo’y musmos sa realidad ng buhay?

Tanging paglalaro lamang sa kalye ang nasa isipan natin: ang manalo sa basketbol, jumping rope, tex, holen o tumbang preso. Makipusta sa kalaro sa laban ng gagamba o batuhang bola.Yung tumabay sa bahay ng kalaro natin at makinood ng telebisyon o makilaro nang usong-uso Sega o Nintendo.

Nang tumanda tayo ng kaunti, pagtungtong natin sa elemantarya - pag aaral naman ang ating inaasikaso. T-in-errorize ng nakakatakot mong teacher sa Math at Science, nagluto sa Home Economics class ng maruya, banana-cue at fruit salad. Nagsuot ng Filipino costume tuwing Linggo ng Wika at naghuhuli ng kamag-aral na nag-tatagalog noong English Campaign.

Natapos ang elementarya. Nagpaalam tayo sa ating mga mahal na kamag-aral, guro, tambayan at ang ating Alma Mater.

Dumating ang panahon na ikaw ay naging isang hayskul student. Doon mo naman nakilala si Jose Rizal, Pascal, Aristotle, Queen Elizabeth at si Hitler. Nakilala din natin ang Sin-CoSin-Tangent, Periodic Table of Elements at ang Ibong Adarna. Ang Black Plaque, Pang-Abay, Tang Dynasty, El Filibusterismo; Pati si George Washington, ang Parts of a Cell, Centrifugal at Centripetal Force, si Karl Marx. Siyempre andyan din ang overnight projects, CounterStrike, Battle Realms at Magic Cards, mga liga ng basketball versus sa mga kalapit na eskwela…nag-iyakan retreat, sumali sa mga contest, sumayaw at kumanta sa harap ng mga guro, magulang at kapwa kamag-aral at napgalitan ng Commandant sa CAT.

Natuto din tayong umibig. Naalala mo pa ba yung first crush mo noong elementarya? Yung inaabutan mo ng Choc-Nut para lang maka-usap mo? Yung crush mong teacher na lagi mong tinutulungang magbuhat ng libro papunta sa faculty room? E paano naman yung kapitbahay mo na niyaya mong “date” noong Junior at Senior prom?

Natutunan din ang kahulugan nang tunay na pagkakaibigan. Kung paano kayo mag asaran, mag-away at magbati ng paulit ulit, kung paano niyo pag usapan ang mga crush ninyo; kung paano niyo sinusuportahan ang kaibigan niyo sa panahon ng pangangailangan - tuwing may test - at kung paano niyo ipagtanggol ang isa’t isa sa mga kaaway ninyo.

Natapos ang hayskul. Nagpaalam tayo sa ating mahal na kamag aral, guro, tambayan at ang ating Alma Mater.

Sa kolehiyo natikman natin ang kapiraso ng tunay na buhay. Lahat nang kailangan mong malaman sa alak at layaw; saya at lungkot, sakit at sarap, pagkapanalo at pagkatalo, galit at pasensya, pakikisama;

Nadapa, tumayo at natuto.

Humarap at lumakad nang muli.

Natapos ang kolehiyo. Nagpaalam tayo sa ating mga mahal na kamag-aral, guro, tambayan at ang ating Alma Mater.

Nagtrabaho, nag aral nang muli, hinabol ang mga pangarap, naging isang tatay o nanay.

Isang yugto sa mga ating buhay and lumipas.. tila mga sundalo na nasa gitna ng giyera –Nagsisikap, nagtitiyaga, nagtitimpi sa pait ng realidad - lumalaban para mabuhay.

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Ganoon lang ang buhay! Isang gulong na patuloy-tuloy sa pag ikot. Maitatanong mo na lamang sa sarili mo, saan na napunta ang panahon? Nasaan na ba ako? Ano na ang estado ko sa buhay? Naging matagumpay ba ako? Masaya na ba ako sa buhay ko?

Nagkaroon ba ako ng “impact “ sa buhay ng ibang tao?

Ikaw lamang ang makasasagot.

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Salamat sa yugtong ito na aking maisusulat sa libro nang aking kasaysayan.

All The Way from Zambo

This blog entry goes to DJ Drake Woods of UE 103.5 of Max FM in Zamboanga City.

Kudos to the requests and the greetings!

New Job, New Company, New People, New Experience

Man, I was surprised that I was contacted by Northgate Arinso to be a SAP HR Junior Consultant. So there I went for an interview and got hired after two days! It was surreal!


But I was really thankful I landed on this company and on this job. It has been a dream for me to find a company that trains SAP and be a SAP Consultant.

Anyways, I thank the Lord God for this blessing.

Michael Mania

Michael Phelps.

“Records are always made to be broken no matter what they are… Anybody can do anything that they set their mind to."

One of the greatest Olympian of all time.

I have watched all his performances during the Beijing Olympics and he's really spectacular! As a swimmer myself, I consider him my Swimming God.

Idol!

Events, Results and Times

1. 400 m. Individual Medley - Gold Medal, World Record 4:03.84

2. 4 x 100 m. Freestyle Relay - Gold Medal, World Record 3:08.24

3. 200 m. Freestyle - Gold Medal, World Record 1:42.96

4. 200 m. Butterfly - Gold Medal, World Record 1:52.03

5. 4 x 200 m. Freestyle Relay - Gold Medal, World Record 6:58.56

6. 200 m. Individual Medley - Gold Medal, World Record 1:54.23

7. 100 m. Butterfly - Gold Medal, Olympic Record 50.58

8. 4 x 100 m. Medley Relay - Gold Medal, World Record 3:29.34

Many doubted that he cannot beat the record Mark Spitz set on the 1972 Olympics. But he surpassed this and broke Spitz' record of winning 7 medals in a single Olympic tournament. Career wise, he has 14 medals total. As he said, " All it takes is a little imagination!".

Another One of Them Stressors

Another One of Them Stressors

Call me the No-Girlfriend-Since-Birth type of guy. For the past 23 years of my life, I haven’t had a serious relationship with any girl. I had experiences, mind you. I had a fair share of good dates, bad dates, flings, sex trips, “experiments” and mutual understandings (M.U.). But after all that, I still am looking for that special person that would make me sing the song You and Me (Lifehouse) to her.

So right now I feel flustered.

For the past weekend, I have been struck by depression since my younger brothers have all their girlfriends who can make them feel loved. Unlike me, I’m usually the taong-bahay with my parents. At my age, the people around me seems to pressure me on finding a girlfriend. A relative said once, “ Kuya, kalian ka magkaka-girlfriend? Ikaw nalang ang wala sa ating magpipinsan. Sige ka baka magaya ka sa Tito natin! Hahaha! ” That uncle of mine is gay.

Stress alert!

Who would not be stressed about that?

So whoever you are, please.

Back to the Fat Burning Routine

Back to the DEP-ED ( Ultra ) Track and Field in Pasig City for my weekly jogging exercise.

Since its the Olympics season, why not break barriers?

For the past months, I set a personal record of jogging then running 5.6 Km. Then due toxicity and constraints, the next few weeks of exercise seems to be taking its toll since its a downhill performance from there.. from 5.6, 5 then 4 Km..

So here I am, trying to maintain that personal record and break it.

Sweat up!!

I feel f***ed up

Ewan ko ba! Hindi ko pa matalo ang sarili ko. I feel like I 'm gonna burst inside; that something repressed is still hidden inside me. I cannot show them what I really feel inside, I cannot tell them what I think. Everything that I had to say is superficial. Parang naka-depensa ako palagi. I tried showing them my true colors pero parang nandoon nalang sa loob ko, hindi ko na mailabas...galit, sama ng loob, inis..hanggang ganoon nalang ba iyon? I feel lazy. sober. heavy. Pakiramdam ko parang wala na akong pag asa sa lahat nang gagawin ko. Everything I start, I don't end. Palaging ganoon.I feel like no one cares. No friends. Even though they're there, wala pa rin sila. I feel invisible. I feel like I'm a spirit roaming around my life, cared by no one. Then I feel like I do not care. I don't care what they say or do. Lahat nang tao nilalapitan ka lang kapag may kailangan sa iyo. Pagkatapos iiwanan ka nila ere. Mag isa. Mag isa kang babagsak. Everything that you do seems wrong. All decisions that you make tends to fail. All you think is "when will this end?".

When will this end?

Singing the UP Hymm

In relation to the short course I took at UP, I was so surprised that at the graduation, we sang that UP Hymm..UP Naming Mahal.

I'm behind her(no pun intended).

For Swimmers Only

As a swimmer myself, I have to make sure that I comply on these laws:




21 Top Laws of Swimming by Jerry Heidenreich

1. Three of the most important components of swimming are:
technique,technique , technique.

2. Strive for optimum, not maximum, performance.

3. Learn to balance, align, and stabilize your body first.
Everything else will become easier.

4. Seek the path of least resistance.

5. Find the path of most resistance.

6. To become effortless requires great effort.

7. Listen to the water, feel the water, be one with the water. Swim
quietly.

8. The mind leads the body.

9. The harder you work, the harder you can play.

10. Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.
What you do in practice will determine what you do in meets.

11. The fastest swimmers are the ones who slow down the least.

12. The fastest you ever travel is when you dive off the block and
push off the wall.

13. Slice through the water, don't plow. Make your middle
name"streamline" .

14. Don't think of pulling the water. Learn to anchor your
hands,wrists, and forearms, and hold onto the water. Learn to use
your legs for balance and body stabilization.

15. Power is generated from the hips and torso. Use your shoulders
for your recovery and to generate additional arm speed.

16. Relax from the inside out.

17. Never look back.

18. Attack your race, attack your opponent.

19. Embrace your opponents. They make you a faster, better swimmer.

20. Use visual and mental imagery of yourself achieving and
surpassingyour goals.

21. Swim smart, use your head, and keep your head still.


And the fun part of being a swimmer...

ToP 10 ReAsOnS tO dAtE a ~SwImMeR~

1. They like it wet.
2. They dive right in.
3. Love going fast.
4. Are use to wearing next to nothing in front a group of people.
5. Breastroke is favorite to many.
6. Others like it on their back.
7. They are experts at putting on rubber and can do it fast.
8. They know how to push it and work under HARD conditions.
9. They are firm believers that practice will make you better and will at any time day or night.
10. Are use to doing things again and again till you can't go on any longer.

Cheers to the Commerce Swimming-UST Team!

Gas Prices: A Comment

Found these at a Shell Station near our village.

Signal of a Trend

What do you think?

Its just that the rising oil prices in the world market has taken its toll to every Filipino citizen. Every dollar movement of the barrel prices of oil has great impact on us. From Jan 2007 to June 2008, the average price of diesel and unleaded both raised a 166%. And today, the trend seems to be unforgiving, that it will not drop anytime soon.

Its frustrating sometimes because some companies do take advantage of this and make a crisis out of the predicament. And they're not helping at all. Financial statements of these companies show significant profits and they say that they're still in this "under-recovery" from losses ( importation costs, subsidiary transfer, etc). So with this, the effect is increases in gas prices every week.

A "Dark" Experience courtesy of Batman: The Dark Knight

Welcome to the Dark Side.

No. I’m not referring to one of the more famous line in the Star Wars series. But the well acclaimed Batman movie. I was not supposed to watch this movie since an office barkada gimmick was set. But then, due to unlikely office toxicity and demanding bosses (and a million reasons not to join the engagement), the set gimmick was postponed (again). And, out of the blue, as I was going home, my mom invited me to watch the show. So, there I am, joining the public in line to get a ticket at the SM North Edsa-The Block to catch a glimpse of the said motion picture.

And the movie goes…

The storyline was nowhere that I had expected. It was impressive! I was only expecting The Joker (played by Heath Ledger) as the main villain of the movie, but somewhere near the end, Two-Face(played by Aaron Eckhart) appears! That’s why the name Harvey Dent was sounding a bit familiar when I heard it during the movie. Not only that, I hadn’t noticed the coin-tossing-act as a clue! It was actually my sister (who’s 13 years younger than me) who reminded me that Two-Face does that.

And my comments….

Pros:

1. The Bat Mobile (This car can outrun any bus in EDSA!)! And that Bat-cycle!

I could ride one of these!

2. Heath Ledger deserves an Oscar for that stellar performance! You can’t recognize Heath being the Joker, and he made the character creepier.

3. Storyline was impressive; expect the unexpected.

4. Action packed fun.

Cons:

1. The way Batman talks. Para siyang may plema sa lalamunan.

Generally, the movie was genius.

Hopefully, they would remake the Batman series in the past.

I wouldn’t mind seeing Natalie Portman and Scarlet Johansson as Poison Ivy or Catwoman. (grins widely)

Becoming a UP Accountant....for five weeks!

Let me savor the moment for a while.

So this is what it feels like being a student at the prestigious State University, the University of the Philippines in Diliman at Quezon City...

Me and this oblation guy, we're cool

Then comes nostalgia of those gruesome, traveling-through-the-Commonwealth-traffic-to-look- for-the-Math-Building-where-I-would-take-my-entrance-exam days when I was an applicant seven years back just to study at the said institution. Although I did pass the grade requirement, but did not make through the quota ( since I applied for quota courses - Accountancy, Industrial Eng'g and Computer Science).

And then here I am. I' m a student of UP. So much for sweet revenge...

I took an Accounting Program at UP to learn the science deeply and to apply it to business..and make my resume' look a bit believable. It lasted for five weeks, from June 21 through July 19, every Saturday from 9AM to 5PM.

the tower of knowledge

refreshment area

the mentor's list

Actually, I was expecting nothing new( since my Accounting professor back in college was, well, not good in teaching) but I was wrong. I didn't know that the science is interesting. The consultants were practitioners and they mentor good. They made the program exciting. The discussions were mind-stimulating, exciting and light. There's no reason that you shouldn't learn.
In relation to that, the class was a good mix that made me learn more since we were composed of different professionals from different industries ranging from garments to shipping.

the dome of knowledge

the tools

I plan now to take a Management Course at the same university next.

I wanna sing that UP Hymn soon.

New Found Talent - Cooking

I found a new talent.

I can make delicious watermelon shakes in a snap!


And I can create baked potatoes too!



Cool! Ehem... ( do cooks say that? )

Birthday Greetings List

Here's the list of all persons who remembered my special day:

To all, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!


Friendster Greeters:



AnGeLiNe
Posted 06/29/2008 5:22 pm
api beeday!!!.... missu

Karen
Posted 06/29/2008 12:38 pm
ei, happy bday!

german
Posted 06/29/2008 12:42 am
jabee berthdei^_^

onyok
Posted 06/28/2008 9:34 pm
pst! happy bday.

Luanne
Posted 06/28/2008 4:07 pm
pi bertdei...

_busoy_
Posted 06/28/2008 11:37 am
happy birthday!
God bless...

mS.bRyTHgUrL
Posted 06/27/2008 9:51 pm
EloW
kUA rEnAn
HapI b-DAy
mizZ k0 na p0 kaU
..(",)..
teCee oLwaYs

Nana
Posted 06/25/2008 8:36 pm
Cheers to the June 28 celebrators! :)



TEXT GREETERS:

Unknown Number - Belated hapi bday (my name)
Carol - Belatd hapi birthday...
Kathy - Kuya, hapi birthday uli..
Denise - Happy birthday din! =)
Orange - Happy bday (my name)
Lea- besty happy birthday
Nana - Kuya (my name)! Happy Birthday!
Rizel - kuya (my name) hapi bday! =)
Jaramie - Hapi bday (my name). =)
Monina - happy birthday!
Jes - Happy bday! =)
Charmi - (my name), bday mo ba ngyn o tom? =) haha happy birthday a. =)
Nico - Happy bday! Enjoy every moment of it!
Jason - Hoi! Happy birthday! Sana may work kna...
Jen - Happy birthday! =)
RC - (my name), happy 28th birthday! may u have more candles 2 blow! god bless nd gud luck! =)
Joseph - haping bday! Oh pakain ka naman!