Gibo

This election, my vote for president goes to Mr. Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro. Based from debates shown on TV, and from the articles that I've read in the past months, my gut feel tells me that he has the most realistic platform. He does not make idealistic promises, and he does not engage in mudslinging. I will not tell you why not to vote for the others, all I'm saying is that I think Mr. Teodoro is our best bet for a better Philippines.

Life Is Weird

Image taken from here.

I'm confused. Why is life so weird? You're enjoying some sort of harmony in your surroundings, then all of a sudden it's taken away, and you can't do anything about it. It's like someone threw a rock at you, and you don't know the reason why.

I just don't get it. I feel stuck in some sort of conundrum. How do I confront all of these? As much as I'm thankful for all my blessings, and accountable for all my actions, I just don't seem to understand the quirks that life throws at me.

Oh well, that was just me thinking out loud. I know I'll get past all these, and tomorrow is going to be a new day.

Thanks Bro!

Learn more about the show here and here.

I just finished watching the final episode of May Bukas Pa, and this is probably one of the best endings I've ever seen. The feeling is comparable to what I have whenever I watch the series finale of F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

I credit my Aunt Lily for influencing me to watch telenovelas, especially those from ABS-CBN. Over the years though I think these shows have become formulaic, but ABS-CBN got this one spot on.

May Bukas Pa isn't the typical fantasy/action/romance series. It's an inspirational piece that spanned for over a year, and more importantly, it made Bro a household name. The only thing I didn't care for: overacting extras.

For Sky Broadband and Bayan DSL subscribers, you may want to subscribe to iWantv to catch up with Santino and Bro. Only works with Windows though (bummer).

Remembering Typhoon Milenyo

Power failure during Typhoon Milenyo, circa 2006. One of the first pictures to come from my 400D.

We haven't recovered yet from the onslaught of Typhoon Ondoy, and another one is about to hit us. Typhoon Pepeng is just around the corner, people have already started preparing (you should see the lines at the grocery this afternoon), and the whole nation tries to keep itself updated on what's going to happen next.

People kept comparing this coming typhoon, Pepeng, to super hurricanes like Katrina in the United States, and Milenyo three years ago. Come to think of it, it was exactly three years ago when Milenyo proved how devastating Mother Nature can be.

Ah yes, Typhoon Milenyo. I remember it was a Thursday, I was on my way to work when one of my office mates called me to tell me work had been called off. I couldn't believe it, it was the first time work was canceled because of a storm. How strong can it be?

Thankfully I got home early. It was surreal. You can hear the wind whistle its might. It didn't have much rain like Ondoy, but it certainly packed strong winds. By nine in the morning, power supply was cut off, we didn't have electricity until the next day.

But we were lucky. Other areas didn't have electricity for two weeks. I even had client calls postponed because their generator ran out of petrol.

And the damage was horrible. Metro Manila was like a war zone. Trees pulled out of their roots. Steel fences bent and destroyed. Some billboards along EDSA didn't escape its wrath. It was one of the worst storms I have ever experiences in my adult life.

And now another typhoon is coming. What a way to cap this stormy week of ours. I hope my next post is a positive one. And I hope everybody a safe weekend ahead.

Farewell President Cory

Picture taken from here.

I haven't been in touch with what's happening lately, so it came to me as a surprise when I learned about our former president's demise. I wouldn't have know if not for Sunday mass.

I was young and innocent when the People Power Revolution occurred, but I am thankful that I am one of those reaping the rewards of democracy. Sadly though, corruption is still as rampant today as it was during my childhood.

May you rest in peace President Cory. Salamat sa demokrasyang iyong pinamana.

Flight Delayed

I'm supposed to be in the airport now, but our flight has been delayed. Instead of departing at ten, we will now depart at one in the morning. Bummer.

On the bright side, I got to test my brother's Asus Eee. This will be our laptop in the US. It's a bit slow, and the keys are quite small. But for some reason, it's fun to use. I really can't explain it.

Random Ramblings

I've been absent from posting for more than a week now. Not only because I was busy, but because I can't seem to think of anything interesting to post.

Even with all the stress, I have a lot of things to look forward to. There's the early release of our mid-year bonus, as well as the upcoming finale (hopefully) to the Eraserhead's reunion concert. I'm also looking forward to other things, like an upcoming vacation in April. Now that's exciting.

So for now, I wish you all a happy weekend as I try to think of new things to blabber about. And by the way, if you find my blog interesting or helpful, please check out the ads at the right side and at the bottom of my site, all courtesy of Google AdSense. Times are hard these days, and I can use all the support.

News: Intel Confirms Closure Of Cavite Plant

Intel Confirms Closure of Cavite Plant
Posted using ShareThis

This is so sad, and probably a visible effect of the global financial crisis here in the Philippines. Back in college, I really wanted to work for Intel. I was even fortunate enough to visit their previous plant in Makati. I guess Cavite is just too far away for me to consider working for them after graduation, even though I've heard many good stories from people employed there.

I wish the best for those affected by this closure.

Confused

I'm confused right now if I made the right choice. I was offered a way to make more money next week (legit), but turned it down because of work. Taking a leave of absence wouldn't have been a problem, but we have a busy week ahead and I can't just leave my team behind.

This is just something that I want to get off my chest. I hope this kind of opportunity would pop-up again, and hopefully I'll be ready for that one.

My Blog List

I have added something new to my blog: a blog list. You can see it at the right side of this page, just scroll down a bit (sorry, I can't seem to make a quick link for it). It's actually a roll call of all the blogs I read, some of them readily load whenever I open my browser. And most of these blogs (especially the personal ones) are my inspiration in creating my own.

I will continue adding links to that list, but for now have a look and enjoy reading.

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By the way, my body hurts like hell. And I think I have a mild cold. It's party due to the sudden gush of rain last Thursday, but mostly it's because... well, I'll keep that a secret for now. But I will write about it soon, so stay tuned.

Going Back To The Real World (And Magic Cards)

It sucks that vacation time is over, even though it lasted for more than a week. Tomorrow, I (and the rest of the country) have to go back to work. It's like tomorrow is the official start of the new year for me. I just hope that even with the looming financial crisis, this year would be good for me (and for all my loved ones).

Anyway, this is sort of out of topic, but my friend Raymond got me interested in Magic cards again. Thankfully I don't have anyone else to play this game with, or I might become addicted again to this hobby, just like in college.

So to Raymond, looking forward to our next game.

Image taken from FNG.

New Year Blues

The year is about to end in a few days. And for some reason, I'm not really looking forward to it.

I don't hate New Year, but it's not one of my favorite holidays either. It wasn't like this when I was a kid. Being a war fanatic back then (yes, I was a weird kid), I enjoyed seeing and hearing all those fireworks. The only thing that made me sad about New Year back then was that it's time to count the days before classes start.

But for the past few years, the New Year has been giving me the blues. Apart from the end of the Yuletide season (meaning, I have to go back to work), it seems like I hate the very thing that made New Year special back then. Fireworks bother me more now, with all the smoke, dust, and danger it poses. And there's the danger of misguided bullets from irresponsible gun owners.

Yes, that last one isn't funny. I should know, back in 2002 one such bullet entered my room and ricocheted off my wooden floor. Ever since that incident, I always stay downstairs on New Year's eve.

Another thing about the New Year is that for the past two years, my car overheats on New Year's day (not this year, please). Why is this so? I have no idea. Coincidence? Maybe.

I just hope that this year, New Year's eve and New Year's day would be different. That I would be able to enjoy it as much as I did when I was younger. Happy holidays everyone!

Merry Christmas!!!

This was taken almost two weeks ago. Most of today's pictures (mostly family shots) are still in my camera, and I'm not even sure if it will still fit in my hard drive.

My first Christmas as a blogger. It's also my first Christmas eve away from home, as I spent it with Roxanne's clan in Cavite.

I'm so thankful that for the first time in years I (and most of the Philippines) will have a long vacation. I will definitely enjoy resting and exploring, but I will try to keep this blog running as much as I can.

For now, let's enjoy the holiday season. Merry Christmas!!!

Stressed

Wow, what a busy week. And unfortunately, no new photos to show. I feel stressed and tired from making source codes and going to clients here and there. Thankfully though I will be on leave next week, and hopefully I'll be able to share new stories once again.

Just keeping this blog alive, and releasing some stress at the same time.

Blabber

As much as I want to post something informative (or interesting at the very least), I just can't seem to find any. It's like all I have are the usual rants: the big tax deduction on my Christmas bonus, and how much it sucks that most of this bonus would just go to car maintenance.

It also sucks that the weather has been unpredictable these past few days. I wanted to take pictures this weekend, but the occasional rain often gets in the way.

At least a new week is about to start. Time to think positive again.

Spring Cleaning

We don't have spring here in the Philippines, we don't even have four seasons here. But I guess I like using the term "spring cleaning" whenever I want to clean my room.

Today, I decided to do that. The sun was bright outside, but I was too lazy to get out. But then again, I really wanted to achieve something today, and not let the day go to waste. So I sorted out my clothes, disposed most of my old socks and underwear, and relegated old shirts as pambahay. I also had the chance to dispose some of my old receipts.

Admittedly, cleaning my room will always be a never ending task. It's just so messy, I can't clean it entirely in just one day. Oftentimes I'm confused at what to organize first, and at what to dispose. Hopefully, one of these days, my lazy side would just take a backseat and let me do my chores.

My friend Jhen also cleaned her room a few days back, and found letters from old friends. Me, I just found old underwear while cleaning.

Rants And Updates

Thank God for 24-month warranties.

My laptop conked out last Friday, it would not power up, even if it's plugged in. I had to bring it to the service center in Megamall, and I only got it back this afternoon. Turns out some of the contacts inside were dirty, and as a bonus, Teng, the technician, fixed the hinges of my laptop as well. Now my laptop is good as new, thank you so much.

Now for my rants, I never got a ticket for Sunday's game. It was said that there were around 22,000 paying patrons inside Araneta Coliseum last Sunday. The Green Archers lost, which is really sad for a fan like me, but hey, at least I was spared from seeing them lose live (as well as the human traffic after the game).

My Internet connection (PLDT MyDSL) is also loopy this past couple of days. Weird thing is my connection was best when my laptop was under repair. Talk about bad timing. Thankfully, my mobile phone has WiFi. I tried calling customer service, and I was advised that our wireless phone may be the culprit, and that I need something known as a micro filter. To date, our wireless phone is no longer connected, but I still don't have a micro filter, it turns out they are quite pricey.

On a positive note, I had the chance to photograph Jhen and Don's wedding rings. Jhen was kind enough to post them (view pictures here) since I have yet to upload and post process the pictures. Hopefully I can post them soon.

Frank Ruined My Weekend

Image taken from Typhoon2000.

We were supposed to go back to Intramuros today, since our last visit there had some drawbacks. But Typhoon Frank was a bigger upset to our campaign, it's probably the first real storm to hit Manila this year. Our garage was actually flooded this afternoon.

And around the country, Frank is causing more trouble, even sank a commercial vessel (with around 700 people aboard). So sad.

I'm So Lazy

It's a Sunday, and I have nothing to do at home. And yet, my blog is still not updated.

Maybe it's because I'm enjoying browsing other webisites so much, reading photography forums and researching on my next mobile phone (I plan to get a Nokia E51). Or maybe I just enjoy sleeping on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Or maybe my obsessive-compulsive disorder is getting in the way of blogging.

I think I should just post and post, and not worry too much about the outcome. I'll try that.

Keeping The Blog Alive

It's been a while...

Asides from work, so many activities kept me from blogging during the past weeks:

* Jhen and Tin's birthday
* a trip to Tagaytay with Roxanne (unfortunately, I got sick on the way back to Manila)
* a family reunion
* a high school reunion of some sort
* Valentine's day
* a fiesta
* a really long weekend with Roxanne
* some other stuff that I could not recall

I'm not so sure if someone actually takes time to read this blog, but if there are people who visit this site, THANK YOU. I guess mainatining a blog is no walk in the park for someone as busy as me.

I'll try to post more in the coming days...