In Memoriam...
Where to start? I have lots to write about, but tonight I am having one of those insomnia nights thinking... thinking... of many things.
Today I spent 3 hours playing badminton with my friends from Tembeling. And there were a couple of new faces around who joined in to play. One of them seemed familiar and I found out that she also studied in the same university as I did. Then she asked me, do you know Diocelle? And I said affirmatively, "But of course!"
Then I heard the unexpected. A few months back I have heard the same two words, "Wala Na". And today's seemed like an echo of that moment in the past, but the silence that ensued meant only one thing. Another friend has just succumbed to lupus.
I remember the last time I saw and talked to her was over coffee at Cafe Ecila in Ayala. She lent me an ear and gave me words of comfort and of wisdom. Those were words from someone who has braved one of the greatest heartaches that I have known to date to someone like me who has just experienced his first nip. She was wearing red and we parted ways with her telling me to just hold on and know that it will all be alright. And she said that with much confidence like she already knew what the outcome would be. And so today, I say, "Thank you!" Yes, I have come through.
I will always remember her as one person who believed much in love. I have seen her tears brought about by forbidden love. I have seen her smiles whenever her hearts desires are met in full. And be it win or lose, the manner in which a person perseveres against the odds is what defines her character.
Dii, you will be missed.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Some things you can never understand
It is just the way of life and through the years I have learned how to deal with certain unpleasant things. As long as I am alive, with 4 walls around me, a floor, a roof and food on the table, I think that is already good enough.
To those who cannot understand what is happening in their lives right now, carry on.
It is just the way of life and through the years I have learned how to deal with certain unpleasant things. As long as I am alive, with 4 walls around me, a floor, a roof and food on the table, I think that is already good enough.
To those who cannot understand what is happening in their lives right now, carry on.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Aimee Leaves
I wish Aimee the best in her future plans as she leaves our household for her long-awaited migration to the US. Though all of us felt her departure was too sudden, but we understand the circumstances she was in and what she has been through for many months now. It would be unfair to say that Singapore as a nation has failed her, but we can't help but put blame on certain individuals who bring shame to this supposedly wonderful city.
I am disappointed that it did not work out despite our efforts to make the other aspects of her life fun hoping that it may balance out her work stress. In the end, it came to this.
I hope that you bring with you memories of the good times we had. You will be missed.
I wish Aimee the best in her future plans as she leaves our household for her long-awaited migration to the US. Though all of us felt her departure was too sudden, but we understand the circumstances she was in and what she has been through for many months now. It would be unfair to say that Singapore as a nation has failed her, but we can't help but put blame on certain individuals who bring shame to this supposedly wonderful city.
I am disappointed that it did not work out despite our efforts to make the other aspects of her life fun hoping that it may balance out her work stress. In the end, it came to this.
I hope that you bring with you memories of the good times we had. You will be missed.
Monday, June 29, 2009
FROM BLUEGINGER
Color Quiz
Your Existing Situation
"Works well with others, as long as he doesn't have to take the lead. Longs for relationships which are understanding and relatively conflict-free."
Your Stress Sources
Feeling empty and isolated from others and trying to bridge the gap between himself and others. Wants to live life to the fullest and experience as much as possible. He cannot stand any restrictions or obstacles put in his way and only longs to be free.
Your Restrained Characteristics
Current situations force him into compromise and placing his own hopes and desires on hold for the time being.
"Insists his hopes and ideas are realistic and achievable, but needs encouragement and support. His self-centeredness can cause him to take things too personally."
"Although he is able to find contentment through sexual activity, he feels hopeless to change his problems and difficulties and continues to make the best of what he has."
Your Desired Objective
"Strives for full life which includes activities and experiences, as well as, a close relationship offering sexual and emotional satisfaction."
Your Actual Problem
"Fights resistance or limitations, and insists he is free to develop in his own way. Rewarded by accomplishing things on his own, with little to no help from others."
Your Actual Problem #2
Is afraid he will be held back from obtaining the things he wants leading him to act out with a hectic intensity.
Color Quiz
Your Existing Situation
"Works well with others, as long as he doesn't have to take the lead. Longs for relationships which are understanding and relatively conflict-free."
Your Stress Sources
Feeling empty and isolated from others and trying to bridge the gap between himself and others. Wants to live life to the fullest and experience as much as possible. He cannot stand any restrictions or obstacles put in his way and only longs to be free.
Your Restrained Characteristics
Current situations force him into compromise and placing his own hopes and desires on hold for the time being.
"Insists his hopes and ideas are realistic and achievable, but needs encouragement and support. His self-centeredness can cause him to take things too personally."
"Although he is able to find contentment through sexual activity, he feels hopeless to change his problems and difficulties and continues to make the best of what he has."
Your Desired Objective
"Strives for full life which includes activities and experiences, as well as, a close relationship offering sexual and emotional satisfaction."
Your Actual Problem
"Fights resistance or limitations, and insists he is free to develop in his own way. Rewarded by accomplishing things on his own, with little to no help from others."
Your Actual Problem #2
Is afraid he will be held back from obtaining the things he wants leading him to act out with a hectic intensity.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
HAPPY MOTHER's DAY
... to all mothers and soon-to-be mothers around the world ;)
I just called up my mom to greet her on this special day and got the news that our store got featured in an article in Sun Star yesterday. Luis Quibranza walked in our store and thought of writing a feature article about our business for today's special event.
Here it is: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/mothers-business
Enjoy!
... to all mothers and soon-to-be mothers around the world ;)
I just called up my mom to greet her on this special day and got the news that our store got featured in an article in Sun Star yesterday. Luis Quibranza walked in our store and thought of writing a feature article about our business for today's special event.
Here it is: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/mothers-business
Enjoy!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
HIATUS
Let's face it, I need a break and I need to go home to Cebu and unwind for a few days. BUT...
I can't. My company is forcing us to take leaves via a 4-day work-week. And so that leaves me with fewer leaves under my control. I have a project that will run starting next week and must be done by June. My leave requests are all denied and I need to find a way to get out.
This is crazeeee! I need a fire escape now. No company must be able to hold me beyond my wishes. This "crisis" must stop. It is giving me and everyone else fewer choices.
To you f**king @-#*les in Wall Street, get your f**king act together!
Let's face it, I need a break and I need to go home to Cebu and unwind for a few days. BUT...
I can't. My company is forcing us to take leaves via a 4-day work-week. And so that leaves me with fewer leaves under my control. I have a project that will run starting next week and must be done by June. My leave requests are all denied and I need to find a way to get out.
This is crazeeee! I need a fire escape now. No company must be able to hold me beyond my wishes. This "crisis" must stop. It is giving me and everyone else fewer choices.
To you f**king @-#*les in Wall Street, get your f**king act together!
Friday, April 17, 2009
OverWorked
I guess it is an "employer's world" out there at this moment in time. Not only are there fewer vacancies, almost everyone is working more than one man's job. I'm doing overtime now because my boss, at 5:30PM, just told me that I have to download some files from Germany, burn the image to a CD, extract the files, append my files to it, then burn the appended image, install the software, and then test if the fixes from Germany works. All because my counterpart in Germany will be on sick leave whole of next week.
Could I have been told at least by 3PM? grrrrr...
Thankful for having a job still, but I so want to arrrgh! This sux!
I guess it is an "employer's world" out there at this moment in time. Not only are there fewer vacancies, almost everyone is working more than one man's job. I'm doing overtime now because my boss, at 5:30PM, just told me that I have to download some files from Germany, burn the image to a CD, extract the files, append my files to it, then burn the appended image, install the software, and then test if the fixes from Germany works. All because my counterpart in Germany will be on sick leave whole of next week.
Could I have been told at least by 3PM? grrrrr...
Thankful for having a job still, but I so want to arrrgh! This sux!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Visualize the "Crisis"
http://vimeo.com/3261363
I found this nice animation that visualizes how this "crisis" came to be. For those who want to know how it came to be, this is an informative video on how anything in excess is bad. For those (like me) who have had enough of words like "crisis" and "recession", you do not deserve more of this negativity.
http://vimeo.com/3261363
I found this nice animation that visualizes how this "crisis" came to be. For those who want to know how it came to be, this is an informative video on how anything in excess is bad. For those (like me) who have had enough of words like "crisis" and "recession", you do not deserve more of this negativity.
Monday, March 30, 2009
WWW
It was a Web Work Weekend. I was a busy netizen throughout the weekend and it was just last night that I realized, "Weekend over, work tomorrow" With how many people searching for jobs today, I won't cringe on that anymore though I know very well how much I would want to. Over time, I have accumulated a lot of online accounts ranging from e-mailboxes to online job portals.
Today, I tried to revive my PayPal acount. It was a pain to recall my username, password, creditcard number etc since it's been 4 years since I last used it. Paypal is really secure in that the call agent refused to entertain my account unlocking request if I failed to give her my credit card number and phone number in the US. Much thanks to good documentation, I've found all the details required in less than an hour. So I'm waiting. I need it for transactions that will require payment from another country.
Speaking of PayPal, I've signed up for PayPerPost. I'm still figuring out how to achieve my goal without having to make my personal home in the web look like a house that is up for sale. I miss writing and I'd like to be paid doing it. Why? Coz living in Singapore can take its toll on your English and last night I caught myself losing command of my tongue while reciting the prayer before meals.
Try calling the PayPal hotline in Singapore and you'd surely not want your English to sound like that Chinese voice machine. Nono!
It was a Web Work Weekend. I was a busy netizen throughout the weekend and it was just last night that I realized, "Weekend over, work tomorrow" With how many people searching for jobs today, I won't cringe on that anymore though I know very well how much I would want to. Over time, I have accumulated a lot of online accounts ranging from e-mailboxes to online job portals.
Today, I tried to revive my PayPal acount. It was a pain to recall my username, password, creditcard number etc since it's been 4 years since I last used it. Paypal is really secure in that the call agent refused to entertain my account unlocking request if I failed to give her my credit card number and phone number in the US. Much thanks to good documentation, I've found all the details required in less than an hour. So I'm waiting. I need it for transactions that will require payment from another country.
Speaking of PayPal, I've signed up for PayPerPost. I'm still figuring out how to achieve my goal without having to make my personal home in the web look like a house that is up for sale. I miss writing and I'd like to be paid doing it. Why? Coz living in Singapore can take its toll on your English and last night I caught myself losing command of my tongue while reciting the prayer before meals.
Try calling the PayPal hotline in Singapore and you'd surely not want your English to sound like that Chinese voice machine. Nono!
Friday, March 27, 2009
CHOICES & BEYOND
I'm back here once more. It's been awhile.
As the world battles this "recession", I've been looking at the future keenly more than ever. In today's conditions, no job is safe and job tenure/security is best managed when you have a number of options to choose from. When nothing is certain, there can be something certain and that is change. And I find conditions now very interesting as I ponder what I'd like to do next.
One: I could be revisiting that hobby I've always wanted to do but never had the time because "work" consumed most of your waking hours, and using that hobby as a way to find fulfillment and get paid well enough to pay the bills and have some extra. I love to cook! Even after a long day's work, I just love chopping with my knife and relish at the scent of aromatic garlic on a hot pan. Culinary has been something I've wanted to pursue but never thought it could provide financially as much as what my profession can offer. Not all is about money, and I'm thinking of returning home and help around expand the business.
Two: The quest to have my own patch of land is something I chase about as much as... everyone? From where I am, soil (and I'm not referring to a plant box) is expensive. The city grows vertically and I just am not as interested at owning a space in the air as having my foot feel the warmth of the earth. The place is getting a bit "smaller" as my familiarity of it grows. I have learned to love this place and yet I feel that in the long run there still is a better place out there. Mars.
Three: I can read Mr. Kiyosaki's book once more and implement his strategy. It will be painful without a clear plan as to where to settle but, hey, I can get money to work for me.
Four: There is no FOUR... yet! Three choices is a lot already.
I'm back here once more. It's been awhile.
As the world battles this "recession", I've been looking at the future keenly more than ever. In today's conditions, no job is safe and job tenure/security is best managed when you have a number of options to choose from. When nothing is certain, there can be something certain and that is change. And I find conditions now very interesting as I ponder what I'd like to do next.
One: I could be revisiting that hobby I've always wanted to do but never had the time because "work" consumed most of your waking hours, and using that hobby as a way to find fulfillment and get paid well enough to pay the bills and have some extra. I love to cook! Even after a long day's work, I just love chopping with my knife and relish at the scent of aromatic garlic on a hot pan. Culinary has been something I've wanted to pursue but never thought it could provide financially as much as what my profession can offer. Not all is about money, and I'm thinking of returning home and help around expand the business.
Two: The quest to have my own patch of land is something I chase about as much as... everyone? From where I am, soil (and I'm not referring to a plant box) is expensive. The city grows vertically and I just am not as interested at owning a space in the air as having my foot feel the warmth of the earth. The place is getting a bit "smaller" as my familiarity of it grows. I have learned to love this place and yet I feel that in the long run there still is a better place out there. Mars.
Three: I can read Mr. Kiyosaki's book once more and implement his strategy. It will be painful without a clear plan as to where to settle but, hey, I can get money to work for me.
Four: There is no FOUR... yet! Three choices is a lot already.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Lights Off for Circuit City
I feel bad about this, seriously. I got the news from my colleague that Circuit City had just closed its doors for the last time 2 days ago, March 7, 2009.
Hearing the news, I recall fond memories when my BIOS team and I queued up as early as 3AM, amid freezing temperatures, outside the Circuit City store at Hamburg Place Lexington KY to partake in America's largest annual shopping frenzy that is Black Friday. I remember that I didn't have a scarf then and so I took with me this bath towel from Residence Inn to keep my neck warm. I remember that I didn't buy what I went there for (a laptop) and instead bought a whole bunch of DVDs with price tags slashed by more than 50%.
Circuit City was a bit more expensive than Best Buy. But I can recall that it had a more convenient location than Best Buy, at least in the downtown Lexington area.
Goodbye, Circuit City.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Thursday, January 08, 2009
TO: 2009
The New Year brings forth a lot of hope and opportunities for many of us to better ourselves, to experience enriching relationships, to be showered with good health and prosperity, and most of all to strike that perfect balance we all need to achieve.
2009 begins with a dead certain uncertainty of what is to come a few months from now. Though we see the effects slowly unravelling before us, I would like to start the year with much hope that YES, we will all see better days. I believe that 2008's end was a wake up call for many of us to be grateful and appreciative of others and of God's blessings. I could not ask for a better yearender for 2008 than the 12 days I had just experienced. Those will be 12 days of spending quality time with the people I care most in this world. I've made my mistakes in the past and I believe that making ammends will take much more effort because friendship afterall is a 2-way street. I'm glad I got back the friend that I value the most, the one who knows me and understands me no matter what.
Looking back a year ago, I saw how my life has transformed as I have seen myself grow immensely with God's grace. I have done much with the wings that He has given me. My prayers have been answered and I have proven myself worthy that I can earn my own keep, something that I believe every man must be able to accomplish.
2009 is the Year of the Ox, a year where we must work extra hard to rid ourselves of the negative effects of fear, anxiety and hesitation. This will be a great year, one that brings about change in many facets of life. It will be a year of great opportunities and rewarding relationships. In a year's time, there will be many things to appreciate and be grateful for and the tone of such praise and gratitude will be the same as mine today or even better. Cheers to the New Year!
The New Year brings forth a lot of hope and opportunities for many of us to better ourselves, to experience enriching relationships, to be showered with good health and prosperity, and most of all to strike that perfect balance we all need to achieve.
2009 begins with a dead certain uncertainty of what is to come a few months from now. Though we see the effects slowly unravelling before us, I would like to start the year with much hope that YES, we will all see better days. I believe that 2008's end was a wake up call for many of us to be grateful and appreciative of others and of God's blessings. I could not ask for a better yearender for 2008 than the 12 days I had just experienced. Those will be 12 days of spending quality time with the people I care most in this world. I've made my mistakes in the past and I believe that making ammends will take much more effort because friendship afterall is a 2-way street. I'm glad I got back the friend that I value the most, the one who knows me and understands me no matter what.
Looking back a year ago, I saw how my life has transformed as I have seen myself grow immensely with God's grace. I have done much with the wings that He has given me. My prayers have been answered and I have proven myself worthy that I can earn my own keep, something that I believe every man must be able to accomplish.
2009 is the Year of the Ox, a year where we must work extra hard to rid ourselves of the negative effects of fear, anxiety and hesitation. This will be a great year, one that brings about change in many facets of life. It will be a year of great opportunities and rewarding relationships. In a year's time, there will be many things to appreciate and be grateful for and the tone of such praise and gratitude will be the same as mine today or even better. Cheers to the New Year!