a thousand and one reasons to blog

i'm sure there are many reasons to blog. whatever made you start a blog, that is one. Well, it flatters me to be complimented(?) about my blog which is still active up to now since i started it in 2003. counting, that is 7 years up to date. :D

i guess it's easy to sustain a personal blog. sticking from the prime reason why i started blogging, being consistent about its content is one big factor. as i've mentioned in my 7 blogging years post, blogging has evolved. many bloggers converted their pages to an earning tool, thus, adding pressure to do a write-up. also, the blog's consistency in terms of content is somehow distorted. along this line, i admire one blog which started as a personal blog, turned monetized, and converted into a pay-per-post blog but remained to be as "personal" as it is. a reader can hardly notice that this blog is advertising. the author's posts give a personal touch to every items advertised. i'm taling about a good friend's blog, Domisticated Daddy's Diaries (of kurisujae).

a blogger finds tranquility in blogging. it serves as his comrade when no person is physically available to give him company to listen to all his mumblings. the blog records the things of the past, the moments once cherished, the dilemmas in life that we survived. the blog opens up your world to a larger "audience". it enables you to be known by and be friends with cyber acquaintances. it gives a picture of "who you are", at least the person you are as how you express your thoughts in writing. blogging can take you to a world you imagined and to a perfect place where you always wanted to be. blogging can take you to reality. for whatever it is that a blogger blogs, there's always something you gain, even if you also lose some.

random

current computer clock: 2:56pm. i'm currently pissed off. this started just a while ago, after lunch. well, not really something new during cut-off days. i seriously am considering a new job assignment.

* * * * * * *

i twitted earlier that i'm thanking God it's Friday! ...until i remembered that we need to report for work tomorrow. it's a Chinese schedule "lucky day" thing in line with our transfer to the new office. anyway, i still thank God i'm still breathing.

* * * * * * *

we just received a MEMO: "wear red tomorrow." nice...my one and only red polo shirt is in the laundry. *sigh*

* * * * * * *

my dear wifey's birthday is approaching... i still haven't got anything for her :(

* * * * * * *

it's 5:17 on my computer clock. i just faxed all the purchase orders and will now prepare to email receipt confirmation.

* * * * * * *

it's now 6pm. i still need to photocopy a lot of invoices. amazingly, i'm not pissed off anymore. i wanna go home already, though.

* * * * * * *

7:26pm... still in the office. just tallied our weekly report. Lemuelers said that it's flooded outside due to heavy rain.

* * * * * * *

got a facebook message from a familiar name from my grade school years. i texted a couple of grade school friends whom i have contact with, and ask them this: "Beejay & Ron, do we have a classmate named ___________ in UNO-R grade school? He's adding me up on facebook."
here are their replies:
Ron: "Yeah. He was the skinny kid from the states with glasses."
I replied: "Ok, thanks."

now, here's the winner of the two replies:
Beejay: "Yup. He's (insert complete name here). He Used to wear dat michael jackson thriller jacket. Hehehe"
I replied: "Really? I now recall... haha. Tnx."

LOL :D

i guess i wanted...

...something new in my life.

i've been thinking a lot lately about the things i'm doing in routine. in most cases, i end up contemplating and wishing for "new things". i've shared this thought with wifey and i think i've said a whole lot of plans for me and for us already. so many that i do not know where and how to start. i feel i haven't gotten over with my denied immigrant application to Canada. i have set my mind last year on the "activities" i will be doing once i landed as immigrant there. but yes, i guess fate draws a different line for me and my family. that's how life is. i'm still positive, though, that something "new" will come my way sometime this year or perhaps next year. it's how i look things right now--- looking beyond this year. i really wish i can give my family more than what we just need. something to provide for our wants also. it's not just enough. i think it's the nature of a person, i mean, to want something else aside from what he has now. but who does not dream of something better, anyway? and now, i come across again with Stephen Bishop's thoughts when he sang his song, "Something New In My Life"...

4th of 10 Truths, 5 Lies Revealed

more than a couple of months ago, i posted the 4th of my 10 Truths, 5 Lies series. After getting 5 feedback (from loyal readers... thanks guys!), here's now the revelation on which are the 10 Truths and which are the 5 Lie statements:

1. my first time to vote in a student council election was when i was in grade 5 and i didn’t know how to vote back then. True.

2. i carried along a sleeping mat (banig) from home to school, walking in my boy scout uniform in preparation for our camping. True.

3. the first ever film i saw in school with my primary school classmates was The Neverending Story. Lie. It was "The Love Bug" featuring the cute beetle car, Herbie.

4. we had two film showings in school in my entire secondary school years: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow (featuring the predictions of Nostradamus), and, The Miracle Of Life (where reproductive system was explained, the meeting of the sperm and egg cell to form a “life” inside the woman’s womb and actual birthing was shown) True.

5. the first ever porn film that i have watched was a Filipino-titled film, “Kiri” featuring sexy star Lampel Cojuangco (this must be her screen name) when i was in grade three. True. It was accidental, though since one channel of our TV downstairs was then 'hooked-up' with our TV from my parents bedroom. woot! woot! (kailangan nagpapaliwanag sa number na ito, haha!)

6. my aunt brought me and my cousin, Bernie, to a film producer when we were kids to audition as child stars for the horror series REGAL SHOCKER. Lie. Not in Regal Shocker but in Pinoy Thriller. Trivia: we did not push through with the audition for some reasons i can hardly remember.

7. my cousin, Bernie, was with me in the clinic when i got circumcised. True.

8. in high school i got sick. when i was brought to the clinic, i was diagnosed with cholera. Lie. it was hepatitis A.

9. my cousins and i used to wake up at dawn (no sun yet) and walk to the nearest basketball court to play ball using a volleyball. True. how poor of us :(

10. among the four physical education courses i took at UST, namely, gymnastics, softball, volleyball, and handball, my favorite was softball since i was commended by our professor that given the right training on that sport, i could be a great player at it. True. It was also the most exciting PE course i took from the said university, look at the list again.

11. first time i tried jetskiing was during our company outing in 2007 and everyone’s eyes were on me. True.

12. in 2008 during our company outing, we had swimming contest and our group won using the backstroke style. Lie. we just played water basketball and it was fun because we ganged up on one of our colleagues whenever he had the ball.

13. i swim better doing the breast stroke than doing butterfly stroke. Lie. one of my frustrations is that i do not know how to swim like those olympic swimmers. :(

14. i have literally tasted the snow and it’s salty. True.

15. the very first time i bought a condom out of curiosity was in a seven eleven store in Hongkong. True.

a great reminiscing song

Where Are You Now
Honor Society

To my favorite teacher
Who told me never give up
To my 5th grade crush
Who I thought I really loved
To the guys I missed
And the girls we kissed
Where are you now?

To my ex-best friends
Don´t know how we grew apart
To my favorite band
And sing-alongs in my car
To the face I see
In my memories
Where are you now?

Where are you now?
Cause I´m thinking of you
You showed me how
How to live like I do
If it wasn´t for you
I would never be who I am

To my first girlfriend
I thought for sure was the one
To my last girlfriend
Sorry that I screwed it up
To the ones I loved
But didn't show it enough
Where are you now?

Where are you now?
Cause I'm thinking of you
You showed me how,
how to live like I do
If it wasnt for you
I would never be who I am.

And I'll never see those days again
And things will never be that way again
But thats just how it goes,
People change,
But I know
I wont forget you

- guitar solo -

To the ones who cared
And who were there from the start
To the love that left
and took a piece of my heart
To the few who´d swear
I´d never go anywhere
Where are you now?

Where are you now?
Cause I´m thinking of you
You showed me how
How to live like I do
If it wasn´t for you
I would never be who I am

If it wasn´t for you
I would never be who I am
If it wasn´t for you
I´d be nothing
Where are you now?

Thankful

wifey . ayapot . ate B . mamsi . papsi . renjo . ria . rj . wowa . bayaw#1 . bayaw#2 . loloJohnny . ateWindy . poklay . nikZ . paulJensie . flowell . kc-rad . joce . kuyaMar . jollibee . gel . gibo . jhun . steph . adashkie . pokz . jayclopz . popoy . edi . edmark . geff . elaine . direkCesar . jane . iliong . pedz . jawee . LA . meriza . bongAdik . edsel . jobilark . ohmski . LJ . Kat . biepKuri . jenilyn . easterJoy . lyca . aprilEve . sheena . jaigelle . ruwi . nice . marie . michelleF . markydoo . maymay . podi . sirChard . aeirin . czha . chona . bossChoy . bossAileen . jen . mamJen. sirEd . sal . iris . mangNes . pam . alan . ronald . patters . mai . GOD . diane . lemuel . ate . joanne . kaDanny . ninangEstela . kaEsther . kaRael . domjulian . raniel . mamLisa . sirDes . maryAnnM . charles . doods . msEmily . totomai . johnston . meong . arvin . burn . noli . ronArg . jerick . kuyaVlad . leoj . glennM . reuben . sisBoisi . steveB . mitch . michelle . chummyto . hubert . hazelMB . jeffV . gian . kitz . tami . kristie . leanne . keith . vanessaA. jenniferL . lala . alene . faith . eli . kaLalaCamacam . jerZ . markArthurM . chie . randyP . jelow . eltee . judith . chot . gleng . marlon . dec . ederic . gasul . nick . rio . learzi . atePia . titaGie . beth . meljo . titaMila . ateCon . aileenO . roxannie . fairyAnn . adee . ateNing .

(greetings in person, thru phone, from SMS, Facebook, blog comments, twitter, and plurk)

[edit...13-05-2010]
kerwinJ . tinaG . friend . DanniLyn . thel . joan . roland . froggyBuddy . jireh . mutya . . . and counting.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11, NIV

Philippines' First Automated Elections

How's the voting experience from your precincts? I went out to vote early since wifey still needed to vote from her town. And besides i hate voting late imagining the heat and the number of people by-standing and waiting for the counting (which then was done manually). So i again went to the voting precinct on the first hour of voting. I located my precinct number, caught a short chat with some neighbors, got on queue for an hour, listened to people chatting and counted people who cut lines on queue, twitted, exchanged SMS with wifey and edsel, perspired a liter of sweat, directed some senior citizens to go ahead in front of the line, then got very very happy upon stepping inside the classroom to cast my first ever automated vote. here's a photo summary of what transpired during my automated voting experience:

[caption id="attachment_1445" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="05.10.10 - as early as 6AM, Aya & I checked on the situation outside. With all the posters hanging, it seems like there\'s fiesta in our place."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1446" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="voters locating their names to determine their precinct number."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1447" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="voters go to their respective precincts regardless of status"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1448" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="shading the circles of the chosen candidates"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1449" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="casting my ballot in the PCOS machine"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1450" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="yey, automated voting successful!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1451" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="my mother in law, brother in law, and wifey also did their obligations as citizens of this country."][/caption]

i was forbidden to take photos at the precinct where wifey voted. when i was taking a photo of my mother in law inserting her ballot in the PCOS machine, a volunteer shouted at me "ay, sir. bawal po 'yan." i guess they don't have a standard ruling on taking photos & videos during voting. in my precinct for example, it was the volunteer who took my photo and the COMELEC representative even told me to wait for the "your vote has been registered" prompt in the PCOS machine so i can take a photo of it. also, another 'lapse' on part of the election officers may be the in & out traffic of voters. i wasn't marked with the indelible ink as i was standing too long already near the registration table until i became a blocking prop to the incoming voters. i thought i wouldn't be a flying voter anyway so i just stepped out of the precinct without having been marked with the ink on my index finger. suits me. i don't have to clean up its mess afterwards. anyway, in the two precincts i've been to, election was generally orderly and peaceful.

Let's all hope for the better of our country after these elections.

PS. My hats off to all the teachers and election volunteers who labored hard in making this 2010 elections possible.

higit pa sa kapeng mainit

sa wakas, pagkatapos ng trabaho ko kagabi ay nasilayan ko rin ang coffee shop ng kaibigang si Edsel, ang Kafferazzo. matagal-tagal ko na ring binalak na makapunta sa nasabing kapehan (hindi naman kasintagal ng ten years) mula pa noong nagkakilala kami ni edsel sa cyberworld at nang malaman kong nagmamay-ari sya ng isang coffee shop. siya rin ang nagbubuyo sa akin para subukan ang negosyong ganito, na siya namang pinapanga-pangarap ko rin. dali-dali akong nag pack-up sa opisina para bumiyahe patungo sa kapehan ni edsel. minabuti kong huwag ma-trapik dahil kahapon din ay idinaos ang naglalakihang mga miting de avance sa iba't-ibang panig ng Maynila, kaya sumakay ako sa ever-reliable na LRT. pagbaba sa estasyon, sumakay lang ng jeep at ilang minuto lang ay naroon na ako sa bungad ng cute na coffee shop.

higit pa sa mainit na kape ang inihain sa amin (kasama si biep kuri) ni edsel, kasabay ng makukulit na kwentuhan. naroon ang nakapaglalaway na sisig, mayaman sa lasang kaldereta at napakalinamnam na grilled fish na binanatan ko nang husto. sayang walang dinuguan kase masasayang lang talaga dahil hindi ko kakainin. ang masarap naming pagkain ay sinamahan pa ng napaka-refreshing na blended coffee... aahhh... gumuguhit sa lalamunan daig pa ang masasarap na alak.


at syempre, higit pa sa mainit na kape ang kwentuhan naming tatlo. kung anu-anong kakulitan na ang sentro ay umikot sa blogosperyo. may iba pa ba? sa tuwing nag-a-eyeball yata ang mga bloggers, bloggers din ang pinag-uusapan. pero napag-usapan din namin ang pagnenegosyo na akala mo may pang capital kami lahat (si edsel lang ang may puhunan sa amin, actually.) napag-usapan din namin ang ilang bagay na may kinalaman sa "sideline" lalo na ni kuri (no need to elaborate, hehe) at siguro konting kwento tungkol sa mga nakaraan (kasama pa sa kwento si Ondoy). ayun. bitin ang oras pero syempre, dahil kaming tatlo ay mga ulirang mga tatay, kinailangan naming sundin ang kani-kaniyang "curfew". hindi kami masyado nagpa-late. katunayan, may byahe pa ang LRT pag-uwi ko. cool!

at dahil may permiso ako sa general manager ng Kafferazzo, narito ang ilang larawan ng kaniyang coffee shop:




...yan. ang cozy ng lugar. masarap magkape kung nag-iisa ka o kaya ay may kasama. FREE WI FI ZONE. highly accessible via jeepney, LRT 2, FX at lalo na ng taxi. puntahan ninyo. nasa pagitan lang sya ng UERM at Caltex station after ng J. Ruiz LRT 2 station kung galing ka ng Cubao, after V. Mapa LRT 2 station naman kung galing ka ng Recto. higit pa sa mainit na kape ang malalasap mo sa Kafferazzo. t'yak yon! at kung hilig mo naman ang pagkain ng masarap na steak, bulalo o barbecue sa abot-kayang budget, hindi mo na kailangan pang lumayo. katabi lang ng Kafferazzo ang makapagbibigay sa iyo nito:


Sa susunod yung iba namang bloggers ang eye-ballin natin sa Kefferazzo at Edong's. ;)

DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a paid advertisement.

long & tiring day

i conditioned my mind this morning that today's going to be a long and tiring day. after being debited on an ATM in a bank somewhere in Katipunan last sunday, i prepared early this morning and left home before 730am to go to the said bank and report the incident. just then i realized that getting a jeepney bound to cubao is more difficult now than before. most jeepney trips are only up to the nearby mall and even the public utility FX rides end their trip at LRT Santolan station only. so i had to take three jeepneys, getting off at a certain point then ride a new route until i reach my destination. i got all sweaty as early as 8am and getting in front of the banks door--- only to realize that they open at 9am! and since there is no direct route (public transport) from katips to my work place, i walked a pretty good number of steps to the opposite side of Aurora Boulevard, crossing the footbridge installed below the katipunan-C5 flyover, hoping to catch a taxi. after many minutes of waiting in vain, i decided to just get a jeepney from cubao going to my work place so i took the LRT to Cubao. upon reaching the office, i'm all sweaty already! and the thought that i needed to go back there by lunch time made me... *sigh*

a little compensation for today, i got my GULP gift certs from 7 11. it's a bit funny though because it's validity is only up to today. so i needed to share the 5 gift certs i got. when i got home i took wifey to the nearest 7 11 store and got 3 different GULP cups:



lots of things to do at work. i need to finish some pending jobs this week and hopes to relax for the next week. work isn't very helpful these days in giving me peace of mind. i hope everything clear up after this week. i need to relax. relax. relax...

revisiting my lola

"I gotta feeling... that tonight's gonna be a good night, that tonight's gonna be a good, good night..." - i was LSS-ing this yesterday when i suggested to wifey that we make a trip to my hometown after my choir practice at night, for a change. When we schedule a trip to my hometown, we usually leave home only for a day--- drive there in the morning and return home in the afternoon. but yesterday, we decided to hit the road in the evening! this will not only make our visit longer (well, a night and a whole morning is definitely longer than the usual half-day visit) but also it will enable us to be more relaxed in waking up the following day (which eventually is today or this morning). here are some noteworthy things during our revisitation to my hometown:

* we were accommodated well by my tita who served as our host for the evening until breakfast time. we had a nice chat about what's going on with my cousins and she shared how they envision their pamangkins to be succcessful in life. one thing i admire about her (aside of course from the hospitality) is her values in life. i saw in her how great my deceased grandfather raised them (my dad included). and i'm proud i share the same values.

* Apung Ingging (lola) was just too happy to be visited. from her bahay kubo, we fetched her and had lunch out at a nearby panciteria:


* Dad was able to bond well with his apo. Our little Aya showed her usual cheerfulness and was simply adorable for him that she was able to get free milk & diapers from his lolo. little Aya's parents were more happy, hahaha!


* i was able to visit our subdistributor in Central Luzon (yeah, i did work on a Labor day holiday). but the meeting was voluntary. i offered to visit them and teach their new encoder on how to make the sales report according to our principal's preferred format. i just stayed there for a few minutes since the website where we were supposed to upload the report was down.

* election fever can also be felt in our hometown but i am proud to say that people there are far more disciplined than anywhere else. our little town is rich in trees that extend to the main road and give a very good heat cover and a very pleasant green ambiance along it. if it was in Manila (or yeah, even Rizal and elsewhere... hello Quezon City!) these poor trees might be 'decorated' with political campaign materials such as posters or tarpaulins. but the trees in Minalin, Pampanga were left 'untouched':


the campaign posters and other paraphernalia were posted on the side wall boundaries a few feet away from the main road which makes the place 'eye sore - free':

now that is news worthy! our little hometown should be featured on TV and tell the whole Philippines that political candidates (and their supporters) can be as disciplined as them!

over-all, it was a nice breather. the long weekend was spent with quality time with my family and it is simply priceless. ;)

Ang Mga Manggagawa At Ang Ina Ng Tahanan

[caption id="attachment_1416" align="alignleft" width="228" caption="ang beh beh ko: full time, super mom! :)"][/caption] Mayo 1--- sinong nagsabi na ang araw ng mga manggagawa ay para lamang sa mga trabahador at namamasukan sa mga malalaking kumpanya? isa sa mga hindi gaanong nabibigyang-pansin, subalit lubhang may mahalagang gampanin, ay ang mga ina ng tahanan. sa blog post na ito ay itutuon ko ang aking panulat hindi para sa karaniwang manggagawa sa ating lipunan kundi sa mga maybahay at ina na maituturing din nating mga manggagawa. ang kaibahan lamang ay hindi sila nagpapawis sa labas ng tahanan kundi iniukol ang buhay sa pag-iingat ng kani-kanilang mga tahanan. hindi lamang sila pagal sa pag-aasikaso sa kaniyang pamilya, nakahanay pa ang walang katapusang gawain sa loob ng tahanan. Napakabuti nilang katuwang ng mga padre de pamilya upang manatiling maayos ang buong sambahayan. Sila ang pangunahing nakaaalam ng mga kaganapan sa loob ng tahanan at tinitiyak nila na ang lahat ng bagay ay nasa kaayusan. Sinisinop niya hindi lamang ang mga miyembro ng kaniyang pamilya kundi ang kabuuan ng kaniyang tahanan. Ang mga gawaing hindi biro ay buong-puso niyang ginagampanan--- pagluluto ng pagkain, paglilinis ng bahay, paglalaba at pamamalantsa ng mga damit, pagsinop sa budget ng pamilya, pagtuturo at pag-aasikaso sa mga anak, pagiging mabuting asawa--- ng walang inaasahang kapalit. minsan nga ay hindi maisip ng ibang miyembro ng pamilya kung paano na sila kapag dinalaw ng karamdaman ang masipag na ina. halos titigil ang "operasyon" sa loob ng tahanan. kumbaga kase sa isang kumpanya, bagama't nananatiling "general manager" ang mga ama ng tahanan, "operations manager" naman nila sa loob ng tahanan ang mga ina. malaking bagay kung naroon siya at maayos na ginagampanan ang kaniyang mga gawain, at malaking kakulangan naman kapag sila ay nawala sa sirkulasyon.

kahit hindi pa naman ngayon ang paggunita para sa araw ng mga ina, minabuti ko rin na iukol sa kanila ang blog post na ito dahil sila rin ay maituturing na mga manggagawa--- hindi ng malalaking kumpanya kundi ng pinakamahalagang bahagi ng lipunan--- ng kanilang pamilya. ;)