Slimmer's World Goldmembah & Back Injury

Lunchtime was memorable because we're all present. La (has finished her night shift), Ogz, Raz, Jowee, Beng, and our friend who came back from her US assignment, Chel. It was really nice to see their faces again.

I withdrew money again 'cause this long weekend had me shopping for clothes and books. I've also exercised my BPI express debit card. It's fun to be shopping cashless again.

Had my "Pet Adoption" painting framed. Will get it on Monday. Asked for discount and the lady there gave me 20%. Not bad, eh?

When I got back, I got a call from Mona. She advised me to take a lifetime Slimmer's World membership. With Ogz's help, I got one. Sweet!!!

We played Ultimate Frisbee during a break. I got tired easily. Bummer!

After the barkada's break at Starbucks, I went home with Beng to change.

We reached San Lorenzo Village around 8:30. Jowee and La attended the free lesson with Towie while we joined other group to practice on our throw and catch.

Bok, from a long distance away, threw a frisbee at me. I didn't catch it the first time. Neither on the second. On the third, I got prepared. I even shouted, "Bring it on! Bring it on!". He threw it at me and I caught it finally. Only this time, when I bent down to catch it, I sensed my back muscles tearing once more. I acted as if it didn't hurt. Tried to stretch a bit. After a few minutes, I couldn't play anymore so I sat down and rest. A few more minutes, I layed down. A very bad move!

Around 10 pm when it was already time to leave, I couldn't move. It freakin hurt! My friends tried to help me but movement was very limited. After some gruesome minoots, I was able to stand. It didn't hurt when I was standing.

I decided to be brought to Makati Med (thanks to Jowee). Cathy and Shawie accompanied me too. It was already around 11 and I haven't had any dinner yet. Good thing, Cathy had an apple so I had a few bites.

Dr. Lim, my doctor who checked on my vertigo last month, saw me and he immediately worked on my case. I was injected with some pain killer. Was x-rayed to check for any bad signs. The x-ray machine was neat. I stepped on this vertical table and little by little it reclined. After my checkup, it helped me to standing position again. For a minoot, I thought I would tumble.



Back in the ER, I was given some medicines to buy. Cathy paid for my bill--2,419.30. Hay caramba! We bought medicines (468.90) before finally leaving the hospital.

I had to eat sumpthin so we went first to Tropical Hut for my super late dinner. Afterwards, we went home.

Book Shopping

Not sure whether my ringing phone was only a part of my dreams but when I opened my eyes at 11:30 this morning, I found out it wasn't. Ogz was inviting me to watch our friends play frisbee. But it was too late. I cooked brunch while watching SOP. Reg didn't have a solo number once again. Bummer!

Around 2, I quickly showered and left my pad. I had bowling lessons in Greenhills. Ogz informed me that our coach, Joey, wasn't there yet. When I got there, Joy, Franco, Butch, Jun, and Ogz greeted me. Still no sign of Joey yet.

Around 4, the president of the bowling association, Richard, approached us and let us play for awhile. First game, I scored 118. Second at 100. Third at 101. During our third game, Joey finally arrived. He immediately instructed us on the proper way to bowl. This is the only game I had 2 consecutive strikes. I was happy with it. On the fourth and final game, I scored my second highest 122 to date. I also found out about my average 110. Among the three bowlers, it was Jun who got the highest score and average (145). There's a tournament for novice players on the 20th. I'm excited to participate!


Left E-Lanes and proceeded to Makati. I decided to hear mass in Greenbelt. I got there at 7:32. The mass was just about to start! I thanked God for doing this for me. Sweet! The gospel was about us confessing our sins to Him. We need not hide anything because He knows everything that is happening in our lives.

After mass, I went to Evergreen in Glorietta to have my veggie dinner. I had "chicken" curry and a spicy "bopis". I was soooo full.

My last stop was at PowerBooks. Looked for the book I've been reading, "The Waste Lands", and grabbed Books 5 and 7. Couldn't find Book 6 so I asked help from Customer Service. The lady behind the counter checked Glorietta and Alabang branches but the book was already sold out. Bummer! She told me that she will put me in the reservation list though. She's very nice! I also reserved for my copy of Harry Potter 6 which will be published sometime in July. Continued reading my book.

Around 10, there was an announcement that the bookstore will be closed. I paid for my books (having this debit card is such a blessing!) and got me a bookmark. There's a free Read magazine featuring some author. I asked if they still have a previous copy featuring Stephen King. One gentleman told me that they still have. I requested for it instead. And he gave it to me for free. ;o)

When I got home, I checked the pricetag on the bookmark--230!!!

Pet Adoption

'twas a struggle to be awake with only 3 hours of sleep. I had to attend my art class with ER Tagle. Can't miss or else I'm deadmeat. Tried to have brekky at Jollibee but the moment I ordered pancakes, the woman behind the counter told me they gave the last pancake already. Bummer! Left the fastfood chain still hungry. Went directly to Herald Suites for some coffee.

The lesson for today was still "Wet on Wet". ER introduced "Tonal Values" too. We made some leaves with composition. As for my artwork, I, of course, didn't wanna conform. Some leaves were painted diagonally. Later on, ER commented that he planned to give this style as our assignment and that I was already advanced. Er must have thought by now that he's got a "pasaway" with me. Our assignment is about drawing some hands and fashion designing. What the fac...simile!


After class, I had my brunch at some Jap resto in Waltermart. Had some beef bento.

Finally gave in to Mr. Sandman and took a nap for a couple of hours. Later on, I had some spaghetti and a slice of ube cake at Red Ribbon. Continued reading "The Waste Lands".

Finished my "Pet Adoption" painting. I had the artwork of Nic Squirrell for my inspiration. I loved it the moment I saw it. Will post it as soon as she replies to my e-mail requesting for permission to reproduce.

A Day of Shopping...

Opened my eyes at half past 1 already. Cooked brunch. Watched the first half of "Alexander".

Around 3, I went up to the penthouse for my art session. This time, I did my assignment for my Tagle's art class. I was absent last Saturday so I need to do this today. The assignment is all about facial parts: the eyes, the lips, and the the nose. Found it a challenge to draw an eye. But am satisfied with my product.

Decided to scan my old artwork so I can have my own portfolio.

Had my shower and left my pad to get my framed painting in Park Square. I miss my first baby. It was nice to see it all framed up. I requested for a non-glare glass so it would look better.

Went to Linea and checked out again their clothes. Bought my first Boss shirt. Very nice. It's my first time to use my BPI express card for shopping. It's like having a debit card. Sweet!

Met with Bulilit and Ogz. We went shopping for more clothes. Bought a nice polo shirt from Buffalo. At first my card won't work. Maybe it's the gods telling me to go shopping no mo'. Anyhoo, after some trials, it worked. Whew!

Dinner at Recipes. Each of us ordered the fried tilapia. Plus, we had eggplant & chicharon salad (yummy!) and some gising gising. We were sooooo full!

Shopping continued at Springfield, Diesel, CK, and Kenneth Cole. Bought my "birthday shirt" at Kenneth Cole. It was a pretty nice dress shirt. Don't ask how much it is....

Movie time with "A Series of Unfortunate Events". I really liked the movie. 'twas funny and very entertaining. I liked the scene where the house of Aunt Josephine was crumbling into pieces.

Met Mikks afterwards. We had a few drinks at Cable Car. Uhm... I had banana shake!

Payday Thursday

Before I left my pad this morning, I checked if we have our salary already. I was happy to find out that it was already given. Sweet! My weekend won't be boring after all.

We went to UCPB for our money. The exchange rate at Sanry's was the same as yesterday. Raz, Ogz, and I immediately deposited our money at BPI. We then had lunch at Goldilock's.

Back at work, I started working on my Speechcraft training material.

It's Noel's last day. I will definitely miss this friend of mine.

We had our monthly birthday celebration party. We had some barbecue (only a stick!), some pancit, and I-recently-discovered-they-are-good pichi-pichi. There was one time when Noel was eating this native food beside me. He ate like more than 10 of it.

I joined my friends at Red Box. I sang my favorite songs: "Wherever You Are" (need to practice more on this), "For You", "Used to Be" (with Ogz), and "Halik". Teehee....

Afterwards, we went to Ice bar, danced and drank the night away. I had strawberry shake. It was fun to be groovin' to the music once again. But it was a bit weird because I wasn't drinking at all.

Before we left the place, we had a chat with Max.

Sunset Boulevard & Bill Clinton

Oh, man... this is the most boring entry you'll ever find in my blog. I've got nothing to say for this day. Yeah, right!

We had lunch on the second floor. Tried Chinese this time. Not so great choice. After lunch, I went to UCPB and withdrew some money. The rate at Sanry's was only 54.70. Bugger!

Went to Sketchbooks once more and checked out their easels. Pretty costly! The one that I got my eyes on was worth 5 grand.

Starbucks break with barkada. I missed the choco croissant so the minute I put a slice in my mouth, it was ecstasy!

Found out about this movie test from a friend. Try it yourself! Based on the results, I'm an attention-seeking bastard!

Joined my brothers in Don Bosco. When I got there, they were already worshiping. Gave thanks and offered my night to Him.

We had our sharing at Chicken Inasal at the Fort. 'twas a refreshing break from the usual dining places at Makati Cinema Square.

Raining Cockroaches & Dennis' Homecoming

I was on my bathroom "throne" this morning and did my morning ritual--vocalizing. When I looked up, there were 2 teeny-weeny roaches walking around directly on top of me near the lightbulb. I thought, "what would happen if they suddenly drop on my freakin hair?". After a few seconds, that's what they both did. I screamed. I did matrix maneuvers to miss both of them. When they landed on my tiles, I stepped on these nightmarish creatures. I really hate roaches!

When I reached the office, there's a Xacta pen lying on my desk. Asked Rene where the pen came from. He told me that Dennis is already here. I prepared my coffee and saw my ole friend havin coffee with Ogz and Joyish.

Buffet lunch at Red Crab. The roastbeef was yummy. The crabs were a bit dry but the claw parts are sumptuous. I also enjoyed the ice cream. Thanks to Rene and Dennis for this wonderful lunch treat! Sweet!


After the hearty lunch, I went to buy canvases at National Bookstore. Can't wait to paint my own artwork!

For two weeks, I've been an absentee in our SOLV prayer meeting. Last night when I reached Don Bosco, the feeling of worshipping Him again was so great! It's like coming back to your own home.

The talk was about Psalms. Basically, it's a prayer book, designed to be prayed aloud. There are about 150 psalms and divided into 5 books. Here's the structure:

Book One: Psalms 1 to 41
Two: Psalms 42 to 72
Three: Psalms 73 to 89
Four: Psalms 90 to 106
Five: Psalms 107 to 150

Doxology is a short closing hymn/praise to God.

Psalms come in different forms:

1. Hymn
2. Petitions
3. Thanksgiving
4. Trust/Confidence in God
5. Wisdom
6. Prophetic

Hymn is a kind of prayer characterized by liveliness & exuberant joy.

Themes:

1. Glorifies God in Creation (Psalms 8, 104)
2. God's kinship over His people/world (Psalm 24)
3. Meant to exalt Jerusalem as city of great King (Psalm 42)
4. Processional (Psalms 15, 95)

I found out that we can have Psalm 5 as our morning prayer and Psalms 3 & 4 as evening prayers.

Joshua 24:15
"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

Tools Training & Rene's Homecoming with Krispy Kreme

Reached the office around 11. Immediately worked on my presentation for this afternoon.

Lunch was bangus steak.

Rene was back home from the States. Saw some Krispy Kreme. Mmmmm! Lookin forward to one of those donuts.

Training was gladly interrupted by a gesture from Rene that we can now taste his Krispy Kreme pasalubong. We rushed to grab one. Our snack of local Mister Donut was not too popular.

Thanks to Jowee, Ogz, and Joy who helped me during our training by sharing their knowledge.

Back home, I did a marathon of "CSI: New York". I miss painting =o(

Bowling Training

Heard mass with mom in San Jose. The gospel was about 2 Ls: Lessen and Listen. Found out that next Sunday is already Palm Sunday.

Lunch was composed of nilagang beef, fried talakitok, and escabeche. Had some more ice cream before leaving Bulacan around 1:30.

Dropped off mom at RSCC.

Proceeded to E-Lanes in greenhills. When I got there, Ogz, Jun, Beng, and Netski were listening to our trainer, Joey. He taught us how to use the 2nd arrow as our ultimate guide, how to slide (which I forget always), how to continuosuly swing our arm and stay at our bowling stance while the ball is still rolling (which I forget always), and just take it easy. According to him, "bina-braso ko raw ang bola". He advised me to use a heavier ball--I always use 9. During our first game, I got 111. Next one, I lost it--83. Bummer! I truly enjoyed the training. Will attend another session on Sunday.

We had dinner at Aristocrat. I had my ole time favorite: pork barbecue with java rice. I suggested to my friends to try their barbecue sauce. I remember my family used to frequent this restaurant when I was still a child. And everything tasted the same and still as delicioso as ever.

Prepared for my training on Tools tomorrow.

Missed Art Class =o(

Woke up around noon. Missed my art class. Oh well, I'll attend the makeup class this Wednesday night.

Left Makati around 6. Fetched mommy at RSCC. Couldn't play with the kids because some of them are sick with chickenpox. Never had one so I'm scared to go near 'em.

Dad wanted to have some pizza so I bought one before heading home to Bulacan. Around 9ish, we're home. Dinner was capped by ice cream (a new flavor from Selecta). Had pizza later on. And continued reading my book.

Mi Obra Maestra

After less than two months of painstakingly changing brushes, scouting for those hard-to-find colors, enduring my vertigo, may I present my very first baby ;o)


Went to Park Square and had my baby framed. According to the salesperson there, I'd get it on Friday. Can't wait. Since I was in a good mood, I went shopping at Linea. Bought a nice brown shirt ('twas on sale!!!). But I found a shirt that I bought last year and it is now being sold for half the price. Bummer! Ya win some, ya lose some.

This morning before I left my pad, the cable guys from Destiny arrived unexpectedly. They finally fixed my cable. Imagine no tv at all for three gruesome days.

Got very nice reviews for my hardwork this week. Thank God!

Need more Colors

During lunch break, I had to check out Sketchbooks at GB3 for some red and violet colors. Couldn't find a lighter violet so I got it still. The red I got is the infamous Cadmium Red. The brand is rather expensive--Rembrandt. I don't think I'd be buying more colors from this brand though. Teehee... 300++ baby!

Our EPX discussion stopped at the BICs. We had to install 2 additional servers so we could simulate remote flows sharing tomorrow.

After class, I went home and focused on finishing my artwork.

Almost Done with my Cats!!!

Was late for work. The past few days I came to work at exactly 9 am. Today, I woke up at 9. Teehee. Good thing, I live a few minoots away from the office.

One of my participants, Meds, is absent today. We started covering BICs.

After lunch (nilagang beef), my barkada and I played some frisbee. Worked out a sweat!

Our training ended on Work Item Import & Export BIC. 2 more days, yipee!

Went home and still no cable. Bummer! I continued with my painting though. It's almost done. I need to buy more red and violet to continue. And here it is:

Sore Thighs & "The Waste Lands"

When I woke up today, I got some pains in my thighs. This is the effect of not having any type of exercise. After my one-hour workout last night at the frisbee game, I could barely walk today. Bummer!

Arrived at work at 9 exactly again. No sign of my students from eCom. Had coffee and some biscuits. Around 9:30, they arrived so I started the class. We finished today on System Activities. I let them start working on their case study.

Did some frisbee throwing before lunchtime. I lost my moves. Bummer!

Talked to Mims about some QA training, Vee on the schedule of their Customer Support trainings, and sent Alistair some SQL references. All this, during my breaktime in class.

Went home after class. Did my grocery. Continued my painting project. And finished "The Drawing of the Three". Started with "The Waste Lands".

Hearts, Bombings, and Ultimate

Woke up at 8 am. Not really used to waking up at this early hour. Prepared for my client training. When I was arranging my things in my bag, I saw my missing Thailand ring. I was very happy!!!

Reached the office at 9 exactly. A participant named One was already waiting for me. We waited for the rest of the class. 2 people from eCom (Meds and Nina) arrived before 10 am. Started the class and finished on Viewers. 'twas a nice class. We had an ensaymada break from Starbucks!

Went home later and rested for awhile. Even continued my painting. Am about 75% done with it. Am excited to see the finished product and have it framed ;o)

Around 7:30, I got some calls from Beng and Ogz. They invited me to join the Ultimate (a frisbee game). The reason for the name is that the brand of the frisbee they are using is Ultimate.

Got there before 8 pm. The people were already doing some warm-up exercises. Towie, the trainer, has taught us the basics of the game. He showed the moves (forehand, backhand, and the way to receive the frisbee properly). At first, I couldn't throw the disc correctly. Kept on flying away in the wrong direction. Then my backhand improved. Then Towie told us to use the forehand. This gave me some nasty throws. But eventually it improved a bit. After more than an hour of throwing and catchin, I was drenched in sweat. Called for water break.

Changed into another shirt and just rested for the rest of the night.

Had a lousy dinner at Sizzling Stop in Pasay Road. Went home and read my book.

Resume Painting

My day started with my watching SOP. Good thing, Reg was there. And she still had a voice to sing 3 songs: the latest ad of DOT, "All my Life", and "Shine". Thought she won't show up because the concert ended late.

Had brunch: spam and eggs. I miss bacon!!!

Around 2:30, I went to the penthouse again and resume my painting project. Made some progress.

Heard mass at 6 pm. Felt bad because I missed the gospel reading. So right after mass, I prayed at the Adoration Chapel.

Went to G4 to have veggie dinner at Evergreen. Yummy!

Read my book, "The Drawing of the Three", at PowerBooks. When I went out for some outdoor reading, I overheard mass at the Greenbelt chapel. I was just in time for the gospel too! He really works in mysterious ways. The gospel was about Satan tempting Jesus to perform some miracles.

Went home and continued painting.

Here's my artwork in progress:

Art Class & Queens on Fire

Woke up at 9 am. It's an unusual time for me to wake up because I normally open my eyes at noontime during weekends. This ain't an ordinary day though. First, it's my first day in art class with E.R. Tagle. And second, it's Queens on Fire time!!!

So I first withdrew 2K to complete my 5,500 tuition fee at a nearby BPI atm. Then I had brekky at McDo. After gobbling my food, I immediately went to Herald Suites lobby. There I met my fellow students (no introductions happened) and the maestro himself. He doesn't wanna be called "master" because there can only be one "Master". I extended my hand and introduced myself to him. Then we immediately started the class with some exercises.

He told me to divide the sketchpad paper into 8 sections and with the use of a sketch pencil, I had to rub the tip to produce tonal values: from dark to light. With lack of sleep (thanks to Lala), this made my arm ache. After 30 minoots, I stopped and looked at my first exercise. Ain't bad. First assignment: he advised me to retouch some blank sections.

Then with the use of watercolors (brought back elementary days), he told us to create carrots and eggplants artwork. The first lesson was about wet-on-wet. Wasn't looking at his example much so when I finished, my technique & artwork was different. E.R. advised me to follow his style. Teehee... Oh well, he liked my composition though.

He also gave us some assignments. Dunno when I can do these artworks. I still have to worry about my current project.

Anyhoo, I went home to change and had lunch at Makati Cinema Square. Watched some tv before preparing for the concert. Left Makati at 5 pm.

Reached ULTRA around 7 pm. I got irked because I couldn't find the red gate. There wasn't any system unlike in Araneta. After some minutes of confusion, I finally found the right gate. When I got to my seat, I first checked the stage. Nothing fancy there. Just a matrix of boxes covered in white paper similar to the one they flash during Olympics Games. I thought they would play some lights on those white sheets. The seats in my area weren't comfy at all. I thought, "why not Araneta?". Oh well... The gallery was filled to the brim. Since it was still early, some of the seats were still vacant. People were still coming in though. They kept on playing the promo videos of the US concerts.

8 o'clock came. Concerts here never start on time. Saw Goma with Lucy (with her white skin and white tanktop, she can be seen miles away!). Rowell was walking around too. And of course, Mang Gerry.

Before 9 o'clock, the speaker advised us to stand for the national anthem. The show started with Christina Aguilera's "Fighter". Our Queens were wearing a tight-fit pink suit and they were groovin' to the music. Fun to see our Songbird strut her stuff. "Ladies Night" and "I'm Every Woman" were next on their opening medley.

They greeted the audience. Pops was being her gracious self. Reg (reminiscent of the "Power of 2" antics), was speaking in Tagalog. According to her, Pops is the IT girl from Makati while she's from Bulacan only. The crowd cheered. Pops thought they were like Dolphy and Panchito. Reg asked who the "Dolphy" is. After finding out she's "Panchito", she did the late-comedian's move. It was funny but I couldn't see it from where I was sitting. Bummer! Pops thought of the Rey-Card tandem. Reg did the late-comedian's lip movement too. She thought "dehado" sya. Then the topic of lovelife came. Pops wondered if Reg was being honest when she said that she's not seeing anyone. Pops thought maybe if the night continued, the Songbird would reveal something to her fans.

Pops entertained everyone with her dance moves. First time to see her perform and I liked it. She sang and danced to the tunes of "Naughty Girl", "Baby Boy", "Lose My Breath", and "Crazy in Love". She was wearing a short skirt during her Beyonce medley but 2 ladies assisted her in her costume change for her next number, an endearing version of "Take My Breath Away". In the last note of "Away", she held the mic to the audience and let them sing it. This is definitely a hit from the Concert Queen.

With a loud cheer from the Songbird's fans, Reg came out wearing this white gown, complete with a hood and a long bridal tail. She rendered an enchanting and heartfelt "Wherever You Are". She really owned this song. From the moment I heard her, I thought that her voice was in pretty good shape. After a brief spiel, her next song was "Shine". The people loved it.

It was Songbird's turn to change costume on stage. Her skirt was removed and it revealed a white tight-fit pants. Pops returned wearing a similar laced outfit. They sang the hit songs of Kylie Minogue: "Can't Get You Out of My Head", "Spinning Around", etc.

The Queens informed the audience that it's not their first concert together. In fact, they have done this before in several locations: Japan, US, and Italy. They missed what they like doing together, "Shopping". They both screamed this word. During the talk, Reg suddenly blurted out Sex. Pops warned Reg that her kids were in the audience and that the word didn't come from her mouth. Reg just thought it was an interesting subject.

They introduced their special guest, the prince of pop. Reg screamed "Michael Jackson" but Pops corrected her. It's Erik Santos. The young man sang "I Believe I Can Fly". And then he told the audience that he's very honored that he was able to perform with two of the industry's best artists. He introduced the next number as something new.

Pops and Reg came out wearing a black ensemble: blazer, a hat, and a cane. Yep, no pants. Reg asked why she had no pants. The two ladies danced a la cabaret style. Reg comically danced. I told my friend that she acted like Elizabeth Ramsey. Pops was teaching her how to be a graceful dancer. In one swing of Reg's foot, her shoe flew into the air. The people screamed. Someone could've gotten hurt. But fortunately, a man got it and gave it back to our own Cinderella. That was funny.

They did an arranged version of "Oops I did it Again". Next number was a sensual version of "Fever" with the ladies behind a chair with a big heart design. They took off their clothes one by one: gloves, blazer, & inner blouse while sitting down and the only protection was the back of the chair. They stood up only covered with their hats. The lights went out. Very nice number. Whew!

Pops came out with "Dirrrty". She segued to Britney's "My Prerogative". Then she rendered an all-Tagalog medley: "Giliw" (not sure of this title), "Di Ko Kaya", and "Ikaw Nga".

The next spiel was about men knowing how to treat and love a woman. Pops even called out to all the men in the audience. Very few. Regine appeared wearing a lovely pink gown with a red flower in her hair. Pops disappeared and joined her friend after her costume change. They sang "To Really Love a Woman". Reg was doing the second voice. There were dancers doing some flamengo. It was a great number. The people loved it.

The ladies talked about men. Pops asked what Reg's ideal man is. Pops thought maybe her friend has a high standard. According to Reg, all she wants is someone who is not too tall and a good singer. Pops thought she's referring to Ogie. She teased her. Reg corrected that Ogie is "not too tall". He is plainly short. Reg asked what Pops' is. She said any man would do. And the names of Martin and Brad came up. Reg asked if Pops could give Brad to her instead. Since Pops treats her like a younger sister, Reg can take any hand-me-downs, "pinag-lumaan baga". The crowd laughed at this. Reg went back to the topic of sex. She asked Pops if it's been awhile and there was no sex, would IT go back to its previous state. Pops couldn't answer her. She was laughing. Reg got scared for hers might close forever. The people roared. Reg said coyly that she's "bastos".

They introduced the prince of pop. Once again, Reg screamed "Michael Jackson!". They both lifted their hands and pointed at the center. Erik came out from the side. This was a funny incident.

Erik sang "Kahit Sandali" with the Concert Queen and "Sana Maulit Mulit" with the Asia's Songbird. The latter was Gary and Kyla's version. I like Kyla's rendition though.

Erik and Pops left Reg on the stage. Our Songbird paid tribute to OPM with songs like "Am a Little Bit", "Hwag na hwag mong Sasabihin", and "Itanong Mo Sa Akin" (not sure of these titles though). The crowd loved this medley. She capped it off with a full version of "I Believe". This brought the house down.

Her next number was "Addicted to Love". She's joined by Pops and Reg had time for a costume change. She came back with a beaded skirt. They sang "Proud Mary" next. They introduced the members of the band.

Their last song was "Power of Love". Reg did the second voice once more. It was nice. The Queens got their bouquets. And they left the stage.

The crowd shouted for an encore. And the two came back wearing jeans and identical white shirts with a red heart and their names in front. On Reg, "Pops" was displayed. On Pops, "Regine" was printed. They did a medley of 80s hits like "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", "How Will I Know", "Telephone", etc. It rained confetti. The crowd stood on their feet and approached the stage. After this, the people screamed for more. Reg and Pops did an arranged version of a Pointers Sister medley they once did in Reg's "In Season".

I knew that I would enjoy this concert!!!

Friday Busyday

I'd like to think that it would be a rest day since it's already the last day of the work week. But naaaah... I've got tons of work to do in preparation for my next week's training.

Right now, I'm printing out the handouts. Later on, I need to make sure that the training room is complete with 5 machines.

Over lunch, we had an interesting chat on Ethel Booba, Tawas, and David Blaine's magic.

After my lunch, I went to UCPB and got some money for my rent is due next week too. Ugh! This ain't my usual Friday.

This morning, Butch approached me about enrolling at their bowling club. It's just for 300 bucks and I will be trained every Sunday at E-Lanes. That's sumpthin new for me to do this year!!! Lookin' forward to it.

Prepared my materials for next week but the printer died on me. Bummer! I still have to finish one last manual.

We met on the summer outing. Will ask Dennis about an increase in the budget. Hopefully he agrees.

Around 5, I called Tagle's art school. I talked to Mr. Tagle (E.R.) himself. He doesn't wanna be called "Maestro" because there's only One who can be called by that name. He told me about the schedule and some logistics. He's friendly and am looking forward to meeting him. I'll start my class tomorrow at 10 am. For 7 consecutive Saturdays, I'll be creating my own paintings. Sweet!

Had spaghetti break at Country Style.

Around 8:30, I left the office and met Joy and Arlyn. Bought some hotdogs and fries for my dinner. Watched "The Phantom of the Opera". It's a great film. Am glad they were faithful to the theatre version.

La asked me to create her flyers for her rowing team. With so many revisions and ideas, I got home around 2 already. Bummer!

Back with Stugerone

As of this writing, I am just waiting for my participants to arrive for the first batch of Java training. We had lunch at the pantry. We were supposed to wait for Lala but 12:30 came and still no sign of this ever-late friend of ours.

I bought Stugerone for my vertigo again. It's been 3 days now. I thought it would just leave on its own.

Java Training came and we talked about control flow and interfaces mostly.

Boyette celebrated his birthday with some pancit, ice cream, and pichi-pichi. First time to taste this local food. Me like it ;o)

I finished my second batch of Java training on Switch. Had to buy some hot choco to keep me awake.

Ash Wednesday + Cathy's Birthday Party

I was a bit excited to conduct the technical demo for our partner, PrimeSoft. It's nice to be teaching new faces again.

Had lunch at the pantry--didn't like my binagoongan rice much. Then Lala, Beng, and I went to Makati Med for Ash Wednesday mass. When we got there, the chapel was full of people so we just prayed at a nearby adoration chapel.

I conducted a technical demo around 2. We encountered a hitch--we couldn't seem to connect to my machine, which I intended to be our server. Oh well, my participants (Tommy and Jonny) just used my laptop. It went well.

Wacks paid us a visit. We went to Starbucks for his coffee treat. I had some danish too.

Boyette and I heard mass later at Greenbelt.

When I got back to the office, Miget and I talked about our HR objectives concerning training.

Before I joined my friends at Cathy's birthday party at Gerry's, I got worried about my blood pressure. I had a high diastolic. I thought of going to Makati Med first for a checkup. I rested a bit.

When I got to Gerry's, Cathy, Lala, Wacks, Ogz, Arlyn, and Beng were eating already. I had some tuna belly and pakbet. Ordered a fresh buco too.

After dinner, we went to Starbucks, Glorietta 2. Tried their apple juice. We talked about trying out the frisbee games for beginners on Monday. Am excited now.

Around midnight, I went over to Cathy's pad and we watched "The Amazing Race". Didn't like the winners.

Vertigo is Back!

Was feeling a bit dizzy last night so I tried to sleep early after dinner. After a few hours of sleep, my vertigo was back. I tried to sleep again and good thing, I was able to.

After lunch, I withdrew money for our Boracay plane tickets. I joined my friends, Lala & Beng at the mall. The rate at Sanry's was 54.72. Bummer! Checked Czarina's and they offered 54.70. Bad!

Anyhoo, we went to Sketchbooks and I bought some acrylic paints for my painting project. I wanna finish this artwork soon so I can do my own paintings.

Back at work, I re-installed EPX 2.5.2 with Joey's help. It took me till around 8 to finish my presentation for tomorrow. Missed SOLV for tonight.

Will pay Ogz for our plane tickets. Updated my blog.

Leaves Conversion: Finally!

Before leaving my pad, I checked my UCPB account. And to my surprise, my company has given our leaves conversion. Cool beans!

I bought lunch (some beef) on the second floor. Joined my friends at the pantry.

My Java training came. We discussed Interfaces. The Sort example was a pain.

Around 5, I met my SOLV bro named Caloy and we discussed about mutual funds and short-term investments. Told him that I suck at savings. Teehee....

Second training is still ongoing.

Be a Salt and Light of the World

Had coffee and fried fish brekky before I left for Makati. Got back home before SOP. Cleaned up my place when I arrived.

Continued my painting on the penthouse. Am finally done with the lower part of my artwork. Whew!

Heard mass at Don Bosco. The gospel was about being a salt of the earth and light of the world. It's about making a difference and guiding people towards the light. I wish I could be a light too for everyone. Am salty enough. Teehee...

Proceeded to Glorietta to have dinner at Evergreen. Brought my book, "The Drawing of the Three". Shopped for some beach clothes. Didn't find anything to my fancy. Feeling a bit sleepy, I had macchiato at PowerBooks.

Went home and bartered my fresh laundered clothes for some dirty ones.

Here's my artwork:

The Drawing of the Three

Attended Wack's son's baptismal rite. The reception was held at Max's in Robinson's Place. Went there with Lala and Netski. Ate some pancit, chicken (of course), and lumpiang shanghai. Was full. Johann looks like a mini-Wacks.

After our meal, Lala and Netski left while I started my shopping. Bought a CK underwear for 595. Not bad, eh?

Proceeded to RSCC. Mom's assigned to take care of the kids at Cottage 4. I miss the kids in Cottage 3. Good thing, mom's only a temporary staff here. Anyhoo, I had dinner with mom. We ate some Goldilocks' food: diniguan, lumpia, relleno, and laing. A feast!

Finished "The Gunslinger" and started with "The Drawing of the Three". Slept at 3 am.

Bowling Score: 134

I finally got my BPI savings account ATM. Presented my Citibank certification too. It's been a long time since I last held an ATM card. When the teller advised me to change my PIN in the nearest machine, I didn't know what to do. :o) I had to ask my friend, Lala, to help me out. When we got there, i finally knew what to do. ;o)

We had all-hands meeting. Tony told us about the delayed conversion of our leaves.

Bought some brushes at Quill.


Bowling at Rockwell. I got a 9 ball. The ball had some cracks on its surface. I go for the underdog so I chose this one. ;o)

Enjoyed their food: tapsilog, cheese and tinapa sticks, plus, mango shake!!! Played 4 games: 97, 100, 134 (my best game to date!), and 90. Jumped for joy!






After our bowling, we went to watch Jowee & Dennis playing billiards. Dennis is a good player. He beat Jowee a few times. We played one game. Jowee & I partnered to kill Lala & Beng. I managed a few balls too ;o) but of course, it was Jowee who finished the game for us. Yipee!

Before we call it a night, there was an interesting discussion on marriage (of all topics!).

Citibank Haunting

Even though my work starts at 12, I had to go to Ayala to open a BPI Savings Account. When I got there, the first thing the teller asked me was, "Sir, did you have any credit cards before? Any Citibank credit card?" I told her that I used to have one. She told me that they don't allow anyone to open an account if there's an issue like this. I thought, "Oh no! I cannot believe this". She referred me to another teller. I explained that the account has been settled already. After a few minoots (good thing, I maintained my composure), the teller told me that they would open an account for me. I have to present the certification from Citibank the following day so I can claim my ATM. I deposited 5K. And after almost an hour, I have an account. Whew!

In our Java training, we mainly talked about access specifiers.

During break, I watched the latest "American Idol" episode with Boyette.

In the second batch, we stopped before access specifiers. Nice stop, eh?

I decided to have my dinner at work. Ordered Adobo diablo. Yummy! Ate it while watching "American Idol".

Training Schedule Deadline

When I got to the office around 10:30, I checked my e-mail. One of the directors had an additional item for my training schedule. Incorporated that in my calendar and submitted it to the directors. Am awaiting their comments.

I planned to open a BPI account today so I withdrew hundred bucks so I can deposit it to my new account. I don't want to experience the long wait again yesterday. 'twas really bad.

Raz accompanied me to the bank and after withdrawing our money, we proceeded to Sanry's. They offered 54.95 to a dollar. We had to check Czarina's before deciding where to have our dollars exchanged. It's the same exchange rate so Czarina's it was.

We tried opening an account at BPI in Park Square but they required photocopied version of my IDs. Bummer! I left their bank disappointed.

Before coming back to work, Raz and I bought some yummy pretzels at Auntie Anne's.

In our afternoon break, Raz, Laaa, and I talked about marriage and problems that go with it. Miget joined in the conversation later.

I started working on the presentation about the tools being used by different departments. Installed Perforce.

Around 9 pm, I had dinner with Ogz, Erwin, and Nicho at Congo Grille in Pasay Road. We had sinigang na hipon (yummy!) and the usual sisig. I was surprised by the efficient service the waiters gave us. We commented that maybe they just had their APAS too ;o)

Went home later and watched "Shall We Dance". I love the dance moves and soundtrack.

The Long Wait at BPI

After eating my tilapia and monggo lunch, I went to BPI to pay for Destiny Cable. Got there before 1 pm. There was a long queue already. Good thing I brought my iPod with me. It would be better if I brought my book too. I didn't think it would be a very long wait.

While waiting, I saw quite a lot of friends. Raz who withdrew money at a nearby ATM bid goodbye to me. A few minoots later, the baristas from Starbucks were there too. Then I saw Eric. He's also paying some bills, I think. Then I saw the guy from Digital Tour. He used to have long hair. And lastly, I saw Cherry.

All that in my more than an hour of waiting. Bummer!!! Next time, I need to open an account so I wouldn't experience the same damn thing.

This morning, Miget gave my performance review. Quite happy with it but am waiting for my increase more.

When I arrived in Don Bosco, my fellow bro and sis were already singing. The talk for tonight entitled, "God Speaks Words of Life", is just a continuation of last week's. This time, Tita Malou gave us three verses to ponder on:

Luke 7:14-15
"Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother."

That made me think about how my life was before SOLV. Jesus has truly made me get up. So I'm giving back my time for Him too. That's the least I could do.

While reading that, I wanted to know what's the story behind this dead son. I read the whole chapter 7. Later on, Tita Malou advised us not to go beyond the verses. It's better to focus on the given verses and pray on those words.

Next verse was from Ezekiel 37:5-6 and 10
"This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath entered them, they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army"

Nothin is impossible with Him. Just trust the Guy upstairs.

And here's the last from Deuteronomy 8:3
"Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord"

Life won't ever be complete without Him.

I really am thankful that Lala introduced me to this SOLV community. I couldn't imagine my life without spiritual nutrition.