Illustration Friday: Envy

Illustration Friday: Aquatic

A tad late but this will do for now while I work on "Envy" ;o) I bet you cannot tell what sea animal this is.

No to Hunger

I always skip brekky. I know it's bad. What can I do? I wake up around 10 already. I always rush to work. As soon as I get there, I get my caffeine fix. Sometimes, I eat toasted bread. Coffee + Prima toasted bread = YUMMY!

Today, I skipped brekky again. Instead of eating at the second floor canteen, we went to the mall. I had my first meal almost around 1 pm. Didn't finish my lunch even. Then my tummy ached so bad I broke into a cold sweat.

I took some medicine as soon as I reached the office. Am feeling a tad better now.

Laaa submitted her 3rd and final resignation letter today. I'm very happy for her. Now, I'm the only pioneer employee left. *sigh*

A Manic Monday

This would probably be my most hectic Monday ever!

I was supposed to report for work around 7 to talk to our Technical Support evening shift. Found out later that on Mondays, they don't have evening shifts. Good thing, I reached the office around 11 ;o)

Immediately, I worked on my deliverables for our Technical Support department. I needed to give a list of courses for the Product Support team. Talked to one of 'em immediately after lunch.

Around 2, I withdrew my salary. With two officemates to accompany me at the mall, we had our dollars exchanged to peso. We looked for BPI atms that I could have my money deposited but we had no luck. Bummer!

We went back to the office. I met the extended leaders for our leadership training series. That lasted for about an hour. Good thing, they had lotsa suggestions ;o)

Afterwards, I met another group. This time we talked about our leaves application program.

Paid my HSBC credit card in full. I've learned my lesson. Also, I paid Ogz for my Slimmer's World membership.

I'm working on the leadership training series proposal to be submitted on Wednesday. So many things to do!!!

I met the rest of the Product Support team. We talked about a lotta stuff. We covered the perquisite program, enterpreneurship training, and other training requests. Glenn joined in the discussion.

Relaxin Sunday

Woke up before noon, just in time for SOP and lunch with daddy. I requested for beef sinigang, alamang to complement the soup, and fried lapu-lapu. It was a hearty meal!

Thought Regine was absent in SOP so I had my shower and decided to leave early. Afterwards, I checked SOP and there she was. She sang two songs of South Border. I could tell that she didn't practice her number. Tsk! tsk! tsk!

Anyhoo, I left Bulacan, afraid of being caught in a bad weather. Last night, it rained pretty hard.

Around 5, I had my spaghetti meal at Red Ribbon. Was craving for pasta.

Heard mass, had dinner at Goldilocks, and read my book at Powerbooks.

Here's a photo from last Friday's dinner at Chicken Bacolod:

Missing Daddy's Cookin'

It's been awhile since I last visited my dad in Bulacan. This weekend is a perfect timing to taste again his wonderful cooking. No gimmicks with barkada nor my SOLV brothers.

There's nuthin like going home and enjoying a nice dinner/meal prepared by family. So when I got home this evening, I couldn't wait to have dinner with daddy. He cooked tuyo, eggs, and porkchops. Yummy!!! My dogs missed me so I played with em too.

Read my book before bedtime ;o)

Saguijo

While battling this freakin' headache, I'll try to remember what happened last night.

After my dinner with friends at Chicken Bacolod, we proceeded to this place called Saguijo. It's an apartment-turned-bar located at Guijo st. in San Antonio Village. That explains its name. They also have a website at www.saguijo.com if you wanna know the schedule of the bands performing for the night.

Anyhoo, when we got there, we're the only customers. Mica, a friend of Mikko, was already there waiting.

The place was nice. One wall was decorated with a mosaic of a lady's portrait. We argued if it's the Virgin Mary or not. Another one was painted with butterflies and some nice stuff. The bathroom was clean. They even have showers ;o) The music being played in the background would make you wanna dance sexily. We had fun dancing to the sensual music. Beng and Lala gamely danced.

Our 100-peso entrance fee was our ticket to a beer. I ordered for Strong Ice.

And so we waited for the bands to play their music. First was Mica's band, "Quail Quartet". I wasn't expecting them to play jazz. They even used a cello! Good for easy listening but if I wanted to listen to jazz, I'd go to a blues bar. I remember one time in Chicago when I heard a very good jazz band.

Next was a rock band called "Musing of a Cigarette Smoking Man". They all played their original compositions. Like them. Could still use some polishin'.

Third band named "Daydream Cycle" was led by a girl vocalist. Couldn't understand a single word. Saguijo should improve on their sound system.

Fourth was called "Liquid Jane". They have the best drummer. Rock on!

Laaa tried the Thai tapa and the meat was very tender and the sauce was spicy. Very yummy!

While smokin' outside, I learned from the guard that the place is owned by Angelo Carlos. It will celebrate its first year in July.

The "I Love You" store was located at the top of this Saguijo bar. They sell secondhand stuff. Got myself some cool necklace ;o)

Speechcraft

I had to wake up early for the "LIVE" telecast of "American Idol" on ABC 5. Good thing, there weren't too many commercial breaks. Bad thing though, Bo didn't win. In my book, he's THE "American Idol" ;o)

Today we had our first session of our Speechcraft workshop. I remember taking this training years ago and I truly enjoyed it. That's why I'm trying to impart things I've learned. Call it stewardship whatever ;o)

In today's session, we went over the ground rules. Bulilit shared some tips too. Am glad it's a good crowd composed of Eric, Lala, Nikki, Glenn, Gentley, and Franco. Am looking forward to our Ice Breaker session next week.

Go, Bo!!!

Can't wait to see these two perform tonight! Obviously, am rooting for Bo Bice. I am not a fan of country music so I won't be shouting for Simon's favorite.

I also am excited to see the rest of the American Idol contestants like Nicko Smith, Anwar, and Constantine.

Today is the day that I get to lead our worship. I have prepared the songs that we will sing (all personal favorites). Not sure about what to pray for though. Oh well, Jesus will help me later.

The Numa Numa Guy

Enjoy the full video clip here -> The Numa Numa Dance

Thanks, Bulilit, for this ;o)

With Master Yoda

After my lunch with Raz, Jowee, Shell, and La at Goldilocks, La and I went to National Bookstore to buy me some plastic cover.

Afterwards, we saw an exhibit featuring some geeky stuff. We found out that a movie adaptation of the "Chronicles of Narnia" will be shown in December. That got us excited. The booth organizers interviewed us briefly.

We saw some statues of General Grievous, Darth Maul, and, of course, Yoda ;o)

Brotherhood in Anilao, Batangas Part II

Got a wakeup call around 8. Had coffee first. For brekky, we had hotdogs, eggs, longanisa, ham, and a choice between yang chow fried rice and plain rice. Yum! yum! yum!

After our sumptuous meal, we got ready for our snorkling. I borrowed my friend's snorkle and fins. I was pretty excited to use 'em. I rented a vest for 50 bucks.

We prayed first before our first activity of the day. Then we're off! I walked to a good spot in the beach and tried to wear my fins. Turned out it wasn't an easy task. I had to go back to the shore to leave my shoes. It was hard to walk with fins. The vest wasn't a perfect fit so that sucks. And I couldn't use the snorkle mask well. Bummer! Anyhoo, I just tried to enjoy the moment.


We had lotsa pictures taken underwater.

It would almost be a good experience if not for a sudden call from Pert. Danny was already panicking. He kept complaining about his foot. Ramil went to the rescue immediately. He threw his own life vest to Danny's aid. Danny tried to grab onto someone. His arms found Arnel who couldn't swim at all. Ramil tried to entangle Arnel from Danny. He was brought to a shallow portion so he could stand and be calm again. While all this was going on, Ramil kept on calling Wilson to help Danny. But Wilson was preoccupied with Arnel who also was panicking a bit. Thank Him that nothing serious happened.


Around 11, Ramil prepared our lunch. Doun, James, and I continued our swimming/floating.

I led the prayer before we had our lunch (grilled liempo, ensaladang talong, grilled tilapia, and watermelon for dessert). Another good meal!

Then it was shower time. Our cottage lost its water supply so we had to use an outdoor shower.


We left the place and headed for Manila. We reached Don Bosco around 5:30. I was dropped off at Cityland Tower. Left my stuff and changed.

I went to Don Bosco for the 6 o'clock mass. Unfortunately I was late. Got a message from my brothers to proceed to Greenbelt. After hearing Fr. Bernie's talk, I left for GB3. The gospel was about the Holy Trinity.


We had dinner to celebrate Dennis' arrival from Singapore. He brought us some pork jerky. We informed him about today's activities. Laughter and food mix well together ;o)

Brotherhood in Anilao, Batangas Part I

I truly enjoyed my first brotherhood in Batangas. So when I found out that we'll have our second brotherhood for this year, I immediately said yes. This time, we held it in Anilao.

I woke up super early (5 am) and prepared for this trip. I was the first to arrive in ChowKing. Earl was next. I had my brekky while waiting for the rest of my SOLV brothers. Was happy to see James again. Then they poured: Joel, Danny, Wilson, Isco, Jonathan, Doun, Ramil, Dale, and even Rohel

Around 7, we left Makati for Batangas. I went with Wilson, Joel, Doun, James, Danny, and Jonathan. I tried to catch some shuteye. Was awaken later by Wilson when we reached a market in Batangas. This is the same marketplace we went to when we held our first brotherhood. The guys bought some food for our one-night stay. We were joined by Algie, Arnel, and Caloy.


Instead of going directly to the resort, we went first to Algie's house for our first decent meal. There we practiced some songs with Wilson and James in the guitar. Lunch was composed of adobo (courtesy of Ramil), tawilis, and some mangoes. Yummy! Since I didn't participate in the food prep, I volunteered to wash the dishes. Joel helped me out on that task.

Around 2 pm, we left for Anilao. We passed by Eagle Point along the way. I saw once more Sombrero island in the distant. It seemed that our resort was located way, way far beyond the famous resorts in Batangas. The rough road were sometimes very challenging.

Anyhoo, we finally reached the place called Aling Trining's resort. There was a more presentable resort in front but unfortunately, our budget wasn't enough. We chose which from 3 cottages we'd like to stay in. I went to the one without aircon. We were informed that we won't take the unit with airconditioning for financial reasons. Turned out that we could--with additional payment. So I wasn't the lucky one this time ;o)

I checked out the beach and decided to take the plunge right away. It was hard at first because the rocks and dead corals were freakin sharp. After some gruesome minoots, I reached a good spot. Tried to swim for awhile. I even accidently scratched my left leg on some corals. Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch!!! I knew that there were cuts 'cause they stung a bit. Doun joined me later. He's a good swimmer and he swam farther too.

I left the beach to take care of my cuts. Earl saw my bloody leg when I walked back towards our cottage. Joel gave me some alcohol and tissue.

We couldn't hike up to a nearby mountain yet without one of our brothers. Pert's supposed to arrive any moment so we waited for him. I changed to my hiking attire and washed me face and left leg.

After a few minoots, Pert arrived. We rented a jeep that would take us to the foot of the mountain. Unfortunately, Caloy won't be hiking with us. He left for Manila already. Too bad.

Joel told us that it would only take 15 minoots to reach the summit of this mountain called "Gulugod Baboy" or "Gilid Baboy". Suddenly I remember the calculations of expert trekkers and didn't believe the 15 minoots right away. Am pretty sure it would take longer. Joel appointed me and Danny to be the sweeper. And so, all 15 of us climbed this 1,400-foot mountain.

There was a slight challenge with one of our trails. Instead of taking a simple route, Joel informed us that we'd take a shortcut. It's a steep climb so Arnel & I asked for help. For awhile, I thought I'd get cramps like the first time I climbed Mt. Daguldul. Thank heavens my legs didn't give up on me.




When we reached the summit of the "Tore" (the real summit of Gulugod Baboy is some distance away), we enjoyed the scenery. It was breathtaking. On one side, we awaited the setting of the sun. On the other, we could see dark clouds and rain slowly approaching us. Arnel led the worship. Afterwards, we had fun taking pictures. We sang birthday tunes for James and Jonathan. So when the sun set, we headed back down. It would be really dangerous if rain had caught up with us.

My second climb (even if it's, again, a minor one) was memorable because I got to worship the Lord while on top of one of His creations ;o) On our way back to the resort, we sang "Let the Love Begin". Jologs but it was fun. There was a fight between the Kapuso and the Kapamilya brothers.

Before we had dinner, we rested a bit and jammed to a bunch of songs. Sometimes Algie was on the box while Wilson was on guitar. Other times, James subtituted Algie. We sang songs of local bands.

Dinner was composed of Ramil's famous corn with spareribs soup, fried chicken, and mangoes. The minute I tasted the soup, I commented op it right away. It was DELICIOUS! It was a great dinner.

I took a bath and joined my brothers for another worship around 10. This time, Danny led it. The topic was about being childlike in order to be worthy of God's kingdom. We all shared some personal stuff. Later on, we continued the socialization with some beers and chips. We even went to the sea shore and continued our singing there. After enjoying the quiet beach and its melodic sound, we called it a night.

Continue the adventure here.

Love Moves In Mysterious Ways

Teehee...

I was supposed to give the Java exam to the evening shift at 11 pm last night. I decided to postpone it. I watched "American Idol". Good thing, Bo is IN the finals!!! Woohoo!!!

Anyhoo, I reached the office around midnight. Gave the exam to the evening shift. They finished around 1 am.

Then I got a surprise. What a great nightcap!!!

I dunno what time I'll wake up today. But one thing for sho, I'd sleep with a big smile!!!

After lunch, I had a meeting with Louie of JobStreet. She gave me a book on Career Guide. Is it a sign?

Immediately after my meeting, I had an interview with a C++ programmer who had not a single clue as to how his resume got into our hands. That was funny!

I went to Glorietta to have my dreads repair. Romie invited me to his daughter's first birthday on Sunday. There's gonna be some drinking!!! I had my din-dins at Luk Yuen.

Finished "Wolves of the Calla". Started with Book VI in the Dark Tower series: "Song of Susannah".

Illustration Friday: Nourishment

A vampire is about to get his first nourishment of the night.

May The Force Be With You

"Revenge of the Sith". Ahh, the last Star Wars film. After seeing it with my friends, I could say that I wasn't disappointed at all.

I remember seeing "The Phantom Menace" at downtown, St. Charles, Illinois. There were people in costumes. I didn't see that kind of excitement from the crowd tonight.

After my dinner with my cell group, Arnel and I proceeded to Waltermart. We waited for Table. I never thought that the moviehouse would be 80% full. When I called earlier, the lady I spoke with told me that there were still 100 tickets.

Back to the movie, it was fun to see R2D2 again. Chewbacca was a surprise. My favorite scenes would be the fight between Obi-Wan & Anakin and when the Vader mask was put on. My least favorite would be when Darth Vader threatrically shouted, "Noooooooooooooo!".

Totally 80s

Over lunch at the pantry, we talked about the 80s. From tv, movies, to radio, we tried to knock on our memory box and spill some of its dusty contents.

In the telly, we remembered "That's Entertainment", "Joey and Son", "John en Marsha", and "Chick to Chicks". We laughed at Caselyn Francisco, LA Lopez, and the funny characters in "Champoy" and "Iskul Bukol". According to Sherwin, the guy from "Ang Dating Daan" used to be the suitor of Shirley in "John en Marsha".

In the movies, we discussed "Scorpio Nights", a Vilma-Boyet-Rio starrer where Boyet had an affair with Rio who turned out to be a ghost, and a movie where Lito Lapid used his knife to "slice" his remaining bullet to kill 2 villains (that was funny and stupid).

In the music scene, we reminisce our 45s and LPs. I remember owning a Voltes V record and even a Michael Jackson's album, the biggest selling album of all time.

In the radio, we talked about "Gabi ng Lagim".

It's fun to talk about these stuff. We can only laugh and think about the good ole days.

End of Training =o(

I am not a morning person at all. So when me eyes opened at 6:30 this morning, I thought, is this me? Am super grateful for body clock. Took a bath, got dressed, and was prepared to leave by 7:10.

This time, when I instructed the cab driver to take me to Lee street, i didn't have to ask for directions. I added in, "it's the old Wack-Wack", for a good measure. Turned out that he lives in Mandaluyong so he knows the area. Thank heavens!

I reached PMAP before 8 am. Ana & Mandy were already there reading the papers. Got myself some coffee and brekky.

Ver presented his group's questionnaire. For a change, some questions were in Tagalog. The target group was rank and file. Most of them are Batanguenos. We had fun translating for him.

We were re-grouped again for the topics were about focused group discussions, brainstorming, self-assessment, and observation. We would do some role playing after lunch. I volunteered to be in the brainstorming group. Ana, Keight, and Joyce joined me.

Lunch was composed of chicken, some soup, and porkchops. Yummy again. Our chat was now about shopping in the US, driving in the US, and still about my hair.

During the first group's role play, I was assigned to be in a focused group meeting. We were given roles to portray. I got,"Wild card". That means I can do whatever I want. Sweet!!! I was the ultimate pasaway. I didn't participate in the discussion. In the middle of the meeting, I left for the restroom. I even complained and whined about my missing cellphone! Ana asked if it's for real. I told her, i'm in character ;o) Anyhoo, it was fun.

Next presentation was our brainstorming session. Our problem was about how to generate more sales from our Papa Papaya soap. I suggested the brand name ;o) Anyhoo, we were praised for our brainstorming session. We got some tips too.

Last one was about self-assessment. It was led by Ace's group.

Then it was time to say goodbye. I told my new friends that I'd keep in touch. We exchanged e-mail addys. Ace and I talked about her plan for a Zuellig system.

I went to RSCC and gave my mom my pasalubong from our Quezon trip last Sunday.

Identifying Training Needs at PMAP

I told myself that I won't be late for my first PMAP training. Registration was supposed to start at 8:30. Woke up at half past 7. I immediately had my shower and dressed up.

The cab driver didn't know where Lee street is in Mandaluyong. So we first took Buendia and then Shaw Boulevard. Sent some messages to Miget and asked her about this route. Unfortunately she's only aware of the Edsa route.

While driving through Shaw, I tried not to panic because it's already almost 9 in the morning. Plus, there was a burning building so traffic was bad. We asked a traffic enforcer about this Lee street. He pointed us in its direction. According to Miget, if I see Petron, I should turn left on Lee street. Since we came from the other direction, I thought we should turn right. Wrong!!!

I asked the driver if we could go back to the opposite direction. It was a one-way street. He even dropped me off due to frustration. Bummer!!! What the hell should I do now? Go back to Makati? Go back home? I only have 60 bucks.

Walked back to the correct Lee direction. Rode a jeep and finally saw the PMAP sign. Thank heavens!!! I signed on the attendance sheet and registration form. Plus, I was given coffee and snacks. Since I don't normally wake up this early, my appetite wasn't in full force yet.

And the best thing is, I wasn't late at all. Yipee!!! Our speaker for this training is Mandy. After a few words from him, you can tell that he's done this multiple times. He shared his experiences, even his bloopers. One thing I noticed that there were only two guys in the audience. Of course, there's always the introduction portion.

TNA was introduced, as well as, other data gathering tools. I learned that some of the non-training concerns would fall under Organizational Development (OD). I first heard this term, OD, from Miget. Good thing I was prepared ;o) I also learned about other industries like manufacturing and pharmaceutical.

Lunch came. We transferred to the adjacent room. Our food was composed of pork with mushroom, fried fish, and veggies. Muy delicioso! Mario quickly stroke up a conversation with me. Turns out he likes to read too and into pc games. He works for SC Johnson as a Sales Manager. On the other hand, some ladies asked me about my unusual hair. Told them I'm used to being approached for my hairstyle. One lady named Ace asked me if we could talk about some system she wants to be designed for Zuellig. A potential client, eh? Ella, from Rockwell, used to work at Soluziona. Of course, I asked her about my Soluziona participants ;o)

Later on, we were divided into 2 groups. Our group designed a questionnaire to address the high turnover in our fictitious IT company. In my group were 4 ladies: Keight (from Cebu Pacific), Eliza, Ella, and Ana (RCBC). When it was time for us to present our proposal, we were bombed with questions and comments. I didn't know that each word must be scrutinized especially when you release surveys. Anyhoo, it was a learning experience.

Only two groups were able to present: ours and Mario's. Oh, another guy named Veranzky joined the session. He works for SCAD Services. They manufacture stuff for Japanese customers. According to him, one particular glass window they sell costs millions. Whaaaaaaaaaat???!!!

Mario offered me (and Ophie from Nissin) a ride back to Makati. We continued our chat about his experiences when he goes with his van salesman on business trips. According to him, these drivers are at risk. One time, if not for instinct, they would've been robbed. These drivers carry large amount of cash with them. They don't get much too. Some were even college graduates!

We first dropped Ophie off at Landmark. I was dropped off at Carlos Palanca. Went home and changed for dinner at Shakey's. So sleepy. Me eyes dropped at around 9ish and opened at 6:30 the following day!

Pahiyas Festival, Quezon

Somebody's tuggin at my side. Obviously trying to wake me up. Checked my cellphone. It's already 3. Ugh! Tried to go back to sleep. Around 4, they woke me up again. It's only me and Jowee who haven't taken a bath yet. Checked the water. I was given a big pail for my bath. Oh well....

Around 5, we left Jowee's place. We're ten in the group: Jowee, Bess, La, Ogz, Jao, Joyish, Beng, Netski, and Mikks. Sadly I got the worst seat in the van.

We first got gas at some station. Joy and I tried to get some money but the BPI atm doesn't work. Joy informed me that we can still withdraw money at Equitable and UCPB machines. I decided to just use my remaining one grand. Got some brewed coffee at Starbucks to wake me up.

I couldn't sleep anymore so I read some pages in my book. Tried to doze off every now and then but wasn't lucky.

After some hours of traveling, we reached Lucban. I was so famished. The minoot we found a store that offers food, I grabbed the chance. I got some hotdog for brekky. Played with a Rottweiler named Rocky too. Jowee tried a local delicacy--pancit habhab. He even put some vinegar on it. Had a bite and didn't like it.

It was so freakin hot. Many vendors were selling different kinds of hats on the streets. Ogz bought himself a BIG one. Eventually all of my friends bought one to fiend off the scorching heat. I settled for my buff.

After some minoots of walking and braving the morning sun, we reached the place where houses were adorned with colorful kiping. La found out that each color represents sumpthin. Pahiyas is thanksgiving. People in Quezon are grateful for the abundance of crops they've harvested.




There were so many people. Food was everywhere. I saw some longanisa and some kakanin. We had fun taking pictures! Netski even found some colored chicks. We noticed that there are numbers posted on the decorated houses. Turned out that there is a contest for the most beautifully adorned house. We even promoted House 323. The judges must have noticed us ;o)



Around 10, we thought it's time to have real food. We discovered a local restaurant. We had longanisa lucban (of course!), carabao beef, menudo, mechado, and ground santol that tasted like laing. We only paid 600 for all of 'em.

At noon, we started walking towards the church. We missed the mass service. We were informed that the next one will be at 1:30. We prayed and rested a bit. I took a catnap too.

We decided to leave Lucban. We're preparing ourselves for the traffic that we're about to face. Of course, our trip won't be complete without the usual pasalubong. I bought some food for mom and dad ;o)


We walked back towards our van. Jowee must've caught some virus. He sneezed a few times during our trip.

Our trip back to Makati took more than 4 hours. We were concerned about Beng who just had a nightmare. According to her, she couldn't open her eyes. For dinner, we went to Sbarro at Festival Mall. Unfortunately, the restaurant was beside a merry-go-round that kept on playing a single song. We were so sick of it.

Netski, Beng, Ogz, and I went home together.

Brown-freakin-out!

My eyes opened to total darkness. For a sec, I couldn't understand why. I checked my clock. Nuthin there. I
looked for my cellphone but the battery is dead. Bummer! I checked my iPod and found out it's already 3 am. I've only slept for 2 hours.

I thought of giving Beng a call so I can sleep over. I dunno if I can comfortably sleep in this darkness. Add to that, it's freakin hot.

Anyhoo, I was tired so I slept again. Only to wake up every now and then.

Finally, my aircon kicked in and the lights appeared at 11:58 am. What a restless night!

I'm now hungry. Gonna get sumpthin to eat. Went to Makati Cinema Square. Had my brunch at KFC.

Checked out Waltermart. Found out that they're selling tickets for the final Star Wars,
"Revenge of the Sith". I will watch this on Wednesday ;o)

While strolling along, I saw David's Salon. Thought of having my dreads colored. I had to wait for an hour or so. Eugene worked on my hair. He applied color to my hair (I chose blonde) and wrapped it with foil. After 30 minoots, he washed my hair. Since it was already 4ish, I had to leave early. Only to find out he missed one dread strand. Oh well, I could always go back.

I went back home. Watched some episodes of "Smallville". Had dinner at Sinangag Express. Took a shower. And left for our sleepover at Jowee's. Played PS2 with Nate. Slept around 1.

First Baller Band

When these bands came out last year, I told myself, "I want one!". And then came the explosion of fakes ones. I see 'em everywhere. Eeek! I told myself, "no to baller bands". And now, when Jowee bought some at a Nike outlet store, he gave me one. I asked first, "Is this original?". ;o) Thanks, bro. He's wearing a green band while I got the white one.

Around 12:30, we went to the bank and withdrew our salaries. Next stop was Sanry's. We had our late brunch (lunch for some) at Dulcinea. Got myself some solomillo. It's beef roll with ham. Tastes like cordon bleu. Very filling. While walking, I bumped into Dodjie ;o) He's also killing time at the mall.

Joyish, Razul, and I deposited our money at BPI. I also went to Allied Bank to pay for my rent.

At work, I paid for my I-Manila internet account through BPI online.

Look what I found: An ole photograph taken by my evil twin sister, Joy. We spent a few days in the Big Apple some years ago. This is one of my fave photos:

In Search of "Home"

When a contestant of a local singing contest sang this song, I thought it sounded like a Brian McKnight song. Later on, I found out that it's indeed a McKnight's. Anyhoo, I found the melody very singable ;o) Am still trying to get a copy of this. If you have an mp3, please send it my way at don.balan@enterworks.com.

Raz, Shell, and I bought food at Esteban Street. I got myself some cheeseburger and fries (from the Potato Corner on the second floor). While eating our food, we saw some leftover food composed of a small tinapa and 2 shrimps. We instantly craved for it. We waited until Rudy showed up. We asked who the owner of the food was. He informed us that we can eat it. Yipeee!!! That was a good break. Later on, Bulilit, Joyish, Laaa, and Jowee joined us. Joyish brought us some bread for dessert. ;o)

1 Million Pesos

I spent my day thinking about how to address the problems the company I'm working for is facing. After our increase has been given, our people are now feeling demotivated and undervalued. Am trying to come up ways on how to bring back the spirit of the people. It's really tough. I need to pray for this. My friends Dennis, Jowee, Wengski, and Mikks have offered their suggestions.

Then came Beng. She was excited to receive an SMS message about her winning 1 million pesos. Whaaaaaaaaaaat?!!!! The catch is she needs to buy some 18 pieces of Smart cards. We advised her to call Smart. She verified and found out that Smart doesn't have a promo like this. Tsk... tsk... tsk... Beware of this number, people:

09282786697

Don't be fooled.

Around 8, I joined my fellow SOLV brothers for another fellowship. We prayed and worshipped indoors because for the first time, it rained hard tonight. I missed the cold wind and the mist of rain on my face. ;o)

For dinner, we celebrated Dennis Mocorro's birthday at Yellow Cab. We gave our thanks and appreciation for all the care and support this brother has given us. I told him that I pray for his back pains and his relationship with his girlfriend.

I remember I proposed to my friends during our Sagada trip this thing called friendship appreciation wherein each of us would say sumpthin nice about our friend. That was a good experience. I wanna do it again pretty soon ;o)

Dampa, at Last!

After a prolonged stay at the food court area on the second floor, I, along with my friends, smelled like food. I hate that when it happens. I went home and quickly changed. ;o) Actually my tummy acted up so I went home... Teehee...

Over our afternoon break, we talked about how the company has changed.... I miss the ole days. When you know that the company doesn't have any plans for you, it makes you feel unwanted. Drama King....

Thanks to Joyish. Our tv shows are back! Hurray!

Around 8, my barkada and I went to Dampa. Jowee & family joined us a few minoots later. While enjoying our dinner (crabs, shrimps, oysters, & ensalada), we watched "Encantadia" and "Bahay Mo Ba 'To?" According to Laaa, Ogz looks like Pekto. I mistakenly called the "pisngi" part of a mango as its face. Beng and I were teased because of the switch in our personalities. She had a huge appetite today. I was losing my hearing ;o) Of course, Nate entertained us with his funny antics. This time, he talked about "Darna" and performed some magic tricks. It was a very fun evening. We went home very, very satisfied.

Analogies, The Saviour, et al

Had lunch with Laaa. We both ordered Pork Sinigang at Cucina Abella. Shell & Raz had brunch but they joined us later. We talked about the different analogies our managers used on us. From the boat story to the family with limited budget. Tsk... tsk... tsk....

People at work are still feeling demotivated. Nothing is happening so what can you expect?

Visited Table's blog and found out about this site: http://www.bostonuk.com/names/default.asp. Table got this from Dots ;o)

Tried inputting my name and here's what I got:

Salvador
The saviour : Latin

Very much the individual you have enormous energy and vision and must find a suitable use for your talents. You have great potential for success in business if you can guard against indecision and worry. Your generous nature means that you are never short of friends and with cooperation your relationships can be very rewarding. Perseverance and firm decision making will ensure you achieve your objectives.

llustration Friday: Mischief

Been wanting to have an illo of polar bears. They are soooo cute whenever I watch them at National Geographic. And this is a nice way to illustrate mischievousness. Teehee... Happy Mother's Day to all!!!

Eats, Shoots and Leaves

After my super late brunch at ChowKing, I sensed that Bibliarch was calling me. I heeded the call though. I went in and checked out their latest titles. And there it was... I said, "Mama mia!" I've been wanting to have a copy of this bestseller! Bought it quickly. Teehee....

Around 3, Dennis picked me up at Don Bosco so we could attend our Music Ministry practice. Unfortunately we're only 4: Ramil, Otep, Dennis, and me. Otep taught me how to play the box and the bongo. Only the basics for now. Next, Ramil taught me how to do second voices on some of the songs. Enjoyed both lessons. We left the SOLV office at 6.

Dinner at Luk Yuen with Dennis and Ramil. I had halo-halo congee and fried meat dumpling. When the waitress asked if I wanted to have egg and chips in my halo-halo, Ramil and Dennis wondered. When my congee arrived, they figured out that it wasn't a halo-halo dessert that I ordered. That was funny. Dinner was Dennis' treat ;o)

Went to RSCC. Since it was already late, Mom had dinner already. I went to SM for my own dinner (Tokyo Tokyo). Bought pizza for mom and the kids. I even bumped into some old friends, Eric and Shirley. Funny how they didn't recognize me at first. It's my look, eh?

Back at the orphanage, I read my book while the children played Bounce and Space Invaders on my phone.

Makati Day 2005

Got this headache from not being able to eat around 4 or 5-ish yesterday. Normally that's my break time at work. Since I had to "interview" an applicant, I skipped it. My system doesn't like it so it gave me this headache. I went home and took some medicine before dozing off.

Around midnight, I woke up again. Last thing I can recall from my dream is that I ate some barbecue. I could still even taste it in my mouth. Weirdo? Anyhoo, I'm thinking now of going out and satisfy my craving for pork barbecue. Teehee...

Now, before I leave, I thought of two of the best barbecues I've tasted in my life. When I was a kiddo myself, my family and I used to frequent a restaurant called Aristocrat. I remember my favorite there is the pork barbecue, the java rice, and the special sweet sauce that comes with every order. When I brought my friends to the Aristocrat branch in Greenhills, I told them to try the sauce 'cause it really complements the pork. Yummy, they said. Now I'm really famished.

The other one is available in Market! Market! During my 31st birthday celebration, Joyish bought some as a gift. I think it costs like 30 a piece. The meat is tender. One thing I noticed is that it's all meaty portions. Am not really a fan of the fatty part. Anyhoo, I recommend this. The only problem is the name of the place slipped my mind.

At last, me tummy had been filled. Am kinda disappointed because y'know sometimes when we order garlic fried rice and your order arrives with plain rice with some garlic on top? Wassup with that? Who started that stupid take on garlic fried rice? So that ruined my whole dinner.

But anyhoo, I got a text message from Arlyn. She's flying back in July and will stay here for 3 weeks. The BEST!!!

Here are a coupla photos from our recent Montemar Outing:



During my training this afternoon, I got a text message from Laaa. She informed me that there's an ongoing parade in Makati. I went out with Shell. We had fun taking our pictures with the parade participants. Some gave away lollies. I got a Jollibee diskette ;o) I danced with the "Higantes" and "Ati-Atihan" guys. We saw a local artist named Nina too. The finale was a bunch of vintage cars.

After work, I met with Shaui. Had dinner. Went swimming with Chel at Cityland condo. 'twas a fun night. Here are some photos:

Fellowship

One thing nice about our group is that we're so different from one another and yet we have some similarities. Sometimes we didn't know about these likeness until one opens his or her mouth. That happened today.

Over lunch at Super Bowl (composed of yang chow & salted fish fried rice, suckling pig, fried noodles and seafood, and sweet & sour lapu-lapu) we shared some intimate and personal details that we haven't divulged yet within our small group.

That's what I really like about my barkada. We're very open. We support each other. We know how to laugh at our bloopers. We understand each other. We never judge. We share our up-and-down moments. I'm so blessed to have these people around me. Cheers!!!

At half past 4, Miget and I interviewed a QA applicant. It lasted for more than an hour. Got this headache.

Bulilit and I bought some food: hotdogs and fries.

Pre-Knottydon in Legoland (Florida)

Look what I found? These are taken when my friends and I went to Disney World, Orlando. When I saw Arlyn's photo in Legoland, she has this photo inside the lion's mouth ;o) Told her I've got a pretty similar photo.

By the way, this is pre-knottydon era ;o)

During our afternoon break, I was suprised to see 5 pizza boxes at the pantry. I asked where it came from. I noticed the label: Brooklyn pizza. Ahh, George. I've tasted three flavors: all-meat, cheese, and pepperoni. The first one was good. Although I couldn't distinguish it from other pizzas. The cheese and pepperoni were too greasy. I showed to my colleagues how much oil poured from the pizza onto my hands. Another thing, the chili package was too small. It's only good for 1 slice.

Joined my fellow SOLV brothers in Don Bosco for another cell group meeting. We prayed for our weaknesses, the blessings we've received, and worshipped Him. Over dinner at KFC, we discussed about our upcoming brotherhood, crossroads, and our individual concerns.

Am watching "American Idol" now ;o)

Illustration Friday: Ambition

My most ambitious illustration to date. I kinda miss Dogwaffle so I started this illo using the pen feature of Dogwaffle. I concentrated first on the outline of the eiffel tower. Then I made an illo of me back ;o) It's pretty hard to draw using a trackpad. The effect I wanted to achieve was hand drawn.

I switched to Illustrator. Using its own pen tool. I traced Arlyn's hairline in one of her photos. Notice the smooth texture of her hair?

Then I went to Photoshop and produced layers for the real photo of an eiffel tower.

Went back to Dogwaffle (are you still with me?) and created some nice background for my illustration. Whew!!!

This illo is very, very personal. I guess you can easily tell what I plan to happen one day ;o)

Some Kinda Tuesday

There is nuthin like going to work with a new pair of shoes. Somehow it perks you up. It's like your ticket to having a good day =o) I remember in highschool when I wore my first black Reebok. You can now tell how old I am.

I oriented a new Technical Support Specialist named Brian. Finished it around 4.

For my break, I had corn on the cob, chicken noodles, and pan de sal with condensed milk. Weird combo, eh? Raz had ginataan and corn. Shell had ginataan and carbonara. What a freakin' group! Joyish brought some strawberries. Yummy!

We don't have a training server anymore. Celeborn was confiscated by Development group. Bummer! I had to reinstall & recreate everything in Galdor. That kept me busy till 7 pm.

At around 8, I went to Don Bosco for our third session on the "Purpose Driven Life". We're supposed to have read up to the 14th chapter. I've only read the first 8 chapters though. Anyhoo, the talk was about the second purpose: Fellowship. By the way, the first was "Worship".

Whether we're in a fellowship (LOTR comes to mind) or not, we must always be real. True to other people and most of all, to ourselves. We must support or encourage one another. Accept our differences. I should know. I look different (teehee). Sometimes it helps to do things together like in our case, it's fun when my SOLV brothers and I eat out, worship, or go out together. Speaking of which, Brotherhood is on May 21st.

Adidas_1

My parents and I had tinola for brunch today. 'twas good as always.

Mom and I left Bulacan around 2 pm. It was so freakin hot. Hailed a cab at PhilCoA. Dropped Mom off at RSCC while I continued my travel to Makati, aboard the MRT. I had a dreads repair appointment with Romie today.

After my 2-hr++ dreads repair, I proceeded to GB3 for dinner. I made a coupla stops along the way: Bibliarch and Adidas. I'm still reading Book V of King's "The Dark Tower" series so nothing caught my fancy in the former. In the latter though, it's totally different.



The world's first intelligent shoe advertisement struck me. Looking at their store window, you'd be blind not to see the gigantic shoe on display. I remember seeing their latest commercial a few nights ago. I asked one representative to get me an 8. Tried it on. Couldn't feel the difference. He told me that he needs to adjust sumpthin inside. This shoe requires batteries. Very interesting!!! The shoe is called adidas_1. Sounds like a variable name.

Anyhoo, I thought it acts like Nike Shox but this one can be customized. Cool beans! It has a microprocessor that adapts to the environment. So if you need extra cushioning when you run (threadmill, sand, grass, or actual road), it actually thinks for you. Plus, it can even store your preferences. Sweet!

It was past 8 so I had to decide whether to get it or not. I was the only customer left in the store. Pressure.... Oh well, I bought it. This would be my most expensive pair of rubber shoes to date. Bulilit's 30K shoes is still the record holder though. I can't wait to test this baby! And by the way, the box comes with...tada! a CD and a manual. It is also the best packaging for shoes I've seen so far.

Had dinner at Cafe Bola. Tried their baby pusit adobo with garlic hay. Asked what the "hay" is all about. The waited told me that it's just garlic skin. Food sucks.

Continued reading my book at Powerbooks. Went home after some minoots and updated me blog. I miss it so much.

Bravo and Niknik

I don't normally spend my afternoon in Bulacan. After hearing mass and having brunch with my parents, I leave right away to avoid the metro traffic. I want to reach Makati before 5 pm so I can relax some more. This time, it's different. After eating the sumptuous beef steak my dad cooked, I continued reading my book and even took a catnap till 6 pm.

My only chore when I'm home is to wash the dishes. I make sure that I've got music to keep me relaxed too.

Oh, I also play with my dogs: Bravo and Niknik. Every time I call Bravo (or Abo), he sits right next to me and waits to be patted on the head. Sometimes, when I call both dogs, they lick each other (their version of French kissing). Intimacy in dogs? Go figure.

Lastly, it's Sym's birthday today!