Knottydon's Paksiw

For the past few days, I've been putting off cooking the besugo that I bought. Couldn't cook it without ginger so today, I did grocery and bought some.

Normally, I call dad to ask how sumpthin is cook/prepared. This time, I relied on the net.

Sliced some ginger, onions, and good ole garlic. Poured some vinegar on my new spiffy pan. Put the besugo. Dumped in the spices, including salt 'n pepa. Waited a few minoots. Added the chili peppers. Turned the fish over. Waited a coupla minoots and that's it. Dinner is served. Yummmmmmmmm!

A Day of Errands

I had to do some errands today. First, I claimed my free 5-gallon water at Water Health. Their station is located right beside my condo. Plus, they offer free delivery. Sweet!

Next, I went to Landmark to buy some candles for tomorrow's "All Souls' Day". Mom advised me to get the cheapos. Fine with me ;oP

Third stop, I bought some tickets for this Saturday's concert. Ogz is coming with me. Got good seats even ;oP

Then a scary thing happened. My nano wouldn't play. When I press the PLAY button, it keeps on going from one track to another. F*()#! What should I do? I tried pressing the STOP button many times but it wouldn't behave. I surrendered. I checked out an Apple store at Digital Exchange. I told one representative about my misbehaving iPod. He clicked some buttons and gave my baby back to me. I asked if it's working already. He smiled. Sweet!!! He just reset it. Teehee. I asked how he did it too.

Fourth, I visited Black Strawberry where I get my monthly dreads repair. Romy was still fixin some guy's dreads so I told him I will come back for mine.

Lastly, I checked out Gourdo's. Found an interesting plate that resembles ying-yang. The colors are funky too. Whenever I eat on this plate, I can separate my rice from my viand. Or, I can have chips 'n dip too. Sweet!!! I also got a bigger pan for my cooking needs.

Rainy Sunday

Was too sleepy to get up early today. I woke up when I heard mom calling my name for lunch. She told me a story later that Bravo wanted to wake me up himself by giving me some licking on the face (was sleeping with my mouth open). Mom shooed him away. Requested dad to cook beef sinigang and daing na bangus. Yummy!!!

SOP showed some old stuff so I continued playing "Dungeon Siege II" while watching teevee. Got stuck again at this scene where I couldn't use my combat magic spell on a giant creature. Bummer!

Around 2, mom and I tried leaving Bulacan. We were held up by a sudden downpour.

Reached Makati around 5. Quickly took my shower. I was planning to hear mass at quarter to 6 but got held up again by a hard October rain. Bummer! Stayed home the whole night. Ordered food at Quick Stomach--my favorite Chop Suey & Lechon Kawali. Yummy!

Bulacan Weekend

Called mom & dad to inform them that I'll be going home this weekend. I miss my dad's cookin mostly. When I heard my dad's voice on the phone, I could tell that he isn't sick anymore. Dad got the flu a week or two ago. Am really thankful that he's back to normal ;oP

Left Makati around 5 pm. Would've reached Bulacan earlier if not for the huge traffic near Pleasant Hills. My dog, avo (short for Bravo), missed me so much. Played with him for awhile.

After dinner (composed of paksiw na bangus & porkchops), I quickly did the dishes. Gave my Mcdo pasalubong to dad. Mom went to sleep already. Played "Dungeon Siege II" the whole night. Finished around 6 am. Hey, it's vacation time!

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!!!

I have spent a MONTH of training. I was soooo beat. When my friends invited me to a poker night, I immediately grabbed the chance. We're also gonna have a long weekend (from Saturday to Tuesday) so it was the perfect way to cap my training month.

The players were Tabel, Chel, Mark, Ogz, Rene, Ken, and our new recruits, Dax & Ruthie. Everytime I play, I silently pray that I don't get to be the first one out. Good thing, I wasn't. In fact, I was one of the remaining players who still got some moulah =o) The game ended around 11.

Playing poker gives you the chance to strategize and be disciplined. You must know when to fold or keep your card, raise, or bluff. Plus, y'need to keep your "Poker" face all the time. Sometimes my friends know that I've got a good set of cards when I sing. I don't do that anymore =o)

It was still early so we thought of having a second game. Mark, Shell, Table, and I grabbed our 2,500 worth of chips. Ruthie joined us later. Mark was the first one out but he borrowed some money from our "bank" (which means, he got some earnings from previous games).

Looking at my pile of dwindling chips, I thought I had to go "all in" in our last game. Mark dealt the cards. For our flop, 2 Aces appeared. Hmmm... Then another Ace appeared. Wow!!! Three Aces, man! That's freaking HIGH. Tabel raised. So did Chel. I called and even pushed my chips towards the center for an all in.

Tabel showed her cards. Chel did too. I showed them just one: THE FOURTH ACE!!! We all screamed. Man, that was the best game I've ever had.

The fun didn't stop there though. Ogz brought his MagicSing. I sang "I Don't Wanna Know", "Thriller" (my Halloween tribute), and "Hey Jude" for my last song. We even passed the mic so we could all sing. Our highest score was a 95 on "More Than Words". We sang till 4 am. Teehee ;oP

What I Love About Dungeon Siege II

For the past few days, I've been focusing my gaming attention to "Dungeon Siege II". I have been developing my combat skills through magic. One cool thing about this game is that the people behind it put too much attention on the graphic details. I love the special effects especially when I cast my spells. Pretty neat-o! Also, you don't need to memorize a lotta keys to enjoy the game. Yesterday, Rene, a good friend, updated my nVIDIA driver. Now, I'm truly enjoying the graphics quality of DS. Am almost done with Act I. Sweet!!!

After class, OJ, Nowell, and I tried the multi-player game. Since my character runs low on Mana, I get unconscious every now and then. 'twas pretty damn fun though!

"I Want It That Chinese Way"

Got this from Sherwin & Ogz. Click on the image & enjoy!

The Foundation for a Better Life

For the past few days, my good friend, Arman, has been sending me some e-mail messages about this organization. Today, I checked out their site and found some amazing stories. Stories that will inspire you, encourage you, and tug at your hearts. Please find time to read one or two of these touching stories.

A Night of Dungeon Siege II

After getting stuck at "Fable", I found myself double-clicking on a new game called "Dungeon Siege II". Didn't get to play the first DS but when my good friend, Noel, showed me this game in his laptop, it reminded me so much of "Neverwinter Nights". I thought I'd give it a try.

The intro movies were like scenes from LOTR. I wish my character (aptly named "Knottydon") could be customized more so it would look like me ;oP The interface is very simple enuff. Y'don't need to memorize a lotta keys. Good for those with short-term memories like me. The environment is otay too. Am gonna enjoy this game!

Lost Bohemian Rhapsody

This has got me in stitches. You need to make sure that speaker is on. My favorite is the "carry on" part. Click on the image and enjoy!

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Caught "50 First Dates" on HBO before hearing mass today. I'm happy I got to hear the late Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole's version of this Judy Garland classic. That got me to thinking, how many versions are there of this wonderful song? In my nano, I've got the versions of IZ (super favorite), Patti LaBelle (a lung buster; not for the weak hearts), Eva Cassidy (ya really, really gotta hear this!), Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, and of course, Judy Garland. What's your favorite version?

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Thanks to Maidette, a colleague at work, for lending me her book. I promised myself that I will read this Mitch Albom book first before I go see the movie. After finishing it, I tried to find a copy of the film. Thanks to Doths for sharing her copy.

I remember I became an instant fan when I read his "Tuesdays with Morrie". I'm not disappointed with this second one. The story makes you think about what you've done in your life (so far). It also talks about how each person you meet is connected with you somehow. No random acts. I love this phrase, "Strangers are just family you have yet to come to know".

As far as the movie is concerned, well, good thing I read the book.

Aquaman Meets Superman

In the latest episode of "Smallville", there's this character who could swim faster than our man of steel. Yep, he's our old friend, Aquaman. Looking at the actor playing the role makes you think, "Now, where have I seen this guy before?" Flashback... Remember the guy who flirted with Paula Abdul in "American Idol"? Uh huh, he's the guy, Mr. Alan Ritchson!

Not Feeling Well

People are getting sick these days. Many are sick in the family =o( I, for one, have colds and sore throat. Am drinking lotsa agua so I can battle this virus. My hyperacidity is calming down. That's good news. Am not drinking soda lately too. Wish me luck!

The Twitch

Early today, while working in front of my laptop, my right index finger began twitching left and right. Imagine a dog wagging his tail. That's how my finger twitched. I got scared. I thought it wouldn't stop. After a few minoots, it began its dance moves again... up until in the afternoon. Maybe it's too much playin or pressing the left mouse button. I dunno what happened but if this happens again, I'll go to the nearest hospital. Please pray for me.

Scarface

Here's my character in "Fable". I wanna finish this game so I can check out "Dungeon Siege 2".

A History of Violence

Before you see this grippin' movie, I'd like to tell you to prepare yourself for a one and a half hour of exit wounds. Never seen anything like it and I must admit, I was entertained. Although everytime I see Viggo Mortensen, I picture him as "Aragorn". But in this film, he wasn't brandishing any sword. I like the way the film showed how much he loves his family that he's willing to do anything to clean up his act. I like the ending a lot. Really worth seeing!!! The staircase scene is surely gonna be the talk by the water cooler... er, in our case, at the pantry.

My iPod Nano Gets Covered

Last Friday, I paid Digital Walker at Park Square a visit. Been checking this shop for a protector for my nano. My latest baby has been getting scratches (as expected) so having this "jacket" makes it safe.

For the nano fans out there, get yourself one for 600 bucks only. It comes in 4 colors: baby blue, banana yellow, mango green, and girly pink =oP

Me & My Charm =oP

Wasn't able to pay my condo rent last Friday so I tried walking to the bank around 10:30 in the morning. The nearest Allied Bank was closed so I tried the Amorsolo branch. Along the way, I saw a newly-opened Country Style (thought of getting me-self some brewed coffee on my way home). The other branch was also closed (bummer!) so I began walking home.

At Country Style, I asked for brewed coffee. After a few seconds, I asked if I could also get a donut. The counterlady gave me a donut for free. Me and my charm ;oP

Left Makati around 4. Took the MRT and an SM Fairview-bound FX. When the lady on my left got off, I saw a crumpled 20 bucks beside my left foot. Sweet! I got a 20-peso refund on my fare ;oP

Found out that Daddy is sick so instead of a cooked dinner, I bought some food for the three of us.

As a late birthday present, I got a card from a very good friend, Worst A-L. It talks about friendship and I'll be sharing with you what's in it:

A friend is a person you can trust, who won't turn away from you.
A friend will be there when you really need someone, when they need help.
A friend will listen to you even when they don't understand or agree with your feelings.
A friend will never try to change you, but appreciates you for who you are.
A friend doesn't expect too much or give too little.
A friend is someone you can share dreams, hopes and feelings with.
A friend doesn't have to be told that they are special, because they know you feel that way.
A friend will accept your attitudes, ideas, emotions, and even when their own are different and will hold your hand when you're scared.
A friend will be honest with you even when it might hurt, and will forgive you for the mistakes you make.
A friend can never disappoint you, and will support you and share in your glory.
A friend shares responsibility when you have doubts.
A friend always remember the little things you've done, the times you've shared, and the talks you've had.
A friend will bend over backwards to help you pick up the pieces when your world falls apart.
A friend is one of life's most beautiful gifts.

-- Luan Auciello

Randy Gets Honored + Edwin Shares My Birthday

Last night, my SOLV brothers and I had our dinner at Dampa (Seaside) in Ortigas. I've never eaten here so I was excited. I left Makati with Algie behind the wheel, plus we had Eric and his girlfriend (got dropped off at SM).

We met our fellow brothers at the wet market. Ramil & Isco were already buying some oysters, shrimps, and stuff. Afterwards, we looked for a place to dine. It's good to see Jonathan (we missed him & his humor so much), Dale, and Kiko again. We were joined later by Caloy, Edwin, Arnel, and Pertolino.

While waiting for our food to get cooked & served, I started honoring Randy for his passion in his hobbies (cycling) and, of course, in his faith. His excellent service inspires us to become better servants. Others noted his pure & child-like relationship with another SOLV member, his stepping up to become one of our leaders, and his good health maintenance. Funny thing is, most of us didn't know about his birthday last Monday. Apologies circled the table =oP

During our dinner chit-chat, I found out that Edwin also celebrated his birthday last September. I asked when. When he mentioned "25", I gasped. Oh my gawd! I finally found someone who shares my birthday. I knew though that Christopher Reeves, Michael Douglas, Will Smith, and Catherine Zeta-Jones were all born on the 25th.

We spent the rest of the night eating ice cream at Icebergs. We ordered 2 Kingkongs and 2 Godzillas. Yuuuummmy! Isco also showed to us his very interesting eyeglasses that part at the bridge. Pretty cool!

Getting Hooked on Fable

After Neverwinter Nights, I came to love this ar-pee-gee game called "Fable". At first, I had difficulty running it. The blue screen of death appeared twice so I stopped playin. Then my friend, Nicko, suggested to stop all other running services, like my anti-virus, iPod, infraRed, et al. Finally last night, it worked! Sweet!!!


One cool thing about this game is that your character starts off as a kid. Early on, you can choose whether you wanna do good deeds or be the ultimate "Pasaway". Last night, I decided to walk the path of being a wizard. The more people I help, the better I become. You can also get battle scars, have your haircut, or cover your body with tattoo!

That's my character over there ;oP

Marzipan Babies: You Dont Wanna Eat This!

First reaction? Awwww, how cute! I asked what a marzipan is. Nobody knows. I thought it's one of those edible things. Now the question is, who would eat such thing? Cannibalism, hello?

I researched and found out that these babies ain't made of marzipan (ground almonds, sugar, and eggs). Instead, they're made from polymer clay & mohair (not edible). Whew!!! I give props to Camille Allen, the artist who made these awesome creations.

My Own Monkey ;oP

I've already featured Arlyn's monkey. This time, I'm presenting my own monkey. Bought him at Marshall's in Illinois and he has been my companion for 6 years now. He even used to ride shotgun with me ;oP

Smallville Rocks!

I just watched the second episode of "Smallville"'s fifth season. In my book, this is one of the best episodes that they've had in a long time. I like the way they showed Clark's power eventhough... otay, I like the tender moments of Clark & Lana ;oP I like the funny scenes with Chloe (her expression when she found out about Pete was priceless). I still have a huge crush on this actress, Allison Mack. I miss the spunky Lois though. Finally, Clark got to throw Lex a good punch!

The Little Prince

A few weeks ago, I started reading this book at Borders, in Singapore. All of a sudden, I got a call from Arlyn. That was the night she gave me a big surprise. I forgot about the book.

Today, while looking at the new titles in Powerbooks, I thought of continuing this classic book. It's a short book so I finished it after some minoots. Antoine de Saint-Exupery wrote this wonderful tale a year before he died.

If you haven't read this, click here to get to know the Little Prince yourself.

Paging: Tokyo Tokyo

After hearing mass, I had dinner at Tokyo Tokyo, Glorietta. I ordered beef misono, potato balls, and my favorite red ice tea. When I sat down and looked at my food, I noticed that the beef serving has been cut down to 50%. If I didn't use chopsticks, I would've finished the meal in 2 spoonfuls. I dunno what happened there but I wasn't satisfied with this. I only hope that this ain't the case for all Tokyo Tokyo branches. Otherwise, I won't be going to this resto in the near future.

Dominion: Prequel to Exorcist

Last night, I mustered enuff courage to watch this prequel to Exorcist. I wasn't sure if this is the actual movie where a fellow Filipino is included in the cast. From the start, I was on the lookout for Billy Crawford. And then the character, Cheche, appeared. He looked like Billy but I wasn't quite sure. When the film ended, I checked the credits and found out it was indeed Billy. Sweet!

As for the movie, I was expecting more gore. The CGI effects on the hyenas & cattle were squirmingly unpleasant. I guess the production team didn't put enuff budget on that one.

Watching a horror film around 1 am isn't a recommended thing. I slept with the lights on. Teehee!

First Look at King Kong

The site says it may not be the official poster but who cares? I like it. Am excited to see the fight with the T-Rex. I just hope King Kong lives in this latest movie of Peter Jackson.

First Poker Game

We've raised the bar in our after-office games. This time, we tried playing poker. At first, it was Sherwin, Ogz, Rene, and Ken who were playing. Later on, Table joined when Ogz had to leave for awhile. She won on her first game. Cool! Rene was the first to give up all his chips. I joined after watching them play. I won my first game too!!! That was my only taste of victory though ;oP

Lunch @ Heaven N' Eggs

When I first saw this resto situated at G4 entrance (right beside Bread Talk), I thought I should try this soon. It reminded me of IHOP simply because they serve pancakes too.

Today, Ogz, Raz, and I had lunch at this newly opened resto. The spacious interior is decorated with clouds and blue skies, flowerbeds, and white patio chairs & tables. The waiters are wearing wings even ;oP

While waiting for our table, one waiter gave us complimentary dalandan soda. Sweet!

I tried crab & asparagus omelette with pancakes & hashbrowns. It was otay. The hashbrowns are too big for me. I like the consistency of the pancakes. Plus, you can even have 3 different syrups to go with it: pineapple, peach, and coconut. Tried everything. I also requested for the good ole maple syrup.

The rootbeer that I got came in two glasses. One regular glass containing soda water and one rootbeer syrup in a beaker-ish glass. I had to stir in the syrup to make my rootbeer soda. That's cool.

The price is not too steep. The omelette is just otay (nuthin' fancy).

Reunited and it Feels so Good

When I approached Nikki this afternoon during my training break, I found out that a pouch bag has been found. Nobody seems to know who the owner is. It was placed on top of my table. I quickly inspected my cube and there it was... MY pouch bag!!!

For the past 6 days, I've been trying to call "7th Note" bar where we had our party last Friday. I wanted to ask the management if they saw a small pouch bag containing my toiletries. But I must've dialed 205 times and still no answer. I actually gave up too. Yesterday, I bought my toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss.

This pouch bag is very special to me. I bought it at a garage sale in Illinois for a buck. It's been my toiletries bag for 6 years now ;oP

Now, according to Nikki, someone from our Technical Support group found it. I wonder who that person is. Thank you so so so much.

D' Manki

Back to Work

No mo' achin tummy. Yay!

Trained 4 new employees today. Had fun ;oP

Hyperacidity Strikes Again

Last night when I was about to sleep, I began to burp multiple times in succession. Thought immediately that that wasn't a good sign for me. Normally when this happens, my tummy aches. True enuff, I began feeling sick.

I took some medicine, Kremil-S and Ponstan. They didn't help. Looked at the clock: 2:41... 3:05... 4:32... Should I go to the hospital? I need sleep.

Around 11 today, I informed Beng that I would be late for my class. An hour later, I thought not to report for work anymore. Tried to sleep once more. My tummy is still achin'.

Cooked brunch. Turned off the lights and tried to sleep again. Watched movies. Slept again. Ate some noodles, granola bars, and chocolates.

Arlyn Left for Denmark (Again)

Had lunch today with Arlyn. She even played some cards with Ogz, Sherwin, and Dennis. Afterwards, we checked out the Singapore office on the 17th floor. They were closed. Bummer!

We went back to her apartment to pick her stuff up. Proceeded to the airport around 2 pm. Felt like deja vu.

It's hard to see someone you love saying goodbye. It's hard the first time. Even harder the second time. All I can think about is the short time we spent together here in Manila. Now she's leaving for Denmark again. Hopefully, I'll see her again in December.

Niknik's Passing & Arlyn's Last Night

Woke up with a sad news that one of our dogs passed away. Her name is Niknik and she left 3 cute little puppies. Now we're down to 4 dogs, including the daddy of the three: Bravo.

Heard mass with mom. We had lunch afterwards. Dad cooked a sumptuous diniguan. Since mom didn't have to go to work today, I left Bulacan alone.

It's Arlyn's last night in Manila so we planned to have dinner. Instead of cooking at my place, she informed me that she brought some food with her from Pampanga. Sweet!

She had to do sumpthin at the mall which took more than 4 hours. I picked her up around midnight at G4. We proceeded to her apartment and had dinner there. Watched some tv. Talked. She let me try some chocolates with alcohol. We also drank the Merlot that I bought ;oP

Enterworks: 5 @ 2005

After 3 weeks of preparation, our 5th anniversary party has finally happened. As usual, we (with Ogz and Joy) were the hosts again. We held it at 7th Note at Makati Golf Club. The place wasn't too big, perfect for 60 to 80 people. There was a stage with a piano and a projector screen at the center. There were 4 long tables setup for us. Frank, the owner, was very accommodating. We got there around 5. We setup our equipments and banners.


Around 7, people started arriving. While waiting for the rest of our officemates, I enjoyed singing with a piano accompaniment. Sonny was the resident pianist.

We started the party with Arman singing "Lead Me, Lord" as our opening prayer. Mims gave the opening remarks.


Jon gave us a toast in Tagalog format and we proceeded to having dinner afterwards. We had pizza, carbonara, chicken, salad, and sausages. The food was good. While eating, we projected the presentation created by Arman, Marc, Sherwin, and Ogz. It was a very nice collection of photos from year 1 to 5. I thought of having it as a souvenir as well.


We had 3 games: Makeover session where Marc was beautifully made up by Nikki, Search for the Enterworks Idol (Tabel sang "You've Got to Love Me for What I Am" with Ning & Randy dancing), and the group beer drinking contest (once again, Nikki's group won).

There were 5 special fun awards: Cary Grant (Madera), Audrey Hepburn (Ying), The Swan (Nikki), Enterworks' Sweetheart (Nikki), and Breakthrough (Robbi).


Noel created a presentation about the history of Enterworks. It showed interviews of John W, Jon C, Mims, Eric, Dennis, Vee, Miget (who looks great), and yours truly. In some parts, the audio wasn't good though. Jon & Dennis handed out the Service awards for those who have worked for 5 years. Mine was given first because I am the first employee. I got a Pierre Cardin watch and a certificate (which I designed).

Jon delivered his closing remarks and a "My Way" version with lyrics changed. It even included "Knottydon". Teehee. Incidentally, Tony attended the party and gave us another "My Way" rendition.

Around 10ish, we had our dance. The DJ chose a variety of dance music from 70s to the present. There were a lot of people groovin to it. Boyette strutted his stuff with Mims and Vee. He can really ballroom dance! While we were dancing, Miguel called Mims' cellphone. We couldn't hear him though =o(


Picture taking was at its pandemonium level. Everytime people see someone taking a picture of a certain group, people rush just to be included in the photo. Total madness!!!

At 1, Max informed everyone that the party was officially over. That means, no more booze =o( Awwwwwwwwwww! We requested Dennis, Mims, Max, and Vee to contribute 2K each so we could continue the parteeee. They obliged.

I'm not sure what time we ended. I even left my toiletries bag at the bar. I hope I could claim it back.