home for christmas

it's been a month since my last entry. if it hadn't been for KJP's comment asking about my whereabouts, i wouldn't dare write anything on my blog... hehehe... we'll it's just too difficult to get into the net especially blogger since i came to Manila. at work, lots of sites are restricted. obviously, they have to do that. you're not there to blog, and do personal browsing. you're paid to work! i don't have my own PC, and also (of course) i don't have internet connection. when i moved to manila, i left a lot of my comforts in cebu. in order to get access to my blogs, yahoomail, hotmail, etc., i have to go to an internet cafe. well, sometimes i'm too tired to go to one. lately, i've been going home late from the office. so that explains my absence on the net.

while i'm writing this blog entry, i'm in cebu. i'm home for christmas. yipee! i get to go online as often as i want! i'm here with my family. :) i just miss them. i miss my friends and i miss cebu, as well. it's different in manila. its traffic is super heavy. time flies so fast. people are so busy. food is very expensive. and living alone means doing my own laundry, and cooking. no mom and lola to prepare my breakfast and dinner. i miss homecooked food! so i'm making the most of my stay here. so i'm eating lots and lots of my lola and mom's cooking! (and when i get back to manila, i'm bloated! hahaha...)

I'm enjoying my xmas vacation (which will end tomorrow, Philippine time). I hope you all are having fun-filled and blessed holidays! Merry Christmas!

1st week...

I'm officially now in Manila, Makati specifically...I got here on November 3, started work on November 5. :) Right now, my mind ain't working well. so i won't write much...actually i'm so sleepy.... it's still 6:46pm. and im sooo sleepy already. i'm still adjusting, to a lot of things, too many to mention but next time, i'll blog about it. byeee...

phew!!!

Phew! is all I can say after a very hectic weekend up to today Oct 31st. For 3 days, from Oct 27-29, I went on a trip to Bohol with my twin friends Elma and Erma. Erma just got from Dubai and she sent her whole family to a vacation in Bohol. The twins dragged me along (they wanted some girlfriends to join). Another friend of theirs, Sherrie also joined. It was my third time to visit the island of Bohol, home to the smallest monkey in the world, the tarsier. I was again able to see it again for the second time. I was able to visit the Chocolate Hills for the second time. The first time I was in Bohol was when I was just 12 years old. At that time I was with my mom and brother. We were there to attend a grand family reunion. During that visit, we were able to go to Chocolate Hills but we didn't get to see the tarsier. My second visit was with my first job. I was observing an inventory of a client. Since I was able to stay over the weekend, I took the chance to see the tarsiers in Loboc on a Sunday off.

The weekend trip to Bohol was fun. All the pictures we have taken surely would say it was so much FUN. I especially loved our photo shoot in our hotel room during one evening before we went off to sleep. Looking at those pictures surely sent me laughing out loud! LOL! hahaha... I also love the pictorial in chocolate hills where we were jumping! super lingaw! :) Thanks to Erma and Elma. They really made my weekend. :) Sila kasi ang gumastos! :)

We got back to Cebu on Monday, baranggay elections day. Of course, I voted. It was also a very hot day too. But the elections wasn't so hot. I guess our baranggay politics aren't that chaotic and dirty. :) On that day, too, I went to the salon to get a haircut. I wanted to put some bangs, something to cover up my wide forehead. But the gay hairdresser was so BOGO! super duper doesn't really know his job. Graveh, he made a mess of my hair!!!! I hated him. But I couldn't really tell that to him up close and personal. Ugh!!! I hate myself why I'm soooo mabait, soooo kind. I even gave him a tip! I'm so stupid! ewan ko bah, ba't ako ganito. argghhhh!

On Tuesday, I went to the dentist to for some check up and stuffs. With my sooo bothersome first molar, I decided to have it extracted. And so here goes my first tooth extraction done by a dentist! Whoa! I was terrified. Really. I felt like a child feeling very nervous about getting a tooth extraction. So bye bye toothaches. The dentist also filled up two teeth which were getting dark spots and holes, lest they become bigger and become another painful toothache. On that same day too, in the afternoon, my grandma and I went for a confession. Afterwhich, we attended mass. And...I bought a Bible! I also had it blessed that same day. :)

Wednesday. What a day! I woke up early so I could give to Mira the pasalubong from my Bohol trip, then I went to Basilica del Sto. Niño and Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. I offered candles and prayers for a safe trip to Manila (on Nov 3).
After the church visits, I went to PAL Jones to have my airline ticket printed. I waited for an hour for that. I then went to Ayala to claim the partial relocation allowance, had lunch, went around, bought a few stuffs then headed to SM to meet my sister. We bought some clothes, and other stuffs for me and for her also. Lots of people at SM. Sale kasi eh! I was able to get some 10% discounts on the stuffs I bought. Good deal! Kaya lang I realize now that things have gotten really expensive. My P4k disappeared so fast... parang di masyado marami ang nabibili sa P4k. tsk. tsk. My other sister joined us later. After getting our legs tired in SM, we went to Ayala to buy some groceries. I also had to buy pasalubongs for our relatives there. :) So ngayon, ubos na pera ko!!!! Hay naku!!!! Graveh!!! I can't believe I spent all my last pay to the last penny. This should make me sad. :( Well, it is making me sad. :( But that's how life is. Ang dami ko kasing UTANG! DEBT! Grrrr! Double GRRRR!!! Ayoko na sa credit card!!! PHEW!

Galit ba? eh okay lang talaga, kelangan kong mgbayad sa utang at sana, at dapat di na ako gagamit ng credit card next time!!!! PROMISE!

Famous lines (in Tagalog)

"pinapaikot mo lang ako

Nagsasawa na ako. Mabuti pang

patayin mlo na lang ako"

-electric fan


"hindi lahat ng walang salawal

ay bastos"

-winnie d' pooh


"Alam mo ba wala akong ibang hinangad

kundi ang mapalapit saio.

pero patuloy ang pag-iwas mo"

-ipis


"Hala! sige magpakasasa ka!

Alam ko namang katawan ko lang ang habol mo."

-hipon


"Ayoko na! pag nagmamahal ako lagi na lang

maraming tao ang nagagalit! wala ba akong

karapatang magmahal?!?"

-gasolina


"Hindi lahat ng green ay masustansya."

-plema


"Hindi ko hinahangad na ipagmalaki mo na ako'y sau

ayoko ko lang naman na sa harap ng maraming tao

ganun mo na lang ako itanggi.."

-utot


"Sawang sawa na ako palagi nalang akong

pinagpapasa- pasahan, pagod na pagod na ako."

-Bola


"you never know what you have

till you lose it.

and once you lose it, you can never get it back"

-snatcher


"Ginawa ko naman lahat para sumaya ka

mahirap ba talagang makontento sa isa?

bakit palipat-lipat ka?

-TV


"hindi lahat ng maasim may vitamin c"

-kili kili


Sige, batihin mo ako.... Sigeee.....BATEEEEE E!!!!!!!!

-omelette


pilitin mo man na alisin ako sa buhay mo, babalik at
babalik ako!

-libag


"wag mo na akong bilugin.."

-kulangot


Paano tayo makakabuo kung hindi ako papatong sa iyo?

-Lego

farewell

Yesterday, October 19th, was my last day of work at NSP, my second employer, my Japanese employer. I didn't exactly feel sad or happy. There was bit of both. I was sad because I had to leave the friends I've made at work. I spent almost 3 years working in NSP. And I've had times of fun in those years. I will certainly miss Mira, Chai, Jing, and Mam Baby -- my teammates in Finance. I'll miss the laughters, the chikas, the food, the reklamos (of management and everyone else...hehehe). I'll miss jeepney rides on the way home with Mira and Chai. I'll miss Jing's daily supply of Julie's bread. I will miss Mam Baby's chika of her life. And her famous line, "How far na mo?" (peace, Mam Babes! (",))I will miss the HR people - Ana, Marlene, Edwin, Belle, Tonton, Dina, Rose, Mam Gina. Of course, I'm not so close to all of them but certainly they have made my life in NSP interesting. I will miss corresponding with Ana for her invoices, Tonton for his endless CAs, Dina for payroll stuff, Marlene (a.k.a Mam Nurse) for OPB concerns, Edwin for his occasional treats and his twice-a-month request for dinner and taxi allowances. I will certainly miss our lolo in Finance, Mr. Okano. He maybe disorganized and clumsy with his schedules but he has never berated us for our little mistakes. He's not strict and he knows how to have fun too (not to mention that he pays for some of our sosyal dine-outs, and he paid too the K1 experience last Friday night).
It's a bit sad to leave the people who you have come to love. It's a bit sad to leave my Finance ka-berks knowing that they will be given additional load of tasks until they find a replacement for me. It's a bit sad to know that Mam Baby and Mr. Okano would have to deal with finding a suitable replacement (all the interviews, selection, trainings that come with it).
On the other side, I am happy that with my resignation I was able to realize how blessed I am to have worked in NSP. I am happy that my officemates have supported my decision to take a new leap in my career. I am happy that all these people I've met in NSP came into my life. I have learned a lot from their own experiences, and from their own views of life.
I am resigning for the following reasons: I have felt no more growth in my stay with NSP. I have felt boredom in my work. I have felt it's time for me to move out of home and try living on my own. I have felt the need to learn to stand on my own two feet.
The last part is giving me nervous apprehensions. The latest news on the bombing in Glorietta 2 in Makati is making me feel uncomfortable. I will soon be working and living in Makati. Without a family to make me feel secure, I am a bit worried. And I pray, pray very hard God will keep me safe. He will protect me from all the dangers. I know my family and friends will be praying for me, too. This then keeps me feel secured.

Farewell my friends in NSP. Thank you for the stuff toy. I'll bring that with me in Manila. :) Thank you for the fun time in K1. Thanks to Okano-san for paying the bill. hehehe...

Good luck to all of us!

A Parable on True Love

Another one from my old e-mails... :)
forwarded by my friend Mira.


A PARABLE ON TRUE LOVE
>
> An old woman sat on the antique rattan rocking chair. Her eyeglasses
> were perched precariously on her nose as she concentrated on her
> sewing chores.
> A gentle breeze swept the wisp of whitish hair on her temples.
>
> Beside her sat her teen-age granddaughter. She was like a fresh
flower recently bloomed. Without warning she suddenly blurted out. Grandma,
> why is true love so difficult to find?
>
> The old woman with a kindly face stopped sewing and touched her
> granddaughters head affectionately. After a moment, the young girl
> cuddled closer resting her head on the old womans lap.
>
> Listen and I will tell you why. began the grandmother.
>
> Many centuries ago, when the world was young, true love existed
> everywhere. It was available for asking. Because of this, men and
> women took true love for granted, so God decided to keep true love.
> She stopped and smiled as she gently stroke the young girls soft
> tresses.
>
> God asked a pair of angels to keep true love.
> First, they buried true love in the ground. But man and woman easily
> dug it out. Next, the angels took true love to the highest mountains.
> But again man and woman easily climbed to the top. Then the angels
> submerged true love into the deepest sea.
> Man and woman swam to the bottom of the body of water and with ease
> retrieved true love.
>
> So true love is easy to find, commented the young girl. For man and
> woman will dig, climb and swim.
>
> Yes, but finally the angels kept true love in the hearts of man and
> woman. Since then people have had difficulty searching for true love.
> For they look everywhere except in the one place that they should
keep
> it --- the HEART.
>
>
> The most beautiful things in the world can neither be seen nor
> touched, just felt in the heart. Helen Keller
>

anticipantion, anxiety

It's the middle of October. On the 20th, it would be my last day at NSP. It seemed like I just handed my resignation letter. How fast time flies. (what a cliche! but it's actually very true) Tomorrow, it's my last day for my first semester in Masters. It's actually our final exams for Economics! I do hope I'm going to pass it. :) And on Wednesday, we'll be having dinner (the Finance team) and is in a way a despidida for me.

I'm having mixed feelings. I'm kinda excited about leaving and working in Manila, meeting new friends, experiencing a new kind of work, new environment. Then I'm kinda anxious about leaving home, leaving the comfortable life I live in Cebu. How's it going to be when I'm away from my family? What if something bad happens to me there?

Mixed feelings, mixed emotions. They're all part of making decisions. But then it's all part of growth. It's all part of this so-called life.

IF I KNEW

This is a poem shared to me by Chai. :)

IF I KNEW

If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will always be another day
to say "I love you,"
And certainly there's another chance
to say our "Anything I can do?"

But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,

That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear

Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.

some good thoughts...

Remember this:
"Do not ask for everything in life to follow the path of your will.
Pray that things happen as they need to happen - and you will see that everything is far better than you were expecting."

Epictetus

On Love

I found this in my office emails. I'm actually cleaning up my mails... :) This is good.


It is a mystery why we fall in love. It is a mystery how it happens. It is a mystery when it comes. It is mystery why some loves grow and it is mystery why some loves fail. You can analyze this mystery and look for reasons and causes, but you will never do any more than take the life out of the experience.

Love is more than the sum of the interests and attractions and commonalities that two people share. And just as life itself is a gift that comes and goes in its time, the coming of love must be taken as an unfathomable gift that cannot be questioned in its ways.

Too often, when love comes to people, they try to grasp the love and hold it
to them, refusing to see that it is a gift freely given and a gift that just
as freely moves away. When they fall out of love, or the person they love feels the spirit of love leaving, they try desperately to reclaim the love that is lost rather than accepting the gift for what it was.

They want answers where there are no answers. They want to know what is wrong with them, or they try to get their lover to change, thinking that if some small thing were different love would bloom again. They blame their circumstances. They blame each other. They try everything to give meaning to what has happened. But there is no meaning beyond the love itself, and until they accept its own mysterious ways they live in a sea of misery.

You need to treat what love brings you with kindness. If you find yourself in love with someone who does not love you, be gentle with yourself. There is nothing wrong with you. Love just didn't choose to rest in the other person's heart.

If you find someone else in love with you toward whom you feel no love, feel honored that love came and called at your door, but gently refuse the gift that you cannot return. Do not take advantage, do not cause pain. How you deal with love is how love will deal with you, and all our hearts feel the same pains and joys, even if our lives and ways are very different.

If you fall in love with another who falls in love with you, and then love chooses to leave, do not try to reclaim or to assess blame. Let it go. There is a reason and there is a meaning. You will know it in time, but time itself will choose the moment.

Remember this and keep it in your heart. You don't choose love. Love chooses you. All you can really do is accept it for all its mystery when it comes into your life. Feel the way it fills you to overflowing, then reach out and give it away. Give it back to the person who brought it to you. Give it to others who seem poor in spirit. Give it to the world around you in any way you can.

Love has its own time, its own season, and its own reasons for coming and going. You cannot bribe it or to coerce it or reason it into staying. If it chooses to leave, from your heart or from the heart of your lover, there is nothing you can do and nothing you should do. Be glad that it came to live a moment in your life. If you keep your heart open, it will surely come again.

- Kent Nerburn, Simple Truths

Quotes from Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Tuesdays with Morrie is one of my fave books. I love the quotes by Morrie. :)


"The most important thing in life is to learn to how to give out love,
and to let it come in." " Let it come in. We think we don't deserve love,
we think if we let it in we'll become too soft. But a wise man named Levine
said it right. He said " Love is the only rational act."


"Love wins. Love always wins."

Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. ANd if you are ever going to have
other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them, too - even when you're in the dark. Even when you're
falling.

You need someone to probe you in that direction. It won't just happen automatically.

We all need teachers in our lives.

"Tension of opposites"

If you hold back on the emotions-if you don't allow yourself to go all the way through them-you can never get to being detached, you're too busy being afraid. You're afraid of the pain, you're afraid of the grief. You're afraid of the
vulnerability that loving entails. But by throwing yourself into these emotions, by allowing yourself to dive in, all the way, over your head even, you experience them fully and completely. You know what pain is, You know what love is. you know what grief is. And only then can you say, "All right. I have experienced that emotion. I recognize that emotion. Now I need to detach from that emotion for a moment."

Still there are a few rules I know to be true about love and marriage. If you don't respect the other person, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don't know how to compromise, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you can't talk openly about what goes on between you, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. Your values must be alike.

The way to do it, I think, isn't to run away. You have to work at creating your own culture.

As long as we can love each other, and remember the feeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away. All the love you created is still there. All the memories are still here. You live on - in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here.

Death ends a life, not a relationship.

relocating

I got accepted into a new job. And it's not gonna be in cebu, it's gonna be in manila! hehe... philippines lang naman... not far naman. just 45 min plane ride. but then, it's away from home. it's away from good friends and family. it'll be my first time to live on my own and that translates to washing clothes on my own, having no mom to prepare my breakfast, no lola to cook lunch and dinner. I'm going to be on my own. It's exciting yet scary... I've been to Manila a few times. And i've never really love it. I hate the traffic, I hate lots of people. I hate the pollution. I abhor, detest it! Back then, I vowed, "No way I am going to work in Manila!"
Eat my words! Soon, I'll be going to that city - live there, work there. But why the change of mind? well, i'm so so bored na with my work, with Cebu, with my love life status quo. kapoya man gud oi, wa jud tawn ko kakita og keke diri sa cebu...Why not move to Manila, where I have better choices of career, and men. hahaha! Well, i am 26. I'm not getting any younger! I also would want to live independently. For years, I have been very dependent on my parents. I just crave for the challenge to live on my own. I'd want too to bolster my career. I also need one with a higher pay. Paano na young college tuition fee ni Charm? The only way to do this is - get a job in Manila. Singapore sana, kaya lang, I am not that prepared yet to compete with Singaporean job seekers. Besides, I'd need to have enough money while I look for a job there. And I don't have any! So this job offer from Deutsche Knowledge Services seems to be a good fit. They have a relocation package. Wala kaayo gastos for my move to Manila. How fortunate of me!

I hope all things go well for me! By November, Manila girl na ako... :)

my old filipino name

My Pinoy Name is Christina Marie Little Bit Magbanua.
Take The Filipino Name Generator today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

Habit 1 - Be Proactive

Habit 1: Be Proactive

"I know of no more encouraging fact
than the unquestionable ability of man
to elevate his life by conscious endeavor."
-Henry David Thoreau

Proactivity defined
Proactivity is more than merely taking initiative. It means that as human beings, we are responsible for our own lives. Our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions. We can subordinate feelings to values. We have the initiative and the responsibility to make things happen.

Because we are, by nature, proactive, if our lives are a function of conditioning and conditions, it is because we have, by conscious decision or by default, chosen those things to control us. In making such a choice, we become reactive. Reactive people are often affected by their physical and social environment. Proactive people form their own physical and social environments. The ability to subordinate an impulse to a value is the essence of the proactive person. Proactive people are still influenced by their external stimuli, but their response to the stimuli is a value based response.

Listening to our language:
Because our attitudes and behaviors flow out of our paradigms, if we use our self-awareness to examine them, we can often see in them the nature of our underlying maps. Our language, for example, is a very real indicator of the degree to which we see ourselves as proactive people. The language of reactive people absolves them of responsibility.

Reactive Language
There's nothing I can do.
That's just the way I am.
He makes me so mad.
I have to do that.
They won't allow that.
I can't.
I must.
If only.

Proactive Language
Let's look at other alternatives.
I can choose a different approach.
I control my own feelings.
I can create an effective presentation.
I will choose an appropriate response.
I choose.
I prefer.
I will.


That language [reactive] comes from a basic paradigm of determinism. And the whole spirit of it is the transfer of responsibility.



http://www.english.ilstu.edu/351/hypertext98/shachter/habitspages/habit1.html

...

Tonight, I was again confronted with my family's financial problems. My mom asked me whether I was going to go and find work in Dubai next year. And I was kinda surprised why she asked. Although I know there's something wrong. And I had a feeling it was financial which was almost always the case. You see, my father owes a huge amount of money from their employee coop. The money was used to finance the hospitalization of my grandfather then. Anyway, some silly text message reached his boss which said that an employee owed a huge sum and yet no payment has been made. When my father's boss told him about it. It somehow worried my father. He was the biggest creditor and though payments have been made but very minimal. So my father thought that the anonymous texter must have referred to him. Now, my father is worried about it. He wants to pay off at least half of the debt. But where do we get the money??? I'm not earning that much. My mom doesn't have a full-time job. And I now feel the burden is upon me as the eldest child.

I had wanted to work abroad ever since we got burdened financially from my grandpa's hospitalization. I had seen how hard it was to be treated well when you don't have money. I had seen how my parents scrambled for money. It was difficult for the average Filipino worker to get health care. Our Philhealth and SSS sickness benefits are not enough. I had seen the health care system of this country at its worst. And I had vowed myself to leave this country and find work elsewhere.

Unfortunately, I haven't been accepted to those jobs I applied for. Then it came to a point where I no longer wanted to leave to the extent that I didn't take any huge step to get a job abroad. The determination dwindled.

Maybe this time, I will have to consider really leaving the country and risk looking for a job in Dubai or Singapore. It's time to be aggressive of this job hunting. I cannot stand seeing my parents worry about money. I cannot let it happen when my mom would work as a DH in Hongkong or Singapore. If there's anyone who should leave, then it has to be me.

when you expect too much

I'm gonna write about this feeling i had for the last 5 days. You see, I met a really nice guy. He seemed to be a lot of what i want in a guy. (that is, if everything he told me were true!). I was happy and excited to have met him and to be able to get to know him more in the ensuing days. Yet, he never showed up after 2 days. I gave him a number and an email add. But he never bothered to communicate until now. I guess i can say he's a lie. I guess, I had expected too much that's why i'm feeling all disappointed. Anyway, i'm writing this to end my expectation. i'm writing to end all the hopes i have been feeling. i'd like to thank him for allowing me to feel good for a few days. :)

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Last Aug 10-11, I was priviledged to attend the seminar 7 Habits of Higly Effective People facilitated by Mr. Jun Cantal. The 7 Habits is a book by Stephen Covey, an American psychologist. According to the book, Stephen Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. Indeed, it is very true. I was happy to have chosen to attend the seminar. Prior to this, I had declined joining due to a conflict of another activity. My supervisor made me rethink about it. She told me that this is a really nice seminar and it will take another year for it to be offered by the company. I thought about it again and I finally decided to take this opportunity. True enough, it wasn't a waste of time. It was the right choice. For the next days, I will be posting my learnings, my insights, my struggles with the 7 Habits. Allow me to overhaul my life. I need a paradigm shift. I need to evaluate my goals, my purpose, my life. God bless this endeavor. :)

A R K

I just want to remember this great lesson imparted by the movie Evan Almighty - Change the world? Do one Act of Random Kindness at a time! :)

It's the little things that you do that matters most. :)

Uniquely Singapore (part 4)

Day 3. We were up a bit late. We're all just very tired. But we just couldn't afford to lose this one last day sleeping. The itinerary was to shop around for pasalubong in Chinatown then have lunch, afterwhich go to Romy and Emman's place then to Sentosa, then Vivo City.

We packed up our bags. It was so sad we had to go. It feels like such a very short time. And we haven't been to so many places.

After buying our pasalubong in Chinatown, we were now ready to go to Romy and Emman's place in Yew Tee. They will just fetch us at the Yew Tee MRT station. So with all our luggages strolling with us, we had found it a bit "extraordinary" to be bringing them and taking the train. It was like can we just take a cab to Yew Tee? Well, we wish it was cheap but it wasn't. And we were left with just the option of taking the MRT.

We got to Yew Tee at around 2pm. Romy fetched us and took us to their place, Yew Mei Garden. Their condo unit is very nice. So homey and clean. At their place also, they had a huge pool with man-made waterfalls. It looked like these guys stayed at a resort in the Philippines! No wonder cost of living is high in Singapore.

Anyway, we were able to take a nap at their place. The guys also served us merienda. At about 4pm, we were ready to go to Sentosa. We left it to Romy and Emman. They were our tour guides this time. With so little time left for Sentosa (our flight was at 12:55am), we weren't able to go around this famous island. We just explored the Underwater World and took the cable ride.

The cable ride was also a firsts for us. And Romy and Emman were so kind to capture the moments of this ride. Good thing they brought their cameras.

At the Underwater World, we got to see sting rays, crabs, sea dragon (which looked like a sea plant), a huge yellow snake carried by an Indian man, sharks, fishes of small and big sizes. It was a Saturday afternoon, and there were just too many people in Sentosa, particularly in the Underwater World. Congested as it was, Underwater World smelled so bad! With all the sweats of people - different kinds of people - oh gosh! body odor was everywhere! The bad thing was body odor was sooo unpleasant to the nostrils. Ugh! Anyway, we still didn't forget to take lots of pics. Documentation is an essential element to travel.

After enjoying Underwaterworld, we went to Vivo City. Joedan, Elma's brother, was looking for an uppity watch. He had already planned to buy one. So no matter how little the time left, he had to get his watch. And yes he did! It costs something like SGD200.

Vivo City, which is said to be Singapore's largest mall, was packed with people. On top of Vivo City, there is actually, a pool of water. But I don't think it was made for swimming. I'm not quite sure though. But I think the water wasn't that deep for swimming.

We also had some Philippine monies exchanged. We had difficulty finding a money changer in Vivo City but thankfully, we did find one. Unfortunately, our peso costs so little. The exchange rate was Php1.00 = SGD.027! Extremely cheap. At Orchard, we got our peso exchanged at SGD.031. We didn't have much of a choice though.

My sister also did a little shopping. She was able to buy an Esprit top at 75% off. What a bargain! We also bought some chocolates for our families back home. :)

We were back at Romy's place at around 9pm. We were already in a hurry. So we took a cab from Yew Tee to Changi Airport. Then only to learn that our flight was delayed by 2 hours! Tsk, tsk. This is the problem with Cebu Pacific, their flights are frequently delayed.

We had dinner there and we shop for some items in the Duty Free shops. We bought additional pasalubongs for family and friends.

And then it was time to depart...

And so that was our little adventure/misadventure in Singapore. :)

touring singapore

Cool Slideshows!

Uniquely Singapore (part 3)

We've only stayed for three days in Singapore yet I couldn't finish writing this trip in just one sitting. Anyway, I'm now still in Day 2. After having conquered the birds in Jurong Birdpark, we were now ready for some action in Sim Lim Square, an established 390,000 square feet commercial shopping centre specialising in electronics and IT Products in Singapore. We went to look for some cheap electronics. I was looking for a flash drive and my friend Mira wanted me to get her a cheap digital camera. I ended up though not buying anything. But I tell you the products were cheap. I found a Canon IXUS 7.0 cam amounting to some 8k pesos which I later learned is a cheap price. Why wasn't I able to get something when items were priced low? Well, because I didn't exactly know what to buy. I didn't have the specs of Mira's cam. It wasn't that easy going there asking the vendors for a cam that was worth only 5k pesos. Mira and I should have researched beforehand. Why not the flashdrive? Well, because I found the flashdrives a bit expensive. Then again, it wasn't that much of a priority for me. After going around Sim Lim, which closes at about 8pm, Romy fetched us there and brought us to Lau Pa Sat, a hawker center located in the Central Business District. Hawker centers are large groupings of informal open-air food stalls. These were Singapore's answer to fast and cheap food in the days before McDonald's and are still the best way to sample every kind of Singaporean cuisine. Awaiting in Lau Pa Sat is another dear friend of mine, Emman. It was so good seeing them both. I just miss the "gayness" of those two prime movers of PICPA-TMC. Emman and Romy introduced us to delicious and not so hot Singaporean food. There was a "chicharon" squid, kangkong, sting ray. We were all so stuffed. We could hardly stand up. At Lau Pa Sat also, I saw a man selling tissues. Romy told me that there are no beggars in Singapore. Instead of them begging, they sell small stuff like tissues. And anyone who does small business should ask for a permit. Even those blind people performing on sidewalks soliciting money from passersby are required to have a permit. Singapore is indeed a very strict and disciplined country. I wonder if we can impose such kind of rules in the Philippines. Hmmm...

After a hearty dinner, we were off to Merlion Park. Anyone who goes to Singapore should have his/her picture taken with this creature, the Merlion - half fish, half lion. The statue fronting Marina Bay measures 8.6 metres high and weighs 70 tonnes. It spews out water on to the Singapore River. We also took pictures with a background of the Fullerton Hotel and the Esplanade Theaters. The theaters remind me of the Sydney Opera House. Why? Both have unique architecture. Our tourist guides in the Hippo Bus, tell us they look like the durian fruit or the microphone. However they look, they are just simply stunning at night.

With tired legs and feet, before the MRT shuts off its operations for the day, we walkd to the nearest MRT station (I think it was Raffles MRT). We stopped at Outram Park station, and that's where all the running happened.

Finally, we're back at our beds and ready to take our deserved rest. We'd have to be up early again tomorrow. Tomorrow, we're going to Emman and Romy's place. Then they'll take us to Sentosa.:)

Day 3 soon...

Uniquely Singapore (part 2)

So day 2! Day 2's itinerary was Science Center, Snow City, Jurong Birdpark, then Sim Lim Square (supposedly Sentosa, but we were just so tired & we wanted to conquer Sentosa w/ energy). This is our first day on our own. With the map, my knowledge (gained from Internet research), and our inquisitive attitude, and yes with a dose of adventure spirit, we went to those places we wanted to go to. Mind you, it was also our first time to use their MRT and buses. First, we asked our host. She was kind of enough to direct us to the nearest and most convenient MRT station and from there, it was all on our own. At the Outram Park MRT station, we were saying, "Let's watch how these people purchase cards for their ride." So that's what we exactly did. It was easy! And it's not like how we do it in the Manila (not exactly convenient). Gosh, we're so laid-back!

First stop was the Science Center. Well, this was just our gateway to Snow City. At the center, we just took pictures of whatever took our fancy. Then we got to Snow City!!! Super excited about playing in the snow. Yes we had so much fun. Too bad we didn't get a pic of us in the snow. :( The photographer went out for a while and didn't get back very soon. Anyway, it was soooo fun! Next stop was Jurong Birdpark. But we had lunch first before heading to Jurong. Full. full. And we're ready to conquer the birds! Jurong Birdpark's entrance fee was pegged at SGD22 (including the tram ride). Our first stop was the hornbills and toucans area, then near to that is the lory loft where we got a chance to feed the lories! Oh, I should mention, there were a lot of swans and flamingoes at the park. My first time to see them! What a pretty sight. Then they also had a man-made waterfalls at the forest with fake forest mist. This was the Waterfalls Aviary. It was like walking through the Amazon jungle (I think that's what the signage said) We concluded with the Birds of Prey Show where big birds were swooping above our heads. We then went to their souvenir shops and bought very few items. They were expensively priced! So we got just a few. And...we're going back to the city...Day 2 night time - next post. See yah!

Uniquely Singapore

Uniquely Singapore. Is it? I think so. But I say, Cleanly Singapore. The small nation of Singapore is very very clean. You don't see litters. You don't see smoke-belching vehicles (ooops, I did see one!But only one!).

My sister Christine, my friend Elma and his brother Joedan and I went on a short 3-day trip to Singapore for some fun and excitement. We weren't there to relax, you know. And I tell you, it wasn't a bit relaxing at all. It makes my legs ache when I remember all the walking and running we made. Yes, there was running at the Outram Park MRT Station. Because we thought the station was going to close its doors after the last trip, we raced to the exit. Unfortunately, we got lost. And we were like going up and down the escalators searching for the exit. Finally, we got out. And later we learned that all MRT stations don't really close their doors. Haha. It was a good laugh.

We did a lot of walking. It wasn't like in the Philippines where there are "trisikads" and tricycles for short distances. So we had no choice but to walk.

We flew in with Cebu Pacific (with their very cheap rates) on July 11, 8pm Flight No. 5J547. The trip was a first for us. It was our first travel outside the country. It was everyone's (except me) first plane ride. You can just imagine the excitement we felt. The plane ride was a bit "bumpy". We experienced some turbulence. I guess that was normal for frequent travellers, but I don't think it was! We arrived at around 12 midnight. My friend, Romy (also a Pinoy) who is based in Singapore, fetched us at the Budget Terminal of Changi Airport. We always joked about the Budget Terminal. Obviously, we flew with a budget airline. The terminal services low-cost carriers, Cebu Pacific and Tiger Airways. But even if it's termed Budget Terminal you wouldn't think it is "cheap" at all.

Romy was so kind enough to bring us to our hostel, A Traveller's Rest-Stop, which is also catering to budget travellers. But the place is generally clean, and cozy. The hosts were very accomodating and hospitable. They had a lot of brochures. They have travel books too. We stayed in their 4-bed private dorm which had a little bathroom. It was airconditioned. There were lockers. It was good for budget travellers like us. But, I tell you, there are still much cheaper hostels in Singapore. Just book early. The hostel was in the Chinatown district. So you could see a lot of Chinese here. The buildings are also of Chinese architecture.

Romy got us a pepper crab. Ahh, lots of pepper really. I've never tasted anything with that much pepper. Singapore also has the chili crab, their so-called national food. But Romy tells us that it's too hot that you couldn't taste the crab anymore. Actually, tourist can get one free chili crab from participating restuarants. We weren't able to get one though. With such limited time, it wasn't a priority.

On our first day in Singapore, we took the Hippo Tours. It was an open-top touring bus doing a hop-on hop-off touring system. They have 32 bus stops.The one-day tour is for SGD23. It was an easy way to get around the city. On the way to the bus stop, we did some street shopping. We bought souvenir items mostly. We hopped on in Chinatown and hopped off at Suntec City, went inside the convention center and then went around Marina Square. We hopped on again at past 12noon. We hopped off at the Singapore Botanic Gardens which spread over 52 hectares. Wow! It was so large. We spent a great deal of time there. Inside the Botanic gardens is the National Orchid Garden, home to 20,000 orchids. I've never seen so much orchids in my life. I even saw Pres. GMA's name there. An orchid was named after her, I think. But we didn't get to see the orchid, only a pic of the orchid.
It just felt so refreshing and relaxing inside the Gardens. You can breathe fresh air. I love the smell of the Gardens. (Okay, this is a relaxing one.)

After the Gardens, we continued the bus tour. Then we head off to Orchard where we had our PHP exchanged for SGD. Then we had dinner at a food court in Isetan Mall named Food Rebublic. We had our taste of a Singapore dish. They were right after all. Much of the food in Singapore are hot. Yet I was sooo full with the food I ate. It was delicious, not to mention. Food in Singapore is relatively expensive. Well, everything is relatively expensive except for electronics! In Singapore, the cheapest meal (food only)you can find is almost SGD2.00. And that's like Php60.00! Here in the Phils., you can get a P20.00 meal which is less than a dollar. Can you beat that?! Besides, their McDonalds are more expensive. But then again, they say that food is cheap in Singapore. (but cheaper in the Philippines!) The cost of living in Singapore is really high but then the price you pay is worth it. No pollution. Crime-free. Good transportation system.

After having dinner, we went to the Night Safari. We took their express bus for SGD8, two-way trip. We had much fun there also. We saw animals which we only got to see in pictures. The tram ride was scary. The animals weren't caged! There was the lion, the tiger, the leopard. What if they jumped at you!!! Flash photography wasn't allowed. And we didn't dare took a pic of these animals or else they come right at us. I suggest that a good camera that can do without flash or a videocam that's got to be high-tech too should be carried. We got to our hostel at 12midnight, tired yet happy.

The second day. Snow City and Jurong Birdpark were our destinations because the two are near to each other. We had so much fun in Snow City. It was our first time to experience a very low temperature. It was just sooo cold. And we were like, "Is it really this cold in snow? I doubt I can take it." But it was fun to do the snow tubing.

After Snow City, we went to Jurong Birdpark...I'm tired of typing already. So I'll just continue next time. Watch out for more of Day 2, and yes Day 3. :)

cable car ride

from mt. faber to sentosa (taking the cable car ride)

singapura

it's our last day in singapore...funny that i'm writing this entry on our last day... i don't have the first day... all i can say is my feet are just too tired right now... i'll write more when i get back home...:D

Of Repentance

I attended the second to the last part of a Christian Life Program (CLP) of Ang Lingkod ng Panginoon. One of the topics was Repentance. It was this topic that touched me most. I had been going through some sort of struggle against my habitual sins and it was so perfect that on that night I was there and found some answers to my questions, a ray hope of this struggle...

Allow me to share this story which I stumbled upon when I was browsing through old e-mails. This is also a story of Repentance.

The Duck & the Devil

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was
given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods;
but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed
back for dinner.

As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he
let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He
was shocked and grieved! In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile;
only to see his sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said
nothing. After lunch the next day Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the
dishes." But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the
kitchen." Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?" So Johnny did the
dishes. Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing
and Grandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper."

Sally just smiled and said, "Well that's all right because Johnny told me
he
wanted to help." She whispered again, "Remember the duck?" So Sally went
fishing and Johnny stayed to help.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's; he finally
couldn't stand it any longer.

He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma
knelt
down, gave him a hug and said,
"Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the
whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering
how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."

Thought for the day and every day thereafter:

Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done... and the devil keeps
throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits,
hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.)... whatever it is... You need to know that
God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing. He has seen
your whole life. He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are
forgiven.

He's just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you.

The great thing about God is that when you ask for
forgiveness, He not only forgives you, but He forgets. It is by God's grace
and mercy that we are saved.

Go ahead and make the difference in someone's life
today. Share this with a friend and always remember:

God is at the window!

When Jesus died on the cross; he was thinking of you!

Masters

My weekend was so busy. Whole Saturday and Sunday inside the classroom, listening to professors for the bridging course... But it wasn't a waste of time. I learned a lot - from the measures of central tendencies to the law of supply and demand... Statistics and Economics aren't boring after all. I guess now I am able to appreciate these subjects as I have come to realize their business application. :)
School is going to start next week. I haven't enrolled yet, but hope to be enrolled next week. I still lack some requirements. And I still have to withdraw money from my savings account. Hay naku! Cge na lang investment man pud ni. I just hope I could get a part-time job to support my Masters. I hope I get accepted into that teaching job. :)

I passed!

Yipee! Thank you, God! Phew! A sigh of relief. After a week of waiting for the results of the GMAT (the test required for those who wish to study Masters in Management in the University of the Philippines), finally I got the good news last Tuesday that I passed. I thought I didn't because I got the news a bit late. I knew someone who passed and that she was informed earlier than me. So it dampened my spirits when I didn't get the call. But 2 days later, I got a text message! I was so happy!

Thank you, Lord for letting me pass the test. Let this MM degree pave the way for my dreams. :)

Basic Cell Phone Acronyms You Need to Know

Basic Cell Phone Acronyms You Need to Know
Dory Devlin Christopher Null Robin Raskin Gina Hughes Ben Patterson Becky Worley
Wed May 2, 2007 12:25PM EDT


Confused by the alphabet soup of cell phone acronyms? I don't blame you. Here's a cheat sheet that'll help you navigate the waters while your shopping for your next phone—or trying to get the most out of the handset you've got.

Most of the confusion arises when it comes to the various types of cell phone networks. For example, when I ask my aunts and uncles which networks their phones work on, they'll usually tell me their carrier instead of whether they're using GSM or CDMA—and frankly, before I started writing about cell phones for a living, I didn't know the difference, either. So first, let's start with a quick overview of the two main standard for cell networks:


GSM: Short for Global System for Mobile Communications, GSM is the most widespread standard for cell phones networks in the world. If you're a jetsetter who likes keeping in touch during your far-flung travels, you should go with a GSM-enabled phone, and here in the U.S., AT&T and T-Mobile are both GSM carriers. Besides the technical differences between CDMA and GSM networks (I'll spare you the details), the main distinction of a GSM phone is that it comes with a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card—a little plastic chip that, as its name implies, identifies your phone on the GSM network. If you take the SIM card out of your GSM phone and put it into another GSM handset, you'll be able to place and receive calls on the second phone using your own cell phone number. GSM phones are also capable of handling six-way conference calls.
CDMA: Short for Code Division Multiple Access, CDMA networks are much more prevalent in the U.S. than they are abroad, and while CDMA boasts many of the same features as GSM networks (including caller ID, call waiting, and text messaging), there are some key differences—namely, CDMA phones don't use SIM cards. Instead, your phone's identity and number are programmed into the handset by your carrier, and you can't easily switch numbers on CDMA phones as you can with SIM-equipped GSM phones. Also, CDMA phones can only handle three-way conference calls, versus six-way calls on GSM networks. Major CDMA carriers in the U.S. include Sprint, Verizon Wireless, and regional operator Alltel.

OK, so you've got your two main flavors of networks, but now I'm going to stir another variable into the mix: 3G. Here's the deal: GSM and CDMA are both considered second-generation, or 2G, networks (the first generation being AMPS, an analog network used mainly back in the 1980s). Unlike the old voice-only AMPS networks, digital GSM and CDMA networks can handle both voice and data calls, which means you can send text messages, surf the Web and get caller ID info. But data flows slowly over GSM and CDMA—think dial-up, only slower. Streaming video and music? Forget it.

That's where 3G, or third-generation networks, come in. These so-called 3G systems allow data to flow at speeds you'd expect from a home DSL modem or better—and at those speeds, you get features like streaming video and full-track music downloads. The main types of 3G networks include:


EV-DO: An add-on for CDMA networks, EV-DO (or Evolution-Data Optimized) delivers data speeds between 144Kbps to 2Mbps to CDMA cell phones, perfect for streaming video and music. Sprint offers EV-DO access through its Power Vision phones (which are typically a little pricier than standard models); on Verizon Wireless, look for the "V Cast" label.
UMTS and HSDPA: Both UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) and HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) are upgrades to GSM networks, and like EV-DO, they provide DSL and cable-like data speed. The only difference between UMTS and HSDPA (besides the technical nitty-gritty, of course) is that HSDPA is even faster than UMTS; for that reason, HSDPA networks are often called 3.5G rather than just 3G. In the U.S., only AT&T offers UMTS and HSDPA networks. (T-Mobile is busy working on its own HSDPA network, which should begin going online by the end of the year.)

Somewhere between 3G and 2G lies, naturally enough, 2.5G networks, which give you data speeds that are slightly faster than dial-up—no good for streaming video, but fine for messaging or mobile Web browsing. These networks include:


1xRTT: A variant of the CDMA standard, 1xRTT (or "1 times Radio Transmission Technology") gives you data speeds between 30Kbps and 90Kbps, a bit better than your typical 56Kbps dial-up modem. Most of the non-3G phones on Sprint and Verizon have 1xRTT capabilities.
GPRS and EDGE: The 2.5G flavors of GSM networks, GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) and EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) also give you data in the 30Kbps to 90Kbps range, with EDGE running slightly faster than GPRS. Again, most of the non-3G phones on AT&T offer either GPRS or EDGE, while T-Mobile—which has yet to launch a 3G network—only does GPRS and EDGE.

Whew! That's a lot of terminology, I know—and believe it or not, I've barely scratched the surface. I'll tackle more wireless acronyms in future posts; in the meantime, if you're curious about the technical details of the various cell networks, I'd suggest combing through Wikipedia, or check out Phonescoop's exhaustive glossary.

Photo shoot on election day!

What a way to spend time after voting. It's a very hot day. phew... so, brother, get that cam and start shooting in my new 'do. :D

Economic Model explained with Cows - 2007

SOCIALISM

You have 2 cows.
You give one to your neighbor and milk out the cow which you gave away.

COMMUNISM

You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and gives you some milk.

FASCISM

You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and sells you some milk.

NAZISM

You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and shoots you.

BUREAUCRATISM

You have 2 cows.
The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the milk away...

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM

You have two cows.
You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
You sell them and retire on the income.

SURREALISM

You have two giraffes.
The government requires you to take harmonica lessons

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION

You have two cows.
You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
Later, you hire a consultant to analyze why the cow has dropped dead.

ENRON VENTURE CAPITALISM

You have two cows.
You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows. Then milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island Company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company. The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more. You sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States , leaving you with nine cows. No balance sheet provided with the release. The public then buys your bull.

THE ANDERSEN MODEL

You have two cows.
You shred them.

A FRENCH CORPORATION

You have two cows.
You go on strike, organize a riot, and block the roads, because you want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION

You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
You then create a clever cow cartoon image called 'Cowkimon' and market it worldwide.

A GERMAN CORPORATION

You have two cows.
You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION

You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.
You decide to have lunch.

A RUSSIAN CORPORATION

You have two cows.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
You count them again and learn you have 2 cows.
You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.

A SWISS CORPORATION

You have 5000 cows. None of them belong to you.
You charge the owners for storing them.

A CHINESE CORPORATION

You have two cows.
You have 300 people milking them.
You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity.
You arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.

AN INDIAN CORPORATION

You have two cows.
You worship them.

A BRITISH CORPORATION

You have two cows.
Both are mad.

AN IRAQI CORPORATION

Everyone thinks you have lots of cows.
You tell them that you have none.
No-one believes you, so they bomb the **** out of you and invade your country.
You still have no cows, but at least now you are part of a Democracy....

A NEW ZEALAND CORPORATION

You have two cows.
The one on the left looks very attractive.

AN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION

You have two cows.
Business seems pretty good.
You close the office and go for a few beers to celebrate.

Prison Break

I just couldn't find anything to write about... I'm just too lazy right now thinking what to write... But these days, I've been doing a marathon of the Fox tv series - Prison Break. Officemates have been saying so much of the show. It's clever, intelligent and keeps you glued to your seat. Plus, Michael Scofield is a hottie.
Finally, I got myself the time and energy to watch Prison Break. Now I know why it's a hit. And yes, I agree, Scofield is sexy. :D hehe... I like smart guys, y' know. The silent types, the thinker, those with a soft heart...hehe... And I just realized that there were so many girls who are into those kind also.
We have the Season 2 DVD sitting at home. So I just had to get Season 1, which I got at the DVD rental at our baranggay. I'm done with Season 1 now, almost done with Season 2. :)

Here's the show's summary taken from their website:

Convinced that his wayward brother LINCOLN BURROWS (Dominic Purcell) was wrongly convicted of the sensational murder of the Vice President’s brother, which landed him on Fox River State Penitentiary’s death row, a desperate MICHAEL SCOFIELD (Wentworth Miller) attempted a daring bank robbery in order to get himself incarcerated in Fox River with Lincoln. Michael, an engineer with access to the prison’s structural design, then masterminded an elaborate plan to free Lincoln by pulling off the ultimate PRISON BREAK.

Aided by an intricate tattoo of the prison’s blueprints covering his upper body, Michael aligned himself with his lovelorn cellmate FERNANDO SUCRE (Amaury Nolasco), former mob boss JOHN ABRUZZI (Peter Stormare), homicidal pedophile “T-BAG” (Robert Knepper), the well-connected “C-NOTE” (Rockmond Dunbar) and CHARLES WESTMORELAND (Muse Watson), a man Michael believed to be the infamous skyjacker D.B. Cooper. On the outside, Michael’s only ally was his defense attorney and Lincoln’s former girlfriend VERONICA DONOVAN (Robin Tunney), who protected Lincoln’s targeted son LJ (Marshall Allman). Veronica’s quest for the truth led straight to the White House, Secret Service Agent PAUL KELLERMAN (Paul Adelstein) and the power-hungry Vice President, CAROLINE REYNOLDS (Patricia Wettig), whose brother, in secret, is very much alive.

Overcoming many setbacks, the brothers and six other inmates ultimately escaped from Fox River. The prison break had its consequences, however – Michael was forced to betray his father figure, Warden HENRY POPE (Stacy Keach); prison doctor SARA TANCREDI (Sarah Wayne Callies), who was instrumental in the escape plan and had romantic feelings for Michael, relapsed with drugs and overdosed; and Westmoreland died of injuries sustained in the escape, but not before revealing that he was indeed D.B. Cooper – and providing a clue to where he had hidden over $5 million in cash.

Outside the prison walls, the escape truly begins as the convicts race for their lives – and the hidden cash –while trying to avoid capture by the authorities. The pursuers are led by vengeful prison guard Captain BRAD BELLICK (Wade Williams), who, driven by a personal vendetta, will stop at nothing until the escapees are captured or killed.

PRISON BREAK is executive-produced by Brett Ratner (“X Men: The Last Stand,” “Rush Hour”), Paul Scheuring, Matt Olmstead, Kevin Hooks, Marty Adelstein, Dawn Parouse and Neal Moritz

Sa Kambas ng Lipunan

Unity in Diversity

It's holy week. And today is Black Saturday. I'm spending my Saturday here at home. I watched Hotel Rwanda. I was moved. It was very touching. And it made me realize that sometimes, these people you trust and look up to won't be there for you especially in very very bad times. In that movie, I was disgusted by the selfishness of the powerful West - the Americans, the French, the Europeans. There, I realized that these rich nations, some of them, don't care much about the rest of the world especially on some countries in Africa or Asia. Tsk... I am totally disheartened. I hope that today this kind of attitude will be eradicated. And these rich whites will realize that they have a responsibility to the world. With great power comes great responsibility. On the other hand, I am also happy that there are a few Americans, Europeans who have shown such tremendous generosity and love for the poor nations.

Let us not look into the color, the language, the race for us to reach out a hand. We are in one world. We are citizens of this world. We are brothers and sisters. :)

To the very few readers in my blog, if you want to make a difference in this world, if you want to help my country, the Philippines, I want you to try to look into this site http://www.gawadkalinga.org/. This organization has done so much to help my fellow brothers and sisters in the Philippines. This org has given hope and dignity to the Filipinos. Please share Gawad Kalinga to your friends.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart! :)

arguments, initiatives, whatever...

Today, I had this little clash with my SV. There was a bit of disagreement. I wanted this and she wanted that. I tried to reasoned out but my reasons were not heeded. She instead took it as "I am not following instructions." She raised her voice and told me that if I don't want to do as what was told by the superiors (not including her) then I might as well talk to the superiors myself. What I didn't like was the fact that she raised her voice, and made it appear like I don't have any right to say anything at all. She constantly speaks about taking initiatives, yet here I am trying to initiate something, and her not even trying to understand my side. What I don't understand is that there's this another suggestion of the superiors that she's not taking because it is impossible, and here is another thing that she's taking which to me is not practical but she insists on it because the superiors say so. I don't really understand her...Or she just doesn't want to be defeated...

I rarely take a stand on things I believe in. I rarely stand up for something that I feel is right. And when I try to make a stand, or when I try to make a point, it's taken against me.

Well, naturally, I am not "maldita" and I don't like so much arguments, and when I felt that if I insisted, my SV still wouldn't acquiesce so I decided to just keep quiet and follow her instructions. Para matapos na ang lahat. And she could keep her mouth shut! She then proceeded with a lecture on initiative, on trying to learn a lot of things out of our stay in the company, to make the most out of the opportunities... Of course, I do agree at this point. Well, she has always been saying this. And for some reasons, these "lectures" do strike into my heart. I know very well that sometimes I have not been very productive, or that I have not made any initiative at all. My colleagues would tell me that no matter how many suggestions you have, they still don't matter. Rarely are they recognized at all.
Sometimes, I'd think I have become lazy in this company. And it makes me ask, "Is it me, or is it because of my lazy officemates? Am I affected by the boredom and frustrations they have felt? Why can't I seem to excel here?" I have a lot of questions, some with answers and some none. I still continue to ponder what's the best thing I can do while working in this company. I have been thinking that maybe it's time to move on...

Bo Sanchez Talks about Desires

So finally i have a ticket... lions city!

It's so cheap! Cebu Pacific is offering P1.00 fare for all its domestic and international flights. But one has to book between March 1-8 and travel between June to December. Wow! It's so cheap!
So without much hesitation, I booked last night a trip for two Cebu-Singapore and vice versa. I'll be travelling with my sister on July 12-15 this year. Finally, a tatak sa passport! hehe... Elma is going also with us... Now this is fun. I can't wait! :)

Speech Contest

Yesterday, it was Area 21's turn to hold the speech contest. I competed in the Speech to Evaluate category. This was the only category that needed not much preparation and one of the two w/o contestants (the other one is International Speech. Unfortunately, the orig contestant had important matters to attend to on the contest date and backed out w/ such short notice). Naturally, as the president of the club, when your members won't compete, you have to compete. Para lang naay representative sa club. tsk. Anyway, I lost... hehe... But it didn't hurt much really. I didn't expect to win. Although I lost, I learned much from it. I learned I was better off at prepared speeches. If I could have competed in the International category, I could have won! hehehe... Seriously, I won last year, you know, and this year's contestants weren't really that good to match my talent. Honest! Anyway, everything's done. The winners have been declared and I am not one of them. But I am happy and contented as the loser but certainly not a quitter. There'll be lots of contest ahead of me and they are just waiting for me join. :)

Happy Valentine's Day

February 14. Valentine's na pud. Like the years before, like the past year's Valentine's day, today is just the same. No date. No flowers. No chocolates. No love life. No special guy in my life.... hehe...

I went to work, not very early today. I had wanted to get to work as early as 830am but I got in around 8:40am. Not bad though. I had a meeting with the The Gustavian owner at 10am so I had to be early to work so I can have some time for the budget preparation. So at around quarter to 10am, I went out of the office and met with Rowena and went to The Gustavian. It's situated at the corner of the road going to Ma. Luisa. It's an uppity restuarant, obviously European as the name suggests. It's owners are Europeans also. It just opened around December 2006 so it's still a bit new. We met with a guy named James, a co-owner, and he was kind although he had some air. Is it typical of Europeans? It seems. Or maybe, it's just the cultural differences that made me think he was a bit haughty. Anyway, he was accomodating and he even explained to us about the restaurant's name The Gustavian. It was good talking to him and we were successful because they have decided to sponsor our winning couple's dinner date! (Thankfully, we don't have to take money from funds raised on the matchmaking activity tomorrow.)

After work, I went to SM to buy some stuffs for our Valentine's meeting in Toastmasters. And bought some Brownies Unlimited for my family. :) Ang daming tao sa SM... super! and there were flowers everywhere! People were buying stuffs for their loved ones.

Today also I got my passport!!! Yipee!!! I have achieved one goal in my New Year's resolution list! So I now have to plan my trips abroad! hahaha...

Yesterday, on the bisperas of Valentine's Day, Chai and I attended a gathering of the Lingkod ng Panginoon. A friend invited us to it. Wala naman kaming commitment ni Chai yesterday and we were up for something fun and meeting new people, kay go-go kami! Yes, we had fun. And we got something also - flower/chocolates, and marshmallows. It was fun. Some faces were familiar. There's a guy I met at a TM meeting and another guy who I thought was gay and whom I met at an audit seminar. Di lagi kaayo cya gay didto. hehehe... There's also this higschoolmate pero I think she didn't remember me. But all in all, it was fun and it was nice meeting people who love Christ more than anything else. :)

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! May God remain in your hearts forever!

Friday night ( Apocalypto, Foot Spa, and South Korea)

It's 1:55AM as registered on the PC's clock. Pretty late already. I was watching Apocalypto (a pirated DVD borrowed by my younger sister). Like what the news had said, it was brutal in the same fashion as Passion of Christ and Braveheart. Watching the movie got me back into my high school days when we studied world history especially on the topic of Mayan civilization. Now, I want to read again about that part of history. I like this film since it had a cast of unknown actors and that it was using a foreign language - Yukatek Maya language. Maybe because I am a frustrated actress, I like the idea of unknown actors getting into known and big-budgeted films. :) Somehow, it made me think that maybe I have a chance of getting on the big screen...even if I would just play the role of an ugly abused woman (dinaog-daog).
Actually, what made me stay up late wasn't just Apocalypto. It was also because of MMK's episode tonight which was shot in South Korea. It had Rica Peralejo and Zanjoe Marudo playing lead roles. It had an okay story but didn't really made it through my heart and soul. My anticipation came from the fact that it was shot outside the country, in South Korea where it was snowing. Wala naman tayo snow dito kaya exciting to be seeing Rica and Zanjoe having fun in the snow. I wished that someday I'll also be able to experience the so-called snow.

Another milestone in my life happened tonight as I had my first foot spa. hahaha...jologs!
Together with Mira, I went to Angel's Salon and had my feet pampered. So I had all the dead skin cells on the sole of my feet removed. It felt like I had a baby's feet right after the foot spa. Pero ngayon feeling ko, baga na kaayo ang kubal! LOL!

It's indeed one Friday evening I can't forget... :D All the running the Mayans did in Apocalypto gave me the thought, "I bet they needed a foot spa after the shoot."

hearts' day

Hay naku! hapit na pud valentine's day... and firing squad na pud... hehehe...
No dates... still no love life... but really i don't care much... (oh?) okay, okay, i do. and it bothers me at times, why i haven't still had a "real" boyfriend...pero okay lang. Sabi nga ni Bo Sanchez, while at this stage, I just have to concentrate on making the most out of my life, making myself better, improving myself. :-) kaya this year, if i don't get accepted at the Manila job I applied, I'll take up Masters in Management at UP. Sana, sana matuloy!
Oh yes, it's hearts day after all. Hearts = passion... And this year, starting the month of hearts, I am going to explore my inner passions...;)

Pit Senyor!

January is one of the best months for Cebuanos. Why? Of course, it's Sinulog. It's this annual festival in honor of the Sr. Sto. Niño...
This year, I was, for the second time in my life, able to witness the fluvial procession. But the second time is sweeter... coz I was with my family, and I have pictures to prove it! :)
I took part in the solemn procession too. The route was just short, unlike in the previous years.
On Sunday, on the mardi gras day, I was out on the streets. But I wasn't watching the Sinulog dancers. And since all streets were practically blocked from vehicle entry, I was walking from South Bus Terminal to Jolibee-USC where I had to meet a friend who I was suppose to go with to Ayala. Unfortunately, I got there so late that cguro nainip, he left and went to somewhere else. So that left me going to Ayala alone. And how was I going to get to Ayala?! All roads blocked! No jeepney ride! Well yeah, there's the taxi. And so I took a taxi, from Sanciangko to Ayala via V.Rama, Capitol, Escario. Long ride, eh? Yep, and I paid P145.00 for that. Consider the traffic. It was bumper-to-bumper. Good thing the cab driver was mabait and talkative. So di na ako nainip... hehe...
So I got to Ayala, thankfully. Ayala was teeming with people, lots and lots of people. There's a P1M-worth of firework display, and that explains the huge crowd.
Elma and I decided not to watch the fireworks, and we wanted also to get away from this throng of people (we vowed never ever to laag on Sinulog!), so we opted to watch Agent X44. Funny movie! Got ourselves laughing hard at Vhong and Pokwang's antics!
Anyway, here are pics, and those pics with the dancers - they're taken by my sis nga laagan. She had to take those pics for my bro's Photography assignment.

Haaay...

Haaay... Finaly , I am abe to log in to blogger. Still, I couldn't upoad my pics... :(

Nothing much has been happening noteworthy of blogging... hehehe...
Maybe just too tired...

Tonight, I saw my high school friends again... It was good seeing them. And as usual, everyone was talking, catching up on each other's lives.
It was just a bit sad that it had to happen at the wake of our friend Dee's lola.
But then again, we are all happy to see each other and learn that Dj is really getting married this year and that Rose will be going to the US soon to try her luck in teaching and to be with her boyfriend.
And then I learn too that Dee and I are still very much single... still as unattached and loveless; Kaira has joined the trade too. She just broke up with her "mature" boyfriend. I wish Grace was there. We'd all like to know how she's doing. :) I wish Stephanie was there too and it would feel just like old times.
We went home with a promise. A promise to get together again. If Rose hadn't brought up her desire to experience getting drunk, the next meeting would proabably be next year or the next next year. Well, we decided to give Rose her first experince on February 2007. Yes, next month!
Good thing that Dj's bf is on "cruise" so she can be as free as she wants to.

I can't wait seeing you guys again. February 24. It's a date!

My Lola's Bday

My grandma(lola) celebrated her 82nd birthday last January 10. It was a simple b-day celebration with simple food. My Uncle Rito was here and that made it even more meaningful. He brought the famous Pastel from CDO, pineapples from Del Monte, and peaniato (I'm not sure if I had spelled this correctly).
It was a fun night. Lots of food and laughter.

My New Year's Resolution

On New Year's Eve, I made my ritual. I made my New Year's resolution list. When I looked at my list last year, I was not very happy. Disappointed, yes. I wasn't able to achieve the things I need to achieve. So this 2007, I am going to make things happen. (I'm crossing my fingers!)

1. SAVE! Mag-impok sa bangko. I am targeting a Php30k savings at the end of the end year. Pretty good. Not much money but it's still something.

2. Lessen the use of credit cards. Use them only for emergencies or use them to pay for things that need to be paid by credit cards. At the end of the year, my credit card debt should go down to P1k (maximum).

3. A passport by February 2007. Must have!!! How can I travel, when I don't have a passport?!

4. Learn something new. :)

5. Attend mass more than once a week. Sunday mass is a must. (The 1st week of 2007 went by and I already broke this one.)

6. Give much. Expect little. (This is actually my life motto. This was part of my New Year's resolution for 2005 and I guess it works when I write this down.)

7. A President's Distinguished Club Award for my PICPA-Toastmasters Club!!! I have to work extra hard for this one.

8. Eat more fruits.

9. A trip outside Cebu or outside the Philippines. (I should have the passport first so I can go to Singapore, or Bangkok.)

10. Meet more people. Gain new friends. (Friends through my blogs are counted. Yes, KJP you are counted.)

11. Pray before and after sleep. This is something I used to do everyday when I was younger. It's something I lost when I got older (oh, i'm not that old...). A little thank you to God for the new day and the day that has gone by would surely please Him.

God bless my New Year's Resolution List.