touring singapore

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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!