As long as it matters

Bless the Broken Road

2009-06-03T03:09:00.000-07:00

Bless the Broken Road
by: Carrie Underwood/Rascal Flatts

I set out on a narrow way, many years ago
Hoping I would find true love, along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two, wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign, pointed straight to you
Every long lost dream, led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way, into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
Yes He did
I think about the years I spent, just passin' through
I'd like to have the time I lost, and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand, you've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan, that is comin' true

---------------------------------------------------------

singing it so much for my better half... :)

Great Read: Cashflow Quadrant

2009-05-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

" Why do some people work less, earn more, pay less in taxes, and feel financially secure than others? It is a matter of knowing which quadrant to work from and when. This book is for people who are ready to make significant professional and financial improvement and want to move from the Industrial Age to the Information Age.

This book is about choosing new options, new directions, and a new financial future."

-Robert T. Kiyosaki
Author of Rich Dad Poor Dad and
Rich Dad's Guide to Investing

Yep, this is a good read. And this is a book for my honey to digest. :)

Kwek Kwek

2009-03-02T00:12:00.000-08:00

KWEK KWEK (a.k.a. Tokneneng) - is a commonly known Filipino street food, most likely can be found in streets of Metro Manila. A hard-boiled quail, duck or chicken egg coated with food-colored and flavored flour/cornstarch (that makes the batter) then deep fried until coat is crispy and golden orange. Cholesterol, right! But Oh I love it!

What makes it extra special?

It's when you dip it or soak it in super spicy and salted, and sugared vinegar (yes, with chili bits!) combined with overflowing chopped onion. Mix your own mix. :D This here is my preference. Bicolana as I am, I love it overly spicy! They say it is best bought and eaten on streets. Yep, because the dust, smoke, along with other things that make you say "eeew!" add to its rich flavor. And also, you'll get to use a spoon or fork you don't know if washed after every use. Yay! Perfect! - So I've been there. Hahaha.

And so, being discouraged to indulge on this food from the streets by the people who care, here goes the semi-homemade version, (best served with Coke) :

No. I'm not gonna eat these all by myself!
Hmmm..

For the Love of Disney

2009-02-21T01:35:00.000-08:00

Disney Theme Songs and Others

Long Live My Notebook!

2009-02-16T02:30:00.000-08:00

While almost getting pissed off because I don't know where the hell I kept my passport, I found something else. An old notebook- something I used when I was in 4th year college. Seeing it brings a nostalgia of classroom days. So before I throw this thing away, how about take some pictures? hehehe.

ok so here it goes... back and front. Dirty. It's Fido Dido there... It is just a notebook. and nobody cares but me. This, a pen and few folded pieces of yellow papers in between the notebook's pages are the everyday things i used to bring to school. I don't bring kikay shoulder bags with kikay kits. That is just not me... The yellow papers are for surprise quizzes, exams and the likes. If I run out of stock, I grab from my seatmate. No, I'm not that rude. I will just ask from the kindest seatmate or I just tear some pages from the notebook (it was just fine that way). Inside are poems I wrote (yup, I WAS a poet used to abusing my poetic license), doodles, and anything I wanted to write.

Looking inside, I found the first few pages to have the only thing lesson or subject-related. I remember this was my report on one of our computer subjects. That is why it's there! I have this laid on a table while I was busy talking in front of the class and the professor, hoping they just won't mind me or just let me be. So the report was about Huffman Coding... Duh! who cared?

And here's what really caught my attention - the last pages. School days were over and I still wrote some things there. Written sometime before I traveled to Manila is a list of things I intended to bring with me as I moved to a busier place - to work, earn for a living. (Yay, it's more than 3 years ago and I'm still a corporate slave!) Of course I was able to bring them all with me from Sorsogon to Manila with mom's help, the boxes and the duct tapes. Some things are consumable and of course they're gone by this time. I don't know where my credentials are, my birth certificate, diploma, and about 20 books and magzines. The footwears along with old wardrobes were probably thrown back to bicol or are now in my cousins' or sisters' closet, the guitar broken (I had a new one), cellphone lost, other things may have been thrown. So guess what? Out of the 40+ things I wrote there, the only thing that is with me and that I know where exactly is... is this notebook! 14th on the list. And now I'm throwing it away? Yep... I don't want to put anymore sentimental value on things. These things are making my place cluttered and giving me a big headache!

On second thought, on third rather...

Fine, I'm keeping it. I may need that report on Huffman Coding someday. Damn that sentimental value!

Bato bato sa langit... ang tamaan, huwag magalit!

2009-01-08T22:47:00.000-08:00

This is from a forwarded email of a friend and just because the wordings make sense and somewhat funny... I'm posting it here:

1. "Kung hindi mo mahal ang isang tao, wag ka nang magpakita ng motibo para mahalin ka nya."

2. "Huwag mong bitawan ang bagay na hindi mo kayang makitang hawak ng iba."

3. "Huwag mong hawakan kung alam mong bibitawan mo lang."

4. "Huwag na huwag ka hahawak kapag alam mong may hawak ka na."

5. "Parang elevator lang yan eh, bakit mo pagsisiksikan ung sarili mo kung walang pwesto para sayo? Eh meron naman hagdan, ayaw mo lang pansinin."

6. "Kung maghihintay ka nang lalandi sayo, walang mangyayari sa buhay mo.. Dapat lumandi ka din."

7. "Pag may mahal ka at ayaw sayo, hayaan mo. Malay mo sa mga susunod na araw ayaw mo na din sa kanya, naunahan ka lang."

8. "Hiwalayan na kung di ka na masaya. Walang gamot sa tanga kundi pagkukusa."

9. "Pag hindi ka mahal ng mahal mo wag ka magreklamo. Kasi may mga tao rin na di mo mahal pero mahal ka.. Kaya quits lang."

10. "Kung dalawa ang mahal mo, piliin mo yung pangalawa. Kasi hindi ka naman magmamahal ng iba kung mahal mo talaga yung una."

11. "Hindi porke't madalas mong ka-chat, kausap sa telepono, kasama sa mga lakad o ka-text ng wantusawa eh may gusto sayo at magkakatuluyan kayo. Meron lang talagang mga taong sadyang friendly, sweet, flirt, malandi, pa-fall o paasa."

12. "Huwag magmadali sa babae o lalaki. Tatlo, lima , sampung taon, mag-iiba ang pamantayan mo at maiisip mong hindi pala tamang pumili ng kapareha dahil lang maganda o nakakali*** ito. Totoong mas mahalaga ang kalooban ng tao higit sa anuman. Sa paglipas ng panahon, maging ang mga crush ng bayan nagmumukha ding pandesal, maniwala ka."

13. "Minsan kahit ikaw ang nakaschedule, kailangan mo pa rin maghintay, kasi hindi ikaw ang priority."

14. "Mahirap pumapel sa buhay ng tao. Lalo na kung hindi ikaw yung bida sa script na pinili nya."

15. "Alam mo ba kung gaano kalayo ang pagitan ng dalawang tao pag nagtalikuran na sila? Kailangan mong libutin ang buong mundo para lang makaharap ulit ang taong tinalikuran mo."

16. Mas mabuting mabigo sa paggawa ng isang bagay kesa magtagumpay sa paggawa ng wala.

17. Hindi lahat ng kaya mong intindihin ay katotohan, at hindi lahat ng hindi mo kayang intindihin ay kasinungalingan.

18. "Kung nagmahal ka ng taong di dapat at nasaktan ka, wag mong sisihin ang puso mo. Tumitibok lng yan para mag-supply ng dugo sa katawan mo. Ngayon, kung magaling ka sa anatomy at ang sisisihin mo naman ay ang hypothalamus mo na kumokontrol ng emotions mo, mali ka pa rin! Bakit? Utang na loob! Wag mong isisi sa body organs mo ang mga sama ng loob mo sa buhay! Tandaan mo: magiging masaya ka lang kung matututo kang tanggapin na hindi ang puso, utak, atay o bituka mo ang may kasalanan sa lahat ng nangyari sayo, kundi IKAW mismo!"

19. "Ang pag-ibig parang imburnal...nakakatakot mahulog...at kapag nahulog ka, it's either by accident or talagang tanga ka.."

Well, well.. obviously binabalutan ng katamaran ang blog site na ito.. hehehe.

Few Things Inspirational

2009-01-01T23:20:00.000-08:00

Yeah... At times like this, such words will motivate us. And these babies... grrr.. they're so cute!

"You've failed many times although you don't remember. You fell down the first time you tried to walk. You almost drowned the first time you tried to swim. Don't worry about failure. Worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try."

"There are some things in life that don't go the way you want them to or the way you think they should, but you can't dwell on these because you'll miss out on other opportunities. Don't give up on something just because you don't think things will work, you won't know unless you give it a try. But don't hold onto something that left a long time ago, because sooner or later you'll realize some things just aren't meant to be."

"If you're feeling frightened about what comes next, don't be. Embrace the uncertainty. Allow it to lead you places. Be brave as it challenges you to exercise both your heart and your mind as you create your own path towards happiness, don't waste time with regret. Spin wildly into your next action. Enjoy the present, each moment, as it comes; because you'll never get another one quite like it. And if you should ever look up and find yourself lost, simply take a breath and start over. Retrace your steps and go back to the purest place in your heart... where your hope lives. You'll find your way again.”

"Don't look for the next opportunity. The one you have in your hand is the opportunity. Whatever is on your hands right now, that's the one! Make it the best you possibly can. Give it your best shot! If you want to have what you've never had before, you have to do what you've never done before."

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

myAge = myAge++

2008-12-15T22:57:00.000-08:00

This isn't actually a piece of trash. Just that some of my friends are so kuripot to give me a gift. Hehehe. Got this treasure from my post birthday celebration held at Racks, El Pueblo. Salamat sa mga nandon nung araw na 'yon! And for those who sent greetings, Thank you too!

To Racks: Sorry for the noise we caused.. :D But surely, we loved your baby back ribs! The best!

Who‘s been lazy all this time?

2008-12-09T00:02:00.000-08:00

Hey… Look, blog post preceding this one was months ago! That post promises something called new design. Apparently, I am left with nothing to show, nothing new, nothing sleeker, nothing web 2.0ish. But I’ve got lots made for others! All packed with great UI designs, planned out with prototypes, enhanced with Flex/Flash bling blings and more! Me = zero. Cool. And also, can’t write something worth reading from here. Tsk. Tsk. Twitter? Tell them my life isn’t really that boring!

crayoncup.com - coming soon....

2008-08-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I am trying to motivate myself here. For months, I've been trying to come up with a custom (web)design for my portfolio/blog site. However, my BUSY sked won't allow me to focus on this thing.
(I've been cooking special dishes almost everyday for my fiance, body building ,
working on and maintaining some websites and web apps, studying tech materials, and etc... make that "ETC." - uppercase dude. gets???)

Someday soon, I'll be welcoming you all to www.crayoncup.com.

For now, here's my logo created 4 months ago. Wow... I didn't make any progress since then!

Not bad! Why crayoncup? Hmmm... It's Coming Soon...

Manganized!

2008-08-21T06:51:00.000-07:00

I too got a manganized me!

So here's what I got. Honey was actually the first one to pick most of my manga features here. But he was doing it under a Linux/Ubuntu OS, by which after the last step of the process, something told him that it wasn't possible to generate it under such OS. Toinks! Anyway, it was just recreated on a Windows platform. That manganized me somehow summarizes me - well, whatever you can think of from there! You know! :D

And here's my honey, manganized too:

He's totally a geek. One sweet geek. :)

Related links:

Face Your Manga - where they were created.
reyjexter.com

When Marriage Becomes Worst for Couples but Funny for Some

2008-08-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

These jokes might have been around long before they reached my inbox (just today). And I just want to share what just made me laugh. I'm sure I would laugh more if I have read them with my sweetie beside me. hehehe.

I. The Husband's Rules

Typical macho man married typical good-looking lady and after the wedding, he laid down the following rules:

"I'll be home when I want, if I want and at what time I want-and I don't expect any hassle from you. I expect a great dinner to be on the table unless I tell you that I won't be home for dinner. I'll go hunting, fishing, boozing and card-playing when I want with my old buddies and don't you give me a hard time about it. Those are my rules. Any comments?"

His new bride said,

"No, that's fine with me. Just understand that there will be sex here at seven o'clock every night .whether you're here or not."

II. Cold as Ever and Stiff At Last

Husband and wife had a bitter quarrel on the day of their 40th wedding anniversary! The husband yells, "When you die, I'm getting you a headstone that reads,

"Here Lies My Wife - Cold As Ever."

"Yeah?" she replies. "When you die, I'm getting you a headstone that reads,

"Here Lies My Husband Stiff At Last."

III. Second Opinion

Husband (a doctor) and his wife are having a fight at the breakfast table. Husband gets up in a rage and says, "And you are no good in bed either," and then storms out of the house. After sometime he realizes he was nasty and decides to make amends and rings her up. She comes to the phone after many rings, and the irritated husband asks, "what took! you so long to answer the phone?"

She says, "I was in bed."

"In bed this early, doing what?"

"Getting a second opinion!"

IV. The Mother of Six and The Father of Four

A man has six children and is very proud of his achievement He is so proud of himself, that he starts calling his wife, "Mother of Six", in spite of her objections. One night, they go to a party. The man decides that it's time to go home and wants to find out if his wife is ready to leave as well. He shouts at the top of his voice, "Shall we go home "Mother of six?"
His wife, irritated by her husband's lack of discretion shouts right back, "Anytime you're ready, Father of Four."

V. The Silent Treatment

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly the man realized that the next day he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it. The next morning the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."

Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.
God may have created man before woman but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece.

Right!

Para sa Bestfriend Ko!

2008-07-10T02:17:00.000-07:00

I thought I have grown so much that i forgot the idea of "bestfriends."
I thought this is just a high school thing. hahaha. maybe it is and tumatanda lang siguro ako paurong. just kidding!

There are too many friendship songs out there. but here's a random pick.
Ito para sa bestfriend ko... correction: sa bestfriendssss ko of all ages, of all sexes, of all mentalities (bwahahaha!):

old school noh!

And this another random pick is for my bestfriend and fiance rolled into one:

When life seems hopeless and you are all alone
And no one is there to dry the tear drops from your eyes
When you can't find a single reason left to try
Baby I will

Tell me the secrets that you've locked away
Confide your deepest fears that haunt you every day
All of the little things nobody else could understand
Baby I will

It's all right
I'll be there
Count on me
Anytime anywhere
I'll show you love
Till the end of my life
When no one else will stand by your side
I will

When all you've counted on comes tumbling down
And there's only emptiness that nothing seems to fill
And when you can't remember how to be strong
Baby I will

When no one else will stand by your side
I will

I'll be standing right by your side
I will

-----------------------------------

(awww... i miss the bestfriend in him...)

Mabuti pa sila...

2008-07-07T01:47:00.000-07:00

Minsan kapag nalulungkot...

Mabuti pa ang mga surot, laging mayrong masisiksikan
Mabuti pa ang bubble gum, laging mayrong didikitan
Mabuti pa ang salamin, laging mayrong tumitingin
Di tulad kong laging walang pumapansin

Mabuti pa ang mga lapis, sinusulatan ang papel
At mas mapalad ang kamatis, maya't maya napipisil
Napakaswerte ng bayong, hawak ng aleng maganda
Di tulad kong lagi na lang nag-iisa

Ano ba'ng wala ako na mayron sila
Di man lang makaisa habang iba'y dala-dalwa
Pigilan n'yo akong magpatiwakal
Mabuti pa ang galunggong nasasabihan ng 'mahal'

Kahit ang suka ay may toyo at ang asin may paminta
Mabuti pa ang lumang dyaryo at yakap-yakap ang isda
Mabuti pa sila, mabuti pa sila
Di tulad kong lagi na lang nag-iisa

Mabuti pa ang simpleng tissue at laging nahahalikan
Mabuti pa ang mga bisyo, umaasang babalikan
Mabuti pa sila, mabuti pa sila
Di tulad kong lagi na lang nag-iisa

Pigilan n'yo akong magpatiwakal
Bakit si Gabby Concepcion lagi na lang kinakasal

Mabuti pa ang mga isnatser, palaging may naghahabol
Ang aking luma na computer, mayron pa ring compatible
Mabuti pa sila, mabuti pa sila
Di tulad kong lagi na lang nag-iisa

-Mabuti pa sila by Gary Granada-

-------------
wag naman sana maging personal theme song ito ng kahit sinong tao dyan...
just reach out... hindi ka nag-iisa!

How do you keep the Music Playing

2008-07-06T22:41:00.000-07:00

Weee.. Wala lang... Nageenjoy lang ako kakapakinig sa mga songs na originally in male or female version but then revived to be the opposite sex's version.

Yung iba awkward and rendition that I was left thinking how did they arrange it to be sung by artists of opposite sex? Surely, they changed "boy" into "girl" sa lyrics, "man" into "woman," and etc. but some may not sound just right or as perfect as the original. Pero in the end, ok pa rin naman. :)

Here are some of my picks (Original vs. Revival):

I. ALWAYS BE MY BABY

We were as one babe
For a moment in time
And it seemed everlasting
That you would always be mine
Now you want to be free
So I'm letting you fly
Cause I know in my heart babe
Our love will never die, no

You'll always be a part of me
I'm a part of you indefinitely
Girl/Boy don't you know you can't escape me
Ooh darling cause you'll always be my baby
And we'll linger on
Time can't erase a feeling this strong
No way you're never gonna shake me

Ooh darling cause you'll always be my baby

I ain't gonna cry no
And I won't beg you to stay
If you're determined to leave girl/boy
I will not stand in your way
But inevitably you'll be back again
Cause ya know in your heart babe
Our love will never end no

I know that you'll be back girl/boy
When your days and your nights get a little bit colder
I know that, you'll be right back
Oh baby believe me it's only a matter of time

(David Cook made it an alternative rock song.)

II. COME WHAT MAY

III. I'D RATHER

IV. IF YOU'RE NOT THE ONE

V. LIGAYA

VI. LOVE STORY (Where do i begin)

VII. YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL

--------

I Hate Globelines!

2008-07-03T02:53:00.000-07:00

Here I go again - ranting!

Forgive me for the angry title. Let me just express how disappointed I am with Globe! Though I am a Globe SIM subscriber and one of those who might get a Globe-networked iPhone as soon as it is available, I am definitely an angry Globe landline and internet connection subscriber.

I called them countless times - for technical, billing, and the basic customer care concerns. None of those calls ever helped.

The problem: Unstable, Intermittent to No Connection for 1 month now! Therefore unusable!

The other problem: Agents are not calling me or informing me about anything when they used to promise me they will within 24 hours after each call to them. Like I said, one month now and I never received a single call or text message. My internet - never fixed!

And another problem: They billed me Php 1552.75 this month! Like I'm gonna pay that for the land line alone?! For just the telephone I use when I call their very good agents who twice told me to pay this amount right away as my bill adjustments will reflect on next billing?!?! Huh! No Way! No help! Fix my connection first or just cut this line! And don't ever reason to me again or remind me of that 1 year contract I signed. It isn't my fault that you got such a very poor service.

I am still hoping this problem will be fixed as I have been hoping that I'll finally get a faster and stable connection. Every minute counts but here I am just getting used to my alternative SmartBro connection which will never get higher than 300kbps. I am really very disappointed with Globe.

Even if I have not paid a single centavo yet on this connection, I have already wasted so much time.

up next: Though the account is under my name, I think it's now my fiance's turn to scold you guys! And you know, he is as much as disappointed but is more ruthless when it comes to things like this.

Poor Globe agents who happen to be shock absorbers... Tsk tsk tsk.

and another up next: If left without a choice, we'll go with PLDT.

PLAYING WITH SMILEYS!

2008-06-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

Too many Smileys? There are more! Grab them from ZaaZu.com

ZaaZu - (a little software, no spyware, no adware, free of download) the thing that lets you insert fun smileys/emoticons on your emails, instant messages, friendster and myspace comments and now to Rich Text Editors anywhere from the web! Like on your blog posts! (Not bad for an advertisement huh!)

Hey... I'm not trying to become an Internet Marketing person here. Hehehe. I'm just testing this new but not yet released ZaaZu version (in other words: under development as of this time).

Looks like it works on blogger!!! Smileys look cool on my blogger template too!

Cooolnesssss!

Hometown Depression

2008-06-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

Don’t get me wrong. I love my hometown (Sorsogon) and I always get excited whenever I get a chance to go there.

Early this week, we scheduled a flight back to hometown, there we were! This time, not for a vacation but for something else special. Sad thing is I still need to do my job on these days I’m out of the big city.

Everything seems fine at first thought. I got an internet connection at our Bicol residence which I need for work, a fresher air and greener environment, everything else that feels homey, and also let’s say… a traffic of tricycles instead of jeepneys,cabs, buses, trucks and all street things in Manila. However, on my Day 3 here, I began to feel disappointed of blackouts that sometimes take more than 5 hours, out of water by 10 pm, RAIN that won’t let me go out of house when I want to, and a storm signal no.3 this Friday. I didn’t expect that. Now, I am afraid the trip back to Manila on Sunday will be canceled… This whole Friday, I didn’t make it for work. The power came back too late that I am no longer motivated to do the day’s work and besides there is another blackout soon. Depressing! Oh my... When I get back to Manila, I’ve got a lot of backlogs to face!

Even so, it’s just work (with a sigh)…

The thing is I spend most of the time working in a busy place. It’s not bad if I enjoy my stay here. It’s my choice. And it's a nice practice to always look at the bright side. Tomorrow is Saturday! Let’s see… 

Goodbye SmartBro, Hello Globe Broadband!

2008-06-11T01:59:00.000-07:00

Sounds like Good News? Nah!

Hi. This is to follow up my request for SmartBro Relocation.

SR# is 213671369.

I called your technical support around 10 am, April 17. I was advised to wait within 24 hours from the time I filed application at Smart wireless center (April 16, around 6 pm) and someone from your office will call me. I waited until this time but nobody called. Please do understand that I requested for immediate relocation as I am going to transfer to a new address tomorrow. I was even willing to pay for an additional amount just to get this request completed very soon. I was informed though that this transaction will be completed in 3-5 days including the pulling out of facilities from current location and then transferring to new location. Right now, all I want is to be informed of everything about SCHEDULE. Please be very attentive to this as I have been inquiring from your wireless centers and also calling your technical support 2 times but I still DON’T get satisfactory answers. In addition, I am using globe-networked cellphone when calling your hotline (02 6727277) and I believe you know how much time customers like me consume on listening to answering machines and WEIRD TUNES over the line while waiting for the real tech person to attend to such concerns and who also puts us ON HOLD MANY TIMES while doing so-called verifications and OTHER THINGS we don't know. I hope you understand how much money is spent on those calls so I was really expecting for someone to call within the said 24-hour timeframe. I am not really complaining on my cellphone expense as I myself have no other means to call your hotline - my bad. I am just hoping you will respond to this need immediately and do as you promised - to call me and inform me about the schedule.

I am sorry if you think everything is being rushed. It is just that I really want this completed soon or 3-5 days as your agents told me. Technically, it will become 2 days already and I am still clueless about your scheduling.

I would appreciate it if you will contact me as soon as you receive this.

My cellphone number is 0927*******.
Reference number: 1010321048

--
Thanks and Best Regards,

KRIS E. HUGO

Found on my email archives. That was one very sweet thing for SmartBro's customer care!

You know what followed? A call of an agent Friday afternoon. He scheduled the transfer the following day - Saturday at MORNING. Convincing! So I took a day off from work and waited for whoever might come. Unfortunately, lunch passed and no one came. So i called the hotline again. An agent told me to wait as someone will really come. After an hour, I called AGAIN, and you know what? There was another agent who informed me that the transfer is being rescheduled tomorrow! What the???? That time, I became really irate. No way i will wait for another day! They were so quick to ask for relocation fee yet so slow to do the service. And I have said a million complaints. duh!

Nevertheless, transfer was maid - Saturday (finished at very late night). Thanks!

After a couple of weeks:

Good Day!

It had been weeks since I have relocated my Smartbro connection. After weeks of observation, I find my connection slow. While running speed tests, I used to get not more than 250Kbps Download, and not more than 150Kbps Upload. Please note that I have paid additional amount to your contractors in the beginning of this contract for them to get me the best speed. They actually heightened the antenna. When it was transferred just last April, I was informed that connection will be a lot better because my location is very near to one of your sites. On the contrary, I am not getting the usual speed that I had before.

Hope you could help as soon as possible.

--
Thanks and Best Regards,

KRIS E. HUGO
Contact no.: +63927*******

And that email dated May 7, 2008 didn't get a reply. :(

I would not want to call their hotline anymore. I took this opportunity to switch to Globe. I applied for a bundle - something that comes with a landline phone and 1.2mbps connection speed.

Now what? I called 3 times already complaining to Globe that my connection speed had never been 1.2mbps, not even close to it, not even 512kbps. I can only run Yahoo Messenger and Skype because browsing is really hopeless. On 3rd call, I learned that Pasig subscribers are really having browsing problems as of this moment. I haven't used Globe connection since it was activated. This is still SmartBro now which is waiting for the contract to expire.

I could say that Globe got better customer service than Smart and the latter has more complaints if you would read from forums and other blogs. PLDT they say is worst of the three.

These ISPs have no idea how important it is for us to have a stable connection. We are paying for it and we just want the service we deserve. Don't blame us for being nasty. We are not asking for a perfect one but at least it should not go very bad like this. Few downtimes might be fine as long as they won't take more than a day and they rarely happen.

At this point, I badly need that 1.2mbps connection speed for some heavy work to get done. But it looks like all I can do is WAIT for these Globe people to get things fixed. WHEN? That is one question even the agents are clueless about - disappointing, right? All they say is "We are trying our best." - and that did not make me feel any better.

Still Waiting... Wow. This is really a big hassle.

Sigh!

Loving Fireworks!!!

2008-06-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

It's the World Pyro Olympics at Mall of Asia! All Eyes on Sky!
(May 24 and 31, 2008)

With the Family Pics here.

:)

I'm Yours by Jason Mraz

2008-05-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

While I am not updated on whatever is happening in the music world, I am really so glad that finally there is now this Jason Mraz's official MV of my favorite - I'm Yours. Superb!

Wow! This song makes me remember a part of my life sometime not more than 2 years ago. There is this unexplainable feeling deep within. I am even wondering why such an attachment. Haha! Well, this is at some point motivating and my liking to this influenced many of my friends. I know lots of them copied my mp3. ahahaha!

Jason Mraz rocks!

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Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you’re free
Look into your heart and you’ll find love love love love
Listen to the music of the moment people dance and sing
We're just one big family
It’s our God-forsaken right to be loved loved loved loved loved

So I won’t hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait I’m sure
There’s no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate, I’m yours

I’ve been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer
My breath fogged up the glass
And so I drew a new face and laughed
I guess what i’m saying is there ain’t no better reason
To rid yourself of vanity and just go with the seasons
It’s what we aim to do
Our name is our virtue

There is No Place Like Home - Like a New Home

2008-05-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hmmm… maybe I am done contemplating about this new home. It was just last month when we transferred and little did we know we will love this one so much. Funny thing is that this new home planning began since August 2007 (that time I got hospitalized due to dengue fever and Rey suspected I got it from the previous apartment where I have lived for 1 year and 4 months – isang rason kung bakit gusto niya lumipat ng bahay). So it really took us about 8 months until we got it here huh.

While the good old home was being filled with things you don’t know if you’re gonna throw or not, while it was really such an annoying everyday task to declutter that around 15-20sqm studio type, and when we realized it is unreasonably really taking us long to finally find a new pad… we then made a firm decision – tama na, sobra na, palitan na, maghanap na!

We have been through different areas of Pasig City, anywhere near Ortigas Centre. We have been reviewing several rent-to-own condo offers and we found nothing good. While they say it is just a 20-minute ride to Ortigas, it actually isn’t. Surely 7600/month sounds very affordable (at first thought) and inviting but careful thinking plus the intelligent and cost-concerned advices of our parents discouraged us from getting one. Well, parents know best. The space of model units which is about 30sqm is not enough too. And Rey does not want to live in a unit inside a tall building and never will want to live where you see the traffic as you look down. Nakakasakal ba. Same here. While San Antonio village looked like the best location, we did not find a good deal. That is even if we had spent two or three but not consecutive days of roaming around. There were no bigger and newer apartments despite high costs and the long distance of what they say “few walks” to office is not a good idea.

Again, we asked for our parents’ help, consulted a BUY & SELL magazine, called every possible advertiser, and then continued to look for the best place for us (for many days and literally under the heavy heat of the summer sun – at nangitim pa ako). It is such a surprise having known that some Titos, Titas, and few familiar Bicolanos do live around Pasig City. Relatives are just around and they too helped us find our home. It wasn’t easy to look for a new place to live. Dugo at pawis! You will be shocked when you realized that you spent so much cash and still di pa pala tapos lahat ng gastusin (e.g. lipat bahay services, deposits, new and necessary homey things, etc.).

There was a house we really liked. So big, so fresh. And it goes with a nice roof deck, wine cellars, 2 bathrooms, 2 big bedrooms, elegant stairs, really spacious living room, a cool kitchen and dining area, and a very nice environment (school, church, laundry shops, recreation spots, stores, police and etc.)! Unfortunately, the day we decided to pay for deposits, we were told that someone else got it the day before. Aargh! Parang gusto namin takutin na may nagbigti dyan sa bahay na yan so pwede naming sulutin the moment na umalis sila. Until now, we feel so sorry and just told ourselves that the house is just not meant for us. Nevertheless, we live now in a place which is at least not so far from what we first liked but then 2k cheaper, a little further from workplace, no roof deck :( , and no stairs (good for Rey because he’s a sleepwalker and stairs are not safe). Good thing is this is big and more than enough to house all our useless rusting things. We find this place a lot safer, peaceful and quiet - opposite to our old apartments in Rotonda, Pasig. We got free plants around which are constantly being watered and a good place for my fiancé where he can grill or do barbeque (that is all he can help when it comes to preparing food. Minsan tutong pa. Hmp!). At dito pwede kami maglaro ng tagu-taguan. Hahaha! Aside from the thought that I have a bigger place to clean everyday at sa kapitbahay na parang may built-in microphone at super loud speaker sa katawan, everything deserves two thumbs up

We just had a Saturday party here with some of our friends. That was to celebrate this new found home, my fiancé’s birthday, and our sweet anniversary. Really great! Right now, my brothers and sisters are having their vacation here. Ayaw na nga yata umuwi sa Sorsogon. They spend each day watching TV, eating my delicious home cooked meals, and mostly playing computer games. Minsan nga kami pa naglalaban laban sa Counter Strike and natatalo pa nila ako. Rey also downloads other noisy shooter games to play with them kaya nagmumukhang Internet Café ang bahay while naiistorbo naman ang mga pinagkakaabalahan ko.

So there it goes. This is what we call home. For now, we are happy to live here. What I mean is in near future we’ll have a better one. Hopefully, yung next, yun na ang dream house ko.. Maybe not here in Manila… but we’ll see. This is just a step – a place to practice good housekeeping. Right?

Dancing Autobots

2008-05-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

I. Optimus Prime and The Evolution of Dance Steps

II. BumbleBee

Counter Strike (and The Stupid Me)

2008-05-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

Not in a good mood today. It feels like I just had few minutes of shut eye and the sound of my alarm at 7:30 AM plus an IM message from Illinois took advantage of my little nap. Wow! This is life so far! What can I do? I couldn’t get myself back to bed. While my work is lighter, I had so much to think about last night. If only I could stop myself from thinking too much… (and feeling too… - someone should be guilty) But just maybe, that’s what I deserve from this cruel world. (Few bottles of beer to get me tipsy might be a solution but I would not want to add inches, not even 1, to this 24-inch thing. lol.)

While it is still early for work, I started the day playing Counter Strike with lots of god-like bots. I thought of waking up my brother Niqo Medd to play a LAN game with me but never mind. I would just let this kid make the most out of summer vacation through long sleeps. Back to the game. What happened to counter strike? What happened to the way I play? Damn! I always get a head shot! This is not the way I played when I was in college. I used to win before. Hehehe. I was thinking that maybe bots are smarter now but I remember that whenever I play with the kids and the kids alike at home, I still find myself with more and really more deaths than kills. Aaargh! It simply means – I became stupid! Not just with CS, but also with others like GTA where I end up busted, wasted, or being chased by stupid cops instead of completing difficult missions without cheats, with Starcraft which I no longer remember how I ever played before and now I couldn't compete with Rey, with Red Alert from which I always see myself losing after being attacked with airships sounding like "Kirov Reporting" and even with my old favorite "Bugs Bunny Lost in Time" which I finished overnight when I was in high school but now I could not finish 2 or 3 levels so i just uninstalled. And I cannot enjoy the NBA Live game because I cannot even learn how to play the game! Maybe right now I will not even complete level 1 of Mario Bros.

What happened to the self-acclaimed and not used to losing gamer like me? Computer games are not for me now and maybe never will be again!

It just adds to the bad mood – fuelled with Linkin’ Park on the playlist.

So that is the way I found myself back to this blog…
Again, just typing out loud.

“Forfeit the game before somebody else takes you out of the frame, puts your name to shame
Cover up your face, you can't run the race , the pace is too fast
You just won't last!”

-Points of Authority, Linkin’ Park-

Watch here: Somebody attempts to beat an amazingly difficult Mario game.

Oh Labor Day!

2008-04-30T21:30:00.001-07:00

While most peeps are enjoying this holiday, Here I am stuck on my job. I could have told the CEO I will take a day off but I am working for a US-based company where its main office isn't anywhere in this country.

At the company I am working with, employees are allowed to take a paid day off for every holiday. Sweet. But I have noticed that since the beginning of this year, I have always been telling my boss (excitedly) that I'm not going to work - yeah, every holiday. Employees from other countries like Russia, US, India, Singapore, and etc. continue their work because they are not blessed with so much holidays in their respective homelands. That is as far as I know or they are just so hardworking that they don't care if it is holiday.

Philippines? Blessed with holidays? Yes, I guess. January 1 is a total non-working holiday. Whoever went to work that whole day is a real hero. Hahaha. I worked that day just very few minutes for some sidelines but they don't count. ok.

More Philippine Holidays after January 1: 22nd Anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, 3 days of the Holy Week, Araw ng Kagitingan (my case: "Araw ng Kagitian"), and I can't remember but I am sure there are some more days other than aforementioned. For each - I have taken a day off, and there were also "unplanned" absences (Hey! I get sick sometimes). So now, I cannot just tell my boss that I'll take a day off again.

It is labor day, so just do the labor because right now everybody does except for those who are in Philippines. Come to think of it - is it (not having much holidays) one of the reasons why some countries are richer?