Old e-mails

Working from home gives me a lot of time to sort out old files in my computer, and revisit my active email accounts. I used to have 2 excite mail addresses. I remember my very first though, it was an Edsamail account. One of my oldest email addresses is that Yahoo account which I recently reactivated (read: declutter spam folder).  Upon browsing it, I chanced upon the email of dad to me and my sister. He was explaining how hard he was feeling to continue holding on to his relationship with mom. While email does not give emotions when read, I felt the sadness that goes with the whole message. It was a preparation for having a broken family after my anticipated wedding 6 months after the email was sent. I was always the innocent one in the family when it comes to marital issues between mom and dad. And that very day when the email was sent, everything was confirmed. No more hope for a happy, complete family. But at least they tried. It just didn't work out anymore. I'm thankful for my email. It is preserving memories, the good ones, and the not-so-good ones.

Locked Down!

Hey 2020... are we on a roll on unpleasant things? Ending the 3rd month on HOME QUARANTINE. Others call it LOCK DOWN.  Midway through this month, the Philippine government implemented community quarantine for the whole of National Capital Region.  After a week, it was elevated to ENHANCED COMMUNITY QUARANTINE for the entire Luzon. The rest of the country followed. This measure was prompted by the speedy local transmission of the COVID-19 across the country. I just can not understand why people still keep on going into the streets. Government critics emphasize that this situation is brought about by the lack of concrete planning on the part of public officials on how they could deliver the needed assistance to those who have temporary lost their source of income.  Result? People go to the streets to find food for their table! This discussion has been going on in social media so looking at your Facebook news feed has become more stressful than supposedly a stress reliever. Fortunately for us, our barangay officials have been diligent in the fulfillment of their duties notwithstanding the hazard they encounter going house to house just to deliver the "goods" from the government.  We were given a reasonable amount of ration, 325mL alcohol refill, they handed our quarantine pass, and their truck did rounds for disinfection of areas. Thank you. Wifey & I decided to give our food assistance to a household who needed it more than us. I'm thankful because our hearts are in unity when it comes to this matter. God never leaves us with nothing anyway.

One thought that this corona virus has brought to my mind is this: as people all over the world are forced to stay home, there are lesser cars on the street and lesser smoke emissions from factories mean lesser air pollution.  Resorts and other leisure places closed means lesser to no litter at all: in land or in the seas.  Businesses shut means more time for your respective families. mother nature is healing. The skies have turned to a lively blue again, surroundings are astonishingly clean! So, aren't we, humans, the virus of the earth after all?

On a side note, since choir performances are temporarily suspended, I took the golden opportunity to have my hair cut so short again (read: semikal) after 18 years! Feels good, especially now that summer is approaching.

March 2020: while on Enhanced Community Quarantine

September 2002: trip to Alcatraz Island, SFO, CA

'throwbacks' make you happy... and senti.

my little girl is in the hospital again. wifey & i hope that she's going to be discharged already today and get back to our normal routines again. if the doctor can not detect any sickness other than dehydration, then i'm not expecting myself to know the real reason why she's checked-in there. anyway, i left the hospital early to get home and prepare myself to work. i took my car with me on a number coding day so i needed the extra early time to drive off the road. while alone at home waiting for the water to heat up, i chanced upon some photo albums which contained a handful of memories.... most of them happy memories. on facebook, old photos spread all over your friends' respective timelines on a day dubbed as 'throwback thursday.' those who weren't able to post on that day still find a way to share their good old photos the day after which they dub as 'flashback friday.' it then flashed in my mind, don't you just love going back to the good old times? then you ask, "where have the people gone?" like what this thought that was sent to me on SMS years back says, "It's funny that everyday, nothing changes but when you look back, it's all different."

my core family has been apart for years now. all i can do now is just smile at the old photographs that captured the times when my niece and nephew were still with us, when mom and dad were together in numerous occasions, when i was with former colleagues, when friends now far away were just beside you laughing. life then seems lesser complicated. why haven't we cherished even more the times when they were still here?

trip to the golden gate bridge in SFO, year 2002 with mom & dad

dad being so supportive of my kindergarten school performance

posing with mom during my sister's grade school graduation day

end of day reward

i'm currently with my little girl, my sweet reward for a tedious day.

started the morning hurrying up, trying not to be late for my 7AM appointment with Tina. we shall be supervising the taping for the two business establishment owners in Cavite scheduled at 9AM for the show Open House. so i was pacing up my driving just to make it on time, and i did. before we went to the head office to meet the segment producer, i quickly printed some email items and gathered my things to bring them to our shoot location. anyway, we have a 30-minute allowance to spare which will cover the waiting time for the SP. clock ticked. i decided to just meet the SP along Shaw boulevard near EDSA so as not to spend more time waiting. an hour has passed already and she's still two crossings away from EDSA-Shaw. and traffic is NEITHER LIGHT NOR MODERATE. it is HEAVY. I was trying to calm myself with the time already being wasted and at the same time, my boss keeps on texting me things that i needed to follow-up other than the scheduled interviews for the day. my cellphone signals were fluctuating! BOTH GLOBE & SUN! barely fifteen minutes before our appointment time in Cavite, the SP showed up... in Greenfields! hate late? i can tolerate a few minutes but for over an hour... it's a different story.

good thing the interviewees were cooperative. we finished the two interviews before lunch time. but at this time, i was rushing the coordination of the script for the next interviewees. the first script made was mostly wrong as the questions intended to the other were mixed-up. to add insult to the injury, the script writer didn't show up for the day reasoning out that she's sick! (later on, Akina & Ren were destined to catch her in the MRT station)

the host of the program was giving us the very short time limit as he said he needs to leave by 230 in the afternoon. huwaaaaaaattt??? we're just starting the main interview for the segment! and he needs to interview 4 more people!

to make the stressful day short, the taping went generally well. yeah, in spite of all the hindrances! my boss gave us all a halo-halo treat afterwards. refreshing!
before going home, i dropped by Pancake House to pre-order clubhouse sandwiches for our event tomorrow.

now while wifey's attending church services, i'm with my little one, passing time here in the OFW center of the mall, enjoying the cool air, and the tranquility together. earlier i let the little girl grab her ice cream cup and then played in Worlds of Fun. these moments... are priceless. sooner or later, it's not gonna be the same anymore when the little girl turns to a lady...

When Your Body Breathes Its Last

early 2000's... i started to take time learning and eventually liking the internet. one of the first online activities which caught my interest, even before blogging, was engaging in discussions in the online community, Pinoy Exchange dot com. Then more than the active message boards/forums, PEx opened the Wireless Journal service. I got more addicted to it and didn't mind much the infotext spending per post. yup. we use our mobile phones to post online. When we log-in to our account in web, we can edit our posts or reply to somebody else's wireless journal account. In easier terms, it was the early 2000's "twitter." but the interface was simpler and posting is more orderly in the wireless journal. people who owns a wireless journal account keeps their "time lines" clean and as much as possible, "chat-free." so it is always a delight to sneak into the others' journal. stalker you may call yourself but the subject eventually becomes your online friend. This is where i met RevenanT. like most of the PExers i met online during those years, RevenanT eventually became a real-life friend of mine. I always look for him to guide me through my most dreaded place (to go)--- Makati. he lives there so it's very handy for him to be my tourist guide around his city.

fast forward to present... i received a text message from supposedly another friend of RevenanT telling me he already passed away. i was shocked. last time we talked was still online, this time thru twitter, dated October of last year. and RevenanT vouluntarily replied to a random twit-question of mine:



...yes. he was still trying to be helpful on my inquiry about directions in Makati. now, RevenanT is gone. his online accounts remain open and what we, his friends, can just do is to get back to his posts to remember him and the good old days when we got acquainted with each other.

when your body breathes its last, who would remember? is leaving your online accounts open to public, even when you're gone, a good way to make your loved ones and friends remember you for as long as the internet exists? among your hundreds of Facebook friends, who will remain on your side after you've shut your eyes for good?

don't you just wish that life is more simple?

eat, play, sleep, TV, DVD titles, malling...

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

my little girl is so fond of taking pictures of us and anything that she sees around. below are some photos she took using my cellphone:

[caption id="attachment_2494" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="little Aya took a shot of her sterilizer"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2492" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="little Aya took a shot of short-haired Dora"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2493" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="little Aya took a shot of long-haired Dora"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2491" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="little Aya caught daddy taking a nap"][/caption]

i just noticed that my little girl has this "eye" for her subject. and she takes photos with proper framing. future photographer? hehe...

and here she is last night when we had our family date. she's having one of her favorite food: (nido) soup with quail eggs...

[caption id="attachment_2498" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="@ Savory having nido soup"][/caption]
things like these make me wish that life is more simple. ;)

Sin Li Kwai Lok

to all my Chinese friends (and relatives), Sin Li Kwai Lok (fukien greeting ng happy new year) and Sin Nian Kuai Le! (for the mandarin version) :D


amazingly, this year, i've never paid so much attention to all the new year predictions and the so-called "lucky" things for the year of the (water) dragon, and what to expect for your (year) sign. through the years, it has been an amusement to hear what the "feng shui" experts have to say about things that'll "shape" your future for the new year. but this time, i really didn't buy or even cared about listening to what they have to say.

i still believe that it is ourselves who make our own "fortune" and perhaps, the current impeachment proceedings tell my mind to focus on finishing my daily tasks. yep, for now i live daily. but also i'm trying to look at the things beyond today. lets say, the future. but it's still blurry at this time. i can't seem to see clearly where i'm really heading to for the rest of the year, and in the coming years. i know this isn't good. i need to prepare for my little girl's (future) education. i'm looking at stability. security. and happiness... all at the same time. is it even possible to attain, again, ALL AT THE SAME TIME? i know it is. and i'm gonna find it soon, and have it sooner! yeah boy!

"Brace yourself, 2012!" 8-) let's hear that BIG ROAR this year...

last working day for 2011

reality is quite difficult to accept... working on a holiday, when it's supposed to be a day with your family, has become a routine especially when i came back to my field. yeah, i need to tell my mind to sink in the fact that holidays (and double pays) are only designed to regular employees and other service-oriented jobs. it puzzles me though why we're not paid double on a regular holiday and why are our bonuses taxed?

looking at the brighter side, we're scheduled to do some last minute shopping for our media noche. i'm looking at some liempo cuts to be grilled tomorrow night and can full of fruit cocktail for our fruit salad. i'm thinking if we can also prepare macaroni salad. uhm, yeah... i just love salads on new years eve. and perhaps some sweets given by people around us.

i honestly don't know what's in store for us the coming year. but definitely for this passing year, my positive mind-setting has helped me go through all the hard times that were encountered in all aspects of my life. and i'm always thankful for my family who keeps me going come what may.

some things to look forward to next year:
> Disney on Ice family date on the first day of 2012
> 60th (surprise) birthday party for my father-in-law
> our first attempt to bring our little girl in the movie house
> additional (?) work contract
> medical insurance for the family
> new place (?)

hmm... perhaps there'll be more surprises next year. i just have a short list of what to expect for 2012. environmentalists say that mother nature will be more fierce next year so humans should be prepared for the wrath of nature. if only mankind learned to love mother nature earlier, she would have been kind to us all even at this time. but yeah, things are bound to happen--- unexpected things.

we just need to hope for the best of everything tomorrow.
>

Nobyembre na pala

Parang kailan lang. Nangangapa lang ako kung ano ang kahihinatnan ng taong 2011--- para sa akin at para sa aking pamilya. Marami na rin palang nagbago. Mga pagbabagong hindi mo namamalayan sa paglipas lang ng isang araw. Minsan nakakatakot malaman kung ano ang nakaabang bukas. Sa isang banda, masayang salubungin ang magagandang pangyayari na hatid ng bagong pagsikat ng araw.

Totoo talaga ang kasabihan na "Change is the only permanent thing in this world." Talagang may nagbabago. Talagang may mababago. Gustuhin mo man at hindi, sabi nga ni Jose Mari Chan, "life is a constant change and nothing stays the same..."

dalawang buwan na lang. panibagong taon na naman. may mga plano pa rin, pero ang plano ay plano hangga't hindi natutupad.

Lunes na pala

another week... kayod na naman para mabuhay. sa pagkakaalam ko, nagtatrabaho tayo para mabuhay at hindi tayo nabubuhay para magtrabaho. get the difference?

umarangkada na si wifey para sa aming much needed "extra income" at sana, ma-reconcile ko ang sked ko sa sked ng mga appointments nya. gusto ko kase, ako pa rin kasama nya sa paglalakad ng kaniyang mga mini-negosyo na matagal-tagal na ring nakatengga. and now, lets make these happen! go, team, go! :P

i'm seriously contemplating on moving to a "home" network... kung kailan nagsisimula na akong medyo pagkatiwalaan sa pinirmahan kong programa. muntik na akong maging Associate Producer noong nakaraang biyernes, October 7, 2011. yep, i-dokumento ko lang dahil sobrang dalang dumating ang pagkakataong ito, katunayan, hindi pa nga natuloy. mahabang kwento. at bago ako makapag-AP sa programa namin, mahaba rin muna ang listahan at maraming taong lalagpasan kaya tulad ng nasabi ko, sobrang dalang na mangyari ito. Feb 28 kami nag-launch, muntik na akong maging AP noon lang Oct 7. yup. muntik na.

masarap ang pakiramdam dahil nagpakita iyon ng pagtitiwala sa kakayahan ko (kahit kaunti). ilang beses na rin akong inalok ng EP post pero ilang beses ko ring tinanggihan yun. para sa akin kase, salat pa ang kaalaman ko para sa gampaning iyon. at minsan ko lang hindi magawa nang tama ang pagpapatakbo sa 5-minuter program na iyon, tapos na agad ang career ko sa kumpanya. at hindi basta tapos na. pangit na pagtatapos pa at markado na ang buong katauhan ko ng mga taong hindi naman ako lubos na kilala pa.

may ilang beses ko na ring sinabi na kailangan ko ng raket sa labas ng pinagtatrabahuhan ko, pero dahil mailap ang magandang pagkakataon, nagkasya ako sa pagraket sa loob din, sa ibang programa. ok naman ito pandagdag sa kaunti kong kinikita pero mas ok sana kung mas higit pa ang kikitain ko. ang haba na kase ng listahan ko ng mga dapat magawa, at hindi ko pa rin maisagawa dahil sapat lang para sa priorities ang buwanang talent fee ko. madalas nga kapos pa. pero sabi nga ng South Border, "there's a rainbow always after the rain." naniniwala ako doon, kahit pa marumi na ang hangin sa kapaligiran at polluted na ang himpapawid.

siguro sa susunod kong mga posts, ilalatag ko rito yung small business ni wifey. sana tangkilikin nyo, kung gaano tinangkilik ng mga tao ang mga produkto ng namayapang si Steve Jobs.

c'est la vie

spending our last day of the month here in the hospital. our dear little girl seems to be loving cable tv more and more... some of our visitors suggested that we get a cable tv subscription so we won't have to go to the hospital anymore. lol. i just needed to lighten up. too many worries, specially financial matter. hmm...

church lessons taught last thursday and today have been very helpful and timely. it's about putting your trust in God and reading misfortunes as an opportunity to become closer to Him, and eventually turn them to great blessings ahead. i can't believe how i can relate very well with the lessons imparted during the services. i've been thinking of ways to improve my source of income and at the same time have more so i can give more. well, just what like Abraham said, "GOD will provide."

i miss my former "life". i want so many things back. i long for a better living condition than what i have now. many people think i am one complete person in terms of everything that i need but for now, only my wife knows the real 'score'. i have a lot of wants for my two girls. i think i have to make some serious moves to get out of this 'pit'... the following weeks shall make me decide on whether i need to extend beyond Dec. 31, 2011 or it must be a new chapter... again.

Journey

looking at the people around my current workplace, i see a breed of young people working hard, and each has his/her own story to tell. this made me look back at the work/jobs i've done since i graduated from college. i wasn't a family breadwinner, and job-hopping seemed to be a delight for me...

media practitioner
after a couple of months after college graduation, i walked into the building where i had my on the job training. i was that young, naive, thin adolescent boy who just absorbed everything instructed to me. i began transcribing english articles into tagalog write ups. then i was asked to learn how to rehash news items, then monitor news reports. it was a long six-month training without pay and along the course of my training, i was also asked to join the production that assists live radio program. i eventually became a production coordinator who sets interview schedules for the live program the following day. i started memorizing basic phone numbers such as the MMDA Metrobase, PAGASA, MERALCO, MANILA WATER, and some public officials that we needed to contact for interviews. most memorable in being a production coordinator was the phone call to then-presidential spokesman, Jerry Barican*. as months pass by, my task grew in the station. i began voicing reports and at the same time arranged news items for the 12 o'clock & 4 o'clock news programs. i only stopped arranging news items for the 4 o'clock program when i was dispatched as a beat reporter in Malacanang. i did cover some events outside Malacanang and the most memorable was my coverage during Leo Echegaray's execution*. i didn't really have the full coverage of it but nonetheless i was dispatched there to serve as a support to the more senior reporters of our station and our sister-station. i was also sent there by our station manager late and i was sick that time so i really didn't have the best opportunity to maximize my presence there. anyway, i knew i was a valuable person in the station that time. i had a segment (environment monitor) in the early (6am) news program, i did time checks and news breaks in the morning after our news & public affairs program, then go to my beat after lunch. my day would end after i air my report from the beat to our 4 o'clock news. career-wise, it was the best job i ever had. i did almost all things that a media practitioner should be doing--- jack of all trade, in other words.

the introduction to customer service field
since compensation was insufficient from the job i loved doing, i decided to jump to another field of career and started in the customer service field in what was once the 2nd largest wired telecommunication company. basic salary was slightly higher and the job just required me to answer complaint letters from our irate (and poor/unfortunate) subscribers. most letters came from the province--- yeah, through snail mail. i had a template ready, i just needed to tweak on some format to make the reply suitable for whatever complaint was raised. then i helped my superior in creating FAQ's for our new product offers. this is also where i began my coffee addiction.

career jump to banking
this came in as a surprise for me as i was hired as a new accounts clerk in one of the busiest branches of the then-top 3 commercial banks in the country. i was fortunate to have been assigned in a branch where the new accounts clerk serve as an all-around client assisting personnel of the bank. some branches assign only the opening of accounts to the new accounts clerk but our branch requires us to look over investments too. i had to quickly learn banking terms and its ins and outs. aside from opening accounts, i credit online payroll, accept BIR payments (the most dreadful of all during deadlines), monitor SDB transactions, enter debit/credit transaction at the end of the day, market bank products, monitor time deposits, and attend to irate clients. my most memorable banking experience happened in just one day*, that i couldn't help but cry it out with my immediate superior. yes... i cried that day!

seeking for higher horizons
i admit i was having a great time in the bank when speaking of compensation and benefits. and it was the time i learned how to value saving up money, and considered opening up bank accounts. but things have to happen. my sister had to migrate to Canada and our life had taken a turn since then. but after just barely two months, i returned to Manila and was lucky enough to be offered a job by my former boss after knowing that i came back. this time, it's for a new player in the mobile phone network industry. i excitedly accepted the offer and became a part of the new mobile network. it lasted for a few good months after the great launch until i decided to pursue my immigrant application to Canada.

new environment
the new country introduced me to a new and different environment. to survive financially, i needed to do the what we call "blue-collar job". i earned 40 dollars from manning an open house for 4 hours. a church mate offered me this part time, on call job. i was delighted. then i soon applied in an agency where i worked in an on call factory job. i learned hard work literally. there were 8 "lines" in the factory and the supervisors get to choose on who's to work on a particular "line". eventually, i get to be assigned on the "line" where the "favorites" were always assigned. i also did paper deliveries with my brother-in-law thrice a week in the neighborhood. when my brother in law gave up because of his tight schedule, my two good friends caught the same assignment for me to continue on with it. it lasted until Christmas when heavy fliers that needed to be inserted in the paper took so much of our time and felt the pay wasn't a fine compensation anymore. and talk about delivering papers while heavy snow is pouring and piled up high. my last and final job there was being a warehouse man. it was a perfect job in terms of work companions, freebies and pay. i learned receiving, picking, and putting away items for warehouse storage and deliveries. all of these i've done while my immigrant application paper was supposedly "in-process".

re-building my career in Manila
situation led me back to Manila where i had to wait for the processing of my immigrant application. and since i knew that the cue will take time--- years literally--- to be processed, i looked for a job that will not only compensate me but will also make me feel good by doing something for a public cause. after weeks of job hunting, i ended up training in a call center company. i didn't plan to stay long there but took the job anyway since i was still looking for that job which i feel i'll be more suited. i also took the chance to enter the call center industry to know what exactly is the environment in it. true to my expectation, i just had a four-week short stint in the company--- just long enough to finish my month training and took a glimpse of what "call center" is all about. then i got interviewed in this distribution company where the major cause is to curve the country's population by introducing the use of contraceptive products. i made sure they didn't promote abortion, though. my prime job was to coordinate with distributors and oversee the ordering cycle. it's more on the customer service field... again. and since i was waiting for my immigrant application results, i ended up almost six years in the distribution company. yep, it was waaaay overdue. i literally ended my connection from the company after a year my application in Canada was released and found a job that will get me back on track practicing my chosen field of study.

home sweet home?
i got back to my field. i'm now working as a writer-slash-producer in the flagship news program of a newly-formatted TV channel. plus factors are, it's a famous TV station and i'm working for a famous news personality. but of course, not everything is great... there's always a downside to everything*.

* phrases marked with asterisk merit a separate blog entry/story each
- - - - - - - - - - - -

ending this blog post with Lea Salonga's "Journey" lyrics:

Half the world is sleeping,
half the world's awake
half can hear their hearts beat
half just hear them break

I am but a traveler, in most every way
Ask me what you want...to know

What a journey it has been
And the end is not in sight
But the stars are out tonight
and they're bound to guide my way

When they're shining on my life
I can see a better day
I won't let the darkness in,
what a journey it has been.

I have been to sorrow
I have been to bliss
Where I'll be tomorrow,
I can only guess

Through the darkest desert
Through the deepest snow,
Forward always forward, I go..

What a journey it has been
and the end is not in sight
But the stars are out tonight
and they're bound to guide my way

When they're shining on my life
I can see a better day
I won't let the darkness in,
what a journey it has been...

Forward, always forward...
Onward, always up...
Catching every drop of hope
In my empty cup

What a journey it has been
And the end is not in sight
But the stars are out tonight
and they're bound to guide my way

When they're shining on my life
I can see a better day
I won't let the darkness in,
what a journey it has been...

What a journey it has been...

MAY-time

I'm turning 35 but i don't look that old and it doesn't feel that bad. really. May is my month. I don't know but May seems to be the next best month after December. May is the peak of summer in Manila and weather abnormality says that it's also the beginning of the other season--- the rainy season. last minute vacations happen in May especially for students. Beaches become full, cool places like Tagaytay & Baguio become congested with tourists and bookstores are flocked by school shoppers.

Birthdays make you contemplate on how long you've gone in life. I feel blessed. My friends make me feel i am blessed. My family is my blessing. I have my spiritual treasures. My faith is above everything.

But everything can not be perfect. No. Nothing is perfect in this world. I wish for more income. Not only to pay our monthly bills but also to have more money to help the needy. I'm not a charity person. But i give to those who deserve help. I also want to give more to my better half. She takes care of our household and she attends to me and our little girl selflessly. Small things mean a lot to her and I can't even give her those "wants" due to financial priority. I'm maintaining her list, though. When bounty times come, i'm sure to mark that list and cross them out one by one. For the meantime, I'm still looking for a 2nd job that will complement my prime bread & butter.

Speaking of happy times, my dear wifey saved some money to buy me this (advanced) birthday gift:



She's been telling me to change my mobile phone which is already more or less four years old. My Nokia 6233 was a fruit of my own labor few years back. I have changed it's original battery and also changed its back housing. But that's it. It's still a good use. But now that i have my new Nokia C3, I can now retire my old phone. Thanks, wifey! ;)

On another note, this is my 2nd time to take a leave at work. Choir practice is scheduled tonight for the special worship service on Saturday. I always feel good performing my duty. :)

bullets

> over lunch yesterday, i was telling our AP that our last working weekday should be light, since there wasn't any "big" news except for the anticipated "day of rage" in Saudi Arabia. until the magnitude 8.9 earthquake hit honshu, japan.

> watching the actual damage of the tsunami in japan that the video cameras captured was horrifying. i thought i was watching a steven spielberg film.

> the local news ain't overacting in warning the people about the tsunami that may hit the country. preparedness is always better than being caught unaware.

> while people around the world are concerned about their loved ones and the people in Japan in relation to the earthquake and tsunami, some people prefer to be more concerned about maria ozawa. wtf?!

> more earthquakes hit the world. mostly, they are strong tremors.

> i was discussing the changes that are happening on the earth with a colleague after our news program last night. boy, i really wish we have National Geographic Channel.

> keep safe, everyone! we do not know when a great natural disaster may hit our place.

is it already too late to act? what if the earth isn't blue and green anymore? :(

muni-muni

> ilang minuto na lang, lunes na. medyo kinakabahan ako. medyo lang.

> kalahati lang sa "take home work" ko ang natapos ko. naadik kase ako sa paglalaro ng plants vs zombies. yup. late bloomer.

> umuwi si daddy-yo! naglaro sila ng apo niya. pinakain namin sya ng super size fracasso special. yummy!

> iniisip ko pa rin ang LUNES. MAMAYA NA YUN.

> medyo naiinggit ako sa ngayon sa mga taong kilala ko na may pera--- pa-travel-travel, pa-check-in-check-in. pa shopping-shopping. slight lang. medyo lang.

> cut-off day na--- sa trabaho at sa bagong career. kaya?

> pagkatapos ng bukas, sana hindi ulit masakit ang ulo ko. *haist* gusto kong magbakasyon. ay. wala palang pera. *haist* ulit.

> nakakatuwa ang anak ko. lumalaking bibo, matalino at all-natural cute & beautiful. sana hindi magbago ang mga katangiang yan hanggang paglaki.

> malapit na... kung hei fat choi!

Contemplating Much

(the good dilemma--- amazingly, it's again about my career. here's the original good dilemma)

last night, i caught headache instantly. we were busy finishing off the bulk purchase orders of one account in time for our month-end cut-off when the most-awaited call happened. it was one of the ladies who interviewed me. she was asking if their admin already gave me the requirements to submit for employment. on top of that, she told me to start training on Monday and report to them everyday already starting next week. eek! i've been waiting and longing for this opportunity since God-knows-when, but giving me a very short notice gave me the headache which i would want least at the time we were rushing orders for our month-end cut-off. THIS IS IT. it's decision-making time:

PROS:
1. i've been praying for this opportunity since strike three.
2. i'll have more opportunity in this company.
3. room for growth and other "rakets" are wide open.
4. i'll be practicing the degree i chose to study in college.
5. goodbye, no-brainer job.

CONS:
1. salary will be more or less equal with what my basic salary is at present.
2. work time is more demanding than my present, which means, lesser time for my family (i'm hearing Saturday work and holidays)
3. i'll be hired by the company as their talent and not as a regular employee, which means, lesser employee benefits (just the government-mandated benefits such as SSS, Philhealth, 13th month pay)

looking at the lists, i have more reasons to go for it than pass the opportunity. but the negative reasons weigh much for me since i'm more inclined to choose what's best not only for myself but for my family, as well. if i grab this once in a lifetime opportunity, i have to sacrifice the time with my family. i need to pay for our own health insurance. i really need to kick my arse to get more than my basic salary to be able to survive. yep, in a month, i'm earning lesser than i'm spending due to bills. that just made my decision-making a bit harder than simply hugging the opportunity. my wifey and i already made a decision about this. you are all welcome to share your two cents worth of opinion on this, thanks!

keeping me busy

i don't detail much the things that keep me busy just like i used to. perhaps it's a part of the change that happens whether we like it or not. as i've mentioned previously, your 'world' shall be different when you get married and have kid/s. the usual hobbies that you used to do will have to be put aside to give way to your new responsibilities. it amazes me though that i still blog. though i've entertained the thought of giving-up blogging a few times, i'm still here documenting my so-called "life." and perhaps one friend thought that i needed to hold on to blogging so he gifted me a year of website hosting where i can have exclusivity in my url address, hence, the birth of this wordpress page. i used to blog in the FREE blog-hosting site and having an exclusive url address is something, well, upgraded. i still am a neophyte in terms of html use so i tweak my blog designs only through the templates available in the hosting site. some think that i'm already an "institution" to this but no, i remain as the simple blogger that i am. i don't even give in to putting ads in my webpage even if i think it can help me (even a little) in covering up some of my monthly expenses.

anyway, i'm busy with my family, work, church duties and online, i frequent PEx where i moderate a couple of forums. the latter i mentioned is voluntary but it gives me something in return--- perhaps the additional credential, communication enhancement, matured judgement, and maybe, additional friends. PEx has become the largest Filipino Online Community since its debut in 1999 and i never expected that i'd be one of the moderators of this community. I think it should be more fun if my PEx friends are still active when I'm already taking this responsibility. There are still a few active old members but those who i'm really close with and develop real-life friendship are already living their own real-world lives.

i'm still positive about getting a new career this year. there are a good number of reasons why i feel this way towards the present job and i think it's high time for me to take a step forward and move on to better "responsibilities".

weekends have always been a time for family (and church day, too). two days seem insufficient to do the many activities i need to do with my very own family (so i can't imagine working on a Saturday again). i've been spending my time working most of the week and when i get home after work, i feel tired & sleepy. must be the age, haha! i really don't take vitamins ever since (if i'm given the choice)... which reminds me, mom has sent me a bottle of vitamins to consume. yaiks. anyway, i'm thinking of spending more time with my wifey & little girl to some places this year, if the funds allow :P looking forward to have their newly-acquired passports to have stamps, yay! i just don't know when. but i'm projecting it by the 3rd quarter of this year. i hope the airlines have big, big discounts on air fare by that time :D

holy supper is nearing. it's that season when temptation is more evident. as for my brethren in faith, let's all be vigilant.

btw, i'm surprisingly loving the weather in Manila--- it's cold. I love sunny weather but having this cold breeze is also like-able! I just hate it when it rains.

i wanna be a millionaire so freakin' bad

yep... hindi ko hangad maging billionaire kaya yan lang ang nasa title ng blog post ko, hango sa titulo ng isang sikat na kanta ngayon. kung bakit, hindi ko kase alam kung ano ang gagawin ko sa pera kapag naging bilyonaryo ako. mainit ngayon ang paksa ukol sa jackpot ng lotto kung saan umaabot na sa 700M+ ang mapapanalunan ng sinumang mapalad na tatama rito. paano ko nga ba gagastusin ang 700M+ kung ako ang mabigyan nito? hmm..... malalim-lalim na palaisipan. pero marahil, eto ang mga paglalaanan ko:

1) invest for my children's (take note: children) education up to college.
2) bumili ng bahay at lupa sa Pampanga, Tagaytay, Quezon City, at Rizal.
3) mag-franchise ng Jolibee at Figaro
4) patatakan ang pasaporte patungo sa Canada, US, at mga bansa sa Europe. Pag napagod kami, pahinga muna kami sa Asia.
5) Magtayo ng school
6) change wardrobe. LAHAT NG NASA APARADOR KO. :P
7) bumili ng SUV
8) mag-sponsor ng tatlong kamag-anak na nag-aaral pa at tatawagin itong 03.03.03 stories...scholars!
9) magkaroon ng sariling TV Station
10) bilhin ang kumpanya ng boss ko. buwahahahaha!!!

hmm... siguro wala pang 500M yang mga nabanggit ko sa itaas. meron pa kong 200M++
hayy... tama na ang pangangarap ng dilat. hindi naman ako mananalo ng 700M sa lotto dahil hindi naman ako tumataya dito kahit sa bawat barangay ay nagpapahabaan ng pila ng mga tumataya sa lotto, hindi ako madaling madala ng agos. pero teka, tumataya pala ang tatay ko. at babalatuhan nya raw ako kapag sya ang nanalo. wow. tuloy ang pangangarap ng dilat! yahoo! sana manalo ang tatay ko. sana manalo ang tatay ko. sana manalo ang tatay ko...

on another note, medyo same topic (usapang panalo), Surprise! NANALO AKO! nanalo ako sa give-away ng WAVE 89.1 na premier tickets ng indie film na IKA-SAMPU. Ipapalabas ito BUKAS (Nov. 30) sa SM Megamall, 7:00 ng gabi. apat (4) ang napanalunan kong tickets at dahil hindi ako makakapanood nito bukas (dahil pesteng cut-off nga pala sa opisina at maliwanag pa sa sikat ng sun na LATE na LATE na kami makakauwi) naisip kong ipamahagi na lang ang apat, dalawang tickets ko. dalawa na lang kase nakuha na nga pala nina bloggers Ahmer & Andy yung dalawa. binigay ko na sa kanila alang-alang sa magandang business partnership namin ni Ahmer :P anyway, may dalawa pa akong tickets na ipamimigay! Please lang. paki-claim BUKAS (nov. 30) ng LUNCH TIME sa akin yung dalawang ticket sa may Eastwood City ang sinumang interesadong manood nito sa Megamall. ulit: IKA-SAMPU (an indie film) Premier showing Nov. 30 @7PM in SM Megamall. FREE (2) tickets to be given away until tomorrow lunch time only for those interested, please claim the tickets from me in Eastwood City. mag-comment na lang po dito yung interesado.

yun lang. salamat po! ;)

Bakit?

...may mga taong masaya sila kapag nakakasakit ng kapuwa iba? (hindi bagay tawaging kapuwa kase kakaiba sila) bakit may mga taong naliligayahan sa pagkakalat ng hindi totoong bagay tungkol sa ibang tao? bakit may mga taong kuntento na sa paghahatid-dumapit kaysa asikasuhin at ayusin ang sarili nila? bakit may mga taong gumagaan ang loob kapag nakikita ang iba na nahihirapan, napapahamak o napapahiya? at makahiram na nga ng terminong hindi ko pag-aari, bakit may mga tanong sadyang jinggiters sa iba?

realizations

for the past week, i've had some realizations. my wifey was rushed to the hospital last Thursday due to a condition she felt for the first time. her potassium level got low which made her dizzy and weak. at the same time, a pimple that swelled in her left eye added to her sick condition. i had to take a leave over the weekend since no one shall be available to assist her and take care of our baby.

i realized its hard to see your wife suffering from sickness.
i realized its tough raising a baby alone.

after barely a week, just as wifey is recovering from her sickness, i carried my baby the night i arrived from work, Tuesday night. her body felt unusually hot. i called wifey who just finished taking her dinner then we had the baby temparature checked. it was 38 degrees something. we immediately called our mother-in-law then slept over their place for the night after giving some fever medications to our little Aya. the following day, i told wifey to constantly update me if the fever was gone because initially we suspected it was pilay. after half a day without her fever going down, they took our little Aya to the hospital and had some tests. she was later on advised to be confined until the clear picture of her sickness is determined. fever still up and won't leave, she was confined (and is currently) being treated for UTI.



i realized that while it's hard seeing your wife sick, it's more difficult seeing your baby sick.
i realized it's difficult if you got sick and no medical insurance covers you.
i realized that God manifests His love if we are at the lowest of our lives.

"For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever,..." - Psalm 37:28 NIV