Happy New Year!!!

I'll be spending New Year (again) here in Manila. Happy New Year to Everyone! Cheers!!!

Someone from Beverly Hills, California is frequenting my new blog

I’ve been getting lots of clicks from this visitor since last month. S/he visits my new blog at least five times a week, and when s/he does, s/he clicks on the links leading to my other posts. I don’t know if s/he actually reads them as s/he seem to open at least 20 entries in one minute! Strange. Is s/he a spammer? If yes, why isn’t s/he leaving spam comments? 

 

Regretfully, I couldn’t tell his/her identity. The only think I know, as per Feedjit, is that s/he uses Internet Explorer and that s/he is located in Beverly Hills , California , U.S. of A! 

Electric sparks to wake me up

The electrician messed up with the electrical wiring in my room. I arrived yesterday to find out that the wall outlets are not working. I talked to my landlord who then contacted the electrician for help. I’ll have to be without electricity for 30 minutes more.

I can’t wait that long so I went back to my room, and tried to figure out how to fix the thing myself. I knew the electrical tapes are loose as I saw how the electrician hastily taped the two live wires together when he came to remove the electric meter two weeks ago. I bravely wrapped my hands with a dry cloth and pressed the still taped wires together. Everything started to power on.

I decided to proceed and just D.I.Y everything and asked for an electrical tape and pliers from my landlord. I un-gently pulled the loose tape off the wires. I was about to put them back together when it started to spark. Not once, not twice, many times. I stopped for awhile. I’m not an expert; I never worked with live wires before. What if I get electrocuted? I don't wanna die that ugly.

I was sweating like hell after a few attempts of getting the wires taped. I don’t know if it’s because of the heat, the thought of getting toasted by one wrong move, or both. But certainly, I don’t want to risk my life for this.

Life…

The life that I’ve taken for granted. My life which is for the most stupid reason, I once thought of claiming. I never thought I’d still get to value this gift.

I patiently waited for the electrician.

***

Groceries in paper bags

I blogged about this almost two years ago. Why not paper bags?

Last week, I heard that most grocery stores in Laguna have started using paper bags. I thought that's good news.

I just learned last Wednesday that SM is now doing the same. No plastic bags on Wednesdays, so expect to carry your groceries in a paper, unless you brought a bag with you. Green bags were used for free that day during the launch of the said campaign.

This, I totally support.

Panghabol sa summer...

Sa mga dumadaan po dito sa blog ko. MARAMING SALAMAT!!!

Medyo hindi na ako nakakablog lately, pasensya na po. Medyo nilagnat lang naman ako ng ilang araw, kasabay ng sinipon. Kala ko tuloy kung ano na yun. Amf!

Busy din sa work. Sana talaga hindi na kailangan mag-work pa no? Wala ibang choice kundi mag-leave lang...

At basta may birthday ng isang miyembro ng barkada, asahang may outing.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAE!!!

Dapat byaheng Cebu kami pero dahil kinapos ako sa budget (kasi peke pala ang inaasahan kong pasalubong na $100 mula New Orleans), ayun bumalik ang eroplano at sa Galera na lang kami nilapag! hehehe


Sinulit namin ang dagat at buhangin.

Naglaro.

May taguan.

Lumamon...

Uminom...

Nagsawa kami sa tabing dagat. May nakita kaming jeep, byaheng looban daw. Sumakay kami.

Waaaahhh!!! Asan na kami?!?!

Paakyat na ata ng Baguio...

Ayun may falls, Kennon road nga ata to.

Tamaraw falls daw pala, sabi ni manong driber.

Maganda ang view.

Napa-emo tuloy ako...

May falls pa daw sa kabilang bayan., siyempre nakisakay na lang ulit kami.

Saang lugar na kaya to?


Bukid?!?

Bukid nga! Feels like home, to me...hehehe

Dead end. Hindi na pwede mga sasakyan.

Muntik na talaga kami mawala. Buti na lang may bata, galing sa kabilang baryo at bibili lang daw ng suka. Malapit na daw, mga 30 minutes pa!

Para sure kumuha kami ng kalabaw.

We had one hell of a ride!

Pero dahil animal lover ako at future member ng PETA, naawa talaga ako sa kalabaw. Kahit mahal, kinuhanan namin agad ng private jacuzzi.

Habang kami ay enjoy magtampisaw sa batis.

At magpicture-picture!

RC, Joi, Mae, Dioni, me

Dumaan sa hanging bridge.

Hangang sa mapagod...

By the way that was Tukuran falls.


Uwiian na. Balik na naman sa trabaho. Sana puro bakasyon na lang lagi...

...next summer na ulit.


Bad coincidence. May flash report tungkol sa lumubog na bangka byaheng Galera habang sinusulat ko to. Prayers ko po para sa mga pamilya ng mga nasawi...

From chatting to blogging...

It’s been almost a decade since I acquired my netizenship. My use of the internet has changed over the years..

Back then, chatting was the trend. Email wasn’t really used very often. Remember MIRC? My friends and I use to flock the internet cafes just to get someone from the other side of the globe to chat with (only to find out that they‘re just seated three stations away). I have had at least three usernames. I wonder what happened to MIRC now?

Our university has a 7-storey library building. The Arki books are in the 7th floor. The elevator is not working. It must have been a delight for someone who’s into foot exercise, but for most of us, that was dreadful. Until the internet gave a whole new meaning to the word “research”.

The world wide web has it all. Researching evolved from scanning through the pages of century old 2-inch thick books, to facing a computer monitor and get overloaded with information-all just by clicking. No more climbing up the stairs or deal with the sometimes pesky librarians.

And then came Friendster. Every Filipino netizen has a friendster account. And a Friendster addict may have two or more accounts. I only had two so far. The first one lasted for only about 7 months until some unknown user stole my password. Admit it; before Facebook, which I’m not a fan of by the way, “mag-iinternet ako” means checking your Friendster!

Emailing. It became an extension to our texting. Sending tons of messages to friends everyday. Whether some corny jokes, chain letters, or numerous warnings about the earth’s collision with a meteorite the next day, we’ve forwarded them all.

Finally, I discovered blogging. It was Friendster who introduced me to it. I didn’t even know what a blog is. I just got inspired by some first degree friends who use to update their blogs very frequently. My first post was published in June 21st, 2005. I blogged, once in a blue moon.

Until I discovered Blogger.

And the rest is history.

This is my 200th post.


And before I forgot, happy SECOND anniversary to my good ol’ humble blog!

Cheers!!!

Power Outage and Global Warming.

"Ely!

Wala lang, ndi makatulog eh...ang init!"

That's a text message that I received from an officemate today. It came right after I was denied of my REM sleep; this time not because of a nightmare or my Hyena-yelping neighbors, but also because of the heat! Worse, I realize that there's a power outage. No means of ventilation-add that to the agony I had to endure.

I hurried to the nearest mall. Thanks to Henry Sy for his air conditioned structures. I understand now that they're the most inexpensive solution to every Pinoy's struggle to beat the heat. I stayed there for over an hour until a neighbor texted me the good news.

"May ilaw na."

This reminds me of a friend who dreads brownouts. He stayed in the US for years that when he decided to finally come home, he chose to live in Baguio. He couldn't bear the hot weather here in Manila anymore. He use to whine about the power outages, which during the rainy season, would occur almost every week. He would tell me that brownouts never happen in the US, a.k.a "Walang ganyan sa states!" Something I considered an overstatement until the NY brownout that made headlines in 2004.

Anyway, I am here back in my room. Trying to keep my cool despite having been deprived of my sleep, and waiting for American Idol to start.

Paano mamahalin ang isang bagay na ayaw mong gawin?

source

If there's one thing that separates me from other employees especially those who are working in the call center industry, that's my reluctance to get promoted. I just don't see myself pursuing a long term career in a call center.

A few weeks ago, my immediate supervisor, without my knowledge, endorsed me for a higher position. I was surprised when they called me for the initial interview. I humbly begged off. Two weeks later, I was asked to reconsider the offer. I though it would be too much to decline again, so with an assurance that I could quit anytime within a certain period of doing the job, I finally said yes.

I have been here for a week now, and I am so ready to quit.

Waaaaaaaah!!! Ano gagawin ko?

Sugpon, Ilocos Sur: Home Sweet Home

My love for animals and nature has grown from I-want-to-have-my-own-zoo, to seriously thinking (dream on!) about joining PETA or WildAid. I honestly have no clue on how I could get there, although I already came across the "Donate Now" links on their websites which I'm too scared to click at this point.

Growing up in a small town surrounded by mountains and rivers, I was literally living in a green natural habitat. The hills were my play grounds; the rivers, my swimming pool.

Sugpon, circa 2007

Sugpon is the southeastern most town of the province of Ilocos Sur. One of the tiniest in terms of population, could be the biggest considering the total land area. It is the exit point of mountaineers who trek the ranges of Kibungan, Benguet. Electric posts rose along the streets in 1990, CNN and HBO came available on the chanel list 10 years later. Everyone knows everybody.

When I got the chance to move to the city, urban lights blinded me for awhile. I realized that I'm actually from a poor family and having both parents working is just ordinary. It's when the insecurity has started. I didn't want anyone to know where I am from. Life is just so different, I was in awe. Everything, and everyone seem to be living in comfort. I was thinking, why can't way pave the rice fields back home? I even contemplated about running for a position one day, and carry this as a main platform; everything shall be concreted, the roads, even the mountains!

Aerial view

Before I could have done such a silly act, I'm grateful that I got educated early on. This must be one of the reasons why destiny didn't allow me to withdraw from my quest of becoming an architect (I'm still working on that, BTW) before. Sustainable design and green architecture, which were hot topics with most of our architectural subjects back in school, have affected me and my views not only when designing but about the "paving" which I was so into as a kid, owing to my ignorance.

Now, I hate to see mountains getting excavated. I hope that the people like those behind the development of Cherryhills will put an end to their, destroy the environment-put risks to many lives-money making projects. I wish all developments that involves flatting of mountains and cutting trees will be stopped. I wish no one's buying illegal animal products.

I wish they'll replace the concrete pine tree in Baguio with a genuine one, tomorrow.

The epical Amburayan River.

I can't recount the story in complete details, but back in the 90's, German and Japanese corporations have been eying our precious Amburayan river for a dam construction. The offer promised jobs for the locals, construction of bridges, concreting, paving, power supply, money! If I were older then, I would have done everything to admonish everyone to say YES and gather their signatures for approval.

That was our only chance. Yes, civilization here we come!

In my young and ambitious mind, I was enraged when I learned that they turned it down. It turns out a group of fishermen and farmers raised questions: How is this going to affect our river? Are you sure it wouldn't get polluted? What will happen to the fishes? Would our children still be able to enjoy swimming without getting sick? 

That's 5 feet deep.

Many years later, I have come to realize that the decision made at that time which I thought was stupid, is actually a proud moment for the people of Sugpon!

And for the rest of us who have had the chance to achieve some levels of education, we should learn a thing or two from our farmers and fishermen! They stood up and asked questions. They were not blinded by the promise of potential stable jobs and progress in exchange of something that our folks have considered precious. Instead, they decided to protect our river! The river where we fish, where we swim, where we eat and celebrate - things that we do, until today.

I could imagine Datu Binas-o watching and smiling with pride!

The dam was constructed though, at the neighboring town. Today they're enjoying the short term effect, leaving us quite envious. Thinking about what could happen in the future, I'm still feeling better for ourselves. If an offer shall be made again, I'd be the first one to go out in the streets with banners in protest. You'll see me on TV. No way that a dam will be built and destroy my pool, not in our territory.

Pancit Canton

Highschool.

"Pansit Canton na naman kakainin mo?"

Tatay ko yun. Bumisita sa inuupahan naming apartment. Tatlong araw na kasi niya akong nakikita na pansit canton ang breakfast.

Nag-suggest siya: itlog, tinapa, daing, kahit ano wag lang pansit canton lagi.


College.

Isinumpa ko hinding-hindi na ako kakain ng pancit canton. Pero sa hirap ng buhay, narealize ko hindi pwedeng hindi kumain ng pancit canton. At hindi lang pala ako ang na-uumay na sa pancit canton; buong dorm.

Sa mga komercials, sikat na sikat pag mga estudyante ang ginagawang bida. Panalo dyan ang Nescafe; remember: Walang pasooooooook!!!?. Later sinali pati mga aliens. Sa coke din may students, pati McDonalds at Chowking.

Nagtaka ako, ba't sa pancit canton wala? (Sinong camper ang nagbabaon ng pancit canton?!?) Ndi kaya nila alam na staple food na ng mga students ang produkto nila? Siyempre mga rich kid di maka-relate.


Naalala ko lang ang pancit canton. Nakwento kasi ng isang kasamahan sa trabaho, puro pancit canton daw ang kinakain lately, sabi "parang buhay estudyante ulit". Medyo matagal-tagal na din ako hindi kumakain nun.

Na-miss ko tuloy.

What's next after WWW?

Recently, I do my regular blog hopping while tiring my neck with left and right head turns making sure that no supervisor is lurking near me. They've been quite strict in the office lately.

I still check Alternati's blog despite being idle for almost a year now. I am always amazed by his impeccable talent at writing, and I read his posts like I've never read them before, well, specially if my name is in it, or if I was part of the story. It's amazing how the virtual world has kept those memories, complete with a date. It entices me to count years...and realize that it's been 2 or 3 something years since. I miss those days.

I've seen blogs with posts dated back to 5 years ago, and still active. When googling, I get to access files that were online since the late 90's.

I treasure every single picture I take with my camera that for backups, I save them in USB's, computer hard drive, and upload them to Friendster, Photobucket and Multiply. I've had terrible experiences with diskettes before and that makes me feel like there's a need for a lot of backups. I hope to see those photos, and read my blogs again years from now. I'm imagining my old self showing my kids a blog I've written or photos I've taken, years before they're even conceived.

photo

Which makes me think, what if the internet will crash? Could that even be possible? Remember Y2K? What if all things that we have in the entire world wide web will disappear?

I'm imagining chaos.

Feeling Thailand

Thailand?

Thailand?Thailand?

Thailand?

Thailand?

Ambo, Ronnie sa Tarlac lang yan. hehehe.

These photos were taken at Isdaan last December 27. It's a themed restaurant slash park located along the national highway in Gerona, Tarlac.

It's suppose to carry a Pinoy theme, but the presence of the Buddhas make it look quite Thailand-ish. Nevertheless, the place was great. We dined in on one of the huts, which for me are more Thai-inspired rather than Bahay-Kubo.


The huts and the walkways are floating, which are made of 5 layers of bamboos.

You can see fish, everywhere.


We saw the apologetic Tita Cory hanging around. She asked for a photo-opp.
If you're traveling, you can see this signage from the national highway.
The very prominent gigantic anitos too.

How's the food? I was too busy admiring the views that I forgot about the food.

It's actually very Barrio Fiesta. Look at the menu:

Spending time with college friends rarely happens. That day, Joyce just arrived from Dubai, and we made sure that we all see each other. She's back in the desert now. Tine gave birth to a baby girl 5 days later. Gyland is busy with his new project.

Me?


Blogging.