Am No Writer

Mondays...

2012-01-30T14:24:00.002+08:00

I don't know how this came about, but it's just the first day of the work week and my workstation is already WAY TOO MESSY!!!

I am not in the mood to work, all the more clean up this mess.

Maybe tomorrow... MAYBE.

The Smaller the Better

2012-01-20T08:01:00.002+08:00

The pen point, that is! :P

It is probably the architect in me, but I have been very particular with the kinds of pens I use. It reminds me of an episode from H.I.M.Y.M. where it took Ted a week (or weeks) trying to figure out his official Mosbius Designs pen.

Now that I have my new Starbucks planner (and I have vowed to actually write on the pages of a planner this year!), I have been searching for it's perfect pen. One in red and one in black.

The Pilot G-Tec pen 0.3mm has always been my number 1 favorite since college days. Too bad I forgot to buy some back when I was in the Philippines. I searched the whole island of Guam and as expected, they don't have it here.

I did find a Pentel Slicci 0.3mm pen, which was good enough... UNTIL...

I was browsing eBay and found out that there is such as thing as a Pilot G-Tec 0.25mm Pen! I couldn't resist but order them! I know it will cost at lesat three times it's actual price in the Philippines, but what the heck, I WANT THEM NOW!!!

And so here they are... they write so FINE, yes, literally, fine, 0.25mm fine. Haha!

P.S. I don't care what you think, I love my pens! :P

A Sweet Experiment

2012-01-19T07:37:00.001+08:00

I came in this morning and found two packs of M&Ms on my seat. Apparently, my co-worker brought these for me hoping that this is the "best" way she can keep her hands away from chocolates. That's what she thought.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE CHOCOLATES and M&Ms are on top of my list! Ironically, since I got pregnant, I haven't been that addicted to sweets compared to pre-pregnancy days. One piece (mind you, a small piece, not a bar) of chocolate per day is enough. In fact, it took me a week to finish a small Twix bar... and it was just lying there on my desk the whole time.

So for a social experiment, I put my leftover Kisses and these two packs of M&Ms in a container, and placed it at the edge of my workstation - along the hallway - where everyone passes by. As expected, each co-worker who passes by couldn't resist but get a piece or two, or handful of these sweet treats.

The experiment: How long will an office of 11 people finish these?

Note that you have to pass by my workstation to go: in and out of the office, to go to the printer, to go to the boss' room, etc. Everyone will pass by this hallway at least 3 times a day.

I did the same thing months ago, seeing a pack of Three Musketeers in the office pantry; It's been there for so long that I felt bad it will go to waste. I put it on a container, 'displayed' it on my desk near the hallway and it took the office less than one business day to finish it! Ha!

Let's see how many days will the M&Ms last. ;)

Seasonal Hiatus

2012-01-11T08:57:00.002+08:00

As I was archiving all my blogs since 2004, I suddenly realized a recurring pattern in terms of my blogging abilities:

I do not or very rarely write blogs from November til February.

I kind of know why this is the pattern:

November kicks off a season of celebrations for me. It is my birthday month, thanksgiving, my sister's birthday, etc. This is when I start to get very pre-occupied with Christmas preparations and that includes mostly Christmas shopping! This is also the month where I get to focus on nearing Christmas vacations.

January is when reality bites me again. So come February, I finally get to accept the fact that it's back to reality. Better keep myself pre-occupied (by blogging?) until the next Season of Celebrations.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!! :)

From Sunflowers to Blonde Braniacs

2011-09-22T08:35:00.005+08:00

My husband thinks I am obsessing... but I AM JUST DARN PROUD OF THEM!!! I am a fan!!!

I have watched this video tons of times, watched a few more videos from Youtube trying to find the best video recording of this proud moment. I can't believe nobody has a clearer copy!

It was the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Cheerdance Competition 2011. I graduated from University of the Philippines, where our basketball team is almost always at last place, but our cheerdancers, the UP PEP SQUAD seem to be the highlight of the whole UAAP season, because the UP PEP SQUAD rocks!

Check out their performance from 2010, where they bagged First Place by performing a Filipino Fiesta inspired routine. Complete with the symbolic sunflowers (every summer, the University of the Philippines is filled with sunflower plants!).

UP Pep Squad - Champion - 2010 UAAP Cheerdance Competition

The University of the Philippines, the country's 'state U' has been known for its liberalism. Students are academically, artistically, and morally free to do what they want. The UP PEP SQUAD has been known to be pioneers in re-inventing cheerdancing and we witness it every single year, especially through the UAAP Cheerdance Competition. I remember noticing that they are the first cheerdance group who stopped wearing cheerdancing skirts. The rest of the universities followed. Instead of the typical cutesie ribbon tied pony tails for girls... the UP PEP SQUAD cut their hair short - 'boy cut' for everyone!

This year, the buzz was that the UP PEP SQUAD has gone blonde! That's all everyone knows. I was thinking... why??? U.P.? The students who are all about being patriotic... goes blonde? There has to be valid reason for this!

And there was! Once again, THEY DARED TO BE DIFFERENT AND EVERYONE'S JAW DROPPED WITH SUCH AMAZEMENT! The group decided to pay homage to the pop-icon Madonna. They wanted to share how Madonna inspired them. This generation grew up with Madonna. Of course! They do not stop with the hair, the costume, the music... even their routines are Madonna inspired. CHECK IT OUT!

UP Pep Squad - Champion - 2011 UAAP Cheerdance Competition

At first I thought I was just biased towards my Alma Mater but after watching the rest of the competitions, and then watching the UP PEP SQUAD's routine a hundred times...what can I say??? UP PEP SQUAD was FLAWLESS, PERFECT, SUPER FAST-PACED and BREATHTAKING! Not a dull moment.

I read somewhere that they have been chosen to represent the Philippines at the 6th Cheerleading World Championships this November. Wooohooo!!!

CONGRATULATIONS again to the UP PEP SQUAD! You make us proud and more so, make us miss our U.P. days so much!

---------

On a different topic, I have been watching the coverage from Studio 23, the official network for the event; I even went to the past year's coverage and I have concluded...
THEIR COVERAGE SUCKS! I mean, I would think it is common sense that when covering a cheerdance competition, you should concentrate on wide angle shots and not care too much with changing from camera 1 to 2 to 3 to 4. Haay. They tend to miss showing the 'wow factor' of the poses, the jumps, the formations. See for yourself and compare the professional video coverage from the previous video recording from an audience.

Coverage from Studio 23

Positive!

2011-08-16T21:13:00.000+08:00

August 16, 2011
9:13 PM

♥♥♥☺♥♥♥

The Professional Procrastinator

2011-08-16T08:46:00.007+08:00

So, here I am again. Doing everything I can... to not do anything. I was in the same situation a year ago, I even wrote a blog post about it.

I passed the first of two exams already. This is the last one, the final one. The permanent one.

I SERIOUSLY NEED TO START REVIEWING!

Every time I open the book, I think of something else to do and convince myself that the other chore is more urgent. Like... facebooking, emailing, editing photos, researching, online shopping, doing laundry, cleaning our room, watching reality TV. Aacck, I am pathetic. I need to get this over with ASAP!!!

I think I am just scared of the fact that I need to take the exam. That once I start studying, then it means I need to schedule my exam already. Well, actually, its the other way around. The reason I haven't scheduled my exam is that once I schedule it, it means I need to seriously study and that the reality is... I do need to take that frickin certification exam.

Oh and by the way, it's a $350 worth of money to take the exam that goes down the drain unless I am able to pass the exam so I can reimburse it from work. So maybe that is a BIG factor too.

Office Etiquette

2011-08-08T14:03:00.006+08:00

Are there any training schools that teach you office etiquette? Apparently, more and more people need it. I have not attended any but I do believe I have practiced very good office etiquette on all of the offices I have worked at. I would like to give credit to the multinational companies I have worked for in the Philippines from which I believe is where I got the professionalism that I have been practicing since then.

Aside from the obvious stuff like picking your nose, farting, , etc; Here are some little things you should NOT do at work:

1. Stare and read whatever you see in your co-workers monitor. Just because you can see it, doesn't mean you have to read it. How many of us have met a workspace neighbor who just love reading our mails or chats just because they have the proximity of doing it. All the more for co-workers who actually walk to your space, stand behind you, and start reading what is in your monitor.

2. Hover at someone else's workspace. No, it is NOT okay to kill time while staring at what your co-worker is doing. Find something else more productive to do. I just read about my friend's problem about people at work, invading her PERSONAL BUBBLE. For those who need to understand, here's a diagram.

3. Unnecessary physical contact. Emphasis on unnecessary, being one of the youngest people in my office now, I think they see me as their kid or a little child. Sometimes they pinch my face, my arm, or even give me a shove or a 'tap' that to them is harmless, but to someone like me, really unwanted, and sometimes even hurtful. I do tell them and sometimes even show that I am mad about it, but I don't think they take it seriously.

Thank You

2011-07-20T07:04:00.005+08:00

Thank You. Two words, two syllables. Easy.

I might have mentioned this before, but again, I have met and worked with a lot of different races in the world (Chinese, Indian, Singaporean, Spanish, American, etc.) and my co-Filipinos are always the odd ones and the hardest to deal with.

I have noticed that a lot of the Filipinos have a hard time saying THANK YOU. When someone does a good deed or gesture, maybe we feel a bit uncomfortable or maybe it is just a culture-thing that instead of just saying THANK YOU, we opt to say something witty and joke about the person who made the gesture. Maybe we are trying to be funny but end up just bringing embarrassment to that other person.

This morning, I brought coffee for all the coffee drinkers here at work. I thought of bringing coffee so they could at least understand why I don't drink coffee made here in the office (our house coffee is brewed by Keurig using the K-cups which is properly measured and we use hazelnut creamer... I think I love our coffee at home mainly because of the hazelnut creamer).

I thought that would be a nice gesture, to share something I love, maybe they would love it too. So I did bring two travel mug full of good coffee (which mind you, I drove extra carefully and slowly to work just so it won't spill).

I did get a good reaction from one of them, he said his thanks and was very excited after smelling that it was hazelnut coffee. As for the others... typical Filipino guys, I got nothing but joke-full ridicules like:

"why didn't you bring coffee yesterday?"

"why can't you bring coffee everyday?"

"next time you bring coffee, it should be very hot." <--- In my mind I said "Sorry... but I kind of carefully and slowly drove from home so it is not boiling hot when I served them to you." Yes, my dear readers, I even delivered the cup of coffee to their desks!

I just went back to my workstation and literally ignored everybody. I know they have just been teasing but they really had the worst timing. I just sat on my chair, stared at my monitor and concentrated on the news I am reading. I can still hear them and see them on my peripheral vision, but I ignored everything outside my monitor just to recompose myself.

Several months ago, I brought banana muffins (that I baked myself) to work, like a couple of times. Of course, instead of getting Thank You's, I got some jokes, ridicules and whatever nonsense they can say just to put me in the lime light of embarrassing attention.

I remember back in my early college years, a good girl friend of mine said "Kayan, you have nice feet." I felt awkward and said "No, I don't. It's too little. It's too bony, blah blah blah." Then my friend said "Kayan, you don't know how to take a compliment? You have to learn to receive them."

From then on, every time I receive a compliment or a nice gesture, I go back to that story and try my best to say THANK YOU first before blabbering something else.

I, THANK YOU.

Happy Thank You More Please

2011-07-13T13:59:00.003+08:00

Another addition to my favorite 'must-own-bluray' list of movies...

HAPPY THANK YOU MORE PLEASE

It was written, directed and starred by How I Met Your Mother's lead actor Josh Radnor. The screenplay was fantastic, the plot is so appropriately balanced with drama, reality and humor, that not one minute is wasted.

I especially love the soundtrack! All songs written and performed by an indie singer from NY, Jaymay. I am so... buying (ahem, downloading?) her songs.

If you loved Juno, Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, 300 Days of Summer, and of course How I Met Your Mother, then you will surely love this movie as well!

LASIK

2011-07-12T06:58:00.002+08:00

Realization of the Day:

My LASIK eye surgery was the most expensive and uncomfortable 15 minutes of my life but is well worth every second and centavo spent. I shall post the video of the surgery soon! Hehehe... :P

The world is too beautiful to not be seen as clear and colorful as it really is.

Hot!

2011-07-11T11:25:00.005+08:00

Record breaking update!!! Guam is HOT! Literally!

In my two years & something months here in Guam, this is the hottest I have seen my car thermometer show so far. The last record holder was a couple of months ago at 102 F.

Look Both Ways

2011-04-06T11:58:00.004+08:00

Today, I was merrily listening (and singing) to my POP playlist in Pandora while driving to work. I have a meeting early morning so I figured to go to work earlier than usual.

I was driving my usual routine, sticking to 30-40 MPH speed especially during these rush hours when the police love to hide behind the bushes and surprise you with their speed trap from a dangerous curb somewhere (35 MPH is the speed limit).

I have a (bad?) habit of always looking at my rear view mirror. Mostly to compare if I am driving too slow, too fast, if there is police car somewhere or if someone is tailing too close.

Today it was consistently that blue Toyota. For the first 10 minutes of the drive it was driving at least 5 cars behind me, which is way far than the normal. A mile from my office, you would have to merge from a two-lane shortcut road into a six-lane high-way. So I stopped and waited for the high-way to clear up before I turn right. I remember happily singing to this song while I was waiting (on full stop):

And then… BLAAAAGGAAGG!!!

That blue car hit my rear bumper!!! Fortunately I was hitting on the breaks the whole time, or else the force would have pushed my car towards the high-way full of speeding cars. Whew!

I went out of the car, met the driver of the blue car. He was just a kid – definitely a teenager. He couldn’t talk at all. I asked him: “Were you speeding? Are you in a hurry?” He answered in the softest voice: “No, I was looking to my left – on the road.” Great. So he was merging to his right, he looks to his left for approaching cars and forgot to check if there’s a car in front of him. Great.

I called my husband and I was relieved that he agreed to just let it go since it was just a scratch anyway, plus the fact that it was a kid. I reminisced the days when I was just a new driver and had I made the same mistake that the kid did today, I would already be crying my eyes out of fear and embarrassment by now.

I took the boy’s insurance information. The car and insurance was named under his parents’ and grandparents’ name. He will be doing some explaining to them when he gets home later. That may be enough punishment to make him remember to ALWAYS LOOK ON BOTH SIDES BEFORE CROSSING THE STREET.

So today I got my first official Guam/US accident.* It’s not an accomplishment but I guess it adds points to the level of life experiences.

*The unofficial first accident was when I scratched another car’s bumper while trying to come out of a cramped parking area. Although it left a dent onto my bumper, the other car was just a make-shift stainless steel bumper so its rust was just scratched off.

Buntong Hininga

2011-03-29T18:51:00.002+08:00

Isang malalim, mahaba, at makapagbagbag-damdaming

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY...

Very Dissatisfied

2011-03-25T08:32:00.005+08:00

I was filling up an hour-long survey from the US Air Force, checking on the status and well-being of the military spouses.

Of course, just like in any survey, I always put my real and honest opinion in it. I have high regard that data from surveys are put into good use, so people who fill them up must maximize their efforts to answer them as best they could. I even went to work earlier than usual so I can have a concentrated time doing this survey. That's how serious I take these things. Haha.

I have not been very happy with where we are now, everyday, I am reminded that 'there's more to life than this...' When I came across this certain page of the survey, I kind of had a laugh at myself and followed by a deep sigh...this pretty much summarizes how I feel about this place...

Don't Ask Your Married Friends

2011-02-22T10:45:00.004+08:00

I know I am talking in behalf of a lot, if not all, of the married couples out there. This is something we married couples may not tell you bluntly, but we don't like getting asked:

"When are you getting pregnant?"

"Are you pregnant yet?"

"Why are you not pregnant yet?"

There are several reasons why you shouldn’t ask this… here are a few:

1. Even if a couple is trying to get pregnant, they really wouldn’t know WHEN they will get pregnant. It’s just too complicated to answer “Oh, we try to get pregnant everyday, even ten times a day, but so far we are not. So I don’t really know how to answer your question.” You might as well interrogate on what they are doing wrong in their intercourse if you want to continue this conversation and know why they are not yet pregnant.

2. Some couples may have been trying to get pregnant for quite a while and for some scientific or mysterious reason, COULDN’T get pregnant… yet. If you keep on asking them WHEN are they getting pregnant, you unconsciously are just prying on their difficulty and putting your friends in a very awkward and depressing situation.

3. There are couples who are just not into kids yet. So if they answer your question “We don’t want kids yet.” You then ask why, blah blah blah, and the conversation tends to look like the couple needs to justify their decision, when in fact, it is perfectly normal and is not at all your business.

Three for Three

2010-11-04T13:54:00.002+08:00

Two weeks ago, I went to the post office and mailed 3 of the same item to 3 different recipients.

That was around past noon so my stomach was already growling with hunger. I was in such a hurry since I still need to go grab lunch and drive back to work.

So before I faint with hunger, I quickly wrote the shipping addresses on three separate USPS labels and just stuck the shipping labels on the each of the three boxes randomly.

When I got home, I remembered I have printed a personalized greeting cards inside each of the boxes! So I starting stomping (yes, literally) thinking that the recipients will get the gift but with the wrong name card. SO STUPID.

A few minutes ago, I received emails that ALL THREE RECIPIENTS got their cards RIGHT!!!
I stuck the right address label to all three boxes!!! THREE FOR THREE! What are the odds of that!?

Now, they are saying I should be a perfect companion to Vegas. Since I can't go to Vegas today, I shall buy me a LOTTO ticket while all my stars are still aligned.

Stars, keep it steady.
Stay... stay... hold it...

Rhythm of Love

2010-11-01T11:57:00.003+08:00

This is my happy happy joy joy song lately.

This song makes me feel loved inside out that I want to ask my husband to renew our vows, plan another wedding and use this song on our official wedding AVP. Hahahaha!

My head is stuck in the clouds
She begs me to come down
Says "Boy quit foolin' around"
I told her "I love the view from up here

The warm sun and wind in my ear
We'll watch the world from above
As it turns to the rhythm of love"
We may only have tonight

But till the morning sun you're mine all mine
Play the Music low and sway to the rhythm of love

My heart beats like a drum
A guitar string to the strum
A beautiful song to be sung

She's got blue eyes deep like the sea
That roll back when she's laughing at me
She rises up like the tide
The moment her lips meet mine

We may only have tonight
But till the morning sun you're mine all mine
Play the Music low and sway to the rhythm of love

When the moon is low
We can dance in slow motion
And all your tears will subside
All your tears will dry

And long after I've gone
You'll still be humming along
And I will keep you in my mind
The way you make love so fine

We may only have tonight
But till the morning sun you're mine all mine
Play the music low and sway to the rhythm of love

Pinoy na Pinoy Din Siya!

2010-10-27T07:25:00.008+08:00

This political campaign ad I heard this morning at a Filipino radio station here, made me laugh so hard I think I burned 50 calories.

THANK YOU POLITICIANS for all the creativity imparted to the people. Hahahaha!
(I have omitted the names because I am feeling kind today)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Politician's wife (each word said very, very slowly):

MEBOWHAI! Akoh powh si (***), ehsaweh ni (***). An tetey kow powh ey si (***) neh geleng seh Ilowcoes Sur.

Pinay voice: PINOY NA PINOY DIN SIYA!!! IBOTO NATIN, (***)!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I didn't think the wife was funny, but when the voice over shouted "PINOY NA PINOY DIN SIYA!!!" that's when I started bursting with laughter. Yes, half a star for the effort of reading Tagalog sentences in perfect American accent, but to say pinoy na pinoy din siya?! That's just plain joke.

Ergonomics of Your Workstation

2010-10-20T13:15:00.003+08:00

For people who spend at least 90% of their work day sitting in their workstation, you better familiarize yourself with the word ERGONOMICS.

Read through this article I found in the net to help set your workstation properly. Some people may think that demanding the correct workstation ergonomics is too much for them "regular employees." NOT TRUE. You have to remember that you spend most of your day in the office, sometimes more than how much you spend at home. You better make sure that you are working in a comfortable and healthy environment... and ergonomics is just the basics.

Just looking at the above photo, I already have 80% wrong in my own desk. I can't do anything about it because well, it was just built wrong, or maybe not wrong but built for a person a foot taller than me. The desk isn't adjustable and the chair is too big for me. In my 1 year in office, I have probably made at least five desk configurations already. In desperate need to find the most comfortable setup for my laptop, phone, etc., but if the furniture doesn't fit you then you can't do much. Not to mention my most hated issue: GLARE. There's just glare in every direction I tried, oh what a headache (literally!).

Workstation ergonomics is just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to go all out, there are a lot more factors affecting your "Indoor Quality." There's air, sanitation, ventilation, temperature, lighting, acoustics, privacy, color, etc. A lot of the most successful companies started with providing the proper work environment to their people. If you are one of them, then you are very lucky.

20 Ways to Get Good Karma

2010-09-28T12:18:00.001+08:00

Taken from The Dalai Lama:

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three R’s:
- Respect for self,
- Respect for others and
- Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

19. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.

20. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

A Snore of a Conversation

2010-09-08T08:46:00.004+08:00

I just had a whole conversation with my husband... while he was sleeping.

This was not the first time it happened but this is probably one of the most interactive talks with him while he is unconscious. Haha.

He usually just mumbles about some random phrases. Like when the time he was reviewing for his CLEP Algebra exam, he mumbled about a certain formula while he was asleep. While he was taking one of his subjects about IT Management, he mumbled about tables and databases.

The other night was my first work day after a 3-day weekend, and his first day back in the island after a 5-day vacation in the Philippines.

It was 8 AM, he was still in deep sleep. This was the gist of the conversation (translated in English).

Me: Mr, I am off to work.
Mr: Huh? You don't have work today.
Me: Me? I have work today, it's already Tuesday.
Mr: No, you have an excuse letter.
Me: What excuse letter?
Mr: The (mumble mumble mumble) letter.
Me: You're still sleeping, you don't know what you're saying.
Mr: No, you don't have work today.

'Me' then walks away.

Random Memories of UP Architecture Forum

2010-08-22T12:49:00.006+08:00

My 29 random memories of you:

1. The then AF tambayan was the 4th floor landing of the Eng’g building (I don’t know what they call that side, basta yung side adjacent to the tennis court). Prior to being a member of the organization, I used to DREAD crossing that landing because the AF members were everywhere, yes, nakakakalat, sa buong landing. They were an odd looking bunch of people but the people who stand out are the long haired big, bulky, rowdy-looking guys who would stare at anyone who passes by. For a freshman like me, that thought was absolutely scary! So instead of crossing that landing, there were times I would just pass thru the center stairs of the building instead.

2. When people ask me what made me join Arki Forum, I couldn’t quite explain it except for one word: DIVERSITY.

3. I don’t think anyone can ever make a stereotype of what an AF member is. It’s a place to be comfortable with who you are. We all dress up differently, talk differently, have fun differently, I guess we all have something in common: how to learn while having fun.

4. A lot of the professors didn’t like the organization then, because we are not the typical angelic bunch. We are kind of territorial, we are noisy, we pollute the air, we get drunk in the tambayan, we ‘owned’ the boys’ and girls’ restrooms beside our tambayan, we are NOT THE NORM. Most people hate you when you refuse to be part of the norm. As much as the professors think they don’t like us, come events where they are in need of manpower, logistics power, creative power, free labor, who do they go to? Arki Forum.

5. I remember prior to being an active AF member, I go home whenever I had hours and hours of vacant time in between subjects. Post-AF active membership, I go to school early in the morning and leave school hours after my classes, just to hang out with the AF peeps.

6. Cozy. I absolutely loved our tambayan! Our batch ‘renovated’ the whole area to a point that we had soft couches, accent pillows, paintings, etc. We usually just hang out there during sun down, chit chat with friends while people watching, light the scented candles and play some good music in the background. Aaaahhhh…

7. The restrooms beside the tambayan may have Male or Female labeled on each of the two doors, it didn’t mean it was exclusive though. You should not be surprised to see boys in the girls restroom and girls taking a shower in the boy’s restroom. I have had a lot of heart to heart talks in the girls restroom, it’s our favorite place to talk about heartbreaks, etc. I also remember crying in the same room after my oh-so-good friend tripped me at the corridor, for everyone to see. Which reminds me of another fond memory…

8. After that friend tripped me at the corridor (itago natin siya sa pangalang Romel Orlando hahaha), I got mad at him, of course, 10% because of humiliation, 10% because I thought it was so immature and 80% because my knees was bruised and it was absolutely painful. It was hard to not be in speaking terms with one of your closest friends, whom you see every day, talk to every day, text with, and hang out with at the same place every single day. I remember people feeling either weirded or out that we weren’t in speaking terms, but see us at the same table, same vicinity, talking to the same group of people. Hahaha. Hoy Romel, ano na nga ba ung hinirit mo candidly kaya napilitan ako kausapin ka ulit? Hahaha.

9. I think 80% of the org members were smokers but not one of them ever asked me to try it too. I extra love my friends for that. :P

10. I had been taking a sip or two of beers or cocktails since high school but my official introduction to the word “tipsy” was from Arki Forum’s Meriendahan. I think I was already in third year then. I remember smiling almost the whole night and unstoppable laughing but to what? I do not remember. Ang unang nag-abot sakin ng baso ng ice-cold beer, itago natin siya sa pangalang, Inson Manalo. Bwahaha!

11. On our thesis year, we rented a 2 bedroom apartment near school so we can concentrate on our thesis. YEAH RIGHT! There were six of us renters in that townhouse, but probably at least 15 people sleeping in the house most of the time. During that year, I think that house became the official AF house. We have several desktop computers which was 20% of the time used for papers and 80% for network gaming, a huge parking space, a patio perfect for inuman, and very kind neighbors who did not complain. Haha.

12. Days before our thesis defense, the thesis house was packed! The overnight inuman sessions turned into overnight production of our thesis materials. Countless hours of labor of love that you did not ask for but was given to you wholeheartedly by your friends. Whenever one comes by the house, the immediate greeting was “What can I do?”

13. Come defense day, they were still there to watch us and become our instant jolalays, taga-pindot ng slide show, taga-signal ng remaining time, or mga dakilang taga-nood for moral support, fan club. When the panel of judges finally announced our grade, it was “95 point WHOOOOHOOOOOWAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!” Screams, shouts, loud applause from the crowd, like proud Moms and Dads, they were jumping for the team’s success.

14. Another culture I got from AF is to study hard on days that you want to, and on the other days, do whatever you like. Take your own pace. The morning I woke up for my thesis defense, both my thesis mates were missing – one went to a salon, one went to have her nails done. Haha! I was on the other hand in the house watching Betty La Fea. That is how you prepare for an important presentation. You RELAX.

15. The Architecture Forum applicant interview. A 3 hour interview to wrap up months of the org’s application process. All the members would probably want to forget that day but I bet they could never do that. Enough said. Haha.

16. Out of the blue, our batch of Arki Forum officers and friends felt like dancing in front of the crowd. So we did. Not all of us were born good dancers, but the rule is… if you want to dance, then just go do it. For the girls, it was Don’t Call Me Baby by Madison Avenue, and for the boys it was Bye Bye Bye by N’Sync. Lupiiiittt!

17. Vice relay. A game I first knew because of the org. It’s a, hmm, relay race of all vices. Haha. Each team member would have to finish a station of vice (e.g. beer, cigarette, etc) or the vice’s usual partners (e.g. pulutan like chicharon). First team to finish wins.

18. Sem-ender out of towns! Tagaytay, Batangas, etc. Well, it didn’t really matter where we go, but a day or two away from school, with the rest of the AF members, is always F.U.N.

19. I had a crush then, code named Blacky. What’s the point of having a code name when everyone in the org knows who he is anyway. Hahaha.

20. The blue comfy couch. I have slept on it, wept on it, people watched, studied, had small talks, drank beer, or had a heart to heart conversation on that blue couch. It’s probably the prime spot of the tambayan then.

21. The then scary looking big men I mentioned on item 1 later became my big bros. Who would have thought they were actually sensitive and emotional men? The type that talks about their feelings and knows how to appreciate love songs. What a disguise! :P

22. I was standing peacefully by the tambayan ledge, people watching at the parking lot below when I witnessed three men wearing ski masks pass by the driveway, smashed another car with baseball bats, then drove away. The car owner then saw it a few minutes later, opened and closed one of the doors of his car and said “PU*****NA!” Then walked away casually. Everyone else went on to do what they were doing, dedma.

23. Dance dance revolution in the tambayan! :)

24. When I was still an officer heading the application process, I had a few applicants who I knew was just joining the organization so they can put it in their resume. They complied with all the requirements of the application process. Text-book A student. The typical non-AF attitude. I knew they didn’t have the heart of an AF member but couldn’t reject their application just by my gut feel that “they don’t have the heart.” They did pass the application with flying colors, score-wise. Was they ever seen by the organization after that? Nope. Did they ever become an active member? Nope. Did they ever get in touch with the org? Nope.

25. You know you’re a true Arki Forum member when you have been to Sarah’s (all too) frequently. You need not be a beer-lover and drink all the time, regardless, you were there for the company of the ones who did.

26. Skyflakes na dinurog sa Century Tuna (bonus na kung may sibuyas kayo). Instant pulutan.

27. During Arki Forum week, we felt like doing a huge artwork of the AF mascot - Yattattee (Oh no! Wrong spelling?). So we did. It was so big it was covering almost a third of the width of the hallway. We’ve put it in the middle of the hallway where people would have dodge their way pass it. We didn’t get any complaints though, that’s how powerful that green monster is.

28. AF logbook. This is our exclusive FACEBOOK, TWITTER, BLOG page all in one. Most of us did not have cellphones then too, so this is our main means of communication. We write lyrics of songs, poems, or have our own chat pages in it. I especially love the comic strips in it! The logbook is your daily dose of comic relief, emo page, art, or just plain gossip. I wonder if they still have it now and still uses it as much as we did before. I hope so!

29. August is our foundation month. In preparation for Arki Forum’s (usually) month-long celebration, the members try to finish all the production work by doing it all night long, for consecutive days for some. As the saying goes, Architects do it all night long. Being the morning person that I am, I usually wake up early in the morning and find everyone fast asleep, literally in each and every corner, hallway, steps in and along the tambayan. It was such a sight to see, a peaceful, breezy morning, cups of paints, wet paint brushes scattered everywhere, empty beer bottles on the floor, junk food scraps on your feet, and those angelic looking friends of yours sleeping in the oddest positions you have ever seen. You are the lucky ones (or the early sleepers) if you got a couch, or perhaps a table to sleep on, but for most of the people who worked all night, their bed is a piece of manila paper on the concrete floor, a 4” wide bench, 2 pieces of chairs to balance your body in, or perhaps the drafting table. Yes, for all nighters, if you can sleep on/in it, it’s yours for the night. Oh, how I wish I have the pictures.

Happy 29th Anniversary to Arki Forum!
MORE POWER!!! :)

Note: Above logo taken from UP Arki Forum Facebook page.

The First Jeepney in Guam

2010-08-17T18:35:00.004+08:00

Guam Customs on the first jeepney in Guam: "Send it back to the Philippines or have it destroyed."

So this Pinoy jeepney has been making headlines here lately. The background, this Jeepney was imported from the Philippines to be used for display only, but was seen as one of the Liberation Day Parade float of a pair of candidates running for Governor & Vice-governor (the Governor is pretty much the President here).

From the news:

Guam - Guam Customs and Quarantine has revoked the entry of a vehicle brought to the island by Auto Traders last weekend. On Monday Customs officers cleared and inspected a jeepney, but received assurances from the owner that it would only be used for static display purposes because it does not meet U.S. Department of Transportation specifications.

Despite signing an agreement that the vehicle would not be driven on Guam's roads, Customs officials say they received numerous reports of the jeepney out and about. Additionally, Customs determined the vehicle was brought to Guam under false pretenses.

They've ordered the jeepney to be sent back to the Philippines or be destroyed.

I have to say, the jeepney looks pretty cool!!! :)

Above photo taken from other website.

Thinking GREEN

2010-08-04T06:44:00.008+08:00

So, as of 30 July 2010, I am officially GREEN MINDED.

I am now a USGBC LEED Green Associate. Wooopeeee!!!
So a lot of people are not yet aware of what USGBC and LEED are, especially if you are not in the construction/design field. All the more, what the heck is a LEED Green Associate?
To summarize, here’s an article from Wikipedia:

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Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies intended to improve performance in metrics such as energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED is intended to provide building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

Since its inception in 1998, the U.S. Green Building council (citation LEED for existing buildings v2.0 reference guide page pg 11) has grown to encompass more than 14,000 projects in the United States and 30 countries covering 1.062 billion square feet (99 km²) of development area.[1] The hallmark of LEED is that it is an open and transparent process where the technical criteria proposed by USGBC members are publicly reviewed for approval by the almost 20,000 member organizations that currently constitute the USGBC.

The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) was established by USGBC to provide a series of exams to allow individuals to become accredited for their knowledge of the LEED rating system. This is recognized through either the LEED Accredited Professional(LEED AP) or LEED Green Associate (LEED GA) designation. GBCI also provides third-party certification for projects pursuing LEED.

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In short, it means you are a certified expert in designing environment friendly facilities.

I have wanted to take the certification exam since last year but was too afraid to do so. Although my company will pay for all the exam expenses, of course, I would want to pass the first try.

I have also been doing the LEED analyses in our projects so I pretty much know the concepts already so I have no excuse. My boss has been reminding me too many times already to take the exam but all I say is “yes Sir, next month.”

Until the time when I realized I have ample free time at work. I just finished submitting a project and pretty much have around 3 weeks of free time to study. So I did.

My plan was to schedule the exam 3 weeks after I was able to read the book at least 3 times. Did that happen? NO!

I was able to read the book 1.5 times. Yes, the 2nd time, I was just browsing. It’s a pain for me to read books. After 5 pages I take a break, go facebooking, and forget about the studying part. Haha. I did practice on the sample exams I have and took me 5 tries (taken inconsecutively, in between reading and studying phases) before I perfected it.

I was so confident that I wanted to take the exam the next day. I felt like I had all the concepts fresh in my memory. Typical self-doubting me, I schedule the exam a week after, so I thought I still have time to read the book one more time. Of course I didn’t do that either.

Exam day, I went to the testing center 3 hours early, to make sure I am on the right place. I went to lunch and studied a little more, then went for the exam.

It was a hundred questions, each question weighted differently. Passing score is 170/200 which is around 86%.

By the time I was on question 10, I had lost my confidence. I was doubtful I had it in the bag. Boy was the sample exam misleading! Darn sample exam was too easy. The actual exam contains ALL trick questions, analysis type of questions. I marked around 14 questions, questions which I had doubts on.

I finished reviewing my answers. Cilcked END.

Then the results page displayed. I can’t see any “CONGRATULATIONS” on the page so I was beginning to feel cold. Haha! I see the scores, the percentages, but don’t see any CONGRATULATIONS or YOU MADE IT!

Under the total score there was a tiny text saying “Result: PASS.” THAT’S ALL I NEEDED TO SEE!

I started packing up my things, pens, scrap paper and ID with a smile. WHEW! I can’t hide my smile that time. BIG WHEW!!!

Now, this certification exam is just part 1 of 2 exams. It is a stepping stone to become LEED Accredited Professional. Being a LEED Green Associate is just good for two years. With that, I better start my reviewing… AGAIN.