Tales from My Head

Let's End It On This

2004-12-31T18:50:00.000+08:00

Happy (Gregorian calendar) New Year to everybody! Although I do not really celebrate this occassion as "the" new year (I celebrate the Passover and Rosh Hashanah), I'm still anticipating this event (January 1) each year. I hope and pray that the coming year would provide us with some more blessings and lessons to ponder with as we draw closer to the time of the coming of our Lord Jesus.

At this point I'd like to thank all those who have been part of this blog (by commenting, tagging, and simply reading). Below are names of the people whom I am really greatful with for sharing their thoughts at least once on my posts (thru the Haloscan comment boxes):

Kenneth, Aireene, Cali, Charry,
Mike, Kei, FirstQ, Sedricke,
Mechelle, Ava, Haiku, Lui,
Celia, Jepi, Joelle, Ariane,
Kengkeng, Tanggero, Tracy, Mart

Thanks for letting me know that I'm not blabbering to myself alone. Hehe. With this, I end 2004 and this blog called Tales from My Head. It doesn't mean, though, that I'll no longer be whining about "heady" stuff. My new blog goes right here.

Happy 2005! Pfft.

The B.O.M.B. 2004

2004-12-29T20:22:00.000+08:00

It's not uncommon for some artists in the music industry to release a "greatest hits" record very early in their respective careers. Some of them would just wait until their singles are enough to fit in one CD. I'm not doing this in their tradition, really. I just find it fun to release a B.O.M.B (Best Of My Blog) list for 2004 for reasons which would be obvious in my next post.

Um, drumroll please...

Reality Bites, Chews, and Swallows

Re: Burning Questions

The World in My Box

I Am So Not Homesick

Happiness is a State of Mind

MNL to NRT

Left to Right

The Fact or Fiction Discourse

Leaving FROM Home

The 22nd

Hard Drive Music

2004-12-27T18:30:00.000+08:00

Because of I-Tunes, I never had the urgency to buy my own CD player. I could play all of my CDs in here without having to insert them everytime. I prefer this software better than Windows Media Player because of its Play Count feature which tracks how many times I've played each of the songs in my library.

Below are some of the songs most often played from my library. And the lyrics which make me want to sing and pretend to relate to it. Haha.

---oOo---

1. I'm Gonna Be Alright (J.Lo featuring 50 Cent) - 23 times played
From: J-To-Tha-L-O!

I wanna be the reason you smile after you wipe your tears / The reason you have the courage to confront your fears

2. 'Til I Found You (Freestyle) - 21 times played
From: This Time

I used to think that I was fine / Oh, that I was doing okay / I didn't know that I was blind / I just went on along my way.

3. Faint (Linkin Park) - 18 times played
From: Meteora

I am a little bit insecure / a little unconfident / Cause you don't understand I do what I can but sometimes I don't make sense / I am what you never wanna say / but I've never had a doubt / It's like no matter what I do I can't convince you for once just to hear me out

4. The Color of Love (Boyz II Men) - 17 times played
From: Full Circle

Then an angel, out of the blue / Gave me the sense that I might make it through / And somehow I survived, with no rhyme or reason / And now I know I'll make it / Through the miracle of you

5. Could It Be Any Harder (The Calling) - 16 times played
From: Camino Palmero

You left me with goodbye and open arms / A cut so deep I don't deserve / Well, you were always invincible in my eyes / The only thing against us now is time

6. Wherever You Will Go (The Calling) - 15 times played
From: Camino Palmero

If a great wave shall fall / It would fall upon us all / Well I hope there's someone out there / Who can bring me back to you

7. Shackles [Praise You] (Mary Mary) - 15 times played
From: Thankful

Been through the fire and the rain / Bound in every kind of way / But God has broken every chain / So let me go right now

8. Cry Ophelia (Adam Cohen) - 14 times played
From: Songs from Dawson's Creek

Thank God for my bad memory / I've forgotten some of the stupid things that I've done / I've come to a little wisdom through a whole lot of failure / So I watch more carefully what rolls off my tongue

9. Like I Love You (Justin Timberlake) - 13 times played
From: Justified

You know / I used to dream about this when I was a little boy / I never thought it would end up this way / Drums... (Hey)

10. Nasaan (Nyoy Volante and Mannos) - 13 times played
From: Acoustic: Nyoy Volante and Mannos

Sabi mo'y ako hanggang muling magkita / Bakit ngayon nasa piling ng iba

11. Rainbow (South Border) - 13 times played
From: Episode III

Life's full of challenges / Not all the time we get what we want / But don't despair my dear / You'll take each trial / And you'll make it through the storm coz you're strong / My faith in you is clear

12. It's No Crime (Babyface) - 12 times played
From: Tender Lover

Why, it's no crime / If I'm guilty of love / Let me do my time / Why, it's no crime / Everybody needs love / And baby (so do I)

13. I'm Alright (Jars of Clay) - 12 times played
From: If I Left the Zoo

So cut below the surface and try hard not to notice / That I could be so foolish thinkin' I'm alright / I've got no one to hold me, I've got no one to carry / Everything inside of me that I won't let you see

14. There Goes the Neighborhood (Sheryl Crow) - 12 times played
From: The Very Best of Sheryl Crow

This is the movie of the screenplay / Of the book about a girl who meets a junkie / The messenger gets shot down / Just for carrying the message to a flunkie

15. Tea and Symphathy (Jars of Clay) - 11 times played
From: Much Afraid

So fare thee well / Words the bag of leaves that fill my head / I could taste the bitterness and call the waitress instead / She holds the answer, smiles and asks one teaspoon or two

---oOo---

I've been tracking the play count for about six months already and the highest of them is still not that high. Variety is the reason.

Wow, many of the songs above are way to cheesy. Haha. It's a good thing I bought this headset with a mic. Now I could sing and record my voice while singing.

Adapted, Animated, Publicized, Forgotten

2004-12-25T23:01:00.000+08:00

The Prince of Egypt is on Studio 23 tonight. I have been yearning to watch it since it was released (1999, I think) but to no avail. For one, I wasn't able to see it while it was still playing in theatres cause I wasn't all that interested by the hype that DreamWorks was generating back then. Some reviews have predicted it to be an Oscar contender for best picture but you know what happened.

At least, it won for best song (by the much hyped about duet). Okay, now I remember why I wasn't all that interested in watching back then. In some press releases for the movie, the producers plainly stated that this film is not supposed to be of the religious type. Well, they made a movie about Moses and the deliverance of God's people from polytheistic pagans. And then it's not supposed to be religious?

I thought the producers blew it all away by that statement. When Video City started dropping their rental price to 15 pesos, I was out looking for this film on VCD (and VHS). Couldn't find it. I did saw some copies for sale but I was restraining myself from buying VCDs since I know that eventually DVDs would obsolete this format.

It was shown at least twice on local TV but still I wasn't able to watch it (I'm not a big fan of television, if you have observed). Although I bought the soundtrack (in cassette, mind you) last year. This is one of the few reasons why I came to like classical music.

--oOo--

This film often comes up after some very lively discussion with my friends. When I asked them if they've seen the movie, here are the top three answers:

#1: Alin, yung cartoons?

#2: May movie bang ganun?

#3: Yoko nga nun.

Obviously, the film has been buried in obscurity.

--oOo--

What's the big deal about this movie anyway and why am I writing about this on a day when everyone else seems to be celebrating some kind of a "holiday"?

I am a Judaism "enthusiast". This is one of the earliest recorded histories of the Israelites.
The story of Moses and the Hebrew deliverance is actually a symbol of the bigger picture: Jesus and the deliverance of God's people in the last days.
The songs are great; the animation is fantastic; the movie is very entertaining.
After the events depicted in this movie, God gave specific instructions for His chosen people. This started in the Ten Commandments (The Law).
The Law also includes certain days to be celebrated and/or be kept holy.
The Law certainly did not mention anything about Santa Claus or December 25.
Neither does the Bible mention it.

Even the cult of Dan Brown knows this. And you don't?

Left to Right

2004-12-23T23:06:00.000+08:00

Below are pictures of some people I often come across with for the last few months. Don't be surprised if you find one or two familiar faces. It's a small world after all.

Central Perks. From left to right: Cris, Mechelle , Rochelle, Eve, Ding, Joel, Lui. Photo taken in front of the church along Quezon Avenue. On the way to two birthday celebrations.

SSER Team Rev 1 (a.k.a. CML: The Early Days). Left to right (back): Kirby, Ate Thea, Ver, Manuel, Joy, Lea; (front): Sir Edryl, Lyn, Sir Prospero. Photo taken during my first few weeks as a trainee in CML. Hellish.

The Defunct Test Engineering Team. Left to right (standing): Kuya Willy, Ver, Sir George, Kuya Arnold, Vener, Irene, Kuya Jao, Sir Jack, Ate Flor, Eric; (sitting): Lyn, Kirby, Ate Mherly (she's actually standing). Christmas hangout in Tagaytay (2003).

Tulay-bitin. Amor and Espie. On the way to the Sunday teaching stint for the barrio kids somewhere in Imus.

BK Group. We're not in Burger King anymore but in McDonald's. Left to right: Jesselle, Joel, Eve, Mechelle.

Almost my cousins. Left to right: Michael, Mae, Patrick, John, Mark. Four nephews and one niece.

MTV. Mark, Thelma, and Ver. Yesterday at Halfway Zoo in Tagaytay.

Mallrats. Mark, Thelma, and Naran. Reunited at SM Dasma.

House calls. My mother, Erica (my niece), my father, and Mae (another niece). And this is one corner of the house.

In my place. This is Ver, making faces inside his room. Wondering if dinner is ready downstairs. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

The 22nd

2004-12-21T23:24:00.000+08:00

To wake up tomorrow is to not be 21. Sorry, I didn’t mean to hype my birthday like this. And due to activity overload, I wasn’t able to plan what I will do tomorrow. I can’t say we anymore because it seems that the people who are originally supposed to accompany me has declined my itinerary. I suggested to go shopping in Megamall, then go to Intramuros, then watch the sunset at Manila Bay, then go home by 7.

Absurd? That’s my idea of fun. I want to go to the mall just because I have to buy gifts. For the past how many years, I’ve been spending my birthday at the mall and this has got to change. Not during this year, though. Maybe when I’m 64.

----

It has been my thing to write some introspective blah-ness the night before my birthday each year. Sort of a “looking back” thing and then question myself if I will be laughing about it the next year. Tonight should be no different.

----

I loved being 21. Being this young gives me quite an overwhelming feeling of freedom and independence. Needless to say, I was able to live some of things I was yearning to do back when I was still a student. Here are some of those things:

Eat without having to take much notice of how much I have actually spent on the food. Lunch at McDo several times in a week is not indulgence.
Organize and build up my own little library. The shelf always has enough room because after reading, some books are borrowed, some intentionally misplaced and forgotten.
Stop and blog. Haven’t I mentioned that this was the best thing since the internet itself?
Play badminton. I used to think of sports as belonging to another world outside my own. And then I grabbed a badminton racket.
Overwhelm myself with programming stuff. There are so many software tutorials I have yet to immerse myself into. Now, the problem is time.
Indulge in photography. Thanks to HP, I could just shoot things, places, and people like crazy.

And yeah, I was also able to get a real life again and have stopped living in the fantasy world I built around myself.

----

Now that we’ve passed through the lighter side of things, here are the benchmarks of the past year:

After many months of hiatus, I returned to the fellowship at Manila Center church. Basically, I left because I realized that some people have been thinking that I’ve been attending the church just to see a special person. Very well.

On frequent occasions, I struggle with work. And I also struggle with persons at the workplace. Sometimes, I felt that the company is trying to make me do the impossible. Although sometimes, impossibility is just a state of mind.

The trip to Colorado has changed the way I look at life at the very least. At first, I felt that it was just not appropriate to go to a foreign land. Suddenly, everyday became an adventure. The American lifestyle is just too ideal for me.

Somehow, it seems as if the 24-hour period of each day is not enough to do all the things I want to do. Life has become a race with time. I will only win by letting go of some things. Still, I am losing.

Whenever I ask my college friends how they are doing, they would always reply in the context of their respective jobs. Career is important, alright. But I hope we’d go beyond these conversations next time.

Most people would suspect that I am lying when I say that I am 21 years old. I look older, probably, about 26 or so. After telling them the year of my birth, the more they are convinced I’m lying. They don’t know how to count.

This is the end of me being the youngest. I have always been the youngest in the class. The youngest in the family, I also was. For more than a year, I was also the youngest test/product engineer in CML. But I guess I still am.

This is too much for a day’s post. Finally, we have a destination for tomorrow. It’s a zoo in Tagaytay City. My friends really want to play it cool.

We Win Some, We Lose Some More

2004-12-19T20:35:00.000+08:00

This is another long post in the making. Totally a jam-packed weekend coupled with my jam-packed nutshell tales. Where do I start?

---

Birthday

My birthday is coming up (FYI, it’s on Wednesday) and I have decided to spend it with my high school buddies mainly because they were the ones who responded first. There was no turning back when I heard that they’ve already taken their leave of absence for the day. Huh, and I wasn’t even allowed to take my day off.

They are insisting on Star City or Enchanted Kingdom. I prefer EK, of course but I still want to spend the day somewhere where I could “think about stuff”. Something like a walk in Baywalk and take pictures while waiting for the sunset. Or go to a museum. Or a foreign language film festival perhaps. I’ll go check out the web and see what’s up on Wednesday. If you’ve got suggestions, please tell me.

---

Wedding

The wedding of Kirby and his new wife (Winnie, I think, is her name) has been great to witness. And it was also nice to go to Pampanga. I really thrive on going places. But I went home early: right after the groom kissed the bride. I was waiting for the “I now pronounce you man and wife” part but we barely heard the priest throughout the ceremony.

Without any knowledge of how to get back to Cavite from San Fernando in Pampanga, I still orchestrated my “escape”. From the church, I just got on the first jeepney which came by. There were no signboards in the jeepneys. Then to SM Pampanga. Then to a place called the “intersection”, and then the bus to Pasay. What a relief to see EDSA.

---

Theft

This is the third in a string of character-building experiences I had. First, my computer crashed. It was already repaired and up and running. Second, my camera unexpectedly being borrowed for the holidays. It has just been returned earlier by Joel. And now, probably the biggest blow – my wallet is lost.

Okay, not lost but stolen. Every single evidence points to one man. I heard his voice early in the morning and I think it was coming from my room. What was he doing in my room early in the morning? I was still in bed in my other room downstairs. Apparently, his wife called through our phone and then my mom called him so he could attend to the phone. Right then, I knew something wasn’t right.

Rising from bed after ten minutes, I went upstairs and then my feeling that something was wrong has been reinforced by the sight of my drawer partly open. It was where I put my wallet every night. Right above is the telephone. I opened it and then it hit me. My wallet is gone. With it, all my cards and half of my bonus. Happy birthday to me.

Sound Advice

2004-12-17T18:41:00.000+08:00

Since it's early Sabbath evening, I decided to renew my "tradition" of listening to gospel songs the hour after sunset. Haven't done this in a while because of extended hours of travel. Today's quite a very appropriate time because as I'm typing this post, the Product Engineering christmas party is going on. There were three of these parties already which I had declined to attend. The CML party was snobbed by yours truly because of the retro theme (which I have already mentioned in a previous post). The Test Engineering and the ongoing Product Engineering party are both being held on a Sabbath evening.

I may be missing some fun times with them but I just don't deem it appropriate to party on a Friday night. Then I hear this song in my head:

Party people, it's Friday night / Gonna rock this joint until the morning light / Crowd is jumping, it feels alright / Forget Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. It's Friday night.

Oh yeah, there's something really fishy about Friday nights being the usual time to have fun for most people. Ok, I may not be going to any parties but I guess I will push through with attending Kirby's wedding tomorrow. I'm at the stage of recovering from my unwellness. The sore throat is gone. The cold is creeping up. And I get a lot of headaches from the right side of my brain.

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

Back to the music. I was previously listening to this group called The Liberated Wailing Wall. I found them at the Jews for Jesus website, which by the way, I discovered while walking in Denver. You can download their songs for free right here. So far, I have only downloaded songs from their album This Is Jesuralem. Maybe we could use these songs in the AY program someday.

The thing is that I want to learn as much as I could regarding the plight of the Jews. These people were once chosen by God and are evidently going to turn back their hearts before the end of days. Finally, they will accept the Messiah's real identity.

Besides them, I also listen to some contemporary artists such as Jars of Clay. Maybe some people would attest that rock music and the gospel message could not jive with each other. They even call it the Devil's music. Now, that's a sad thought.

P.S. I wanted to share some lyrics from Jars of Clay's If I Left the Zoo CD. I'm flipping right now... Ok, I'll pick Unforgetful You since it was kind of popular back then. But only a few really read the lyrics. I can't believe it was even in the soundtrack of Drive Me Crazy.

I never minded calling You a King
If that meant that I could count on You
To give me everything
I never thought to ask You
I always thought You knew
It was never my intention to question You

You never minded calling me a child
Well, I guess that's how I acted all the while
But You live through every tantrum, You see through every lie
Though they seem to be more common
I just wanted You to know why oh why

Unforgetful You, unforgetful
Unforgetful You, so unforgetful

You never minded giving us the stars
Then showing us how blind and unaware of You we are
You painted me a picture and showed me how to see
Though I just won't behold it
Unless it pertains to me...

For Better or For What?

2004-12-15T21:29:00.000+08:00

This throat of mine is giving me a warning that I’m going to be sick soon. Maybe soon enough for the wedding on Saturday. Not my wedding but Kirby’s. This probably means that I wouldn’t be able to go to church. Weddings only happen once in our lives. Ok, that might not be true with some people but indeed, I still consider weddings as a very special event.

Although I have to be educated with the ceremony because it has been a long time since I’ve attended one. It just surprised me, like, I haven’t really witnessed any of my friends tying the knot yet. Cause there’s all these talk about us being in the supposed marrying age already. By the way, I used to ask my friends if it was okay to schedule my wedding on a Sabbath. Simply because it’s the only free time I may have.

Anyway, it’s also quite a relief to realize that most of my friends are single. But sooner or later, these people would find their version of the one. That includes me, of course. And I can’t believe I’m talking about this stuff right now.

By the way, what I have noticed with some people, girls specifically, is that they think too much about the wedding day and get all preoccupied with the preparation. As if married life is bundled up in a single day.

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

I sent email to my boss to tell him that I’d be utilizing my birthday leave on my birthday. I was not asking permission this time but well, he told me that I have to take a leave on the day after instead. He reasons that it’s ideal since my vacation would be continuous. And that I have to finish all my deliverables before vacation if I wanted to have one.

Ok, I agree with him on the deliverables part but I may still not go to work on my birthday. What’s a birthday leave if you can’t use it on your actual birthday? Not that celebration is big deal. I just wanted to get away for the day regardless if it’s almost vacation.

Click and Shoot

2004-12-13T21:18:00.000+08:00

For some reasons, my world came tumbling down yesterday. Maybe because of my fault. My foolishness. Fool. I’m just relieved I could admit it. That I have been vain, self-absorbed, and other synonyms. I wouldn’t go into details of this though. It’s just that I have come to another realization. Hopefully, this time, I am not overanalyzing things. And again, I’m relieved. (Now I can breathe again).

Zap. Change the mood. The play produced by AMiCUS yesterday was nevertheless very good. (Applauds) Another kudos for them. The play is entitled Estragel, basically about man’s everyday struggles told in witty style. I should’ve brought my non-Adventist friends. Needless to say, this was part of the reason why I felt like a fool.

Right after the play, I turned over my digital camera to Joel. Before parting, I asked him when he’d be returning it. December 26. WHAT?! That is about two weeks from now. Well, I’ve already agreed so I wasn’t able to take it back. And then I was at the Gil Puyat LRT station, thinking about what I just did.

I thought about the next two weeks without my camera. Let’s see – some more Christmas parties are going to take place, my birthday, Mae’s birthday, our trip to EK, and of course, Christmas. These events would all be taking place without my camera. I asked myself if I was just being pathetic or plain materialistic. Where is a shrink when you need one?

(Missing) Like the deserts miss the rain.

Killing the Floppy Disk

2004-12-11T18:06:00.000+08:00

Update on my computer: it's not busted anymore although I wouldn't be able to get it from the repair shop until tomorrow. So, I'm back at blogging here at Netopia. This is just the place best to be (for a price, I guess). It's got these neat Altec Lansing headphones which got me all hooked up with Yahoo! Launch some months ago. Plus, their computers have USB ports up front (I won't have to reach for the back of the CPU).

I need USB ports for my flash drive. For me, floppy drives are history. They're not handy, not efficient, and not durable. With the flash drive, I could easily get my files in and out of the office without the guards ever noticing it. Floppies and CDs are not allowed but they just have no idea what this odd-looking stick could do so they just let it pass. That is, if they ever get to notice it.

Wow, this post is starting to look like an ad for Netopia and Apacer USB Flash Drive. Show me the money...

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

We just conluded the Bible quiz for Area 3. I was almost a participant. The thing is, we ran out of questions so I had to help and contribute some of the questions and automatically disqualify myself from the activity. Some questions I contributed:

Which feast is celebrated by the Jews on the beginning of the seventh month of each year?
What is the name of the year when the Israelites would have to return to their own properties? This occurs every 49 years.
Which book in the Old Testament is this statement found: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
From which book do you find this riddle: "Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet."

I thought I was being merciful because I didn't ask for the answer to the riddle in the fourth question. I just asked for the book.

Geek, Interrupted

2004-12-09T18:39:00.000+08:00

My computer has bogged down again. I then realized just how important it is to me just by the panic I experienced when I found out that it would not power up. It's like the center of my work and leisure for the past seven months (?) already. And this is about the second time that it does not power up. The first time it happened, I was enraged for I thought that Kuya Vic messed up with it.

I have like, loads of kwentos that's why I can't help but drop by this internet cafe. By the way, this is also where I dropped my CPU for repair earlier, very immediately after finding out about the anomaly.

All day, I bummed around the house because we've got no work since the Christmas party is going on as I'm typing this post. They are now doing it in a Thursday night, which is great. The sad thing is that they are encouraging us to wear retro (60s to 80s) attire cause that's the theme. Forget it, I said to myself. Call me killjoy. Call me antisocial. Call me anything. I'm just not into it even if they say that it's not exactly required of us to do that.

After a long while I've finally been able to just stay home for an uninterrupted 24-hour period. I just thought that my parents and family are not getting enough of me. I'm out of the house everyday and I usually go home late, eat dinner, then retreat to my room. Bummer. It feels like Christmas since I'm spending some quality time with them.

Some of the things I did today:

1. Exercise - haven't done that in a while. I'm expecting to feel sore muscles by tomorrow.

2. Read - I've got new stuff in my library: Not Even a Hint (by Josh Harris) and You Are What You Think (by David Stoop). So far, so great. I also caught up with IKDG (also by Josh, yeah, I am still not finished with this) and Time Out of Mind: The Diaries of Michael Leonards (it's a blog actually from the 60s in hardbound book form).

3. Eat - we have some leftover ice cream and Regular Yum. I'm not so fond of Jollibee burgers but I still managed to eat one (laman tiyan).

4. Watched a movie - I saw The Skulls and it was so darn good. It was sitting in Video City for the longest time until it was mentioned in one of the conspiracy sites which I usually read. It's about a not so secret society (or a fraternity of sorts) in Yale called Skulls and Bones in real life.

5. Sleep - wasn't actually in my plan to take a nap but I got sleepy right after lunch. Zzzzzzz.

Ok, when would I be able to do this again, huh.

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

The dashes above this line. What does it mean to me. Should I actually put this part in another post? I'm not breaking tradition now. The rule is I could never publish two posts in a single day. This, however, qualifies as a second post altogether.

Well, ORN just had his last day at Cypress yesterday. His name is actually Rey. Some call him ORN bacuse it's his company initials (and they call me VAJ, sometimes). Eventually, Kuya Jao started calling him Porn. So, everytime we bump into each other, I'd sing.

Hey now, you're a porn star. Get your game on; get paid.

We're friends so it's okay. Although we do not hang arond much, he's probably the guy I trust the most in the workplace. He resigned because of reasons still unclear to me. He doesn't like his job anymore? He's getting married to Grace? He was bullied by the staff engineers? The couple is just so secretive. I mean, it took me about a month to realize that they were actually a couple. And now this.

Well, there goes another friend saying goodbye. I just hope that if he gets accepted in the US, he'd drag me as well. I'm sad but I'm laughin'.

More of These Kids

2004-12-07T21:49:00.000+08:00

As mentioned in my previous post, there'll be some more snapshots from the PWD event last Sunday. Before that, I'd like to take the time to apologize to those who may have been offended by my previous post, my churchmates, to be specific. Although, I do not and would not take back whatever I have written last Sunday. I'd just like to make it clear that it's not meant to be offensive. And this post will not be about wrong impressions. Nuff said.

Three deaf kids honing their sign language skill. I'm really eager to learn sign language as well. It's cool. I mean, people around me would not really understand what I'm saying save for people who knew the language. Hidden code of some sort.

Here again are the caregiver teams waving their group numbers for the arriving participants to see. I also did consider joining the caregivers but the name of their team just takes me aback. Sounds like you know what.

I'm not sure if he's an autistic guy but he sure is funny. Photo taken during the eating game and I guess he's most fit to play it.

Another shot from the eating game which is about the last leg of the event. Like the previous kid, this guy had his mouth full. Although he's not showing any particular emotion.

Can't wait to see the gift, huh.

Another happy gift recepient. Yehey! Children are brutally honest so I know that this girl is genuinely happy. And she's not camera shy.

As you may already know, we had lots of free taho inside the compound. These cotton candies are not free so, as expected, I wasn't able to grab one of these. Hey, they've got blue cotton now. Has these existed for sometime now? Pardon me if ever.

Apparently, the mother of this boy lost the stub to claim the little boy's gift. What a pity. He was almost in tears when the gift distributor told them he wouldn't get any. After much discussion, they finally gave the gift to the boy. Now, I can sleep well.

Pakyaw. Hakot. She's got it all.

Someone is really happy here. I just motioned to take a picture of the two of them and this girl went hysterical. One laughing opportunity for my totally tired day. Ha-ha.

So there. I love kids now. No kidding. It's therapeutic.

These Kids

2004-12-05T19:52:00.000+08:00

Yey, I'm a certified volunteer. (Like there is such a thing as a certified one). Today, I get to live my high school dream of being a journalist, or specifically, a photojournalist. Due to the amount of pictures I took, I am putting up this article in two parts. I've already mentioned about this event in a previous post: Persons with Disabilities Day organized by the Archdiocese of Manila. Read on.

If I'm not mistaken, taho is made from soya, which makes it quite healthy. But of course, there have been documentaries stating that it isn't. The girl is autistic and she seems to be quite contented with taho for now.

The day has just started but I was already pretty tired. Good thing I see these kind of smiles form the participants. The caregiver team are responsible for directly taking care of the children. I thought I wasn't ready for that. They've got the green scarfs and we've got, of all colors, pink. I decided not to wear mine and eventually, my scarf got misplaced. Disposed of.

San Carlos Seminary. The venue is in Guadalupe Viejo which is a few meters walk from the Guadalupe MRT station. It's as Catholic as it gets. Most of them are nice, a few are friendly, none of them are legalistic and judgmental (as compared to, well, Adventists). At least, none of the people I came across with in the event.

This lady relly wants to be in the spotlight. I was poniting the camera towards her during my breaktime. Then she smiled just like that. I would've conducted an interview but I decided to stick with taking shots. And feel as if I'm not part of the event but an agent of observation.

So, where do you want to go today? Actually, I was just looking for the best restroom around the seminary. Based on intelligence reports, it's located in the Lay Foundation Center. Left is where we go.

Here's one of the participants during the registration for the medical examination. I can't quite figure out the look on his face.

Specifically, I was assigned to the medical mission area. The boy on the wheelchair is being, I don't know, consoled(?) by his mother. The whole day, I was yearning to talk to these people -- deaf, blind, and those with cerebral palsies. I don't know why I was quite preoccupied with my thoughts.

This is Rose. I joined them for lunch and I had a fun time. She's autistic so I had to distract her from whatever she's preoccupied with whenever I want to talk to her. And whoa, she runs a lot. I'll miss her.

Made by one of the disabled children. I thought it was brilliant. These kids could actually be great in their art of choice, if given the correct training. Although they do not really want to be treated in any way different than those without physical disabilities. Most of them want to be seen by everyone to be just kids and not "special" kids.

Wow, lugaw. I mean, goto. Does it have a difference? These are for the participants only and not for the volunteers. Okay, I guess I'll just drop by at Chowking (or Jollibee?) to get my share.

My next post would be more of these.

Help Wanted

2004-12-03T19:52:00.000+08:00

Much have been said about the typhoons which have recently come and gone the past few days. I need not expand on the casualties and shameful causes of the disaster. Just moments ago, I was thinking of our clan back in Quezon. My long lost relatives are scattered in the vast province. I don't know them and they do not know me. But at least I know they exist.

I was soaking wet last night because of the haphazard tricycle ride that I got. Most tricycles were parked because of the weather so I had no choice but to share the backride with another passenger. And then all hell broke loose when the wind started blowing the pouring rain in our direction. Cold, wet, and helpless -- three words I could describe my situtation throughout the trip.

Anyway, this is a fine time to do some volunteer work. The thing is that I'm already engaged with covering the PWD (Persons with Disabilities) Day on Sunday. And this also conflicts with the volunteer pooling event in Intramuros. Great. I wish I could divide my body and attend to both. For the PWD, most of the volunteers will be taking care of the disabled children for a day.

However, the documentation team (which includes me) will not be assigned to any child cause we have to (you guessed it) document the event. I guess my camera is going to be put to the test again come Sunday. The thing which makes me uneasy is the shirt which we're required to wear on the event. Maybe because it's white. Who said that volunteers could not be vain?

Revenge of This Nerd

2004-12-01T20:56:00.000+08:00

It usually gets really cold here during December but tonight, it's hot. This village sits beside a hill and we get more breeze than we deserve at this time of year. That's one of the reasons why I sleep wearing socks on some nights. Another is that I find it fun to wear socks while sleeping. Don't get me wrong, though. After wearing socks all day, I throw them for laundry and get some fresh ones for the night.

I think I'm falling in love all over again with ColdFusion. Before I left last September, I was studying this markup language until I got interrupted. Riz, the resident programmer in our group, has left for Singapore late last week. Most of her projects have been endorsed to me that's why I'm having the time of my life at work again.

In the morning, I do all sorts of stuff I have to do at the test floor -- working for a living. In the afternoon, it's a different story. I do all the software stuff -- working for pleasure. Even if I sometimes get quite a few headaches looking at all those codes, I do find it enjoyable to think and type, copy and paste, and edit and check.

However, I still have to prove myself in this area since I haven't really delivered significant output because I'd have to go through all these tutorials before I dive in and declare myself as a code warrior. The problem is most of the stuff I'm working on requires urgent completion. But then again, everybody wants to rush everyone in here. It's the company's everlasting dilemma, so I need not worry.

Now, I gotta have to get back to work right in the comfort of my room and finish this blissful ColdFusion tutorial. I hope I wouldn't be up 'til modnight, though.

Rainy Days + Mondays

2004-11-29T21:31:00.000+08:00

Rainy days and Mondays don't always get me down, but they do sometimes. But not today, though. I hope you're not confused yet. This is the end of the long weekend and also the end of the supposed "No Work Mondays" declaration in CML. None of us are suposed to go to work on Mondays. For me, however, it turned out to be "Work On Mondays" instead, for I got in two out of five Mondays throughout this Month.

Didn't go to work today, at least. It looks like a perfect time to sleep or binge around at home but I still managed to get my sorry ass to the AY (Adventist Youth) council meeting. I thought everyone was going to be late so I was yearning to just walk out and leave after some minutes of waiting. Well, well, well, I don't really know if I'm prepared enough to lead the conceptualization of the weekly AY programs for the whole of next year. Ready or not, guidance from up above will always be there, I guess.

Hazel is leaving for Korea in the very near future. I sent text messages a few days ago and told her that I miss talking with her and that I miss her in general. Was supposed to ask her to talk and eat out but I was acting quite naive earlier and before I knew it, she already went home. There is really a very important matter which I need to "discuss" with her but maybe time has not yet come for me to blurt it out.

So on the trip home, I was uneasy. My emotional stability (and even sanity) was challenged just by thinking about these sort of things. I've got far worse experiences with this other girl in college but enough of that for now. Speaking of college, I passed through Adamson this afternoon, for old times' sake. AdU (Adamson University) is the school I got stuck with for five long years. Walking by the Falcon Walkway (or Hallway?), I was expecting some nostalgia to sweep me off but there was little.

I was also meaning to take some pictures of the walkway but it was kind of dark today so I'll just do a documentary of sorts sometime in the future for my beloved alma mater. I'm actually being sarcastic when I say "beloved alma mater".

Shorts

2004-11-27T22:41:00.000+08:00

Just last night, I was already in the jeepney waiting for take-off until I realized that I had no coins. The least I have is a hundred-peso bill so I decided to go back to SM Dasma (yup, there again) where I just came from. I could not pay this kind of amount to a jeepney driver unless I expect to get accusing stares from other passengers. Or worse, have my money returned (and feel guilty for not paying). So off I went back.

I have to make a purchase to have some coins for a change. First stop: National Book Store. The only book worth my money at this moment is "Not Even A Hint". It costs PhP 200 flat. If I buy this one, I'd get no coins at all. I considered buying a burger or a shirt or a CD. What the heck. After feeling a hint of weariness, I stopped and decided to just surf the internet at Netopia. For sure, I'll get some coins afterwards. Some months ago, they gave me PhP 100 worth of 25-centavo coins as a change.

Once online, I went to my second favorite bookstore: Amazon (Powerbooks being the first; Borders being the third). My intention was to look for some books about conspiracies but this Amazon Theatre thing caught my attention. The internet at my room is on dial-up (one I'm using right about now) so I could not possibly watch films without preparing to wait overnight for the download. Netopia, I think, is using PLDT MyDSL which is fairly fast (I just wrote a free ad for them. Sucks, huh.).

Amazon Theatre showcases five supposedly interesting and engaging short films. Every week they're launching one. The third and latest flick, Do Geese See God?, was the first one I watched. Some weeks ago, I downloaded a copy of the very first film, Portrait, but I was never really able to watch it until last night. Wow, I've finished watching three good movies in one sitting and in less than 30 minutes.

The best among the three, in my opinion, is Do Geese See God? partly because of its interactive feature. You'd gonna have to "stop and smell the roses" to be able to watch it properly. Try watching it to realize what I'm talking about. Portrait has a predictable storyline but very well-made. Don't be misled. Minnie Driver is not the main star of this film.

The thing with short films is that sometimes, I don't get the point that the scenes are trying to convey. Sometimes, however, the shorty does not really intend to deliver any message but the audience are able to make up their own personal interprertations. That was how it is with Agent Orange, a film directed by Tony Scott. Hey, I've just learned that he's the brother of Ridley Scott, another Hollywood director.

Hollywood blockbusters suck but these Hollywood shorties deserve a second look. I think I'd download them all. And Tooth Fairy, the fourth film, would be released on the 30th. Can't wait. The title sounds familiar. Blair Witch, I guess.

Now showing in Amazon Theatre.

Gifts for the Loony One

2004-11-25T21:35:00.000+08:00

Good grief! I thought Blogger was down again for the nth time. Finally, the Create New Post page has finished downloading. Have I ever mentioned that I would be ever grateful to Blogger? I haven't even sent any thank you note to them after all these months of tolerance. The only time they get to hear from me is when I have a problem with the server or when I'd report some bugs.

Just went home from SM Dasma. Julian and I are supposed to look for 'something hard and long' at the mall. It's for our traditional exchange gift (a.k.a. Monito-Monita) thing at the plant. Last week, it was something 'soft and round'. I gave Ms. Looney Toons a minidisk. Pretty much self-explanatory. Looney Tunes (or Toons?) is the code name of the lucky person I picked during the balloting. I've chosen Blogger as my code name, for obvious reasons.

Thought it was a safe one but Aireene was the one who picked my name so in an instant, she knew. So now, I know that she's the one who's giving me these weekly gifts. But she's still not into admitting it. Anyway, advanced thank you to her who would be obliged to give me a gift again tomorrow.

Now, I hope Ms. Looney Tunes has been lunatic enough to appreciate my gift for her last week. If I see it tomorrow unclaimed, I have no doubt that this loony girl is Cali. She left for Vermont (or is it San Jose?) in California a few weeks ago but still have managed to join our little kris kringle thingy. Anyway, she could use the company's free shipping services to send her gifts. But I heard she's coming back soon. I smell chocolates again.

Of Lakes, Bays, and Springs

2004-11-23T20:53:00.000+08:00

My camera is always with me wherever my feet takes me at any given day. Except when I go to work, where cameras are forbidden to be brought inside the plant. You'd have to leave them with the security guards. Not a chance.

Lake Caliraya. After the buffet thing where all of us attempted to eat using a banana leaf as a plate, I noticed this water container. It looks so lonely (or deserted, perhaps?). Wait, what do you call this thing anyway. I used to call it a galon but I guess that only applies to those round containers with a handle. Besides, I don't think it carries a gallon.

Manila Bay. From the floor itself, you'd know this is Baywalk. Aside from the floor, you may also notice a pair of shoes. My very first investment looks all worn out now. I use it at work, church, travel, basically all the time. I even used it for badminton twice, I think. A lot of skin was peeled off my feet after that. At least, my rubber shoes at home stays new.

Colorado Springs. Nope, this is not a waiting area for people who want to take a bath in a spring. It's the COS airport. I barely slept at the time I took this photo. Why this angle? I was actually trying not to catch attention so I just placed the camera on my lap and pressed the button right there. Yikes, my passport is showing.

Singin' My Heart Out

2004-11-21T19:28:00.000+08:00

Lunchtime yesterday, I was having a great time by myself at KFC in Rotonda. Mech joined me later because she intends to borrow my TDVC book. Still later, Joel, Eve, and Rachel arrived to join us. Later and later, Julius arrived with Hazel but they didn't join us because I think they're on a date. And later after meal, Janrey arrived. Enough of solitude.

Joel told me that I was supposed to be practicing the piece that we would sing next week when we'd visit the Bulacan church. Since Mech has been insistent on inviting us to join a volunteer orientation that afternoon, I opted to join her just to avoid singing. Not that I don't like the idea of singing with them or singing in general. I just thought that it's just not a good time to do it.

We did sang together in Caliraya and that was cool. Singing with them again in Bulacan would be overkill. If ever they found that I intend to "escape" this engagement, eventually they would tell me that I'm refusing to lend my talent for God's work. Grave remark but that's how complicated things could get with some people.

Now, singing can be my talent. I sing in my room all the time, thanks to my dependable I-Tunes. I just don't think that I could contibute to the ministry with my voice. I'll do all the carpentry stuff if they want but I won't sing. So with that, I "escaped" and joined Mech at the orientation for volunteers who would be joining this event for disabled children. It's being organized by the Archdiocese of Manila.

I never really had an experience of working with Catholics for such a cause as this so I am, again, looking forward to the event itself. I wished, too, that our own church would be holding events like these to give us an opportunity to really help people. And to teach some of us that it's not all about not eating chicken fried from "porky" oil, not wearing denim inside the church, or not listening to rock music. No, no. Worship is much more than these shallow matters.

Another Fact or Fiction Discourse

2004-11-19T22:29:00.000+08:00

Obviously, this is the continuation of my previous post about Brown’s Langdon novels. You see, The Da Vinci Code has been on the New York Times bestseller list for the longest time. Add to that is the fact that there are more than a dozen books written as a reaction to this particular novel. And, to note that I have mentioned about these phenomenal volumes for, let me count, one, two, three, four, five posts at least!

The truth is that I’m still quite confused about the fiasco that’s been brought about by this novel. The book and the story itself is not as conclusive as the other novel (Angels & Demons) but it does have its high points of interesting discussions. Again, there are lots of facts and conspiracy theories presented in this one. Below are a few of them.

“Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times, and it has evolved through countless translations, additions, and revisions.” (Teabing)

Leigh Teabing, in the quote above, is talking about the Bible. He’s saying that it’s a big cover-up – a hoax – the grandest one in history. Of course, we know better than these scholars. What aroused my curiosity is the number of similarities of today’s “Christian” practices with pagan ones, some of them I’ve already mentioned in the previous post:

Egyptian sun disks = halos of Catholic saints.
Isis nursing her miraculously conceived son Horus = Virgin Mary nursing Baby Jesus.
Other birthday celebrants for December 25: Osiris, Adonis, Dionysus.
The pre-Christian god Mithras was called the Son of Godand the Light of the World.
The newborn Krishna was presented with gold, frankincense, and myrrh
Constantine ordered to change the sanctity of the Jewish Sabbath of Saturday to coincide with the pagan’s veneration day of the sun (that is, Sunday).

“We’ve only touched on Da Vinci today, but we’ll be seeing a lot more of him this semester.” (Langdon)

To coincide with Bob, I guess I’ll be talking about some other stuff about the Sacred Feminine, the Divine Proportion, the Priory of Sion, the Knights Templar, and other out of the box topics in my future posts. Pardon me for I’m really sleepy and I have to get up early tomorrow for the Sabbath services. And defy Constatine’s political crap.

The Fact or Fiction Discourse

2004-11-17T21:18:00.000+08:00

Since I've already finished reading my Dan Brown paperbacks, two of my girl friends (to emphasize: not girlfriends) wanted to borrow the two books. Before I hand it over to them, I'll go over some stuff thru it then I'll tell you what I think. First things first, Angels & Demons...

"Since the beginning of time, spirituality and religion have been called on to fill in the gaps that science did not understand." (Kohler)

The novel includes an inside look at CERN, a highly advanced Swiss research facility. This is where the WWW has originated, as a local network for information sharing. Now, CERN is a real life institution. Reading the first few chapters, I was led to believe that the events happened in real life as well. Until Brown's interview came along.

"Some of Italy's most enlightened men -- physicists, mathematicians, atronomers -- began meeting secretly to share their concerns about the church's inaccurate teachings." (Langdon)

Illuminati -- a secret society do exist. Really intriguing brotherhood. From what I've read with many sources, this society did seem to exist for real. In a way, they led their own version of the Reformation but I guess they did not succeed.

"My Dad wanted to bring science to a higher level, where science supported the existence of God." (Vetra)

So, the physicist-priest simulated that matter could indeed be created out of nothing -- thereby proving the concept of Creation. These dialogues between her and Langdon were very much entertainingly intelligent. If there's scientific backing behind Biblical claims, it's just too plain for most people.

Here's some striking facts from Langdon's class:
1. Christ was born in March. December 25 is an ancient pagan holiday of the Unconquered Sun (sol invictus).
2. Canonization is taken from from ancient "god-making" rite of Euhemerus.
3. The practice of "god-eating" (Holy Communion) was borrowed from the Aztecs.
4. The "face" of God in portraits is derived from the look of Zeus.

"The ancient war between science and religion is over. You have won. But you have not won fairly." (Ventresca)

Whoa, Carlo Ventresca's official statement from the Sistine Chapel. I was reading in awe the whole time. Forget about Jamiroquai's Virtual Insanity. Here's the real deal.

Tale Reservoir

2004-11-15T23:46:00.000+08:00

Time for another late-night post. Just arrived home from SM Fairview. Never realized how far it actually was until we computed our fare. Freshman year in college, I was only paying PhP 5.00 for the bus (those air continuous ones) from Megamall to Taft. Now, it costs PhP 23.00 from Quezon Avenue to Baclaran. It's either I'm getting old or the government is just not capable of being called a government. Or both.

I have so many "tales" stuck in my head right now, waiting to be told out in the open:

Tale # 1: They're watching!

My former manager, Sir Joseph, openly told me that he already knows about this blog. That means he knows I'm applying for a job at Canon Info Tech. And, he was virtually the subject of an infamous post I have written last September (A Dose of MicroManagement). Most probably, the new manager would also know all about this. He's got one comment, though: "Don't worry, I won't be taking it against you". Well, thanks, Sir Joseph (in case you're reading this again).

Tale # 2: TDVC Conclusion

Yesterday, I've finished reading The Da Vinci Code, after months of buying time to read. I'm still a bit confused with the ending. Was Langdon actually satisfied of what he found in Rosslyn and in Paris? What's with that epilogue anyway? I'd discuss more about that in another post. Right now, I'm looking forward to the movie adaptation (care of Ron Howard) and to Dan Brown's third Langdon novel.

Tale # 3: Paramnesia Showcase

We saw The Forgotten earlier this evening. The girls thought it was going to be scary so they wanted to watch Wicker Park instead. Sorry for them cause I got the money. We all ended up liking it. Although it reminds of The X-Files (a pair who would stop at nothing to find the truth amidst government conspirators). These were no government conspirators but aliens, I guess. Which, again, reminds me of The Mulder and Scully Show.

Tale # 4: Nokia Deadend

I was in a hurry to buy a new phone this afternoon so I had no choice but to pick a Nokia model (2100). The Smart store didn't have stocks of Sony phones. Anyway, the new phone is nice. Though, I found out that the messages are still not displayed in chronological order. I'd be stuck with a disorganized inbox for some time. The old phone and the new SIM will be awarded to my sister. After all, I accidentally destroyed one of her phones some years ago by dipping it in a mug unknowingly filled with some stench of a fluid.

Looking forward to the workweek at hand. And I'm not being sarcastic about that.

Biblical Brainstorm

2004-11-13T11:15:00.000+08:00

At this moment, I’m ready to crash into my bed, but not yet. We left from Baywalk in Roxas Blvd. about 8:30 PM that’s why I had to struggle to keep myself awake right after I got on the van on the way home. What a day this has been. I actually managed to arrive a little after 7 AM at church this morning. I used to wake up at 8 AM and arrive by 11. Something must’ve gone wrong with me.

What better place to rest. Manila Center Adventist Church. Resting in front of a busy street.

The reason why we’re quite early is because we were assigned to handle the morning worship service on the church in Duyan-duyan, somewhere in Quezon City. Didn’t have breakfast that’s why I was hungry all morning. Now, I’ve broken the habit of eating a lot on all my meals. Will resume tomorrow, though.

Refresher detour. Stairs leading up to the balcony where visitors and new people are given welcome.

I was really compelled by the message during the Sabbath School class. The pastor talked about the Inquisition, the Dark Ages, and then gave relevant information on current issues such as the inflating debt of the US and the controversial papal seat. These are stuff I concern myself with about a lot. It’s a pity I didn’t have more time to dig deeper into these. I really hope that I’d be able to allot some time.

Downward alley. Stairs leading down to the elementary school and master guide rooms.

Acting lazy and sleepy during the break, I just let moments pass by. Before we knew it, it was time for the afternoon AY program. Didn’t like the idea of doing Bible trivia because the congregation was always unresponsive. Well, not today. Finally, I was able to solicit some attention and got satisfying responses for the topic of my discussion. My trivia was about the Pentateuch. Ever heard of it?

Twin doors. Doors in the main entrance, strategically blocking the view from inside out.

That’s the reason why I’m yearning to do a follow-up discussion in another Sabbath. I think that the audience at Manila Center is finally learning how listen and respond. The most active person in the audience, however, was a visitor. Visitors here often become models of zealousness and involvement. Slowly but surely, though, I’m learning the art of combat against most people’s short attention span.