Sipatan

i'm back.... again!

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 02:16:00 +0000

After months of inactivity, I've decided to return to the blogging space. So much has happened since the first quarter of the year. Here are some of the more interesting tidbits:
1) I'm a year older!
2) I scored 84.40% in the June 2009 Nursing Licensure Exams! (Good for 11th)
3) MM and I went to Bohol in May
4) We went to Boracay in June
5) We went to Puerto Princesa on the weekend of my birthday.

I'll post more content and pictures on the above as soon as I can.

Hep Hep Ramil! The 'Support Ramil' special edition of Sipatan.. :)

noreply@blogger.com (MM) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 04:24:00 +0000

All those close to him should know right now that Ramil is about to come face to face with one of the greatest challenges in the profession that he chose to pursue. Yup, it's only 5 days before Ramil takes up the Philippine Nursing Licensure Exams together with more than 80,000 Filipinos who are aspiring to become licensed nurses as well. It's a two-day exam (June 6-7) so this mustn't be a walk in the park.

To all those who care about him and to all those who visit our site for whatever purpose, please do support Ramil by including him in your prayers or in whatever way you wish to express your encouragement and cheers!

Thank you for your time and let's all rock and roll in prayer! God will surely enjoy listening to us. :)

not-so-hilarious love... ;)

noreply@blogger.com (MM) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:39:00 +0000

Many people might not know who Bob Ong is... I didn't too until I was too lazy to work that I decided to read a forwarded email from a college batchmate of mine. He forwards hundreds of email but this was the only one which I have read since I got intrigued by the subject which says, "HILARIOUS!!! Bob Ong's Philosophy on Love! Bato Bato sa Langit, ang tamaan wag magagalit!" Not that I was lovesick, I was just plain bored. So who's Bob Ong? Check out the article on him in the ever reliable Wikipedia. Since I can't something write like this (because perhaps of inexperience, hehe) and since it's funny, I've copied the contents of the email (as introduced by the subject above) below. These may or may not hurt depending on one's own experience on love.... Naks naman, cheesy!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

king james

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Tue, 05 May 2009 00:50:00 +0000

The NBA has just announced that LeBron has been voted Most Valuable Player of the league. There was never any doubt really that James would win the award this year, being the most statistically complete player amongst the candidates. His team also edged the Los Angeles Lakers for the best record.

It's no surprise really, as James has been doing this for the past two, three years, but only now has his team started winning a lot. The biggest improvement in his game though, is his defense. If he develops an outside stroke like Kobe's, he should be banned from the league for being too complete a player. :)

Being a Kobe fan, I hope he (Kobe) uses this as motivation to do everything needed to get that ring and Finals MVP. He won the league MVP last year but whatever sweetness there was from winning it, turned quickly into bitterness after the shellacking from the Celtics in the NBA Finals.

Lots to look forward to in this year's playoffs. :)

ESPN.com's report on LeBron's MVP award

grilled tomato

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:58:00 +0000

While MM and I were cruising through Tomas Morato, Quezon City, looking for a place to eat, we both eyed a pretty inconspicuous joint called "Grilled Tomato". It looked like a kebab place, and being one of our favorite kinds of food, we parked and dove in.

Grilled Tomato (Tomas Morato)
Casual Dining - Middle Eastern
What we ordered: Beef Kebab (P40), Beef Gyro (P65), Keema meal (P80), Hummus combo (P50), Strawberry Ice Yoghurt (P65)

The food is very cheap, and yet everything tasted great. Going back would be well worth it even for just the Strawberry Ice Yoghurt. :D

Budget: 100-200/pax
Food Quality: B
Service: B
Value for Money: A
Ambiance: B
Overall: 3.20 (B)
Grilled Tomato profile at MunchPunch.com

arcadia

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:25:00 +0000

Our department in Meralco, Information and Communications Technology Management (ICTM) has a Christmas Party every year. It's a pretty small department, with no more than 20 employees including the managers. The last one was held at the Arcadia Clubhouse a few days before the Christmas break. It's a yearly tradition of drinking, eating, having fun.

It may turn out to be the last Christmas Party with Sir Mark, as news of the PLDT acquisition of First Pacific Holdings shares was made known last month. This after the SMC acquisition of shares last year.

For more pics, click on the following link:
ICTM Christmas Party At Arcadia

st. luke's

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:33:00 +0000

Wow.

I learned from my cousin earlier that St. Luke's Hospital has apparently reserved a (nursing) slot for me.

That came from nowhere. :)

We lined up at PRC today to apply for the June Nursing Licensure Exam. We were the first group to get the requirements from UMAK, so we were the first to proceed to PRC. Once there, we were overwhelmed by the sheer number of applicants lined up. It snaked so many times it was hard to see where the end was. We were lucky enough to have a contact inside, and what was supposed to be a day-long nightmare turned out to be a three-hour cakewalk. Some of the officials at the PRC who saw our group completing the requirements within a single office jokingly said, "okay dito ah, kulang na lang cashier!"

Many thanks to our batchmate and friend who I shall not name.

We had a very late lunch at Racks Magallanes, and as I've recently started reviewing restaurants...

Racks (Magallanes)
Casual Dining - Grill
I ordered a Pork Ribs and Chicken Combo, with Coleslaw on the side. The coleslaw was just alright, not that I expected much of it. One thing about the entrees, when they say "the meat falls off the bone," they really mean it! The meat was so tender there was no need for a knife, let alone a spoon. The meal itself was very satisfying and really well prepared. Emma and I will drop by one of their branches soon. :)
Budget: 200-400/pax
Food Quality: B
Service: B+
Value for Money: B+
Ambiance: B-
Overall: 3.10 (B)

nurses' christmas

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:54:00 +0000

Last Christmas, our batch in University of Makati had a Christmas Party. It wasn't just another party because in the two years that we had been batchmates, there had been no occasions wherein we were all together having a good time. Not everyone had high hopes. Some were even openly doubting why they had to pay so much (P400 for food and drinks and all party paraphernalia seemed a good deal to me). When it was all said and done, however, everyone was thanking the organizers for a truly great party.

For more pics, click on the following link:
REGIS Christmas Party 2008

food reviews

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:00:00 +0000

Those few people who frequented my blog a few years ago (yes, all three of you) may remember that I used to do movie reviews. I think I did a pretty good job at it as I still remember giving Crash an A+ and it eventually won an Oscar for Best Picture. Now, I feel I don't have enough money to watch lots of movies, so I'd rather just eat. :D As my mom used to say, "tipirin mo na lahat, 'wag lang pagkain."

First, we'll classify the restaurant as Fastfood, Casual Dining, or Fine Dining (we'll only get one or two of these done per year :D). Then we'll rate them according to Food Quality (40%), Service (20%), Value (20%), and Ambiance (20%). We'll use the following scale: A=4.0, B+=3.5, B=3.0, B-=2.5, C+=2.0, C=1.5, D=1.0, F=0.0. Averages are rounded down.

Okay, here we go....

I'm not exactly sure when Megamall opened The Atrium to the public, but it probably hasn't been open a few months. Emma and I frequent the new section of Megamall to try the new restaurants. Here are some of those we tried.

Curry Curry House (2/F Atrium, SM Megamall)
Fastfood - Fusion
As the name suggests, the food is all about curry. Pork, beef, chicken, fish, you name it. Everything's drenched in it. This is the sort of review I'm not even sure I should be doing. People like to talk about things they love or hate. Not those stuck in between.
Budget: 150-250/pax
Food Quality: C+
Service: C
Value for Money: C+
Ambiance: C
Overall: 1.80 (C)

Amici (2/F Atrium, SM Megamall)
Casual Dining - Italian
We heard of Amici from Ma'am Ay and Ma'am Eri, so we decided to try it. We first got to visit their Tomas Morato Branch before the one at The Atrium. We were a bit surprised that it was self-service, but that wouldn't be too big of a deal so long as the food is great. Their pizza and pasta didn't disappoint. Their Napoletano was good, but we still rate Napoli's pizzas a notch higher. After the meal, we tried their gelato and it was heavenly. :)
Budget: 250-400/pax
Food Quality: B
Service: C+
Value for Money: B
Ambiance: C+
Overall: 2.60 (B-)

Tia Maria's (3/F Atrium, SM Megamall)
Casual Dining - Mexican
I had not been to a Tia Maria's in a decade, and as expected, they probably made some changes. The food was a lot better than Mexicali's, although the prices were more or less similar given the larger portions. We tried their enchilada and beef burrito and we thoroughly enjoyed both.
Budget: 250-400/pax
Food Quality: B+
Service: B
Value for Money: B
Ambiance: B-
Overall: 3.10 (B)

Bigby's Cafe (2/F Atrium, SM Megamall)
Casual Dining - Fusion
There are a few restaurants that draw you in with very nice looking furniture, and coupons for freebies. DO NOT BE FOOLED! We scanned the menu and it looked creative and fresh enough. However, when our first order was served, I was immediately taken aback by the fries. Most, if not all, casual dining establishments would serve real potato fries. Bigby's, unfortunately, is unlike those establishments. Wendy's and KFC have better fries. Some reviewers would stop here and say "'nuff said", but it really is a lot more fun to keep on ranting. :D Their Dory Fish Fillet tasted like an ordinary fish fillet from McDonald's. Their Pork Steak could've come from a neighborhood Slice 'n Dice and you wouldn't notice. The funniest thing was that only the supervisor seemed like he had actual experience in a Casual Dining setting. There was one server who kept saying "Thank you ma'am, sir, please come again." Guess where you keep on hearing that?
Budget: 200-350/pax
Food Quality: F
Service: D
Value for Money: D
Ambiance: C+
Overall: 0.80 (F)

Gumbo: A Taste of New Orleans (1/F Atrium, SM Megamall)
Casual Dining - Creole and Cajun
After getting a coupon for freebies from Gumbo, we immediately noticed similarities with the coupons from Burgoo. We were not mistaken, they are both run by the same group. We tried their Shrimp Remoulade which was on top of diced Romaine Lettuce in Vinaigrette dressing. A very tasty and yet light dish. The freebie we got was an order of Buffalo Wings. It was spicy and was good overall, but Chili's makes them better. The service was great from the staff up to the supervisor.
Budget: 300-500/pax
Food Quality: B+
Service: B+
Value for Money: B
Ambiance: B
Overall: 3.30 (B)

Yes, you may have noticed that I like getting coupons. Ilocano ako eh. :D

tama na aral... blog naman!

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 02:44:00 +0000

I guess a hiatus of 3 months is more than enough. :) Time to start posting again.

Last December, we spent three weekends in Marikina as part of our Community Immersion Program. We sure have it easy these days, spending just a total of 72 hours (9 days, 8 hours per day) for the subject. My mom spent a month in one of the poorest and most remote barrios of Batac, Ilocos Norte when she was taking up Nursing. Our 72 hours isn't even really 72 hours when we start counting the early dismissals. :P

Took several shots... processed 3 into BW and the rest as is.

For more pics, click on the following link:
Community Immersion at Sta. Elena, Marikina

toxicity

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 05:54:00 +0000

Wow... I haven't posted in 32 days...

So much has happened in the past month. My cousin's wedding. Started the local RN board review at R.A. Gapuz. Nursing Research for school. Course Audit (Comprehensive Exams) in school. Clinical Graduation.

Hmm... Clinical Graduation. My school just gave me a BSN degree. It still hasn't sank in. But it most likely won't until after the board exams in June. :)

Anyway, like Markku, I'm behind as far as uploading and posting pics. Hope I can find time in the following weeks. :)

i'm....alive!

noreply@blogger.com (MM) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 03:26:00 +0000

On February 1, 2009, I experienced my first chills ever! It was the eve of my birthday and I was in Baguio for a supposedly short break. It was normal to shiver due to coldness but in my experience, it should only last a minute or less. But last Monday when I was ready to go to bed, I had a shivering session that went on for over 45 minutes until I convinced myself that there was something wrong with me and that I needed help. I immediately called RR (everybody’s nurse in shining armor) who told me that I was having chills that is caused by my conflicting high body temperature (I had fever the whole day that day) with the cold Baguio climate, that I should not worry (since I was already crying then) and that I should call my Mama to help me overcome the shivering. I called my mom, who was already sleeping in their room downstairs. I tried my best not to cry when she arrived with my dad. Both of them tried to suppress the coldness that I was feeling by giving me more blankets, a hot compress, a massage, a cup of hot milk, and a tablet of paracetamol. After about 15 minutes, the shivering stopped and my fever dropped a bit but Mama still decided to sleep beside me on my bed. During that moment, I realized that it was my Mama’s care that made me well, just like when we were younger.

On Monday, February 2, my birthday, my fever was gone and I decided to push through with my trip back to Manila since my leave, after all, was until Monday only. After a fulfilling lunch with my parents at a local restaurant, we went straight to the terminal and I was able to catch the 1:30 PM trip. When we were in Sison in Pangasinan, I was beginning to shiver again. The continuous shivering turned into chills as I felt my self having a high fever again. I called RR again and this time, he told me to take Ibuprofen and paracetamol, and to remove some of my sweaters so that—as explained by my ever reliable doctor, nurse and angel, RR—my body wouldn’t be too confused as to what temperature is to adopt. I obediently took the medicines but due to my uncontrollable shivering, I was not able to remove my sweaters. After my chills subsided 30 minutes later, I suddenly became so uneasy. I was shaking and I was sweating like there was no tomorrow. Then a few minutes later, I noticed that I was very pale and bloated from the waist up (my legs were numb beneath my pants so I figured they’re bloated, too), my brain was too weak as well that I processed information so slow. The only thing that’s running in my mind was that I needed serious help soon or else it’s the end of the journey of life for me. I then asked the bus conductor (good thing I was sitting on the front row of the bus) to take me to the nearest hospital since I wasn’t feeling well and I also said that I felt like dying. I created a no less than a scandalous scene in the bus as I was already panicking and I was saying aloud “I love you” to my parents and brothers thinking that if I were to die right then and there, at least my last words will be the declaration of my affection to the persons that I care the most. The bus driver drove faster, one male passenger approached me to give me a tablet of paracetamol, and my seatmate told me to calm down and not to panic since we were quite near a hospital already in Tarlac. I can only thank God for letting me have a seatmate who lives in Tarlac and who offered to accompany me to the hospital.

And so after an hour, I was rushed to the ER of the nearest hospital—Jecson’s Medical Center—which was located along McArthur Highway in Tarlac City. All I could say to the attending nurses and physician was that I felt so numb. They let me lie down as they took my temperature, took urine and blood samples, and as they injected me with liquid paracetamol. They expedited the testing of the samples and it turned out that I had urinary tract infection and the high infection has reached my blood already. This shocked me since I felt no indication that I had the infection. But I was glad too because I knew that my condition wasn’t that serious and that I was not going to die. So the doctor gave me a prescription of paracetamol and antibiotics which I was to take for one week. I then called my parents (who immediately traveled to Tarlac to bring me home to Baguio) and RR (who explained that I had Septicemia and that it was a good thing that I went to the hospital) to relay what happened. My parents arrived at around 9 o’clock in the evening in Tarlac and we were back home in Baguio a little past midnight.

And so I spent the entire first week of February in Baguio just resting. The interesting part is that the side effect of the antibiotics was sleepless days and nights so reading and I became close again. Moreover, I don’t consider the leaves that I took a waste since I experienced a lot of firsts in my life and I had my most memorable birthday to date. I documented this because I don’t want to forget about the entire experience and all the people who were involved in it. This is really more for my sake rather than for anybody else’s (even so, sorry for my lengthy entry!). But I do hope that my experience will also serve as a lesson to others to take care of their health more. Untreated UTIs can lead to septicemia which is fatal. I would also want to take this opportunity to thank all those who helped me. To my Mama and Papa, I love you both very much. Mama, thank you for your overflowing concern and care. To my brothers, thank you very much and I love you too very much! To everybody at Jecson’s ER (such as Racquel, Hazell and Paula) who were so hospitable and friendly, thank you very much! Mabuhay kayo diyan! To my seatmate (whose identity I failed to get because I was not yet in the right state of mind when she left), to the bus driver and conductor, and to the passenger who gave me the tablet and offered me water: maraming, maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat, ipinagdarasal ko na manalo kayo sa lotto kaya tumaya po kayo minsan ha!:) To everybody who sent me caring messages, salamat po nang marami. To RR, you rule baby and in whatever career you choose to pursue, you will surely succeed with your intelligence, passion and kindness. I love you and I missed you (big time!). But above everything else, it was really God who saved me and gave me the real strength to overcome my condition. I only lift my gratitude and praise to You which is not even enough to show how much I thank and love You.

To all of you mentioned here, you guys and gals rock!:) Thank you.

my career in meralco

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:53:00 +0000

That was the seminar I attended Feb 3-4 at the MMLDC. There are two versions of the seminar. First, there's one for those who have been with the company for quite a while (10 years or more), and the other one is for those who've been with the company for less than 5 years. I attended the latter, of course.

The seminar supposedly aims to help each employee determine whether they should pursue a long term career in Meralco or not.

Even before the seminar, I already had my own realizations about my career. With my graduation and board exams coming up, I am faced with a crossroads.

Currently, at Meralco, I enjoy a lot of flexibility, and am very happy with the office and job that I am assigned to. I work with people who I would want to be with in a war. These are people I love and are like a family to me.

On the other hand, there is my potential career in nursing. Depending on how I do at the board exams this June, I think that a career in health education is something I would definitely be interested in. Probably teaching at a university more established than where I am to graduate from.

Whether I go with the former or the latter, I can work on the side to further improve my finances, which up to now is in bad shape.

Whatever path I choose, it seems I am more inclined to stay here, rather than go abroad.

our d40 goes to baguio!

noreply@blogger.com (MM) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:46:00 +0000

And so I’m back! Surprise!

After a set of wonderful photos taken by RR at his hometown in Laoag City, I myself had the opportunity to capture scenes, people and objects in my own hometown—the very cold, but still beautiful, city of Baguio. My literally cold holiday break started on the 24th of December (I took a leave from the office once again;) ) until the 4th of January. It was quite long, but like any other vacation, bitin parin! So our D40 (still with its 18-55mm lens at that time) was with me during the entire vacation, and most of the time, it stayed home with me. Hehe. I am a hardcore homebody every time I go home in Baguio. I just relax as much as I can in my parents house at San Carlos Heights along Naguillan Road. And this is why most of my picture-taking moments were done at my mother’s garden. I turned her collection of orchids, gumamelas, poinsettias, roses, thorny plants with tiny flowers (whose name I forgot) among others which are scattered around our lot and on the terrace into subjects/ models for my amateur photography lessons. Further, if I only could, I would have shipped my Mama’s beautiful flowers to Laoag, for RR’s Mamang.

During those times that I left the house (always with my family and usually to attend church services), we dropped by and took pictures at the Rizal Park and Camp John Hay. Also, as requested by my mother, we went to The Mansion at Mines View the day the first family left Baguio. It was our first time to enter the compound and the guards were pretty strict since we were only allowed stay at the gate area which was far away from the building itself. Then a day before I went back to Manila, my parents and I went to the Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad to buy freshly picked strawberries and lettuce at cheaper prices. We bought the strawberries at 80 pesos per kilo. I brought them to the office as pasalubong for our officemates on the first day of work this New Year. An MTM classmate of mine who visited Baguio (along with thousands of other tourists! Or maybe even millions since all of our city’s major roads experienced heavy traffic between Christmas Day and New Year’s eve!) on the 28th of December bought her strawberries at a whopping 300 pesos a kilo in the town proper! And so the law of supply and demand still rules the Baguio market. At the Strawberry Farm, instead of focusing the lens towards the strawberry fields, I got more fixated with the scenically more beautiful beds of chrysanthemums.

Generally, though my holiday season was spent in the usual manner (i.e. in Baguio with my family), I still felt happy, warm and content. Of course, happier and warmer Christmases are yet to come. Since I’m not getting any younger, these are what I look forward to ever time the yuletide season comes… :)

For more pics, please click on the following links:
Baguio Pics
My Mama's Flowers
At the Strawberry Farm

nikkor 18-105mm VR

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:00:00 +0000

I promised Emma I wouldn't buy anything else expensive this year if I bought this lens, and I finally did yesterday. I was wrestling with the idea of buying this lens or the 18-200 VR. After reading that a small Nikon body (D40/40x/60) combined with the 18-200mm lens results in shadows being cast by the built-in flash when using focal lengths 24mm and wider, it was a lot easier to decide.

I asked around as far as pricing and this is what I got: Henry's 15,000, Kat (from whom we bought the D40 kit) 14,000, and Mayer Photo 13,500 with free delivery! So I set up the deal with Mayer Photo and gave the salesperson my name, address, and contact numbers. We went down to get lunch, and when we came back up, an officemate (Gian) told me that someone from Mayer called to verify the address. Apparently, they were unsure as to where the Meralco Ompound was :). Gian corrected the mistake, while laughing heartily inside. I remembered to call them back to add a 67mm filter.

So the guy arrived at the lobby about 4:45pm and I tested and paid for the unit. It turns out, this guy from Mayer, Marvin, regularly delivers to Meralco. He delivered a D40 and 18-200mm VR to one of our bosses, Ma'am Lani Anastacio with which she won a photography contest in Meralco. :D

Last night, I posted the 18-55 kit lens for sale on TipidPC. Suprisingly I got a response late last night, and set up a meeting for this morning. I searched the guy's name in Google and it turns out that he's a VP and the Corporate Secretary for RFM Corporation. Wow.

Thanks, sir Rowel Barba. :)

airport service

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:26:00 +0000

My flight last night was a lot better than the one going home to Ilocos. Most likely it's because Laoag is a much windier city than Manila. The last flight I literally went into shock and couldn't feel my hands and feet.

Anyway, I just wanted to commend the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) for the way they run NAIA Terminal 3. I always found it to be an okay-good terminal the past few times, but last night, I was pleased to find a small but very useful improvement.

Previously, the Taxi Queue only had yellow taxis. Their rates were PHP70 flag down, and PHP4 every 300 meters or something. Now, they've added two more queues. Coupon Taxis, or flat-rate depending on destination, same as those as I've seen at Terminal 1, and White Taxis, your run-of-the-mill city taxis. Siyempre, ang mga Pinoy, at lalo na siguro yung mga nakasabay kong Ilocano sa flight, sa White Taxis pumila. :)

60/36

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:01:00 +0000

60 years old. 36 years of service. 1 great man. Jaime "Jimmy Boy" R. Camacho. Chief Information Officer of the Manila Electric Company.

For most of his years in Meralco, he was with the Telecommunications office. Their job was to ensure speedy data communications with extremely high availability. In the realm of substation and SCADA communications, latency is measured in nanoseconds. SCADA, short for Supervisory Control and Data Aqcuisition, is one of the most demanding datacomms customers. They would demand 100% availability if possible. Up until recently, JRC worked and led the Telecomms office. He was promoted to CIO about 5 years ago.

Most executives in Meralco scare the shit out of me and most other junior staffers. Sir Jimmy, is not one of those executives. Having him in a meeting would almost assuredly have the attendees laughing out loud on several occasions. One time, in the middle of a very serious CIO Executive Committee meeting, he tried to break in a "hep-hep hooray" chant of Wowowee fame. However, noone was able to react quick enough and get the joke. When JRC broke out in laughter, that's when everybody else joined in. :D

His surprise despedida was held at the Teatrino in Greenhills last December 18. He had asked his secretary, Ma'am Imeeh, not to plan or hold one at all. He was so surprised that he was thanking everyone while his eyes were welling up with tears, and his voice was breaking.

MM and I played a role in the despedida by taking part in a spoof of the CIO Executive Meetings. Junior staffers portrayed middle management. I played Sir Jel Lauron, and Emma played Ma'am Beth Cruz. The "victims" were so amused by our performances that they were thanking us afterwards.

Each G2 (sub-office) of the CIO had their own performance for JRC and the one by Telecomms was the best one of the bunch.

The battery on our D40 ran out midway through the party so I had to use our office's Canon EOS 400D.

For more pics of JRC's Despedida, please click here.

tropalicious

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:59:00 +0000

Whoever came up with that term? MM says it was Carmina, our officemate. Ang ibig sabihin yata ay ang masarap na samahan ng iba ibang mga grupong nakaraan. And so that became the theme of the Meralco Corporate Information and Technology (CIT) Christmas Party.

Presentations would be based on pop icon groups (boy bands and the like). I, unfortunately, was cast as a 26k girl of Deal or No Deal fame. I sincerely hope that noone who posts my pictures lives longer than 40. :D joke lang.

Registration started at 6pm along with a charity photo shoot for Lucas Morales, second child of Biboy Morales a Meralco co-employee. Baby Lucas is afflicted with several debilitating childhood diseases but is quite the fighter. His bravery should be seen as an inspiration for those who are easily disheartened by much lesser problems.

The two groups within CIT gave their all in their respective presentations, but, as always, the group that took it much more seriously won. :D

There were also presentations from the newbie and outsourced employees, and the creme de la creme from the CIT.

Dancing ensued afterwards and lasted until about 1am.

For more pics of the Meralco CIT Tropalicious party, please click here.

of giving... part deux

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:35:00 +0000

Two years ago, Batch '96 of Pisay held a Christmas Party / Outreach for street children around the UP Diliman area. It had been said afterwards that outreach activities are more for those hosting the activity, rather than the kids themselves. I find that thought to be rather strange.

All major religions point to giving and being selfless as two things people can do to be blessed in heaven / the afterlife. Now, there has to be a reason why God would reward such acts. Could it be because love and kindness amongst mankind is getting harder and harder to come by? It seems to be the obvious answer.

Anyway, this stuff is getting too heavy for me... :P

Being part of Pisay Batch '96, I was finally able to join the latest edition of the aforementioned outreach activity.

I got there early, and caught Peng playing frisbee with the kids. The kid in black and white stripes had the proper throwing technique going, and Peng was a bit perplexed by it. Turns out, he had played with Derek Ramsay, who often played with Peng in Meralco.

Afterwards, the party proper commenced, with several games being played. Winners got prizes and bragging rights, but from what we saw, most of the kids were having lots of fun.

I saw the kids' party to the end, but had to leave shortly after that to rush to school in Makati. Got there 35 minutes late, but after finding out where I came from, the professor didn't even mark me late. :)

For more pics from the Pisay 96 Streetkids Christmas Party, click here.

Oh, and a happy New Year to everyone. =)

of giving...

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 12:14:00 +0000

I'm still in Laoag, still posting from my brother's PC...

I was at the wake of my grandmother (mother's side) for several nights before we laid her to rest at around 10:30am this morning. There was a necrological service every night at 8pm and probably one also in the afternoon. Why so many services for her you ask? She is the co-founder of the Bethel Community Church in Laoag City, and the governing body which founds churches and spreads the word of the Lord here in the Philippines. Her co-founder is her husband, my grandfather, the late Rev. Santos Tuzon.

As with all "necro" services or wakes one would attend, you would hear eulogies about the good, and on rare occasions, bad deeds of the deceased. I always knew that my Mang Caring was, as her name implies, an extremely caring and loving person. But hearing so many good things from so many people only made me miss her more.

Her life was one which many of us strive for, but have no idea how to get on its path. If she were Catholic, I would not see myself as arrogant if I were the first to call her a saint. Her life was that of (literally) answering the call of those who needed her help, whether financial or spiritual. There are numerous accounts of her prayers which healed those with earthly illnesses (cancer and the like). Most of the time, she deemed the Pastors and Reverends of her congregation as more important than her own children. She was what our Lord, I think, would consider a good servant and leader.

Hers was a life of giving...

I have no pictures from the wake or the funeral, as the D40 is with MM in Baguio. If it were with me though, the viewfinder and LCD would be really salty right now.

Speaking of giving, Meralco's Corporate Information and Technology office held a community outreach event in the Meralco Compound. I wish I had more pics, but I was one of the volunteers. :)

This is our biggest album so far (15 photos).

merry christmas

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:09:00 +0000

I'm spending Christmas in Laoag (as usual), and I'm currently posting from my brother's PC. He recently upgraded the PC with his hard-earned money :)

We just came from my grandmother's wake. I never was able to say goodbye to her. The last time I was in Laoag, I was not even able to drop by her house. =(

At least she's in a better place now, with Pang, Mama, and Uncle Eddie.

We're about to have our Noche Buena, but here are a few pics from when Emma and I went to the Mall of Asia a couple of weeks ago. Installed Photoshop CS4 on my brother's PC just for processing the pics, hehe.

For more pics, please click here.

Lomo vs. Manual

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 02:26:00 +0000

Being a newbie to photography, I first hazarded a guess when I encountered the term "lomo" in Markku's post on his new Panasonic Lumix LX3. Did it mean "low motion"? If it did, what was that for? Long exposures?

Why guess when you could literally ask Google? After browsing through several posts, I found one on making a Photoshop template which attempts to make your photos look like they were made on a Lomo camera.

Here is a comparison of a photo processed with the "Lomo" template, and one I did manually.

"Lomo" processing
Manual processing
For more comparisons click here.

back to pisay

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 06:24:00 +0000

About a month ago, MM and I dropped by Pisay Diliman. We basically just walked around as I told her of the exploits of my batch.

It was quite a lazy, cloudy afternoon...

For more pics click here.

mak and loren

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 09:50:00 +0000

Last November 14, MM and I took a leave of absence to attend my boss' wedding.

Mak Pastrana and I go back 6 years. I was coming into my own as a programmer and database administrator, while he was starting as a telemarketer. The Company (think Heroes...) then was pretty small, and we were both there to watch it grow. He was later promoted to sales, and our status in the company improved.

After it all went awry, everyone went their own way. A few years after, we started working on some side jobs. And so he became my boss.

Congrats pare, best wishes to you and Loren. :)

Pics from their wedding (Caleruega and Casablanca).

cowabunga!

noreply@blogger.com (RR) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:59:00 +0000

MM said a few posts ago that I rock. I'm not too sure about that, but I know she rocks way more than I.

I picked the post title from MM's post, and it was fitting because I just posted photos of... what else, but turtles!

Please be assured that they were in no way mutated or forced to star in a cartoon or movie.

For more photos of the turtles, please click here. :)