Exactamundo!

On To Bigger and Better Things

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 08:53:00 +0000

Nothing lasts forever, not even this blog. It's been over 4 years since I started blogging here, and before that I was even using Friendster. Over time, and even though I slowed down in the frequency of my posts, I was able to meet and interact with new people through this blog. Some of them even came to significantly make a mark in my life.

This abode saw how one sophomore college student grew into the young man that he is right now. How time flies.

And now I leave this home. I won't be leaving the blogosphere, though. I'm just changing addresses. Hopefully, this time I make more sense. See my new home in the Web here.

Image: Chaiwat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Fashionable Nursing Scrubs

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:54:00 +0000

Nursing scrubs aren't exactly the first types of clothes that you would think if there's a need to go all-fashionable. And yet it is possible to become fashionable even if you are just wearing your nursing scrub.

Take this from BlueSkyScrubs, for example (http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/), which has its own line of nursing scrubs for women. The entire point of this nursing scrub line is to make one feel gorgeous and slim even when you are in your nursing uniform.

So before you go out of your way to purchase a pair of ordinary nursing scrubs, check out what the site has to offer. You don't have to look ugly in work after all.

Unbounded

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:35:00 +0000

Looking at the sunny sky has always been a great pleasure
When I take a moment to gaze at its majesty
I am reminded that we can be limitless
If we will only give it our 101%

Because Life is a Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 11:23:00 +0000

Waking up to a view like this one? I cannot possibly ask for more.

I Hate You, Sentimental Heart!

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 11:47:00 +0000

Oh Zooey, you are not only beautiful and lovable. You also know how to hit me with the right words!

A sentimental heart can be a huge burden. Nonetheless, a new day brings with it a new hopes that I will be over it some day. Now come on and smile, you Romeo! The others are waiting for you out there! :D

Sunday Musings

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 08:27:00 +0000

I love Sunday afternoons, the time of the week when I do barely anything. I just sit around, lounge, and relax. Sometimes I read a book, but most of the time I just stare at nowhere and indulge in the serenity of doing nothing. Peace and quiet, who doesn't thrive in these?

In Italian, they call this l'arte di non fare niente or the art of doing nothing. It's not exactly about doing nothing. You don't just sit down and stop thinking for a few hours. I may just sit around now, but I am writing this piece.

You may be actually doing something, like sitting down on a chair and hear your pet cat purr or enjoying a glass of wine while you sit in your porch and watch kids play outside or kicking a ball in the public park without any apparent direction. You may be do these things but you don't do them to achieve something. You don't listen to your cat's purr because you want to study why cats purr. You don't drink wine in order to become better at distinguishing them. You don't kick a ball around in order to become better at your sport. You only do them just for the sheer pleasure of doing them.

Not everything has to have a purpose. In this busy, busy world, we sometimes forget to do things because we just felt like doing them.

***

When I attempt to enjoy my Sunday afternoons, I make it a point to listen to some piano music. Sweetness, sorrow, excitement--these emotions conveyed in each note played ring extremely well in the quietness of the day. I don't have a piano around and I most certainly don't know how to play even the most basic of piano pieces, which is probably why I easily fall in love (in a manner of speaking) with people who know how to play it well.

Maybe someday I will be able to play it. Maybe someday I will be able to amuse myself one Sunday afternoon to the tune of my own music.

*fake sigh*

Sunday afternoons are special to me, but this particular Sunday afternoon is extra special. You know why? It's a holiday tomorrow. So sweet.

Are You Sure You Really Are Who You Think You Are?

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 10:28:00 +0000

Horror and thriller flicks have never been in my list of favored movies. Call me anything you want but, as a child, I've never liked the images of gore, odd-looking creatures, and tense sequences flying in my eyes. I do not scream (like I ever did anyway), but I do not talk either. I just watch intently, hoping that not another creepy creature comes out. Let's just say I've had my fair share of caffeine.

But I think I've seen something more terrifying.

I have finally watched Shutter Island and, assuming that you have not watched it yet, I have to tell you that it is far scarier that your regular horror flick. Forget hideous-looking monsters and cheap surprises. Shutter Island scares me even in my waking hours.

The film was set in the 50's, with US Marshal Teddy Daniels (played by Titanic star Leonardo DiCaprio) and his partner Chuck Aule going to a mental hospital for the criminally insane in Shutter Island. They were there in order to investigate the escape of one murderess who killed her three children by drowning them in a lake. As the movie progresses, Teddy gets convinced that the mental hospital is conducting secret experiments on the human mind and that the staff are intending to make him believe that he is crazy as well so that the hospital's secrets are kept hudden.

It is revealed that the entire story was just a role play, and that Teddy, whose actual name is Andrew Laeddis, had become a patient in the mental institution after killing his manic depressive wife, who killed their three kids in a lake, two years ago. Andrew's suppression of his guilt led him to create this persona and refuse to accept the reality of what he had done. The role play was part of an elaborate therapy that the psychiatrists in the hospital--this includes Dr. Sheen, Andrew's primary psychiatrist, who played out the role of Chuck--were trying to practice as a last-ditch effort to save Andrew from insanity. Otherwise, he would be lobotomized because of his dangerously violent nature as a madman.

At the end of the movie, it appeared that Andrew regressed back to being Teddy, only to ask this single question: "Which would be worse--to live as a monster or to die as a good man?"

This apparently suggests that the psychosocial treatment did work, but the guilt of knowing what really happened was too much for Andrew to bear, so he chose to be lobotomized in order to forget about his horrendous past.

The scenes inside the lighthouse, where Teddy/Andrew was explained about his condition, were probably some of the most confusing and most terrifying scenes that I've ever seen. At that point, Teddy/Andrew was getting confused as to who he really was. Is he really Teddy who is just being coaxed into believing that he is a madman by these evil psychiatrists? Or is he really a mad man who could not accept his true identity?

The confusion of Teddy/Andrew made me wonder and question my own case. Is the person who I know I am really who I am? Or am I just creating this fictionalized world and persona in my mind? Maybe I really am a murderer who suppressed all the guilt and pretended to be who I think I am today, no? I don't know how a crazy person thinks, because I've never been there. But that makes it scary, isn't it? We don't know if we're already crazy.

My curiosity about reality is regularly perked by watching the likes of The Matrix and Inception, although these films deal with reality at a more physical level. The nature of reality and our perception of it are topics that I've always been curious about, like I am skeptical about the lives that we--or I, if all of you only exist in my mind--lead. I'm always afraid that everything is just in the mind, and everything that I think I have ever done were all for naught.

In contrast, some people say that trying to live in reality, wherever that is, is just overrated. Why attempt to live in something that is real when you can believe in a life that makes you happy and satisfied? Insanity is freedom. In a sense, we all live insane lives. You can be who you want to be, and it does not sound like a bad idea to run away for good when everything becomes too difficult to bear.

Still, the idea scares me. Shutter Island, another film starred by DiCaprio, only made the thoughts more pronounced.

It's All New To Me--Not!

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:38:00 +0000

New project.
New team.
New jacket.
New friends.
New acquaintances.
New experiences.
New cravings.
New dealings.
New gloves.
New love (I wish!).

Some things never change, though. Home will always be home. Hinahanap-hanap ko pa rin ang sinigang at pakbet.

Goodbye Sydney. Until I step unto your shores again. :)

Putting Your 401K Account in Gold

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:15:00 +0000

Money is just paper. Its value is only as good as the government that backs it. If the unfortunate time comes when economic turmoil besets that currency's backer government, expect to see that money's value slashed indiscriminately.

Americans are now seeing the effects of the 2008 housing crisis that had its epicenter in the American economy. In an instant, holders of US dollars saw their savings diminished significantly. All those years of hard work going down the drain. When you have spent all your life putting money in your 401k account, and see the dollar just go like that, you'll really get depressed.

No wonder more and more people are going to other wealth mediums such as gold 401k and gold IRA. Gold as an investment has never been a losing one. Overtime, gold has appreciated in value and has served as a good hedge against price shocks in other economy. When there's trouble and uncertainty in the market, go for gold, they say. Today, even those who have invested money in their 401k accounts are not putting it in 401k gold accounts. That's what you call backing your money with commodities.

Unleash the Canned Heat

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 19:00:00 +0000

People always think that I'm a shy guy. There is probably truth in this, but what many people do not know is that I have this weakness for dancing. I was never a good dancer, but I always had fun shaking my body whenever I hear good music in the background. Sometimes this includes dancing in public. Yes, I can get that shameless.

It's already 3 in the morning, but I still have a lot of canned heat inside. It's one of those nights. Come on. Let's dance.

The Northern Capital

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:57:00 +0000

I'm so hungry, I need my fix of Peking duck.

Just A Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:39:00 +0000

I have always desired to dance with you. Now I am left to face the music on my own, aching at the thought that the dream will forever remain just a dream.

Project 365: Boring Weekdays + Pleasurable Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 10:59:00 +0000

January 22 - pussy cat in a plant pot. More pussy cat love for me. :D

January 23 - Look at the time! Ever since I was a kid, I've always been interested in watches. Maybe I could start a collection of my own soon (and yes I also need a new camera)

January 24 - Boring Day 1: Light

January 25 - Boring Day 2: Dark

January 26 - Every day, I pass by this park in our village when I go to and from work.

January 27 - Reflecting. I wish those were real stars.

January 28 - Friday night out with the usual people. Eating and singing. That's what good friends do. Got home at around 4AM. Hee hee.

January 29 - What started off as a Me Day ended up as one great evening with Tal and Pao. It's been a loooooong time since I last bonded with them. Of course I forgot to bring my camera. Meh.

January 30 - My new not-so-new toy. It was in the bargain rack in Data Blitz, along with other football titles, so I grabbed it after a few minutes of contemplation.

Dancing in Secret

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:25:00 +0000

He's dancing in secret. He's a part-time punk.

Hey, that's me! It's one of those evenings when I feel like dancing alone in my room. Dancing and jumping. I miss doing these things. Fun fun fun! :D

Project 365: Pastries, Papers, and Pussy Cats

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 14:17:00 +0000

January 15 - Bought the ingredients that I needed for the red velvet cupcakes. This one's my personal favorite. :D

January 16 - And here's the finished product!

January 17 - I actually forgot to take a picture. LOL. It was such a boring and very typical day, I guess.

January 18 - Another boring evening.

January 19 - I spent some time working on travel papers. It was such a mess!

January 20 - Again, I have no photos. But it was not because I forgot about it. It was just such a bad day at work that I did not have the enthusiasm nor the energy to take pictures. Really depressing day.

January 21 - These days I really lack any good conversation with anyone. Good thing there are friends that you can hang out, laugh with, and make you forget about your troubles. With that said, what could be a better conversation than a conversation with a friend over some lemon tart?

January 22 - It's the orange pussy cat! (&#@^*#@&#%&@%#

Project 365: A Socially Active Week

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:09:00 +0000

January 11 - Playing on the dining table

January 12 - Behind me

January 13 - Hey, I drew those mountains! (at Chocolate Flames for Anna's despedida and Apple's birthday)

January 14 - My failed attempt at capturing fireworks on camera

Project 365: On the Floor

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:56:00 +0000

My favorite place in the entire world has got to be the floor in our bedroom. It's where I pretty much do all of my stuff once I'm out of the office and inside the home. The previous weekend I spent so much time on the floor that I hardly went out of the house.

January 8 - A mouse that you can hold all the time

January 9 - Busy with Facebook

January 10 - Sayuri Nitta, someday I will finish reading your memoirs!

Nursing Scrub Market in the Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 15:21:00 +0000

The Philippines is a nursing a country. With over 30,000 people getting their nursing licenses every year, I doubt if there is any other country in the world that produces as many nurses per capita as we have. With this in mind, can you imagine how potentially profitable a market for medical scrubs can be here?

Typically, the nursing schools and the hospitals are already the ones providing the nursing uniform scrubs and the surgical scrubs, so it would be best to market your scrub company to hospitals, I think.

Project 365: Food, the Commute, Plus Some More

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 05:16:00 +0000

January 4 - Fastfood garbage courtesy of the golden arches

January 5 - Walking to work on a cold Wednesday morning

January 6 - Blurred city lights

January 7 Pansit Malabon + pichi-pichi = Heaven

Project 365: Monday Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:31:00 +0000

January 3 - It's the first corporate workday for 2011!

A Photo A Day: My Own Attempt at Project 365

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 02:48:00 +0000

One of the major issues that I've had especially during the latter part of 2010 was boredom. I just felt that my life was going nowhere and I had no purpose at all. Good thing I had a lot of free time during the latter part of the year to think it over.

I thought that maybe my life is not that boring after all. Maybe I just failed to look at the things around me and notice the interesting bits from my everyday life.

So I decided to start my own Project 365. I'm no expert photographer, and I'm not even sure if I can pull this off religiously for the next 365 days. But let's see! There's no harm in trying after all.

January 1 - New year, new activities. This was the first time I actually baked something! Of course I got a lot of help from my aunt since I'm pretty new to this. The blueberry cake was very yummy even though the sides and the bottom were heavily burned. Next time I'll perfect it!

January 2 - It's a sunny Sunday and I just feel like staying inside (as always!). Here's a picture looking from the front doorway.

Investments in a Trade Show

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 02:44:00 +0000

Joining a trade show as a company takes a lot of investment. There's a lot of costs that you have to take into consideration, from the space rental itself to the purchases that you have to make to ensure that your booth is pleasing to the eye.

In addition to the space rental, there are things like logo mats, trade show flooring, and logo canopy. Then unless you are going to man the booth for the entire duration of the trade show, you also have to pay for people to monitor your booth.

But the potential benefits from a trade show can be enormous, especially if you have joined a trade show that is perfect for your target market. Is it worth the investment? Only you can really tell given the circumstances.

British Music

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 16:35:00 +0000

Don't you just love the Brits?

Reality

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 12:31:00 +0000

Why do I have this feeling that it will take a while before I see you all again? :(

Gah. It must be the music. Go away Johnny Mathis. /wrist

Wealth or Passion?

noreply@blogger.com (Gian Paolo) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:21:00 +0000

Much has already been written about the state of higher education in the Philippines, where majority of the college graduates every year get off college with a degree in nursing. These people aspire to wear medical nursing scrubs not really because that is their passion, but because being a nurse holds a lot of promise of a good life abroad, where medical professionals are very much in demand.

Nothing wrong with that, really. We're all entitled to a good life and it is within our right to take all possible means to achieve our material ambitions. It's just that sometimes I feel that it is a pity that, in the absence of a good life in the country, people are forced to wear these cotton scrubs in order to earn a lot abroad.

For someone like me who has always tried to chase my dreams and passions, becoming a nurse and wearing those medical nursing uniforms isn't just for me. That's all.