happy holidays!

MySpace Comments at GlitterBell.com

Wishing everybody to have a good one this year!

showtime!

Found some videos while browsing. Enjoy!



I really love this song.



This isn't exactly from the 80's



Couldn't resist this! I guess this' what will happen if you cross Milli Vanilli with NKOTB.

Have a nice day everyone!

limbo

It's been a very, very long while since I posted here. I've been quite unfair to my blog, ignoring him for all this time when a lot have happened in my life. Uninteresting developments, but many nonetheless.

08-08-08. My high school classmates and I celebrated 20 years removed from UST. This was in the making for over a year. In a quaint restaurant in Timog, the few of us who attended ate, drank, laughed and sang the night away. 1988 seemed like yesterday as we all reminisced with a few teachers, all our shenanigans and achievements.

Late August: Got lost in Singapore. 8 days of walking, strolling, eating (and most of all, soul-searching) in the Lion City left my legs strained but my spirits revived.

September. Got back from vacation and I attended a symposium in my former high school, somewhat a dream come true. Doesn't matter if the students weren't listening for half of my "speech".

It's now October and I'm gonna turn another year older in a few weeks. Hopefully, I've learned some valuable lessons throughout all those years. Kinda feeling stuck at the moment but I'm hopeful as always of what lies ahead of me, even if the world seems crumbling around me. Foolish as my outlook may seem, but a little hope never hurts.

looking back

Got this idea from Vikkicar. Just thought I'd give it a whirl....

30 years ago. It's June and it's 1978. I was probably just starting my Grade One education in Dr. Albert Elementary School in Sampaloc.


20 years ago. I just graduated from the education High School in UST and was about to start my 5 year grind in Architecture. Some of my classmates from Elementary was with me all the way through HS. Can you spot them?


10 years ago. 1998. I've already finished my course and passed the board. I'm already working for a Architectural-Construction Company in Binondo. I've been with the company 5 years already and I've also just finished an 3 semester tour as lecturer in FEU. Whew!

5 years ago. It's 2003 and I'm with a new company,(after the firm I worked previously folded up because of the crisis.) and I was always, always, always busy, busy, busy.

1 year ago. 2007 - Started working in an office again after 18 months in Ilo-ilo. trying to get accustomed to working in an enclosed space again after collecting all the dirt and dust from the jobsite. Learned a bit of Ilonggo though and got my self-respect back. I think. Started to find some old HS classmates and rekindled friendships anew.

1 month ago. it's May and the rains started early. Just had another bout with Acute Gastritis, stomach pain that the doctors does not know the cause. Otherwise, same old, same old. How come 12 months flew by so fast. I'm so happy nonetheless.

Yesterday. Accompanied a friend to by materials in Binondo. The Lakers lost Game 1 of the NBA finals. Huhuhu.

**********************************************

Planning a reunion isn't so simple as I thought. I guess it's different when your batch just 20 years out of school, more so if your HS only have 2 sections per level. I wonder how my Mom does it year in and year out, and their batch has over 15 sections per level.

verses 01

"cause when i close my eyes,
I still can see your smile.
It's bright enough to light my life,
over my darkest hour.

Know how this is true,
when I tell you I love you."

bits.

I've used this line so many times. Haven't been posting as regularly as I'd hoped. Been quite busy the past few days (nee weeks) and there's nothing new to talk about really.
Spent the weekend in Nasugbu, Batangas swimming, drinking and eating. Pretty much the only things I want to do anywhere. The last time I went to the beach was in 2005, when I first went to work in Iloilo. That's 18 months ago. I've aways enjoyed going to the beach. There's something about the ocean that calms me. I always enjoy taking a dip on the warm waters, even if on my own, and this time it's no different. I went as far of shore as possible and just laid there with just my thoughts to accompany me. (I think I've said that line too many times too!) Tried a bit of snorkeling as Alex brought some gear. Too bad there wasn't much to see beneath the waters as the sand was grey instead of beige, and there aren't any corals. There were a handful of of other guests. Groups were crowding the videoke machine, trying their darndest best to stay in tune. We ate, we drank and we swam. A perfect blend for a good weekend.

uneventful

It isn't surprising that I wasn't able to post anything these past few weeks, my life has been routine. Spent the Holy Week lazily as I just watched cable TV, surfed the Net. Chatted a lot, mostly at night and exchanged emails during the day. I DID, however, was able to complete my first Visita Iglesia. Audie and I met at the first church and walked to the other churches. It was a leisurely hike most of the way as we talked about how to split up the 200M lotto jackpot that week.

My days are mostly spent staring aimlessly into my computer (at work or at home), daydreaming most of the time while tapping the keys and trying to drone my work into completion. Life's like that, well my life at least.

I've been also kept busy by some minor repair works at home and in our apartments for rent. Both structures are quite old as you'll notice with it's architecture. Most houses built during that time looked that way in my neighborhood. In my head, I've already drawn up the plans in case my Mom wants to renovate again but in the meantime, a few plugs here and there will do.

I'm also sorting out my mess of a room. All the magazines, books and whatnot that I bought will slowly be redistributed, thrown or be given away to clear up some space. Slowly but surely I'm getting there.

I have a few other plans in my head, not necessarily for houses but for myself and I'm clearing up all the unnecessary clutter. In the meantime, this will do.

"Pambansang Kamao"

"Nakakatakot pala kalaban ito. Pati mukha may muscle!"

That was just one of the comments during the Pacquiao-Marquez title fight yesterday, when the entire Philippines stood still and watched as Manny escaped battered and blue but the winner.

This was my first time to watch a Pacquiao bout "live telecast". Didn't realized it was quite a big deal till I got to Access Point bar and saw the crowd. The free breakfast didn't hurt either.

The fight was thrilling up to the last round. Everybody was dreading that Manny will lose but as soon as Michael Buffer announced "and new WBC super-featherweight..., everyone was jumping, standing on chairs amd spraying beer and water all around. All of this at half past noon! The jubilation ended when the new champ is being interviewed, broken English and some more. Moments after, everybody started to go, including us.

"Naku po, tinamaan sa mukha!

Retro

One of the most awaited movie this year.
THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS!
Tadaaaa!

Pweh! Pati ba naman lata ng KLIM kasama?!

Hope this made your day! or at least natawa kayo!

memento

Almost 20 years ago, all the graduating students from batch 88 of the University of Santo Tomas- Education High School received one of these letters from their former student-teacher in English who is also about to graduate that year.

A small token of appreciation from the person who'd later become a professor in the same school (last I heard.)

jungle fever

'junggul 'feevur' (n), severe form of malaria occuring in tropical regions.: slang term for interracial relations known as miscegenation; 1991 film by Spike Lee.

I'll let everyone lower their eyebrows right now and before anyone can shout to the heavens, this blog is NOT about any of the definitions above. The term just popped into my head because of the lead characters' job is an architect who at the beginning of the movie gets passed over for a partnership only because of his race. The scene where Flipper is walking out of the office pointing at the photos hanging on the wall shouting, "Mine, mine, mine,mine!" has stuck so vividly in my mind. This movie was the first one I saw that featured an Architect as the lead and it came out while I was in college which made it more significant.
I never imagined that I would be able to play out that scene after I graduated but that's what I'm going through right now. A few years ago dreamed that I'll be setting up my own practice after a few years and 7 years down the road, I'm only moved ahead a bit. Like any other line of work, it's very difficult to establish a practice and make a profit from the get-go. The most established firms took quite a long time and I rarely saw an architect become famous before the age of 40. I'm still ahead but not the spring chicken I am.
That being said, I'm gonna have to take a good look at what I'm doing at the moment and make the adjustments since the career blueprint I made way back isn't panning out as I would have hoped. I'm coming up on a fork on the road and whichever path I take will be a bumpy one, leading to a place I've never been before, somewhere beyond my comfort zone. I'm almost incoherent and restless the the same time.
Having jungle fever ain't quite so bad right now.

my week ahead.

It's a Monday and I'm at home blogging, instead of working. Well, not really,I was working a while ago and I'm just taking a break. I'm allowed to work at home when my boss is out of town. It's one of my perks. Ti's the second time that I'm cutting my work week by a day. hahaha. Saves me from commuting expenses ansd lunch. I'm trying to concentrate on work now and other plans I have for my future. I have so many things I want to do and I don't know where to start. Anyway, I'll begin by finishing all my deadlines. I was talking to a couple of former officemates last night and it seems that everyone I know is skipping town to work abroad. The same thought has already crossed my mind and I'm just waiting for a reply from my interview and I'll take it from there. It's probably the money why everyone is opting to work overseas. A lot of us work abroad to follow the money and maybe, I should start thinking that way too. I also believe that being unhitched has made me care less about money. That's the only reason I can think of right now.

It's really annoying sometimes when other people expect you to be something or somewhere "just because" you reach a certain point or status in your life.
"You're 35? Why aren't you married yet?"
"You're an Architect? Why aren't you working abroad?"

I know they mean well but never in my life that I did what's in or what everybody else's doing. I tried to but I later realized that it just isn't me. I do not always conform to the norm. Maybe, that's one of the reasons why I don't want to work abroad, 'coz I'd probably just get in trouble. I can be really stubborn most of the time. Aloof the rest of the way. I just pray that everyone else will like this stubborn and aloof version of me coz' that's what I am.

i think I've finally figured out why my blog isn't registering in my multiply page when I post in blogger. I think it stopped when i changed the theme to what I have now. Ah well, will just have to start posting on multiply for the moment.

Advanced Happy birthday to Vikkicar.

looking forward.

My work week blew by so fast this time. The reason probably is that I didn't report to the office last Monday and the bosses weren't in most of the week. I was also preoccupied by my deadlines so much that It left me so little time to rant about everything else. I just wish that the days could blow by me so fast that when I realize it, the year is halfway through already. I'm looking forward to our high school reunion in August. The preparations have started and sans any hitch, it will be held in Fontana in what was formerly Clark Air Base. I can't wait.

The year of the Earth Rat sneaked in yesterday without so much fanfare at the office. Didn't even receive a single box of tikoy (sob) and my bosses are all Chinese. They probably had enough of the sticky treat. The canteen at our building did give away some to it's lunch patrons. The bosses did treat the entire staff to pizza and soda yesterday. I'm looking forward to a fruitful (or eventful) year this time coz I, also was born under the Rat sign. So much as been said on TV and the dailies about my year-long fortune that now, I can't say what will happen in the next 12 months. I'm praying that everything will be O.K., everybody will be happy and no one will get hurt. Again, Kung hei fat choy!

I'm still undecided on whether or not I take a trip this Holy Week to Singapore. Though it isn't in my plans (yet) to work there, I still haven't heard about the job I was interviewed for last week. Whatever happens, happens. It was probably that missed cellphone call 2 days ago and it being a holiday, I probably won't hear from them this week anymore. Despite of this setback (or blessing), problems and shortcomings aside, there was strange calmness on how I handled work this week. Everything was clear and surprisingly, I was able to finish all my work (at the office, at least). I still am behind on some my personal projects but, I know I'll be able to finish them by Sunday, hopefully. One reason I can think of is that maybe, just maybe, everything is falling into place and settling down. After a tumultuous couple of months, things are certainly looking up. I'm just hoping this isn't the calm before the storm.

After celebrating the Chinese New Year, lovebirds all the world over is looking forward to Valentine's day this Friday. Like the past years, I'll be on my own. (huhuhu). I've always believed that I'll find (found?!) the perfect mate for me, If I can stay patient, but some people find me too idealistic that it may be difficult for me to eventually find one. Methinks that's just their opinion but I believe it. I believe than when I choose to love someone, SHE is the ideal one for me. Finding that one true love may not always come to all of us, but searching and not finding it doesn't make one's life unfulfilled. I'm also looking forward to finding it, or perhaps I have found it already.... I just pray that everything will turn out okay, eventually.

my week.

*I really should be blogging more like I did last year when i was in Iloilo. I could be telling more tales from the Dinagyang Festival. Suddenly, life in Manila became boring, routine. I'm not complaining though. There's a lot of things I'm very happy about and I guess the cliche is true, "lucky in life, unlucky in love and vice versa coz, i'm getting the itch again to work elsewhere. I still love what I do, I just wanna do my own thing now yet I'm still stuck in the same place after all my planning. I'm still hopeful nonetheless.
On my interview for a Singaporean Design firm the other day, I suddenly remembered that I forgot to ask how much the job pays. The person I was speaking to kept asking if I have anymore questions yet I just kept asking a different one. I know it's important but salary has never been much of an issue for me. Maybe when the times comes for me to settle down, i'll be more aware.

*One of my constant textmate nowadays is my niece Gellie. She's just learning to read yet the promise of a cellphone has encouraged her to learn faster. I eceive at least 5 texts from her daily. each message is written like a letter, with a heading and every syllable is accented. Not a day passes without her texting me or her Lola or just ringing us daily, before and after school. I know she just misses her Mom and we're trying our best keep her happy till she returns.

*I'm really buggered that my posts here has suddenly stopped appearing on my Multiply page. There's nothing much to show (or miss) but it's just irritating that i have to set it up again. Darn.

* Just saw "Cloverfield" earlier. It was entertaining but the film was just about 8o minutes long. I was a bit surprised that there weren't that many people inside the cinema since it was #1 in the U.S. box-office (i think). I think I recognized Megan Fox and Zoey Deschanel in the movie yet I'm not 100% sure cause the parts were uncredited (I think again). There would've been morepeople who watched if their faces are on the poster instead of a decapitated Miss Liberty.

*There's a portion in the show "Good Morning America' entitled my week in 3 words. Here's mine.

Feels like heaven.

(Pwede ring "ang corny 'ko.")

kung hei fat choi!

It's that time of the year again,when our mouths become strained from chewing all the "tikoy" that's being given. The year of the Rat is still over a week away but now is still a good time for one more of those lists to start any year....

(I didn't write this and YOU may have already have this in you inbox but it's still worth listing.)

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. Record your late night shows and get more sleep.

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, "My purpose is to____ today."

5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

6. Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you did last year.

7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is
manufactured in plants.

11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts .

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13. Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life .

14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid.

17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does .

21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about .

24. Burn the candles, use the nice bed sheets, Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Forgive everyone for everything.

28. What other people think of you is none of your business .

29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time .

30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. So stop complaining about the weather, the job, the rents etc etc

31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

32. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

33. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

34. The best is yet to come.

(there's supposed to be 40 but the message ends here.I-forward na nga lang, mali pa.)

Happy New Year!

January blues

It's only the middle of January and I've managed to break ALL of my resolutions for 2008. I purposely didn't post it here (so no one could keep track) and still went down in flames, in record time at that.
1. I made a promise to myself that I will diligently watch what I eat and exercise more. Well, for the past couple of weeks, I've been to a birthday dinner, despedida, reunion every weekend and only managed to go to the gym 4 times. Well, maybe 4 1/2 times. The half-session was when I was midway into my workout and got an invite to watch a filmfest movie (which is subject to a different rant for another day). This weekend will be our barangay fiesta, so don't me to just sit back and watch.
2. December 2007 for me, was very exciting and tumultuous all at the same time. happy kinda sad, like the line from song,??? I forgot which song. I'll remember last month for the rest of my life when the most wonderful thing happened to me that could very well change my life, in a very good way of course.
3. In a fit of impulsiveness, i sent my curriculum vitae (nee resume) to 2 Architectural firms outside of the Philippines. A former officemate asked me to try apply for work in their firm in Singapore. I did, and yesterday I got a call from their representative to setup an interview. I purposely do not apply for work abroad primarily because I want to make it big here. It's already been 15 years and I've only got some minor successes to show for it. If I do accept their offer, i will have to renege on a lot of my previous commitments but on the other hand, If I stay, i see a lot of opportunities for me this year. I think it's time for me to think things very carefully.

I need to keep my chin up from hereon. It's notevenFebruary and already I'm in mid-year slump mode already.

sad but true

Sigh. Started the new year with a whimper, like last year. After hearing mass, My Mom, Carlo and I ate our media noche and waited for the new year on TV. I went outside and watched as our neighbors ignited their fireworks, sparklers and firecrackers much like last year. I only watched with only my thoughts to accompany me. I'm hoping that everything will be OK for 2008. I'm wishing it'll be safe for my family and my loved ones. I'm praying there'll be no more disasters for everyone. I sincerely wished all this, and much like everyone, I do hope it'll come true.