Tuesday, October 31, 2006

on leave

i'll be on blog leave for a couple of days... hehehe... i'm busy with training and i don't have time to write... but definitely i'll be back writing maybe in a few days. i just have to focus with my training and my current post. so see you folks by that time. :)


Friday, October 27, 2006

sms tv moderator

yesterday was the last day of our speech training. we were only given 3 days for it. i must admit that was a breeze... i wish we had more time... well... i always liked training. maybe because it takes you out of the routinary work that you do... provides room for improvement in a classroom type of environment... the truth is... i've always liked to sit in a classroom and watch as my teacher/trainer talk in front of the class... maybe its because i've always wanted to try training people... but definitely not with soft skills coz i know i have my own lapses...

during those three days of training, i had fun. i have really crazy co-trainees. i had a good time too because i had a refresher. it's been 5 months since the last time i had attended an intensive english speech
training. that was in teletech but product training was more intense there... i won't elaborate on that anymore. :)

this coming sunday, we will have one more day for our product training. next week will be a lot different. we will start our nesting period and will start taking calls... the same thing i used to do in convergys and teletech. as much as i don't want to transfer to inbound cs, i had to. i know there is a reason my supervisors want me there... i honestly think that faith wants me there, too. whatever that reason is, i know God wants me to do this and He knows i can handle this. in my entire life, He hadn't given me any challenge that i was not able to handle. so i guess this is just one of them.

goodbye, smstv... i know that though they promised that they will put us back to our previous posts if they don't find us fit for inbound cs... i think i'll be staying there for good... knowing myself, i face challenges head on and do my best to excel in the task at hand... sometimes i push myself to the limit... sana lang di ako mapagod at biglang bumitaw... or else... i'll end up hopping to another company again. :)


Wednesday, October 25, 2006

batch one

i'll be on training this week for four days. our company is crosstraining people for the different projects that we have. i dunno if you can call me lucky because we are the first batch to be in training... and this is the first time they are conducting such... a formal training... :)

yesterday, i had to go to work at 10am because it was the first day of our speech training. it was supposedly my off but they moved it to saturday. i guess it was a lucky break for me because it was a holiday (end of Ramadan) and i'll get paid double... hehehe...

just like the other speech trainings that i have attended, we were asked to introduce ourselves and was asked a random question. this was to gauge one's proficiency in spoken english. as usual our trainer/supervisor jot down her comments that she calls "constructive criticism". after everyone was finished, she read those comments to us. when its my turn for her comments, she just said she doesn't have any comments because i sound good. i dunno if i blushed or something because that was the first time i was praised for my spoken english. ang weird lang kse... alam ko naman na di ako ganun kagaling mag-english... tsaka i don't want my co-trainees to feel na pinapaboran nya ako... feeling ko tuloy ang taas ng tingin nya sa 'kin... which is hindi naman talaga... oh, well... that's her opinion... i just wish i can live up to her expectations...

prior to yesterday, my trainer/supervisor and i have been engaging in small talks whenever i bump to her in the pantry or when she's walking on the floor. she told me she liked how i sound. i think this is a mutual admiration because i always liked to talk to her... the reason being is the way she speaks and her accent is so contagious. i like the way she speaks (she speaks like lea salonga) and i look up to people who speaks well because one day i want to be in that position too... alam ko marami pa akong kakaining bigas... hehehe...

by the way, umpisa na ito ng paglipat ko sa inbound. they told us that not all of us will be transferred to inbound. but the way it is going, i think that i'll be transitioning soon to inbound customer service. i can't say i'm lucky but i hope this is the start of something else in my career. to my supervisors, i really appreciate the trust that you are giving me. salamat sa pagpansin sa mga kakayahan ko. i'll make sure i'll live up to your expectations... :)


Sunday, October 22, 2006

split

my supervisor approached me during the start of my shift to tell me that i'll be attending a training next week. its an american language training, if i remember it right. its going to start on tuesday. that means that i'll have a split off for this week. well... that's fine with me as long as my other day off will be a weekend so i can go to church. by the way, this is the start of my transition to inbound. well... i don't have much of a choice. they are counting on me that i'll be able to handle the job accordingly. its just hard because of their expectations. wow! pressure!... i just hope i'll be able to meet, if not all, at least most of them. sana lang 'di madali ang buhay ko dito sa kumpanyang 'to nang dahil sa paglipat nila sa akin sa inbound!... hehehe... though, i'm still optimistic and i hope that i'll be able to stay here until i'm sure with my employment in IBM. which reminds me that i have to cancel my plans of going to IBM again and schedule it some other time. geez... i hope everything will be fine... i know i'll have a better future with IBM but first i have to pass their employment process... i'm hoping for the best... the best for the both of us... my mom and i... wish me luck folks! :)


Saturday, October 21, 2006

earthquake

i dunno what's wrong with me. as i have blogged on my previous post, i'm having a hard time getting up in the morning. though, i already had 7 hours of sleep. it's really weird... i don't have colds anymore nor is taking medicines... i'm really wondering what this is all about. alam kong antukin ako but i'm not like this before. geez... what's happening to me???!!! weirdo ko talaga... hehehe...

last night (or should i say this morning at about 1:30am) while i was trying to go to sleep, i felt the earth moved. it just lasted for a few minutes. i think less than three minutes. according to the news there were five quakes that hit us yesterday. that is since friday night til about 11:00am today. the epicenters were in Boac, Marinduque and Lucena City in Quezon province. its only intensity 4 in Manila and the epicenters have 4 point something intensities too... thank goodness... just brings me a deja vue of an earthquake that hit makati last 2004. nasa 31st floor lang naman ako ng enterprise nun... hehehe...



Friday, October 20, 2006

untitled

i really don't know what to write about today. i have the same routine. except that i kept on waking late and is always rushing since i started with this new shift. its just weird that i am having a hard time getting up in the morning since i had my coughs and colds. by the way, i still have some coughs. it's been 2 and a half weeks and yet i still have it. geez... it seems like it's here to stay... wag naman sana...

i have a slight headache today. maybe its because of the CRT monitor i used today. i had to transfer from one station to another. good thing there were available LCD monitors in the office. nawala un sakit ng ulo ko nun lumipat ako... so i concluded that it was really the CRT monitor.

i'm all alone sa shift ko today. off nung kasama ko. good thing i remember to bring my iPod nano. at least, di ako masyado maiinip. :)


Thursday, October 19, 2006

super IQ test

this is an update to the Super IQ test that i took last sept. 22. tickle provided me with my super IQ report for free because according to them i got a high IQ score. i just thought of posting it here. here is the complete results:

Your IQ score is 109. This means that you are smarter than 72.0% of all other Super IQ test takers.

This number is the result of a scientifically-tested formula based on how many questions you answered correctly on the Tickle Super IQ Test.

But there's more to intelligence than a single number, a single score, or a single label. Tickle uses 8 distinguishable dimensions of intelligence in the Super IQ Test. By analyzing your individual scores on those 8 scales, we are able to look beyond the raw IQ score into how you process information, and which intellectual strengths you're best at.

Your test results indicate that the way you process information makes you a Practical Wordsmith.

You're a highly organized, realistic, detail-oriented person. You think clearly and use your substantial verbal skills to eloquently convey your ideas. What's important to you is getting your point across. Your ability to pick up new words, fundamentally understand their meaning, and use them at your discretion gives you enormous opportunities. At the very least you get the added flexibility of being able to express yourself and explain things to others in the most precise way possible, whether in a professional or personal context.

Your set of strengths comes in handy whenever a situation is unclear. First, you are more likely to take a practical approach than others and more able to focus on the most pressing problem. Second, you are able to articulate the approach in a way that others aren't. Communication can be challenging when dealing with others who prefer to talk in highly abstract terms or who need to express things in numbers and purely logical patterns, but you are typically clear enough to make communication work regardless of the circumstances.

Here's an example of your Practical Wordsmith thinking skills at work in a real-life situation:

You and your friends are trying to figure out what to do with your free evening. One friend says that she hasn't gone to a movie in awhile, and offers the bonus that it's often educational to watch a movie. The other friend starts talking about how, actually, movies aren't educational, but rather, misleading. Movies don't imitate life, he says, it's the other way around. You listen to this conversation and realize that it's going nowhere. It's obvious to you that one friend wants to go to a movie and the other doesn't, but that they aren't able or willing to talk about that. So you interject and say, "How about we forget the movie and go out for coffee instead!" No one objects, and you've miraculously stopped a directionless conversation from continuing. You know that even if their argument did end, they'd be no closer to making a decision. Your friends are grateful for your help but might have trouble expressing it since it takes most people awhile to cool down from a debate.

Your Super IQ Dimensions

Now that you know about how you process information, let's drill down to see what your specific intellectual strengths are. None of the intellectual abilities is more important than any of the others. And it's your unique scores on each of these scales, that makes you an interesting addition to any group, office, or family.

These intellectual strengths color your world and the way you perceive it, and also allow you to contribute your original perspective when solving problems and coming up with ideas. No one intellectual dimension can define you. It's the original combination of your intellectual strengths that makes you special.

Mechanical Ability
You scored 99 out of 100. Mechanical ability is what helps you understand how machines and tools work. Someone with a good amount of mechanical ability probably has an innate understanding of physics. High mechanical skill is also associated with a high degree of precision and practical thinking.

Here's a question that required high mechanical ability to solve:

Which object will fall faster? A 8 x 11 piece of paper or a peanut? Both weight the same amount.

A. The piece of paper
B. The peanut
C. It is impossible to know

The paper will encounter more resistance than will the peanut, and so it will fall more slowly. The peanut will fall faster and so the correct answer is B.

In every-day life, mechanical ability comes in handy when anything in the house breaks, or when you have to purchase something that requires physical assembly. It is also helpful in finding solutions to physical problems, such as determining how to build a pulley to bring water out of a well.

Compared with others, your mechanical abilities are very high. This means that you have a very strong mechanical ability.

Organizational Ability
Your organizational ability score is 88 out of 100. Organizational ability is what allows you to organize and arrange information effectively, be precise, and proofread carefully.

Here's a question that required high organizational ability:

Which of the following character strings is the closest match to 8,392,211,109?

Here's the answer: The correct answer is B. Try reading each of the answer options not as numbers, but rather as a string of characters; when you do so, you will find that B has the fewest mismatches, position for position, in the string of characters. See below (mismatches highlighted in red):
Original string:8,392,211,109
Answer A:8,382,311,1193 mismatches
Answer B:8,3925211,1292 mismatches
Answer C:8,39,2211,2084 mismatches
Answer D:8,329,211,1083 mismatches

In every-day life, organizational ability is what you use to proofread a paper or organize a messy desk. Coming up with an organizational system for keeping track of things comes easy to those who are high in this ability. It is a highly practical skill.

Compared with others, your organizational ability is high. This means that you have a strong organizational ability.

Visual Ability
Your score is 88 out of 100. Visual ability allows you to accurately visualize all aspects of an object for the purposes of recreating it, the way painters do. It's also what you use to imagine a scene from a novel or a story someone tells you — the ability to accurately reproduce reality in the mind's eye.

Here's a question that required high visual ability to solve:

Which of the images below is a perfect square?



Here's the answer: Eyeballing it, you can see that image A is the square with identical length and height, and so the correct answer is A.

In every-day life, visual ability is what you use when creating original art. In order to reproduce an object on canvas (as painters do) you have to be able to accurately represent the dimensions of those objects in the picture. Getting the accurate perspective and depth is easiest for someone with a strong visual ability.

Compared with others, your visual ability is high. This means that you have a strong visual ability.

Verbal Ability
Your verbal ability score is 84 out of 100. Verbal ability means having an expansive range of vocabulary, being able to use it, and feeling a desire to add to it. It is also what allows you to comprehend the relationships and subtle difference between words.

Here's a question that required verbal ability:

The opposite of acute is:

A. Severe
B. Incisive
C. Dull
D. Flamboyant

The opposite of the word acute, meaning sharp or finely tuned, is dull, so the correct answer is C.

In every-day life, verbal ability is essential to being able to interpret written materials. It's also valuable for communication — the more vocabulary words you know, the more precisely you may be able to convey your point.

Compared with others, your verbal ability is high. This means that you have a strong verbal ability.

Spatial Ability
You scored 82 out of 100. You use spatial ability to judge the relationship between objects and physical space, like a parked car and the width of the road. It is also what helps you visualize a room when you are decorating or rearranging furniture.

Here's a question that required high spatial ability to solve:

Which is the odd one out?



A
B
C
D

Here's the answer: The thunderbolts in A, B, and C are all going in the same way, but the one in D is actually a flipped version of the rest.

In every-day life, you use this ability when you drive or even when you are walking through a packed crowd (so that you don't run into other people!). Some people actually use this ability to help them with non-physical things. If they are trying to understand a situation, they might think of the words as shapes that they need to negotiate.

Compared with others, your spatial abilities are high. This means that you have a strong sense of how things exist in physical space.

Abstract Reasoning Ability
Your score is 79 out of 100. With abstract reasoning you can think on multiple levels and see relationships between ideas that are not easily apparent. When you're using your abstract reasoning skills, you draw on both external logical and creative sources of information to come up with your solution.

Here's a question that required high abstract reasoning ability to solve:

What comes next in the sequence?




A

B

C



Here's the answer: The progression from one figure to the next is the addition of 1/2 of the previously added box. So the first figure is one box; the second figure is the first box plus a box 1/2 of its size; the third figure is the previous two boxes plus a box 1/2 of the last added box's size. Therefore the final figure (the question mark) should be the third figure plus a box 1/2 of the last added box. The correct answer is B.

In every-day life, abstract reasoning ability is used to understand complex, multi-layered situations, sometimes involving the associations and relationships between two seemingly different sets of information. For example, imagine someone who has taken piano lessons and was taught that the skill was more easily obtained when she pointed out her struggles to her teacher. She was able to learn from them and improve. This same woman then takes writing lessons and again makes her mistakes obvious so that the instructor can suggest changes and she can improve.

Compared with others, your abstract ability is This means that you have a strong abstract ability.

Logical Ability
Your scored 76 out of 100. Logical ability is what you use when determining whether or not something makes sense. You rely on logic when analyzing an argument, step-by-step. This ability also contributes to your aptitude for recognizing underlying patterns.

Here's a question that required high logical ability to solve:

Mary loved pink flowers more than she loved red ones. She didn't like orange flowers at all, and while she liked yellow flowers, she couldn't say that she really loved them. Which of these is true?

A. She liked red flowers less than orange flowers
B. She liked yellow flowers more than red flowers
C. She liked pink flowers more than yellow flowers
D. She liked orange flowers more than pink flowers

Here's the answer: She liked yellow flowers but didn't love them; however, she did love pink and red ones - pink more than red. Thus far the order of preference is pink, red, yellow. But she liked orange least of all, which means the new order is pink, red, yellow, orange. This means that she liked red more than orange (which makes option A not true). She liked yellow less than red (which makes option B not true). She liked pink more than yellow, which makes option C true, and she liked orange less than any of the flowers, which makes option D not true. Therefore, the correct answer is C.

In every-day life, you might use this ability to figure out the best route to the store, or to figure out the best deal when choosing between a couple items to buy. Everyone has a certain ability to use logic to solve problems. Some are better at it than others, however.

Compared with others, your logical ability is high. This means that you are a pretty consistently logical person.

Numerical Ability
You scored 62 out of 100. You use numerical ability when you spot a numerical pattern or solve a numerical equation. Here's a question that assessed your numerical ability:

Which number completes the series? 1, 3/2, 2, 5/2, ?

Here's the answer: 3

In every-day life, you use the ability to calculate a tip at a restaurant, or estimate taxes on a purchase. Everyone has this ability to a greater or lesser extent.

Compared with others, your numerical ability is high. This means that you process numbers easily.

quite long... hehehe...


dilemma

yesterday, i blogged about how my initial attempt to apply for any position available in IBM went. last night, before i left for my shift my supervisor called me and told me that we have to talk. i really dont have any idea what's going on. but because she asked me to go to her station, i obliged. honestly, i got nervous but i tried to push the thought away.

she first asked me how do i feel about taking in calls. i think she was able to read the expression on my face. so she asked me if i had an inbound call experience. i gave her the summary of my call center experience. she then told me that she is wondering what i am doing with a non-voice account and said that she thinks that i'm getting wasted on the account i'm currently in. with all that have been said, i have a hint on where this is all going. so i asked her if they are considering to transfer me to an inbound post. she gave me a hesitant yes. like she doesn't want to tell me just yet. she told me that they are transferring 3 or 4 people on that account and among them i'm her number one bet... "wow! that was flattering", was all i can say at that time. she added that if i have noticed that the recently promoted people came from the same account and she wants me to have that career path for me... which i am really thankful... at least meron nakapansin sa akin. i said thanks and if she thinks that that i am should be on the inbound account, so be it. i also told her that i trust her... which i really mean.

after the talk, i got myself thinking of a lot of things. is this the break that i've been waiting for??... has my time to climb up the corporate ladder finally arrived??... is this promising enough??... should i let go of the other opportunities knocking on my door and stay here??... my dream of getting a better paying job in IBM is within reach... will i let go of it???... if i get in IBM, i'll be able to provide for my mom and her worries for our everyday life will finally be gone... di na namin kailangan habulin ang pera na dapat namin makuha galing sa erpat ko... kahit meron kme karapatan dun... he can allot all of it to his illegitimate son and his close relatives... all i want is a peaceful life... sawa na ako sa mga sumbat ng erpat ko... at least, if i get that job in IBM... i can prove him wrong and that i made the right decisions in life... kahit di ko sinunod ang gusto n'yang maging abogado ako... don't get me wrong i don't hate him... i'm too numb to feel anything anymore... that was what i'm trained for... trained... just like soldiers... but the thing is we are not...

don't get me wrong... i'm not the type of person who's full of angst... i still view life positively... di ako galit sa mundo... nor i am depressed... these are just my thoughts and i think i'm in a deep dilemma... all i want to do is give my mom the good life she deserves after all of these hard years... with God's help... i know i can... soon... :)

photo taken from this website: click here

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

long day

i just went in from my rest days. our senior supervisor decided to change our scheds. luckily, i got the same shift sched. only, i had to come in an hour earlier. well... that is still fine with me as long as i can sleep during night time. hehehe... the only thing is i wasn't able to get at least one weekend day off. but i guess... it's ok... i still have a lot of things to be thankful for. :)

i left early today because yoshie and i decided to apply for a job opening in IBM. luckily, she passed the exam which is according to her was really difficult. ako???!!!... they did not allow me to take the exam. baket?!!!... kse they only allow applicants who have 2 years maximum work experience and fresh grads to take the exam. baket ulet??!!... because they only give the exam to entry level applicants. kse naman 5 years na ako nagtatrabaho... at wala pa ring nangyayari sa buhay ko... hehehe... eto, lagi pa ring entry level position kapag lumilipat ako ng kumpanya. sabi nila they will endorse my resume to a level 2 position... which i think is good. sana nga lang i'll get the position.

by the way, since they did not allow me to take the exam, i asked them if i can apply for the subject matter expert position, too. pang-back up. hehehe... so, i went through their initial interview and was scheduled for an exam. they asked us to come back at 2pm. but because i have to go to work at the same time, i had to re-schedule it in another time. they told me that it is okay as long as i show them the paper that was handed to me. i'm really not sure when i can come back. i hope i can make it tomorrow morning. sana pumasa ako. if i do, di na kme mamumroblema ng nanay para sa gastusin namin sa araw-araw... sana nga lang eto na yung hinihintay namin ni yoshie na break. :)

i'm still at work and i don't know if i can still stay awake til 10pm. inaantok na ako. hehehe... konting tiis na lang... uwian na... hehehe...


Sunday, October 15, 2006

used to...

another one of those songs that i've been wondering what the title is and who the singer is. this time, i was so surprised who sang this one because as far as i can remember the person singing this song when i first heard it on the radio was a girl. anyway, here is the song:

Superman was killed in Dallas
There's no love left in the palace
Someone took the Beatles' lead guitar
Have another Chivas Regal
You're 12 years old and sex is legal
Your parents don't know where or who you are

Used to be the hero of the ballgame
Took the time to shake the loser's hand
Used to be that failure only meant you didn't try
In a world where people gave a damn

Great big wars in little places
Look at all those frightened faces
But don't come here, we just don't have the room
Love thy neighbours wife and daughter
Cleanse your life with Holy water
We don't need to bathe, we've got perfume

Used to be a knight in shining armour
Didn't have to own a shiny car
Dignity and courage were the measure of a man
Not the drugs he needs to hide the scar

Can your teacher read, does your preacher pray
Does your president have soul
Have you heard a real good ethnic joke today
Mama took to speed and daddy ran away
But you mustn't lose control
Let's cut the class, I got some grass
The kids are wild we just can't tame 'em
Do we have the right to blame them

We fed them all our indecisions
We wrecked their minds with television
But what the hell, they're too young to feel pain
But I believe that love can save tomorrow
Believe the truth can make us free
Someone tried to say it, then we nailed Him to a cross
I guess it's still the way it used to be

- used to be
stevie wonder

surprised too? :)


Saturday, October 14, 2006

sleeping position

i really can't get enough of this. hahaha...

What Your Sleeping Position Says

You are calm and rational.
You are also giving and kind - a great friend.
You are easy going and trusting.
However, you are too sensible to fall for mind games.
What Does Your Sleeping Position Say About You?


this is partly true. :) hehehe...

japanese name

Your Japanese Name Is...

Miyoko Yamamoto

if you were born...

this one is cool! mala-star wars! hahaha

If You Were Born in 2893...

Your Name Would Be: Aki Irb

And You Would Be: The Future's Last Hope

click on the link above to try it out. :)

birthdate meaning

i came across a thread in girltalk regarding blogthings. i gave it a try and here is one of them:

Your Birthdate: January 6

You tend to be a the rock in relationships - people depend on you.
Thoughtful and caring, you often put others needs first.
You aren't content to help those you know... you want to give to the world.
An idealist, you strive for positive change and dream about how much better things could be.

Your strength: Your intuition

Your weakness: You put yourself last

Your power color: Rose

Your power symbol: Cloud

Your power month: June
What Does Your Birth Date Mean?


if you want to try it out too, just click the link above. :) have fun!

new look

i changed the look of my blog today. i just wanted something colorful. thank goodness i found a template that fits my needs. the truth is... i wanted to forget the not so pleasant event that happened to me today so i won't mess up my entire day. :)

it's nothing major. i just got late. traffic was horrible because of the weekend sale in megamall and robinson's galleria. not to add the traffic in edsa considering it's saturday. it's not because they were putting down the billboards but because they were doing some minor road repairs. it's just frustrating because i was late for 2 minutes ONLY. i would have accepted it wholeheartedly if i got late for 15-20 minutes but otherwise... nah... and to think that i always make sure i leave early so i won't get late. but, i guess that's how life goes... as always... i just hope that i won't get late in the next months because we are only allowed to have three tardies... good luck to me! :)

i think the entire idea did its purpose. i almost forgot about that event already. :)

Friday, October 13, 2006

"eye" like this subject

since i started sketching, i've been fascinated with the human eye. and because i like to do portraits, i made sure that i'll be able to give justice to the eyes of my subjects. so, i devoted much of my time paying attention to the details of the human eye and capturing it on my sketch pad. according to the people who have seen my portrait sketches, they gave enough justice to the subject.

i just realized that the reason i like the human eye is because it is expressive. as they say it, it's the window to the our souls. i just feel that if i look at the eyes of the people, i see into them. i get to understand them more. it's like being one with them... weird... hahaha...

last night before going to sleep, i just felt like taking this picture. well... i'm just going back to basics... my basic subject... :)

by the way, it's friday the 13th... wala lang... :)

photo taken using my not so high pixeled camera phone.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

firsts

my usual routine whenever i have my rest day is to go to the market and buy stuff for the entire week. so, my day yesterday was no different from the others. only, i went with abba to the fort.

abba asked me to come with her yesterday to deliver her painting to a gallery in the fort. we met up at tiendesitas because she's coming from UP. its my first time to go there so while waiting for her, i took the chance to look around. i don't have much money yesterday so i just bought small things as a remembrance. :) i bought a coin purse and a cellphone accessory which i gave to my mom. we spent a lot of time in the food court area while we waited for abba's friends. there, i met camille and manoli. the plan was to ask camille to bring abba's painting and then we go home... well, that didn't happen. :) so, we ended up going to the fort in convoy. the funny thing is... di pala alam ni abba kung saan ung gallery. so i asked her if the reason she asked me to go with her is... para meron sya kasama pag nawala sya... hehehe... she just answered... medyo... hahaha...

if i'm not mistaken, the name of the gallery is "e". she and her several artist friends are going to hold an exhibit there. it's in... teka, abba what's the name of the place again?!... hehehe... memory gap na naman ako. hehehe... it's newly constructed and the stalls are not yet completely filled. there's no parking fee yet either. the place is really nice. they have a nice design on the ground floor open space. it's an untraditional fountain. i'm really having problems describing it. hehehe... i just can't get a good view of the fountain for pictures that's why i didn't get the chance to capture its image. on our way going back to the parking lot, we saw a twisted steel jamb in one of the unoccupied stalls and abba's friend camille pointed it out to us and said it looks like an installation. abba and i agreed. abba asked me to take its photo and the results are here:












going back, we almost got lost. abba's in a little panic already. mabuti na lang nakita namin un
daan. it's raining kse kaya medyo mahirap hanapin un daan. traffic was horrible as always. since its already late and we were starving, especially me, we decided to eat at pizzeria volare in taytay. we had pizza, pasta, chili con carne with nachos and chicken fingers which i liked a lot because its spicy. natuwa lang ako sa kulay nung juice na inorder namin kaya i took their picture. abba wanted to pose in between the glasses kaya ayun kasali sya... hehehe...

nun nag
-CR ako sa tiendesitas, natuwa ako dun sa ilaw na nakatapat sa cubicle na pinasukan ko. i don't get to see a lot of lamps anymore... the traditional ones. so using my camera phone, i took the photo of the hasag. meron pa sana ako kukunan ng picture e... un mga lamps na nakabitin sa food court kaya lang marami ng tao nun binuksan un ilaw and we have to go na so i didn't have the chance. sana next time. :)

i had a really nice time yesterday. though, i was coughing all the time. hehehe... sayang sana kasama namin si yoshie... :)


note: all the above pictures are original works and owned by the author.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

rain + juliene

since i was a kid, i've always hated the rain. especially when i need to go somewhere and suddenly it pours. i just don't like the feeling of getting stuck in traffic while on your way to work and getting late. and all the efforts exerted not to get late were put to waste. i don't like the mess it does with my clothes. and lastly, flood which is the usual cause of traffic.

which reminds me that on my way going to work today, i got stuck in traffic on c-5 road in front of tiendesitas. the reason... it's flooded in front of SM hypermart. great, isn't it? the only consolation i had is that i did not get late... almost. whew!!

i had a chance to see my sister-in-law today. coincidentally, we rode the same fx going to ortigas. my brother and her has been separated for more than a year now. i haven't seen my niece since the day they left our house. it's been a year and i hardly noticed it. i missed my niece and her funny antics... ang likot sobra!!! my sister-in-law showed me her pictures. she's all grown up and ang taba!!!!!!!! she showed me her cellphone and i was really laughing when i saw my niece's video... she was doing a belly dancing act. ang galing kumembot!! the thought made me a little sad coz i no longer see her and the fact that she won't recognize me anymore... sad...

she was my favorite photo subject. here is her last photo that i took:

she's only a year and 6 months old in that picture. now, she's already 2 years and 8 months old...





among all her pictures that i took, this is my most favorite. she's barely a year old in this picture and won't even smile but i was able to capture a nice picture of her. you may say i'm a bad tita but she looks like tweety bird here. hehehe....

isn't she cute???! i really miss her... :)

the above photos are original works and owned by the author.

Monday, October 09, 2006

i'll be there

while riding in an fx, i heard this song playing on the radio:

over mountains

over trees
over oceans
over seas
across the desert
I'll be there

in a whisper on the wind
on the smile of a new friend
just think of me
And I'll be there

Don't be afraid, oh my love
I'll be watching you from above
And I'd give all the world tonight,
to be with you
Because I'm on your side,
And I still care
I may have died,
but I've gone nowhere

Just think of me,
And I'll be there

On the edge of a waking dream
over rivers
over streams
through wind and rain
I'll be there

Across the wide and open sky
thousands of miles I'd fly
to be with you
I'll be there

Don't be afraid, oh my love
I'll be watching you from above
And I'd give all the world tonight,
to be with you
Because I'm on your side,
And I still care
I may have died,
but I've gone nowhere

Just think of me,
And I'll be there

In the breath of a wind that sighs
oh, there's no need to cry

Just think of me,
And I'll be there

-i'll be there
the escape club

this song never fails to catch my attention since i heard it in the 80's. i never known the artist of this song just until now that i remembered looking it up on the net 'coz i'm not sure if the title of this song is "i'll be there".
i had to sang the first stanza over and over in my head so i won't forget it... or else i won't have the right words to use as a search string. thanks to the vast information from the internet, i got hold of it's lyrics, proved to myself that i've got the correct title and now i know the artist who sang this song. it took me 12 years but at least i found out. :)

i know it's kinda sad but i dunno know why i like it. the same way i liked "can't cry hard enough". weirdo... hahaha...

now, i can look for it's mp3 and download it. sana lang meron ako makita... hehehe...

as courtesy to the person who took the sunset picture above, here is his site: click here

Sunday, October 08, 2006

thoughts on getting married

i saw my highschool friend a couple of days ago and i remember her saying the same thing when i bumped with her a couple of months ago. this is what she told me, "ate russ, mag-asawa ka na!". weird... hahaha... i asked her why she wants me to get married soon and just gave me a plain answer "baka mauna pa ako sa'yo e!". her reply threw me off. the truth is i find it funny... ang babaw kse. i just smiled and said, "darating at darating un, kung meron e di meron kung wala, wala".

i don't look at marriage as a fad nor a scapegoat from the ruthless eye of our society. to tell u frankly, i haven't had any relationship eversince. and until now that i am 27, i'm still not in a hurry to jump into a relationship and get married... kahit na maiiwan na ako ng biyahe... as they say it...

masyado lang siguro ako na-trauma... i have witnessed two failed marriages in a span of 4 years involving my immediate family. those are my parents' and my brother's marriages. but there are a lot of other reasons too... i have a sole responsibility of providing for my mom right now... i still want to do a lot in life... those that i was not able to do when i was not earning my money yet. though at times, i think about it too. i guess, no one wants to grow old alone. :) neither i... but if this is what God has intended for me... Thy will be done. :)

note: i've got the picture on top from this website: click here

Friday, October 06, 2006

coughs and colds

sutherland global services texted me last wednesday informing me to go to their office the next day. i've been waitin for their call for a week already and finally here it was. the text said that they are considering me for a CSR post. so i asked if this is an email or a voice account because as much as possible i don't want to be in a voice account. the texter told it is email and voice. so, i made up my mind that i will give it a try and head to their office the next day. unfortunately, i woke up the next day (thursday) with a slight fever and severe coughs and colds. in effect, i wasn't able to go. what i did was go to the doctor instead and bought medicines. well... there goes my salary... to the expensive medicines i had to buy... geez... it's just weird that i often catch coughs and colds whenever the weather changes. anyway, i requested for the re-schedule of my appointment with sutherland and they were so nice to say "yes". i just hope that i'll get rid of this cough and cold by next week. hopefully, there are still available slots for that post by that time and that i pass their recruitment process... and most of all... that i'll get a good deal... meaning... kashing-kashing!!! :)

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

flood

there are a lot of things i can name why i love my native town. it's not only because i grew up in angono... it's because part of me reflects the town itself... or maybe it's because of its rich culture and tradition... or probably, i'm too comfortable with the place. it's not a big town because it used to be a small sitio of binangonan. it's already commercialized because you can find a lot of fast food chains and hotel and resorts in the area... even a casino and a golf course... di mo na nga masabing probinsya e... kundi mo lang mare-realize kung gaano katagal ang biyahe galing manila.

on the down side of it all, one thing i hate about the area is when it rains really hard it floods and it's not just any ordinary flood. it's a huge one that sudmerges the entire town... well... that is too exaggerated... of course, the high areas are not affected. too bad, we live in the lower area of the town. so its like a basin that catches all the water from the high places.

yesterday while i was at work, it rained hard in makati not realizing it also rained hard in our place. my mom texted me that our area was flooded and it went inside our house. geez... my mom was alone and no one will help her to put our appliances and furnitures in a safe place where it will not be wet. i felt bad that i was not there for her... that she was all alone.

something i really hate is being helpless to be there for someone not only for my mom. its the 2nd time this happened. the first incident was when i had a minor operation and my mom was left alone outside the operating room. geez... i really hate that feeling... i just hope that we can move to a place that doesn't flood whenever there is a heavy rain. i just hope it's soon... very soon.

Monday, October 02, 2006

bad news and more bad news

milenyo brought a lot of devastation to a lot of places and killed a lot in the process. the black out was luzon wide... a lot of areas have more than 3 days without electricity. in our area, we had 2 days without electricity... so i dont have a phone for 2 days, too. i had to have my phone charged in our office when i went to work last friday. but only to know that i'll be sent home because our building does not have electricity... in effect, we don't have work for 3 days... so, it's the first day of my work week today.

if i'm going to look at it... it's a good thing coz i got to rest for a couple of days more but if i'll take a look at it as a wage earner... it's not good. no work means no pay... so... hindi buo ang sweldo ko sa a-kinse... too bad... well... that's life and we have to cope up with it.

it's sad coz some people lost their jobs today. just imagine this... you were not asked to go to work for 3 days because there is no electricity in our building and when work resumed, you were told that it is your last day. great, isn't it? pero palagay ko pana-panahon lang... siguro ako na rin ang susunod... i just hope i'll be able to get a better paying job if ever... ang hirap kse maging bread winner e...