It's not just a bed and breakfast Part 1

Dang.

I’ll be leaving for Kuala Lumpur in 20 freeeeaaaking days.

Traveling has been a passion of mine since, forever. That is, if my wallet permits me to indulge in this.

Marami-rami na rin ako napuntahan locally. Ayos na rin dahil bago ako lalabas ng bansa para lumamyerda eh nalibot ko na ang Pilipinas. Sa katunayan ngayong taon palang ako nagkakaron ng passport. Inabot pa namin ng kapatid ko yung pagaapply sa lumang passport. Kaya ang kulay ng pasaporte namin pang-third-world country parin.

Being the backpacker that I am, I’ve been ready for this trip since February.

ACCOMMODATION : Tune Hotel, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Medan Tuanku, KL

Budget hotel ito. Tigda-dalawang libo lang ang babayaran namin nung kasama ko kasi walang almusal, walang airport transfers, walang twalya, walang aircon, walang TV, walang toiletries. Pero may banyo na kung pagbabasehan natin ang mga litrato sa website, malinis. Pwede kainan! Yun naman ang mahalaga sa akin. Sana ensuite talaga ang banyo dahil mahirap naman pumila sa paggamit ng banyo sa mga dormitoryo na pinauupahan.

The hotel is also located in the Chow Kit area. Parang Ermita daw yun ng Pilipinas. Nakita ko nga sa YouTube, may mga babaeng nagaabang ng customer sa kalye.

AIRLINE : Cebu Pacific Piso Fares is the way to go. Ayan, kakahanap-kakahanap namin ng mura, alas dos kami dadating sa KL. Which means paying for additional days in the hotel and double rate in airport transfers kasi madaling araw na. Kung tutuusin, hassle din. Next time magpa-PAL nalang kami.

THINGS TO BRING :

One travelpack

Unbeknownst to many, travelpacks are measured in liters. The ideal weight is 55 liters and should have a hipbelt and an internal frame inside the pack para balanse ka pag naglalakad. Talian niyo ng malaking ribbon yung bag niyo na mabilis mapansin ang kulay like neon pink o neon green so you won’t miss it among the piles and piles of dark colored luggage chaka dun sa conveyor belt ng baggage claim.

One smaller backpack

This is your carryon luggage. Pack one pair of underpants, a change of shirt, a handkerchief, toothbrush and toothpaste, your entertainment item (libro, PSP, MP3 player o Rubix cube kung ikaw yung taong mahilig sa mga larong sabugan ng utak). Bakit may underpants at shirt? Mahirap na, 85% ang chansa na mawala yang travelpack niyo in international flights. At least, may pamalit kang damit and you have a toothbrush so while you’re waiting for your luggage to turn up, you won’t have to put up with the unpleasantness of your teeth feeling all furry.

Kapag nakarating na kayo sa pupuntahan niyo and you’re ready to go sightseeing, your carryon will be transformed into your daypack.

Money belt

This should be worn inside your shirt around the waist. Dapat kasya ang passport, ticket, credit cards, photocopies ng travel documents (insurance, itinerary, etc.), chaka the bulk of your money. Logically, the things that should be placed in the money belt should not be bulky and should be items you don’t need to access every 20 minutes.

2 pairs of light long pants and 1 shorts

There are pants that are styled to have detachable zippered lengths para pwede maging shorts. Sa Malaysia kasi, maraming mosque na pwede pasukin and people are not allowed to go inside if they’re wearing shorts, short skirts and the like.

4 Shirts (2 ordinary shirts, 1 long sleeves, 1 micro-fleece jacket)

Pantulog ang isang shirt, panlakad ang isa. Yung long sleeves may be used to achieve the modesty factor (meaning yung mga lugar na kailangan eh balot na balot ka like mosques). Yung jacket pwede rin sweater, yung ordinary sweaters na nabibili sa SM. It’s advisable to wear long sleeved tops kahit sa mainit na lugar kayo pupunta kasi the more heat your body releases, the more you’ll sweat. Mas mabilis kayo madedehydrate. It’s actually quite cool to the skin.

Toothbrush and toothpaste

One hiking sandals to pack, Crocs to wear

Walking tour lang naman ang ipupunta ko dun kaya it’s better to bring flat, comfortable footwear.

4 pairs of underwear

Kaunti no? See the next item.

Laundry powder

Mas maigi pang maglaba kesa magdala ng maraming gamit. Yung mga shirts at pants pwede din labhan nalang. Sa CR ng hotel pwede gawin ang paglalaba.


String or floss

Sampayan yan ng nilabhan mo. I prefer the floss though, coz it’s stronger. The string, however, is a lot cheaper and can be acquired in your packed sewing kit.

Batteries

For the alarm clock, watch, etc.

Battery chargers

Rectangular blade plugs with a 240 voltage and 50 Hertz are used in Malaysia. Look in your chargers and see if they’re compatible with the voltage and frequency. More often than not, ang mga electrical equipment ng Pilipinas ay pwedeng gamitin sa Malaysia dahil 220V at 40H tayo.

MP3 player and celphone, alarm clock

Swiss Army Knife

Don’t to forget to put this in your check-in luggage because this is a potential weapon and may be confiscated if customs officials see this in your carryon. Sayang ang Swiss knife. Although this may not be brought at all, i find the bottle opener and the blade essential so I might need it.

Sarong

Normal towels get smelly very easily, mahirap matuyo, and use up far too much valuable backpack space. I use a sarong instead. Or, magdala nalang kayo ng bimpo (face towel).

Baseball cap

To keep you cooler and prevent sunstroke.

Flash disk / memory cards

Many hotels have Internet Cafes already. You can upload your camera pictures to flickr or multiply or your travel blog so as not to run out of disk space.

Video camera

Handkerchief

This is practical for drying your hands after washing them in restaurants or public toilets. Ang ginawa ko naman dati nang sobrang init sa Mt. Banahaw, binasa ko yung buong panyo ko sa ilog. Tinali ko sa leeg ko tapos nagbigti ako. Charot! It has a refreshingly cooling effect on your whole body.

OTC Medicine

Diarrhea, migraine, and if you can get some in Mercury, water-purifying tablets. This will all go into your first-aid kit.

Photocopies of travel insurance, passport, ticket and other documents

Leave one set at home in case of theft, another set with you on the move, scan them and email them to someone back home, and have one set in your daypack. The original copies should live in your money belt.

Notebook / journal and pens

For the pensive, writer traveler, these are ideal. Yung mga biglaan sulpot ng inspirasyon sa mga nakikita mong bagong bagay sa ibang bansa ay nararapat lang na isulat sa notebook. Pens are ideal for filling out immigration forms or other paperwork you might encounter while you’re on the move.

Sewing Kit

Para sa mga pundilyong mapupunit.

Wet ones

Good for cleaning yourself up on buses and trains, and for wiping hands before eating.

It's time to try defying gravity

I knew this was going to happen. Sana lang hinanda ko rin ang sarili ko kasi sa totoo lang, I’m overwhelmed with all that’s happening to me.

If you’re a regular reader of my weblog, you’d know that I’m in a quarter-life crisis. Not that I’m making excuses for all of the life bloopers I have that I could ask for royalties for them, but I think it’s quite acceptable for me to feel this. Sa edad kong ito at sa mga nararamdaman kong kalituhan sa buhay, alam kong di naman ako nagiisa.

Nakakatakot lang. I’m turning 30 in four years, and yet wala pa akong nararating.

Aminado naman ako sa lahat ng kapalpakan ko sa buhay. Wala namang kailangan isisi at ituro kundi ako lang naman. Life is what we make it ika nga ng isang kanta. Pero nakakanerbyos parin. Ang paniniwala ko nalang, lahat ng bagay na pinagdedesisyunan ko ay nararapat lang na panagutan ko. Tulad ng pagayaw ko sa trabaho ko ngayon. Alam kong di ko naman kaya ang trabaho, eh, bakit ko pa ipipilit? I can’t even begin to explain that I’m not a person who delivers mediocre work and continuing in this job will only make me feel a lot worse because I’m accepting mediocrity in my system. Ako na mismo ang umayaw bago pa ako masesante dahil sa mali-maling trabaho.

So ano na?

Naniniwala ako na ang taong 2007 ay hindi nagging maganda para sakin. Ang dami kong utang sa nanay ko, nawalan ako ng trabaho, halos mawala ang buong bag ko nang maiwan ko ito sa rehearsal (pero I admit na katangahan ito at hindi kamalasan), at gumawa ako ng plano na mag-tour sa Malaysia nang hindi nag-ipon. Kasalanan ko rin talaga kung bakit nagpapang-abot ang mga kapalpakan ko sa buhay. Pero sa lahat ng mga plano kong napurnada isa lang ang planong nakatatak sa utak ko at pinipilit kong abutin lalo na sa ngayon: ang mangibang bansa. Siguro naman panahon na para ako naman ang tumulong sa pamilya ko. My father never stopped being an OFW ever since he and my mother started a family. I want to help out, lalo nang alam kong pagod na rin ang tatay ko mag-abroad. I have plans of applying to New Zealand and I believe that I have a pretty good chance of making it but I need the one thing that makes the world go round.

Pera.

Saan naman ako kukuha nito? Eh sa October 31, wala na naman akong trabaho. May mapagkukunan ako tulad nung mga raket ko sa events at sa teatro, pero hindi sapat ang mga ito. I need PHP300,000 para madirediretcho ko ang plano kong pagalis at isa lang ang nakikita kong solusyon dito:

Call center.

I have nothing against the business of call centers. In fact, nakakabilib nga sila. Tumagal ka daw ba ng walong oras mahigit ng alas dos ng madaling araw kung kelan ang normal na takbo ng buhay ng tao ng ganitong oras ay maghilik na. Hindi yata madali yun. Kaya lang kasi para sa akin, walang growth dito. Walang growth professionally, intellectually, at growth sa karera ng isang tao. Pero financial growth, aba, meron. Puhunanin mo lang ang laway, antok, at haba ng pisi mo sa trabahong ito, mabubuhay ka talaga.

Alam kong kakainin ko ang sinabi ko dati na “Ang pagko-call center, last resort nalang. Kung wala na talaga akong mapasukan, dun ako babagsak.” Alam ko na may mga ibang trabaho na mas nararapat sakin, kung saan makikita ko ang growth na kinakailangan ng iba’t-ibang aspeto ng buhay ko. Pero kailan pa? Kailangan ko ng pera sa lalong madaling panahon. And there’s no better day than today. Kaya nga ba nagsisimula na akong magapply.

I asked advice from my different sets of friends. This is what they have to say:

Japs (GDC berks) – “Girl, maghanap ka pa ng iba. Wag ka muna magcall center. Meron pa diyan.”

Oyie (Wansa krung) – “Alam mo kung pera lang naman talaga ang iisipin mo, susuportahan kita diyan sa pagko-call center. Dahil naisip ko na rin gawin yan para lang maka-ipon.”

Jojo (GR tropa) – “Wag na. Mababagot ka. Paulit-ulit ang ginagawa mo, di naman din ganon kataas ang sweldo.”

Mary Ann (GR tropa) – “Walang asenso diyan, noh.”

Netnet (Wansa krung) – “Oo ok na yan kasi madaling makapasok at pwede ka maging Team Leader agad. Pero maghanap ka pa rin ng ibang work.”

Mea (Soul sistah) – “Kung ang plano mo talaga ay mag-ipon, panindigan mo yan. Kung magaapply ka sa call center, kumilos ka na. Pero at the end of the day, ikaw pa rin ang masusunod. Wag ka makinig sa iba. Sarili mo lang.”

Alam ko na sa mga susunod na mga araw, maraming pagbabago sa buhay ko—my lifestyle, my attitude towards work and towards money, my relationships with other people. Alam kong mas magiging responsable akong tao. Dati kasi alam kong may kapalpakan man akong gawin, may sasalo sa aking matatag na pundasyon. Ito na siguro yung oras na mararamdaman mong wala kang choice kundi tumalon para suungin ang buhay. My journey through life begins now by treading the unbeaten path. Panahon na para ihakbang ko ang tinatawag na “Leap of faith.” It’ll be scary that’s for sure. But I know that I have my friends and family around, and of course, si Papa Jesus who never left me alone. Come to think of it, I’m actually looking forward to it.

My sister’s right. This is my life and it’s me who should take charge. It’s time to trust my instincts, close my eyes, and leap.

Why don't you just eat it Part 2

I now present to you the second chapter of the best restaurants in the city.

Wai Ying
Benavides St., Binondo

CUISINE TYPE : Chinese
RESTAURANT HOURS : 10am-2am, everyday
PRICE RANGE : $
CROWD : Dito ka makakakita ng mga totoong miyembro ng Chinese
community, yuppies in the area
PARKING : Street parking. Mas maigi pang maglakad.
PAYMENT MODES : Cash
TRY THE FOLLOWING: White Chicken (steamed chicken served with ginger sauce)
Peking Duck (roasted duck served with Peking sauce)
Beef Noodle
Pork Siomai

Le Ching Tea House
Greenhills Shopping Center

CUISINE TYPE : Chinese
RESTAURANT HOURS : 10am-9pm, everyday
PRICE RANGE : $
CROWD : Yuppies, families
PARKING : Mall parking
PAYMENT MODES : Cash
TRY THE FOLLOWING: Spareribs Rice (steamed spareribs with rice)
Wanton Noodle Soup

For authentic Chinese food, dito lang kayo pupunta sa dalawang restaurants na ‘to. Pati yung ambience alam na alam mong nasa loob ka ng Chinese restaurant. Wai Ying is one of the best places to go to in Binondo while Le Ching is a great shift from the urbanities of the Greenhills area. Sa sobrang mura dito, kahit mag-tig-isang dimsum pa kayo ayos lang.

------ooo------

Bubba Gump
Greenbelt 3

CUISINE TYPE : American
RESTAURANT HOURS : 12nn – 12mn, everyday
PRICE RANGE : $$ - $$$
CROWD : Yuppies, families, dating couples
PARKING : Mall parking
PAYMENT MODES : Cash, Card
TRY THE FOLLOWING : Forrest’s Bucket-o-trash (shrimp, breaded fish fillet, squid,
fries, and different kinds of dip))
Shrimp and Artichokes

Like Friday’s, the walls of Bubba Gump is a visual fiesta of American culture. The only difference is, it’s inspired by the movie Forrest Gump. From the menu to the table décor, it all connects to the movie.

------ooooo------

Myrna’s Bulalo
Tomas Morato, Quezon City

CUISINE TYPE : Filipino
RESTAURANT HOURS : 12nn – 12am, everyday
PRICE RANGE : $
CROWD : Yuppies, celebrities from the nearby TV networks
PARKING : In front of the restaurant
PAYMENT MODES : Cash
TRY THE FOLLOWING : Bulalo
Green Salad
Chicharon Bulaklak

Lutong-bahay talaga rito, specialties ni Mommy Myrna ang makakain mo dito, and I should know dahil kaibigan ko si Reggie na anak niya. Expect to have hot bulalo soup right after ordering. Aside from the best food ever, you can entertain yourself reading the autographed plates donned on the walls. Wag kayong kakain ng tanghalian kung plano niyo kumain ng hapunan sa Myrna’s dahil matutukso kayong orderin lahat. Siguruhin niyo lang na umorder kayo ng bottomless pineapple juice para ma-neutralize yung mga sebong siguradong mamumuo sa mga ugat niyo. But just the same, this is the best bulalo I’ve tasted.

This is great for parody

It never fails.

Every time I go to government offices it’s always been painfully amusing.

WHERE : LAND TRANSPORTATION OFFICE, Mandaluyong City Hall
NATURE OF VISIT : To redeem my confiscated license. I drove through a red light in a school zone.

It had been 23 days after the confiscation of my license and I was sweating through the eyebrows. Akala ko kakasuhan na ako ng LTO dahil nabasa ko dun sa ticket na kapag di mo nakuha yung lisensya mo after 15 days, appropriate charges will be filed against me.

Walang masyadong tao dun sa opisina. May mga tao sa labas na naghihintay tawagin, sa loob may mga upuan na pinaghihintayan din. Nilagay ko yung tiket ko sa counter at naupo.

Napansin ko may banner sa may Releasing. May malaking “SERVICE WITH A SMILE J” kang mababasa. Pero kung oobserbahan mo ang mga tao dun, para silang may naaamoy na mabaho tuwing may papasok sa pintuan. Ang susungit nila sa lahat. Nakakaawa na nga yung iba dahil sinisinghalan talaga nila. Para bang kapag ni-release nila ang lisensya mo, utang na loob mo sa kanila. Eh lintek, babayaran mo naman ang penalty mo.

Pero in fairness, mabait sila sa akin. I even expected to explain myself to their director or whoever about why it took me so long to get my license pero pinagbayad lang ako ng limang daan. Ewan ko kung bakit. Siguro dahil mataba ako.

WHERE : NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE, Pasig City Hall
NATURE OF VISIT : To file for an authenticated birth certificate

The NSO in the Pasig City Hall is located at the annex. In fairness, di ka maliligaw dahil may mga signs sa building leading you to the different offices. Di nakakalito.

Ang nakakalito, pagdating mo mismo sa NSO. You’ll see signs all over the place. Signs, signs, signs. Napakaraming signs. Wala naming maitulong.

Pero kung ang paguusapan eh ang pagfafile mo ng mga iba’t ibang klase ng certificate, di ka maguguluhan. Birth, Marriage, Death Registries are properly marked kaya tanga nalang ang magpapa-rehistro ng kapanganakan sa Death records.

Tulad ng sa LTO, ang susungit pa rin ng mga tao. Chaka matatanda na. Eh ang sakin naman, wala naman dahilan para magsungit bakit ka magsusungit? Akala ko pa naman mababait sila dahil yung sandamakmak nilang mga kartolinang may nakasulat na “Step 1 Step 2,” lahat yun iba-ibang kulay at mantakin mo, puro neon colors. Para bang ang saya saya ng buhay para sa kanila.

WHERE : DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MAIN
NATURE OF VISIT : To apply for a passport

We sought the help of a travel agency for this. Buti nalang, kasi pagdating naming dun, napakahaba ng pila.

Ganon pala kapag may kasama kang travel agent. Mabilis lang. Dadaan ka sa eskinita, tapos andun ka na sa verification signature thumb marking chennelyn.

Natural, parang dun sa mga nakaraang sangay ng gobyerno, ang aasim parin ng mga tao dito. Chaka kung matatanda na ang nasa NSO, ay, ibahin mo ang nasa DFA. Mga inugatan na. At, nakow, mas masusungit.

Kung bagong dating ka, uupo ka sa third row. Kung ubos na ang nasa second row na mga taong naghihintay, anong gagawin mo? Diba sa normal na pila tatayo kayong lahat ng nasa pangatlong bench para lumipat sa pangalawang upuan? Palatandaan yun na umaandar ang pila niyo. Kaya lang dito sa DFA hindi ka gagalaw kung makita mong umandar na yung mga nauuna sayo. Ginawa naming yun ng kapatid ko. Puta binulyawan pa kami.

“SINO NAGSABI SA INYONG TUMAYO KAYO DIYAN SA UPUAN NIYO?!”

Madam! Easy!

I actually look forward to going to government offices. I don’t mind the long queues. It’s a mirthful experience in itself: people-watching, “accidentally” eavesdropping on amusing conversations. You’ll be surprised at how business in government offices mirror and draw a caricature of our lives that is distinctly Filipino.

Nakakalungkot makita na sa tatlong opisinang napuntahan ko, wala akong nakitang mga ka-edad ko na empleyado. Tantya ko, lahat ng mga nandun nasa minimum of 10 years of service na. Pero nakakabilib din na magkaron ka ng drive para pagtiyagaan ang isang trabahong nababansagan kang corrupt at napapairal ng prinsipyo ng red tape. Palagay ko, bayani rin silang matatawag.

Sa tingin ko, naghahanap lang ng inspirasyon sina Mister and Miss Government Worker. Di mo rin sila masisi. Nakakainis din naman talaga kung sa araw-araw na ginawa ng Poong Maykapal eh haharap ka sa mga taong naka-sando / naka-tsinelas / di pa nakakapag-toothbras / amoy sopa, eh talaga namang magiinit ang ulo mo. Nakakatawa kasi ang ibang mga kababayan natin. GOVERNMENT OFFICE ang pupuntahan natin. Ang mga taong naroroon, nagbibigay ng serbisyo sa atin. The least we could do is dress appropriately and give them that kind of respect.

Pero yung mga opisyal at mga empleyado na kurakot? Putangina. Baka duraan ko pa sila.

I feel like i'm in a musical

Sometimes when you turn your back on some events in your life they run after you and bite you in the ass.

I’m proud of myself. I left my old job with confidence up to the brim. In less than a month I got a job with another real estate firm. Not too shabby for someone like me.

Pero alam mo, tatlong linggo palang ako dito sa bago kong trabaho pero parang tatlong taon na akong alipin ng kumpanya. Ang hirap ng trabaho. Sa mga dati kong trabaho, puro ako legwork. Halos hindi ginagamitan ng utak (unless you count copywriting, scriptwriting, reports, presentations). Di mo rin naman masasabing petix lang ako sa mga naging trabaho ko. Dahil di rin naman biro ang mga ginawa ko dati. Pero dito?

Ang main computer application na gamit namin ay Excel. Eh tangina di naman talaga ako marunong ng Excel eh. Nilalagay ko lang yun sa resume kasi sa halos lahat ng resume na nabasa ko kasama yun sa mga software na bihasa ang mga tao.

Syempre kapag sinabing Excel, may computation. Ang kino-compute eh mga percentage ng sales, mga gross reservation, mga modal payment, mga budget ng event. Nakamputch. Kaya nga ako nag-masscom para ang gagawin kong trabaho balang araw eh walang math.

I find myself lying awake for hours every night just thinking about my life. What is my purpose, really? What should I do? Did I leave a job where I had Satan for a boss but otherwise loving the work I did? Pinagisipan ko ba talaga ang desisyon na tanggapin ang trabaho ko ngayon, samantalang alam na alam ko naman na sukang-suka na ako sa real estate?
Alam kong sa panahon ngayon di na ako dapat magmaganda. Buti sana kung habambuhay akong de-sustento ng magulang ko. Eh hindi. Chaka kailangan ko magka-pera by November.

Pero sa totoo lang nahihirapan talaga ako sa ginagawa ko sa bago kong trabaho. Sabi nga ng boss ko “I don’t want gophers, I don’t want people who are better executioners. I want thinkers.” At kung di raw kami thinkers, maybe we don’t belong in her team. Baka nga talagang hindi naman ako sanay sa trabahong ginagamitan ng matinding pagiisip at analysis. Alam kong magaling akong tao but I can’t stay in a job where I know I will never do extremely well in. I’ve never been a pretender, and I won’t start pretending just to enjoy my current job because I can never do this.

I’m reserved for the higher arts. Adik talaga ako sa kumpiyansa pills pero nagiging totoo lang ako. Di naman ako bumabata. I have to pursue something that makes me enjoy my life while I’m still in my prime. Minsan naiisip ko masarap bumalik sa kolehiyo eh. Ang simple lang ng buhay dun. Well it’s far more simple than being thrown headfirst into the flames of real life.

Why don't you just eat it Part 1

If you knew me, you’d know right away. I love to eat. And I know the best places to eat good food. Women my age spend their earnings on clothes. Me, I probably spend more on eating out.

Below is the first of a series of rundowns of my recommended top spots for a fiesta of the palate.

LEGEND:
$ - P0-150
$$ - P151-300
$$$ - P301-500
$$$$ - P501 ++

Countryside Restaurant and Grill
Katipunan Extension, Quezon City

CUISINE TYPE : Filipino, Grilled
RESTAURANT HOURS : 6pm-3am, everyday
PRICE RANGE : $
CROWD : Yuppies, college students, your friendly neighborhood tambays
PARKING : Street parking. A bit hazardous as the road is accessible to all
types of vehicles from motorcycles to 10-wheeler trucks
PAYMENT MODES : Cash
TRY THE FOLLOWING: Isaw, isol, tenga, barbecue (grilled specialties)
Calderetang Kambing (goat meat stew in tomato sauce,
potatoes, carrots, and olives)
Papaitan (beef fat, beef meat, intestines in sour soup)

Ikaw ang mismong mamimili ng ipapahihaw mo kay Kuya Sonny (you won’t miss him, kamukha siya ni Dolphy at siya lang ang tanging nagiihaw dun). The rice is good for 2-3 persons. They’ll serve you with service water and ice as soon as you have ordered your food. Beer is really cheap, and you can smoke whether you’re inside or by the porch. Not all the staff are friendly, though. Pero ok lang dahil masarap ang pagkain. The place is as down to earth as it can be, with a mix of the Miriam and Ateneo crowd at yung mga mababait na manong na makikita mo sa kanto ng village niyo. Walang pakialamanan dito, and you’ll find yourself sitting there for hours eating and just having a good time.

Sushi-ya
Located in almost all major shopping malls

CUISINE TYPE : Japanese
RESTAURANT HOURS : Mall hours
PRICE RANGE : $$
CROWD : Families, yuppies, young couples
PARKING : Mall parking
PAYMENT MODES : Cash, Card
TRY THE FOLLOWING: Crazy Beef Roll (Fried beef, salmon and cheese roll)
Teishoku set (any main course including rice and soup)
Salmon Teppanyaki (grilled salmon without the fishy taste)

This restaurant offers the best in affordable Japanese food. It’s better tasting, fast, and it’s real value for your money kumpara dun sa ibang Japanese restaurants na natikman ko. Plus, if you love Japanese mayonnaise, just ask from their friendly wait staff and they’ll give it to you for free. Mababait ang mga waiter dito, hindi tulad sa ibang kainan of the same concept na parang masama ang loob tuwing kakausapin ka, para bang uutangin mo ang oorderin mo.

TGI Friday’s
The Brickroad and the newly opened one in Robinsons Galleria

CUISINE TYPE : American
RESTAURANT HOURS : 10am-12am, everyday
PRICE RANGE : $$ - $$$
CROWD : Yuppies, families, dating couples
PARKING : Mall parking
PAYMENT MODES : Cash, Card
TRY THE FOLLOWING: Chicken Fingers (breaded chicken fillet served with fries,
coleslaw, and honey mustard dip)
Chicken Caesar Salad (salad served with grilled chicken on top
and bread)
Mocha Mud Pie (coffee and chocolate ice cream cake topped
with almonds and chocolate sauce)
Holiday Isle Fling (orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream slush)

Lahat ng kakaibang décor makikita mo dito sa Friday’s. Ultimo pandilig sa halaman nasa uluhan mo. American culture on display talaga, and you’ll really feel the theme. Not to mention ang mga kakaibang kasuotan ng staff nila. Kulang nalang magsabit sila ng lampara sa ibabaw ng ulo. May pa-kontest daw kasi ang management na “Most Unique In Uniform Embellishment (inimbento ko lang yang award na yan pero walang biro, may prize para sa kung sino ang may magandang disenyo ng uniform).” Try sitting at the bar and you’ll be served by the friendliest bartenders. Bawal ang pangit sa Friday’s, mind you. Halos lahat ng servers nila mga magaganda’t gwapo. Kaya dapat parati ka nakatawa dahil bawal ang masamang hilatsa ng mukha.


Spiral
The Westin Philippine Plaza, Manila

CUISINE TYPE : International
RESTAURANT HOURS : 12nn – 10pm, everyday
PRICE RANGE : $$$$
CROWD : Corporate bigshots, families
PARKING : Hotel parking. Have your parking ticket validated to pass up on
paying steep parking rates
PAYMENT MODES : Cash, Card
TRY THE FOLLOWING: Eat-all-you-can buffet

Nung unang beses kami kumain dito ng mga kaibigan ko, nagbihis talaga kami ng maganda. Buti nalang kasi lahat ng tao dun naka-postura. Nakakahiya pumila dun sa buffet nang naka-ismagol (havaianas yan ng mga chuchal).

Have your fare on the best-tasting cheeses of the world and pair them with your choice of bread at the cheese line. Mas masarap kung kakainin niyo to with your hands. Try the bleu, gruyere, and Boursin cheeses. Ikutin niyo ang buong dining floor dahil lahat ng klase ng luto andun, mula sa pagkaing pampajabar ng kilikili hanggang sa pampakiliti ng ngalangalang ice cream teppanyaki. Wag niyo kakalimutan hingin yung kasamang coffee or tea ng babayaran niyong buffet.

That’s My Pencil Cup Part 1 (Opinyon lang po mga kaibigan.)

It only takes three people to show their faces on Philippine television to tell you that the showbiz industry is going to the dogs.

Here are the top 3:

3. Vivica Raspa

There was something endearing about her when she first started her career in the music industry. The old story of the "probinsyana" making it big in the big city was a comic-tale come true for many and VR seemed to have stepped out of the comics pages herself. From being the "probinsyana" to having at least 10 movies on her resume, VR has really achieved a lot.

Siguro proud na proud si VR sa sarili niya. She reached success with her nose up high, a stomach tucked in and a chest stuck out…literally. Mula sa hair extensions, pagpapa-retoke ng ilong, hanggang sa pag-inom ng kung anu-anong gamot na may "-thion" sa pangalan ginawa niya. At sa tuwing lalabas siya sa mga shows niya, palaging nakaliyad ang suso ng hitad.

I also strongly feel na malandi siya, that she’s blissful with pleasure whenever she has to make movies with all these guys she had to play tonsil hockey with. Kung di ka ba naman malandi, lahat ng naging jowa mo either may asawa o may jowang iba. She can’t even act properly. Combine really tacky dialogue with her cheesy delivery and you got yourself a waste of money. Mabuti pang abangan mo nalang sa TV yung pelikula niya dahil maski pang-pirated DVD hindi sulit lalo na kung kasama niya sa pelikula si Robin Padilla.

Of course who would forget her latest love story? A guy married to a foreign beauty queen, the endless public displays of affection, naglalagkitang mga tingin, at ang walang humpay niyang pagwawagayway ng dibdib niya—malamang alam mo na kung sino to.

2. Astrud Kati

For someone who has prestigious schools in her transcripts, heroes for parents, and a seemingly intellectual brain, this person is extremely thick about life decisions.

Ma-in love ka daw ba sa lalaking kasing talino ng mga kuko sa paa!? May asawa’t anak, wala namang pera, bukod pa sa ron, di naman kayo magkaano-ano bubuntisin ka? How dumb can you be, falling in love with someone who doesn’t respect you one bit?

Her being head over heels with someone who brought her public mortification beyond anything else is hands down the most embarrassment one can get in her lifetime. Admitting on national television that you contacted a sexually transmitted disease from your partner is like wiping your ass with your bare hands without even a muddy puddle to wash it clean of poop.

If anybody remembers her brief relationship with this ugly so-called-actor whose the son of yet another actor-politician, buti nalang nagising siya sa katotohanan na he’s a far cry from being a good catch dahil maski itong so-called-actor na ito aminado na saging lang ang may puso.

Who would forget her current husband’s cheating on her? And her taking him back? I can’t believe anybody can be so obtuse in this day and age about a non-negotiable mistake such as cheating.

Di ko makalimutan nung nanganak siya. I accidentally switched channels and saw a feature about her "Pregnancy Diary." Andun lahat: mula sa pagkaka-admit niya hanggang sa pagkakasalin sa kanya ng dugo hanggang sa pagdalaw ng mga hindi mahahalagang tao binabanggit sa TV. And they said it was AK’s words herself in it verbatim. May tiga-sulat lang siya. I mean, who the hell cares? My God. Ateng, how self-absorbed are you?!

Her contestant-bashing and guest-humiliation on air during her shows is not considered clever wit. This shows what an uneducated sonofabitch she is. English lang kaya tunog matalino.

This only shows that stupidity cannot be learned and it’s definitely not genetic. And she’s a goddamn fine example.

1.Willie Revillame

I didn’t even bother using a code name for this ass. This guy is the worst of all hosts, living or dead.

San ka naman nakakakita ng host na kapag nagpapaliwanag ng game mechanics eh kinakain yung sinasabi niya? May P and F defect. Ang pagpronounce ng "Question" ay "Kuweyshun," "TFC (The Filipino Channel)" ay "Tsihepseeeh," Aba, eh natural parating mateteknikal yung kontestant! Ang labo kasing kausap nung host!

What’s the deal with all the screaming in his show? It is so unnecessary to raise your voice even if your show is a game/fun/exciting show. Ito kasing mga host ng Wowoweee wala namang dahilan sigawan ng sigawan. Like during the announcement of the grand winner for the first season of Pinoy Big Brother. "NENEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! YUUUU ARRRR DA BIG WINNERRRRR!!!!!" Tangina, parang parating mapuputukan ng litid sa leeg tong si Willie Revillame tuwing magsasalita siya mikropono.

Wow pare, anti-climactic.

No self-respecting adult would accept hosting jobs one cancelled show after the other. Makapal talaga mukha nitong taong to. After being banned for more than a year dahil sa kabastusan, makasuhan dahil sa stampede sa show nila, hiwalayan ng asawa dahil sa pambubugbog at makita ng buong mundo ang pangmamanyak sa mga dancers ng show, andyan parin si "Papi" (it’s what his loyal fans endearingly call him) at siguradong bukas ng tanghali mapapanood mo na naman siya sa TV.

Tapos inaway pa niya ang idol kong si Joey de Leon! Ang kapal ng mukha mo, Willie. Tama si Tito Joey, sa beerhouse ka nalang maghost!

Chaka HINDI SIYA NAKAKATAWA. Buti sana kung nakakatawa yung mukha niya kaso hindi eh. Bakit naman si Jose? Si Allan K? Si Diego? Si Micah? Si Bentong? Baka dapat manghiram si Willie ng mukha sa suwelas ng sapatos tapos wag na siya magsalita. Baka mapangisi niya ako ng kaunti. And did I mention that "Papi" meant "papable"???
Poo-TANG-ina.

I’m sure there are more incompetent, untalented, and ugly "actors/actresses." But for me, these three however, takes the cake.

Di naman ako perpekto. I don’t earn even two-thirds of what they get every payday. At least wala akong show. I just don’t understand how some people can have so little self-awareness.

Eff.

I say let them eat the cake

I've attended at least 10 weddings in my lifetime. More than half of the number i'm not in the wedding party. I don't really mind. Dressing up in a gown which four other ladies are also wearing isn't exactly a field day for me. I barely know how to put make-up on, let alone be photographed while fidgeting with a wedgie.

The fuss of being a guest and hating it aside, i really am a wedding person. I absolutely adore the concept of taking a couple's love to the next level (which is marriage and starting a family not the other "level" you're thinking of, you, pervert you!). I cry whenever i see the bride walking down the aisle and her groom smiling widely as he waits. Most of all, i love the food at the party after.

I already have an idea of what my own wedding's gonna be like. I also know who i want to marry (but i won't mention who he is coz i might jinx it). For the sake of hypothetical discussion, let me give you a rundown of some of the details:

1. First of all, i will definitely lose weight. I don't care if i don't eat. My goal is to be 110lbs on my big day.

Let's say i don't lose weight at all. Where does that leave me? Good thing i already know the perfect gown for me--plus-size or not.2. The motif will either be powder blue and black or turquoise and pink.

3. I would like to get married at the Edsa Shrine for the following reasons:

A.) I'm a member of the Lectors and Commentators Ministry there,
B.) It has guaranteed parking for the church guests,
C.) It's cheap (this means low ceremony rate-cheap). The last i heard the rate's P2,500.
D.) It's air conditioned,
E.) It has perfect audio system.

There are, however, some drawbacks:

A.) The church being a stone's throw away from the Galleria, the possibility of the ceremony losing its intimacy is pretty damn huge. Imagine people you've never seen before in your life gawking at you and you're dress, eventually launching into an indiscreet debate among themselves if you got knocked up or not.

B.) Unlike other churches, there's no balcony where your photographers and videographer can take bird's eye view shots of you walking down the aisle. Their creativity will really be put to the test here.

4. There will be none of the throwing of bouquet and garter. It's so fucking cheesy. Besides nobody wants to play those games anyway. Talk about public humiliation.

5. My groom and i will register. I will really bitch out if i open three boxes of the same plates during present time.

6. I want my husband and i to go backpacking in Europe for our honeymoon. This is my dream vacation (and my hypothetical wedding) so we'll go with whatever floats my boat.

7. I got a songlist down pat for the choir to sing.

8. I will definitely ask my friend Gina to host for my wedding. She would be perfect. She knows me and my groom very well and she's incredibly smart. It's a pity that couples hire people who are absolutely dead from the neck up. They say either useless information or too much information. And they have the gall to charge a couple of thousand pesos that once they open their mouths to "entertain" (duh!), you know that it's money down the drain for you.

Now that i've read what i wrote, i think it shouts out how desperate i am. Yeah, i'm excited...of the logistics probably. But the actual thing that comes with marriage? The package comes with something that when you think about it threatens to snatch you from your reverie and eat you alive, gown and all.

Oh and by the way, i want a hundred and fifty guests.

I played Mutie the Mailman in the production of Oklahoma!

It's been 2 and a half years since my last stage play. Of course, having no money and absolutely nothing to do that won't require my mother nagging me about my current state of bumhood, i just had to come back and do what i have always loved doing.

I'm back in theater, baby!

I was as small as a monggo bean when i started acting. I did a few minor stints in Batibot when i was 6, was casted in a stage play when i was 7, passed acting auditions and got kicked out of the play at 13 (they said i had to focus on my studies coz i was so busy with rehearsals and workshops), did class plays at 16, represented my block for monologue contests at 17, 18, 19 and 20 years old and finally became an apprentice for PETA.

However, PETA did not work well for me as i took MA units in theater at the UP while working. I never got a show for PETA because of all the studying and the work i had to do. Not acting rubbed off on my academic performance in school. I quit. Theater was my first love, and yet it broke my heart and my self-esteem.

My savior was Green Room Artists. They needed talents for some of their plays and Bong of PETA brought us to Direk Roni Bertubin for casting. I was casted for the role of Penchang in El Filibusterismo and the rest is history.

I've been with the company for 6 years. I had a three year hiatus, yes, but i never really left. My heart ached to act in those three years but i had to work to make a living. Theater was great but it doesn't necessarily pay the bills. I believe that theater is something you do "at the side" because you love doing it, but you don't make a career out of it...unless you're Lea Salonga or some pain-in-the-ass big shot Broadway star.

I have a rehearsal later. This is what i like about theater. My problems fade away once i step onto the stage and for 3-4 hours, i'm myself without the shitty bullcrap i face everyday. It's an escape. And i get paid for escaping reality.

My life is at a crossroads now. I have plans for my life that won't guarantee me of a better and more contented life but i guess there's no harm in trying. Theater would help me reach my goal. What you are now shapes your destiny. I don't know if that's a real saying but it sure sounds good. And it makes sense. Shit. I hate this feeling. It sucks.

I just wanna bang on this mug all day

I am sooooooooo freeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaking bored.

Thank you, spoiler alert.

As usual with nothing to do in the office (got things to do actually. Just don't want to go around doing them) i turn to the internet to keep myself busy. I Googled the following websites:

1. Crocs.com - these shoes are number one on my wishlist now. I find the butch-y designs very appealing to my fashion language. I need to have this on my KL trip

2. Cebupacificair.com - just booked tickets for Net, Jes, and myself for November 17th to the 25th. God help me.

3. Tv.com - searching for title-worthy quotes from The Office

4. Lovingyou.com - Guy Smiley and I are in a rough patch. Sad circumstances happen to the
best of us, and yet we don't know how to deal with them. Anyway whatever happens, we're friends. We always have been.

5. Harry Potter Book 7 Spoilers - i'm a spoiler addict. I don't care if you tell me how a book or a movie ends. It's not a big deal to me.

I went to this site where it had all 36 chapters of the 7th book listed down and when you click on the link, it opens to a full blown book chapter.

I curiously clicked one chapter entitled "The Locked Room." What crappy, crappy writing! JK Rowling's prose may be bad but it's not rubbish. I mean, come on, if those were the contents of the actual book, bookstores should have signs posted outside their shops warning Harry Potter fans/readers about the crapload they're gonna buy for P1,500.

I refuse to read about Harry's "growing monster north of his trousers at the sight of Ginny." I mean, have you ever seen the actress playing Ginny? The girl's a kid for crying out loud! It's like reading a trashy novel written by a drunk and horny Sydney Sheldon. Some people really suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. They want people to go nuts over something shitty and stupid. I believe people have surfed on the site many times as this was "international news." Um, hello?! You really had to see it to believe it.

If you want to see real spoilers/speculations, click here.

I'm not a big Harry Potter fan but i appreciate the cogs in Rowling's head. Writing 7 books in a span of 10 years with fans going ga-ga over characters in an overly-fictional world can do wonders for your self-esteem (and your bank account). The series is funny, exciting, endearing, and every time you finish one book, you'll be left asking "What the fuck was that about? How did that happen?" But with fan fiction about the raging hormones of these wholesome characters on the loose on the net is really insulting.

Anyway, i can't wait to go home. My sister texted me telling me about something she downloaded over the internet. It's pages 1-194 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I wish i could Apparate my ass from this bitch of a place already.

Thank you, spoiler alert (highlight if you want to see 'em)

1. Harry will go to Godric's Hollow.
2. Harry will find a letter from his mother, Lily. In the letter, Lily said many BAD things about Albus Dumbledore.
3. One of the twins will die. The one who lives will lose an ear.
4. Ronald Weasly will die. He will be killed by Bellatrix Lestrange.
5. Severus Snape will become Hogwarts Headmaster. He is an ally of Harry's.
6. At the end of the series (Epilogue), Neville Longbottom becomes a Herbology teacher, Hermione a healer.
7. Ron will destroy one of the horcruxes.
8. All three will be kidnapped and will be brought to Malfoy Manor.
9. Tonks and Lupin will be wed, will be dead by the end, and will have a son named Teddy.
10. Snape will die.
11. Voldemort will die.
12. Mad-eye Moody will die.
13. Dobby the house elf will die.
14. Harry's owl, Hedwig, will die.
15. Harry and the Dursleys will make amends.
16. The first chapter will be entitled "The Dark Lord Ascending." The last chapter will be "The Flaw in the Plan"

I'm public speaking. Stop public-interrupting me.

Thanks, Macky for sharing this.

Kudos to the people who kept looking and didn't settle!!!

*

This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

Lord, beer me strength.

My friend from the office has credit card debts that she refuses to pay. Why? Bastos daw kasi yung naniningil.

Yup. Totoo yan. My friend is a busy person who has meetings every hour. Sometimes, i answer the collector's calls; ergo de facto, i get all harassments and the threats. I don't have problems with such people, anyway it's not me who owes them anything.

The collector called again and this time he was soooo mad at ME and our trainee. He was accusing us of hiding my friend from him. He was screaming, calling me names, and threatens us that he'll be sending somebody to take care of my friend. Aba, di papuntahin niya sa opisina! Ang tagal naman!!!

Sabi ko sa kanya "Relax ka lang masyado kang hot ah!" Ang gago di parin tumitigil sa kakatalak. Hayop pinainit ulo ko. Pero ako kasi kung nagagalit, cool lang ako. I get satisfaction from controlling my emotions of displeasure. Chaka bawal magalit sabi ni Jesus. Pero pwede magmura.

My friend reported this person to the company already. But me, i haven't said my peace/piece yet so here goes. Brace yourselves.

Hoy, alam kong di mo totoong pangalan yang ginagamit mo pag tumatawag ka. I have friends from your company who told me who you really are. I won't give away your identity over the internet (kasi ethics yan. Kolektor ka na nga lang eh, and i won't rob you off that power you "contractually" have).

Tao ang mga tinatawagan mo sa mga lugar na sinisingilan niyo. Tao ka makipagusap.

Kung wala kang ginagawa kundi maningil, ibahin mo ang ibang tao. Puta ka, wag mo kong uutusan dahil di kita boss. Boss ko nga di ko sinasanto ikaw pa kayang putangina ka.

Kung ayaw magbayad ng tao, wala kayong magagawa. Bastos ka kasi kaya lalo kang ginigipit.

I guess you have commissions on every in-debt account you successfully settle. Sabagay, kung sa kumisyon ka nabubuhay, at kung nasa kontrata niyo mangharass ng kliyente, then it reflects on what your company (HSBC yan mga friends) visions to achieve everytime maniningil kayo.

Ang kulit niyo talaga. Wala kayong kupas. Sigurado ako may utang ka rin. Relax ka lang kasi masaya ang buhay!!!

And one more thing.

Putangina mo rin.

Comments. Suggestions.

*This was a post by my sister (http://wickedsprite.livejournal.com-you'll enjoy her entries, Macky) and would like to share with you my comments.

Two months in this job made me realize that I am the bastard Ryan Howard. The temp. The one who does the coffee when the receptionist is out. The one who hates his job and would even consider a job opening in a urinalysis lab. The one who wants to pursue graduate studies and will probably write a paper about the dwindling design business with the company as it's subject. The only difference between me and him is that the boss loves him. Hell, one of these days I might even start a fire.

Very well said, kapatid. Very well said. I feel ya.


The world of employment is full of egotistical, ass-kissing incompetents. Sometimes in order for us to survive, we have to just suck it up and absorb all the b.s.


But i agree with you one hundred percent that if you're unhappy with your job (or the people you work with), you should get out of there. It's like what the Bastard said. "I have to commit or get out." In our case, it's better to get out than be deranged with doing double-duty as a slave and a crap sponge. Mahirap makipag-resorb sa echas.


You are destined for greatness, kapatid. There are other jobs out there. They'll be sorry not to get you.

Eenie meenie minie moe is random.

This is pretty interesting...

Instructions: Each player starts with 7 random habits/facts about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

1. I smoke. On an ordinary day, i smoke 3 to 5 sticks. But if i'm with friends chillaxing, i can go through half a box of twenties. I want to quit but with the nature of my work, i need it. Psychological eh. Stress-reliever talaga. Blahdi blahdi blah blah psychobabble. I don't want to be a junkie pero i guess that's what i am. Sa yosi nga lang. Sa bagay i'll start trying when i'm ready. Wala namang nakukulong sa kakahithit ng sigarilyo.

2. I love math! I love numbers, equations, algebra, budget computations, and all that has got something to do with computing stuff! I was a member of the Math Society in school and one of our org missions is to tutor mathematically-challenged students. And also, i'm lying about all these.

3. I can smell a phony from a mile away. Siguro i have a built-in radar. I'm known for my no-nonsense attitude. Say what you want, quit beating around the bush, and don't pretend to like me if you don't coz believe me, you'd know if i don't fancy you much. In short, di ako plastik.

4. I'm a video game addict. I can go on for hours blowing my brains out solving puzzles in the adventure games i play. Pero gumagamit ako ng cheat chaka walkthrough.

5. I own many soundtracks of musical plays. I know all the lyrics to it. Also, DVDs. I know the dance steps to every song, the nuances of every character. I have this dream of making it big in musical theater. I think i have enough talent to win a Tony (puta ang bigat pare), but i can't dance and i don't sing well. Sabi nga ng Japanese teacher ko, "You don't know how to terr time and yet you want to do write for a Japanese web company? That's arright, aim high."

6. I'm a good person. Yes, laitera ako (coz i speak my mind and i can get away with it dahil ALAM KONG DI NAMAN AKO PERPEKTO), i smoke, i say bad words when i goddamn feel like it, i procrastinate. But i'm a good person. I know what is right and what is wrong, i'm a good daughter to my family, and i don't insult the people less fortunate than i am.

7. I don't answer my phone if i don't have the number saved in my phone directory. I don't answer the phone when i'm sleepy, when i'm eating, or if the caller's from work (if i don't feel like it). I mean, come on, ask somebody else.

And now, I tag: Anne Ilada, Macky Cruz, Daryl Tecson, Sai Segovia, Mea, Jenny Fidelson, and Paul Capundan.

Call cards are the wave of the future

Doesn't it get on your nerves when your messenger pops out a window (which stops you from doing anything on your computer) and informs you that you have an email from Adelaide Fuller offering you discounted prices on Viagra?

Who the hell is Adelaide Fuller?

ANONG GAGAWIN KO SA VIAGRA?

May email pa nga tungkol sa kung ano-anong lottery na nabunot daw ang email number ko tapos nanalo ako ng limpak-limpak na British Pounds. Tapos may susulat sayo para hingan ka ng sangkatutak na salapi. Aba, eh ikaw naman na taong mabait, mapapaisip ka dahil wala naman sa kultura mo na hindi tumulong sa nangangailangan. Pero kung mababasa mo kung sino ang sumulat, aba, eh prinsipe pala ang kumag. When the son of the deposed king of Nigeria e-mails you directly asking for help, you help. His father ran a freaking country!

Dami na talagang masasamang tao ngayon. Ikaw na nananahimik na nagiinternet aabalahin pa. Networking, call cards, virus emails, discounted offers--it all boils down to scamming.

Scammingina nila.

In other words, i'm quitting.

Putanginang shet.

LAYA NA 'KO!

After a year, i finally summoned up the courage to quit.

It wasn't an easy decision. I've made many friends here, people who are more than names and faces to me. I was continuously served with challenges that helped me develop as an employee.

Pero tama na. Sobra na. It's time to say goodbye, get up, and dance!

To my friends: mula kay Kuya Allan na naghahatid sakin sa Sta. Rosa at pabalik sa opisina hanggang kay Sir Ver na nakangiti parin kahit alam kong bwisit na siya, thank you. You all won't be forgotten.

To the Lobby Girls and Boys: thank you for the laughter and the support through the tough times. Without your presence here in the office, second week ko palang nilayasan ko na ang mga walang kwentang tao dito. Nandito kayong lahat sa puso ko. Kita-kits sa August sa birthday namin ni Sir Ed!

To the people of the F.O: words are not enough to to thank all of you. Salamat sa saya, sa weeknight gimmicks, sa words of encouragement, sa mga ngiting bumabati sakin tuwing papasok ako diyan sa office niyo. Sa mga guwardya, Kuya Joel, Kuya Alex, kay Kuya Luis at sa team niya, Ka Percy, Ka Lumeng, Mang Abe, Kuya Tano, Kuya Rey, Mitch, Marlon, Mommy Juliet, Mike, Sir Ver, Sir Marlou, Sir Arnold, Ms. Miles, Mary Anne, Tito Fidel, Sir Arden. Thank you thank you!!! If situations have their own ability of ironing things out i'll work with you faster than you can say "That's it!" Mahal ko kayong lahat!

To the people who have the same plight: Ito lang ang maaadvise ko: lahat tayo nakapag-aral whether we're bosses or subordinates. We are all professionals here at hindi tama na insultuhin ang pagkatao natin dahil staff lang tayo at hindi boss. Di na uso ang tutungo nalang at hahayaang maulanan tayo ng talak at laway. Goodluck and friends til the end!

Marami rin akong hiningan ng opinyon kung ano ang gagawin ko. This was a predicament. I really thought that this was the job and the company for me. Akala ko dito na ako tatanda at uugatan. Pero you really can't have everything.

Sabi nga ni Realus Tecson, ang buhay parang gulong ng sorbetes. May oras na nasa taas ka...masarap dahil malapit ka dun sa ice cream--malamig at presko! Minsan naman pagulong-gulong ka sa mainit na aspalto. Kung maswerte ka, magpapahinga pa ang Mamang Sorbetero at mga ilang minuto ka ring nakikipag-lips to lips sa tae ng aso.

Kahit naman yata sino hindi papayag na makipagyapusan sa tae diba? I've had enough of the B.S. Ilang beses ko nang inulit sa profile ko sa Friendster, Multiply, at kung saan saan pa na AYOKO SA PLASTIK. Di uso sakin ang motto na "If you can't beat them, join them." That's a load of bullcrap. And believe you me, i can smell that from a mile away.

Friends--i'm sure i'll see them again. Experiences? All jobs bombard us with work and life experiences. Benefits? I can get benefits in another company. Pero di mababayaran ng benepisyo ang katinuan at respeto para sa isang empleyado.

I really tried. God knows how hard i tried sucking it up and staying. Believe it or not, ang galing ko nga dahil natiis ko for a year. Yay, me!

Pero may hangganan ang bawa't isang tao. Level of tolerance kumbaga.

Hanggang dito nalang po. Marami pong salamat.

I am looking for the toy drive box.

We weren't deprived of anything when we were kids but we weren't spoiled of all the latest toys.

I had a Barbie doll na isang set lang ang damit. Kulay white, laced long-sleeved blouse na may tube underneath para di makita ang boobs niya. Tapos may black velvet belt at pink skirt. Maiksi pa ang buhok niya noon na hanggang balikat lang. Tapos naka-yapak siya. I had two neighbors who wouldn't let me play with them coz my Barbie doll only has one set of clothes. Theirs kasi had a lot, complete with make-up kits and houses pa. Pero nung pinasalubungan ako ni Auntie Mang ng mga damit para sa Barbie ko, aba nagkakandarapa sila na makipaglaro sakin.

Si Guy Smiley naman ginagawa daw nilang tau-tauhan yung mga lighter ng tito niya noon pag naglalaro sila ng mga pinsan niya. Pag mataba yung lighter, lalake daw yun. Tapos asawa nila yung mga Cricket na mapapayat. Tapos ang trabaho daw nung mga lalakeng lighter eh mga tigapag-deliver ng buko. Ang buko nila yung mga bunga ng pilapil.

Ikaw, ano ang paborito mong laruan noon?

I bumped my elbow against a wall and now my elbow has a protruberance

I never had to go physical therapy in my lifetime up until now.

Di ko inaakala na dahil sa pagko-computer eh magkakaron ako ng de Quervain's Tenosyvitis. It's Carpal Tunnel's cousin. A person will feel the same pain and will hinder one's movement on the wrists. Sa case ko, yung kanang braso ko ang nagkasakit. Kaka-mouse daw.

After two months of going to my orthopedic surgeon, taking pain and anti-inflammatory medication, and applying hot compress to my ailing wrist, i was advised to undergo a surgical procedure for de Quervain's called "Release."

Para pala kasing kinalyo yung litid ko sa may pulso dahil sa excessive movement. Kung walong oras mo nga namang ginagawa sa araw-araw ang pagmamouse, eh talagang kahit sino kakalyuhin nun. Ginupit nila yung kumapal na litid, hence the term "release" of the other tendons impeding my movement.

Ok na siya ngayon pero am still experiencing pain. I can't do things with my right hand like picking up heavy stuff. Chaka minsan nga kahit wala akong ginagawa, kusang nagla-lock yung kamay ko, yung tipong may kumakalso sa mga litid ko sa pulso.

Badtrip. I had to undergo physical therapy daw. Buti nalang bayad pa ng kumpanya ito hanggang sa last day ko. I have to complete 6 sessions in two weeks which is enough for my arm to get used to the loss of a tendon, and another 4 sessions to regain the arm's strength.

Shet. Bawal talaga magkasakit. I have never been in and out of the hospital. Iba ang feeling ng ganito. Ang hirap. Swerte pa nga ako dahil kamay lang itong inirereklamo ko. Pano pa kaya yung iba na talagang malalalang sakit ang idinudulog sa ospital?

Lots of cultures eat rice. That doesn't help me.

My friends and i have been all over the Philippines (though i'm sure marami pang lugar na pwedeng bisitahin, mga kwebang pwedeng pasukin, mga dagat na pwedeng languyin) pero libre naman mangarap kaya nga ba ang dami kong balak puntahang lugar.

1. Tokyo

They say the Japanese are gracious hosts. I can testify to this. My uncles and aunts are very hospitable people. Maraming pagkaain palagi sa bahay nila sa Pasig kaya tuwing may paokasyon palaging sa kanila.

I have a friend in the office who lived in Japan for 5 years. He said that if ever one wants to go to Japan, dapat daw di palampasin ang pagpunta sa Ginza, Tokyo, the most expensive street in Japan. Ginza has the largest Japanese department store chains like Mitsukoshi and Takashimaya, where figures in the price tags (exchanging its currency rate) are similar with Harrod's in the UK. Syempre sa ordinaryong Pilipinong nag-iisip, di naman dapat bumili dito. Baka ka-presyo na ng minimum wage ang presyo ng medyas doon.

Kung mahilig ka mag-basa, there's a bookstore in Ginza where you can definitely invest your money in. The Wise Owl Bookshop is complete with all titles from bestsellers to language courses.

2. New York City

NYC is the Quiapo of the USA pero less stink, less garbage. Petty traffic-related fights are a common thing in New York, too. Ang pagkakaiba lang, bihira ang nauuwi sa saksakan at napaguusapan ng media.

Kulang ang isang buwan for me to feel NYC. The Statue of Liberty, the Museum of Natural History (daming buto ng Jurassic Park dito!), Central Park--these are the usual tourist spots. For the theater-goer however, a month is just for Times Square alone.

Kung si Hiro nga ng Heroes eh naloka sa pagkakatapak niya sa gitna ng Times Square ako pa kayang walang superpower?! Siguro seeing The Great White Way's digital billboards, cabs, skyscrapers, theater marquees will enable my jaw to do death defying acts. Hahahaha ang labo. In short, mapapanganga ako sa amazement.

3. Paris

Di ako masyadong excited sa Eiffel Tower kasi puro kalawang na daw at maganda lang daw yun sa gabi.

If you saw The Da Vinci Code (or read it. It doesn't matter because both versions sucked), the triangular glass building where the main characters had to run amuck and die and solve puzzles and read messages with a black light and eventually escape from (though this is not the end of this pointless and boring chase) is the Louvre. I'm no museum nut, but seeing the most famous paintings in the world can be pretty exciting.

4. Bwindi

Uganda is known for their gorillas. You can free roam with the gorillas in Bwindi Gorilla Sanctuary and feel the thrill of looking at a real-life gorilla. Siguro yung mga mukhang gorilya wag na pumunta dito, sayang lang ang pera niyo dahil di na kayo mae-excite. Lalo na kung mahilig kayo tumingin sa salamin.

5. Zambezi River, border of Zambia and Zimbabwe

Mosi-oa-Tunya or Victoria Falls. I first saw this in The Amazing Race. It was the most beautiful thing i have ever seen on television. Ang laki ng waterfalls! Tapos may usok talagang kusang lumalabas mula sa current ng tubig.

The list goes on and on. Gusto ko nga mag-"bumbee" jumping (bungee jumping yan para dun sa mga taong di nakuha yung joke at mga di nakapanood ng episode na yun ng Extra Challenge). Pag punta ko sa Malaysia pangatlo yan sa itinerary ko (magsusulat muna ako ng farewell letter at magtitika sa mga kasalanan ko). I did mountain climbing years ago and would like to feel the thrill once more in Ladakh, India and Adam's Peak in Sri Lanka.

Pera at passport nalang ang kailangan ko.

Sheeeeet.