2007 was a roller coaster ride. there were a lot of good times and of course the bad times. for me it was a year of goodbyes; to a loved one, to close friends, to some colleagues and to pasts. nevertheless, 2007 was year to remember. i'd like to thank all the good people who made the passing year so memorable. to my friends at amn, let's hope this new year would be a better one. happy new year! ^_^
i might be in a hurry later so i'm already posting it now. i know some of us won't be able to enjoy much of this season and it really sucks. but look at the bright side, you still have your family and your friends to spend christmas with and that's what matters most. having them beside you is the perfect christmas gift! merry christmas everyone! ^_^
got this forwarded email from kath:
heads up everyone! please, keep this circulating. ..
you walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. you start the engine and shift into reverse. when you look into the rearview mirror to back out of your parking space, you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear window. so, you shift into park, unlock your doors, and jump out of your car to remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your view. when you reach the back of your car, that is when the car jackers appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and take off. they practically mow you down as they speed off in your car. and guess what, ladies? i bet your purse is still in the car. so now the carjacker has your car, your home address, your money, and your keys. your home and your whole identity are now compromised!
beware of this new scheme that is now being used. if you see a piece of paper stuck to your back window, just drive away. remove the paper later. and be thankful that you read this e-mail. i hope you will forward this to friends and family, especially to women. a purse contains all kinds of personal information and identification documents, and you certainly do not want this to fall into the wrong hands. please keep this going.
since it's christmas season, i bought myself a laptop. and since i name my gadgets, say hello to marimar. awwwwww!
hp pavillion media center dv6640us
weee!! \ (^_^) /
i have seen several inventions but never as ingenious as this one. who would have thought you can have your very own mini fridge plugged into your pc. it's called the usb fridge.
this tiny little red fridge plugs into the pc's usb port and within minutes is chilled down to a frosty 47 F, which is more than sufficient to keep that can of coke light or pepsi max cold and ready to drink at your desk without having to spend a fortune on a mini-fridge for your cubicle. it's plug and play meaning no drivers required. just take it out of the box and keep that soda or any other 12 oz canned beverage nice and chilled.
now that's cool! ^_^
in the next few days (might even be hours), i have to make a decision.
i always tell myself that if i have to decide on something, i should always use my mind and not my heart. but sometimes you also need to use your heart in order to choose. you don't just decide based on the facts and figures. you also need to decide based how you feel.
oh well, i hope when i read this blog 5 to 10 years from now, i'd say that i made the right choice.
*fingers crossed*
pasig river at fort santiago
fort santiago entrance with ian
at fort santiago with manila cathedral on the background
the view from escolta station
the kids on their field trip
i've always watched every season and every edition of pinoy big brother but i've never campaigned for any housemate... except for bea because i only want to ditch the bitch wendy from the big four but unfortunately, she made it and she even bagged the 3rd place. oh well, at least she was booed by the audience which she rightfully deserved. anyhoo, back to my campaign, please vote for ethel booba. she's the reason why this show rocks. oh please, please, please. that's bb13 for the ultimate pasaway and send to 2331 - globe / 231 - smart.
a dog was knocked down by a car and died on the middle of the road. later, this dog is seen beside the corpse of the dog, he tried to wake his wife up using his leg.
when his attempts to wake his wife failed, he tried to push his wife to the side of the road. but the weight of his wife was proven too heavy for him.
though the traffic is busy and dangerous, he just will not go away from his wife. just stand beside his wife howling and crying.
a lot of people saw this incident and feel very touched how even a dog can show his loyalty and love to his wife.
sad :(
another tourist attraction is soon to open this christmas season. the manila ocean park, located behind the quirino grandstand at the rizal park in manila, is the world's first marine theme park to adopt a "fusion concept", housing an oceanarium, a mall, a boutique hotel and open marine habitats. construction is in full-swing.
its main attraction is a 25-meter long, 220 degree curved acrylic walkway tunnel. visitors will be exploring the secrets of the ocean and surrounded by such underwater wonders without actually getting wet. here's a rendering on how the tunnel would look like:
sweet! aside from the oceanarium, the manila ocean park will have a marine–themed mall and a boutique hotel, which are scheduled to open late next year. the mall will feature new and unique shops that are not commonly found in other malls and a unique restaurant row located at the rear of the facility, alongside a promenade that offers an unobstructed view of the manila bay. this part of the park is free and accessible to the public. 
the first phase of the park, its aquarium facilities, is set to open on december 15, 2007. the mall would be launched in april 2008, while the 150-room hotel would begin operations by july 2008. entrance fees will range between php 200 (for students) to php 400. sounds kinda expensive but just by looking at the pictures, i think it's worth the price.
and there's more. for those who would like to snorkel or even dive without having to go to far-flung places, the two open water marine habitats will give you that exact experience. this facility is scheduled to open in april 2008. not as awesome as hk's oceanpark but the plan looks promising. can't wait! ^_^
there are only two things to worry about.
either you are well or you are sick.
if you are well, then there is nothing to worry about.
but if you are sick, there are only two things to worry about.
either you will get well or you will die.
if you get well, there is nothing to worry about.
if you die, there are only two things to worry about.
either you will go to heaven or hell.
if you go to heaven there is nothing to worry about.
but if you go to hell, you'll be so damn busy shaking hands with friends you wouldn't have time to worry!
so why worry? be happy! sha-la-la-la! ^_^
got this from mara. nice.
when things in your life seem almost too much too handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.
a professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
when the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. he then asked the students if the jar was full. they agreed that it was.
the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. he shook the jar lightly. the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. he then asked the students again if the jar was full and they agreed it was.
the professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar . of course, the sand filled up everything else. he asked once more if the jar was full. the students responded with a unanimous "yes."
the professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. the students laughed.
"now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "i want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. the golf balls are the important things- your God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions--things that if everything else was lost and only they remained your life would still be full.
the pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.
the sand is everything else -- the small stuff.
if you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. the same goes for life. if you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. play with your children. take time to get medical checkups. take your partner out to dinner. play another 18. there will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal."
take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. set your priorities. the rest is just sand."
one of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
the professor smiled. "i'm glad you asked. it just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
i've been glued to pinoy big brother celebrity edition 2 since day 1 and one particular housemate seem to remind me of someone. the way she talks, the way she moves, and even the way she dress.
anyhoo, her name is rizza santos. she's a beauty queen. she maybe canadian but riza is pure pinay, her parents hailing from bulacan and bataan. both engineers, her parents’ jobs took them to canada as immigrants. and although she has lived in north america all her life, riza is raised with filipino values and has very close family ties.
isn't she lovely? ^_^
since i'm into complaining about our careers, marimar showed me this article. awww!
comparing yourself to other people has got to be one of the easiest things for any person to do. we can't help it. people feel the need to do it in order to understand where they stand in society's "hierarchy".
most people buy into this "hierarchy" that society has created and they want to be at the highest level possible of it, as well as know where they stand in it at all times. there are a ton of barometers to indicate one’s placement in it.
from elementary to up until high school, it was all about appearance and popularity. after that came the comparisons of universities fellow students attended, if any. then came the all too popular financial barometer. how much money do you make? what kind of material possessions do you own? what’s your marital status? how many friends do you have? and on and on and on.
there's a seemingly invisible set of "rules" that people have subtly agreed upon to play by, which has probably been initiated by advertising and the media in order to create this social "hierarchy" and play off the wants of people to be at the very top of it. the majority of people tend to play by these rules and because the majority of people play by these rules, it creates enormous pressure for everyone in general to play by the rules, to play within the system and be "ranked" according to it because that's the system everyone is using.
so the question remains. how do you stop comparing yourself to other people given the "hierarchy" society has created and that the majority of people are playing by the "rules" to determine one’s placement in it?
don't think hierarchy. think journey.
topple the concept of hierarchy in your mind right now and watch all those different pieces on all the different "levels" come tumbling down and settling on one, even, level playing field called life.
what most people who think in terms of "hierarchy" don’t realize is that they're potentially, and most likely comparing themselves with false data, and they’re letting that comparison based on false data dictate their future actions accordingly.
the easiest example to illustrate this is with the financial barometer. it’s probably the top barometer used in society today and the majority of people realize that.
and because the majority of people realize that, they understand it’s imperative to "look" financially successful in order to be on top of the social "hierarchy", leveraging that rule everyone plays by in their favor. to do that, it might and most likely means getting into severe debt.
and sure enough, despite the fact they’re deep in the red financially, they "look" financially successful and that’s all that matters in terms of cementing one’s position at the near top of the social "hierarchy".
but that’s not where it ends. that’s just where it begins. other people see that happening and not wanting to fall lower on the totem pole, try to outdo the other in terms of looking financially successful. but remember, it was based on a false front to begin with. then the original person seeing that, doesn’t want to get left behind and ups the ante and on and on and on.
you know that phrase "keeping up with the jones'?" what most people don’t realize is that the jones' are too busy keeping up with the smiths and smiths are too busy keeping up with the browns and the browns are too busy keeping up with the millers, etc.
if you keep thinking "hierarchy", you'll always find somebody that will be "above" you. you can't win that game. it's a loop that will never end.
everybody is taking a different path in life. the most important thing to remember is to make sure that you’re doing what you want to be doing. other people will be doing what they want to be doing, even if it means manipulating their appearances based on the "rules" of the system to be at the top of the "hierarchy", but that’s ok. they’re doing what they’re doing. you can’t judge them for that.
some people might start their own business; some might choose to practice medicine or law. that’s fine. that’s what they want to do.
what do you want to do?
if you keep focusing on everyone else's journey, you’re going to stop paying quality attention to your own. what i mean by quality attention is attention free from jealousy, worry, envy, strife, etc., - just a calm, objective look at your own journey that can provide answers to help move you forward or to even determine what that journey should be in the first place.
if you keep on looking at other people’s journeys, you’re going to crash and that’s what a lot of people do.
focus on your own journey. your journey is no better or any worse than anybody else’s. it's yours alone.
it's unique, it's different, and it's one that has never been taken, nor will ever be. nobody has lived your exact same life, has had your exact same thoughts, feelings, and experiences that make up who you are today.
focus on what you want and only what you want. that's it. it's your journey. other people will have their own to follow.
and even after all that, if you still feel the urge to compare, compare yourself to yourself in terms of your own journey - how far you’ve gotten, what you’ve learned, how you’ve grown and you’ll find that will prove to be one of the best barometers you will ever use in life.
please share and enjoy!
i was browsing for some mp3s from digital pinoy and got curious with an english version of parokya ni edgar's song harana (english version is entitled "serenade") the song was performed by an artist named taylor timberlake. no he's not related to britney's ex in case you're wondering.
to listen to the song, click here
some of you have seen or heard about this health hazard already, but a little reminder might help. an email reminded me about it.
the question is: do you use bacon grease?
i will never use it again. i hope you will throw yours away whenever you fry bacon from now on.
it seems as though nothing is safe to eat anymore.
this is what happens when you keep cooking with bacon grease:
dios mio! talk about love handles!
good thing i'm using canola and vegetable oil. yeah, i know.. it's still oil!
this is a warning, tell this to everyone you care about. it could happen to you... O_O
since we're undergoing training for an aussie account, the kiwi's gave us some lectures on their slangs. here are some that got me fascinated:
barbie: barbecue (noun)
bored shitless: very bored
bush oyster: nasal mucus
bushman's hanky: emitting nasal mucus by placing one index finger on the outside of the nose (thus blocking one nostril) and blowing.
cockie: cockroach
doodle: penis
earbashing: nagging, non-stop chatter
freckle: anus
kangaroos loose in the top paddock: intellectually inadequate ("he's got kangaroos loose in the top paddock")
mozzie: mosquito
randy: horny
rip snorter: great, fantastic - "it was a rip snorter of a party"
sheila: a woman
technicolor yawn: vomit
wuss : coward; nervous person or animal
spiffy! ^_^
you've always been special. you loved me and accepted me for who i am. i will never forget all the good things you have taught me. you were not just a lolo to me. you were my best friend. goodbye papang. thank you for all the great memories and the love. having you as a grandfather is one of the greatest things that ever happened to me. we will miss you badly.
working in a call center can be stressful and fun at the same time. here are some of the boo-boos that i remember:
agent: thank you for calling *company name*, my name is *agent's name*
cust: what's your name again?
agent: it's *agent's name*.
cust: you know your name should be changed to "cow".
agent: huh???
---
agent: is there anything else i could do for you ma'am.
cust: oh that's all. you've helped me a lot. i don't know how to thank you. you're very kind.
agent: ma'am i just changed your password.
---
agent's using gay lingo
agent: ok ma'am, what do you see on the tcp/ip chorva?
cust: oh, i see some numbers on the tcp/ip chorva.
agent: great!
---
same gay agent:
agent: thank you for calling *company name*, my name is mayon volcano. may i please have your dsl phone number?
cust: hi, it's xxx-xxx-xxxx.
---
agent: thank you for calling *company name*, my name is mark. may i please have your dsl phone number?
cust: what's your name again?
agent: it's mark.
cust: what?
agent: mark.
cust: what?
agent: strawberry.
cust: oh, hi.
---
agent 2: hi. i have someone on the other line. she wants to talk to you guys.
agent 1: ok.
agent 2: what's your name again?
agent 1: it's chic.
agent 2: hi ma'am, i have chicken on the other line. she'll be happy to assist you!
---
agent: are you in front of your computer right now.
cust: yes.
agent: do you have any window that's open?
cust: oh, no. it's very cold!
---
agent: would you like to set your own password or would you like me to give you a generic password.
cust: uhmm.. just give me a generic one.
agent: alright. i have reset your password. your new password will be... let me spell it out for you. that's k as in kilo... a as in apple... m as in mama... o as in october... t as in tango... and e as in echo
cust: "kamowt?" (kamowt in american accent-- kamote in pinoy). that's a cool password. i'll never forget this. all right. everything is working.
---
cust: i have a problem with my internet, i cant connect
agent: what is your connection, is it a dial-up or a dsl?
cust: it's dial-up
agent: when did you tried connecting?
cust: just now while talking to you
agent: have you tried connecting while not using your phone?
cust: do i need to do that? agent: yes. because your connection is dial-up
---
agent: sir can i hold you?
cust: sure baby!
---
agent: can you confirm the name on the account?
cust: it's lukaria smith
agent: how would you like me to call you?
cust: just call me luka!
---
cust: ok. what's my new password?
agent: its cdl. that's c for cat... d for david... and l for... for... (mental block)... for love!
cust: hey, it worked! thanks!
---
agent: which windows operating system are you using on your computer?
cust: windows office xp 2000
---
agent: sir, is that y as in wyoming?
cust: your sure? the last time i checked wyoming starts with a w!
---
cust: hello... are you still there?
agent: yes, yes sir. i'm there!
---
agent: ok here's what we'll do...
cust: (irate mode) no, the problem with you guys is you're not listening!
agent: ma'am please calm down and just do what i'm going to say!
cust: ok what now sir....
phoebe sent me this hilarious email:
...and i thought i was a spoiled brat.
cat listening to house music:
cat listening to stevie wonder:
cat listening to metal:
cat listening to hip hop:
cat listening to gangsta rap:
cat listening to techno (and on ecstasy):
...meow!
someone to love. and now that you've come into my life...
(inside card) - i've changed my mind.
2. i must admit, you brought religion into my life...
(inside card) - i never believed in hell until i met you.
3. as the days go by, i think how lucky i am....
(inside card) - that you're not here to ruin it for me .
4. congratulations on your promotion. before you go....
(inside card) - will you take the knife from my back? you'll probably need it again.
5. happy birthday! you look great for your age....
(inside card) - almost lifelike!
6. when we were together, you said you'd die for me...
(inside card) - now we've broken up, i think it's time to keep your promise.
7. congratulations on your new bundle of joy....
(inside card) - did you ever find out who the father was?
8. you are such a good friend. if we were on a sinking ship and there was only one life jacket...
(inside card) - i'd miss you terribly and think of you often .
9. your friends and i wanted to do something special for your birthday...
(inside card) - so we're having you put to sleep.
10. looking back over the years that we have been together, i can't help but wonder.....
(inside card) - what the hell was i thinking
11. i'm so miserable without you...
(inside card) - it's almost like you're still here.
12. thank you for being part of my life.....
(inside card) - i never knew what evil was until i met you!
13. congratulations on your wedding day!...
(inside card) - too bad no one likes your husband.
14. how can i say this....
(inside card) - your cooking kills me
15. hooray.....
(inside card) - you're divorced.
16. i just want you to know that i'm sorry for what happened...
(inside card) - especially since you survived.
17. congrats on getting married...
(inside card) - it's not everyday you decide to ruin your life.
18. someday i hope to marry...
(inside card) - someone other than you.
19. we have been friends for a very long time...
(inside card) - what do you say we stop?
20. love means never having to say "i'm sorry"...
(inside card) - i'm sorry, i don't love you at all.
i'm really getting tired of seeing roaches in my place. well, i was successful in getting rid of the big ones but the small ones are a bit challenging. i know a roach infestation indicates that your home is generally dirty and unsanitary so i did my best in keeping it clean. at first it thought it was my fault but then i noticed that it was caused by some of the neighboring units. grrrrr. so what i did was, i used a lot of that chinese miracle chalk that repels insects (mostly ants & roaches) on the door frame to block them off (i was thinking jada pinkett-smith's demon knight style where she pours blood on door frames to block-off those zombies!!). it seems to work but i can still see some of them get pass the protective lines. i've tried every pesticide available on the market but the smell is really intoxicating and some say that i might even get cancer from it. yaiks!
i haven't actually seen the famous baywalk but i've seen it on tv. i heard this place revived manila's image from being dirty to classy. but it seems like i won't be able to see the beauty of this place anymore. what baywalk was known before as a new hangout place for the barkada and family during night time is now gone. because of his policy of "no liquor in public places", newly re-elected mayor alfredo lim ordered to dismantle the structures located in the area. the bars and foodstalls aren't there anymore. he also wanted to get rid of the baywalk bands. his reason for banning the bands is that some of the female musicians wore sexy clothes. he thinks those bands are associated with pornography. you think that's absurd? his proposal is even more absurd: to replace bands with “talented students who play native instruments.” geeessh..
just look at the difference. before...
and after...
it's already 2007 and people's tastes have changed, public places themselves are sometimes not enough to get the crowd, they need to be anchored on something that draws the people, the place is a leisure hub, walking around the place and enjoying the view is not enough, it needs to have more activity into it because the city crowd can easily get bored, dining, retail, and entertainment establishments are essential, although they need to be screened carefully to create an appropriate mix. it doesn't always have to be an establishment placed there to attract people or for gimiks. why don't they try a themed street-market selling the freshest produce like the weekend market here in makati. that would surely attract bay condo dwellers. or how about an exercise class, free martial arts lessons, basically any kind of activity that would give life and character to the place. and don't forget the access, it must be seamlessly connected to the city by way of public transport for this place to be really accessible to everyone. before tearing down the baywalk structures, mr. lim should have had a concrete plan on what to place there afterwards. he said in an interview before that he doesn't really have any concrete plans for the baywalk yet (they say plans are already in the works) but he just have to demolish the structures now. it just seems pointless.
i never really liked stuffed toys. but when i saw these two, things went upside down...
a stuffed domokun...
and a travelling dodo..
i've been hearing a lot of buzz about this huge burger that has the size of a regular plate. the name of the place is hungree burgers. they currently have 2 branches: makati & moonwalk. at 8 inches, some say that this is one of the philippines' biggest burger. sweet! one of these days i'm going to have a bite! i'll just have to settle with earle's meat trio for now. (^_^)
exercise is utmost important to maintain one’s health. ironically, we always have excuses of not exercising regularly and among the many excuses include being "too busy" at work (well, at least not for me).
however after reading this post, you won't have any more excuses, will exercise regularly and will do this in your office:
1st: warming up
2nd: stretching
3rd: the upper body exercise
4th: lower body exercise (moving to left and back)
5th: lower body exercise (moving to right and back)
6th: head exercise (make sure to do the 2nd part, it works!)
LV1:
LV2:
7th: whole body exercise
LV1
LV2
LV3
8th: jumping exercise: the pose is the key! but remember to jump!
9th: relax
LV1
LV2
LV3 over: well done! 
