We are by-products of a lifestyle obsession

My credit card bill is running to about half the limit. It's just about one of the highest levels it's ever been in. Ever. But I'm not panicking because these things are just due to "bad timing", in the sense that I've clumped up my spending at this time of the year. In contrast, I expect some months ahead to have minimal or no credit card spending (except for the standard electricity bill). Hopefully, that'll happen. On the bright side, I don't delay payment. The reason I swipe or scan (There's that cool pay-by-touch thing here that allows you to charge to your credit card by scanning your index finger, and without the actual card. Evil.) is to harvest the rewards points at some point in the future. Maybe an upgrade to business class on one of my flights every five or so years. Or maybe get me a nice new refrigerator or something.

But I probably don't want you to think that I'm living in the fast lane. (Though I admit I'm guilty of doing that sometimes. Not as often as you may think.) What I bought are mostly necessities (pants, office shoes, shirts), some are gifts (surprise), and few are just unfortunately expensive (2 trips to Manila). I didn't choose to buy an iPod Touch 32GB in Hong Kong because it's one of those nice-to-haves, but I did buy this equally expensive fancy-schmancy messenger bag (read: not Crumpler) which should last me a couple of years. That's not exactly "living simply so that others may simply live", a phrase I heard a couple of times in school (before they rolled out the required Otto shoes). Then again, I don't really care much about how others live their lives. Except when they're in dire need, of course.

So yeah, I could ramble on and on about my spending and consumerism. It could be my monthly or quarterly post (or vent). I guess the point is to do a self-diagnosis every now and then, to see if I'm on the verge of carefree spending. The result, thankfully, is still the same: that level-headed me still generally sticks to the budget. I can spend as well as I can "not-spend". What I don't mention in this blog is that I go for extended periods of time sticking to budget and going for maximum savings. That'd make for a boring blog post, by the way.

Day X: I didn't go out today and scrounged up lunch by eating leftover
food and toasting frozen expired bread. I did my long overdue laundry.
For dinner, yet even more bread.

--

Right, the trip back home.

I'm not really planning to do a lot back home. Just a couple of night outs with friends, a little necessity shopping (need to replace worn out undershirts), family lunch and dinners, and such. It should be enough for a short four day trip. I've a couple of surprises for good old mum and dad, who are probably bored to hell at home. So I got them a few things to make hell a bit more bearable. And no, it's not a new air conditioner.

The following trip, for April, is supposed to be for a wedding. That's if I got the date right. Hopefully, I got it right because the tickets are non-refundable. Boo-hoo.

If anyone wants me to bring home something for them. It's best to tell me this early.

Making the Jump

First of all, I'd like to apologize to those I didn't meet up with in Hong Kong. I'll make up for it next time. And there will be a next time, I'm pretty sure.

Ok, so now that that is out of the way, I'd like to share my jampacked Hong Kong and Macau experience and the one "once-in-a-lifetime" activity that made it all the more memorable.

We went to the spanking new Changi Airport Terminal 3 where things are just about squeaky clean, early in the morning to catch a flight to Hong Kong International. The brand new airport looks good and it's got that more wide-open feel, truly world class. Flying Singapore Airlines economy class has always been a treat, and for this flight, I got to watch 90% of the movie 3:10 to Yuma (as I ran out of time, I don't remember why), just short of the climax/resolution. In HKG, immigration lines were a bit long and took quite a while. After we were cleared, we gathered our luggage, got Airport Express Tourist Transport tickets, got money from an ATM and headed towards Hong Kong Island via train. Once on IFC, we took a cab to L'Hotel Causeway Bay, which is a stone's throw away from Tin Hau Station. It was a convenient location for a hotel. The weather was cool and damp at around 12-18C (I'm guessing). I wore a shirt, a sweater and a jacket which I occasionally took off.

The grand tour started at Tsim Sha Tsui, after that short meal in Cafe de Coral. Taking the Star Ferry from the terminal, we got a good look of the harbour despite the fog and smog. Bus 15C took us to the lower Peak terminus, and from there we took the Peak Tram to Victoria Peak. That afternoon, we were blessed with a relatively clear view of Hong Kong and Kowloon. We spent the evening with a long trek to Citygate Outlets way out in Tung Chung. Just before calling it a night, we decided to check out Causeway Bay and curiously watch people looking up at the big screens showing Edison Chen's press conference.

Day Two started in historic Mido Cafe near Yau Ma Tei. It started drizzling while we were walking to Mongkok along "The Golden Mile", Nathan Road. In the area, people were watching replays of Edison Chen's press conference. It really was a big deal to the locals. We continued our trek through Tsim Sha Tsui, looking for bargains, though nothing was really compelling. We spent just about the whole afternoon on the south side of the island to check out Ocean Park. The weather wasn't cooperating, forcing the park to shutdown the rides that we came there for. We managed to watch the dolphin show, go inside the atoll reef, and ride the Abyss. After the cable car ride to the main entrance, we got a chance to see the Giant Panda Habitat, which was a unique experience. Back smack in the middle of the city, we had dinner at Canteen in IFC Mall to watch a muted Symphony of Lights from the HK side. We got dessert at Lucky Desserts near World Trade Centre.


Day Three started with a quick breakfast at Cafe de Coral, after which he headed straight to Sheung Wan. That place of course is where we caught the (Turbojet) ferry to Macau. After enduring the bumpy 1 hour ride, we were at Macau Ferry Terminal. We took a cab to Macau Tower, where my pilgrimage will take place.

--

This probably merits a blog entry of its own, but I'm confident that I can fit the entire experience narrative in a paragraph or two. Here it goes.

The "once-in-a-lifetime" activity was bungy jumping from Macau Tower, the self-proclaimed World's Highest Bungy Jump at 233 meters. We could get into technicalities about how it's not pure bungee what with all the safety equipment, but who really cares. In any case, I got booked something like an hour before the scheduled time, which made me feel like dead man walking. During that time, I didn't think it was a good idea to have lunch even when I eventually did. The feeling is similar to taking the final exam in school, not knowing if you're prepared. You dread the event, and at the same time, you want to get it over with quickly. As the slated time approached, I signed a couple of waivers, got the complimentary shirt, and emptied my pockets of stuff which could potentially kill people at 9.8 meters per second. I was scared shit and excited, but I got a bit more confident when I saw that three Korean girls ages 11-16 were ahead of me. Maybe it's won't be so bad after all.

It started to rain lightly when I was outside the observation deck, which was the 61st floor of the tower (which I assumed to be 233 meters up, as advertised). It was pretty windy as well. After the three young ladies did their jump, I got a good insight of how the components of the contraption work. Each jump took about 5-10 minutes from when they tie up your legs to the time you head back upstairs from the ground. There were three guys operating the jump from the deck, two others to document (still and video camera), and two to pick up your body parts down below (kidding, but there were two at the ground floor). The view from up there wasn't really spectacular, no thanks to the weather and the fog. The scariest part of the experience was walking the plank and into position. I began to realize that there's no way to go but down. I still had the composure to give a thumbs up with a smile to the video team and to follow the instructions on how to jump: arms out, chin up, and try your best to fall over (instead of jumping down). Behind the smile was of course the frozen terrified smile which I held for a couple of seconds.

"Get ready!...5...4...3...2...1..."

The initial sensation was that of panic as I didn't expect the bungy cord to be so heavy as to actually pull my legs down. In fact in the video, you can see me momentarily flailing my arms. I must clarify that wasn't an attempt to fly but rather it was of wanting to fall forward. About a second in, the cords did it for me, and I was looking at the ground from that time on. The wind and rain smashed into my face, but I learned to trust the safety equipment, and eventually just enjoyed the jump. It really was a long way down and I got to look around the landscape on the way. I made it a point not to blink during that time just to milk it for what it's worth. Way short of the landing cushion, I got pulled back by the cord for another (relatively) high drop. After that was a lot of bouncing up and down until of course you settle in a really uncomfortable upside-down position, legs hurting from the strain. I got a chance to look around some more while they were slowly lowering me to the pad. And that was that.

You can see the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAlPSBS-uic

--

After spending a considerable amount of time in Macau Tower, we hurried to the taxi queue to get to Largo do Senado and Ruinas de São Paulo. The plaza was packed with weekend loafers and tourists as it should be. The neo-classical architecture around this area was a sight to behold and looks good in the pictures I took (again despite the gray and gloomy skies). As in almost anywhere in the colony, The Casino Lisboa looms over the buildings like a giant overlord. Behind the polished tourist attractions were ugly old residential apartments. We trekked through the pedestrian mall and retail stores. Tasty Macau treats were sold on the streets, we got a box of egg tarts and a pastry which looks and tastes like local polvoron and puto-seko (I don't know what it's called). Up the hill was Ruinas de São Paulo, which was basically the facade of the original cathedral. That short journey was the end of our Macau city tour as we rushed back to the ferry terminal to catch the 5:05 back to Hong Kong.

Back in the former British colony, we managed to get seats at the delightful Shanghai Mian in World Trade Centre. We ordered dumplings, pork buns, seafood fried rice, shrimp, and smelly fermented tofu (which I found revolting).

The final day of the trip started with breakfast at a place whose name I can't recall right now. But it had excellent dimsum which was the perfect local experience. We followed that up with another trip to Mongkok to do some last-minute shopping. The next stop was Pacific Place in Admiralty which is an excellent shopping place for branded items. Lunch was near Lan Kwai Fong, serving various rice and noodle dishes. XTC ice cream helped take away the oily taste. One last look in Central and we were off to collect our bags from the hotel. Waiting for our 8pm flight wasn't so exciting but we got to look around SkyPlaza before going through immigrations. The plane was 15 minutes late, but it was OK. I finally managed to finish 3:10 to Yuma on the flight back, a very satisfying film. I tried to watch Bee Movie but I was unable to complete the damn thing. Not that I was entirely sorry, though. I thought the movie was cute and had some funny bits, but overall it was terrible and got a bit preachy as well, not to mention borderline bestiality wasn't far off (you didn't really need to read that). A couple of hours after and I was back in good ol' ever-humid Singapore.

The Bohol Nine Yards

(Sorry, I ran out of clever titles. But I tried googling the phrase and it turns out nobody in cyberspace is as corny as I am. I should get plus points for originality.)

For Chinese New Year 2008, the troops headed for Bohol and Cebu for sights, sounds and sun.

Day 1: Arrival

We caught the midnight flight to Cebu, direct from Singapore via Cebu Pacific (kudos to one of the great developments in travel in recent history, budget airlines). The flight was relatively smooth, although I absolutely must point that the change in pressure (that causes your ears to pop, among other things) gave me a terrible headache. It's that excruciating feeling of your head about to explode. Anyway this happened just before landing.

We arrived at Mactan International very early in the morning. The officials at immigration provided for some wake-up by dishing out side comments:

Immigrations guy: (looking at my passport) Figueroa!
Guy loafing near immigrations counter: Figueroa ... mga alahero yan.
Me: ?

After clearing immigrations:

Guy: (looking at me pass by) Intsik pala mga Figueroa.
Me: !

So yeah, baggage and customs were pretty smooth. There was a currency exchange counter near the exit, which gave ridiculously unfair rates (as expected). Fortunately, I was able to withdraw some money at the BPI ATM outside, using my Citibank card. I learned afterwards that the rates were much, much better even if it's a different bank. We got cabs that went into the city of Cebu-Mandaue, looking for 24hr Jollibee outlets. Eventually, we settled on the downtown branch. The cab ride was a weird experience as our cab driver perfectly understood Tagalog, but kept replying in Cebuano. I assume it was because most of the entertainment media in the country are in Filipino, which is essentially Tagalog.

Pier 3-Supercat-Tagbilaran

We had about 15-20 minutes for Jollibee breakfast before we went to Pier 3 on the Supercat to Tagbilaran. It was 450 pesos, one-way. In hindsight, we should've gotten a return ticket instead, which costs just as much. The trip took about an hour and forty-five and the movie they played was Night at the Museum, which was mildly entertaining.

We were welcomed by a little drizzle on Tagbilaran port that lasted a few minutes. Gathering our things, we chartered a van that would take us to Panglao Island.

Panglao-Alona-Lunch-Dinner

A good half an hour ride took us from the Port of Tagbilaran through the charmless island capital city to the rolling hills and chalk-white beaches of Panglao Island, where we checked in at Flower Garden Resort.

The resort is a good five minute walk away from Alona beach through Alona Palm Resort. While admiring the spectacular beach views, we found lunch at Trudis Place. We also found out that there was a brownout at the time.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach and had dinner at the iconic Alona Tropical restaurant. Grilled food and lots of rice was served to cap the day. Mixed cocktails and junk food followed soon afterwards.

Day 2: Bohol Tour

The next morning, after an excellent breakfast of one-peso pandesal with ma-ling and scrambled egg, we began our cultural trip of Bohol.

Sandugo-Baclayon Church

We were surprised that the package provided a very informative tour guide for us whose name escapes me right now. The first stop was the Blood Compact or Sandugo Shrine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandugo) in Tagbilaran. The next was Baclayon Church and Museum which really had nothing so special about them other than the fact that they're very-very old.

Tarsiers-Chocolate Hills


Right beside Loboc River, where the nipa trees and kaong reside, was the famous tarsier sanctuary. Inside were a couple of insomniac tarsiers (as they were nocturnal), a flying lemur who doesn't like to move-it-move-it, and a couple of monkeys.

The next point of interest, and a natural wonder in its own right, was the Chocolate Hills in Carmen. On the way, we were able to taste a local delicacy called Alupi, which is made out of coconut, sticky rice and a couple of other things. We were greeted once again with a light drizzle on the way up to the uber-hill where there's a lookout deck to the picturesque view of the hills.


Man-made Forest-Loboc River

Backtracking to the mouth of Loboc river, we had a chance to take excellent photos at the man-made mahogany forest.


By lunchtime, we were able to take the Loboc River Cruise on the boat-restaurant. Halfway into the journey, we stopped by at a local Ati community that caters to tourists, obviously. After a couple of interactions and photo opportunities, we headed back to the boat which deposited us back where we started. The final stop of the tour was the souvenir store where I bought a couple of sando shirts and sweets.

Alona

It was a good tour that's well worth the money we paid for it. We spent the rest of the afternoon at Alona beach, having foot scrubs and body massages. As it was Chinese New Year, some locals put on a fireworks show from shallow waters much to the delight of the dining visitors.

Day 3: Island Hopping

Dolphin Watching

We had to wake up even earlier on the third day to do some dolphin-watching some kilometers off Panglao Island. Here's where my sorry-ass camera didn't get any action. The main reason being I wouldn't be able to enjoy the natural theatrics while trying to capture them in the viewfinder. It was a good thing because for the first time ever, I've seen at least two dolphins put on a show by jumping high up out of the water and spinning like hell. I swear they could have been in one of those water park shows, but these were wild dolphins.

Pamilacan-Alona

After the "show", we went in the direction of Pamilacan Island for snorkeling, sunbathing, and lunch. Lunch consisted of fried native chicken (not so meaty but pretty tasty), sauteed vegetables, grilled fish and tinolang manok.

By mid-afternoon, we were back in Panglao indulging in halo-halo with ice cream. More grilled food for dinner.



Day 4: Cebu

We packed our overstuffed bags and headed for the Port of Tagbilaran. The Supercat ferry ride brought us back to Cebu amidst cackling and annoying student co-passengers. Cebu is of course, the Queen City of the South. I think it's a Manileño term judging from the presence of the word "South" (when it's really situated in Central Philippines).

Ayala-CNT-Gerry's

The cab ride through the city allowed me to get a glimpse of how much different Cebu is from Manila. How much different? Not much. It's a mess of deco style buildings, tangled up power lines, and makeshift stalls, not to mention the crowded streets. Though not entirely charmless, there's not much effort to either modernize deteriorating buildings or restore historical ones. This could be testament on how much development is being focused on Imperial Manila.

At least the private sector isn't doing so bad. Late lunch was at CNT Lechon in Food Choices in the Ayala Mall. Eeeex-cellent Lechon Cebu. Dinner was at Gerry's Grill. We bought groceries in Metro Gaisano to bring back to Singapore and fill our cupboards with Filipino ingredients.

Day 5: Cebu

The final day was marked by a proper walk tour of the city, the definitive cultural immersion.

Cebu Walk Tour-SM City Cebu

From GV Tower downtown, we walked to a national landmark, Magellan's Cross.

A little aside here. Isn't it weird that Portuguese explorer Fernão de Magalhães (or Fernando Magallanes) is best known in names other than his native language? How would he feel? I mean, nobody calls me Kristiyano Antoniyo back home (nor should they ever should).

Anyway, the cross at some point in time symbolized the beginning of the colonial era of the Philippines. Fernão was of course killed by Lapu-lapu's arnis-wielding posse soon after, as recounted by Antonio Pigafetta. They put up a shrine where the event happened. Lapu-lapu, of course, was a one-hit wonder and as far as I can tell, was never heard from again. But if they had wiped out the entire Spanish expedition with none to complete the journey, who knew how different things might have been.

Right beside Magellan's Cross is the Basílica Menor del Santo Niño. Then, a couple of blocks away is the old Cathedral (I don't know what it's called).

The last part of the tour is Fort San Pedro, a small garrison with nice views of the city.

After the field trip, we went back to the hotel, packed our things, and checked out at around noon. Leaving our luggage at the counter, we went for a final gimik at SM City Cebu where we ate at Chikaan sa Cebu.

Late in the afternoon we got cabs to head back to Mactan International to complete our journey.

There were five of us who flew that night and I think we just about exceeded the allotted 100kgs (20kg x 5 passengers) with our bursting checked-in bags.

Back in Singapore, there wasn't any trouble at all with customs and such. A couple of minutes past midnight and we were already home from one of the best beach vacations I've ever experienced.

Flickr photoset: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ton2fig/sets/72157603910088232/

Overdue Quiz about my Ateneo experience

1. What's your ID number?
970475

2. Passed or wait-listed?
passed

3. How did you know about the ACET results?
Saw the results for myself in Xavier Hall

4. Was Ateneo your first choice?
Absolutely

5. Do you know what your ACET score is?
Who knows?

6. What course was your first choice?
BS Computer Science

7. Second choice?
BS Management Information Systems

8. Anong course mo ngayon?
BS Computer Science

9. Did you have any plans of shifting?
Not really

10. Chinito/chinita ka ba?
Maybe

11. Taga-Ateneo High?
Yeah!

12. Did you have fun in your OrSem?
Meh.

13. Saang gate ka pumasok nung first day?
Gate 3

14. Are you staying/did you stay in a dorm?
Nope

15. Ever had an F in your grade report?
Yeah. A waker-upper.

16. How about an A?
Two, I think.

17. Highest grade?
A

18. Lowest grade?
F

19. Worst experience in ADMU?
I may be exagerrating, but I thought I was on the verge of flunking out.

20. Do you always attend class?
I wouldn't say "always"

21. What are/were your orgs?
CompSUCK...erm...CompSAT and an unsuccessful stint at Ateneo Debate Society (I didn't actually join to debate)

22. How many units have/did you pass/ed?
I passed all of them (eventually)

23. Nangangarap/nangarap ka bang maglaude?
Nah.

24. When will/did you graduate?
March 2001

25. Fave subject?
Amidst all the technical and core courses, Film Theory class stands out.

26. Worst subject/s?
Political Science 102. Teacher sucked.

27. Fave landmark sa ADMU?
Manila Observatory

28. Fave kainan?
Manang's

29. How do/did you get to school?
Brought a car

30. Are/were you always at the lib?
Not always.

31. Ever gone to the infirmary when you were sick?
I don't remember going when I was in college

32. Do/did you have a crush in campus?
Of course!

33. May balak kang mag-MS, PhD?
No more school!

34. Have you ever watched a graduation ceremony?
Other than my own, nope.

35. Do you know the "Song for Mary" by heart?
Hoh yeah.

36. Memorize mo ba ang Fabilioh?
I think I do, but maybe just most of it

37. ...ang Halikinu?
Ye-bo, ye-bo, A-tene-o rah!

38. ...ang Blue Eagle Spelling?
Of course!

39. Are you part of Team Ateneo?
Nope

40. Who's your fave UAAP basketball player?
I'd have to go with Rich Alvarez, as well.

41. Ever had a perfect score in an exam?
Practical exam, yeah.

42. Ano ang ayaw mo sa Hell Week?
That fact that it exists.

43. Dito ka ba natuto uminom ng beer?
Nope. I think high school pa.

44. What do you like about our school?
The open space and the great view of Marikina and Sierra Madre. Oh yeah, and Magis.

45. Ano ang ayaw mo?
Lazy teachers

46. Have you ever bought anything at the A-shop?
Jacket and a couple of shirts.

47. maganda ba ID pic mo?
Quite the opposite.

48. Done anything illegal on campus?
Yeah, set up a MUD in one of the school servers.

49. Bought anything at National Katips?
Just about anything for school.

50. Ever gone to Starbucks Katips?
Yeah, I've gone.

51. May nakaaway ka na ba sa school?
I try to stay away from trouble in any institution I'm affiliated with.

The trouble with the rat-race...

...is that even if you win, you're still a rat.

--

The year of the Earth Rat or Wu Zi, carries with it the image of the misty mountain. Thus, the prevailing theme for the year is clouded perceptions, and outcomes that are unexpected. The year will start on a positive note, but then backslide as we edge towards the end of the year, when the element of Water becomes overwhelmingly strong.

--

Thursday and Friday are holidays here in Singapore. Tomorrow, Wednesday, is also rumoured to be announced a half-day. All of these in anticipation of Chinese New Year.

Though I may look Chinese, I am not headed home to receive hongbaos ("ang paw") from relatives. Instead, I'm going to take a slight turn towards Cebu and Bohol, completely bypassing Manila. I think I long overdue for some UV rays. I actually think my skin is getting lighter, if that's at all possible.

As usual, I won't start packing until the last minute, which is tomorrow night. Our flight is the midnight run direct from Singapore to Cebu. A short Supercat ferry ride, and we're there.

And as usual, it's too late to get rid of the flabs for beach season.

--

The Grand Duke of the year, the Rat, will not be kind to Goats this year. However, take heart in the knowledge that the challenges of the year primarily are related to matters of the heart. Indeed, it is likely to be a blast from the past, or emotional baggage left over from an old relationship, that will be the primary cause of any misery you will feel this year. So if you can let go and move on, there's no reason why 2008 can't be a good year.

Career and financial prospects will prove to be excellent for Goats this year. Mistakes will somehow turn out to be blessings in disguise and you will have someone looking out for your interests this year. At work, expect your star to be on a rise. It might not be entirely smooth sailing in 2008 for Goats, but as long as you keep your eye on the prize, and stick out the valleys, you'll find you are closer to the peak than you thought.

(http://www.tarot.com/astrology/chinese/predictions.php?sign=goat)

--

LOST season four has officially begun. It's nice to see the castaways back. I think it's the long lull, but I'm not as intrigued or as excited as before, even after watching the season premiere ("The Beginning of the End"). I just hope it'll pick up soon. Some of the best TV I've seen in recent years comes from this series.

--

A belated congratulations to parents Frances and Noel, and a "Welcome to the real world" to Elise Madeline Hernandez. Hope to see you guys again soon!

50 More Things You Don't Really Need to Know about Me

If you opened this, FILL IT OUT! Learn 50 things about your friends, and let them learn 50 things about you!

1* Do you like cheese?
You can't go wrong with baked cheese with any food

2* Have you ever smoked heroin?
Naah.

3* Do you own a gun?
Aside from my Uranium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator, no I don't.

4* Your favorite song?
Off the top of my head, it's Under The Milky Way by The Church

5* Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
Depends on what the appointment is for.

6* What do you think of hotdogs?
Yum-yum

7* Favorite Christmas song?
Pasko Na Naman

8* What do you prefer to drink in the morning.
Water or any type of fruit juice

9* Can you do push ups?
Yeah, I still can.

10* Favorite super-hero?
Haven't been into reading comics for quite a while but the last one I liked was Bishop (http://marvel.com/universe/Bishop_%28Lucas_Bishop%29)

11* What's your favorite piece of jewelry?
I don't wear jewelry

12* Favorite hobby?
PC Games, if it's a hobby at all.

13* Secret weapon to get the opposite sex?
The Gilroy

14* Do you have A.D.D.?
Probably. But it's just all in the head, in my opinion.

15* What's one trait do you hate about yourself?
Dangerously content with mediocrity

16* Middle Name:
De Los Reyes

17* Three thoughts at this exact moment
a.) Why doesn't the id field auto-generate?
b.) What to work on next
c.) What time will I go home later?

18* Name 3 things you bought yesterday?
a.) Bottled water, everyday
b.) Toiletries
c.) Chicken salad for dinner

19* Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
a.) Water
b.) Season's Iced Lemon Tea
c.) Welch's Grape Juice

20* Current worry right now?
Cash flow and expenditures for the following year

21* Current hate?
That stupid leak in the bathroom which I don't have time to take care of

22* Favorite places?
I like all the places I've been to but Phi-phi Island is superb.

23* How did you bring in the New Year?
With a bang! Celebrating with family in Manila.

24* Where would you like to go?
Japan, Mainland Europe, Bhutan, Tibet, Palawan, Australia

25* Name three people who will complete this and return?
a) Shelley (maybe)
b) Nes (come on, Nes!)
c) Chale ('kaw na lang siguro, wala na eh! :P)

26* Do you own flip flops?
Tsinelas!

27* What shirt are you wearing?
Right now, light blue Banana republic shirt for the office.

28* Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
I just like sleeping.

29* Can you whistle?
Yep

30* Favorite color/s?
blue, green, red, brown, orange, gray, yellow

31* Would you like to be a pirate?
In the 21st century? No thanks.

32* What songs do you sing in the shower room?
Any song I heard last

33* Favorite girl's name?
Catherine (and variations of)

34* Favorite boy's name?
Anthony is fine.

35* What's in your pocket right now?
Disposable facial tissue, and a couple of coins

36* Last thing that made you laugh?
More cowbell! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More_cowbell)

37* Best bed sheets as a child?
Blue sheets with nightsky, stars and moon.

38* Worst injury you've ever had?
I'm glad it never got worse than sprain or cramps

39* Do you love where you live?
Singapore is a nice place to work in.

40* How many computers do you have in your house?
2. Nes's and mine.

41* Who is your loudest friend?
I haven't seen Duch in a while, so it should be Chrissie.

42* How many dogs do you have?
We've got one in Manila.

43* Does someone have a crush on you?
It'd be nice if there's at least one.

45* What is your favorite book?
I'm going to count graphic novels as a book, so hands down Alan Moore's Watchmen.

46* What is your favorite candy?
Hershey's with Macadamia (Yum!)

47* Favorite Sports Teams?
Los Angeles Lakers, Barangay Ginebra

48* What song do you want played at your funeral?
Angels by Robbie Williams

49* What were you doing 12 AM last night?
Surfing the Internet.

50* What is the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
Shit, late nanaman.

Get to know yourself better (from Noel)

For one thing, I didn't know myself to be answering such things. But hey, there's a first for everything.

From: http://www.quizbox.com/personality/test82.aspx

--

Get to know yourself better

Your view on yourself:

Other people find you very interesting, but you are really hiding your true self. Your friends love you because you are a good listener. They'll probably still love you if you learn to be yourself with them.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You like serious, smart and determined people. You don't judge a book by its cover, so good-looking people aren't necessarily your style. This makes you an attractive person in many people's eyes.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You prefer to get to know a person very well before deciding whether you will commit to the relationship.

The seriousness of your love:

Your have very sensible tactics when approaching the opposite sex. In many ways people find your straightforwardness attractive, so you will find yourself with plenty of dates.

Your views on education

Education is less important than the real world out there, away from the classroom. Deep inside you want to start working, earning money and living on your own.

The right job for you:

You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.

How do you view success:

You are afraid of failure and scared to have a go at the career you would like to have in case you don't succeed. Don't give up when you haven't yet even started! Be courageous.

What are you most afraid of:

You are concerned about your image and the way others see you. This means that you try very hard to be accepted by other people. It's time for you to believe in who you are, not what you wear.

Who is your true self:

You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.

The Best Laid Plans for 2008

2007 was a good year for travel

In the office, I had printed out a 2008 Calendar. When I'm finished with it, it should mark all the planned holidays I'm going to take. It's really helpful especially in determining long weekends and sandwich days. I'm sure project managers also appreciate the advance notice.

So this is what I've come up so far (starting March, the new fiscal period). This is a very-very early draft.

March - around Holy Week, originally planned for Japan. Unlikely to happen now, so might go to Cambodia instead.
April - going home to Manila to attend a wedding. Might squeeze in beach plans nearby.
May - one sandwich day and one long weekend. No plans yet.
June, July, August, September - no obvious long weekends. Singapore National Day, August 9, falls on a Saturday.
October - one possible 5-day stretch, and one sandwich day
November/December - going home to Manila to renew drivers license
December/January 2009 - Hopefully, back to the U.S. for Christmas and New Year. 2 weeks or so.
Feb 2009 - No plans yet.

Of course even if I filled in those sandwich days, I'd still have about 5 or so days for anything unexpected. Also things, will probably be much clearer once I sort out my finances. I promised myself that I'd take care of my long-term savings (if any) this year. Although that might mean cutting trips, it might also give me a chance to look after my health instead.

Katamad na magblog

The days in between holidays

I've been up to a lot since I arrived back. Generally, it's fleshing out what the rest of the vacation would look like.

There's going to be a lot of family things, friends things and me things.

Family Things:

• Spend Christmas Day at home
  
• Visit my grandfather (and Lola Madre) in Bulacan
• Go to mass

Friends Things:

• Lunches, Dinners, and catchups
• Go to Tagaytay
• Basketball - not happening this time

Me Things:

• Have jeans altered - DONE
• Buy shirts
• Buy (Filipino) DVDs
• Buy OPM albums
• Buy toiletries/groceries

Also, I need to be reacquainted with the food I haven't had in almost a year:

• Jollibee
• KFC
• Max's - DONE
• Teriyaki Boy
• Charlie Wanton Special
• North Park - DONE
• Dunkin Donuts - DONE
• Shakey's
• Yellow Cab
• Italianni's
• Superbowl
• Goldilock's/Red Ribbon
  
• Razon's of Guagua
  
• Various other eating places

All these activites could be a permanent "when-I-go-home" list so I'm keeping it somewhere.

--

However, next year might be quite different if plans to spend Christmas in the U.S. push through. It would be the first of its kind, a real winter Christmas.

--

Happy Holidays from our family!

Sa May Bahay

I just got back here in Manila. I really have to say, it's good to be back home. Not only would I get breakfast every morning, but I also don't need to wash the dishes, do the laundry, or iron clothes.

Two hours before the flight, the check-in queue was already snaking all over the departure area. 21kgs of luggage (all clothes) and I was good to go. Aside from that episode, the flight was relatively smooth. On the plane, I also got to watch perhaps the best blockbuster movie of 2007, The Bourne Ultimatum. [Spoiler] I loved that part at the very end where they reported that they haven't found his body and then the Moby music ("Extreme Ways") kicks in [End Spoiler]. You just knew you watched an excellent movie.

NAIA Terminal 2 surprised me in the sense that I didn't really expect it to be (just about) as orderly as it was. Luggage came out quick. There was no hassle at all at customs. Outside, the wind has that Christmas feel. And the best part was that there weren't a lot of people in the meet and greet area, unlike last year.

Traffic was hell, however. But I did spend a great time gawking at the billboards at EDSA, and looking at what buildings were newly-built.

I'll be using my old Globeline for now, until I have the line cancelled before I leave.

See you when I see you.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Winter Solstice

Me: that's the thing around here. it's not a Christmas party, it's a last party of the year
Office-mate (from another part of the world): so they decided to do a peter pan theme!?
Me: exactly, who knows for what reason

So much for our Christmas Party Last Party of the Year. I accept that I cannot celebrate a proper office Christmas party while I work in Singapore. The mix of cultures, and sometimes the dominance of some, makes it difficult to pull off such an event. Everybody has to be accommodated.

I didn't like the party too much. In fact some aspects to it are annoying, especially people who can't hold their drink and act downright stupid. Case in point some idiot who took to the stage and demanded that the entire firm wanted to dance to a lot of Indian music. Rightfully, he was booed off the stage. I mean -- shit -- I don't impose Pinoy novelty dances on everyone ["OK, everybody, let's do the ocho-ocho"], much less the tinikling.

In Singapore, you learn about other cultures and share your own. But you have to know you bounds. These people clearly don't.

Fucking ruining Christmas.



Not even Tinkerbell can save Christmas.

--

A too-little-too-late internal announcement that reminded everyone of holiday behaviour in office functions came a day too late.

The worst part is that I haven't heard any outrage regarding behaviour in the party. If anything, I think they want more Indian dancing music next time. Verrrry Christmas-sy.

--

I've seen The Golden Compass and while I believe that the mythology is rich, I didn't feel that I was really amazed by the movie. I don't think it was presented too well. Dakota Blue Richards would make a fine actress. But she has that smug in the movie that says "I've got two more sequels, so you can't kill me".

Anyway, I just felt unprepared for absorbing the entire thing at one go. Maybe subsequent viewings will help? I don't feel like reading the book, so nuts to that.

--

I've posted a calendar event on Jan 31, 2008 about Switchfoot performing here in Singapore. Should be good. I think SISTIC will begin selling tickets on the 26th. Looking forward to that.

Homecoming

This weekend, our high school batch of 1997 will have our 10th year homecoming. What can I say about it?

For starters, I was in danger of being sent to Aquinas School. No, this wasn't like when I started school, having a choice between Lourdes School Mandaluyong and Ateneo since I passed the tests for both. In this case, I was wait-listed in Ateneo High School (AHS) and we had to have a backup plan. Recovering from chicken pox, I worked hard to get the necessary grades to be reconsidered for eligibility. Then one day, they published the list of those that have been reconsidered. I was in that list of thirty-something names. Welcome to high school.

High school didn't start off well, academically, an effect of resting on my laurels. Eventually, I picked it up in later years to boost my chances of getting into college in the course I wanted.

There's barely anything I regret about high school. Well, at least nothing that turned out to be important. I mean, I don't regret the amount of effort I put in my studies. I felt that I had the right amount of fun and study. I remember that there is a gauge as to how to differentiate normal students to upperclassmen, measured by the amount of hours of study per day they do. (2 for normal, 3 for upperclassman. I think I was doing one and a half before attention-deficit kicked in.)

All in all, high school was pretty great. Everyday is a learning experience whether inside or outside the classroom.

With that, I leave to you, dear reader, to imagine how we went from pipsqueaks then...



...to fat fucks now.



--

Incidentally, my dad will receive the award for both of us being a Father & Son Jubilarian Pair

Dad: Grade School 1963, High School 1967, College 1971
Me: Grade School 1993, High School 1997, College 2001

Stupendous! It's even better than being valedictorian! (Not that I'd have a clue how that'd feel like)

28

Northeastern monsoon has arrived. It's been windy in the recent days. For the first time, since I've been here, it's been comfortably cool, without the accompanying rains.

--

I don't know, I guess I just lost it.

The will to blog, that is.

The trip to the U.S. was a big milestone in life, and scratched a big itch, as I mentioned. There's probably nothing that could top it in the near future. So everyday just feels ordinary, events not so blogworthy, and pictures not flickr-worthy.

Nonetheless, I will attempt a post today just because I just celebrated (or not celebrated) my 28th birthday last weekend. This should cover most of the weeks I have missed blogging.

A special mention however to the trip two of my bestest friends took in Singapore. I haven't seen them in almost a year and I was glad to see them.

Jimelle, Me, Kat and gracious host, Dondi

--

It's not out of the ordinary to give yourself a gift on your special day. And for me, by virtue of good timing coinciding with SITEX, it only makes sense that I march off to Singapore Expo and buy something for myself. And that something turned out to be a Seagate FreeAgent Desktop Drive.

Sorry if I can't contain the excitement.

But like I said earlier, I've given as a no-occasion gift to myself that trip to visit my family in the U.S. How can I beat that?

I can't and I won't. Not in a long time.

--

I watched Enchanted this weekend. No spoilers this time. But I just like to say that I've known Amy Adams to be hot since Catch Me If You Can.

Ok, what I'd really like to say was that this movie had the potential to be the fairy tale to end all fairy tales. Unfortunately, it falters a bit at the end, to the cliche it came from. Still, it makes for a pretty entertaining movie, and Manhattan itself is ever enchanting.

--

Looking ahead to 2008, we're in talks to go to either Korea or Japan for a vacation. As it stands, Korea seems to be where we're headed.

I can't seem to get excited about a trip to Korea no matter how much browsing I do on Times (bookstore) or online in wikitravel.

--

God Delusion and The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. These are two of the books I have bought but not read yet.

D'oh.

Buy Then, Pay Now

<sarcasm>Don't you just love it when the bills arrive</sarcasm>

Bills, bills, bills. Big ones, little ones...

And yet, I just ordered Seasons 2,3, and 4 of Futurama, along with a good deal on Sealab 2021, season one from Amazon. It's scheduled to ship early-mid October, just around the time I need to pay for it.

Spending money you haven't gotten yet. Bad, bad, bad.

--

Current events. I'd like for Myanmar to get rid of their military rulers and try democracy, all for the selfish reason that I want to visit the Shwedagon Pagoda at some point in my life. Almost anybody can actually visit it anytime they want. But I personally don't want to go under this shroud of fear, and the idea of spending my hard-earned cash to support the junta.

--

One of the things that crossed my mind a few days ago, is thinking of the possibility of this life/work setup: Work for nine months of the year, Holiday/Study/Travel for the remaining three months. Sounds interesting, right? I haven't quite figured out how to pull off such a thing. Of course, you'd have to be earning a lot, and work on a contractual basis. The three months doesn't have to be all bumming around and doing nothing. I'd imagine, you can get special training, go back to school to teach and/or learn, set up a business, work a different type of job.

But let me think about it some more.

Aftershocks

Talking to a friend early in the morning:

Tonton (9/13/2007 7:53:16 AM): sheesh, lumilindol ata
Tonton (9/13/2007 7:57:09 AM): lumilindol nga, tagal din

If some experts are to be believed. There may yet be another big one coming.

--

It's been a lazy weekend that's always almost over too soon. I can't really say I haven't achieved anything this past two days even if I mostly just slept it off.

I got new glasses this week, after thinking it's the solution to my headache problems. Worked well anyway. I bought one with transition lenses, and I collected it a day later. I know I should have my eyes checked every year. This one's more than a half year due. So that's done.

As for the weekend itself, I was able to do way overdue house stuff. Washing/changing the bedsheets is one. Rearranging the bedroom is two. Bringing old stuff out is three.

The second one included printing out a lot of pictures to hang on the wall and to put in albums. Good memories. I'll print some in Manila to leave in an album there somewhere.

On that last one, I plan to send a big ol' box of junk home for them to give away or recycle or whatever. Junk would include clothes and shoes and whatever else I don't need.

---

Speaking of home, I made flight reservations to go home to Manila for Christmas and New Year. As usual, they've jacked up the prices for the holiday season. It's almost twice than what I would normally pay to fly back. Besides, I haven't gone back since January. My mom made me promise to go home, so there. They'll be back from the U.S. in late November, early December. I'll be there from December 21 to early January 2. I'm already planning side trips in Tagaytay and Subic. I hope Greenhills will already have iPod Touch units by that time.

---

Recently, I also realized that not only do I like Futurama, I love it! The problem is I only have season one and there aren't any DVDs of it in Singapore (as of time of writing). I've heard that they show it in Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, but I don't have the schedule.

SO. I'm seriously considering ordering seasons 2,3 and 4 online. Singapore Post has this thing called vPost, that allows you to order from U.S. online shops, have them deliver it at an address in the U.S., then have them ship it here for an extra fee.

As an added incentive, I think Amazon.com dipped down the prices for Futurama to about 40+% off retail prices. Think, think, think...

Sorry, I couldn't resist

*Disclaimer: I have friends and relatives who are De La Salle University Alumni including my sister.

You know, most of the people out there will never, ever understand the rivalry that exists between Ateneo and La Salle. So, not a lot of people will get why I find this extremely funny. But I just had to share.



It works on so many levels!

Jetlagged, so I might as well post something

So...

I arrived at two in the morning yesterday with one luggage more than when I left. The flight back was not so uneventful, but not too alarming either. It was bumpy going to and coming from Tokyo-Narita. I think there was also one passenger who fainted or something, which prompted the pilot to ask if there were any doctors on the plane. I just slept them off or ignored them totally while watching Ocean's Thirteen and Surf's Up.



I immediately went back to work a couple of hours later. The people in the office seem to like the 150 pieces of chocolates that I brought. And they have the impression that I just went to Las Vegas. I can't really imagine how you can spend more than a few days there.

--

Dear Ninong,

Thank you so much for flying over to see me and be my ninong.

...

See that? Not even a year old and she can write already. Just kidding. But I am looking forward to see her again next year, Christmas time. We're planning to have a Mickey Mouse Christmas.

This is a picture of me not knowing how to hold a two-month old baby:

--

The US 2007 photo collection is complete. I took pictures almost every day of nothing and everything. I should do a blog post on each set because I've got so much to say. I can do that this weekend, hopefully, unless my lazy old self takes over.



You might see some pictures there which are strange to the eyes, like Jollibee in one set. All will be explained in further detail soon.

Whoa-hoa

Hey, that was fast!

I'm off to the airport to fly back to Singapore.

I get to sleep a few hours after arriving home before bravely going back to work, jetlag and all.

So see you from Singapore, where I get to post more stuff like the trip to Yosemite Park.

It's been a great three week vacation! :D

Up to Speed

While I have all the time to go around, buy stuff, and do all the things that I want to do, what I don't have is the time to blog.

You can just about see what my camera sees, though, via flickr.

The last post in this blog was back in San Francisco, the second day I arrived. Since then, I've gone around San Francisco, touring the sights of the city and around it.

I also made a trip to various outlet stores. It's what makes the US so great to shop in, except that you have to travel a long (and expensive) way here to get to them.


And then there was the point of the entire trip, which was to be a ninong.

After that, it was off to scorching Las Vegas for a short two day getaway. I got to watch one of the Cirque du Soleil shows, Mystere in Treasure Island. I could've enjoyed it a lot more without the prevailing jetlag. Nonetheless, it was a trip to remember. And I'd gladly go back, maybe even if just to have fun and win some money. (I didn't get to gamble this time)

I had to shortly go back to San Francisco in order to fly out to New York because that's the way I arranged the trip. Las Vegas being a relatively last-minute decision.

And so, I am here in the Bronx, in the Hernandez household. Since I've been here, I somewhat went around Manhattan and had dinner with friends. The also gone around the uber-excellent American Museum of Natural History. Great stuff.

Another first for me is to be able to drive in this country. I drove some seventy-plus miles to Six Flags in Jackson, New Jersey. Also thanks to Noel for letting me borrow his brand new (just a 600 miler) Toyota Matrix. No problem with driving, just a little more alert with speed limits, stop signs, and merging lanes. That was a fun Six Flags day. We managed to ride on all the major thrill rides and get a sunburn as well.

And for those who see me online in Yahoo Messenger, you've probably seen me showing off my Homer plush toy, which I won in one of those water-shooting games. Woo-hoo!

If you haven't seen it, let me show it off one more time.