Elmer Blogger

Transferring This Blog

2006-03-04T23:34:00.000+08:00

I am planning to migrate Elmer Blogger to www.cagape.com soon.

As I have my own site ready to accommodate my blogs I have decided such move. However, Living In Hong Kong (hongkong-life.blogspot.com) will remain in Blogger.

Elmer

A Munich Winter

2006-03-02T00:53:00.000+08:00

The trip to Munich started at 6.19AM as we took the Österreichse Bundesbahnen (ÖBB) train from Vienna's Westbahnhof. It was cold at -3C plus wind chills. The trip costs €29 one way (about HK$ 267) and will take four hours of travel, passing through a few stops at St. Pölten Central, Linz/D Central and Salzburg Central train stations. By 10:33AM I arrived at Munich's Hauptbahnhof.

Munich is the biggest city in southern Germany, the proud headquarters of BMW (though to SEO people BMW Germany web site made an embarassing mistake last 2 weeks) and the capital of Bavarian region. It did not take a long time to start exploring and finding out sightseeing areas, starting off with the nearby Marienplatz. The temperature seems colder than in Vienna but given the fact that I am leaving this place by next 29 hours there is little time to dilly dally.

Same as Vienna, Germany keeps its language the priority (no English options on instructions, menus, etc) and appears non-friendly to non-German speaking visitors. False, they are very friendly and even don't need to be asked for help. They have a ready weapon called "can I help you" once you're found staring at the buildings and your hand-held map five times in three seconds or appear scratching your head in confusion in the middle of the street. People generally speak English (young and old) and German words have some relationship with English and only has ä,ö,ü and ß as special characters which are not difficult to master.

Transportation is similar to Vienna, with a 3-day train pass (Einzelfahrkarten) for three persons costing €18.50 (in many EU countries, they use a comma in place of decimal symbols and use period symbol to mark thousands in currency). The ticket can be obtained on counters of underground train stations (U Bahns). This ticket can be also used on trams and buses. While everyone can easily ride the trains without paying since there are no turnstiles and people to check the tickets on entrances. But beware when undercover security agents randomly check passenger tickets. If caught without a valid ticket (you need to activate ticket on first use), you will pay a €40 fine and a bad reputation to police authorities, at least.

Winter is not the best time of the year to visit parks but nevertheless, Munich has a lot of attractions to show. The first one is the Marienplatz which is probably the heart of the city. It is dominated by the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus), a Flemish-Gothic inspired structure which features Glockenspiel, an animation of dancing characters every 11AM, 12AM and 5PM. When I arrived at the center, the animation was in progress and it gathered a large number of curious viewers, locals and foreigners alike. Nearby is the Viktualienmarkt, Munich's most popular open market, selling fruits, followers, vegetables and cheese.

One of my most desired attractions is the Olympiapark -- the venue of 1972 Munich Olympics. I read it first in a 1972 edition of Reader's Digest and is the first Olympic venue that I visited. The location in the outskirts of Munich was complemented by the futuristic BMW office headquarters across the street. The park has shown signs of aging; the tent-like roofing has some worn out sections. But many areas have been undergoing renovation. The 290-meter Olympic tower has been transformed into the "world's tallest rock museum" providing a good view of Munich and nearby areas. I got a shirt souvenir to attest to such "achievement". To go to Olympiapark, take the Olympiazentrum station of the U Bahn.

Owing to its name, the Residence is home to dukes, kings and electors of their day. It is now filled with paintings, porcelains and tapestry made by the best artists at the time. There are also several interesting structures nearby. I have toured the Schönbrunn museum in Vienna and this one is not much different. During my entire trip, I am always wondering how Europe developed a very rich culture in the past preserved through time while its counterparts from other parts of the globe were unable to do so.

I stayed at Hotel Eder at a near proximity to Hauptbahnhof. Exuding with personal touch I usually see on small coffee shops in europe, this hotel is small yet provides the basic needs of an exhausted traveler without sacrificing the wallet nor the distance to Munich's beautiful attractions. The thought of staying in a hotel popped out when the temperature seemed inhospitable enough to visitors wandering through the night. Top top those features with friendly staff, this hotel is recommended to all types of travelers.Despite the chilling cold, trip was worthwhile, exhausting the alloted 23 hours seemed far from difficult because there are many attractions to visit in this lovely European city.

A Sad Continuing Trend

2006-02-20T17:02:00.000+08:00

I am having a great time in Vienna so far. But the enjoyment has been tempered with the sad news I got about the mudslides in Leyte, Philippines. In my previous travels, there had been sort of coincidences: Beijing (Beslan massacre) and Tokyo (Pakistan quake) are two grim examples.

As Tears/Years Roll By

2006-02-17T07:31:00.000+08:00

On this Victoria Park pavement I came walking
On a fine chilly December evening
I grabbed my phone for I have to call you
And ask how is everything going

The phone kept ringing, ringing and ringing
There has been no answer from you
In excitement my heart kept pounding
At the eighth ring, still no response from you

How can this be that you've ignored me
When just a week ago at Causeway Bay we laughed freely
Thinking that you have placed your trust in me
Your refusal to my e-mails calls and SMS has sent me into misery

Before I sing Cliff Richard's theme song
Allow me to think if I ever did something wrong
I’m so afraid to show my feelings
I have sailed a million ceilings

Remember the time when I wake you in the morning
Our movie trips to Cyberport, UA and JP Cinemas
Our church visits together I thought was the beginning
Now I realize I was just dreaming

I can only look at the photos of the happy past
When we're with friends and being together was a blast
I'd admit I fell in love with someone else
But later on I found this chance with you shall never pass

Being there for me during those trying times
You are really someone special
I spent time writing love letters for you at the Central Library
Only to find out nothing beats being vocal

I never wanted to let this thing happen
For I value you much as a friend
But the commitment was intense I prayed to God to let me be
Your steward here on Earth until my breathe's end

There were nights when we stayed late, and even once until the break of dawn
Those thoughts fill my mind for days on and on
Your time with me was very important present and past
For I do not know if the last time we're together would be our last

I love you, you don't need to ask me
You can see what I do and I've told you quite frankly
But you don't seem to feel the same way
That's why you let your phone ring all the way

Days have changed dramatically,
And as I age here in Hong Kong I feel even more isolated
Friends are everywhere but their suggestions are not answers to the questions
Nor their plans are not solutions to the problems

There were times I could not sleep at night
As you can see the evidence in my eyes
Looking at the photo album remembering the past
Realizing some things really doesn't last

I still remember our first date
On a downtown fastfood we thought it wasn't great
I loved to recall the late-night messages
When at 12 midnight or 1am, we were still both awake

Remember the time when I thought a lot of signs were pointing towards me and you
When I realize they are possibly out of coincidence and would be too good to be true
Now I crash back to reality needing to teach myself
That in life nothing should be

Do you recall that fateful evening
When I realized you caught me cheating
No amount of crying or explaining
Can help me win back the feeling

Maybe it's about time I remove our photos together
On that small yet elegant photo frame
And the images of us next to each other all these years
I have to quit playing this silly game

I thought you penned the song "Don't Speak"
For you know how I feel, when I am strong and when I am weak
Now I still do not know that as years este tears roll by
Why is there a word "good" in "goodbye"

Philippine Olympic Boxing Hero Needs Help

2006-02-13T07:27:00.001+08:00

Do you remember Leopoldo Serrantes? If so, then good. He is the 1988 Seoul Olympic flyweight boxing bronze medallist who brought honor to the Philippines and ended the medal drought which struck the country for 24 years.

An enlisted man in the Army, he is now suffering of lung ailment and needs help. He needs a wheelchair and an oxygen tank, the Philippine Star reports. This should not be a big request from someone who used to fuel the resurgence in Philippine boxing in the Olympics. Let's remember he was the one who started what Onyok Velasco ended. In 1988 Serrantes virtually won the bronze medal by beating his third opponent, someone from Morocco. He lost the semifinals game against a Bulgarian, thereby certifying the third place honors.

In 1992, the Philippines won another bronze medal courtesy of Roel Velasco, in Barcelona, Spain.

In 1996, Mansueto "Onyok" Velasco claimed the Philippines' second Olympic silver medal ever. The first one was won by Anthony Villanueva, in Tokyo Olympics in 1964, losing to a controversial fight against a Soviet Union fighter. That was the last medal won by the Philippines until Serrantes came into the ring.

So if the Filipino people had much love for Manny Pacquiao, let this love never fade whether he is a world champion or an aging, incapacitated boxer. Aside from Pacquiao, we have other heroes. They don't want to be in the spotlight. They only need to be taken cared for in times when their bodies don't cooperate much longer.

Do I hear anything from "Pacquiao Siamese twin" Lito Atienza, Chavit Singson or Miguel Arroyo who grabbed the limelight supposed to be Manny Pacquiao? Hopefully they will.

Congratulations: Southern Mindanao Prisaa Team

2006-02-12T08:46:00.000+08:00

Davao Region has emerged as a powerhouse in collegiate sporting scene when it finished second overall among competing private colleges and universities in the Philippines.

Had it won its finals games in women's basketball and women's volleyball, Southern Mindanao would have been the champion. Anyhow, the achievement was tremendous and I congratulate the team for the job well done.

Region	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
Western Visayas	71	75	61	207
Southern Mindanao	61	52	50	163
Central Visayas	47	30	56	133
Calabarzon	33	40	30	103
Region 1 (Host)	26	29	20	75
NCR North	10	0	0	10
Region 5	7	22	7	36
NCR South	6	4	1	11
Region 3	3	7	27	37
Region 12	1	4	3	8

Source: Sunstar Davao

Another CNN typo

2006-02-09T21:09:00.000+08:00

I visit more BBC pages and spend more time reading its news stories than CNN's. But again I found another glaring typo, this time just appearing in the homepage. Should I rename this blog as CNNwatch? CNN should look into the welfare of their editors who may be overworked and to sleepy to correct "terroism" into "terrorism".

Again I better watch my typos before I do pick on others. But I think my blog has less than ten views a day and I am not paid to proofread it. Do they say news should be accurate and factual? The news items at CNN may be factual (I am not anti-CNN) but these little misspellings bring down CNN's reputation.

Sad Ending

2006-02-05T00:30:00.000+08:00

It is painful to see the photos of dead men, women and children lying on the ground after a gruesome stampede killed more than 80 people in Manila early Saturday. For some reason, people have risked lives to join a noontime gameshow I got fond of watching during my vacation in the Philippines last December.

I featured the joys of seeing the happy faces of hopeful contestants of Wowowee last December. Even if the host isn't my favorite, the happiness, if only material, he brings to contestants -- winners or losers -- is invaluable. For in a country where many citizens live in less than US$2 a day, getting a shot at winning big prizes by answering simple questions is a matter of hard work. Hard work in the sense that one has to overcome the rowdy crowds, discomforts at queues and occassionally the pushing and wrestling with fellow hopefulls before getting into the official list of participants. That's before they dig their brains or perform wild guesses to questions asked later.

So the road is indeed bumpy to attain those dreams. But Saturday's gory ending was too much to bear. With one irresponsible prank's message causing massive commotion, it sowed fear to everyone. Everyone should be afraid. After all, the crowd gathered in the venue ULTRA was hoping to earn something to assure something is on the table and prolong their existence, not take it away.

Relatives looking for their beloved can be seen sobbing while examining the dead. We thought that at the end of the show another lucky person will be added in the rags-to-riches hall of fame.

Many stampedes happened before: football games, bridges falling apart, etc. I guess this is a more sad experience. People did not try to come to Wowowee to enjoy the entertainment; they came to try to see if they can win some money or other giveaways. It's not just what they want. It is what they need -- to survive.

CNN.com Errors

2006-02-01T17:08:00.000+08:00

I subscribe to BBCNews, Star Sports, ESPN and Star World because of my limited viewing time. Another reason is that these channels have quality content suitable to my requirements, both on cable and online.

BBC News remains a favorite channel (I love their pumping melody during news headlines) and bbcnews.com is an "unselfish" news source which provides links of the same headline to other news web sites without loading the annoying new window.

ESPN is definitely a favorite (I would have chosen only this one if the package did not bundle ESPN with Star Sports). The web site is just awesome, leading others into the next generation sports journalism.

And while I stick to these channels most of the time, I get a glimpse of other sites like Fox, CNN and NBC. CNN.com has been a good source as well, though I think the presentation is more Americanized than being international.

In terms of quality, CNN.com has dipped a bit lately. When was reading an article about ABC's Bob Woodruff injury, I found an error in the caption of the second photo. It says "ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff in a fire photo. The network reported he briefly opened his eyes Monday." The "fire" should be "file". It's good though that errors can easily be reported (you need three clicks though to reach the wrong spelling feedback page) and I did my fair share of keeping it accurate as possible.

Indeed it is easy to spot the mistake of others than to keep myself from having one.

Being Proud of Filipino Creativity

2006-01-29T09:51:00.000+08:00

I found one link in our company intranet blog posted by Dwayne, our Creative Director about the Filipino ingenuity. It is a very heartwarming story that I never hesitated to post my comments about it.

While Filipino contribution to the world hasn't been prominent (talk about Wright brothers and Isaac Merritt Singer from America, Austrian Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Russia's Vladimir Kosma Zworykin and Ivan Pavlov, Britain's Britain's Richard Trevithick, Italian pizza or India's curry, Swiss cheese and French wine) Filipino workforce is more widely-known for dedication to job, creativity and appreciation for work.

Photo shows a weaving shop filled with busy Pinoy workers weaving some creative products, most of which will find their way to the glitzy boutiques of Parish, London and Tokyo. It's true that many Filipino ideas have been sold to and patented foreign companies for mass use. This is mainly attributed to the failure of the government to support such product which could have benefited the Filipino people by generating jobs, boosting investor confidence and retaining the honor to the name of the inventor rather than the wealthy conglomerate.

And even if the government is often at the receiving end of endless blaming, many of its agencies work hard despite the usual problems such as logistics and camaraderie among its people. One of which is CITEM which serves as facilitator among manufacturers and buyers. The result has once again proven that Filipinos don't need expensive machineries to come up with quality design. Especially in the furniture world, the work of hand has dominated the ones that are built by machines; a clear indication that nothing beats the old hand.

In a country more known for its domestic helpers and chaotic South than skilled laborers and serene beaches, this news is definitely a shot in the arm, an inspiration that shows little-known hardworkers share the dream of a prosperous nation, and not just the overseas Filipino workers.

PHOTO CREDITS: William Gordon. Originally published at core77.com.

The Manny Pacquiao Victory

2006-01-23T11:54:00.000+08:00

The victory of Manny Pacquiao has indeed ushered a surge in confidence among Filipinos, hungry for redemptions amidst all debacles faced on a daily basis.

I was watching again the movie Fan Chan (My Girl) while ironing clothes at home while listening to the Internet feed of GMA 7 on its partial coverage of the boxing between Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales. Somewhere in the south, another Morales was being inaugurated as President of Latin American country of Bolivia.

And since the anchorman on air seemed not too interested in the coverage and had to rely on updates from a reporter fielded in a raucous rendezvous with local fans, I stopped listening and instead turned to ESPN boxing page to see whether there is a blow by blow coverage. There was none. But it was interesting to see their scorecard and analysis per round, with a web page updated every three minutes or so. Even if I see many articles in ESPN predicting Morales to win this fight, I never got disappointed. After all, I am rooting for a fellow Mindanaoan, win or lose.

The first two rounds were split between the two boxers. But the third to the fifth seemed to favor Morales’s way. I had no way to see whether their claim was true; I was a little partial with their scorecards especially that one of them has a Spanish name and may be a little bit biased with Morales. They also had good views on how each boxer made way through each of the rounds.

In the sixth round, the tables have been turned and Pacquiao’s punches were hitting at will and Morales was apparently becoming tired of the fight (I watched a short video highlight) showing he had a good grip of the ropes when he began to get manhandled, like a lizard clinging for its dear life on the ceiling of my childhood house). Consistently, 10-9 was scored in favor of Pacquiao on the later rounds.

Then I noticed the updating of the scoreboard seemed to stop. I was busy with the movie and my housework that I did not notice the commentary that indicated Manny Pacquiao exacted his revenge over Erik Morales.

I can only imagine how ecstatic the country has been, with this development. As barbershops, eateries, movie houses at shopping malls were filled with excited audience, anxious to see if their hero will bring home the bacon this time. He did! From the flag-waving Filipino fans by the ringside of Thomas and Mack Center to the flag-waving citizens at Plaza Miranda, the country is one in celebration.

With a bonanza of P200 million (plus pay-per-view receipts, minus tax) from his latest fight, Manny Pacquiao is now bounded with wealth. With firm support from the President of the Philippines, he is now bounded with power. With several commercial endorsements and movie appearances, he is now bounded with fame.

Hopefully, despite the lures of these luxuries of life, he will still continue to be a model for the entire Filipino people, for his victory has united a society divided a nation, something that the President of the Philippines could not do.

****

During our SFC household meeting, Chito got us a recorded fight between Pacquiao and Morales. What Manny did was indeed heroic. The fight has the makings of an epic until Miguel Arroyo and Chavit Singson climbed the ring and tried to get as much publicity as they can. Worse, the President of the Philippines made her own way of being thoughtful, no matter how much boos she would be getting. Had Morales won the match, I won't expect Mexico's president Vicente Fox to give a call to congratulate him.

ESPN's new look

2006-01-19T20:57:00.000+08:00

I just can't help but admire how ESPN continues to evolve as my favorite sports web site. Just like what I planned to do -- a chronicle of events that shaped Davao all these years -- it also detailed how the web site revolutionized the way sports journalism is delivered online.

With videos, high quality photos and content-rich pages, I can be stuck in the site for an hour reading the articles (provided I haven't visited the site for the past 72 hours). And with the quality of their content so good that ESPN people began to think it's even more informative that the daily newspaper's sports section pegged at a dollar -- for free. Which led them to create Insider, a fee-based special section that contains NBA rumors (haha!), specialized content and other interesting facts and stats. I subscribed for six months spanning 2002 and 2003 but later ditched it when I found some of the posts were reposted by generous subscribers on one fan forum. I later found another sports info source and became irked further when I can only see those orange "Insider" logos across ESPN's NBA front page, mastered by Chris Ford and John Hollinger. I promptly posted my own sulking words towards ESPN.

But it did not last long before I came back frolicking over the scoresheets of ballgames between my favorite NBA team and formidable foes. ESPN is simply creative enough to rebrand itself as one of media's telling example of how journalism should be mixed with entertainment. All you need to do is setup your broadband connection and the information keeps on shooting in your brains.

While its cable presentation still is awesome (I think they feature at least five SUNS games telecast on a lazy Saturday morning all throughout this season), its web site reinvents itself with those never before imagined technologies plugged into your browser (Desktop scoreboard, ESPN 360, etc). I just keep on switching the tab of my Firefox browser when the Phoenix Suns has a game and I am in office.

I can't wait to see what they bring to the table next time they make an update. Congratulations on your tenth year!

If English is a crazy language, is Tagalog also the same?

2006-01-11T21:09:00.000+08:00

Melanie Marquez has been battered with similar "Erap Jokes" type of forwarded messages, allegedly more truer than fabricated.

At a talk show after her break-up with Derek Dee, when asked if she had some words for Derek's mother, whom she partly blamed for the separation: "Oo nga," said Melanie, "Pero i-English-in ko para maintindihan niya." She looked into the camera and, with the peremptoriness of royalty, said, "And to you, Mrs. Dee, I have two words for you. Ang labo mo!"

Perhaps it was Melanie Marquez, maybe it was Kris Aquino or cr8ve phone SMS, but it's alarming to see how the quality of English language deteriorates when it became part of the Tagalog lingo. Many call center applicants don't get the job because of poor English proficiency. But honestly, it's even more difficult to discuss the Pilipino topics as subject in my primary and high school years: pangungusap, pambalana, panag-uri, balarila, pangngalan even more for me who grew up talking in Cebuano dialect.

When I receive an SMS from someone I tend to be lenient to understand what the message means even if the grammar is wrong and the Taglish combination is rather freaky. "Kain muna me" or "BRB".

When coños talk about things they mix everything up so their inability to speak straight English has become more obvious, "Let's make tusok the fishball", "I'm so init na; make paypay me naman o.", "Pare, she’s so malabo, pare."

And even the not so coños have their own way of talking, seems like a cross between gaytalk "chuva" (what the heck is the meaning of this?), and commonly accepted phrases like "Deny to death" (may you die in denying?) or "Kaka touch naman!"

Even when I was in Davao two years ago, I heard new terms "haller" (simply means hello) and "gerger" (sexual intercourse). I wonder when will this lexical imbroglio will lead us in a few years. It's like people have nothing to do but try to revolutionize our language.

Ask the children to spell words and most of them will fail because many of such words have been twisted. Who told you to use the word "anywayz" in a sentence?

Even traffic reporters at AM and FM stations in Manila have been hit with this chronic malady. Too bad. Let's get this strait and hope we can fix the mess. I don't believe Tagalog is a crazy language. And so before foreigners go gaga on learning how to speak it, let's first learn our own Tagalog dialect properly.

Bob Martin and Mindanao

2006-01-08T20:57:00.000+08:00

Bob Martin deserves a mention about his positive feedback of Davao City and Mindanao. An American with Filipina wife, he has lived in Mindanao (mainly Davao and General Santos cities) for the past years. And even if his country of origin often issues travel advisories on Mindanao, his web site www.mindanao.com is a testament that Mindanao is not a land of conflict. It is a land of people from various ethnicities harmoniously living and looking for a progressive Mindanao.

I agree with his statement that most people who consider Mindanao a dangerous place are the ones who never got into the place and will probably have a hard time to disprove their thoughts (and from other media sources) until they go to Mindanao themselves. There are dangerous places to go, of course, but many areas in Mindanao are safe to go. I consider Davao City, Cagayan de Oro City or General Santos City even safer (read: better place to live) than Metro Manila. The thing is that if you go to Mindanao or any other place for the first time, you must exercise caution. He hit the nail when he said "common sense". :)

Whenever I tell people I am from Davao City and they do not know where it is, I tell them it's in Southern Philippines. They start to paint a grim look at their faces and ask me, "Is it safe there?". I just shrug off their worries and tell them, "of course!". Just like the lunch I had with clients at Harbour Plaza last Friday. Their perception about Mindanao is that it's a land of war and kidnapping and bombing.

Davao City is hosting the Asean Tourism Forum in a few days and I hope it will be a successful one. It's a chance for Davao City and Mindanao to be known as an area for tourism and not about war, kidnapping and bombing.

I wish journalists will be more responsible about what they write. And may they learn a thing or two from an American like Bob Martin.

Letting Go

2006-01-05T22:50:00.000+08:00

This piece of forwarded e-mail from former Hong Kong buddies Jun (now in Tokyo) and Aggie (now in Singapore). It's about letting go. To me it's very difficult but as long as you are exerting effort to let go, that's a start. And as we start the new year, this one might be a good dose for everybody:

There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you:

LET THEM WALK

I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

The Bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have
continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay.

LET THEM GO.

And it doesn't mean that they are bad persons, it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead. You've got to know when it's dead.

You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll
give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay.

LET THEM GO.

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to......

LET IT GO.

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains......

LET IT GO.

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth.....

LET HIM/HER GO. (Ugh!)

If someone has angered you.....

LET HIM/HER GO.

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge......

LET IT GO.

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction......

LET IT GO.

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents.....

LET IT GO.

If you have a bad attitude.......

LET IT GO.

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better......

LET IT GO.

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him......

LET IT GO.

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship.......

LET IT GO.

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves......

LET HIM/HER GO.

If you're feeling depressed and stressed .........

LET IT GO.

If there is a particular situation that you are soused to handling yourself and God is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to......

LET IT GO.

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing for 2006.

LET IT GO.

Our 15th Member

2006-01-04T01:03:00.000+08:00

We used to call him "singkaw" in an apparent reference to his twisted elbow after he fell down from the carabao he was riding when we're in grade school. If the painful reminder of that fall were still prominent, the monicker would not dissipate -- ever. Even when he is now a police officer whose in charge of 91 "able bodied soldiers", as his recent e-mail would describe his troops, a scar on his elbow is still evident of that fateful day.

Grecel is a man of gallant stance, loud, intimidating voice and affable, contagious laughter. Right from the start he had the leadership quality, showing off his skill as a neophyte troop leader of our Kawan 177 under Ma'am Papin in Grade 2. It was around this time when he lost his father, a salesman and probably his inspiration to do these stuff, to cardiac arrest. Couple it with the fall, and he was a skinny kid, whose elbow was cast and later subject to taunts of classmates and friends.

Singkaw...

When bullying was common in our neighborhood, the only way to get around him was to scamper around and shout the word which only sparked his fits of rage chasing his antagonist.

He was my classmate in Grade five and the annual boy scout camp is to be held at Malagos, home to the Philippine Eagle. It was raining and he was absent for the past two days due to fever. But he surprised the class of Bougainvilla under Ma'am Alejandro when he showed up at the departure day, wearing the rosary as his necklace, ready with provisions for the camp.

In high school, he was our Company Commander, a rung under the corps leadership of Aldrin, the Corps Commander, Adjutant Warlito, Logistics Officer Joanne and me as the Intelligence Officer. He could easily pass as the leader of the battalion but was instead appointed in the most influential post of all. He commands leadership among the two platoons of male cadets, who are his close friends off the pitch.

In college, he was a high ranking official at University of Southeastern Philippines ROTC corps, Davao's consistent topnotcher at annual tactical inspection. It was 1994 when I was in my second year and a sophomore at University of the Immaculate Conception when our school scored a sensational upset over Rodel, Iga and the rest of the Ateneo de Davao ROTC, an intra-city rival. But when it was the turn of USEP, we got swept to third spot, after Notre Dame of Marbel coveted the cinderalla finish. When I asked John Elmer about the feat of USEP-Mintal joining their cadres of Obrero campus, he proudly told me it's because one of our childhood friends was lording over the disciplined troops, ushering them to another top podium finish at the end of the inspections.

It was not surprising when he skipped Mechanical Engineering and went through a military school in the north. By that time I was in UIC as a programmer and I seldom hear about him.

Recently, I learned he was assigned in Maragusan, a town in Davao del Norte bounded by pristine ecological beauty and attraction to local and foreign adventure seekers. At the same time, it was known that many Communist rebels are in the area. Probably he was put there because he deserves such challenge.

And when he found time to search for something a few days ago, he found my photo online and got curious of what is going on. I immediately invited him to be the 15th member of our Yahoogroups. A day later he is officially a member of mintal_barkadas, joining us in reminiscing and keeping in touch.

Just as Apolinario Mabini was the brains of the Philippine revolution despite being a polio victim or Lance Armstrong withstood bouts with cancer to win his seventh Tour de France title, being "singkaw" was never ever a reason for Grecel to lead the 91 gallant men serving the country.

Welcome to the Group!

Here We Go Again

2005-12-29T22:16:00.000+08:00

You give your hand to me
And then you say hello
And I can hardly speak
My heart is beating so
And anyone can tell
You think you know me well
But you don't know me

No you don't know the one
Who dreams of you at night
And longs to kiss your lips
Longs to hold you tight
Oh I am just a friend
That's all I've ever been
Cause you don't know me

I never knew the art of making love
No my heart aches with love for you
Afraid and shy I let my chance go by
The chance that you might love me too

You give your hand to me
And then you say goodbye
I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy
Oh you will never know
The one who loves you so
Well you don't know me

You give your hand to me
And then you say goodbye
I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy
Oh you will never know
The one who loves you so
Cause you don't know me
Oh no you don't know me
Ohh...you don't know me

Ang Akong Bakasyon sa Davao

2005-12-26T16:33:00.000+08:00

Ang akong bakasyon sa Davao napuno ug kahinam sa daghang butang. Kahinam makita pag usab ang gikamingawan nga pamilya. Kahinam mahimamat ang mga higala nga sa Yahoogroups lang nagkaistorya. Kahinam sa mga pagkaon nga dugay na wala natilawan.

Niabot ko sa Davao niadtong ika 17 sa Disyembre pinaagi sa maanindot nga bag ong Davao International Airport nga gibuksan kaniadtong niaging tuig.

Giplano nako nga magpuyo lang sa balay kasagaran sa akong pagpuyo sa bakasyon kay napulo lang kini ka adlaw.

Gisaulog nako ang akong adlaw nga natawhan niadtong ika 21 sa Disyembre. Nitambong sa akong gamay nga salo salo ang akong mga barkada niadtong high school ug elementary. Anaa sab ang akong mga ig agaw ug mga paryente sa Tugbok ug mga silingan.

Wala kaayo ko nisuroy sa downtown kay naisip nako nga mas importante magpuyo lang sa balay. Kasagaran sa ginahimo nako sa balay kay mutan aw ug television, maminaw ug radio ug ang pag connect sa Internet.

Mingaw na sab inig balik nako sa 27 sa Disyembre kay di na ko kaabot sa Bag ong Tuig. Lingaw gyud diay ang Pasko diri sa Pilipinas.

Christmas Vacation Wishes

2005-12-26T00:03:00.000+08:00

Wishes on Christmas vacation and their outcomes.

Find that elusive DV8 album.
Outcome: I scoured shops at MusicZone, Odyssey and BCS across Victoria Plaza, Gaisano Mall and Gaisano Ilustre and I found none even part of a "various artists" selection. It's a pity many sales ladies do not know the group.
Gather high school friends for a whirlwind trip to the places we used to go to in the past: Shrine, Gap Farming, Pink Sisters, Victoria Plaza, Vales Beach and Banok's Chicken.
Outcome: We organized to meet up at a seafood hangout the day after my birthday. It never materialized; I realized they are all married and have more priorities in life. Better luck next time, if ever.
Meet my godfathers and godmothers especially that my birthday falls a few days before Christmas.
Outcome: I learned one of them died already and I only have a photo of him carrying me when I was two years old. I met only Ninang Nida who paid me a visit at home the day after my birthday.
SMS, e-mail, call or send cards to friends near or far.
Outcome: I don't know all the numbers or home addresses or e-mail addresses of people I got to know and other friends are located on the other side of the world. Worse, Smart's roaming service will say network is congested and I can't make a call.
Stay on the couch from 8pm to 2am watching music and comedy DVDs with the whole family.
Outcome: My folks are either not at home all the time or are early risers and it's therefore difficult to keep them awake late at night. I must remember I am on vacation and not in my late night DVD adventures in Hong Kong.

Davao Observations

2005-12-24T09:24:00.000+08:00

Looking around Christmas in Davao, things I observed in the past remain the same:

A lot of children. It's a wonder that everywhere, children are ever present: jeepneys I ride, queues I fall into, my birthday party and so on. It's never bad to have this sight. Hopefully, the needs of these children will be addressed such as education, health and other social needs.
A lot of "istambay". The term was derived from the phrase "stand by" or just stay put. Due to lack of opportunities, a lot of people are staying put in the corner letting the day pass unproductively. Some of them would end up having odd jobs such as jeepney dispatcher/barker or trisikad driver. Some of them are content as couch potatoes watching DVDs or singing on videoke day in and day out.
A faithful crowd. Misa de Gallo starts at 4:30am but we had to be in the church an hour earlier because the crowd will fill all seats by half past 3. As the Mass starts, the church overflows that late comers bring their own chairs.
A happy people. Lumad folks travel to Davao City to ask for little help from the lowlanders. While in the past the reception was cold and hostile, now it has improved thanks to the inspiration brought by the city mayor who goes from one extreme end to the other to portray a real father of Davao City.
A great place to celebrate Christmas. No firecracker noise means no gory scenes of broken fingers, crying victims of negligence or poor pyrotechnic quality. Here, Christmas is celebrated and not Chinese New Year.

Philippines: The World's Most Migrant-Friendly Country

2005-12-22T17:13:00.000+08:00

Despite the fact that many Filipinos want to migrate to Canada, USA, Australia or elsewhere in search of a better life, Filipinos are very warm to immigrants in the country. This is according to Gallup International Voice of the People where the Philippines has 87% favor rate regarding migrating foreigners.

Personally, I feel good if a Malaysian or Fijian would settle in the Philippines because it dispels my fear that my country is not a good place for foreigners to settle. Just a few days ago, I saw a gruesome murder of a Japanese tourist in Malalag, Davao del Sur and it casts a warning to incoming tourists who might fall into the same fate. (Sidebar: I saw my Computer Engineering batchmate Deozar Almasa, now a polic inspector, interviewed on TV)

Coupled with high regard for foreigners (the Filipino way of colonial mentality is still alive and kicking), we have the inclination to like them because many of us think they are better than us (not just whiter skin nor better English twang).

I would agree on what these foreigners feel for my country. Every time I go to the Philippines for vacation, I am almost tempted to do a spending splurge because cost of living is low (please do not misinterpret this as "prices are affordable"; to a foreigner or someone who worked abroad, prices of food or transportation is cheaper here). That is why when Thailand introduced "Thailand Elite" country club style of luring big spending retirees, I thought the Philippines should do the same. The Philippines is haven to retirement package seekers because of its low cost of living, something retirees look for to spend their chest of retirement benefits.

Inspite of this, the Philippines is not as diverse as Singapore or Hong Kong or Dubai where foreign nationals compose a significant percentage in population. Understandably, the negative impression of the country's bureaucracy, corruption and government inefficiency played a role to keep foreigners at bay.

This fact does not seem to prevent other migrant groups from pursuing their desire to be in the Philippines. Look at the Chinese migrants from Fujian province of China many years ago. They now have become a cornerstone of the country's business structure, owning banks, airlines, shirt factories and huge shopping malls.

Malaysians, Israelis and Vietnamese follow the Filipinos' warmness towards migrants. Obviously, Canada embraces the idea of immigration to fill their vast landscape with people who deserve the Canadian way of good life. There it will not be surprising (or shall I say culture shocking) to board a cab driven by an Iranian or attended by a Filipina nurse for medication.

What surprised me was Thailand who holds the highest xenophobic (the feeling of animosity towards foreigners) rate in Asia. I see a lot of Americans, Europeans and Japanese in Thailand (probably most of them were tourists but I also know many foreigners live there). I wasn't too surprised anymore when I imagined Thailand's geographic location. Bounded by war-torn Cambodia, Laos and Burma, Thais could feel their progress is hampered by migration of these citizens from neighboring countries, often fleeing the junta government, civil war and simply for a better life.

Turkey, Taiwan and Hong Kong are among those places whose citizens do not regard highly the foreign migrants in their territory. I would agree for Hong Kong. Discrimination is present (I assume it is present for any society).

But the news about the Filipino openness to having a neighbor with different color of skin or speak another language is encouraging. I can imagine that this foreigner will be taken cared of very well (showing around or cooking food for him, hopefully not asking for payment later).

When I was a kid, I had a classmate who is an American (or was he British) named Edward Miller. In school he is taunted by children as "Amerkanong Hilaw" (half-baked American because of his complexion). But I also thought he enjoyed our company then because he often gets the attention he deserves not just in taunting but for any other needs he may raise.

The Birthday

2005-12-22T08:00:00.000+08:00

My birthday falls on one of the Misa de Gallo days. In the past it has been a simple affair that starts at 4:30am hearing the Mass and lighting candle at the end of the morning Eucharistic celebration.

In the past it can sometimes coincide with classroom or office Christmas parties, both of which ensures I can imagine some group of people will host a party for me.

But as the years passed, seasons change and economic reasons pushed celebrations to the limit. I left my job and new colleagues do not particularly pay attention to birthdays. But when I saw Jess (a colleague at Ion Global) included my name on list of celebrants, I was amazed. The thought of remembering my birthday not through Yahoogroups or Friendster alerts is simply sweet that I do not exactly need a gift to make myself happy.

Receiving gifts is good but most often I end up receiving something I do not need is bad. That is why I suppose giving an unwanted gift to a needy person is justified only if it is given without something in return. Selling an unwanted gift is outright insult to me, even if the giver does not know what happened to his/her gift. I may ask "Have you started reading the book I read?" to validate the claim that the gift I just gave is something worth spending time with.

The past years I had my college batchmates come over my house and celebrate with me. But lately with parental concerns more than anything and many of them have begged off. That left my childhood friends to celebrate with me as they live only nearby and work load has been cooperative.

Aldrin, Warlito, Edgar, Nelly, Fe, Myra, Rodel, Lourdes and Romeo were present. These fine ladies and gentlemen were my friends in high school and college and they remained dedicated to the friendship built many years ago. I always looked after the conversations, not just about the news but also about the memorable instances we cherish as youngsters in the past.

I got a call from Karen and received SMS from Gino, Colin, Cissy, Onin, Benjie, Melissa, Junjun and Ate Beng from across Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Thanks to all of you.

Figaro Talk With Melissa

2005-12-21T14:59:00.000+08:00

I met Melissa last Sunday and we had coffee at Figaro located at Chimes along Sales Street in Davao's Chinatown district. First of all, the place don't look very conspicuous compared to chic cafes in the city such as Blu Gre. But as it is right beside Davao's exclusive dealer of imported goods, it well placed itself in an important area to a selective Davaoeña shopper especially in this season of Christmas.

I am not an avid coffee drinker but nevertheless tried the treat in a rainy Sunday afternoon. Mel forgot the key inside her car so she asked if I can wait a while. My time waiting was spent on examining groceries at nearby Felcris before deciding to buy a piece of toothbrush. Despite the rain and apparent distance of the place from the main crowded areas of the city, it has a devoted set of followers, from college students taking a weekend break, to Fil-Chinese friends talking about latest gadgets. I even thought one of the serving crew is a neighbor in Mintal.

OK, Melissa arrives partly soaked in the rain and looked apologetic.

The main purpose of meeting is to deliver her requested perfumes sold exclusively at Watson's Causeway Bay. Her wedding is on Feb and the perfumes will suit her green wedding motif. I have known her for the past three years as a member of Singles For Christ Hong Kong and has been assigned at work here in my hometown. It's just about two months and she has been busy with the preparations with her fiance Che who is in Manila. It's never easy to prepare for a wedding especially if you have other concerns such as work and distance from the wedding and reception venues. Our community in SFC Hong Kong has seen recent weddings of members. Zandro, Tina and Shasha has had their weddings held in the past two years.

And with Melissa getting married soon, she has decided to move back to Manila and be close to her husband and will therefore leave Davao by middle of next year. This Figaro rendezvous could be one of the last in the City.

Hoping for a Better Philippines

2005-12-20T16:15:00.000+08:00

On my first trip to downtown Davao since December 26, 2004 things were not expected to provide surprises.

For one thing I had to complain (to myself mostly) that transportation costs have risen more than half! When I finished college the minimum fare (traveling within downtown areas: Bolton, Uyanguren, Claveria, Bankerohan, Ilustre or Ponciano and up to certain extent in Bajada, Matina and Ecoland), fare is P1.50 (US 2.7 cents). Last year it was P5.00 (US 9.25 cents)and now it's P7.00 (almost US 13 cents). Traveling downtown from Mintal has also shoot up to P20.00 (US 37 cents) from P7.00 (almost US 13 cents).

With employees hardly ever gaining any increase to cope with inflation and newly-implemented Expanded Value Added Tax, people have become more desperate into finding ways to make both ends meet. I am glad crime rate hasn't risen, again credit it to the compassionate public officials (at least some of them) under the leadership of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (he has been a Mayor of the city in most of the past 15 years). But it's evident that people have looked into ways how to go abroad; even my brother wants out.

The popularity of Overseas Filipino Workers as dollar reserve heroes not only to their (our) families but also to the coffers of the government to stabilize the currency. I had cousins who were working in Saudi Arabia and Dubai in the past, and I also could see the financial rewards their families get. (I get imported chocolates from them and now I feel guilty not stocking enough chocolates like I did in the past; these are the most easily purchased and handed out to everyone at home in Davao.) Their success stories inspired me to follow the trail they laid out although I am always apprehensive on life after being an OFW.

When OFWs get home for good, they are often unable to get a sustainable source of living. And previous savings are either improperly managed by other family members or are invested in a non-performing business. Thus, they return to where they were before the foreign employment took place.

I watch TV shows and I notice many of them have emotional attachments. My sister and mom are hooked into Wowowee, a show that gives everyone (garbage collectors, Ilonggo folks, pregnant women, people above 60 years old and market vendors) to be on stage, greet their families and win prizes by joining the game shows. Televiewers hope contestants win as much as P100,000 (about US $2,000) to celebrate Christmas even more happily, especially when they shed tears wishing for a merry Christmas celebration. Game Ka Na Ba offers prizes won by celebrity contestants to children in need of medical attention and with physical deformities.

Wish Ko Lang grants someone's wish whether they can meet a favorite actor or going to Hong Kong Disneyland. The victory of the contestants appear to be victory of the televiewers who can relate to the pains told by these contestants, many of them queue at dawn at GMA7 and ABS-CBN studios to get a better shot at joining these contests. Indeed, this country needs a lot of doctors who can heal emotional sickness suffered by Filipinos for a long time. More than just money, it's the hope of living a better life in the future.

But despite the fact the country is in severe economic difficulty, I do not think the country is on its way to the bottom. It should be able to recover. What is needed are leaders who have common sense (do not need promotions through government projects and photo ops) and entrepreneural spirit. Gloria Arroyo and Jose De Venecia does not qualify while the recently-died Reynaldo Wycoco, Bayani Fernando and Duterte are able candidates. OK, too much for that.

I see hope in my country. I believe in the Filipino people. When I first heard the song "Pinoy Ako" it's a pop song similar to elderly tunes like "Pagsubok" of Orient Pearl and "Pare Ko" by Eraserheads but the theme focuses on the free-spirited Filipino, which was often portrayed as a cult song for SEA Games fans of Team Philippines en route to overall title.

Stock market has stabilized, and Philippine peso strengthened against the US dollar (from 56 plus to about 53 pesos to a dollar). Mining industry has seen resurgence after the landmark Supreme Court ruling. Property market is on the rebound. Call center jobs are still in demand. Of course, Filipino sailors can be found in ships sailing through the Pacific, Malacca Strait, Mediterranean and North Sea because of their fun-loving yet responsible nature that require less supervision, Filipino nurses are high on the list of foreign jobs in US and Europe. And while this drains the country of skills needed to rebuild a country, it's the dollar inflows that are more needed at this time.

Problems remain, but I am hopeful.

What is Pinoy Big Brother?

2005-12-19T15:50:00.000+08:00

My first full day in Mintal brings me back the to the cradle of my youth.

Hearing Misa de Gallo with my mother and aunt, I met Glenda and Lynn Mae, my sister's friends since grade school; as well as my high school principal Ms Cepe and second year class advisor Mrs Broncano whose lines on her face are reminiscent of the 13 years since I left Holy Cross of Mintal.

At the grounds of Immaculate Conception Parish is where I had my formative adolescent years. I had been a member of KOTAS for four years, two in Legion of Mary (with my sister and cousin) and lector for one year. It was those years when Boy London and Blowing Bubbles were a fad and USED brand name had satanic acronym.

At home, it's so relaxing to listen to Mellow Touch and WRock while finding myself starting to fall asleep. Listening to morning news and Cebuano is what I also looked forward to do while I am in Davao.

And even if Pinoy Big Brother is very popular that Melissa is even raving about it, I have a little idea what it is. But I do like the current hit called "Pinoy Ako" by Orange and Lemons.

Taking a walk at sun-baked scorching hot streets filled nostalgia in the past when I used to take a walk around with Rodel, Jergen and Badoy with Bazooka and tira-tira on our pockets as we argue if Mellow Yellow is better than Mountain Dew. The streets appeared to have narrowed and many of the shops have changed owners or new ones popped in front of some houses.

The household name of "Punsa" bakery, the most popular one in Mintal used to be teeming with old folks for an afternoon coffee talk and oozing with the smell of fresh afternoon pan de sal, seemed deserted by patrons at the time of my reconnaisance. New banks emerged in sight and the old folks catering to my hungry palates when not cooking at home like "Poping" and "Leclec" eateries, remained true to their strengths in the kitchen.

I was expecting an old high school classmate showing up in a passenger-type motorcycle picking up clients in the public market to places like Bago Oshiro, Tacunan or Camp San Gabriel. Not one familiar face was in sight.

Unlike Hong Kong where there seems no space unoccupied in the central areas, I am in a sleepy place, whose time seemed to move a step slower. And it better be, for I am here only for a short while.

Davao Homecoming 2005

2005-12-18T08:38:00.001+08:00

I spend ten days a year to be with family. And so when the time of the year calls for it, it is a must to book a a couple of round trip tickets (one international and one domestic) before crunch time comes.

This year's travel is patterned after last year: take the latest weekend before the peak season and return just before New Year's Day. The premature return to Hong Kong last year brought loneliness. Living alone and the chilly winter climate fueled the feeling. It inspired me to create a Yahoogroups of my childhood friends.

Usually, before vacation friends ask friends about flying home and when. With such as small place like Hong Kong, it is not surprising to know someone aboard one of the eight HKG-MNL flights of the day. This time, it's Orly, a friend and companion during my sojourn in Beijing last year. He is home to meet his wife and six month-old child.

We had quite a conversation at Gate 49 before boarding the plane; we were seated four rows apart in that Cebu Pacific flight. I my seat assignment was at the last row, just in front of the flight attendants' corner. It was not long before I noticed the freshness inside. Cebu Pacific recently upgraded its fleet which included its Hong Kong destination, one of the few international flights it offers. And even if A320 is relatively small, the atmosphere inside was perfect for a homecoming: brighter lights, smiling crew and the fresh scent of the cabin. I later found out my domestic flight later on is also a brand-new aircraft.

I had short conversations with my seatmates, Filipino chief cook and a sailor based in Marseilles. The flight made me feel good about Cebu Pacific. It's again on time and even reached Manila 15 minutes ahead of schedule, thanks to Captain Casibang.

The feeling of Christmas hasn't been the same for the past few years for me. Gone were the days when I had to attend parties (CFC, SFC Guys, upper households, Benjie and Tintin's, office functions) and receive gifts (by virtue of my birth date, I tend to receive a little more than the others (so far I got one from Karen and another from Cissy). But the sight of the merry singing men greeting us with their jolly rendition of Christmas carols at the airport (at almost 10 o'clock in the evening, man, they are tireless!)

The queue at the immigration was long but the process was efficient. I may not know if mulcting cab drivers demanding US dollars for fare, or porters demanding Christmas gifts still exist, but I am glad of what I see. Customs officials checking my ticket curtly asked, "Kumusta?" which is more of a welcome statement rather than asking how I am.

I did not wait long before the transfer van from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to Manila Domestic fetched me and companions. I did not mind sitting on the floor, ocassionally reading "The Book of Lists" or glancing at the photos in my camera taken days ago. The bad part of the trip was actually waiting for the next flight to Davao. I had to sit down the floor and wait, along with dozens of fellow passengers whose international flights came in the late hours of the day. Altogether, we and our luggages form a collective set of homesick souls, eager to get up and board the flights at the wee hours of the morning.

My flight to Davao is at 4:30am and is expected to arrive at 6. The task of letting time pass was kinda difficult especially when I got used to struggle with time maintenance due to a lot of things to do in HK. I thought reading the book was a good idea, but it also presented problem as I felt sleepy but lack of provisions only allowed me squat on the floor.

It did not last so long before check in counters opened up for passengers bound for Davao, Cebu, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Tacloban. I felt hungry and getting a piece of Bavarian delights at Mister Donut seems enough for me.

Aboard the plane the atmosphere is electric, with people finally realizing a progress has been made to get them to their destination. And even if the excitement at the bus to the tarmac was later drowned with sleepy sensations, I am sure many of us have become imaginative at this time.

I knew no one in the plane, except the high school classmate of my brother.

Davao airport is still the same and much better than Manila Domestic (unfortunately since Manila handles many of the flights going to tourist destinations like Boracay and Puerto Galera). I feel safer again, thanks to our Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, and enjoy the world's best quality water supply. Meeting family has always been a great time of the year. I never had lots to talk compared to my first trip back in 2002 but it's more of family affairs which is very important to me, as the eldest of three siblings.

I capped the evening watching DVD of a great performance by Goo Goo Dolls concert in 4th of July 2004 (it got rained out but the concert went on). Awesome first day!

Feel Good Experiences of the Year

2005-12-15T01:38:00.001+08:00

The year is about to end and I believe it's about time that I summarize the events that shaped life in 2005. I will try to provide a list of things (good, bad and ugly) which mattered to me.

The following are experiences I am thankful for during this period to date.

1. Transfer home from South Horizons to Quarry Bay
2. Working more on SEO than web programming
3. Getting to know a fellow Davaoeño name JILL
4. Buying a CD which Karen thought of getting too
5. Getting help from Kendrick when I lost my key at home
6. Realizing my friend Joyce lives just below my flat
7. Saturday morning grocery at Tai Ping Market
8. Learning to cook in my place
9. Getting good reviews about SFC web site
10. Maintaining five blogs at the same time
11. Church visits with Karen
12. SFC 'Reloaded' Conference
13. Tokyo visit
14. Lamma hiking with colleagues
15. Free laundry delivery by Redi Dry Clean
16. Handing over free Disneyland to brother Willy
17. Bowling and Playstation with Jan, Kit, Raymond, Ginny, Jess, William and Anna
18. Trying out my first digital camera
19. Watching Phoenix Suns in NBA Western Conference Finals
20. Reuniting former colleagues at PCCW

FIFA World Cup Excitement Begins

2005-12-11T08:25:00.000+08:00

Ronaldo, Beckham, Owen, Zidane, Ronaldhino, Schevchenko, Figo, Ballack, Crespo, Henry.. the cast doesn't get more popular than these gallant men.

Once again, the world's audience gets pumped up and eagerly counting the days into the opening of the most popular game on Earth's grandest competition -- FIFA World Cup.

In 2002, FIFA World Cup soccer was held in Korea and Japan and it was one of the best experiences I had during my short history of a game I recently began to be passionate of.

Excitement filled the air of Hong Kong, as motherland China was in the competition. Large public screens in Times Square, Sheung Wan and Lan Kwai Fong in Central are packed with people. Football channels' extensive coverage was a draw and shrieks and noise in pubs and bars provide excitement as if one is seated on a far end of the playing field.

I remember in 2002, we had our CLP at Fringe Club and as a first time service team member, I had to buy refreshments. While on my way, I was stuck in a frenzy of adoring fans watching Korea beat Spain, 5-3 in penalty shootout. The euphoria was so intense that I did not mind joining the highly partisan crowd even if I never did anything like that before. When I got back to the seminar, I was too excited to tell one Korean participant that her team just won the quarterfinals.

The games bring a nation together -- in jubilation or defeat, often leading to riots -- and take pride of themselves as part of the inspiration brought by their players in the pitch.

Too bad, the greatness of football is not embraced by a lot of Filipinos. We are ranked somewhere between 170 and 180 in the world. Basketball reigns in the country whose average height easily gets dwarfed by typical point guards. Iloilo and Bacolod is a place where football seem to have found a niche. Mention Barotac Nuevo and you'll almost instantly relate it with football.

As for my guess on who will win the 2006 World Cup, Brazil remains a favorite. I used to adopt England and Japan as my teams in 2002. I think this time I remain loyal to both. Allow me to add host Germany as my third team.

It's just three weeks before 2006 and less than 200 days before the opening of FIFA World Cup in Germany. Indeed, 2006 is a year of sports, where I alo look forward to the World Basketball Championships in Saitama, Japan as well as the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar.

Wow.

Environment vs Development

2005-12-09T07:22:00.000+08:00

Again I lived up to billing that when I don't have work for the day I wake up earlier. Wait, today is Friday but the office has outing today at Lamma island and I will meet colleagues later at 11 at Pier 4. So no need to worry about getting late in the office for the day.

I woke up watching the BBC News on United Nations discussion on climate changes held in Montreal. It's aimed to review the Kyoto Protocol which was aimed to cut global emission of gases responsible for global warming and climate change.

OK, let's understand Kyoto Protocol first. It was a pact signed in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan. The pact stipulates that gas emissions of developed countries be reduced by 5.2 percent of the 1990 levels in 2008 and 2012. 156 countries ratified it so it's a relatively strong pact.

The emerging concerns of climate change stemmed in the 90s when global warming, ozone layer changes and the likes have become immediate threats as experienced in changing climate patterns. "Earth Summit" has began to be held (Rio de Janeiro, 1992) and a global crusade on environmental protection soon followed. Use of biodegradeable materials and implementation of recycling has become a customary practice aimed to conserve the dwindling Earth resources.

The Pact has been legally binding since 16th Feb of this year. But the United States has since pulled out because the imposition of such Pact is deemed to expensive and only focused on developed countries; developing countries experiencing rapid growth in economy such as China and India also contributes a significant amount of the problem.

This has started an outrage that in the name of development, environment takes a backseat. I believe that something can be done to alleviate the costs of enforcing the Pact without harming the coffers of the US so as to compromise its economy.

Looking at the performance of nations in abiding the Pact, there has been inconsistencies. While many countries have reduced their emissions, it was partly because of the ceasing of operations of the Soviet-era industries in Eastern Europe.
The United States, undoubtedly the world's biggest polluter, has a staggering emission figure: it increased by 13.1% (Reuters Alertnet).

So as Mr Stephane Dion, Canadian Environment Minister and president of the Montreal conference started to talk to about representatives of 30 countries on moving forward, he circulated text about "long-term co-operative action to address climate change". There have been numerous talks, a lot of willing hosts, and as usual the prying eyes of environment activists, but not much has been made to move Kyoto Protocol to the next level.

And as the need becomes more imminent, the 5.2% reduction may change to as much as 30% by 2020. Environmentalists agree about having deep reductions to make up the slow progress of the earlier agreement. Drastic changes have to me made. But as many industrial countries would argue, giving in to environment could be costly: laying off people who work for heavy industries, in compliance to such agreements for example. And it seems that the two sides are irreconcilable. I still believe otherwise though.

Do you know that the Philippines is one of the world's most disaster-prone areas of the Earth? Happy Filipinos live in a land where earthquakes meet typhoons and typhoons meet floods, floods meet landslides. Surely it's one of the front liners who tend to absorb the effects of global climate change (except earthquake, everything else owes to climate change).

It is sad to realize that we only have one Earth to live and we don't take care of it enough that when our children (my future ones) gets their chance to live here, they don't see what we saw when we were young -- a land less visited by floods, hurricanes, snowstorms and desertification.

SEA Games Champions, Now What's Next?

2005-12-06T12:47:00.000+08:00

A consistent performance of Filipino athletes enabled the Philippines to emerge as a legitimate sporting power in the region. With 114 gold medals won, it eventually collected more than a quarter of the events staged. Powered by Fil-foreigners, the country has become a force to reckon with in areas where local-bred talents are comparably weaker to their Thai, Indonesian and Malay counterparts.

Cecil Mamiit and Eric Taino delivered, Davaoenos (like me) Sheila Mae Perez, Lee Van Corteza, Zandro and Ceceil Domeinos and Juvic Pagunsan delivered, and every Filipino athlete made their countrymen proud of being a part of this outstanding achievement.

But as Thai boxing coach has forewarned, "See you in Doha" in an apparent reference to let the Philippines continue its vindication over alleged cheating in the Games. Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra was never too tentative to tell the hosts were winning because of hometown tactics.

The Philippines has won the SEA Games title for the first time since it hosted in 1981 and 1991. After the 1981 SEAG, Lydia de Vega became a hit in athletics, and William "Billy" Wilson made waves in swimming during the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi. After the 1991 SEAG, we won a solitary bronze medal through Roel Velasco, a follow up to the 1988 bronze medal won by his provincemate Leopoldo Serrantes.

I have been monitoring the SEA Games since 1987 (Jakarta), in my grade school years. In 1991, I remember a Fil-Am named Lee Najera winning gold medal in swimming (he seems overwhelmed by the popularity of Eric Buhain at the time), and Edward Lasquete who ruled pole vault. It is not surprising to see Fil-foreigners Cecil Mamiit, Eric Taino, Alex Pagulayan, Kashus Perona, Philip James and James Joseph Younghusband, Heidi Ilustre and Chad Mowrey play for the country. It's because the Philippines is the host and they get extra love from the partisan crowd. I hope they come back and represent the country in the next SEA Games where they try to prove Thailand tat cheating is not part of the Filipino winning tradition.

As champions, we do not need to be told to celebrate; we are fond of doing so. But at the same time, let's gear up for the bigger challenges ahead. Doha Asian Games is next year. Beijing Olympics is three years to go. While Thailand and Indonesia have brought gold medals in the Olympics, the Philippines is still trying to catch that elusive one. And once we win golds in Asian Games and Olympics, we can't seem to silence Thaksin from his accusations.

After the celebration, let's get back to work.

Congratulations Coconets

2005-12-03T16:10:00.000+08:00

I was wondering whatever happened to the item I voted for three months ago. Now at home, I got the chance to confirm it won the worldwide contest.

I am not referring to the online-voted international beauty pageant nor the American Idol contest. It's the BBC's World Challenge, an effort to recognize individual and group efforts that benefit the community they belong. It is also made possible through Shell and Newsweek.

The Philippines' entry is the Coconets, conceptualized by Dr Justino Arboleda, an agricultural engineer who thought the abundance of coconut husks can be used to counter the prevailing problem of soil erotion brought by monsoon rains and typhoons. He founded Juboken Enterprises in 1995 to develop the product. Now it is able to produce 30,000 sq meters of coconets in a month. It has also been exported to countries like Sri Lanka, China and Korea and helped sustain a way of living for 1,500 families in the Philippines.

Among the competitors I would also like to be in the podium are Malta's used oil conversion from a waste that clogs waterways, to useful vehicle fuel. (I remember one Simpson's episode about Homer buying $26 worth of bacon just to extract grease worth a dollar fifty cents max). It won the second prize. I also like Kenya's Bugs Money where "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" thinking of preventing the destruction by mites through finding their enemy bugs; and South Africa's Men At Work programme.

With the way environment has been deteriorating, these efforts bring us inspiration.

Filipinos are definitely talented in these type of areas. I just read recently that a Filipino has been awarded for his discovery on prevention of skin cancer.

This is something I am really proud of.

SEA Games Debate Event: Thaksin vs Miriam

2005-12-02T00:47:00.000+08:00

SEA Games has recently approved a debating event after two participants confirmed attendance. The hosts are pinning on its uber-sensitive and therefore overly ballistic contestant (not athlete, folks), Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, trained in the confines of the University of the Philippines, she is a tested parliamentarian whose voice is enough to intimidate opponents.

Equally qualified is Thailand PM Thaksin Shinawatra, whose business-like rule in Thailand enabled the country to move forward in giant strides.

The topic: Did the Philippines cheat to win overall standings in the SEA Games? Affirmative, Mr Shinawatra, negative, Ms Santiago.

The negative side initiated the contact by threats of persona non grata, justifying that her being a Filipino is touched when accused as a cheater. (Yours truly never felt this at all). She further calls for an inquiry into the matter. While the case can be resolved to tie the match, just like a chess player offering draw, she insists this is a winnable case and must be pursued. OK go ahead, at your own risk.

The event is expected to continue long after the last foreign athlete has left the Philippines.

Should the Philippine representative back out from the match, alternate debater-wannabes Crispin Beltran and Abraham Mitra are willing to take the role (for the honor / dishonor of the country).

Hey, bring your pom poms and cheer!

I Alone - Part II

2005-12-01T00:25:00.000+08:00

Walking to the office, nothing seemed special today. Same band of people I walk with every morning, tailgating, jaywalking, negotiating each one's way through the crowd. One could be a young mom, just sent her daughter to school, or a retiring man, looking forward to the day he receives the bounty he toiled and earned for the past forty years. One could be thinking what's a good movie to watch on Thursday or if there are remaining pairs of sale items at Sogo. I don't know, I am only human.

As we disperse, like rivers flowing out into little branches that end up in the vast ocean, we're not very much aware we'll be converging again later. But amid the crowd that enveloped me, I feel I am all by myself, with no one to hang on, nobody to turn to. While the young mom may have the habit of playing with the kids and sending them to bed, and the elderly man sharing news of the day with contemporaries, I am left to myself. The pain of being alone, ignored, taken for granted has finally taken its toll; I hope I am not going insane.

When was the last time I laughed out loud? I guess that was when I was a thousand miles away from here. Five years have passed since I left home. Nothing much has changed in me. I am old, rotten and developed some sort of heart disease. I used to enjoy the ways of life and with the company of creatures God placed beside me. But recently, they have been wandering around, leaving me on my own.

Work hard in the office for at the end of the month you will get rewarded. I am thankful to have a job. It's terrible to lose one .. make that two. I am single but I act like I have a couple of wives and a dozen children to take care of.

Recently I have been compiling a list of names of my friends. From kindergarten to present, I accumulated about 360 names. Which means I get to know about 1 friend per month in my lifetime. Which is sad, there could have been more. Maybe I was too aloof, or was never given the chance. Acquaintances come and go. Friends remain, no matter physically I never met them. Pen pals, e-mail friends, they mean a lot to my small world. For no matter how small the world may seem, still I am surrounded by strangers.

My watch shows it's half past 12. My colleagues gather for lunch break while I confine myself in my rolling chair in the corner. Must save money, must have time to read, must have time to nap. But in the end, my efforts bummed me out. I am too shy to meet new people at a product launch and could only muster a conversation only when provoked. The office is quiet as I feed my belly, what am I here for? What could the young mom be eating now? She must have something that her domestic helper cooked for her. What about the retiring man? His wife must have prepared a generous portion of noodles. Me, I take what I can prepare. Nothing much to please, it's only myself.

At five years, why did I escape bed when my grandma told me to take the siesta? Now, I want to lie on the floor, hoping somehow my backache will subside as I temper my brain for the afternoon.

As I complain days pass so quickly I feel relieved time flies proportional to it. I feel I get old so quickly, and die sooner than later. At times I thought what if I am not ruled by the pointing fingers
of my watch, life would be easier for me? I believe my being multitasking, with all the gadgets to fiddle, flyers to browse and all other stuff made things difficult. More things to do, but time remained fixed.

As I prepare myself to go out, I know this will be another long night for me. Take the bus or the MTR? Go to Victoria Park or Fortress Hill? Even with no clear direction I still find myself swallowed by the throng of people the same way I experienced 8 hours ago. Day in, day out, the beating remains.

And as I lay in bed pondering of what are the things to come, the day has ended and I am still breathing. Pessimist as I may often be described, I am always grateful God made me this kind of person. No one may like me, and that could be an understatement. What I want to aim now, is to make things meaningful to others. Life is short, and if mine is shorter than the elderly man about to retire, I made a legacy out of myself, smiling in the photo as you read this blog.

Fair Games

2005-11-30T17:57:00.000+08:00

It's humiliating to hear not so nice words from a high ranking public official about the officiating of the SEA Games. Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called for fair games after hearing news about unfair judgement on subjective events (sports disciplines that rely on the judges rather than the Olympic motto of faster, stronger, higher) like wushu, gymnastics and diving.

I also feel this is something that has to be looked upon because it disconnects athletes from the real aim of the Games, unity amongst the ASEAN countries.
One Thai taekwondo player had one complain against a local competitor whose back kick earned her points while the Thai's solid ones did not merit such credits.

Same as the Malaysian divers. I expect to hear this type of problems. The Philippines have been blindly cheated in boxing on many occasions but it does not mean it should take its turn to cheat just because the Games is played in its home turf.

I hate the official SEA Games Manila 23 website but often find myself coming back because I could not find an alternative to the thrice a day updated medal tally.

But on the other hand, I like the simplicity of Cebu SEA Games web site and Bacolod's SEA Games web site.

The best SEA Games-related site I see is Team Singapre.

Insulting Philippine Football

2005-11-29T13:17:00.000+08:00

As a fan of Philippine football, I am fuming when I read this article from New Straits Times this morning. The capital letters "SURELY" seems convincing that the Malaysian team is invincible, full of ego and too stubborn to find excuses when it conceded two goals to Thailand in a crucial loss the previous game.
The author was too scared to publish his name and he should be scared for he is brandishing the journalism seasoned with patriotic editorial at the expense of an (un)worthy opponent. Call me overly sensitive and I may be overreacting but I think the guy or lady who wrote this article has no class.

It's okay to be underestimated, but by saying "The players must remember that the Philippines are not in their league, never were and never will be." Will never be? How dare you say that?

Yes, the Philippines is an underdog to Malaysia in football so I won't be surprised if we lose the games tonight. But remember, my Malaysian buddy that your team, the defending champion in 1991 SEA Games, ate dirt and was so sorry to find themselves losing to traditional minnows of football, the Philippines.

SURELY Malaysia will not fail against hosts the Philippines today and will qualify for the Sea Games football semi-finals.

The heartbreak against Thailand on Sunday was of their own making but the national Under-23 team must not let that affect them against the Philippines.

Detractors are saying that Malaysia will struggle against the Philippines but there is no reason for this.

Yes, Thailand only managed a 1-0 win over the hosts but that doesn't mean Malaysia will struggle. The players must remember that the Philippines are not in their league, never were and never will be.

The players must also remember that they can't afford to lose to the Philippines, as the squad of 1991 did, for football in this country is a mere game.

For the Malaysians, it is a national obsession and for the players, their livelihood.

Coach Norizan Bakar, in his short time with the squad, has managed to instill urgency and competitiveness into the players but the rest is up to them. The players were to blame for conceding a stoppage time goal against Thailand, resulting in the 2-1 defeat on Sunday.

But the defeat will not be as costly as failure against the Philippines today will be.

The players must remember that.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/Sport/20051129081756/Article/indexspot_html

You only need a draw and you can move into the next stage; we need to win to proceed to semifinals. Be careful what you write. I am.

Davao Is It!

2005-11-28T00:34:00.000+08:00

Whoa, SEA Games hostilities is underway and I am too proud to relay the news that one of the early gold medals won by the Philippines is from Davao City girls.

Divers Sheila Mae Perez and Ceseil Domeinos teamed up to bag the 3-m synchronized diving gold at the Trace College Aquatics Center in Laguna. Ceseil's brother Zardo won the bronze in men's 1-m springboard competition.

Davao City is a powerhouse in many sports disciplines such as football and swimming; Davao's Alamara brothers Ali, Norton and Frazier contributed to the Philippines' first medal in the Games -- a silver in water polo.

Lee Van Corteza, who lives not far from my Davao City home, is campaigning for billiards and a cyclist in the national pool is from Davao City as well.

While I am very critical of the organizers, I have all my praises to the athletes who will serve as inspiration to the Filipino people.

Being Busy

2005-11-27T23:22:00.000+08:00

I had been announcing the launch of www.cagape.com before the end of the year. It's been a struggle but I have no plans of delaying it. I will be having a homecoming on 17 to 27 of December to be with family and friends which definitely gets my hands off the keyboard to take a break from article writing and scripting in favor of listening eyes and talkative lips during the Yuletide season.

The weekend was rather busy and enjoyable, in contrast to the structured weekend activities I have been imposing the previous weekends. Friday night was a rare night out with the guys and I got to know Jan for the first time after my sorry "ignores" on her initial e-mails. whom I initially thought was a guy (I have a male colleague whose name is Jan). Fun to be with and intellectual, I thought Jan is a little bit like Barbie, Karen and Candice Joan. The guys had fun definitely.

It's been Gino whose become my busy buddy over the weekend too. Long OEC queues at Bayanihan, buying perfumes at Watson's at Melissa's request, dinner at Pacific Place and Yoshinoya, Gino's a no nagger type of companion who lets me do the decision all the time.

Home has been a mess but thanks to an earlier weekend planning I got something in order: laundry has been pressed and delivered home by Saturday morning, Marilyn's haircut chores and the weekly Wellcome grocery invasion took place before midnight.

Still at the time of writing I am staring at the long list of to-dos, some of them long overdue (speaking of overdue, I have six items overdue at Hong Kong Public Library!!!).

The workweek begings in a few hours.. still I wish it was Friday night.

Patriotic Journalism

2005-11-27T02:06:00.000+08:00

Reading online copies of SEA Games news from web sites of participating countries game me a glimpse of what a patriotic journalism is. I did not read it elsewhere and haven't even tried to Google it but the term is exceptionally obvious. Masquerading in the disguise of half editorial, half info sharing, newsmen stir citizens to show their support through news items filled with emotion more than anything else.

Read this one from Gary Lim of The Electric New Paper on the eve of Singapore-Indonesia football game:

THE Young Lions are in defiant mood as they warm up for their do-or-die clash against Indonesia today.

The Young Lions say they are ready for their next do-or-die match with Indonesia.

After Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Vietnam in their opening match at the South-east Asia
(SEA) Games in Bacolod City, anything less than a win in their remaining three matches is likely to dump them out of the semi-finals for the third time in a row.

Skipper Baihakki Khaizan knows all about Indonesia. He was in the Tiger Cup team that defeated them in the final in January.

He told The New Paper: 'Yes, they have a formidable team.

'But I can tell you, bring them on. It won't be easy to beat us.

'If we are scared of them, we might as well just pack up and go home.

'We have three important matches to play in the tournament.

'But the result of tomorrow's game will decide if our final two matches are of any significance.

The very next day, Gary painted rather a bleak picture of what Singapore's chances in advancing the SEA Games football tournament. After two matches, Lion City team only came up with a point, which means they are in danger of missing the semifinal mathes.

They did not lose to Indonesia; they did not beat Indonesia either. That meant after two games, Tiger Cup champions were in danger of not making past the eliminations.

JUST what is wrong with the Young Lions?
The players after their opening match against Vietnam ended in 2-1 loss. The faced disappointment again yesterday.

They had travelled to the Philippines with high hopes.

After all, Singapore had won the Tiger Cup, supposedly South-east Asia's top prize in football, not too long ago.

Players seemed to reassure the press that they have little trouble to appease the constant pressure by countrymen and the high expectations from Koreans are.

Filipino Hospitality Cannot Be Found

2005-11-26T12:37:00.000+08:00

Embarrassing.

A word I often described on what I felt many times. From embarrassing school and SEA Games web sites to embarrassing personalities in the Philippine government, I have all the space to rant about how bad I felt, not to mention the outright maddening feeling of almost cursing some people.

* Government employees playing computer games or chatting during office hours in a government office in Metro Manila (and probably on other provincial government offices)

* Web sites that promote professionalism and usability, yet is the biggest violator of such advocacies.

* Basketball's mess in the Philippines

Reading through Google News feeds about SEA Games, I read on Thailand and Malaysia news websites the sad tale of their athletes, placed on filthy, small accommodations in Manila. There are no one to assist them when they ask for help.

When the news brought out that volunteers were threatening to boycott the Games because of failure to address their basic needs (as volunteers they don't need to be paid but still need to eat) by the organizers, I had a bad impression of the leadership of the SEAG Organizing Committee.

While Vietnam's goodwill gesture to lend the wushu scoreboard is a humble admission of the Philippines that it faces logistical problems, it is a nice gesture that we Filipinos don't pretent to flaunt when there is nothing to show.

What disheartens me is the fact that we were known to be hospitable types of people. Yet now, the characteristic may seem to have lost.

Impressions of Japan - Part II

2005-11-19T11:53:00.000+08:00

1. Karaoke
Tokyo's karaoke shops are typically similar to the ones found in Hong Kong; small rooms, with space optimally built for everything necessary to fit inside: a sizable cupboard with large television screen, dvd/cd players, amplifiers, a small table and comfy sofas. But Hong Kong's shops are typically made for Hong Kong's fun loving youngsters who prefer to belt out favorite Hong Kong and Taiwan popstars. But wait until you get to browse over Shibuya karaoke's songbook table of contents.

I was singing with Joanne songs from Lionel Richie-Diana Ross duet to Hikaru Utada and from the Eraserheads to Gin Blossoms. I am especially fascinated with the lineup of Original Filipino Music (OPM) titles. While they are not that complete -- You Won't See Me Crying by the Passage was not there -- it still shows the respect of the Filipino talents by the Japanese people.

2. Odaiba
Overlooking Tokyo Bay and the splendid Rainbow Bridge located at Daiba in Minato-ku was a great opportunity for me to see Tokyo with unobstructed views. Not as majestic as Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour, the place somehow exudes less offensive odor than Hong Kong's premier attraction. Walking towards the Telecom Center direction led us to Venus Fort, a theme park-like shopping mall built in 1999. An impressive roof design emulating blue sky and fluffy clouds is something not to miss. Not far from the location is the headquarters of Fuji TV built in a futuristic architecture. I did not get inside but I did not have to because of my self-imposed four-hour time limit and the plenty of views outside, which even started during my train ride through the Yurikamome line.

3. Yokohama
Jun and I went around Minato Mirai and especially got great shots of Kishamichi Promenade which featured views of the giant clock ferris wheel and sea attractions situated nearby a little family recreation area. On the waterfront, little boats for rent are also available. I wasn't interested to ride it, and when we felt a little tremor on that cloudy afternoon, Jun got discouraged as well. Japan's tallest building, the 70-storey Landmark Tower, is located here. This is probably the only time my outdoor sightseeing was not threatened by impending rainshower.

4. Hibiya Park
In the morning of my last day in Tokyo before returning to Hong Kong, I was in trouble locating areas through the map. I intend to go to Hibiya Park and for some reason alighted at Nagatacho station. I had communication problems talking to guards and Filipina scholars walking around were not much of help either since they just got into the city two days ago. Good thing Tokyo is sprinkled with great English-speaking people and I got help from one lady who walked past a koban (police outpost which appears more like a tourist answering booth) and heard the miscommunication. After an hour of walking, photo taking and asking office people where to go, I finally reached my destination. An oasis of the city, Hibiya Park is home to fountains, ponds, trees and people seeking refuge from the typical city life. I see several office workers bringing their bento boxes and take their lunch on various points in the park. Good thing most sign posts and entrance display maps do have English translations. And given that I was unable to go to Hamarikyu Garden, this visit is very much worthwhile.

5. Shibuya
Comparable to Mongkok and Causeway Bay crowds, Shibuya is cramped and busy part of Tokyo's metropolis. Compared to Shinjuku, Shibuya is cleaner and has a safer reputation. Definitely a must see is the statue of Hachiko, the legendary dog. A tear-jerking true story of a master-slave relationship, Hachiko is the dog who waits for his owner every night before going home together. Not known to the dog was that the master died of an accident, Hachiko continues to wait until his ultimate demise on 8th of March, 1935. Many hearts were touched and the dog was honored with a statue found here. I only found myself taking photos at Shibuya Crossing with Jun or waiting for Joanne. I never got to see the gymnasium which hosted the 1964 Olympics, among other interesting places due to the inclement weather conditions.

6. Shinjuku
After Hibiya Park, I headed to Shinjuku aiming to take shots of the great structure of Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, designed by Kenzo Tange. I think it's inspired by the Gothic designs usually found in Europe. Seen better closer than from a distance, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices appears like a bunch of boxes intricately packed one after the other. And just like in many places in Tokyo, the building is located on spaces filled with greeneries of Shinjuku Chuo Park, with a refreshing backdrop of trees aligned and leaves still intact just before autumn season starts to paint the area with a more sober look.

Once I arrived at Narita, I was instructed by Jun to take the airport limousine which basically is a bus coach and alight at Shinjuku. So my first impression of Japanese city life was built in this area. A colossal Shinjuku train station handles a mammoth two million passengers everyday! That's four times the entire capacity of Manila's MRT 3 in 2001 (according to its official web site). Shinjuku Dori Avenue and Yasukuni Dori Avenue are probably the largest shopping streets in the area but as the night grew chilly and advancing my watch by an hour, I have to be wary if Jun was more on-time in meeting up. I decided not to wander farther on my first day in Tokyo; I sat at the pavement after a few "shashin" favors from fellow strangers, munching the 90 yen McDonald's burger.

A Defining Moment

2005-11-16T23:19:00.000+08:00

Almost five years ago saw me leaving Philweb.com in Cagayan de Oro which was arguably the place I found the best colleagues in the industry.

Laid back life vs the hustle in the Big City, I chose the latter. I gave up the weekend Starcraft games with Edward, Alex, Candice, Roy, Shelley, Rizza and Chui. I had to give up the dinners together at someone's place or at a nearby open air seafood restaurant.

Cagayan de Oro's simplistic life is what I longed for. The jeepney ride from my aunt's house takes 25 minutes. My lunch is prepared at my choice of food. Or we order at a neighbor's home made green bean vegetable or young jackfruit in coconut milk.

My weekends are spent with my neice, nephews and cousins, watch TV, explore the Gaisano and Limketkai and regularly do the grocery chores.

If I want to go to Davao I take the overnight bus and reach home by 8am, fall asleep until noon and talk to my folks later. I take the bus back to Cagayan de Oro at 12 noon Sunday and by 9pm, I am in bed preparing for work the next day.

I miss going to San Agustin church where often times I am alone, standing at the doorsteps. Or at Xavier University's serene location. I also miss walking around Cogon Market where I still find myself lost at times, looking for R1 route to get back home.

Of course I miss my dutiful relatives who never let me feel I was away from Mintal. And friends who at times remind me of my wonderful grade school peers.

All in the name of opportunity.

Friendster For Sale?

2005-11-15T13:38:00.000+08:00

I just found out that Friendster is apparently for sale when it sought help from a banker it recently commissioned to facilitate the transaction.

In my previous post, I cited some features Friendster is accelerating the excitement factor by adding features that will keep members from getting bored. These features include photo and video sharing, photo slideshows, shoutouts and Who's Viewed Me.

But while the idea is indeed very innovative, its marketing strategy seemed to be a letdown. And after a few leadership changes, it's about time to hand it over to a company which has decent background of running ailing projects.

Friendster hired Montgomery & Co. to shop for buyers. Neither parties commented on rumors. As the first popular social networking online, Friendster's initial price was thought to be 200 million dollars. That amount subsequently went down to around $50 to $100 million.

Impressions do have lasting effects and if someone whose a member tries to login and does not get a decent error message, the reputation gets tarnished a bit. And while marketing efforts did not seem to work properly, it's the network problem that presented a glaring evidence. Due to its popularity, huge traffic brought it down at times and prompted it to change its backend coding from J2EE to PHP (something that a web developer discussed in her blog before she got fired). I did not like the layout though gray has been my favorite color, and even with those customizable templates, the overall layout does not seem appealing to me at all.

But somehow, Friendster remained to be my choice social networking hub; I have five requests for contacts at hi5 which I never bothered to activate. Myspace is an intriguing proposition to me. Initially a portal for music lovers, it has grown to a full blown Friendster clone, amassing 33 million members in two years according to CNET. In contrast Friendster's unique visitors have been steadily falling, with 585,000 unique visits last September.

I have read a lot of faux messages about Friendster deactivating an account if the owner fails to forward some hidden motives veiled in a worthly messages. Old gimmicks don't die easily. Those are untrue. But even with the imminent sale of Friendster, it does not mean we are going to lose our accounts unless we violate the terms and conditions. Friendster needs each and everyone of us after all.

Impressions of Japan - Part I

2005-11-14T00:26:00.000+08:00

It would be unfair to consider my findings and observations in Japan accurate considering the fact that I only visited Tokyo and my stay only lasted six days. But it does not prevent me from noticing its cosmopolitan beauty with a touch of a genuinely alluring classical Japanese culture.

1. Tokyo Subway
I counted 271 stations composing 12 subway lines: Ginza, Tozai, Hibiya, Morunouchi, Chiyoda, Namboku, Hanzomon, Yurakucho, Asakusa, Mita, Shinjuku and Oedo. The count does not include JR lines and other privately-operated lines. This makes Tokyo among the busiest subway lines in the world. My familiarity with Hong Kong, Manila and Singapore did not help much because of the station signs mostly in Japanese and merely looking at the subway map instill some confusion factor.
As with a number of subway train lines, not all of them use one single type of ticket to take the ride, which left me wondering. Unlike KCR and MTR in Hong Kong -- two different companies that share fare system methods, pedestrian access points, among others -- Japan's railway systems somehow need to exist homogenously as the primary method of transport within Tokyo. Inside the train is a haven for sleepyheads during off-peak hours. A curtained set of ads are all over the place, often promoting magazines (the only recognizable face in the job ad was Koyuki, a starrer of Tom Cruise's Last Samurai).

2. Roponggi
I think this is an area more known as a fusion of Japanese, Asian and Western influences. Embassies, consulates and foreign companies are often located here which is why it's not surprising to see a lot of foreigners here. A spanking new development at Roppongi Hills, the masterpiece of Mori Building, exudes a vibrant picture of modern Japanese architecture. I had a delectable dinner with Jun and Wenee at one of the Japanese restaurants here and could not help but notice the authentic Japanese way of preparing food, complemented with uber-excellence hospitality.

3. Harajuku
The face of extreme Japan whose influence spills out in Hong Kong -- fashion-conscious teenagers in one oxymoronic melange of youth culture. Extreme hairstyle, extreme make up, extreme Gothic and Lolita clothing fashion which favorably ranges from your favorite Disney characters to the Zoids and the Astroboys. Found mostly in the confines of Takeshita Street across the subway station, by the impression I got from their appearance, I hesitated to take a photo of them.

4. Meiji Shrine
Not too far away from Harajuku's ultra experimental dress codes and anime fashion shows is a place that takes you back to the natural world. The Meiji Shrine is a secluded and serene place in the heart of Tokyo that exemplifies the extremes of what Tokyo can offer. Right after crossing the mighty torii gateways, it's all covered with vast array of trees and wide pebblestone pathways leading to shrines I used to tell my students at Philippine International School about this place, and now it's a reality of what was just described by the book. It was raining when I got there and the atmosphere further added up to the feeling that I was on rare flatland on my way to scaling a moderately steep hill. I was expecting falling orange leaves where I could lie and stare at the sky; the leaves were still in the shades of summer and the rain kept me on my feet.

5. Omotesando
I did not know what France's Champs-Elysees would look like until I was told it has resemblance to Omotesando, while walking towards the huge GAP shop at the end of the corner. Big name fashion botiques are lined in harmony with the tiled passages and slender trees. The weather was in late teens and having a walk in this place is at it's ideal, brushing elbows with the elite Tokyo shoppers hopping from one shop to another.

The Japan Ordeal

2005-11-03T20:07:00.000+08:00

Two weeks before Alma Moreno and Company figured in a detention and deportation, I was at the very same immigration counter where they were also queuing up to finally get their passports the confirmation stamps allowing them to stay in Japan.

The place is not the best you can have for an immigration counter. Just like the famed string cords often seen on Philippine offices that anticipate long lines of taxpayers, bank depositors or passport applicants, it is also used to divide the long lines into a series of shorter ones to efficiently manage a large number of people in a relatively small room.

When I arrived at Narita Airport it was about 1pm local time as my Dragon Air flight from Hong Kong got delayed for an hour. Our group was already occupying the end of the queue and with the looks of it I will probably take 20 minutes to reach the counter. We were in the waiting line for non-Japanese which is similar to what tourists to Hong Kong might have experienced standing for quite a while when the Hong "Kong Residents" or "Permanent Card Holders" lines have half a dozen in each queue.

The guy in front of me spent his waiting time equally mumbling of the long line and staring at a pocketbook. There were many Taiwanese and a handful of Americans but no sight of a Filipina entertainer, Japan's counterpart to Hong Kong's Filipina household worker.

Along the line, I can see signs in Korean and Japanese but no English nor Chinese. On the other end I saw an African man asking questions to young Japanese attendants and by the look of their faces they don't seem to understand each other. I never saw a heavily armed man on deck for a possible subduing of an unauthorized person trying to enter Tokyo. All I see visibly enough was the elderly guide who shows the people what immigration counter they should go to.

The memory was still vivid. I cannot imagine if one actress or actor can receive such treatment if their offense was allegedly bringing someone who was a last-minute inclusion to the entourage and believing a hoodlum who sends fax as if Narita is going to explode once they are allowed to pass through the immigration. But that's how we see things go in Japan and in other countries. Celebrity or not, once you have been suspected of something sneaky, you'll never get off unscathed.

How embarrassing not just as a respected actress but as a citizen of the Philippines. That's the law. In the Philippines, airport employees from airline staff to cleaners have the privilege to see celebrities first hand. Guess who were the most pathetic fans who saw Taiwanese quartet F4 first land in Manila for a concert. You are correct.

Japan is a beautiful country. But with the history telling us that it used to be our staunchest enemies who brought our elders the jitters and the pains of a traumatic childhood. Remember though that the younger generation of Japan asked for forgiveness for the "mistakes" of their elders and even lavished us with aid, financial, logistics and jobs.

What's important is that someone must know and admit he/she is at fault and avoid same occurence again. Whether it's the Japanese immigration or Alma Moreno's group, I do not know.

Comparing the Macau East Asian Games and Manila Southeast Asian Games web sites

2005-10-28T22:51:00.000+08:00

About one month before the 23rd Southeast Asian Games will be held in Manila, Philippines, Macau SAR of the People's Republic of China will host the 4th East Asian Games.

Somewhat similar in name but a little different in geographical location.

Participants of the Manila SEA Games are Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Timor Leste and host the Philippines.

Participants of East Asian Games are Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Guam, Chinese Taipei and host Macau.

The Games are a little bit of division of Asian Games participants with the exception of countries in Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East.

Among the two Games, it's quite obvious that the top three sporting powers of Asia (China, Japan and South Korea) are bunched together in the East Asian Games while SEA Games will have regional powerhouse Thailand to be challenged by Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the hosts. While Thailand and Indonesia have been able to raise its game internationally -- Thailand winning golds in boxing and weightlifting and Indonesia in badminton -- the rest of the field is comparably minnows in the bigger playing field.

While it remains to be seen which Games will attract hype and fanfare (East Asian Games open tomorrow), what I can do is scrutize the web sites of the two Games.

Focus on the two:

East Asian Games (EAG)
http://www.east-asian-games2005.com/en/index.php

Southeast Asian Games (SEA)
http://www.2005seagames.com.ph/

1. Menu:
While EAG has good color combination, having the menu on the top is still better than the left side.

EAG: 0
SEA: 1

2. Overall Design:
I can guess EAG was done by a professional web development company. SEA was done by happy-go-lucky on the job training students at Trace Computer.

EAG: 1
SEA: 0

3. Page Layout:
EAG has inconsistent layout plus look at this sports schedule page! (hope that gets fixed by the time you view the link) SEA has not fared much better though.

EAG: 0
SEA: 1

4. Navigation:

EAG has a lot of pages to fix since I notice many of such layouts have commented codes which included tags which should appear in the page. SEA pages such as the reader of the Prayer Room News needs to click [Back] to view other stories. Can't click the Maskarra logo!

EAG: 0
SEA: 0

5. Content:
EAG has more or less prepared itself with necessary information. After all, site traffic is starting to build up. Prepare the standby servers. SEA has very poor preparation, to complement with the organizers with the venue which did not help the host athletes train.

EAG: 1
SEA: 0

6. Flexibility:
EAG is using PHP and ASP.NET to better maintain the flow of information through CMS. SEA is using plain HTML (is this only what is taught at Trace? C'mon).

EAG: 1
SEA: 0

7. Necessary Info:
How to apply for accreditation, where to buy tickets, sports information kind of stuff. EAG has done well. SEA is placing text that is not linked to any relevant document. Useless.

EAG: 1
SEA: 0

8. Countdown to Games:
EAG is counting by the minute and visible on every page. SEA is counting by days only found in homepage.

EAG: 1
SEA: 0

9. Language Support:
EAG by virtue of having multilingual participants supports English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Portuguese (no Mongolian, no Korean, no Japanese). SEA is lucky most countries are well versed with English and the people from Cambodia or Laos hardly complain about web sites.

EAG: 1
SEA: 0

10. Daily Summary
It's interesting how SEA will organize a daily recap of events and results without a centralized system to handle this (at least based on what I see now). EAG also has to live up to the expectations to provide comprehensive daily report based on the nice 'Daily Summaries' feature

EAG: 1
SEA: 0

11. Search engine-friendliness:
Both sites are number one when searched on Google for relevant keywords. But when it comes to individual pages it's SEA which has the edge.

EAG: 0
SEA: 1

12. Color scheme:
Macau has a green flag which I thought would be used sparingly in the site (and they did). Meanwhile SEA has a ridiculous color combination. Take a look at the country participants page. Was there someone from UIC who was part of the web team?

EAG: 1
SEA: 0

13. Photos / Graphics:
SEA has image bank that's bankrupt. Not displaying even the venues? EAG is showing the images of rehearsals and athletes.

EAG: 1
SEA: 0

OK, enough the beating. EAG web site won over SEA web site 9-3 on the 13 categories judged by me. It's a shame that the Vietnam SEA Games web site is better (at par with EAG site) and what the Filipino talent can show (after bragging we are exporting IT to Middle East, Americas and Japan) is this unfinished web site?

Thanks to Trace for volunteering this one anyway. Better look at www.coolhomepages.com for better ideas and inspirations.

United Nations at 60

2005-10-24T19:09:00.000+08:00

Like the phoenix coming out of ashes of World War 2, the United Nations emerged as an organization which aimed to cast solidarity among nations of the world. Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union disintegrated and therefore added more countries in the roster of nations, Germany united, North Vietnam annexed the South and dropped the directional name that separated the two. Hopefully South and North Korea will soon become one.

Turbulent decades of unrest, civil war, marred with bloody ethnic cleansing in Rwanda and Bosnia, United Nations had the difficulty to police its ranks. Dictatorship, human rights abuse and widening gap between the rich and poor have been haunting the organization more than ever. Globalization has brought benefits to many, but still more have been left out and are desperately asking for a fair share. Disease, wars and natural disasters have taken its toll and in many cases, countries offered help in

More often than not it's the so-called renegade territories are the culprit, it's also the bigger brothers who are to blame. And while Chechnya has become a haven for guerillas fighting against the more powerful Russian government, the US has been the biggest violator of Kyoto protocol which aims to improve air quality and reduce the incidence of global warming.

While we sang the United Nations song in our classrooms during my primary school days, we had little knowledge about where in the world can we find the countries whose flags we have intricately made out of colored paper and bamboo sticks.

We also organized Miss United Nations in high school, where contestants represent various countries such as China, Japan, USA, Switzerland and Holland. I am gifted at geography: I know what is the capital of any Central Asian country whose name ends in "stan" and easily point in the globe where is that tiny Liechtenstein. It was fun, until it lasted.

Now for a real dose of what is going on, tally the years where the world has experienced real peace. Begin in the Midieval era where barbarians, Crusaders and the undocumented warriors roamed the Earth looking for lands to conquer. Until this very day, war have not left us.

Though I still believe things will get better, it is said that the peace we are looking for cannot be granted here on Earth.

NBA Dress Code Scrutiny

2005-10-23T01:47:00.000+08:00

The wait is almost over and the 2005-06 NBA season is about to start in a few weeks. At last I do not have to deal with those boring golf shows in my favorite sports channel. What's not so exciting about my Phoenix Suns team is that Amare Stoudemire is going to spend the next four months rehabbing his knee after a microfacture surgery on the heels of his max contract extension.

While it's definitely not a good news to me, it will also be an opportunity for the team to mesh properly. There are only five remaining players from last season returning to the Suns roster: reigning MVP Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, Leandro Barbosa, Jim Jackson and Stoudemire. Stoudemire's injury is a blessing in disguise to the rest as his offensive touch has to be taken cared of by someone. And it means likelihood of increased playing time for everyone and keeping the roster intact without having to waive players in the preseason lineup. Think about Lucas Tischer and Dijon Thompson or even Pat Burke.

Now let me talk about the recent implementation about the dress code instituted by the NBA spearheaded by David Stern. It has drawn a lot of reaction from everyone. Tim Duncan calls it "basically retarded". Stephen Jackson, Allen Iverson, Jason Richardson and Raja Bell also expressed dissatisfaction on this ruling. Many of them looked at it as racist; most of the affected players are black Americans whose hip hop fashion is better supported with dangling silverware and baggy pants. I can't imagine players like Yao Ming, Nick Collison, Kyle Korver and Jake Tsakilidis adopting such things. In fact, Russian Andrei Kirilenko supports it.

While the objective has been clear -- to clear up the reputation and display a new image of the NBA -- dress code was less an issue for reforms. There are drugs and personality issues to be targetted first. Just recently Boston Celtics guard Tony Allen threw a punch to a Chicago man, for no apparent reason. Allen Iverson, Chris Webber and Kareem Abdul-Jabar on posession of marijuana, as I read in Alternet.org. And look at the whole Portland Trailblazers team whose players are often appearing on headlines for all sorts of bad news: driving under influence (DUI), caught overspeeding, domestic battery and posession of marijuana. These people are superstars with huge contracts, wardrobe endorsements, whose jerseys are selling hot and are looked up to not by the fans but fellow and upcoming NBA players.

I thought this is a problem that needs more solution; dress code is a cosmetic solution which cannot hide the inner chaos. It's like in the Army where you need to have your shoes and belt polished, hair trimmed to the max, uniforms neatly pressed before appearing in a platoon briefing.

Apparently when the news went out, players reacted negatively in different sorts of reasons:

1. Why newcomers need to pay thousands of dollars for suits when their stay in the league is almost not guaranteed.
2. It's racist.
3. It's uncomfortable to wear especially when coming off practice and hitting the road the next day.

Some even suggested a stipend from the NBA to pay for such clothing. As if it's so expensive that purchasing one will make them unable to pay for the bills and feed their family, no offense to Latrell Sprewell.

When we were in high school, Dennis, my classmate always gets stuck at the guard post for coming in the campus without tucking in his shirt. We were then like robots unable to express ourselves and abiding by the rules. Talking about tucking in shirt, it's also in the new dress code which injured players are allowed to be in their bench wearing shirt and jeans. But shirts have to be tucked in. That's why Tim Duncan, a superstar who often prefer to keep things on himself, minced no words, "A load of crap... basically retarded". He even pondered on staying at team locker room on games where he cannot play.

Call the dress code touching the egos of Earth's popular men and have them act like kids following simple instructions, but could it be too much?

The NBA is a myriad of players with diverse personalities and skills. Outside looking in, a lot of hopefulls want to come in but could not, simply because they aren't fit. Get invited to a preseason team camp is a dream come true but to be waived feels like the whole world is against you.

The persons who make the NBA look what it is right now should possess qualities of desirable citizens. Basically they are entertainers who wow the crowd, while receiving money more than 99% of the global population cannot get in their lifetime. They stay healthy, become popular and it seems that they have nothing to ask for. But from them, the viewing public needs their act to serve as good models.

Stay away from drugs, preserve good family and community relations and simply said, stay away from trouble. Could be easier said than done because I am not a celebrity and trouble seems to stay with celebrities.

Maybe very few players from NBA are obviously thugs, but it's the single rotten tomato in a bag of fresh tomatoes that ruin the package.

Dress code can wait.

Exploring Tokyo, Japan

2005-10-10T19:43:00.000+08:00

The first and last few days in Tokyo is definitely memorable to me. The mornings have been rained out and plans of going to Hama-rikyu have fizzled out. Nevertheless I was never idle in this beautiful city.

I have brushed elbows with anime stars and expressive individuals at Harajuku, went contemplative at Ueno Park and Meiji Shrine, realized the expensive but delicious soba and tempura servings in Roponggi Hills and gazing at the huge Tokyo Tower as well as Yokohama's Clock Tower.

I also met Singles For Christ Tokyo friends along with Jun, who served as my host here in Shinjuku-ku. The feeling of Hong Kong winter has swept in me as the rain continued to pour over the whole day of walking and exploring.

In a day called Sports Day in Tokyo's calendar of holidays, free-wheeling Tokyoites roam the vast expanses of streets, in a neat array of transparent umbrellas as I noticed them in Omotesando's streets.

Tomorrow is another day of exploring, probably more challenging as I am doing the job on my own instead of shadowing Jun's footsteps. Trekking the subway has been a major challenge apart from reading instructions in Japanese and asking for directions. Insofar as my short unbiased thinking is concerned, Japanese people are very corteous, in fact quite different from those in Hong Kong, apart from their utmost discipline with garbage segregation which earned my highest praises.

I love Japan.

Tokyo: Hajime Mashite

2005-10-07T23:11:00.000+08:00

Finally, one dream has come true. At 1:05pm my Dragon Air flight 362 landed in Tokyo's famed Narita Airport.

It's been a wish as a kid that I can reach Tokyo someday. I still recall my place in Davao City has been called Little Tokyo in World War II because of the heavy presence of Japanese soldiers and plantation workers. To this day, the erected tower in my elementary school grounds is a reminder of Japanese presence in my place half a century ago. Even as Japan is looked as an aggressor by many territories during the Second World War, it has at least tried to pay its guilt through assistance in government and non government projects.

I had strong affinity with Japan and its people when I was chosen as one of the RASEA scholars in high school. I tried learning Japanese on those years while communicating with benefactors: Kesheiro Saeki, Coco Izumi, Heiji Matsumoto, Yasukazu Kigasawa and other forgotten names. After college, I got the chance to exchange letters with Japanese pen pals named Nobue Ozawa and Rie Takahashi which opened up more knowledge in Japanese culture; I recall Rie painstakingly wrote hiragana and katakana characters for me to learn the language until we lost contact and I am unable to pay off her efforts.

I applied for Monbusho scholarship in 1998 and failed. I had to greet the panel of judges "hajime mashite" learned from a fellow candidate. I wished I could land a post graduate study grant on one of designated Japanese universities where I can further hone my chosen field of work. With the plans now in the drain, I had to find other methods. Achieving such goal can come sooner or later. I did not realize that until today.

Visiting Japan can be very expensive. Dinner we had at Fuji-Mama's at Omote Sando cost my hosts 13,000 yen (approximately PHP 6,500) for seafood bisque, calamari and a few other appetizers and drinks. That makes it more expensive than the traditionally accepted rocketing food prices in Hong Kong. Gaijin and locals happily mix up in the commonly accepted tongue -- Nihongo. Conversations are pleasantly listened better than the polymorphic Cantonese accent.

The first day of the sojourn has finished very well. Hopefully rains won't spoil the rest of it.

Finally a Selling Point for Friendster?

2005-10-05T23:02:00.000+08:00

Looks like Friendster has scooped the idea that will keep its longstanding followers even stick even more. Loyalty check was in question when the unusually large number of registrations did not easily translate the site into a money making machine. While the introduction pages show Caucasian members, the mass base of the registrants come from the socially closely knit communities in Asia and minority communities in the United States. Based on conventional wisdom, I think the list is not the best targeted advertising audience. I have a strong feeling the feature about "most popular searches in my network" is a ploy to entice curious members into clicking ads through keywords such as "gucci bags" or "free nokia phone".

I joined Friendster late 2003 and found the recent enhancements a welcome change to arrest site boredom and declining popularity. I am amazed on the innovation of looking through other people's profiles which was kind of addictive; I used to designate a few nights a month dedicated for "Friendster-eavesdropping". Personalizing profile through color schemes, more photos, horoscopes, blogs have further enhanced Friendster's functionality that earned it several innovation awards shortly after its inception in 2002. But technical problems amid huge member traffic and mind boggling SQL queries in the backend finally took its toll and as always, when a system shows its vulnerability, its feel-good image is tarnished badly. I hardly saw the ill effects of an overburdened network though. The dark age of Friendster saw its CEO resign and cut 9% of its workforce.

Other communities like High5, Xanga, Ringo and MySpace thrived but somehow never created a stir out of the doldrums Friendster has experienced. It's thought that successes of such groups relied more on its focus activities like the musically-inclined Myspace groups. Pinoyster, a Filipino spoof, was also part of this mania.

The latest addition of "spying-on-me" featured created a much needed boost according to my personal observation. The usually wait-and-see attitude underwent a facelift that I saw several photo and blog updates and profile changes. The feature allows me to be identified as the one who viewed someone else's profile. Though most will prefer to set viewing anonymously, being identified will definitely create buzz ("oh, I did not know this person has viewed my profile even if I am a total stranger"); oh, adding suspense in this crowded but happily established online community. If only viewing anonymously is taken off the options, same as being unable to bookmark a profile without letting the owner know, it may be more fun.

What do you think?

The Global Office

2005-10-03T03:48:00.000+08:00

Everytime I take a vacation, there always seems to be a possibility of heavy workload in the office. Many times project schedules do not block off days when the encoder or project manager takes a vacation or gets sick, the tendency is to squeeze development hours to the days when he or she is capable and present.

This brings to the discussion of global office. I often want to create a journal of my travels and one testament to this is the trip to Beijing in September last year. I was with Jun, Dodo, Melissa, Mike, Gino and Weng. It was a three month long piece I never bothered to edit out of excitement and exhaustion. (My "Amazing Race" trip to Singapore, KL and Bangkok exactly a year ago still is an unfinished true story.)

What global office is this all about? Well, I am bound to travel again soon, and the hazards of keeping the travel plans in wraps (limited to a few confidantes and direct boss in the office) soon blew my way. And even while I was on travel, I made sure I get contact with officemates who may need assistance in office task along the 15-baht per-15-minute cafes in Khaosan Road. Likely this is the product of technology where people are bound to take care of business in the office while on holiday. Men usually do much more than women, though.

With wireless connections, broadband access and telecommunications never thought possible not so long ago, office workers are assured that as they lay on the serene beaches of the Maldives, they are assured office operations are smoothly running. Got source codes or RFP templates to inquire? No problem, dial this person's number.

I also took the job of receiving calls and answering emails about product support which was kind of nervous and subject to insults of unsatisfied complaining clients. I was reluctant to call the main person who is 12 hours behind my time zone for fear of interrupting his lovely holiday with the family. But this is business, whether you are having headache or constipating, service must be at its best form.

When the "Amazing Race" commenced, it did not start in the haggling of tickets in the counter, it started when I was literally hopping in and out of the bus and prefer running to get the next train going to the airport. The culprit? My erratic behavior for details which still haunts me. I had to finish a multilingual mini site to be launch on the same hour of my flight.

Working from home has also been a preferred choice over coming to office on weekends. But my bed is just next to my PC and the effort of switching from sitting to lying burns only a few calories. Pffft. The next thing I realize is that it's the next day already with the computer silently grinning, humming over the supposed hard work at home.

Yes, technology gives you more convenience in working away from office. But it also diminishes the reasons (or alibis for the inefficient people like me) why you can't deliver a task at any given time.

Remembering Davao City in 1992

2005-10-01T08:40:00.000+08:00

This post will appear at UIC Computer Engineering Class 1997 Web Site (www.cagape.com/batch97/). Looking back on our yesteryears has been essential to see where we came from and gauge where we are now.

1992
====
* Bosnia votes for independence from Yugoslavia.
* Boxer Mike Tyson convicted of rape.
* Winter Olympic Games held in Albertville
* John Major re-elected British Prime Minister
* Summer Olympic Games held in Barcelona
* William J. Clinton elected US President
* Fidel Ramos wins the Philippine Presidential elections

This is the year that we came into the University, shortly after its declaration as the city's newest University. Mind you Immaculate Conception College started its operation as a parochial school ninety years ago. In comparison, Ateneo de Davao University was established after World War II so the wait for ICC to become UIC was quite long.

Nevertheless, this development was a welcome news to our entry to this institution.

At the time, computer studies was a very hot career prospect. As we emerge from our little known barrios and enrol in this course, we became instant celebrities who talked and acted like geeks even if at this stage we never pressed computer keyboard or how to use the mouse and were not taught computer subjects in our freshman year.

The Computer Engineering enrollment in UIC swelled that gyms and backdoors were considered classrooms. At 108 pesos per unit, the cost of education is still cheaper than in Ateneo, which offered Computer Science and not Computer Engineering.
The other school which offered the same course is AMA Computer College, but the school has been battling with reputation problems as well.

With Fidel Ramos sitting in as the first male President of the Philippines since Ferdinand Marcos reigned for almost 20 years, problems such as energy crisis and rebellion remain. His predecessor, Corazon Aquino, has been a target of several coup attempts, largely due to her government's inability to reverse the tide that has kept crooks inside the government and therefore inability to meet the expectations of EDSA revolution.

Favorite hangouts were Cherry's in CM Recto, the dark rooms upstairs which reputably has some moving creatures lurking under the tables and featured some of the finest music in vinyl turntables. CDs were relatively new at the time that WTFM and Radio Romance had to pride themselves in playing these music by inserting blurbs such as "WWWWTTTT CompactDiscCompactDiscCompactDisc". Ben and Beth Eatery also thrived with the increase of UIC student population as its carinderias are strategically located near the premises of the UIC Annex Campus. "Do The Rave Stomp" ushered the continuation of technomusic passed on from the synthesizer-rich music of the 80s commonly found in the music of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and New Order.

Music was at its transition period, whisking away from the decade long new wave and ushering its way to rap and grunge music. 1992 saw hits of Eric Clapton (Tears in Heaven), Mr Big (To Be With You) and Right Said Fred (I'm Too Sexy) land in the airwaves as we study Algebra, Calculus and Inorganic Chemistry. With over a dozen FM stations in Davao City (now it's about two dozens), it's not surprising to be legitimate music lovers and performers.

Victoria Plaza, with its jingle "Victoria Plaza, the plaza for all" is Mindanao's first mall and started a new trend of shopping experience. We used to go window shopping at Gaisano Center, across University of Mindanao's Bolton campus. NCCC and Gaisano Ilustre is quite far for a walk, though the latter is a scant distance away from UIC's main campus.

Jollibee has its first store in Bolton, often overflowing with excited patrons queuing at the counter and savoring the moment they sat on those rotating seats -- the fastfood used to be seen on television is now at hand -- we were among them.

Who can forget the commercial jingle of 2-2-1-0-0-3-0, 2-2-1-0-0-3-1 of a local pizza outlet? Perhaps the name of the shop is forgotten but not the number, whether it still serves delivery or now directed to a residential owner who keeps on getting pizza prank orders. Davao's ingenuity hasn't began in the uniquely concocted durian flavored Blu Gré coffee. Zed Pizza, Papa's Pizza, Chinese-inspired Sani Sweets
have been providing Davaoeños the delicious pizza pies and other delicacies.

1992 was indeed a year to remember for us as UIC Computer Engineers of Class 1997. Not just because of the fond memories we shared. We were the first students of the University; our predecessors went to the College.

The Way We Were in Basketball

2005-09-28T01:11:00.000+08:00

Looking at an update from NBA about the coming World Basketball Championships in Saitama, Japan next year, I am proud that my country is out there at the bottom - in an elite cast of 10 countries who whon podium honors since World Basketball Championships was instituted in 1950. Played once every four years, this is the ultimate of basketball championships, if players consider playing for country more important than playing for a rich ball club.

On the list, the Philippines is the only Asian country to win the top three honors along with United States, Soviet Union, Brazil, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Germany, Russia, Argentina and Chile. The fame we got took place half a century ago in 1954 (I don't remember any basketball official organize a fifty year anniversary for a feat unlikely to be matched in the near future). Francisco Rabat of Davao Oriental, Mariano Tolentino, Benjamin Francisco, Carlos Loyzaga and Lauro Mumar were among the members of the Philippine Team which played in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and took the third place after making a scare against the United States before eventually bowing out. USA led 25-22 during halftime when the Philippines made a comeback to take the driver's seat at 31-26. USA won the game 56-43 but the Philippines felt more than just a champion with the bronze medal in an achievement that would probably never be repeated. Loyzaga was chosen as one of the Mythical Five in that tournament and undoubtedly the greatest basketball player the Philippines has ever produced.

It's just a pity that the Philippines is suspended by the basketball authority, FIBA, due to pride and greed by the officials. I was just frustrated when I said Graham Lim is stupid even if I tagged the title as a question. You name them, they are probably the same trying to vindicate themselves at the expense of the sport. Joey Lina, Jose Cojuangco, Tiny Literal, Christian Tan, Bonifacio Alentajan, Mauricio Martelino: useless, inutile, mo yong, walang silbe.

Why do a couple of them go to Switzerland and insist that Philippine Basketball Federation be recognized when its chances is nil? And why does the other camp insist on having a subpar team "chosen from the grassroots level" and a fan of Ricky Calimag, who is a veteran of several embarrassing stints abroad.

I say to you people, give up basketball and support Philippine football.

My Thoughts On Electronic Mail

2005-09-11T23:43:00.000+08:00

I have fifteen e-mail accounts with two-thirds of that number I am actively using, checking at least once a day. Since the days of rocketmail and extremely long Hotmail accounts ("Sorry, that name is already taken. Please try another one.") I have fancied collecting accounts more than a change in look and feel than convenience. MailCity, Eudoramail, Budweiser, Yahoo!, Philwebinc, Gmail, Hotmail and a host of other corporate accounts reserved for me when I was employed by such companies.

Then I was so excited to send and receive e-mails that I always leave my e-mail address on public bulletin boards, chatrooms and willingly send a three sentence e-mail to someone in California or Boston, and expect a reply overnight. Oh, what a fantastic experience to communicate on the other half of the world as I speak. It was so personal that I had to give up my snail mail habit in favor of this time-saving effort.

I gathered friends, met some of them in person and broadened my social network. But in its bad side, it made me more reliable to it that personal touch seemed to be missing. When I communicated with colleagues, I used e-mail instead of phone call or be more verbose about it. In retrospect, it made it easier for me to communicate. I used to imagine that with the advent of e-mail, post offices will only be handling more on bulk carriages and postcard makers will venture online with their softcopy virtual greeting cards.

With the emergence of spam, e-mail brought havoc to my inbox. I no longer have the excitement when I receieve a message from a virtual stranger when I read that the subject is about a drug I did not request nor about a low interest mortgage plan that's not even available in my locality. I have to pay extra money when I maintain my Outlook Express account just to ensure that e-mails that reach me do not contain viruses, worms or Trojan horses.

On the human side of it I still do use e-mail extensively to keep in touch with everyone: friends in Hong Kong, technical support, high school and college friends, relatives.

I send about twenty e-mails a day. In my rough stats I get a reply from six out of twenty within forty eight hours. Some of them are very active responders (I identified two of them, Ruel, an SFC brother in Shenzhen China who seems to be online all the time; and Wirnani, a pretty acquaintance in Davao circa '99) and some of them issue replies within a week or two, depending on heavy loads.

Exceptional cases are when I am having e-mail chats with friends planning for a weekend activity where a thread can easily span hundreds of messages.

Still, there are those who reply very late that I forgot already that I sent them e-mail ages ago. It often renders my purpose useless. And of course, there are those who simply refuse to reply, and prefer to talk about it or simply ignore me.

That is why it is not so difficult to gauge one's personality if the basis of it is on the composition of e-mail, grammar and spelling, the choice of words and the respect the person conveys to you. My former boss, Colin is an example of someone who composes and replies my e-mails with carefulness. He often used to ask me for spellings and internationalization when he does his e-mails and ends up confused and he is totally honest about it.

I have been used to writing a lot of letters to penpals from everywhere and my complimentary close has always been "Sincerely". But in e-mail, often driven by casualness that term is not appropriate anymore no matter how respected person a recipient is. I decided to use "Regards" most of the time. Otherwise I would just be using my name to end the message. "Cheers" is cool. "Ciao" is also well used. "Best" is an abbreviated term for "All the Best" but sounds authoritative to me.

Indeed, e-mail has revolutionized communication. E-mail marketing has emerged as a means to earn and profit online. Newsletters were created to cater to the needs of a practicing individual with certain interests and hobbies. Mobile phones and PDAs now have the capability of composing e-mails. What an exciting age.

But let's not be driven too much about the fuss technology has created. E-mail must be used to enhance communication and not replace the traditional means such as personal conversation, letter writing and telephone talks.

How Does It Feel To Be Ignored?

2005-09-06T19:14:00.000+08:00

Excerpt from "Hidden Messages in Water":

Three separate bins of rice are kept. Each day in the house, the entire family including the kids on the way in and out the door to school participate in this "experiment." To the first bin, loving words are recited such as "I love you." To the second, nothing is said. And to the third, mean words are said, such as "You ugly fool" or any of their own favorite insults. Over time, the three bins showed markedly different stages of decay.

Which do rice bin do you think rotted right away?

The totally ignored bin suffered much worse than the one that was hurled insults. Whether you believe this experiment or not doesn't matter. What resonated with me was that this rung true.

It can come from somebody you cared for. It can be a rejection of a job application. Or by someone who wants revenge or seeking vindication. I surely have done this to someone and now I am reaping the painful fruit in return.

As time passes, this after-effect of indifference remains the sting of being left out, uncared for or even uncriticized. It hurts me more to be ignored than be shouted at.

Elie Wiesel says,
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.

And George Bernard Shaw:
Indifference is the essence of inhumanity.

I have been indifferent on others, more than just being insensitive but appearing as if I am overjoyed seeing someone plead for my attention and choosing to turn a blind eye on him or her.

Forgive me if I was indifferent, as I wish not to receive such unearthly human attribute.

I'm only pretty sure that I can't take anymore Before you take a swing I wonder
What are we fighting for When I say out loud I want to get out of this I wonder Is there anything I'm going to miss I wonder How it's going to be When you don't know me How's it going to be When you're sure I'm not there How's it going to be When there is no one to talk to, between you and me 'Cause I don't care How's it going to be Where we used to laugh There's a shouting match Sharp as a thumbnail scratch A silence I can't ignore Like...The hammocks by the doorway we spent time in Swings empty, don't see lightning like last fall when it was always about to hit me I wonder how's it going to be when it goes down Hows it going to be When your not around How’s it going to be When you found out there was nothing Between you and me 'Cause I don't care How's it going to be. How’s it going to be When you don't know me any more And how's it going to be Want to get myself back in again The soft dive of oblivion I wanna taste the soul of your skin The soft dive of oblivion Oblivion How's it going to be When you don't know me any more How's it going to be How's it going to be

Happy Anniversary!

2005-08-29T00:30:00.000+08:00

ewctwentyone celebrates its first year anniversary as a blog station where I post my musings, disappointments, triumphs and thoughts. In total I have 136 blog posts for the year which, on average, is about a blog posted every 2.6 days.

Thank you to those who have spent time reading my entries: Merly, you seem to be the only habitual reader here (thanks!), Karen (hope to build a snowman with you over there); Jimmy, looking forward to reading your blogs too!; Raymond, your e-mails about my blogs are heartwarming; to the others who prefer to be anonymous, muchos gracias.

My Most Valued Blog Entries
1. Reminiscing Computer Center
2. Keeping the New Year's Resolution
3. The Word Goodbye
4. Seventh Haven
5. I Alone

Blogs In Most Need of Comments
1. The Great Firewall of China
2. What If Steve Nash is a Filipino
3. Ranking My Music
4. Is IE7 Going to Save Microsoft’s Face?
5. My Personal Billboard

Blogs That I Should Have Never Posted
1. Is Graham Lim Stupid?
2. Nowhere to Hide
3. Bus Advertisement Hong Kong Style
4. One of the Worst Movies
5. ‘Yan Ang Pinoy

Best Things To Do On Weekends

2005-08-25T15:54:00.000+08:00

Since settling in Hong Kong four years ago, I found a lot of ways to spend my weekends. There are parks, shopping malls, game arcades, empty sports grounds, cityscapes to explore and mountains to climb¡K The list goes on. The only thing that prevented me from doing many of such activities is the obvious time crunch.

When Russ and Mike circulates invites for pre weekend drinks at Lan Kwai Fong or CFC¡¦s activities on any given Sunday I often find myself entwined with other things like overtime weekend work, meeting a ¡§kababayan¡¨ or worse, laying in bed recuperating from an ailment.

Nevertheless, while I am still in this place, I still look forward to experiencing worthwhile weekend activities:

Jamming with Jay and Kuya Mer. This is one of the things I always wanted to do. Jay and Kuya Mer are musician extraordinaire. Jay can play guitar, Kuya Mer does the keyboards, Chito does the piano, maybe Eric will take the bass guitar. I will play the drums. We can sing songs of America, Third Eye Blind, U2, True Faith, RiverMaya, Eraserheads, among others. Of course the girls can join and sing songs of the Cranberries, Barbie Almalbis and Color it Red.

Hear Mass en masse. I have been into three generations of Sunday mass companions. First there were Onin, Leo and Raymond. Then came Karen, Benjie and Narnie/Girlie. Then with Jun. Now I am alone. While I should feel alone in Mass whoever is with me. The thing is that after Mass, I am unsure where to go: eat at Yoshinoya, listen to new songs at HMV or go home and cook some noodles.

Play volleyball, barbecue, karaoke or go biking with colleagues. Same as my peers at PhilWeb, many of my colleagues at Ion Global are mostly singles and have plenty of time at their hands. We do organize basketball or table tennis games at Victoria Park on Thursdays but the time is too limited or the court is filled up.

Watch a real movie shooting in Kowloon Tong or in Central. One goal that I did not really pursue seriously is to see Jackie Chan in person. Not that I am a big fan of him; I am not even watching karate movies. Just wondering how his aged legs perform such camera-defying stunts in the past on those generic good-guy movie flicks over the streets of Wan Chai and Des Voeux Road West which look more of Hong Kong of old.

Walk up stairs leading to the viewing dock of ifc 2. I think I am afraid of heights and I don't know why because our 34th storey office location is not high enough to gauge it. Yeah, walk and not take the elevator. It could be equivalent to a portion of trekking the mighty Everest.

at daytime it looks like this one

Bus rides through Tai Tam, Stanley, Repulse Bay, Pokfulam, Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai. Traveling over Hong Kong's interior as well as the coastal roads is a great experience. Firstly, buses are comfortable up and down and drivers are not too selfish to blow the air conditioning units on hot summer days.

Tram ride from Shaukeiwan to Kennedy Town. It takes two hours to travel about one-fourths of the circumference of Hong Kong island through the age-old trams of Hongkong Tramways. Used more of a novelty heritage than an ordinary means of transportation in this efficient metropolis. From the northwest is the image of 60s Hong Kong where a bastion of dried seafood wholesalers and retailers thrive and buildings are not as high as those in most other areas such as Hung Hom and Tai Koo Shing.

Spending the night with someone. I always imagine this. Assuming I am with someone, we sit at Tsim Sha Tsui's promenade as we gaze at the fireworks at 8 o'clock in the evening. We take the ferry to Wan Chai and dine in at one of the elegant Japanese restaurants in the area. We take a fairy tale walk in Hong Kong Park, the oasis of the city. We bargain items at Temple Street and have a drink overlooking at the harbour. How I wish this weekend won't end.

Too bad a weekend consists only of two days. Worse, that someone is not even there.

Google Talk

2005-08-25T12:09:00.000+08:00

When I announced the launch of Google Talk at our office Intranet, nobody seemed to comment on it and I was less surprised with the lack of attention. Perhaps people in the office are aware that the latest messenger service to be offered in the market pales in comparison with the rest of the leading pack such as AOL Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger and ICQ.

I learned that this product does not provide the usual bells and whistles of an instant messenger tool: SMS capability, teleconference chats, search boxes and file sharing. After all, who could expect a little program less than 1 megabyte in size to cover such features?

Not everyone can use this as well. Someone must have Google Mail account to activate this service. Justifiably this is intended to curb the abuse of unscrupulous individuals who could manipulate Google Talk into a spam machine.

It is unusually under-hyped compared to other Google product offers launched in the past (think of Google Desktop Search, Sitemaps and Google Earth). Was this intentionally planned? I bet it is.

With Google’s capability to innovate things it’s not difficult for it to provide features that are deemed out of this world at this time. (By the way look at this). Therefore it will not surprising to see later versions of Google Talk overwhelm the competition with unique features. Remember, this release is its first.

Wowowie

2005-08-23T19:48:00.000+08:00

I was in high school in Holy Cross as freshman when I knew her as a Senior. While not much memory was recorded about it, she was already gaining popularity owing to powerful personality.

Wowie Satorre's ageless finesse in the pitch earned her one more championship belt just recently in the National Women's Football Championship in Davao City. A national MVP a couple of times, she is a force to reckon with in the Philippine football scene.

Do not ask me how far below we are ranked in the world. No thanks to the government of the republic of the Philippines, football has been relegated as a secondary sport even if it is the world's most popular game. In the Olympics, Asiad or SEA Games it takes eleven uniformed athletes to win a medal as opposed to swimming, gymnastics or track and field where individuals win multiple medals. Maybe this is the philosophy of Philippine Olympic Committee insofar as 'high-maintenance' sports are concerned. But same with basketball, whose leadership crisis has dragged us deeper into the wasteland.

As I remember before, Wowie was an all around athlete in the only Intramurals we both joined (she had to graduate that year): dodgeball, softball, banner relay, etc. She is so athletic that her brother who was my scoutmaster pales in comparison in physical agility.

Already in her thirties, I hope Wowie continues to make the country proud in the sport she dominates.

One Year Ago..

2005-08-20T18:23:00.000+08:00

This is gonna be the third in a streak of short blog entries. I felt compelled to update it only on weekends and today is a Saturday and I haven't got a good topic to start with.*

One thing I remember though. It's been a year since Jacqueline left the company and I still miss her presence in the office.

Rain has been keeping Hong Kong people at bay during weekdays and weekends.

I have been using Blogger's add-on for Microsoft Word which makes blogging easier without having to login to the Blogger Dashboard.

* I have seven pending/unfinished entries in ewctwentyone, including the so-called "anniversary blog".

ESPN NBA Blog

2005-08-20T09:50:00.000+08:00

I am just disappointed why ESPN NBA Blogs have to be in the Insider. Featuring Chris Broussard and Chad Ford, non-paying former Insiders like me won't be able to read this so called blog. Do they properly know the definition of this word?

New Blogs

2005-08-16T22:02:00.000+08:00

I have a penchant to write lots of blogs instead of talking about them to my friends here in Hong Kong. That's because I don't have a lot of time to do so.

I have created a few more blogs that will keep me busy:

http://seo-stuff.blogspot.com
My blog for Search Engine Optimization stuff

http://hongkong-life.blogspot.com
A dedicated blog about my life here in Hong Kong

I made a few entries since the weekend.

I still do not know who are consistently reading my blogs. If you are, please send me an e-mail at ewctwentyone@yahoo.com.

Thank you.

Filipina Cooking

2005-08-15T09:43:00.000+08:00

As I mentioned before, Filipinos always take pride of the achievements of fellowmen in any aspect, wherever they may be in the world. Since we can't be proud of our President and the Philippine Congress, we resort to honest taxi drivers, Math wizards and Broadway performers who can trace themselves as Filipinos, as source of pride.

The feat of Cristeta Comerford (you can tell her name is half Filipino and half foreigner) is something that Filipinos should be proud of. Being the first woman chef of White House, catering to world dignitaries is not a small matter.

Just asking again, if Filipinos/Filipinas can be good cooks and chefs, how come I seldom see any Filipino restaurant among the 10,000 eating places here in Hong Kong?

Next stop, photo op of Mrs Comerford with the President (of the Philippines).

Having Fun at Wikipedia Cebuano

2005-08-14T19:36:00.000+08:00

One thing I am interested on is contributing to the Wikipedia Cebuano language. It's nice to read Cebuano over the Internet. I grew up in Davao City therefore speak the dialect fluently. But even with that fact, I find our Cebuano tongue in Davao is slightly Tagalized and less deep than those spoken in Cebu.

Nevertheless, I can understand the words no often spoken on my conversations with friends, but are still often heard in the radio and read in newspapers.

Wikipedia needs Cebuano editors and I am trying to offer my time and talent in this endeavor.

Dili lang ko sigurado kung unsaon pagbuhat ug bag o nga topic mao nga kinahanglan gyud magtuon pinaagi sa pagbisita sa website sa Wikipedia matag karon ug unya.

Keane's Music

2005-08-13T02:54:00.000+08:00

I'd like to personally recommend rock band Keane's album Hopes and Fears. While I haven't spent much time doing the reviews, I feel this album is the best since being overwhelmed by Sarah Mclachlan's Afterglow album released a year ago.

The wails of Tom Chaplin hits me on the spot on songs such as This is the Last Time and Bend and Break. Their melody is comparable to Radiohead and Coldplay but has its own creative identity. Bass and keyboards combination works well in this three-man band.

I can't remember owning an album that I love listening to all the songs. This is an exception. While 'Everybody's Changing', 'Bend and Break' and 'This is the Last Time' are regulars in many rock alternative playlists, my emerging favorite is the unorthodoxy 'Untitled 1' track.

Hopefully I made a convincing case. Try listening to Keane and if you like the songs, we share one more common interest.

Song of the season: My My My (Rob Thomas)

The Pains of a Domestic Helper

2005-08-11T12:37:00.000+08:00

We had our usual Christian Life Program last night at Catholic Centre. And since the venue we had also shares the same office with the Migrant Filipino Workers, we occasionally have other visitors apart from our participants.

Last night was no different. This time it was one Filipina who has cut short her contract because she is suffering from ulcer and cannot handle her job as domestic helper any longer. She often lays in bed and is therefore unable to fulfill duties to her employers.

This is the bitter fact of life to some of our domestic helpers in Hong Kong. They spend large amount of money to pay for employment agencies, only to be subjected to work more than 12 hours a day and worse, unfair treatment from employers. This woman was never properly fed during her few months stay. Her Chinese employers must have thought she is a robot; robots themselves have to be fine tuned and are therefore not invincible.

When this woman started to speak in Cebuano dialect, I immediately jumped into the same line asking, "Asa man ka sa atoa?" (Where are you in our land?) She told me she is from Guindulman, Bohol. Both my parents hail from this province, used to be known for backward economy but now saw the promise of eco-tourism. I was only 11 when I last went there but I can recall how tough life there is. As in many remote places in the Philippines, there is much poverty that I am always moved by the sight of them. If I extended help to children in China or the hungry in Sudan, I should help my fellow men as well.

She did not seem to feel in pain, and even conversed with smiles in her distinctive Boholano accent. She must be excited to see her children back home. It was a relief to know she paid her debts while working here in Hong Kong. She would have wanted to stay further and work to earn for her family. Her stomach pain said otherwise.

I feel terrible when I hear these stories. I know I do not need to be wealthy enough to offer help.

At the same time I immediately say a prayer of thanks I have a job and I am healthy.

Farewell Mr Roco

2005-08-06T13:49:00.000+08:00

We lost another losing Presidential candidate in the 2004 elections.

After Fernando Poe Jr, it's now Raul Roco turn to die.

Looking back, I voted for Alfredo Lim in 1998 elections because, apart from the fact that we shared the same birthday, he was credible enough to lead by example. His leadership in the NBI and as Mayor of Manila made me conclude about his capacity. But he lost to Erap and Jose de Venecia.

Now when Erap was ousted in favor of Gloria Arroyo in 2001, I felt there was no chance for Fred Lim to make a comeback. Thus I had a new candidate to consider: "Roco sa Cuatro (Roco in 2004)". That's the exact phrase I remembered as I was on my way home from the rally in Edsa.

He indeed ran again for President but lost to the incumbent. I admit many Filipinos vote based on popularity than qualification, that is why despite his credentials in passing laws such as Anti-Sexual Harassment Law, Child and Family Courts Act, abolition of double taxation for OFWs, liberalization of local banking system by strengthening the existence of thrift banks and the Study Now Pay Later educational plan.

Too bad he is gone. He could be the best President we never had.

Embarrassing Web Sites of Davao Schools

2005-08-06T08:36:00.000+08:00

I used to manage the University of the Immaculate Conception (www.uic.edu.ph) website back in the time when appearance is everything in Davao's web development lifestyle. It was the time when having Flash animation in the front page is almost a ticket to a web award. It was also the time when usability and critical analysis of visitor's page trail wasn't a major issue. (I remember it was the time when former colleagues who are Ateneo de Davao Computer Science graduates forgot if the suffix in the URL's "http" header is back slash or forward slash)

Several years since I relinquished the job to Richard Base, I feel that there is not much change taking place, looking at Davao's distinguished universities, a model and driving force in pacing technology. After all, technology taught in these schools must be updated constantly and refer to books only for theories and definitions.

I took time to visit some of the web sites before and even came up with a personal ranking of Philippine university websites in 2003. I must say that Davao City does is home to many embarrassing college web sites.

Lack of direction, infrequent update, misspelled words, poor color choice (red over gray?) and atrocious navigation are the most obvious items one can point out.

Take a look:

1. Holy Cross of Davao College (www.hcdc.edu.ph)
* Very colorful that I am reminded of those filthy Smart and Globe banners on any street in the Philippines. "Colorful" is a subtle bashing to HCDC designers. An example of site with color choice. But at least this site is a little better than most of Davao's school sites because of its rich text.

2. University of Mindanao (www.umindanao.edu.ph)
* I used to see this site as the best among Davao's school websites (except when Richard handled UIC's site) since I moved out of Davao City. Decent frequency of page updates. But the last time I saw it, it's a black site with infinite loop, drawing the visitor hypnotized to the blackhole leading to nowhere. Not much to say but I am dropping that recognition.

3. San Pedro College (www.spcnet.edu.ph)
* Operation time out was the error I got when loading the page (and trying to redirect it to an IP address instead of a valid html page). Very basic yet too boring to look at, photo quality is very poor. I hope to find something worth praising soon.

4. Ateneo De Davao University (www.addu.edu.ph)
* Among the revered Ateneo schools, this one has the most shameful website to offer. Old "news" items and those questionable ("?") characters present when viewed in Firefox are something you can notice for a website whose background isn't truly identifiable as Ateneo's very own.

5. University of Immaculate Conception (www.uic.edu.ph)
* I hate the pink color; it competes those female-oriented websites in Manila. The content quality is fair, though many articles are written in superlatives they don't deserve. New content is added and the webmaster is too lazy to remove the old ones. (The headline is about a news that happened 8 months ago) The guestbook is haven for publicity-hungry mammals. Without bias as former webmaster of this site, it's one of the "best" the city has to offer.

6. Davao Doctors College (www.davaodoctors.edu.ph)
* I almost picked this as the best, even better than USEP, but looking at their homepage through Firefox, I had to withdraw the claim. A little fine tuning should catapult this site to the top, thereby shaming those universities who continue to maintain incompetent -- if not too inexperienced -- web developers and designers.

7. University of Southeastern Philippines (www.usep.edu.ph)
* This time it's my pick as the best in Davao. Noisy, unnecessary Flash buttons and inconsistent page header are drawbacks but I think this school has one of the better experienced web crew. Congrats.

8. Davao Medical School Foundation (www.dmsf.edu.ph)
* Decent website established through the years, with thinking webmasters not too busy to spend time analyzing what needs to be done. I assume this site ranks well in search engines. Perhaps the web design factor is a bigger issue why I can't pick this
site as superior. Images are not of good quality especially the menu graphics.

To other schools I can't rate, there are a variety of reasons
* I don't know if Rizal Memorial Colleges has a website
* Philippine Womens College of Davao (http://www.pwu.edu.ph/pwcdavao/main.html) is probably done in Manila and therefore is not Davao's pride.
* I don't know if there are new schools sprouting in Davao. It used to be technical schools in the past, now I believe it must be Nursing schools.

In comparison, look at the sites from other cities I admire because of the neat layout, visitor-friendly, despite some items which can be improved.

Compare them to Davao's best: http://www.usep.edu.ph

Cagayan De Oro: http://webserver.cc.xu.edu.ph/xuonline/index.html
Cagayan De Oro: http://www.ldcu.edu.ph
Manila: http://www.mapua.edu.ph
Manila: http://www.dlsu.edu.ph
Manila: http://www.letran.edu
Manila: http://www.dbtc.edu.ph
Cebu: http://www.universityofcebu.edu.ph
Zamboanga: http://www.wmsu.edu.ph
Koronadal: http://www.ndmu.edu.ph
Tuguegarao: http://www.spu.edu.ph

A message to Peter Laviña

2005-08-01T00:13:00.000+08:00

Peter Laviña is a Davao City councilor who opposes the national ID system. I do not know if he is a traditional politician but in this blog I would like to explain him that his argument about ID system is flawed and is apparently along the lines of a traditional politician.

Dear Mr Laviña,

First of all, I hope Davao City council is alive and well. It's been some time since I left the city and has missed the daily musings and debates in the session halls as seen on television and personified by radio broadcasters. Bad English and unexplainable idiomatic expressions may be sprinkled in an otherwise serene deliberation, my respect still prevails over our local lawmakers, as much as we do respect the judges and of course the Mayor.

I would like to react again to your statement about national ID system and terrorism bill. First of all, the two don't complement and must never be treated that one stands in place of the other. Now we don't have terrorism bill and National ID. But we can have them both implemented.

How many times have you heard from people around the world (Filipinos if you will) that National ID system works and your mind should never be confided with an imagination that ID system will invade privacy and a threat to civil liberties.

Are you hiding something?

I live in Hong Kong where ID system is embraced by everyone. Now upgrading to Smart ID, most people's cards are now becoming more useful than ever. Transacting through post, bank, telephone bills, housing loans and claiming prizes, the Hong Kong ID is used with ease.

Do you like your wallet to be thick with Driver's License, Voter's ID, SSS, Pag IBIG, government ID, Philhealth, Credit Card and other freebies cards?

If so, then you are more vulnerable to scumbags plying their trade of snatching, robbing and misleading everyday all year round in search for that fat wallet. A national ID will encompass almost everything listed above and will consistently be a proof of identity.

Perhaps you have a point in showing that the National ID is a wrong concept, but the issue becomes the people who implement this system rather than the National ID system itself. As we say that if Gloria Arroyo is to step down from her post, nobody else is deserving to be in the top post. Same as in the ID system where even if the purpose is good, if the implementors have tainted records of human rights violations, then its our instinct to suspect anybody who will try to enforce the system.

I am tired of hearing people whine over many things, yet are not receptive to having changes take place. If there is something wrong with anything, then it's time to implement other methods to make it work. Otherwise, we'll never go anywhere.

Are you this type of person?

Should I be in Davao, I hope we can talk and exchange good ideas.

Regards,
Elmer

The Horrors of Africa Should Not Happen Again

2005-07-30T20:43:00.000+08:00

It's a rainy Hong Kong day prompted me to stay home and scan my television for any interesting programs. As I only had a handful of free channels on top of my subscription of ESPN, BBC and Star Sports, I had few options and almost half of them are broadcast in Cantonese. I picked BBC because sports channels have been filled with those boring golf tournament coverages.

I found myself watching the horrors of poverty in Africa that triggered the dramatic act dubbed as the biggest concert ever held in history. It was 1984 that the starvation in Ethiopia moved Boomtown Rats vocalist Bob Geldof to appeal to fellow artists in encouraging people to show support by donating funds. In return U2, Spandau Ballet, Madonna, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Sting and many others performed trans Atlantic and generated millions of dollars in the project called Live Aid.

What I discovered was that there was a time in Europe that crops stored in European Economic Community's Belgium warehouses were rotting while Ethiopians have nothing to eat. Geldof confronted Margaret Thatcher and asked why this is happening. Indeed, poverty is a total human embarrassment when people should not be left starving to death in a world not yet in ultimate need of food that struggle to buy has become a challenge.

What is touching is that one dying little girl who was randomly picked by a Red Cross volunteer grew up to be a lovely lady and even went in front of the crowd during Madonna's performance to remember that momentous event 20 years ago. The Red Cross volunteer would even considered her superhuman effort analogous to the Auschwitz camps of the invading Germans in World War II when prisoners are picked up for execution. In Ethiopia, children had to be picked for medication since there is scarcity of supplies. Weaker children are not picked "because they will eventually die" and the healthiest in the pack becomes the luckiest as well. Too bad.

I also watched the movie "Hotel Rwanda" where I thought Don Cheadle performed an award-winning role as a hotel manager in time of the massive genocide that took place during the last decade of the millenium. As it's also a true story, I now come to realize how greed and indifference can cause destruction of unimaginable proportions. It is believed that about a million men, women and children of Tutsi and Hutu tribes perished in Rwanda in 1994. I was in college at the time tired of hearing the news about the death of thousands in a process called ethnic cleansing. (In a lesser number but of equal importance, the news about US troops killed in suicide bombers, car bombs and ambushes in Iraq is also a boring news but sooner than later I will realize the evils of war)

Why does Africa have to suffer this fate? People there are mostly poor and underprivileged. While the rich and famous are enjoying their fortunes in their luxury yachts in the Caribbean or burning their crisp bills in Las Vegas, these human beings in their think skeletal frame, begging for bread crumbs, almost unable to speak. And as this article is being prepared and as you are reading this blog, people there are dying. Niger and Sudan becomes the latest countries afflicted by this starvation curse. Diseases as cause of their death is an understatement.

It's a world far from being perfect. And I believe it's designed to work that way.

Remembering my Clark experience Part 2

2005-07-30T16:15:00.000+08:00

When I was inside the wide sprawling green landscape, I always come to think America is such a rich country that even in territories it can't call its own, the facilities are above par. Surely, there are areas in the United States that are less appealing than Clark Development. I can see the greeneries of Mimosa Estates where very important people play their leisurely game of golf. On the far end is an airstrip (or was it the Diosdado Macapagal Airport?)

Finally I came to the described place by Toto, and less than two minutes, he emerged from somewhere and for the first time since graduation, I met my friend. As the interview will happen in the afternoon, we had time to reminisce college days with much fun: being chased by drunken retards at a hangout near the campus, my relentless pursuing of a classmate whom Toto served as a part-time "bridge", our days programming Assembly Language and welding components from dusk till dawn. (How I wish I get to talk to many of my high school, grade school and college friends at least once a month and have a hearty conversation, than be on my own most of the time in Hong Kong)

He lives in a staffhouse, a neat housing provided by the company to programmers and developers mostly from Manila and other provinces. In contrast to the crowded and chaotic Manila, Clark is where minds of geeks sensitive to noise would probably work best. Even much better than my work place at the time (I was employed at a University located next to Davao City's biggest wet market). There is a place for basketball, table tennis, plenty of space for football, test driving and anything that requires ample workspace.

While looking at the place, assuming I got the offer and took the job, I imagined how quick will I be able to adjust working away from my family for the first time. First I would have freedom to build up myself. Do the cooking, budget my salary, manage my time, etc. I would have to travel by plane for an hour and half plus three hour bus ride instead of having to ride an hour's worth of jeepney trip from UIC to home. I'd guess that's not as bad as those who work in the middle of the desert, separated not just hundreds or thousands of miles away but also four timezones away. Those who come home to their families once every three years. It must have driven me insane.

I should not backtrack. Afterall, before I took the flight I kinda thought I should pursue this, Clark or Singapore.

It's noontime and I am hungry; the early meal I had in Dau did not help much. I am still wary of eating on roadside canteens. It's not mainly on sanitation, it's more on my sensitive stomach. Toto was still on work; he must have took an hour off to meet and talk to me.

The working period is based on honesty. You come on time and you leave on time. No bells to signify it's time to get your share of meal at the school canteen, nor be reminded that recess is only for grade school and high school students.

A little later, I was called for the interview.

After looking around, I told myself I was more interested in living here, not working. I'd still feel more like a worker if I join the labor masses waiting in queue for a ride to the "sweat shops" and hang out for a drink on Friday nights.

Don't get me wrong, but entertainment wise, there's a plethora of drinking pubs in the vicinity. However, as I am not too passionate going out on Friday nights, the facility does not mean too much.

Harry Quiambao was in the office when I came in. I did not look too interviewee looking with my casual outfit and he did not mind it. We talked more about psychologically challenging topics rather than skill measurement. It was because I would be talking to the project managers in a panel discussion.

There were three people asking a variety of technical questions from interest in the web to the upcoming Millenium Bug problem. I told them I want to be part of history as an aspiring Cobol programmer trying to code as time shrinks to the last 8 months or so before Y2K was thought to jam air traffic, disrupt banking systems and render remote controls useless.

It was a rhetoric I used to jokingly impress them which I thought I never succeeded; I was told two months later that hiring has frozen because the company never got the deal with a big government project.

Remembering my Clark experience Part I

2005-07-26T00:23:00.000+08:00

It was late February or early March in 1999, I can't remember the exact date. But thanks to my old reliable buddy Ronald, I get to post one of the memorable past as a jobhunter. It was the time when I also got the chance to travel far from home (the farthest yet at that time).

I wanted to be independent and challenged myself to be one. At 23, I must be prepared for it. (Listens to the song "Paalam: ..biente dos años na ako, kaya ko na mamuhay ng solo"). After all, what can a 29 year old do that a 21 year old can't. At ComCen, I got an e-mail from a certain Harry Quiambao asking me to come to SVI's Clark Office for a personal interview.

With Toto's invitation I was ready to go to Central Luzon's Angeles City, a place whose physical structure1s still bring memories of the American servicemen's heyday in the 80's.

I took Air Philippines flight for Manila with just my brother's small backpack and wild imaginations in my mind. Knowing Manila's chaotic, frenetic pace, I must be in for some adventure.

I was partial to being an adventurist, as many would-be thrill seekers end up in miserable situations. Home to many rude taxi drivers and inconsiderate citizens, a less witty visitor can often find himself duped, misled or worse, robbed. In contrary, Davao's taxi drivers are mostly corteous that I can't imagine how others still end up killed by robbers.

But to be fair with the other side of Manila, the place is haven for many things: variety of food, thrill rides, bargains, almost endless gigs in the metropolis and beautiful people.

Fellow college batchmate Raul has been working with BIR and later SUN Microsystems is often the caretaker of his "provincemate" visitors. I had to be amazed how he handles things in this city where traffic is a menace, tap water is rarely safe for drinking (when available from the faucet) and typhoons are never experienced in Davao. He manages to stay on the road late at night and wakes up early in the morning to beat the morning rush hour.

It was my first stay in Manila since our Tour '96 - the happiest days of my life. Being a newcomer once more, I get to see many things I only see on television: the MRT, jeepneys plying to places already familiar in the silver screen: Cubao, Quiapo, Kalentong and University Belt, people speaking the natural Tagalog accent; Davao's coños still sound too crude when speaking the National Language.

Raul's staffhouse is a microcosm of modern Manila's yuppy lifestyle: a housemate stuck on the phone, managing to wave hi to us; another one was in front of the television while poring over the latest tech gadget. There are clothes beside the refrigerator and the kitchen's little table was neatly divided into sections where each of the occupant places his proprietory bread, strawberry jam, cans of corned beef and a few Pringles tubes. They sleep late and wake up early on weekdays and I guess they stay in bed until 11am or later on Saturdays.

The next day I will be in Angeles aboard Victory Liner in which I will make a stop in Dau and take a jeepney to Clark Gate. After I woke up early in his beeper's ring, Raul and I did not spend an hour before going out of the house before 7am. I felt awkward as I am not used to skip breakfast. After Raul wished me well for the trip and interview, I was mixed with nostalgia and nervousness inside the bus. It was just three years ago when I was with the noisy college friends who couldn't care what the world would say as long as we have fun on this very road. I was anxious of getting the job and giving myself a break to the real world of laborers, where morning's are more challenging than singing the same alma mater song I first sang some seven years ago.

The road was less bumpy and the ride was comfortable. When I reached the mouth of the wide CDC compound, I had no idea how I can come in as the guards required company ideas of tenant companies. I pretended to be one and got away. The bus ride featured a rather patriotic song of Gary Valenciano about Pampanga.

Anything wrong with Tagalog?

2005-07-24T20:18:00.000+08:00

Sometimes I hear Mass at St Joseph Church in Central at 4pm on Sundays. This is celebrated in Tagalog and obviously Filipinos dominate the attendance and a Filipino priest will officiate it. I used to skip this schedule since I felt out of place by virtue of being outnumbered by the opposite sex. But I realized it's no longer an issue because I don't go to Mass and measure the ratio between men and women.

I admit I can't memorize the Apostles Creed in Tagalog; I grew up in a Mass officiated in English and Cebuano. But there's no problem comprehending the meaning at all. The homily is very well delivered by either Father Midas or Father Emil. The choir rendition is excellent. And unlike the 6pm Mass, ushers are willing to help you locate a vacant seat when available.

But a few of my friends here prefer to attend English Masses. The reason is that Tagalog is a little 'too deep'. I came to think of it. It's ironic*. When we talk in Tagalog, it's usually the Manila-based friends who come to frown/smile/feel puzzled when a term is inserted in a sentence (something I have often heard in my Filipino class with Ma'am Alejandro or Ma'am Carongay during my grade school/high school years).

As a Cebuano speaker by default, I have had those experiences when arguing is a pain because my accent is terrible and feels very promdi.

Although it's a fact that English is deteriorating in the Philippines as shown in difficulty of recruiting call center agents who speak fluent English and compose grammatically sound sentences, (As a sidebar, I felt embarrassed because our CLP poster's teaser is grammatically wrong. How many of my blog entries and SFC/Batch97 articles fall into the same category? Anyway, thanks to Junjun for pointing the mistake.) Tagalog may also be one of the languages whose principal speakers find it difficult to use. Pinoys would use 'sakit' rather than 'karamdaman' (sickness), and often substitute Filipino words with English thus the birth of Taglish language (maybe distant relative of Singlish in Singapore), the essential element of a coño culture.

Many congressmen and national leaders deliver their speeches proudly in English, often misprunouncing words to the chagrin of the press and often landing on Nestor Torre's Boob Tube Boo Boos at INQ7.

Or one tribal leader in the South who want to unite four languages/dialects by using them all in one speech.

The point I want to drive my blog is that we must not be hypocrite towards speaking/not speaking/using/not using our native tongue. And as I say this, even before I start studying Japanese from Gloria's book, I want to make sure I am well-versed with the Tagalog, English and Cebuano first.

* In the movie Reality Bites, Wynona Ryder was asked about the meaning of the word 'ironic' in a job interview and she failed. To a castaway like Ethan Hawke, defining the word was a breeze, when asked in the middle of a coffee talk. I somehow relate this scene to the entire situation I am talking about.

What if

2005-07-24T00:11:00.000+08:00

Okay, this is not an article asking what if Steve Nash, NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player, is a Filipino.

Since I am a Filipino, and the hottest topic in the country now is about the impending impeachment, whether it will push through or not, and all the scandals surrounding the impending state of the nation address by President Arroyo.

Obviously this is a game running in circles, a gulong ng palad charade wherein when ex President Estrada was the leader of the country, his subordinates were lording over the opposition and the by the time Arroyo became the President, her subordinates took advantage of the situation. This bickering will never end, which always worry me, for many reasons.

Recently, London has been rocked by a couple of explosions in two weeks, proving that certainly a country's superpower status won't mean it's safe from terrorism; I don't know of a fight where guerillas were ultimately wiped out (see Hukbalahap, Viet Cong, Khmer Rouge, etc). Within the last 24 hours, another set of bombs detonated in Egypt where tourists and locals were among the dead. Looking back, there were bombs in Bali, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and in Manila's LRT system. A common denominator among these locations is that they belong to countries who wage war against terrorism.

What if another bombing is being planned in Manila, where crowds of people are a norm during rallies and demonstrations? One thing could lead to another but I suspect initially that if the victims were pro-GMA, the blame will be against the opposition and vice versa. While the police is busy waging its own battle against students and militant groups performing mass actions, another group may be on its way to trigger another disaster that will cost lives.

We need to be united. Experience will prove disasters unite us. But do we have to wait for a deadly bomb to explode in a crowded Manila street to get the government and critics unite? It's difficult to get away with the current situation but have a think of what might happen if my fears will come true.

From Horny to Viewy

2005-07-23T13:02:00.000+08:00

Microsoft recently announced a name change of its long-anticipated product line for its operating system release. Long dubbed with a code name Longhorn, it will now be officially known as 'Windows Vista'.

While the whole product will be launched in 2006, the beta version will be released in early August. Probably to have a sneak preview of what it offers and dispel critics of the notoriety of Windows as a security-deprived product, plus graphic enhancements and computing over the web. The release will be five years after the first version of Windows XP went to market in late 2001.

Despite the promising descriptions seen in the Microsoft video shown in the announcement as 'Clear. Confident. Connected', the claim remains a hypothesis until we actually get our hands on it and personally echo the statement. By then we hope the 3C's won't be 'Cluttered. Creepy. Combustible'.

Recommending "Intranet Login for Dummies"

2005-07-22T19:49:00.000+08:00

After using our custom-made Intranet system in the office for more than two years, we launched our Sharepoint Intranet today.

Historically, the old version was built primarily to connect officemates opting to work remotely, usually at home, during the SARS crisis in Hong Kong. The benefit was obvious as a coordination among project managers, programmers and designers were somehow visible in there. Of course, one should update his entry/blog to keep track of current projects, vacation leaves or other interesting topics such as websites to visit, movies to watch and book reviews.

I liked the old one despite the limitation in what it offers. After all, it's the first Intranet system I had where my entry is read by everyone. When I was in PCCW I don't remember having to input my thoughts and ideas.

As the two companies merged to become one big interactive agency, the need for more coordination was essential and necessary. The need to facilitate workload, annual leaves, client meetings and use of laptops and boardroom bookings must come in unison.

Well, going back to that new Sharpoint intranet system, everyone was excited I guess. At least twenty more bloggers will be added in the list and updates should come all throughout the day. Previously, I can pick Marco, Angela, Marcus, Ginny and Henry the bloggers whose frequency to update their entries range from often to ocassional. I do mine about five times a month and do it in spurts.

As we got the details for logging in today, everyone was expected to log in and have a feel for the new environment. Personally I still preferred the old one at this point probably because of the features I usually refer to such as the china.com stock price, weather forecast, clickz and wired online feeds.

We use our names to log in as instructed. But someone in the office literally logged in using "firstname.lastname" and not say, "peter.wong" or "kitty.chui". Historically, it becomes the first sensational story of the new blog system. Although I was a bit taken back on making fun of that colleague, the others kept on making fun of her/him that I myself had to join the fun albeit cautious about it. It is not so funny to me but perhaps the fact that we belong to an IT company makes this colleague look like a dummy.

For fun, I would like to recommend an imaginary book from the Dummies Series. This publisher was bashed years ago with insults and pranks that the "Dummies" books won't sell. Look now, they are becoming best sellers of their honest to goodness approach in their instructional materials whose scope has a wide range from marketing to mototcycling, from indian cooking to italian language.

This book is called "Intranet Login for Dummies". It's widely available at Paddyfield or Dymocs locally or you can order used copies at Amazon.

You can find on page 126 on Chapter 7 the instruction on how to login to intranet, part a is for office workers, part b is for geeks, part c is for CEOs and managerial people. Furthermore, if the software complexity is the issue, turn to the next page and you will see a neat list of products and a detailed login instruction. Tips on how to keep your password secret (even if it's absolutely not), choice of avatars, hot topics worth posting (never post something about your chihuahua's eating habits) and other ideas that will make you the most popular blog artist without having to humble yourself. Kidding. Nonsense. Sorry.

There are times when no matter how simple things we're told to do, our minds get blocked out for a few moments and doing such thing becomes a challenge rather than a chore. So I am careful about it. We do make mistakes, but while we make fun of such mistakes, we better watch out we don't repeat it ourselves or next time we become the poster model for the book called "E-mail for Dummies", "Using the Microwave Oven for Dummies", "Calculator for Dummies" or "Washroom for Dummies".

Why The Face

2005-07-15T03:15:00.000+08:00

Why does President Arroyo fond of putting her face in the public? Is it not enough to be a President to be recognized throughout the country?

It's not unusual to see construction projects by Public Works Department that displays her giant face, along with an equally obstructing local official if the purpose is to show how much the project costs and when will it be finished and what's the project all about. I wonder if the painting (or printing) would be better off used to paint public schools (or print textbooks).

Now look at MRT. She has the guts to put her face (or at least allow people heading the MRTA) on tickets. Same with Erap. These publicity-hungry leaders (including senators, mayors and congressmen) are more of show off (prefers to meet successful Fil-foreigners than to buckle off for work). Not too bad if you see George W Bush meets the NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs. Nothing wrong it seems, huh.

Now her face is almost scratched off from the tickets mainly because it's been longer used than that of Erap. And when MRT switched to the underused Erap tickets, Malacanang frowns. Well, Erap is not the President and does not deserve to appear in any of the publicly-owned establishments and utilities. But who the hell started it all. If GMA loses the impeachment trial and will have Noli de Castro take over, so print another ticket with Kabayan's photo? What a stupid idea. Naghangad ng kagitna, isang salop ang nawala.

Was it Fidel Ramos who initiated this "poster boy" trend? Maybe I was too young then, but I can't remember seeing Marcos and Cory did it. Correct me if I am wrong.

I read a forwarded e-mail message about the trouble these "squatters" are doing. Yes, they are promised 100 to 300 pesos to join the rally and are picked up by hired jeepneys from their shanties. They shout obscenities that the government is not working to uplift their lives. And in the e-mail I read in caps that these people don't pay tax and yet are the number one who complain. I see it as a partly valid point. Partly because, yes, they litter the roads with unwanted propaganda materials after the rally, don't seem to understand how government tried to help some of them (I heard about houses built by the government for some "squatters" not well maintained or worse, sold or leased out while the "squatters" went back to their "riles" homes, where they're more comfortable as it appears), yet provide no contribution to the country's tax collection efforts (okay, they partly pay in the form of increased prices on various VAT commodities).

But if you were in their shoes, it would be unusual to see yourself do the same. Can you just sit down and wait if you think help is not coming even to those who beg? It's somewhat a message of an insensitive person who is fed up seeing these rallies and demonstrations through the years and we got nothing but trouble. It's a matter of understanding and not sticking to one's principle and insisting it is correct. Why not the leaders of Makati Business Club meet leaders of Baseco and sort out things with less government participation. The Arroyo administration is too weak to tackle the recent scandals. Maybe not so possible because of unreconcilable differences (read: levels of understanding would not meet). I wish they will try. Or any movement that will truly promote everyone's welfare. Bayan and Migrante often utter words against the government and less praise to the government's effort (no matter how half-baked it is), regardless who is the President so I call them not so useful.

We can make a change for the better. What's bad is that we have our pride and we cannot afford to give way to others' ideas even if they are clearly correct.

Stop nepotism and government's apparent penchant for hiring unsuitable officials. Special mention to Gloria Arroyo who appoints these type of people because she owed them something in the past. You are not managing just a family, you are running a nation.

One more thing I read at Philstar: According to Raul Gonzales, FPJ does not deserve to be a President that's why God took him. Can we have a Justice Secretary whose uncalled for remarks further tarnish the government's image. That's the last thing we need in the President's Cabinet members. I pair Gonzales with Ignacio Bunye as the most undesirable officials (who keep on talking without thinking at least twice what they're gonna say).

And Barbie's Cradle Becomes A History

2005-07-13T22:16:00.000+08:00

As I recall their music from my MD, from Hungry Young Poets to Barbie's Cradle, Barbie Almalbis never loses touch of the way she plays her music. And after eight years spending with bandmates, this time she prefers to stay solo and unobstructed. She may be changing manager but probably not the triumphant progressive folk music she often refers to the type of genre her former group belongs.

I guess this is not something the audience would treat as a surprise. It's in fact a long overdue event to happen. Just as Beyonce Knowles, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Robbie Williams and Rob Thomas pursued solo careers, Barbie should deserve some break after being in equal footing with fellow bandmates.

Probably, I will keep tuning to my rickety MD or my two albums of Barbie's Cradle (Music From Buffet Table and Playing in the Fields) to imagine as if the band never separated and until she comes with a new album of her own. Till then, Barbie's Cradle will become history.

Now I know

2005-07-12T18:04:00.000+08:00

I have realized how difficult it is to be mute and speechless. My voice almost disappears and when I struggle to say something the more funny I become. Ask Kuya Elmer, Marcus, Ginny, Jess, Alex, Joyce, Waseem and Cissy.

My sympathy to the voiceless people, whose freedom is repressed by the despotic regimes, who cry in their sleep and unable to show their ideas.

To the physically dumb, mute and short-tongued fellows.

I know what it means to be silent.

Fantasy Capital City

2005-07-10T00:38:00.000+08:00

I grew up in a small yet significant barangay in Davao City called Mintal. My non-Davao City friends often ask if I live near a mental institution or at least with the psychologically challenged. Yet, names do deceive but when my excomcen pals raised the possibility of having a separate Mindanao Republic, fellow Mintal resident Omar Mercado, now in Canada, quickly lobbied that our barangay be the capital city -- not barangay -- in the new republic.

Just for fun, but consistently using realistic possibilities. I want to be called a Filipino more than a Mindanaoan. I can't stand having to visit Bohol with passports and immigration procedures attended by officers who speak the language I understood since I was born: "gunja,ahu,injo,unja,wa jamo".

But just in case, here's my addition to Omar's suggestions:

WHY MINTAL SHOULD BE THE CAPITAL

To add up to Omar's lobbying, there are more reasons why MINTAL is not
just a barangay, it's a city pretending to be a barangay.

We have a power generating plant (hopefully working and not
mothballed) for power needs (for power grabbers),

we have a rice mill, for you farmers out there
we have a cooperative bank for the bankers, not the holduppers
we have a trading district dealing with copra, bagon seeds,etc
we have a decent number of bakeries offering pandesal, ensaymada
we have wet market with fish and meat and fruits all year round,
we have holy spirit medical clinic for your wounds and heartaches,
we have smaller clinics specializing in fever, tuli, varicose veins
we have efficient transportation links
we have flower-friendly street names and no "your name here" laws
we're accessible by jeep, helicopter, taxi, habal2 & rural transit bus
we have nice housing units at elenita, and numerous boarding houses
we have extensive farm to market roads linking toril, calinan and ulas
we have rich cultural ties; the japanese built their ww2 memorial here
we have thousands of seedlings to protect environment..

What are you waiting for... lobby now and we will all be happy.. :D

www.makemintalthecapitalcityofmindanao.com - our marketing site

www.mintaltourism.gov.mi -
slogan: langoy ta sa power, tungas ta sa tacunan!

www.mintalisnotmental.com - we're not stiff, we also laugh

www.mintalismypal.com - friendly mintalians at your service

www.mintal.gov.mi - official government site (if approved)

(mi - mindanao country domain name assignment; root zone information)

Yan ang Pinoy

2005-07-09T10:07:00.000+08:00

Embattled Arroyo refuses to quit (read my unofficial say in this page)

I blogged in about my choice of the 2012 Olympic host. London won the bidding war but shortly after that pandemonium and jubilation in Trafalgar Square, agony swept the country and fear was sowed across the world when the morning bombing ripped several locations of central London.

But my blog will not be regarding the vulnerability of Britain as admitted by its stunned officials, let alone the Philippines whose regard for terrorism is a more serious threat than what is going on right now. I am referring to that BBC News in thick bold letters above.

We have a stubborn President.

I admit it was January 2001 when I was with Zurich in Paseo de Roxas and with the invitation of my officemates which included my crush, I joined the rally in EDSA at 11pm with all the traffic Sir Joel has to endure in her Suzuki Samurai.

The rally was aimed to pressure then-President Joseph Ejercito Estrada to step down amid the scandal he was battling. It was then the Vice President Gloria Arroyo who wasn't a big fan of Estrada, and her allies try to pry Estrada away from his Presidential chair in Malacanang. I was proud then, joining the thousands of rally goers and "usyoseros" in this history in the making.

Fast forward 2005 and the ghost of People Power returned. While Edsa Tres went pffft, it has been the appetite of Filipinos to resort to rule of mob when expressing discontent. And who wouldn't resort to it if Congressmen and Senators argue endlessly on the technicality of whether to show the film, hear the tape or not. Worse, they're late comers and overseas traveling circusmen.

There were clamors for separating Mindanao if Arroyo is removed. It becomes an interesting proposition especially that I am from Davao City. I will try another blog about that.

The Philippine press is sometimes stubborn too, eagerly focusing on the sensational issue rather than on the substance. Of course "real news" is there. If the bombing that took place in London happened in Manila or Makati or Quezon City, one staffwriter can easily create sidebar news instead of the more meaty, informative stuff.

Sample headlines would be like:
"Family of fifteen loses one sole breadwinner" story about a balut vendor who endured the second world war only to perish in a worthless death,

"Class valedictorian dreams of making it big" story about a bar topnotcher whose untiring efforts to save the tarsiers of Bohol killed while walking to buy daily necessities,

"'I want to be a nurse' -bomb victim" story about a promising college freshman with hopes to earning big bucks in UK whose quote was extracted from her diary last year.

The masses read it because it's interesting. So why concentrate on the mechanical "who-what-where-why" newswriting? They might say, "can you write something?". OK, I give up.

I wonder which servers INQ7.net or Philstar.com are hosted that with a surge in online traffic, they simply could not stand it and would resort to those plain text news generation. It was good they still provide it free for the cybervisitors to read news unlike the paying ones who buy the broadsheet from their 'suki' newsstand every morning. (Remember, Filipinos spend the third highest number of hours in reading, after the Indians and Chinese).

But they do earn from clicks, admit it. Woe to the advertisers whose fashionable, eye catching animated gifs and Flash presentations are obliterated just because they are hosted in a rickety infrastructure whose site can now only produce straight text and ads are no longer attractive. I can't remember BBC or CNN or FOX site brought down by heavy traffic. As for someone claiming to be leading in providing news online, this is a wake up call.

The Movie Called 'Before Sunrise'

2005-07-09T00:07:00.000+08:00

I heard from Karen and Russell that the movie 'Before Sunrise' by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delphy is a wonderful movie. I never bothered to let this pass; I got my first genuine DVD from HMV since my new player arrived at my new apartment (lots of new things there, hah).

Along with another Hawke starrer in Reality Bites (I got it to reminisce the days with Lorellee in mid 90s) and Trading Places (the least popular to me, yet as a comedy movie fanatic, I took it) I felt compelled to get one as I had been brainwashed by the creators of the Simpsons; I would claim to have watched at least 100 of their 350 plus episodes spanning about fifteen years.

Now on to the movie. It's a story of a twentysomething girl (Julie) from Hungary on the way to Paris for her studies and meets a guy (Ethan) on the train and in an instant they fall into an interesting conversation that eventually made the girl abandon her trip and stayed with the guy in his travel to Vienna. The story does revolve around their conversation. What I loved in the story is that the sharings between Ethan and Julie have been revolving in my mind all these years; what if there are 100 men and only one woman on Earth? That intimate exchange of ideas don't necessarily mean love or something platonic in feeling; perhaps just a healthy talk.

And even they relate too well, they also argue on things like the way the palm reader predicts their future or the way the drifter/poem maker composed a nice liteary piece just to earn money.

I also have been in travel even before moving out of the Philippines. I used to work in Cagayan de Oro and once every two weekends I planned to go to Davao, preferring to take the evening travel across Bukidnon for a good 6 hours trip. In some daytime trips I get to meet strangers, say students of CMU or one Pharmacy student from SWU in Cebu who happens to live in Bukidnon and took a break from her reviews. Or one boat trip from Manila on one job interview, I met someone who also is from Davao. I was forced to take the cab and join her just to pretend I am her companion so that someone stalking her at the port would not follow her. I later found out that Davao Memorial Park has a little house inside its compound and she lives there.

The movie affirmed that my thoughts are also thoughts of others. What I believed on asking the 'what if..' questions is absolutely not only exclusive to me and my restless mind. How does painting that look like randomly splattered paint become an art or why we do care about someone who doesn't care about us and us never paying attention to someone who cares about us.

While it's purely conversational in a span of less than 24 hours sprinkled with little touches of kissing scenes and showing the beauty of Vienna beyond its captivating scenery. It would easily be called a low budget film because the story circulates on the conversation in the train, in the cab, the bar, on the roadside and on a green field blanketed with the stars in a summer night. But for those who pay attention to the conversation more than the number of scenes, they won't notice the time has passed the movie has to end even before Julie reaches Paris or Ethan takes that flight out of Vienna.

To me this is a classic movie not too fit to be called romantic, not worth calling comedy. It opens up the mind to a more rational thinking that seldom occurs in a motion picture where actors portray the action and gives you the reason why scenes are happening. Some will provoke your thinking but too often they end up answering the mystery just before you rise from your seat.

I am not a movie buff and admit I prefer American Pie, The Simpsons, Mr Bean and other "not so deep" ones over Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and The Matrix. Maybe it's because I never tried and had no plans to try them anytime soon. But the story of this movie made me ask why movies were not made to go beyond entertainment. Something like indoctrination or brain washing? Hmm, that sounds too far and it's definitely scary. But I hope you got what I mean.

A honest to goodness conversation can indeed go a long way.

Do I need to explain?

2005-07-07T13:59:00.000+08:00

A The Standard cartoonist's perception on where the country is heading.

It should have been Paris

2005-07-07T08:34:00.000+08:00

The sight of three cities in obvious disappointment is similar to a swimming or athletics race where only one will end up winning the first place -- even if the clock registers two identical finishes.

But there's a little disappointment in me too.

Among the four competing bigtime countries battle out in PR and reputation (more competitive than the 2008 whose Beijing rivals include Toronto, Osaka, Istanbul and yes, Paris), London deserves a win but I would say Paris would have won in a thin-hair fashion. London both hosted the event twice before: Paris in 1900 and 1924 and London in 1908 and 1948.

I'd rule out Madrid because another Spanish city hosted the Olympics in 1992. Same for New York where another American city hosted in 1996 and had it won the bid, the security of the Olympics would have been unimaginable.

In the dogfight between to cross channel rivals, Paris last hosted the Games 81 years ago, London 57 years ago. And while it's impossible to have it hosted to Africa -- or perhaps Latin America -- at the moment, equality in chances must rule in terms of "whose turn is it next". France has been bidding since 1992 and had been fruitless in its efforts thus far, with this last debacle almost ending on a winning note.

I am sure there are other factors counted in. Budget, security, accessibility are a few of them. Who would want to have a repeat of the Athens construction fiasco? So this time, everyone had to make sure the winning bid won't make a repeat.

But even if any of the four cities is at least 3000 miles away from me and chances of watching live the Olympics is no better than witnessing it in Beijing, to me it should have been Paris winning the 2012 Olympic bid.

What a big difference

2005-07-05T09:07:00.000+08:00

Read this: http://news.inq7.net/metro/index.php?index=1&story_id=42360

I was late from office due to a colleague's request for help. At 12.56am, Tin Hau or Fortress Hill Stations, the MTR stations closest to the office had the last trips of the previous day. And it's 1.16am in my watch.

I took the cab which I believe won't take more than 15 minutes and twenty five dollars. I hailed one near Zandro's office hoping he will immediately turn left towards Electric Road. But he turned strait ahead towards the direction of Causeway Bay and had no signs of making the opposite direction. I began to suspect he must have misunderstood "Quarry Bay" for "Causeway Bay". I seldom suspect taxi drivers of deliberately misguiding the route to jack up the cost. With his identification card, license plate and "Customer Complaint" number easily read, I see very little sense of them making the abuse. So when I asked him about the intended destination, he was a little agitated and perhaps felt sorry for he was unable to speak English.

We took the expressway which was a smooth ride, overlooking the harbour and the distant lights on the left. When I reached my place, the meter read $34. But he told me to pay only $20 and was even apologetic despite his struggle to prunounce the bill. I got the receipt and he promptly modified the payment printed.

What a big difference that in the Philippines, especially in Manila, taxi drivers are identified as mulcting crocs who are choosy, bad mannered, ill tempered, does not provide a change and even asks for tip for letting you ride their otherwise comfortable taxis. Not all are like that but many are still practicing such behavior (one taxi driver on my ride from San Andres Bukid to Manila Domestic told me the commuters don't understand why taxi drivers are like that; with the traffic, rising fuel costs and the risks of being robbed, they behaved that way). That's why a simple act of honesty, previously regarded as normal, is now revered by the masses and often carry sums of money as reward. Such attitude has almost become extinct.

In my own country I am abused by them. In this foreign land, I am never discriminated by these men behind the wheels.

Live 8!

2005-07-03T00:26:00.000+08:00

If street protests to lobby government officials from the world's wealthiest countries won't work then try something else. And for a change -- this approach isn't new though -- it's the musicians who are making the noise and the protesters are in their comfy couches watching the entertainment. And probably, the world leaders are doing the same.

Madonna, Destiny's Child, U2, Bon Jovi, JayZ, Bjork, Green Day, Bryan Adams, Paul McCartney, REM, UB40, Pet Shop Boys, Robbie Williams, Dido, Elton John, the list of superstars doesn't seem to end.

Hopefully this is gonna make a difference.

"M. Arroyo was here"

2005-07-02T10:15:00.000+08:00

Have you been to any place popular enough that you want to prove to someone that you've been there? I guess even if the place is not popular at all, you'd still want to show off your identity. I have seen them in school washrooms, boarding houses and other places not too private for outsiders to see.

Amid the political situation in Manila, First Gentleman Miguel Arroyo had a self-imposed exile to try to isolate himself from the situation, hoping to be vindicated from the accusations he is facing. Indeed this man is surrounded by controversies in his reign as the top man in the land. He was implicated in the "Jose Pidal" case; he is also alleged to have amassed millions from jueteng lords, probably, if true, used to implement a program that helps policemen smile proudly.

I am laughing to myself to learn about President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's statement about losing a doting father and grand father to his children and grandchildren, respectively. Why? To me, she does not need to mention it for every father or mother will have the instinct to feel the same. Just ask any Filipina domestic helper sitting down there in Chater Road's "Blackman". It was said to justify the trip as something they did not wish to happen and not something to do in order to avoid the Congress hearings (with some In Your Face Kulang Sa Pansin Congressmen Who Want Video Appearance) in live telecast. Sorry, I know a little about that thing called immunity.

Mike Arroyo is here in Hong Kong at the time of this writing. Hong Kong is popular, with the world's best airport, best airline lounge, best airline opening up of Hong Kong Disneyland in September among reasons to come here.

So if I would like to find a place where "M. Arroyo was here" grafitti, I'd like it to be that Hong Kong Park marker and the green The Peak Tram letters at Garden Road. Surely he will be proving to be in Hong Kong. As I failed to talk to his wife during her whirlwind travel in Hong Kong, I'd expect an even more media-shy husband this time.

You will come from the land Down Under

2005-07-02T03:57:00.000+08:00

It's a busy day. Actually it was a continuity of yesterday's schedule which I and Ginny left the office at 3am working for JNTO project. It was raining and was really fit for sleeping when I decided to take a look at one early Simpson's espisode, "Moaning Lisa". It's rather queer since Homer's voice was different, lower toned and uncharacteristic. Anyway I slept on it. When I woke up it was past 10. It's been a long time since I woke at this time. Contrary to most of the others who stay in bed later on weekends, I wake up earlier by an hour on Saturdays and Sundays and holidays.

As much as this is a bonus for me to acomplish things like having haircut, follow up Genex cargo stalled in the warehouse in Davao and replenish household supplies -- today is SAR Establishment Day, The Handover, whatever you call it. It's also Raul Ramirez's birthday. Later today I had my household meeting with Zandro and Junjun at Zandro's place. We also met Anthony of SFC Beijing and discussed being a facilitator with him. With everybody busy for the seminar, I have no doubt things will get better in handling the event. After all, as a Team Leader I need to be accountable for everything in the activity.

We also had a despedida party for Jen who is coming to Sydney to start another phase in life.
I made a personal haiku for her the other dawn:

"The time has come to pack and head towards the Outback
To bid goodbye to dimsum, to the Peak
The MTR ride, everyday of the week.."

"So they say, life's like that
In constant motion, changes and all that.
As you'll reluctantly say farewell
To the place and people you got to know and loved well,
The memories remain, to everyone you will tell."

"We'll miss your talks, we'll miss your sharings
Your being with us in Christmas parties and Halloweens"

"You are soon welcomed by hopping kangaroos,
and the mystic beauty of the Uluru.
To the ever diverse horizons of Down Under,
We do hope they're there to ease the pains of missin' you."

"Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, you name it
The places are a wonder, they got it
While you miss the splendid Victoria Harbour
We guess Sydney's Darling is just across your door"

"Thank you Jenny for being with us
Through the tram, the ferry or the minibus.
Our friendship's always gonna be
Strong and faithful like a Sequoia Tree"

We hear you say:
"Thank you Yung Kee, thank you Gucci
Thank you ifc, and the wonderful shopping spree
It's been terrific all these years you're all here with me
Last but not the least, thank you SFC"

Later on, I joined Karen, Onin and Carol to Insomnia in Lan Kwai Fong for drinks and unwinding. The last visit to the bar was in March I guess. Although I am not a bar person, once I am invited and come along, I always enjoy feeling light during the hours of stay, gulping that Budweiser, dancing and poking fun at people who would playfully get back to us despite the incomprehensible conversations and cloud of smoke. I even saw one of my students swining to the break of dawn with a couple of her cousins flaunting in front of the band, who are their friends off the stage.

"It was 3am, and I'm still active" should be the song of one lady who seems not to get tired. And if she needs a break, the bouncer promptly disallows her to. Same for the "Ukrainian lady" who can't get enough on the dance floor.

The night was filled with fun, booze and loud music. Afterall, it's payday Friday and everyone wants to relax. But I experienced it more when I laid on my back at an hour later in my bed.

Reuniting the PCCWers

2005-07-01T00:13:00.000+08:00

Whatever you may call it, it's a mini reunion of sorts. Mini because among the fifteen of us, only five returned for a not so nostalgic rainy night at Chili and Spice in Causeway Bay.

Nino Debonbon, Romeo 'Junjun' Olympia Jr, Edwin Macabutas and Karen Obispo and I used to gather in Starbucks at Pasay Road more than five years ago. Plus a bunch of relative strangers at the time which made the group swell into a mix of personalities and egos: Raymond Ona, Sheila Tablante, Rogelio 'Jun' Rey Jr, Leo Suyat, Ishmael Malik, Daisy Mae Jose, Christopher de Leon, Jay Redor, Martin Fernandez & Nathaniel Jay Meneses to be exact.

With one male and one female celebrity in sight, the area is indeed a magnet of the popular and the wannabes. Dripping roofing adds to the mystic structure of the not-so-crowded eating place with dim lights add up to the suspense of meeting someone you know among the crowd.

I came in late as I have been pounded with little jobs from the office since early in the week. Good thing July 1 is a holiday and it will give us enough time to recharge our batteries as we start the weekend with our SFC marketing campaign.

As usual, Onin is still the same him, with that skinned head fashion he began to adopt when he was still in Hong Kong. The feeling of meeting up again was unexpected as I only got a message from Karen last Monday. Onin now works in Malaysia as senior system analyst for Standard Chartered. It was ironic that as I was in Malaysia last year, I never met him there; I got to meet him when we're both in Bangkok while he was watching the Thai Open Tennis and I was on my cheap and nasty backpacker trip.

I could notice we were more mature now. The way we generate thoughts about something, joke on something and how we handle the conversation. Well, perhaps I am with the most mature in the group; maybe it's a coincidence that we're all in the same table after complicated permutations that took place spanning five years and counting: changing jobs, going out of hong kong, etc.

I used to remember at 7.30pm at our old house in Sai Ying Pun, Leo would be cooking the food and the 'clients' Jay and Jay would come and pay $10 for their dinner. We would snug up at the little sofa and watch the TVB Pearl news. After a while, the talks shift to something nasty that there are numerous ocassions I would lose my patience and insult a few of the guys in the house. Onin and Leo were my flatmates. Later Raymond joined in, shortly before we were counted in The Great Purge at PCCW.

As I partake of the lemongrass and pork chop, jokes circulating were entirely different from what used to be our favorite topics: strange officemate behaviors, Hong Kong people in general and shopping lists. As I need to come back to the office at 10pm, I pursued Onin for photo shoot with Karen, Edong and Junjun and after we had fun on that still camera generating machine, I headed towards the opposite direction.

The Bookworms

2005-06-29T20:05:00.000+08:00

The latest findings shows that the Indians (10.7hrs/week) are the biggest bookworms in the world. This is followed by the Chinese and surprise, surprise, the Filipinos.

To me it's not a wonder why the results are not surprising in the last Spelling Bee held in the United States. Same for the Chinese people whom I am amazed with their reading ability. At least in the MTR station at 8.25am from Quarry Bay, I am walking towards Sheung Wan-bound train. All you see are fast moving, pale looking people, motioning as if it's been the way their feet has been made for. But not's the case as it's been pretty well known already. With the free tabloid Metro HK handed every morning, news-hungry masses can't help pass time without grabbing a copy. I used to pick one but the two-page English spread almost makes it unworthy to be picked up by a non-Chinese reading The ability to read while walking 10 miles an hour is just a wonder to see. In short, it's not surprising to see the Chinese people as the second most reading-savvy race in the world. If the Chinese read while walking briskly, I imagine Indians doing the same reading while running. Kidding folks.

Filipinos, third? Maybe, but I am not really sure about it. Americans spend half the time reading in a week than the Indians, while Koreans and Japanese spend only about 4 hours a week. Perhaps they are more fond on arcade games than reading the news.

Out: ESPN, In: FOXSPORTS

2005-06-28T20:42:00.000+08:00

Commercialism at its best. To all who thought reading the news over the Internet is absolutely free. Think again.

I have made it official that I am switching to Foxsports in my NBA coverages over the Internet. Chronologically it was NBA.com that was my choice way, way before (after all virtually no one else is in sight). Later, I got attracted to ESPN's layout, quality newswriting and in-your-face photos and Flash informercials. What made me stick to it was the live NBA scoring page which even got better recently without the need for page refresh. Chad Ford's articles are well read, the frankness of Marc Stein, the influential Dr Jack Ramsay, David Aldridge, Peter May and Marc J Spears, whose outtakes are feasted by my hungry eyes. Of course there's Eric Neel and the Sportoon which never fail to make me smile. Simply the best.

But ESPN was simply too popular that its executives and creative directors would be a fool to let quality content pass without getting back in return for the excellent by-product of their team. Little by little the NBA pages became pockmarked with tiny orange images: premium content that could only be accessed if you pay $4.95 a month. If you do, you become an Insider, which enables you to read content not only in NBA but NFL, MLB and several other disciplines. Well, I subscribed in late 2002 but had to give up after six months; I can read them through public newsgroups from fellow "Insiders".

Ford's take on international basketball players is often a public knowledge. He personally went to Eastern Europe to scout some of the most difficult names to mention whose talent ranges from flashy to flamboyant. Yet talents back in America still are prominent. In 2002, when Houston picked Yao Ming, it was a vindication on Ford's part; he is sometimes tabbed as pro-internationalist who raves talents from Italian, Spanish, Yugoslavian and Russian leagues. But at the end of the season Amare Stoudemire had a bigger smile after coveting the Rookie of the Year Awards.

With the fact that ESPN is more about that subscription based, pay-per-read scheme, I had to find something new. Then hoopshype.com came. It's a nice compilation of basketball stories from across the US and the world, all packed in one page for your enjoyment. Free. I still do read that. But that too became -- no, not paid subscription type -- emrboiled with sites requiring people to register for free to gain access to the articles. I don't do that. So then I came across CNN's Sports Illustrated site. Quite nice, large font text by default yet less flashy as ESPN (with those ORBITZ ads in the horizon). Then came AZRepublic, but that's more focused on Phoenix Suns, my favorite team, and a few other big news around the league.

But when I came to FoxSports to read more on the coverage on the Suns-Mavs series I guessed I found what I was looking for. A decent lineup of writers although Charley Rosen becomes a favorite writer. The site's content is free for everyone to read, plus photos and videos too. That made me think to abandon loyalty to ESPN. I need content, man.

Hopefully, ESPN would give up that selfish Insider idea; we deserve all to be informed, even if a writer spent three hours to a full day scouring information from Elias Sports Bureau to come up with a noteworthy article. CNN used to have paid content in its video galleries. Now it's gone and everyone should see interesting videos from there. They did it because BBC can do it, without asking for money.

Foxsports though is not as well-written as ESPN's articles. With the arrival of John Hollinger in ESPN, the future of sports journalism has been shaping. Full of interesting stuff, from stats, compiled data you'd never think they did it. Foxsports article was read Joe Johnson as an unrestricted free agent and Amare Stoudemire was spelled Stoudamire (maybe the writer was thinking of Damon or Salim).

Anyway, I think it's worth switching the allegiance. It does not prevent me from sneaking to ESPN's pages somehow.

Reminders: Keeping The New Year's Resolution

2005-06-26T20:02:00.000+08:00

I believe this is the right time to assess how we are doing in terms of achieving personal goals as listed on our New Year's Resolutions more than six months ago. At June, the time gap between Christmas is the same, backward and forward.

I have my own New Year's Resolutions:

1. Learn Japanese. Owing a chunk from Gloria, my AIA agent who used to interview me for a non-IT related job before, I am now equipped with what it takes to learn Japanese. So far, I did listen to the tapes and read the basic notes once since I got the items last April. I have quite a good urge to learn this language. But everytime I attempt to load the tape, I easily decide to listen to D'Sound or Crowded House instead. Rating: D-

2. Never Get Late in Office. I used to live in South Horizons and since I need to leave home before 8am to beat the dreaded Aberdeen tunnel bottleneck. At that time I am still half awake half asleep in the bus, and while I get an extra 15 minute nap on my way to the office, I seem to be grumpy walking across the Victoria Park. What I did was to move to Quarry Bay which so far, has addressed the punctuality issue.
Rating: B+

3. Travel. Anywhere I can, with no-frills trip the preferred one. I want to go to Korea or Taiwan. Japan is still too expensive for me (maybe Korea too). Palawan or Sagada are more viable option but I'd rather go to Davao or Bohol if I made the choice at the last minute. Bad news: half the year has passed, and still haven't made any single trip. Good news: my annual leave days are still intact, which gives me enough buffer to go on adventure towards the end of the year.
Rating: D-

4. Take care of my health (read: play sports). So far I had made some strides in this one. In my struggle to scrape unwanted stuff in my body, I can tell I am still gaining weight. But I am making headway, I suppose. Although my last squash game was in November with Karen, I was able to play basketball with my officemates as well as my Singles buddies. Playing table tennis was even a bonus. The catch though is that at the time of composition of this blog, my last basketball game was a month ago.
Rating: C-

5. Avoid Going to Office on Weekends. Benjie used to say that staying late in office is a sign of inefficiency. Let alone going to office on weekends. But what if pressing deadlines are haunting that even when you sleep, you dream of coding or discussing the sitemap? Who would want to visit the office if you can wake up late on a Saturday morning? But sometimes at the office we have to. Luckily, I can't recall having to stay in the office on weekends, apart from the March-April Tourisnm Australia Media newsletter.
Rating: A-

What about you? How far have you gone on your own list?

Hong Kong - the Ninth Most Expensive Place to Live

2005-06-21T14:29:00.000+08:00

It's a wet, wet, week in Hong Kong. I have been patiently waiting to see the "No Need to Go to Office" weather advisory just before heading for showers but so far, nothing happened. Here, with too much rain, dangers of landslips is imminent. Therefore the government is careful not to put its workforce in peril and as a worker, you get the chance to stay home until the advisory is lifted. Back in Davao, rainy day means bad news to our little store in the public market as fewer people come. Remembering those times makes me miss my father more.

***

Good news, Hong Kong's cost of living as dropped compared to last year. Bad news, it's still among the top ten most expensive places to live in the world. From number 5, Hong Kong is now at number 9. The ranking is topped by two Japanese cities, Tokyo and Osaka. The ranking is based on cost of housing, public and private transport, food and entertainment, among others..

1. Tokyo, Japan
2. Osaka, Japan
3. London, England
4. Moscow, Russia
5. Seoul, South Korea
6. Geneva, Switzerland
7. Zurich, Switzerland
8. Copenhagen, Denmark
9. Hong Kong, Hong Kong
10. Oslo, Norway

As the economy improves, prices of property also skyrockets. I have read newspapers about shop owners closing shop not because of poor business but because of landlords who raise monthly rentals by an unexplainable 60% or 100%. One example was the egg tart shop where former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten gets his ample supply.

As property prices are becoming important indicators, property owners have become more unscrupulous, taking every opportunity very seriously. After all, good times don't last forever. These are the same owners who practically begged shops to stay by lowering their monthly rents just to have income derived from these properties. Now it's the shop owners who get the boot if they can't keep up with the rising costs of maintaining a shop.

That's the price of Hong Kong, the world's ninth most expensive city to dwell.

Nyoman, the Man

2005-06-19T23:00:00.000+08:00

Here's an almost accidental friend who turned out to be a true one. Nyoman Koen Krisnawan is an Indonesian first name as everyone in the country disputes that they don't have surnames, and since it's not the same as how Brazilians do their own (Pele, Ronaldinho, Nene), it's difficult to conclude about its singularity. But there are hints though; you can tell former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri is a daughter of the country's founder-leader Sukarno.

Nyoman comes from the beautiful island of Bali, famous for its beachers but was also a vulnerable place. The huge bombing in its Kota Beach in 2002 took the lives of 202 people, mostly tourists from countries loyal to America's fight against terrorists, which was perceived to target the Muslims. And while Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country in the world, not all people are Muslims. I was lucky and blessed to visit the cultural city of Jogjakarta during the Singles For Christ 2002 Regional Conference. There are thousands of Christians in this country (but still very minority to the entire nation due to its enormous population). Nyoman himself is neither a Muslim nor Christian even if his mother is (that is why Kris is one of his names) a believer of Christ.

I met this guy at work at PCCW, my first employer here in Hong Kong. I thought he was a resident nerd who worked for a long time and also a Filipino since my colleague Jay seems so friendly to him. Even Onin was talking about him. I did not know he is an Indonesian for at the time I haven't met a lot of foreigners such that I can't seem to distinguish a Chinese from a Korean from a Japanese physically (now I can). Indonesians and Filipinos belong to one race and so there are lots of similarities in physical and cultural structure. It is said that there are hundreds if not thousands or words commonly spoken in Tagalog and Bahasa Indonesia. With this being said, I still can't understand the Indonesian language. I classify it along with Cantonese as a noisy language, unlike Thai, Vietnamese or even Japanese.

We did not stay as colleagues for long for I was part of those let go by PCCW in late 2001 but we still did keep in touch. Shortly before I left the company, I was in his team along with an Indian guy named Rahul and our team leader Johnson. It was a multinational team whose fate as a group was doomed as manifested in that ominous phrase from Rahul 'I hope this is not a send off lunch with you guys'. That was the last day I saw him; both I and Rahul were fired.

But shortly after I got another job I still got to see Nyoman, going for squash games where he would masterfully shred me to pieces, or take refuge of the winter chill on an Indonesian restaurant in Sheung Wan. Along with colleague friends Steven and Patrick, the four of us enjoy each other's company cracking jokes or telling stories from distant shores.

But time has come that Nyoman's contract will not be renewed and that he'd be leaving Hong Kong on summer of 2003. The ever historically-rich brain of mine recalled those days when he was so excited to hear how my description of Jogjakarta is: raucous motorcycles plying in all directions of the city central, the rather funny name of the hotel where we stayed and of course his university: Gadja Mada.

I got the chance to travel to Malaysia during the "Amazing Race" trip that includes Singapore and Thailand in five days. There we met up and almost reunited with Onin who is already working in Kuala Lumpur. He even drove all the way from KL to Genting Highlands, getting lost at times, using a borrowed car. Just like the old times, same topic, older faces.

He came over last April to "collect" his remaining savings in Hong Kong. He decided to go back to Jakarta (in a sharp, strong "r" accent) and start a business or find a wife. Somehow I believe what he tells me but at times when his facial expression suggests otherwise, then I will have my reservations. He's a funny guy who'll get you irritated with his subtle overtures. I met other Indonesians in the Jogjakarta Conference (Juliana, Irmawaty, etc), and in KL Devi Afianto and they are very warm and humble people. Perhaps we Filipinos influenced Nyoman a little bit. He ocassionally brags about "sige sige" or "ayun!", common Tagalog expressions not understood by common Indons.

To Nyoman, whatever your plans are, my friend, good luck.

Happy Fathers Day!

2005-06-19T22:40:00.000+08:00

Eugene (left) and Ernest on a fun meal. Having our names start with "E" does not mean they are my kids (who thought about it, anyway?). No, they're not my kids. They're my godsons and I'm their godfather. Their mom is my officemate and got to know I am a Catholic through Irene of SFC Hong Kong. What a small world!

To my father, you're the best. Thanks for bringing me to where I am now. Get well soon!

To all fathers, you deserve the best. Makes me wish I am a father too!

If I Have a Chance to Talk to GMA

2005-06-18T09:38:00.000+08:00

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will be coming here in Hong Kong on Monday to encourage businessmen and investors to consider putting up business in the Philippines. This comes amidst the controversy about the alleged wiretapping scandal which featured her talking to Virgilio Garcillano of the Commission on Elections. I heard the taped conversation a few days ago over the live feed of DZBB. I'd say the voice is similar to hers but then let's face it: Michael V has a commercial in that station which showcased his talent of mimicking voices of Robin Padilla, Mike Enriquez and Bubble Gang's Bebang. Therefore, it's inconclusive that it was Madam President in the tape. As technology can almost uncover the soul of a human being, what more can it do to an aging voice tape, faking a video (remember the dozens of sex scandals?) or replace heads of porn stars with wholesome celebrities in photographs.

While I would like to have a fair treatment to GMA unless the voice has been proven to be hers, I scorn her for being mum to the issue, with only Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye, whom in my opinion is not a credible person for such noble position, doing the blabbering, sometimes misquoted and misinterpreted by the media. Worse, while they deny the said accusation, they are attempting to suppress the hunger of the masses to hear the controversial tape for themselves. In a country that appreciates sensational stories -- from office gossip to the sexy mistresses of congressmen -- trying to seize the illegal copies circulated everywhere (but not in illegal DVD stalls) is like finding a needle in a haystack inside a dark barn. Is the effort of trying to prevent people from listening to it an indirect way of admitting that it was the President who was in the conversation with "Garci" about the election results during the time of canvassing? Well, thanks or no thanks to technology, the voice conversation can now be heard on ringing tones with matching pop synths in the background.

Back here in Hong Kong, United Filipinos in Hong Kong chairperson Dolores Balladares promises a wave of protest will greet the President's arrival here. I don't know this person nor this person knows me but if I may say, the group's name is a misnomer because it's just one of the multitudes of regionalistic groups scattered around the territory; there's United Ilocanos, United Bicolanos, United Ilonggos, United Warays. Scrap the name UNIFIL Ms Balladares, it's outright hypocrisy.

So when the President will be here, I must be working on an internal newsletter and minisite in the office and will have no time to greet her at Chek Lap Kok. But in the evening if given an hour to talk, I'd do the following:

* Ask her to face the controversy on national television on a degree little lesser than state of the nation address. In this case the Filipino people will have better idea of what's going on and not through other means which are mostly lies.

* Ask her to tell Ignacio Bunye to shut up because the more he talks the more he creates confusion. In the movie 'Bean', a distressed Peter McNicol calmly advised the quirky Rowan Atkinson to stay put and everything will be fine.

* Laud her for making work do the talk; but there are instances you need to talk to clear things up. Going to Hong Kong is translated as work but it's also translated as avoiding the chance to talk.

* Tell her to engage in a one on one debate with Senator Aquilino Pimentel televised on all stations. Maybe not, as it creates a deep division among Filipinos.

Perhaps I could add more but an hour is not enough to accomodate them. By then, I'd appreciate her time and would only show she values a common tao like me whom he refers to as a modern hero.

Finally. The Simpsons: The Movie!

2005-06-17T18:08:00.000+08:00

While jobless early of 2004, I am usually at home watching DVD and television in between surfing for jobs. During the time I started to get hooked to the 6pm TV series, The Simpsons. From then on I got addicted that after I got a job a couple of months later, I even sneaked out of the office before 5.30PM - the office dismissal hour - to catch the show at home, some 25 minutes by MTR and walk.

I got an expensive collection of "The Simpsons: Season 2" DVD and a decent collection of movie downloads which I delete once I finish watching (hence, the 'collection' term is dropped); with over 300 episodes, I can't get enough of the whole bunch stored in my hard drive. I have been salivating over the notion of having the series produced in the movie.

I used to hear rumors about apparent movie production, but soon these hearsays flicker away. Recently there's a claim that the rumor has been true this time. Producers used to insist that a movie cannot be made until the end of the series (I'd prefer to have the movie in 2010 or beyond, if that's the case) but now they say it could come together with a season's episodes, something that's within the striking future (say 2 years?). The voice Bart Simpson (Nancy Cartwright, yes Bart's voice is a woman's) confirms this one.

I can't seem to wait.

Anybody out there?

2005-06-14T13:48:00.000+08:00

Hey, thanks for dropping by and reading my web log!

I have been blogging for the past 10 months and so far as tracked traffic would explain, I barely get anyone read it. No one's talking about it, no one's linking to it. Of course. Why would someone NOT link to my articles?

1. It is purely personal and I am not a celebrity that one has to keep track of what I am doing on a daily basis. That is true because just like the multitudes out there, I want to post something that I have in mind. I gave up writing for my diary in favor of this so when this sites bogs down irreparably, my logs are doomed. But then again, the more I write the more I reveal my personality. The more one gets to know me. Be it my peers at SFC, my childhood buddies, contacts at Friendster or anyone who types in my name on a search engine.

2. There is little or nothing interesting in what I say. Who is interested in Laika, the Soviet Union's poster model for animal cruelty, or search engine optimization or an assumption of Steve Nash as a Filipino or simply what I notice about those crappy Citybus ads about slimming? Yes, topics vary from almost any topic not needing a censor. These articles revolve around my mind and at some point need to be shared from. My brain's got a little data mining on regular intervals and each exhaustive process produces somewhat interesting pieces of facts.

3. There are better appealing blogs out there. Blogs that cater to a specific genre, something that I personally am unable to provide. Major league baseball history, taking care of your bonsai or traveling in Andes, to name a few. If I attempt to do so, what would it be? Should I build a blog about my lunchbox during the week? (Day 1: Never-dying corned beef, Day 2: My home-cooked pinakbet, Day 3: Fried fish, Day 4: Fried noodles, ordered by Carmen, my cubicle neighbor, Day 5: Chicken filet) Can't do that, man. I want it 36% trivial, 30% personal, 34% combination of little things too many to mention.

4. There are many things to prioritize than reading ewc21. Yeah, sorry for being too demanding, but before I ask someone to read it, I must read my blog first and see if it's worth publishing. There are things to do ahead of ewc21 such as cleaning your car, updating your diary or formatting your hard drive.

Hopefully the next time I update my blog, you will come back and read it, or else (insert the sound of Homer Simpson straggling Bart: 'You li'l....').

Rey DJ

2005-06-13T13:17:00.000+08:00

I got my own share of a minute of worldwide fame this afternoon when I was greeted by my childhood friend, Rey Bargamento over the radio. That broke the record established by the broadcasts when I won a grocery package from Bombo Radyo and those WRock promotions.

I wonder how many noticed my name. My bad ego wants a little more share of fame and it turns out that I have a good chance of getting that. Today's a holiday in the Philippines, and since tomorrow is the first day of classes in most universities, college students savor the last day of summer's freedom in each other's company, probably texting, joyriding, while listening to www.imix.fm. And since it's telecast over the Internet...

Shame on me (for being KSP).

Anyway more about Rey. He's one of the little guys in the classroom and I knew him since Grade 2. We used to form that dreaded and now-loathed 'Comedian Brothers' with Rodel, Christopher and Jergen. He finished Salutatorian. He joined my class of St Agnes before transferring to SPED in Bangkal. At the time I suppose he got the interest of becoming a radio personality.

In college, his voice can be heard at DXSS-FM and later on at MAGIC 89.1 (later became Killer Bee) christened George Booke, apparently with reference to former US President Bush Snr. I ocassionally meet him on the road and at times I go to his booth, which is not so far from my college campus. When Killer Bee sponsors the Engineering fund raising, Rey was there at Acropolis Disco for the Party Series in the mid-90's. He's no longer wearing that little boy persona I used to see before.

We last stayed in one classroom in 1989 so there were several permutations between us that took place yet as our friendship built during the younger years, it seemed oddly stupid to let it go just because we never went to recess together longer or that he studies in Ateneo and me in UIC.

Just today, when he announced in our Yahoogroups that his station is now live online, I wasted no time to log and listen, even going overboard, entering the chatroom. I do not chat in the office even of colleagues do.

"I'd like to greet my childhood friend [sic] who is in Hong Kong... It's foggy out there [sic]". When my name was mentioned, it was special.

If I were to be asked of any fantasy career I should take, among them would be a DJ, a fireman, air force pilot and astronomer. I did not know one friend embraced one of them wholeheartedly.

Good luck pal.

The Team Leader

2005-06-11T00:25:00.000+08:00

The last time I had a decent post as a leader was in high school. I was the intelligence officer of our Citizens Army Training corps. At the same year, I was also the President of the Lectors Club, a group of students who take turns in reading in the Sunday afternoon and Wednesday's Our Lady of Perpetual Help masses at Immaculate Conception Parish. Oh, well I also became an Editor in Chief at our school paper, a root cause of why I have become addicted to writing/blogging for little or no apparent reason.

In between those years in oblivion and today, I was never able to lead a group except in 2002 when I co-led Singles For Christ Hong Kong's Global One with Shasha Sarmiento. I have been four years in the community and I can say my spiritual growth is rather slow. It's kinda topsy turvy rollercoaster ride so far. At times I battle depression and at times I inspire a few. I just wonder where do I get picked up someday. I admit I struggle with dealing with things though I try the best to keep my day in order. But when the call to serve was presented to my table, I did not know why I never had any hesitation to say yes. The chance was there for the taking, the opportunity to render service I sorely lacked, in my opinion. So being a team leader in the coming Christian Life Program should be a good test of my character.

I have worries, I have doubts. And as leader, these qualities should not prevail, for they entice mutiny among my subordinates. I feel sorry for being temperamental. Or maybe misinterpreted as such. That is why I rather confide to myself things that I think will bring more harm than good if I divulge it to someone. At times, I am pretty much troubled perhaps of future plans, settling down, career advancement, but I keep the boat upright for ultimately I have only myself to hang on here in Hong Kong. God is up there though.

As I embark this new challenge, I hope I get enough strength from Above. I admit I pretend to be strong but I am weak. I hope Jay, Zandro and Kuya Elmer will be there when I need someone to look up to. Or Junjun and Arme in case I unfortunately break down or get caught up in the office.

I just hope and pray I will live up to expectations and never put down the persons who believed in me.