krystal klear.

Redefining my Krystal Klear Blog.

2008-11-17T12:58:00.003+08:00

Ahem. Ahem.

Mic test. Hello. Mic test.

Good day.

Recently, I found out a way of keeping a slice or two of me in a place where people can see. Why?

I am far from home. And I want them to be updated of my weekly happenings here in Japan.
It's a release of this monstrous creativity inside of me that wants out.
If I can't talk in a day, for language barrier reasons, then, I have something to converse with. First, with myself, as I am typing each blog posts. And second, with the people who will later on read my posts.

But I realized, doing so can also be some sort of a notebook... Of things, events, equations, topics, random ideas, etc. that I don't want to forget. So, I am redefining http://genin09.blogspot.com to something very useful.

Presenting...

Marie Engelene J. Obien's e-Notebook!

Be part of it. ^_^

Havaianas vs. Spartan: Battle of the Tsinelas

2008-11-11T14:36:00.003+08:00

Pangalan: Havaianas

Lugar na pinanggalingan: São Paulo , Brazil

Pagbigkas:
ah-vai-YAH-nas (Brazilian Portuguese)
hah-vee-ah-naz (American English)
OMG! hah-va-yaH-naZz! (Filipino)

Materyal na ginamit:Malupit na goma (high-quality rubber).

Presyo:Depende. Ganito na lang, 1 pares ng Havaianas = 100 pares ng Spartan.

Mga nagsusuot:Mga konyotik at mga mayayaman (na noong una ay nababaduyan sa mga naka-de sipit na tsinelas at sasabihing, "Yuck! So baduy naman nila, naka-slippers lang.")

Malulupit na katangian at kakayahan:
- Masarap isuot.
- Shock-absorbent
- Malambot ngunit matibay
- Makukuha sa sandamakmak na kulay, disenyo at burloloy
- Maaaring isuot sa loob ng Starbucks
- Mainam na pang-japorms
- Mainam i-terno sa I-Pod at Caramel Macchiato
- Mapipilitan kang maglinis ng mga kuko mo sa paa
- Maaari ka nang mag-dikwatro sa loob ng mga pampublikong lugar at sasakyan
- Magiging 'fashionable' ka kapag ikaw ay nagkukuyakoy

Olats na mga katangian:
Mahal!
Mahal!
Mahal!

Pangalan: Spartan

Lugar na Pinanggalingan: Metro Manila , Philippines

Pagbigkas:
spar-tan (American English),
is-par-tan (Filipino).

Materyal na ginamit:Pipitsuging goma (Low-quality rubber).

Presyo:Wala pang 50 pesos.
Isang pares ng Spartan = 20 piraso ng pan de coco.

Mga nagsusuot:ang masa (gaya-gaya lang ang mga sosyal at pasyonista)

Malulupit na katangian at kakayahan:
- Maaring ipampatay sa ipis
- Maaring ipampalo sa mga batang suwail at damuho
- Pwedeng ipanglusong sa baha at putikan
- Pwedeng ipamalengke
- Mainam gamitin sa tumbang-preso
- Mainam gawing 'shield' kapag naglalaro ng espa-espadahan
- Mainam isuot sa siko bilang proteksyon habang naglalaro ng piko
- Mainam na pambato sa picha o shuttlecock na sumabit sa puno
- Mainam na pangkulob sa pumuputok na watusi
- Kapag ginupit-gupit nang pahugis 'cube,' e maaari mo nang gawing pamato sa larong Bingo na kadalasang makikita sa mga lamay ng patay.

Olats na mga katangian:
- Madaling magkawalaan kapag hinubad dahil halos pare-pareho lang ang itsura
- Masakit isuot kapag may mga balahibo ang mga daliri mo sa paa
- Minsan kapag ipinambato mo ito sa picha o shuttlecock na nakasabit sa puno, e nadadamay pati yung tsinelas

Naaalala ko nung may movie kaming ginagawa para sa History class, kinailangan namin ng mga tsinelas. Meron kaming isang kagrupo na parating absent sa meetings at talagang walang pakelam sa mundo. Hahaha! Ayun, napag-atasan syang bumili ng mga tsinelas. At oo, mga kapatid, Spartan ang binili nya para sa aming lahat. Napakaraming Spartan. 2 pares pa nga ata ang nakupit ko.

At ayun, hanggang sa bago ako pumunta dito sa bansang Hapon, nagagamit ko pa ang napakainam na Spartan Slippers ko. Sa kubeta man o sa panlabas, ayos na ayos!

Kaya, mag-Spartan na!

(Ang nakakatawa nito, dahil sa walang Spartan dito sa Japan, 'napilitan' (ahem) akong bumili ng Havaianas. Ayun e. 'One of them' na'ko ngayon. Harharhar!)

Dr. Phil's Test: I'm 50! Whoa!

2008-11-11T13:15:00.003+08:00

Below is Dr. Phil's test. I got this from Okaasan. ^_^

(Dr. Phil scored 55, he did this test on Oprah and she got a 38.) Some folks pay a lot of
money to find this stuff out!

Read on, this is very interesting!

Don't be overly sensitive!

The following is pretty accurate and it only takes a few minutes.

Take this test for yourself and send it on to your friends.

The person who sent it placed their score in the email subject box. Please do the same before
forwarding it on to your friends.

(send it back to the person who sent it to you.)
But I am posting it on my blog. Hahaha!

Don't peek, but begin the test as you scroll down and answer.

Answers are for who you are now and not who you were in the past. Have pen or pencil
and paper ready.

This is a real test given by the Human Relations Dept. at many of the major corporations today. It helps them get better insight concerning their employees and in their prospective employees.

It's only 10 Simple questions, so grab a pencil and paper, keeping track of your letter answers to each question.

Ready?

---------------------------
Hajime!

1. When do you feel your best...

A) in the morning
B) during the afternoon and early evening
C) late at night

2. You usually walk..

A) fairly fast, with long steps
B) fairly fast, with little steps
C) less fast head up, looking the world in the face
D) less fast, head down
E) very slowly

3. When talking to people you...

A) stand with your arms folded
B) have your hands clasped
C) have one or both your hands on your hips
D) touch or push the person to whom you are talking
E) ;play with your ear, touch your chin, o r smoo th your hair

4. When relaxing, you sit with...

A) your knees bent with your legs neatly side by side
B) your legs crossed
C) your legs stretched out or straight
D) one leg curled under you

5. When something really amuses you, you react with...

A) big appreciated laugh
B) a laugh, but not a loud one
C) a quiet chuckle
D) a sheepish smile

6. When you go to a party or social gathering you...

A) make a loud entrance so everyone notices you
B) make a quiet entrance, looking around for someone you know
C) make the quietest entrance, trying to stay u nnoticed

7. You're working very hard, concentrating hard, and you're interrupted...

A) welcome the break
B) feel extremely irritated
C) vary between these two extremes

8. Which of the following colors do you like most...

A) Red or orange
B) black
C) yellow or light blue
D) green
E) dark blue or purple
F) white
G) brown or gray

9. When you are in bed at night, in those last few moments before going to sleep you are...

A) stretched out on your back
B) stretched out face down on your stomach
C) on your side, slightly curled
D) with your head on one arm
E) with your head under the covers

10. You often dream that you are...

A) falling
B) fighting or struggling
C) searching for something or somebody
D) flying or floating
E) you usually have dreamless sleep
F) your dreams are always pleasant

POINTS: (Check your own answers.)

1. (a) 2 (b) 4 (c) 6
2. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 7 (d) 2 (e) 1
3. (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 5 (d) 7 (e ) 6
4. (a) 4 (b) 6 (c) 2 (d) 1
5. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 2
6. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 2
7. (a) 6 (b) 2 (c) 4
8. (a) 6 (b) 7 (c) 5 (d) 4 (e) 3 (f) 2 (g) 1
9. (a) 7 (b) 6 (c) 4 (d) 2 (e ) 1
10 (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 6 (f) 1

Now add up the total number of points.

OVER 60 POINT: Others see you as someone they should 'handle with care'. You're seen as vain, self-centered, and who is extremely dominant. Others may admire you, wishing they could be more like you, but don't always trust you,20hesitating to become too deeply involved with you.

51 TO 60 POINTS: Others see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive personality, a natural leader, who's quick to make decisions, though not always the right ones. They see you as bold and adventuresome, someone who will try anything once, someone who takes chances and enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement you radiate.

41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting, someone who's constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well balanced not to let it go to their head. They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding, someone who'll always cheer them up and help them out.

31 TO 40 POINTS: Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful & practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who's extremely loyal to friends you do make and who expect the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you, realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that it takes you a long time to get over if that trust is ever broken.

21 TO 30 POINTS: Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It would really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment, expecting you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then, usually decide against it. They think this reaction is caused partly by your careful nature.

UNDER 21 POINTS: People think you are shy, nervous, and indecisive, someone who needs looking after, who always wants someone else to make the decisions and who doesn't want to get involved with anyone or anything! They see you as a worrier who always sees problems that don't exist. Some people think you're boring. Only those who know you well, know that you aren't.

--------------
So, I got 50. Almost 51. Almost a leader and adventurous... but not quite. Hahaha! Anyway, let's discuss my fiftyness.

Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting, someone who's constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well balanced not to let it go to their head.
Wow! Big words such as fresh, practical, center of attention, well balanced.

Am I really like this? I can say I am amusing for the funny expressions I make and the silly comments I say every once in a while... but I'm not quite sure with practical.

Fresh, oh yeah! Especially after taking a good bath. Hahaha! I think I was center of attention when I was a teacher... and I am quite selfish for that attention. I couldn't stand non-listeners at that... I become sad or feel unaccomplished after the day if it seems like my lecture didn't affect somebody.

They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding, someone who'll always cheer them up and help them out.
I love cheering people up. I remember my psychology teacher called me Sunshine. Hihihi. She said, even just the moment she saw me, she saw radiating light. Like... I can warm people around me. I hope that's true, especially now that it's terribly cold here in Japan already. And I do hope I can keep myself warm too.

Anyway, tell me if what you read about me is true... then, just then will I find who this Dr. Phil really is. Does he even exist? Nobody knows...

-out-

Doubutsu-Uranai: Gold Cheetah!

2008-11-06T00:04:00.004+08:00

Engelene
09/10

You are Gold Cheetah, who possesses feminine attraction under your bold and youthful attitude. (Wow! Feminine. Youthful. Big words there.)
You are very modern up-to-date woman. (That's what ECE can do to you...)
Unlike your kindly appearance, you tend to be short tempered and rather too sensitive and sharp. (What? Really? I am sensitive, yes. Sharp? What do you mean by sharp?)
You are really a clear-cut type of person, and can be hard minded. (Now, there's something wrong with this...)
When young, you will go straight to whatever you are aimed at, and therefore you may experience clash of ideas with your parents. (OMG! This line proves that the entire thing is wrong.)
You hate compromising, and may wish to quickly leave home and live on your own. (I didn't choose to leave home. I just had no choice (university, work reasons).)
Once you have set an objective, you will put in your maximum effort to achieve the goal. (Ok, tell me more positive stuffs now.)
You will also use anything to get what you want, and this may seem rather attractive and cute to others. (There you go. Magic word---CUTE! Hahaha!)
In ordinary every day life, you can differentiate your ideals and reality. (So hard to do. Hahaha!)
You tend to think hard about interests and calculation. (Hmmnn. Lemme see.)
You are a quick minded person, and therefore can carry out things cheerfully. (I am cheerful, probably. Quick minded? You think so?)
You are very humane, easy to get on with, and honest. (Finally! Something that gives me a reason to post this.)
Your characteristic is that you look very logical sort of person at first. (Ano raw?)
You will be able to keep both your career and your family.

Try it!

Bring Me to LIFE!

2008-11-05T13:20:00.002+08:00

After another 10 years of hibernating, this blog is revived!

This will contain blog things, basketball, and wishlists, perhaps.

ENJOY!

I'm Back!

2007-01-26T15:06:00.000+08:00

Hello everyone! After 10 years or more of unblogging, now, I'm back. It would be hard to manage both my Multiply and Blogspot accounts so please be patient for updates. For now, let me tell you this:

This year, being the year of the pig, will be my KAIROS. It is time.

Good morning!

2006-02-13T18:50:00.000+08:00

I'm not a Superwoman!

2006-02-02T16:07:00.000+08:00

I'm Supergirl!!! (kidding!!! ^.^)

Last Wednesday, I (mis)handled 3 classes at the same time.

a. First Years (as a substitute for Ma'am Marifa in CTC-219)
b. Third Years (my ELC 107 class in F-325)
c. Fifth Years (my TCOM 152 B class in Rizal Foyer, MMR)

First, i went to Faura 3rd floor to inform my lab class on the activities that they are to perform (and finish, hopefully). I plotted some incy-wincy-fancy notes on the board such as the DEADline (of their lab reports), the EQuations involved in the activity, and the FIGures illustrating the circuits that they had to wire. After some giddy talks, I flew off to my next destination--Rizal Foyer.

Rizal Foyer is nothing but a mere mile from Faura. Not much trouble along the way... aside from the falling debris from the Grand MVP Leadership Building (but i was flying, no worries). When I landed near the front glass door, I wondered whether I bought the things I needed to (like index cards to check the super seniors' attendance, their LT3 papers, etc.). But wait! I already gave those to my class beadle (lucky! Thanks Cath!). So I just had the 20-year-old film played and flew back to Faura to "save" the juniors' day (or something like that...).

Some villains were too difficult to defeat, though, in Faura. The dark lord oscilloscopes and angry function generators were all eating my students' time for nothing. The bothersome cables were also giving us headaches. Tantadadan-tadan!!! Here comes "the great idea"! Why not merge into bigger groups (or a big group) and use the LONE functioning equipment with ease (once, for everybody)?! Bravo!!! But it's not really that bad as it looks like. There were four workbenches that were oh-so-kay... and the other groups waited in line to use those equipment.

Beep beep. Somebody's calling me once more... Off I went to CTC.

I simply gave the freshies' activity cards, waited for about 5 minutes, and flew back to Faura.

At 6 pm. It was done. No. They were done. The classes.

I'm not Super. I don't travel through time nor duplicate myself as clones. So please... don't make me do this again.

(And the Safeguard voice said, "You have to...")

... fine, so be it.

when Paul said, "I'm Still Here!"

2006-02-02T15:24:00.000+08:00

lately, i have been hooked at how Boris Diaw's performance allowed my Fantasy team to survive. little did i notice that My First Pick is doing the BEST job.

Paul Pierce, in 41 minutes of play against the Suns, had 40 pts, 4 3-pt shots, 3 rebs, 3 stls, an assist, and a block. and yes, he shot 50% from the rainbow country and approximately 52% overall. what a player!

according to Mr. Phoenix Coach in Yahoo!'s Recap, "He's one of those players in the class of LeBron James, Kobe (Bryant), Steve Nash. You're not going to stop him. You can't do it."

and in this picture, it's like Paul is indeed telling Shawn, "Nobody can stop me."

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce, right, drives past
Phoenix Suns' Shawn Marion in the first quarter
of NBA basketball, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2006, in Boston.
(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

and nobody did.

Eyes

2006-02-01T17:06:00.000+08:00

Your Eyes Should Be Gray

Your eyes reflect: Intensity and drive

What's hidden behind your eyes: A sensitive soul

What Color Should Your Eyes Be?

Boris

2006-02-01T11:24:00.000+08:00

MIAMI - JANUARY 26: Jason Kapono #24 of the Miami Heat gets blocked by Boris Diaw #3 of the Phoenix Suns as the third quarter expires at American Airlines Arena on January 26, 2006 in Miami, Florida. The Suns defeated the Heat 107-98. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) from here.

Boris Diaw played big a while ago (as always). He just had his first triple double in his entire career in the NBA.

14 PTS - 11 REBS - 13 ASTS... plus his 50% Field Goal and 1 Block, 0 Turnovers, who wouldn't want him in a Fantasy NBA line-up?

NONE.

I got Diaw from the Free Agent list about a week after the season started. I am very eager to get Phoenix players because I wasn't able to get Steve Nash as my first pick (parang pampalubag loob). I had some fears, before the season started, that Phoenix won't be doing good this season due to the injury of Amare Stoudemire (who I said would be this year's MVP sana), plus the loss of Joe Johnson to another team. Little did I know that those misfortunes would open the door to new 'elites' (as Steve Kerr put it) like Diaw. James Jones and Eddie House were doing good for the Suns as well.

Actually, I haven't seen any Phoenix game on TV, much more live (asa!). But while following the live feed of Yahoo! Sports through its Box Scores, I have witnessed how Boris played. He is passing the ball (he's even passing it more sometimes than Steve)! He is getting those rebounds (defensive, offensive, name it!)! He is blocking those big guys, defending those strong guys, stealing the ball from those fast guys, and shoots the ball like those other guys.

It's not only his versatility really. It is his consistency. Every week, Diaw never fails to give me the stats.

And so I wish him all the best for the rest of the season (and his next seasons to come). May he help Steve and Shawn Marion grab the title this year.

Thanks Boris. You'll never know how lucky I am to have you this year in my line-up. Next year, you'll be my second pick!

My true color is...

2006-01-26T19:23:00.000+08:00

Orange
You're a bold, confident orange. A warm, powerful color that indicates a strong, welcoming personality, orange is the mark of people who are social and extroverted by nature. Vibrant, with an upbeat attitude, you have a bright, inviting demeanor. Energetic and fun-loving, you're a real friend-magnet. Your easy charm and unassuming manner make you the sort of person people want to meet and get to know better. Well-rounded and fun to be around, you enjoy helping others, so it's no surprise that orange also symbolizes attraction. Orange is an extraordinary color — for an extraordinary person.

Find your own true color here.

More reasons to HATE Kobe

2006-01-24T13:36:00.000+08:00

i have nothing against Kobe, really. however, this *hatred* of mine towards him sprung up from the time "people" started comparing him with Michael Jordan. why, MJ is byfar the BEST basketball player in the history of NBA. forget about Wilt Chamberlain. forget about Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. forget about Shaq! Michael is Basketball. Basketball is Michael.

but yesterday, Kobe did an unthinkable feat. he scored 81, yes! EIGHTY-ONE points... to rally from behind against Toronto Raptors. and of course, Lakers won that game.

here are my reasons why I continue to hate Kobe:

He is now second to Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 100 44 years ago, in the All-Time Top Scorer in a single game.
He has attracted the eyes of every basketball fan, even every eye that can see... to root for him as this season's M-V-P. Sorry Elton Brand. Sorry Steve Nash.
Steve Kerr, in his Yahoo! Sports Column, said, "Bryant's performance – especially since it rallied the Lakers from a second-half, 18-point deficit – ranks as the greatest show I have ever seen in the NBA. And I was in Cleveland back in 1990 with the Cavaliers when Jordan scored his career-high of 69. (I had two points.) I never thought I'd see anyone top that. But Kobe did." Ouch. Not from a former Chicago Bull!
Kobe is now being coached by Phil Jackson, who coached Jordan and the rest of the Chicago Bulls to six championsips... and he said, "Bryant's single-game performance surpassed anything Jordan ever did on a given night." Double OUCH!
Kobe is positive he can make it 101, to be No. 1!
It all happened January 23, Philippine Time.
Kobe is just 27 years old.

but Kobe said in the same article (as Phil's comment) that it's time for the comparisons between him and Michael to stop.

"He's one of the greatest players of all time," Bryant said. "It's not fair for us younger players to be compared to him. We can't measure up to him. He's Jordan, and I'm Kobe."

well, Kobe, you are definitely giving me reasons to like you. but it's not that easy, man. still, congratulations for a job well done. someday, maybe someday, i might buy your basketball card.

photo from sports.yahoo.com

the PACMAN did us PROUD!

2006-01-22T16:12:00.000+08:00

before we took our lunch, we passed by Video City to return some vcds. a man told us, "KO si Manny, 4th round."

of course, we shouldn't have believed such a statement. how sad naman, diba? however, rusty said somebody went to their dorm this morning to announce the same "news". i said, "oh well. bakit pa kasi may album si manny." ... just to laugh it off.

i didn't want to watch the fight actually. of course, who would want to see our bayani fall? but i argued, "well, we should see kung nadaya siya."

and so we waited. we stayed in Wok Dis Way until the end of Castillo's fight. we stayed, despite feeling low and ready to see the defeat on the 4th round. we stayed and joined Jen Bautista when she sang the Philippine National Anthem. i even thought she'd add "Para Sa'yo, Manny" in the end.

we stayed until the 4th round.

but Manny didn't show us a slight reason to say he's going to be downed by El Terible. he even caught Erik that made the Mexican hold on to the ropes during the 2nd round.

but after 5 rounds, our amateur score card says, "4-1" in favor of Morales.

...

come the 6th round. Manny came back and landed his punches on Erik... onto his head... onto his body... anywhere... at all angles. Manny hesitated at some points, but went on.

we started to buy some ice cream. the fight was not a losing battle anymore!

9th round. Erik seemed tired. after 1 minute in the round, he's just standing still, just countering Manny's every attempt. in the last seconds, he ran around the ring, trying to escape from Manny's deadly blows.

10th round. Erik fell once after his head snapped from Manny's strong left punch. we clapped our hands in victory! yet, he stood up at the count of 9.

at 2:33, "The Terrible" was on his knees. the referee stopped the fight.

yes, ladies and gentlemen. the underdog. the actor. the singer. the star named Manny Pacquiao finally got his sweet revenge, fair and square.

how we loved that moment.

and as many an expert says, Manny is now officially able to rip some title off Marco Antonio Barrera , another Mexican who he defeated a while back.

Manny, Para Sa'yo... ang lubos naming pasasalamat. Maraming Salamat sa isa na namang parangal na iniaalay mo sa bawat Pilipino. Maraming Salamat at ipinakita mo sa lahat na sa bawat hagupit sa buhay, pagkatalo man o pagkasakit, kaya pa rin nating bumangon... kaya pa rin nating bumawi... upang maibalik sa Poong Maykapal ang lahat ng biyaya sa mundo.

Mabuhay ka, Manny. Isa kang tunay na bayaning Pilipino.

photos from: Sports Illustrated

notes:

Manny "The Pacman" Pacquiao's Record (41-3-2, 33 of which are KOs)
Erik Morales has never been defeated by TKO... until today.

My Fantasy NBA Lineup

2006-01-19T14:42:00.000+08:00

Yes, I'm still managing the Psychotic Penguins team. And yes... for some weeks now I've been hounded by injuries.

So here is my so-so team. They (the players, I mean) may perform well one week... and get injured the next week. But still, this is my team. And I support them, personally.

BTW, Paul Pierce is my first pick.

They may not be superstars... but they are role players. Griff is for my blocks. Brevin is for my assists. Manu is for my steals. Boris Diaw is giving me all the stats I want (except the points). Barbosa is my replacement to Ja. Jones because Mr. Phoenix Coach "favors" Leandro more than James. Paul Pierce is my only superstar... and it's good that his performance this year is far better than last year (that was when i still had Steve Nash and Elton Brand and J-Rich T_T). Andre Miller is my best (and lone) traded-in player. T-Murph is giving me the points and rebounds, and so is Eddie Curry. Kwame is a new addition to my team, to replace the stat-depleted L. Wright. And how can I forget Jason Terry, my best three-point guy!

So that's my team... and managing it is eating about 0.5% of my time (oh, really? '^_^). I am not rooting to be on top this year, not with this team... But who knows? My players might be sleepers... who'll just wake up come the finals.

Wake them up when February ends... (para umabot ako sa finals)

My Desktop

2006-01-13T19:07:00.000+08:00

From time to time, i've been collecting skins, wallpapers, and other desktop features for my school pc. and for this month, this is my theme.

Sweet and Simple

i chose pastel colors, mostly orange... and even changed the skin of my YM to bronze to suit my theme. next time, i might choose something dark... well, since i am in front of this pc for almost 9 hours a day (except Sundays, thank God!), it might be better to show something pleasant and soothing to my dear eyes... and yes, for now, this is the best that i can do. lolz... ^.^

Being a 'good' citizen

2006-01-13T11:21:00.000+08:00

Today, i am going to make one 'major' decision.

Am i going to pay for my community tax (aka Cedula)?

yesterday, in my desperate attempt to have a hold of some money, i went to the accounting office "to check" if "my check" was already available. ironic as it is, i discovered instead that my BIR form 2316 was ready. it read, Certificate of Compensation Payment/Tax Withheld. and wow! after about 8 months of 'working', i found out that i gave the government almost Php10k to 'spend wisely'. that would be 10 Hellblazers (might complete my whole set, actually) or 2 Patron Tickets for the BSB concert (yay!) or a Magic Sing Xtreme (the one which you can plug into the USB port of your PC, aside from the usual features *wow!!!*) or an iPod mini (or half the price of an iPod video) or just anything dandy all for me. but then, my so-called materialistic happiness ended up inside somebody else's pockets. T_T

and then, an email sent to me by our dept secretary, Sir Paul, says...

Reminder:

Last day today of getting your community tax certificates at...

what????!!!!!

well, of course, we all know that in order to get a community tax certificate, you have to pay the tax. and unlike before, when i can only pay Php5 because i didn't have any salary yet, now i am going to compute my total earnings and declare it to my community so that they can 'exercise' their benefit of 'having their fair share'!

but then, i remembered how my community has 'taken cared' of me for the past 5 years or so.

this place, where i have lived about a quarter of my life, is what i can call "a little utopia". although i have lost a cellphone or two, it is still one of the best places in the country. this is where i experienced 'the real world' without getting 'messed up too much'. well, i guess they deserve my tax. but let me think again...

and no, i'm not earning that much for them to sue me for tax evasion, if ever i forget to pay today. ^___^

What i wouldn't want to miss but just might ouch

2006-01-11T10:37:00.000+08:00

Backstreet Boys 'Never Gone' Tour
Araneta Coliseum
January 20, 2006

from top40.about.com.

Manny Pacquiao vs Erik Moralles (II)
SM Megamall, Cinema 10
January 22, 2006

from mindanews.com.

Always check your Bulk Mail Folder!

2006-01-05T14:26:00.000+08:00

I am a big fan of Yahoo! Mail (that's why I never got to use my Gmail account) probably because it is the first free email account provider that I have discovered. I find its features and look convenient and user-friendly. Mails are also sent and received fast (despite large attachments) although the speed of your internet connection can be a factor (in slow accessing of the webpage itself and mails). Plus the 1.0 - 2.0 GB capacity!!! W00T!

However, the Bulk Mail feature, which senses SPAMS and might-be-virus-infected-mails, is getting some of my important mails. So, when I discovered this, I made it a habit to check my Bulk Mail Folder. And it never ceases to amaze me that such important messages could've gone to waste.

This link, which is given by Mr. Jonathan Chien (our speaker for the 60 hour seminar and training in IC Design Layout and Simulation), is part of one of those almost gone mails:

Chiensgroup

Don't forget to check out the pics!!!

^____^

Abundance!

2006-01-01T02:26:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year!!!

I am starting my 2006 by updating my blog... at last. Well, there's not much to say anyway. The streets are already quiet. Everybody else in the house is sleeping. No parties. No loud firestuffs. No lights.

No more.

It's PEACEFUL now.

But we have celebrated well. And I thank God for the memorable 2005 and for another exciting 365 days ahead... of which the first one is really blessed with His graces.

It's FRUITFUL now.

So I smile. And laugh at my chinese-like English.

It's JOYFUL now.

May we all have peace, fruit, and joy all year round... ^_^

F's

2005-12-02T16:04:00.000+08:00

i have too many Frustrations.

i love singing but i'm not good enough to be a singer nor a star.
i love writing but i'm not good enough to be a columnist nor a novelist.
i love drawing but i'm not good enough to be a cartoonist nor a painter.
i love mathematics but i'm not good enough to be a mathematician.
i love films but i'm not good enough to be a filmmaker nor a director.
i love music but i'm not good enough to be a musician nor a composer.
i love a lot of things but i'm not good enough to be a professional in all of those things.

then...

i love talking but i'm not good enough to be a broadcaster or a show host.
but i am now a teacher.

someday, i might share my F's with others.

someday.

2005-11-30T14:43:00.000+08:00

is not today.

PART 2.

2005-11-21T11:56:00.000+08:00

Gone are the days of watching UAAP.

Gone are the days of worrying for the Board.

Gone are the days of working and walking and whining.

This is Part 2. This is another beginning. This is Now.

ECE Board Exam

2005-10-19T16:35:00.000+08:00

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

A Prayer

2005-09-07T14:26:00.000+08:00

This is taken from a forwarded email:

Please take a moment to relax your mind and humble your heart to focus on Christ. Allow God to be the only person on your mind while you read this prayer. If we can take the time to read long jokes, stories, etc., we should give the same respect to this prayer. Friends, who pray together, stay together.

Dear Lord, I thank you for this day! I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you.. I ask now for Your forgiveness.

Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.

Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things.

Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. Let me continue to see sin through God's eyes and acknowledge it as evil. And when I sin, let me repent, and confess with my mouth my wrongdoing, and receive the forgiveness of God.

And when this world closes in on me, let me remember Jesus' example -- to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will.

Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for those who are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those who are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those who will delete this without sharing it with others. I pray for those who don't believe. But I thank you that I believe.

I believe that God changes people and God changes things. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met.

I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees them and every mouth that confesses them willingly..

This is my prayer.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

on being pessimistic.

2005-09-06T13:34:00.000+08:00

some say it is better to have a "negative philosophy in life". expect the worst at all times in order to live happier.

- in the morning, when you wake up, expect that the first person you'll encounter is very unpleasant. but then, when you end up looking at the mirror first thing, you'll be happy to see that the first person you see is very far from what you expected.

- in taking tests, expect that you'll surely fail. then you'll take the test lightly... and be surprised in the end that you got a higher grade than you expected... although still a flunking one.

- in watching basketball, expect that your team will lose the game. then, you'll enjoy seeing the players making those mistakes (bashing them and calling them names altogether). after the game and your team really lost, you'll be so proud to say, "sabi ko na nga ba eh..." but if by some miracle your team won, you'll be happier than ever.

- in eating out, expect that the food will be very bad. you'll then close your eyes every bite knowing that you'll end up spitting it all out afterwards. after finishing your food, you'll have no choice but to keep what you ate inside your stomach... even how good or bad it was. anyway, it's already there.

- in going to españa, expect that black mud will be flooding the streets as you walk from the LRT station. you'll be happy to have a reason not to attend the review then. (hahaha!)

- in checking your inbox, expect it to be full of the following: Subject: Yearbook. Subject: In defense of "the yearbook editor". Subject: Yearbook '05 already out, how about ours?... care of your batch egroup. then, when you see that nobody sent you a single mail, you'll feel blessed.

- in reading mails like the ones above: Yearbook, yearbook?, yearbook!!!, expect that it will all be rants, nothing more... then you'll enjoy reading this: "it's just a yearbook. it's not the freaking bible!!!"

- in receiving your yearbook, expect it to be normal enough. or something lower than normal. so that when it's finally out, you'll not be too excited to get "the-unworthy-of-your-time-yearbook"... because it's really heavy. and then you remember: "it's just a yearbook, not the freaking bible!!!" so you'll just hide it away after getting it and never touch it until God knows. then you say, "at least, my inbox will be "Subject: yearbook"-free from now on.

and when you finally read it after 50 years or so, you'll get to appreciate turning the pages of that never touched before yearbook. because by that time, books may be rare and even the Bible might be an eBible already. then you think back, "hey, where's my batch cd?"

you check your email and now your inbox is filled with: Subject: CD, Subject: Where the hell is our Batch CD?, Subject: We will sue you for not giving us our cds... etc.

waaah... i'm thinking nonsense...

but since i expected myself not to be able to think of anything today, i am happy that at least, i am able to ponder on some nonsense.

anyway, i wanted to end this by saying that: yes, being pessimistic makes you not expect too much so that you'll hurt not that much when failure comes your way. however, success won't come your way that way since you're always thinking of bad things to happen... it's like your chi will attract negative chi's as well... and you'll still be happy with this overall negativity. our country, especially in this time of crisis, does not need this kind of philosophy. we need to feed on positive thoughts... so that positive things will happen.

success is not near the beginning... it is still beyond the next bend on the road. if we won't continue and strive to get to that next bend, GG na. believe that with little efforts, the major goal will be finally achieved in the end. believe that bad things happen for a "better (not bitter)" reason... and believe that if we persist long enough, we will win.

Go Ateneo!

law of averages...

2005-09-05T15:02:00.000+08:00

i (we) must fail often to succeed only once.
-og mandino

the ust game showed that Ateneo is still the LA Tenorio team. when LA looks good, everybody else looks good. when LA's energy is waaay down, GG. however, it is good to note that we had a great chance of winning that game even falling behind by 22 big points... thanks to jai's three-pointers and ken's free throws (with his spirit sooo high). thanks to jc as well, despite missing a dunk and two-three consecutive putbacks after ken's deliberate free throw miss. he was the mcdo best rebounder of the game.

but then, it's time to bounce back... as mamen said, "bilog ang bola."

anyway, Ateneo vs NU. Thursday. 130pm. Blue Eagle Gym. (this might just be the first Ateneo game i'll miss this season.)

Go Ateneo!!!

wake me up when september ends.

2005-08-31T15:32:00.000+08:00

it's not that i'm not watching the games anymore. in fact, i still haven't missed a single ateneo game (live!). it's just that, i wanted to change my blog (do some drastic makeover)... before broadcasting my daily musings again, but still haven't got the right chance to do so. while i was away, almost hiding but not quite, i was actually searching for new "flashy" ideas and pondering on the unique taste i can add to this semi-personal webspace. i actually formulated the "design" already but am still unable to make it a reality. taas kasi ng pangarap, kala mo, kakayanin ko...

anyway, board review is coming to an end. refresher naman... parang kailan lang nung nag-take kami ng acet. ngayon, licensure exam na. oooooh! nakakakaba naman! grabe pang pressure. sa tuwing may makikita kaming batchmates (kalimitan mga teachers na sa ateneo), lagi nilang sinasabi, "kayang-kaya n'yo yan! lahat ng atenista, pumapasa..." one word. ASA. hehe. *joke joke joke*

oo, umaasa nalang kami sa isang himala. na sana'y dapuan kami ng "light of the holy spirit" at magkaroon ng isang matinding mirakulo para naman huminto na kami sa aming "slacking mode".

kasi, pano na yan?... end of august na. 2 months nalang...

pero yes! ilang tulog nalang at malapit na ang ateneo vs feu game. at ilang tulog pa mula sa araw na 'yon ay ateneo vs lasalle naman. ang saya-saya. kaya lang, ang unang game na mami-miss ko this season ay: first game ng final four. pero ok lang. pagpapalit ko ba ang acet? ilang taon na rin kaming nagtitiis sa paghihintay ng isang malakas na sigaw mula sa malayo na magsasabing--nanalo ang ateneo. yung hindi ko makalimutan... last game ng ateneo sa elims. vs lasalle. aiming to give lasalle its first loss for the season. para 13-1. friday the 13th nung friday non. sunday yung game.

and we did it. yun din yung season na nag-champion ang ateneo after 14 years of drought. wala lang...

ngayon kaya, anong kahihinatnan?

basta, sa lahat, mapa-basketball man o board exam...

Go Ateneo!

kaya natin 'to!

nothing can be any better...

2005-08-18T16:35:00.000+08:00

i was checking my yahoo mail when i saw this certain email forwarded to all AECES* members (past and present alike). attached was a picture...

Larry is shockingly holding this piece of a shirt!!! But why???

just then, i found this next image...

Ok, ok. Fine...

Yun lang.

*note: AECES - Association of ECE Students (supposedly Ateneo ECE Society --> once accredited)

PS. This note accompanied the pictures pasted above:
anyone interested? available in male sizes (medium, large and extra large), female free size by september. 200PhP only. just reply to this mail or contact january guerrero 09202655222 or kristofer tangco 09178421983.

And no, i'm not paid to advertise this. I simply want to "spread the good shirt".

basketball na naman???

2005-08-15T16:05:00.000+08:00

cool pag-usapan eh.

last saturday.
NCAA swept all the all-star games and side events. however, it is good to note that jc did well. franz even noticed how good he was that he thought he's an archer (jc played as the lone eagle with four other archers in the dying minutes of game 2). anyway, that doesn't mean that archers are better than eagles, mind you. what i meant was franz was mesmerized with jc's basketball athleticism... so he didn't take him out for somebody else to play his full-press stylings (like cabatu or maierhoffer). also, it is funny how doug spent his first ever all-star game. just as he was taken in to play, he fell (or slipped) by himself and (according to his own words) injured his hip. i hope this is not really that serious because the next round is definitely a WAR (no casualties allowed!!!).

yesterday, sunday.
UAAP
UE won against FEU, same thing they did against Ateneo last year when they also swept the first round. and who said the tamarraws are invincible?
PBA
Rookie draft pick. nothing worth telling here except that Larry ended up with Red Bull together with Bugie. they were picked second round though. and coach tim cone said if they didn't make that trade with shell, they could've picked the 6th in first round and he was planning to pick larry that early. the happy thing here is that... larry will be playing alongside enrico once again. the sad thing here is that... rich will be playing in my most "unlikeable" team - alaska. wesley and rich could be itching to ask their managers to have they traded to red bull as well. one big reunion that may be.

watch out for:

UAAP BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
SY 2005-2006
HOST: ADAMSON UNIVERSITY
SEASON 68
As of August 10, 2005

SECOND ROUND

Left Side - Light Uniform Right Side - Dark Uniform

Sunday 14-Aug-05 ARANETA COLISEUM
9:30 a.m. UP VS. UST Junior
11:30 a.m. FEU FERN VS. UE Junior
2:00 p.m. UP VS. UST Senior
4:00 p.m. FEU VS. UE Senior

Thursday 18-Aug-05 ATENEO BLUE EAGLE GYM
9:30 a.m. DLSU VS. UST Junior
11:30 a.m. UE VS. ADU Junior
1:30 P.m. DLSU VS. UST Senior
4:00 p.m. UE VS. ADU Senior

Saturday 20-Aug-05 ATENEO BLUE EAGLE GYM
9:30 a.m. UST VS. UE Junior
11:30 a.m. ADU VS. ADMU Junior
2:00 p.m. UST VS. UE Senior
4:00 p.m. ADU VS. ADMU Senior

Sunday 21-Aug-05 ARANETA COLISEUM
9:30 a.m. NU VS. UP Junior
11:30 a.m. FEU FERN VS. DLSU Junior
2:00 p.m. NU VS. UP Senior
4:00 p.m. FEU VS. DLSU Senior

Thursday 25-Aug-05 ATENEO BLUE EAGLE GYM
9:30 a.m. ADU VS. NU Junior
11:30 a.m. UP VS. ADMU Junior
1:30 p.m. ADU VS. NU Senior
4:00 p.m. UP VS. ADMU Senior

Saturday 27-Aug-05 ARANETA COLISEUM
9:30 a.m. UST VS. ADU Junior
11:30 a.m. ADMU VS. UE Junior
2:00 p.m. UST VS. ADU Senior
4:00 p.m. ADMU VS. UE Senior

Sunday 28-Aug-05 ATENEO BLUE EAGLE GYM
9:30 a.m. DLSU VS. NU Junior
11:30 a.m. UP VS. FEU FERN Junior
2:00 p.m. DLSU VS. NU Senior
4:00 p.m. UP VS. FEU Senior

Thursday 1-Sep-05 ATENEO BLUE EAGLE GYM
9:30 a.m. UP VS. ADU Junior
11:30 a.m. UE VS. DLSU Junior
1:30 p.m. UP VS. ADU Senior
4:00 p.m. UE VS. DLSU Senior

Saturday 3-Sep-05 ATENEO BLUE EAGLE GYM
9:30 a.m. UST VS. ADMU Junior
11:30 a.m. UP VS. DLSU Junior
2:00 p.m. UST VS. ADMU Senior
4:00 p.m. UP VS. DLSU Senior

Sunday 4-Sep-05 ATENEO BLUE EAGLE GYM
9:30 a.m. NU VS. UE Junior
11:30 a.m. FEU FERN VS. ADU Junior
2:00 p.m. NU VS. UE Senior
4:00 p.m. FEU VS. ADU Senior

Thursday 8-Sep-05 ATENEO BLUE EAGLE GYM
9:30 a.m. ADMU VS. NU Junior
11:30 a.m. UST VS. FEU FERN Junior
1:30 p.m. ADMU VS. NU Senior
4:00 p.m. UST VS. FEU Senior

Saturday 10-Sep-05 ARANETA COLISEUM
9:30 a.m. UST VS. NU Junior
11:30 a.m. UE VS. UP Junior
2:00 p.m. UST VS. NU Senior
4:00 p.m. UE VS. UP Senior

Sunday 11-Sep-05 ARANETA COLISEUM
9:30 a.m. ADU VS. DLSU Junior
11:30 a.m. FEU FERN VS. ADMU Junior
2:00 p.m. ADU VS. DLSU Senior
4:00 p.m. FEU VS. ADMU Senior

Thursday 15-Sep-05 ARANETA COLISEUM
9:30 a.m. NU VS. FEU FERN Junior
11:30 a.m. DLSU VS. ADMU Junior
1:30 p.m. NU VS. FEU Senior
4:00 p.m. DLSU VS. ADMU Senior

17-Sep-05 Saturday ARANETA COLISEUM CHEERING COMPETITION
18-Sep-05 Sunday ARANETA COLISEUM Final Four
22-Sep-05 Thursday ARANETA COLISEUM Final Four if necessary
25-Sep-05 Sunday ARANETA COLISEUM Championship
29-Sep-05 Thursday ARANETA COLISEUM Championship
6-Oct-05 Thursday ARANETA COLISEUM Championship if necessary

can't believe that the next Ateneo-La Salle game is on a thursday.

Go Ateneo!

when i am supposed to kill...

2005-08-11T13:24:00.000+08:00

i found this through my brother's friendster blog... and i was surprised to see him "killing for revenge". maybe he really had some dark experiences before (mao, kwento naman dyan!)... ^_^ but anyway, i hope he's doing well now...

so how about me? people may find it odd that i'm into this "killing" thing (because i think they might think that i'm not like it)... but still, it's a quiz worth taking. oooh! what would The Evil get if she takes this quiz? hmmm.... i won't be surprised if it is "killing for fun". hehehe. joke lang.

You are a protector.
Yes, you don't like to kill people. That goes
against everything you belive in. It's not that
you are a coward, but your ideals and morals
wouldn't allow it. You are the typical hero, do
the righteous things, get the bad guys and do
it all legally. But just because you don't kill
doesn't mean you can't kick ass. And that is
what you do. You use your brain and your
strength to do honourable deeds and protect
people you know and love. If an evil guy is
going to take over the world soon, it's you who
will get involved. You hate watching innocents
suffer, and love seeing bad people getting what
they deserve. You are probably also happy and
optimistic and work pretty good in groups. And
the friends you usually make are true ones.

Main weapon: Anything at all
Quote: "You only live once, but if
you do it right, once is enough" -Joe
Lewis
Facial expression: Smile

What Type of Killer Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

wow! that's an ideal result... baka dinaya ko ang quiz...

when you can't get too excited...

2005-08-11T12:44:00.000+08:00

wait, wait... after yesterday's big presentation (although it is not too glamorous), we are suddenly facing an increase in salary... well, that's if after checking our performance through project outcomes and attendance, we'll be said to be "worth it".

and then, there is this possibility of being able to move to "full-time" much sooner than we think. wow! how can this happen?

now there is a very thin line between liking work too much and not being interested in reviewing for the board exams anymore. it is because work is as fulfilling as studying... plus you have the monetary bonuses!

but wait! there's more... much pressure is also laid down on us since we are given the chance to work despite not being available "full-time". you see, board exam has to be the number 1 priority of our time and effort and energy, according even to our bosses. so what now?

the balance between doing good in the office and knowing much for the review is a must. of course, it is hard. but many people have done that already, and they are not called Superman, not even members of the Fantastic Four. yes. since much is given, much is also expected. lucky for chubaka and me, we are not really supposed to eliminate graft and corruption in the country. we are only to work harder.

last sunday, we visited Senator Raul S. Roco's wake in Della Strada Church. eventhough i wasn't able to see his dead look (because i decided not to), i was inspired by the Man he was. i even agree that he is "The Best President the Country Never Had". but hey, his mission on earth is not at all a failure. in fact, just as we were stepping out of the Church, i thought... "maybe it's time for us to move the country." but then, we'll take it slowly but surely...

when you can't get too excited... you dream more.

and so, everything we do, we dedicate to God, to our families, to our school, and to our people.

***
as i have always been reminding myself everyday by my post-it note near my bed, my dream is: To finally live not for myself.

so help me God.

First Round Performance Analysis

2005-08-08T14:57:00.000+08:00

Ateneo is tied in the No. 2 spot with UE (5-2 record). FEU swept the first round, similar to what we did last year under Coach Sandy (with Larry out after 3 games because of his injury).

At the start of the season, everybody is talking about the very slim chances of the Ateneo making it to the Final Four. Despite having Mr. 100% Coach Norman Black as the head coach, PEXers and other amateur analysts have been saying the Ateneo's bench is "empty", LA being an "inconsistent" leader is not good, and with Bajjie still in the roster will definitely make it very difficult, if not impossible, for the Hail Mary 5 to beat the favorite teams: FEU, DLSU, UE, and UP. This is further "proven" by Ateneo's big loss to perennial archrivals, the Archers. A 30-point deficit by the half is something to worry about, yes. Plus, considering the ever bitter loss to FEU because of lack of everything, save the last quarter. And so coach seemed to worry, yes.

Now, the Ateneo has four winning streaks (and counting), beating UP and UE after their big game against NU. Last win was against Adamson, yesterday at the Big Dome. The sandwiched win against UST makes it five. Who would believe this? What happened?

Everybody is simply trying to adjust and do better. Coach Norman rotates his players more effectively. LA is getting more contribution from Doug, JC, Magnum, and even Zion lately. Japeth is consistently imposing the "fear factor" inside the paint, thus gaining 10 blocks in their last two games. It looks like we have the "dream team" now, don't we?

But there are still lots of points to improve on.

1. Turnovers. Ateneo that has too much turnovers per game. LA is number 1 in the league (with most turnovers). JC and Macky are closing up to him. But in their last game against Adamson, the first five players are only guilty of five mistakes. The rest are mostly done by the "last stringers" in the fourth quarter.

2. JC being on and off. JC has only been good against the not-so-good teams. He failed to deliver in that FEU game. He made too many turnovers in their game against UP and UE (good, they still won those games). And his shooting is not consistent if he's not able to warm up well before the game. But hey, he still has good stats. He can jump for rebounds, pass to his teammates and assist, steal the ball from clumsy handlers, and dunk the ball gracefully. He has improved his three-point shooting as well, making him an all-around player. But still, much has been seen so too much is also expected.

3. Japeth being merely defensive. Other teams can simply leave Japeth open if they think he cannot make his jumpshots. He can be a nightmare in the opponents' side of the court, but maybe a clown offensively. However, this may be because he doesn't get too much attempts. Less opportunity compared to others. So, LA is starting to get him involved as seen in their last game. And since he wasn't able to shoot his two easy jumper near the paint, he simply dunked the ball more the rest of his attempts. OO nga naman, mas madali raw yon para sa kanya eh. ^_^

4. Jai being a liability. His small frame may attract defenders to harass him. Unluckily though, it has always been him called for the offensive foul all the time. Too much to improve for this young guy. Speed of LA for one. LA's sneakiness is another. Well, he can just follow LA's steps... because as far as I know, LA is the only 5'7''/5'8'' player who plays as if he's 6'6'' (in the UAAP of course).

5. Big Men not getting offensive rebounds. I suppose Ateneo is one of the teams that does not have too much second chance points to boast, which is not good, of course. It is still better to be able to have another chance near after a miss and not just win games by running and by being fast. Other than stopping the opponents' scoring, it would be nice to be defensive in order to score.

6. The Heart. Now this is something they are molding more and more each game (as well as the 6th Man). Can't wait for the next game against La Salle.

Good luck for the next round!!! Go Ateneo!

sometimes, i feel like being selfish

2005-08-03T16:50:00.000+08:00

i'm not going to state some uaap stats, rants, and praises here once again (for that will be for tomorrow ^_^ *grin). we all know how the under-rated ue red warriors are now--out of the blue--the second winningest team in uaap so far... but hey, aren't we quite catching up to them. and while Hail Mary Five is taking one game at a time, i'm sure tomorrow's contest will be another big one. i do hope the 6th man will support full blast for the team (despite the fact that the game won't be held on a weekend), so we can finally show our true form as "The Ateneo Community".

anyway, that's enough. next topic.

lately, i have been feeling this urge to think of myself. i want to be happy and relaxed. of course, my short-term happiness, caused by (ironically) none other than my arch-enemy: laziness, can be at most times welcome. and so the most important things that should keep me "busy" are affected. gone are the days when i'm so jolly and energetic that even after work, i find time to open some books/notes and review. even pressure at work is not pushing me hard enough to do something worthwhile. there's been this tempting thought lurking behind my consciousness... "matagal pa naman, eh."

then there is this confusion of wanting time to pass-by faster than it does (so that everything'll be done already)... and at the same time wanting it to be as slow as it cannot be--even stop (because i know how unprepared i am to do everything). and while thinking about this... i'm actually just wasting time anyway. nonsense worrying.

it is true that the time you stop worrying, you know Jesus.

i may not be the worst criminal in the world but i don't feel like angelic as well. i am bad as a person, see. it's just that people can't see because i try to hide it... trying to be nice so that they'll see me as nice. but i'm not actually "that" nice. no, even if i'm really trying to be one.

but then again, maybe it's just the color of my shirt today--black. the mood comes with it. sort of like death or something horrible. tonight, after reading this entry, mamen will surely call me again. even dassen might call me in the middle of his work. and chubaka may try to convince me that this post is not true... and that i'm just my emo self once again. yes, there are very special people who i know will worry so much that i feel this way... and will do just everything (even stupid ones) just to cheer me up. but hey! this will pass. it's just that this post ends (as a culmination) my unfortunate encounters with life and everything around it. i do hope my theory of negativity ends here.

and then tomorrow, the sun will shine more brightly than ever...

so help us, God.

series of (UN)Fortunate Events

2005-08-02T15:40:00.000+08:00

Saturday. July 30.
Fortunate:
- Ateneo won over UP despite extremely poor officiating. (Go Ateneo! JC showed his true form... Well, next game this thursday against UE... Exciting!)
Unfortunate:
- I found out that my 3-month-long-desired John Constantine Hellblazer hardbound comics (All His Engines) was finally gone. All sold-out in Fullybooked.

Sunday. July 31.
Fortunate:
- I have read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, and Prisoner of Azkaban!!! (at long last..)
Unfortunate:
- I wasn't able to study for the quiz and comprehensive exam for the next day. T_T

Monday. August 1.
Unfortunate:
- I took the exam without studying anything (which meant that i screwed it up, i guess...)
- I didn't know that the comprehensive exam was supposed to follow the quiz immediately (i thought i still have time to study). So, expect a failing mark. T_T'
Fortunate:
- Had enough time to rest. Started reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as well. Hehehe. (di na natuto...)

hope the next days will be more of fortunate (than UNfortunate)...

wish me luck! ^_^ (still smilin' despite everything that happended.)

signs of BRILLIANCE

2005-07-29T16:15:00.000+08:00

The Human Eraser

The King Eagle

The Revelation

The Baby Rocket

The Future (hehe!)

*all pictures are from the Fabilioh site. it's a good place to find Spirit Boosters. ^_^

Go Ateneo!

some exciting events to look forward to...

2005-07-28T10:27:00.000+08:00

dassen is going to be a resource speaker on "how to make an IP (investigatory project)". he's invited by my elementary alma mater - Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School. hehe. i think he is so excited to make his presentation. Good luck dassen!
- i remember dassen as a speaker in our leadership training when i was in grade 6. all i can say is that... his lecture is sooooo enjoyable (unlike those other boring ones). what could be his new strategy now that his lecture is about Science, Technology, and Innovation! whoa! so exciting...

mamen is going to attend a grand birthday party for Miss Victoria, their directress in Sacred Heart of Jesus Montessori. and guess what... they are required to come in their Victorian attires. wow! i want to see mamen wear one! have fun on your party mamen!
- i haven't seen mamen wear a fancy gown all my life... even in pictures. her picture will surely be a bloggable one. hahaha! ^_^

a BIG ONE coming up

2005-07-27T15:14:00.000+08:00

our first BIG presentation on our first BIG project is on Friday next week. wish us luck for it will be a "technical lecture and marketing" in one blow. time to Flash... time to do the paper...

some are pioneering the last mile. others are automating the current technology...

we are simply trying to make it all happen... in the Philippines.

ad majorem Dei gloriam!

the first FEEL-GOOD win!

2005-07-26T10:44:00.000+08:00

83-51

Ateneo won by 32 big points against NU.

most important stats:
Doug Kramer - 18 points, 12 rebounds, left the game for quarreling with Asoro
Japeth Aguilar - 5 blocks

what more can you ask for?

--> minimize turnovers. we were owning in that field as well: 28 TOs per game.

next game: UP Fighting Maroons (so far with just one loss c/o UE). Blue Eagle Gym, Saturday. Go Ateneo!

animo la salle! (All Apologies)

2005-07-24T20:32:00.000+08:00

I’m sorry for my previous post. I was simply my emotional self again that is why I bashed the Eagles too much. Sorry to Magnum, I know he worked too hard. He had 4 points during that game. Sorry to Japeth as well. His basketball IQ surely needs improvement because I know that there is still more that he can offer, but it’s definitely not below 50% (if there were percentages, that is.) Sorry to Doug as well. I’ve been criticizing him for all four years that he played (or stayed on the bench), but this year, he’s showing great improvements. He’s a reliable free throw shooter as well, take note. So he deserved better than what I said. Sorry to Macky. Sorry to Ford. Sorry to Jai. Sorry to Marty and Zion. Sorry to Nazareno as well. And sorry to Bajjie (even if i can't seem to really mean to be sorry). Sorry to all the players. Sorry to JC. JC, there must be something about Arwind Santos that makes your day “off”. I can’t blame you for that. Arwind is a sure monster. But you have to be stronger next time.

Sorry guys.

Today, I watched La Salle play against Adamson in my monochromatic TV. Or I listened pala… because this TV of mine is not showing anything on screen anymore (all black). I can only hear the show. But it worked for me. At times, the TV allowed me to take some glimpse of the game (and then all black again), and during those times, I’ve seen how the Archers played. And guess what? I can only praise the enemies. I can only wish that the Blue Eagles be able to execute like how the Archers did for three quarters. Fourth quarter is an exemption. They were stopped but eventually scored again, in the name of TY Tang, to pull away from the forthcoming Falcons. Actually, TY, the player we once called as LA’s bestfriend for making too much turnovers against Ateneo, has been great in that game. As Sev said, that might be his best performance in the UAAP, thus he’s named as the Best Player of the Game. How I wish the confidence and the focus he has on playing will be replicated by the Eagles in their game tomorrow at the Blue Eagle Gym against NU! He has improved greatly and has become *really* the most reliable point guard of La Salle. Rico Maierhoffer is also good. How I wish Japeth would have those feelings… that intensity he exuded as he targeted to get the rebounds and perform some blocks against those "tall and buff" Soaring Falcons! I support Chubaka’s poster: “Magalit ka, Japeth!” Actually, it’s not anger that’s needed. It’s being hungry… It’s about showing the fighting spirit. Where can we see the power of Enrico in our current players? Where is Rich’s hardwork? All they inherited are Larry’s injury… they seemed to have lost the touch. No. They seemed to have lost the passion for basketball. The pride of the Eagles has been forgotten. Only LA retained his kingly strength.

But look at La Salle, after losing two straight games in BEG, they came back composed, still confident that they’ll get to win. And they did.

However, the most endearing sight (or sound) was the whole Gang Green. They supported their team all the way. Where was the sixth man in that game against FEU? For the first time, I saw Ateneo being outnumbered in the Big Dome. How shameful! The Blue Babble Batallion is even late to arrive. The Tamarraws had warmed-up for more than 10 minutes before the Eagles could enter the court because they had to wait for the Babble to prepare. For the first time, Game 1 ended without the Babble leading the Sixth Man to cheer Go Ateneo! One Big Fight! And for the rest of the game, the FEU crowd cheered louder… and with more vigor than the Ateneo crowd. I didn’t cheer that much as well. We were in FEU side (free lower box tickets, hehe). Couldn’t hear the Babble. I could only hear FEU chant, “Beat Blue Eagles, Blue Eagles, Blue Eagles (blu igels)!”

I don’t know. It felt good to praise the archrivals today. And to wish that our own spirit would be same as theirs.

But then, I could’ve just been disheartened by that game against FEU. It was absolutely terrible, save the fourth quarter. Sorry guys! Down from the hill, down to the world I’ve been… and so I saw the Archers at their finest (although I saw it already in our first encounter). Sorry for this comparison. Believe it or not, I still believe in our Blue Eagles. I still believe that they are the best. And sorry Archers, I may say Animo La Salle today… but whatever happens, Ateneo is still the school I choose!!!

Tomorrow, I will still cheer… at the Blue Eagle Gym, 2:00 PM… Go Ateneo!

the spark can fail to get the fire going

2005-07-22T14:59:00.000+08:00

we lost against FEU. sabi ko nga, "gustung-gusto ni Arwind eh." oh well, it seemed that he always wanted to defeat his dream team. somebody told us that he wanted to play for the Ateneo... but did not because--"wala raw siyang kotse na ida-drive papasok sa school." ano ba yun?

anyway, in this field, i have learned the faith. to keep believing despite failing again and again. FEU is a very strong team, no doubt. and i saw in the eyes of the eagles that their loss yesterday was a bitter one. maybe because they did not deliver their best.

but hey, LA was still the "man". making all those 3-point shots in the fourth quarter...whoa! really made the non-existent 6th man come back to life. yes. LA is the brain, soul, and heart of the Ateneo Blue Eagles. and he's the only player who played. everybody else depended on him for energy and heart. if not for LA, they could've stayed at 10 points for all four quarters.

this is when we see that LA is the only true Blue Eagle in this year's Hail Mary Five.

where is the veteran Magnum? down with a sprained ankle without any point to brag.

where is Japeth the blocker? his weaknesses were exposed... not being able to get those rebounds and block those shots by FEU's big men (mark isip to mention). he relied on his instincts and proved that his basketball iq was way below 50%.

where is bajjie? showing his friendliness with 'everybody' molded by his 10 year stay in uaap senior basketball. he made a high five with arwind santos just as he made his first charity shot, which was because of a hard foul by marty quimson (an attempt to do something for the team to 'wake up' from being so cold the whole 3 quarters). yeah, i guess he's getting paid and conniving with other teams... not a single point. 20 turnovers (and very crucial ones).

well, doug is not so kramer only in the fourth quarter. he was steamed up by LA's plays for him, of course. if LA wasn't there, he could've ended up with more turnovers than points and rebounds combined.

ford's sun didn't shine. jai is too small. marty couldn't do his bonus offensive moves, could only contribute his timely fouls. and free throw shots, which gave them back the confidence that they can make free throws. zion laterre's three was good, though too late. nazareno's defense against arwind worked only in the first quarter. still made him throw those easy threes though. ken was his not-enough-vitamins self... again. macky was outplayed. did they warm up? yes, for three quarters. LA couldn't do it all by himself... alone.

so who is the most eligible go-to-guy? who?

jc. nasan ang puso mo?

but then again, just like before, we still believe.

Go Ateneo!

decision-making

2005-07-21T12:36:00.000+08:00

right now, i'm called to make a very important decision. 'cause this may create the impact that i have been yearning and working for.

Lord, let me decide as you want me to. Your will be done.

i'm not an *emo anymore

2005-07-20T13:58:00.000+08:00

emo (ĭ-mō') adj.
short term for emotional - usually used to describe lonely people
according to Answers.com:
1. Of or relating to emotion: an emotional illness; emotional crises.
2. Readily affected with or stirred by emotion: an emotional person who often weeps.
3. Arousing or intended to arouse the emotions: an emotional appeal.
4. Marked by or exhibiting emotion: an emotional farewell.

---

mamen called me last night to check how i was. she said that it's because of my blog post. she's kinda worried. then i wondered... ganun na ba ka-negative ang naisulat ko? and then again, sabi nga ni chubaka, nag-eemo lang daw ako.

and yes, i'm feeling better now. don't worry guys!

^_^

but i'm still lazy.

when doing nothing becomes confusingly tiring

2005-07-19T16:02:00.000+08:00

sometimes, i have the tendency to just relax. no. it's always and not sometimes. and so i end up doing nothing. then, when something really important needs to be done, i wait until i have no more time before i exert some effort to do it.

i have been like this since the beginning. it seems like i do not have any sense of responsibility at all. maybe this is why ms. marcaida, my 3rd yr hs adviser, told me that i seem to have no problem at all--happy go lucky, that is.

i am tired of being like this. help...

spark of HOPE

2005-07-18T15:18:00.000+08:00

it only takes a spark to get a fire going... and soon all those around can warm up with its glowing.

LA was the spark. although the whole team was great, LA was the greatest.

15 points
12 assists
11 rebounds

what's his height again?

anyway, Ateneo won against UST last saturday. this thursday, it's gonna be tough though. FEU players are monsters (paumanhin kay T for the use of her name). too bad i've got work and the game is going to be in Araneta. why not in BEG??? T_T

Go Ateneo!

BBspot Classics

2005-07-15T14:59:00.000+08:00

Which OS are you?

i got this:

but i wanted to be this:

Which File Extension are you?

i got this:

wow! like a movie. but what are those hidden away? i can't understand.

out of the BLUE: UP beats La Salle

2005-07-14T22:06:00.000+08:00

To wrap up the day, God allowed us to witness La Salle’s fall to UP in our own Blue Eagle Gym. Well, there might be a jinx in BEG. Even NU defeated La Salle in BEG. Just why won’t they hold Ateneo vs. La Salle games in BEG. That would be so great.

As usual, Jvee Casio was a monster. He shot crucial three pointers/lay-ups, which allowed them to come back from UP’s more than 7-points lead. But since they’re playing in BEG, some uneasy feeling lurked inside their tummies. Hahaha! Lucky for UPians, UP is just a jeep away from Ateneo. They came to support the team. But heck! Even such an important game did not allure too much UP viewers. Goes to show that we, Ateneans, are still the most supportive to our team. I still saw Ateneans, who just like us, wanted to see La Salle tumble down. There were even more Ateneans in the Cheer Rally than UPians supporting their team rally against La Salle, which is the only team they did not beat last season. But who cares? They won today anyway.

I did not cheer for UP too much though. Why would I cheer to the team who we played with when Larry got injured? Why would I cheer for the team who defeated us in a very crucial game last year? Who would cheer for Marvin Cruz whose loyal (or are they paid?) fans say that LA is insecure of him? NONE! So, I only cheered at times Yeo couldn’t make his shots. And that time when Cabatu showed his true self (missing the basket), which assured me that he was simply way too lucky last game. And Araña wasn’t too lucky as well. And Casio got pressed, lost the ball. Those were the best times of the game. I can only laugh at the Piranha look of Cholo Villanueva and the frustration of TY Tang. Most especially, that annoyed look in Franz Pumaren’s eyes. So good to see. Yeah, I know I promised to be good. I was only chuckling with myself at the sidelines. Nobody’d get hurt with that (what an excuse!). There was so little or no trash-talk from me at all. The UPians did it for me. In their “Unibersidad ng Pilipinas” cheer, the only word I grasped was “MATATALINO”. Goes to show how they saw the La Sallites. I’m not saying anything here. I’m only telling you the facts. And how my trash talking would be senseless since those UPians were doing it all by themselves. “Uuuu!”

And then we saw the key of winning the game against La Salle. Playing tough. Playing hard. Being agile. Being physical. Yes, those smaller guys fall to strong bumping bodies. They tire and lose their touch that way.

Heck, why did our players become their not-enough-vitamins selves last game?! But I’ve moved on from that bitter experience. I’m better now.

So let’s just cheer on Saturday, 4:30, Araneta Coliseum. Game against UST.

Go Ateneo!

on "obsessions/interests"

2005-07-14T10:12:00.000+08:00

dassen sent me an email today, asking me, "what do you think?" it was blog post by an unknown person last father's day. well, at that time, i wasn't as active as i am in blogging nowadays. so i guess i failed to greet my father through my blog. in an attempt to make-up for what was not given, of which i am so sorry, here is my message:

a month after father's day. yes. i don't think i need a special occassion to be able to be express how grateful and blessed i am for having dassen as my father. this "free" space is not even enough to hold everything that i want to say: how good he is, how one-of-a-kind he is, how corny he can be but still make me laugh, and all the other how and what he is. or in other words, i can't fully explain here how much i love him and why. this is something you cannot keep in a box. it keeps on expanding (or is it growing) infinitely in all possible ways.

but let me talk about his influence in me. there are things i do and really love doing because of his inspiration. and i guess, i also have some traits, which he passed on to me. in no particular order, here are my "obsessions/interests/likes":

education (always encouraging me that even if i start slow, i can still achieve my goal) *studying is a hobby
poetry and creative writing (this is something i'm not really good at but i still try to create some masterpieces from time to time. dassen too, i guess.) *i have seen this "book" he made in college. he carefully made all those pages, typewritten, with creative pencil sketches as illustrations. i haven't read it though. dassen, pahiram po nun!
health consciousness (he's the gym president in camp phillips, what else can i say? i'm trying stay fit and healthy!) *in morning mist, we jogged together. we "biked" together. he also taught me ways on how correct stretching excercises, breathing styles, and how to eat right.
automobiles (dassen is my driving teacher. and my car-parts instructor. i like looking at "vehicles" now, even monster trucks and caterpillar excavators at that.) *one day, dassen showed me the inner parts of cali, or car. even those i could not see, he introduced to me. he told me how they function and how important they are. cool!
mathematics (from multiplication table to basic algebra, he's been my personal tutor.) *math is nice, although difficult. it can be so much fun.
music (we are singing partners.) *i never knew how "musical" dassen is until i heard him sing. hehehe.
handwriting (he's got the best handwriting in the world!) *dassen's handwriting is always better than mine. well, when i found out that we almost had the same writing when he was in college [through his letters for mamen, of course], i told myself, mine will be better than that! but then, during our latest "writing showdown" (or was that practice) last vacation, his carefully made scribbles were still way better than mine.
collections (we both love collecting stuff. both of us are also not fond of throwing away "papers". we collate and collect them. even if we haven't read all of them, really, we say that, "a library is what we will make. someday, the ideas in these papers will be needed.") *dassen taught me to organize my stuff so that i will know where i hid/placed this and that. the fun of doing this makes mamen wonder. she believes that 5s is still the way to success--which means, throw everything else except those you use now. they're all trash. can't do that! i can't throw my memorable tickets!
plants and pets (my love for environment as a whole, plus add my fondness to dogs, cats, and the like [not cold-blooded creatures, of course] are all because of dassen. if dogs are man's bestfriends, dassen is the dog's/cat's bestfriend) *our first pet dog's name is peobles (or pibols). then, our next dog was lucky-dee-doots. now, we have spikey-bark and droopy-dyaboopy. i am amazed at how dassen gives so much care to our dog-friends. also, he encouraged me to "garden". we even have this centennial tree, which we planted in our frontyard.
and a lot more.

dassen, thanks for everything!!! ^_^

blog thingies...

2005-07-13T14:19:00.000+08:00

The True You

You want your girlfriend or boyfriend to be more relaxed, calm, and composed.

With respect to money, you are a bit stingy.

You think good luck might come your way, but if it does you'll be so surprised you'll burst out laughing.

The hidden side of your personality tends to be a little selfish. You only do what interests you.

You are the type of person who assumes that the world revolves around yourself.

When it comes to finding a romantic partner, you base your search on information from your friends.

Who's the True You?

is this me? i guess there's some bug in their system. hmmm...

In a Past Life...

You Were: A Kind Warrior.

Where You Lived: Australia.

How You Died: Decapitation.

Who Were You In a Past Life?
decapitation? how horrible... T_T but i was kind. and a warrior. wow!

You are dependable, popular, and observant.
Deep and thoughtful, you are prone to moodiness.
In fact, your emotions tend to influence everything you do.

You are unique, creative, and expressive.
You don't mind waving your freak flag every once and a while.
And lucky for you, most people find your weird ways charming!

The World's Shortest Personality Test

hmmm... pwede na. weird? i'm weird?

Your Birthdate: October 9

Your birth on the 9th day of the month adds a tone of idealism and humanitarianism to your nature.

You become one who can work easily with people because you are broadminded, tolerant and generous.

You are ever sensitive to others' needs and feelings, and you are very sympathetic and compassionate.

Your feeling run deep and you often find yourself in dramatically charged situations.

This 9 energy always tends to give more that it gets.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

whoa! bigatin... pero hindi sa bulsa. ^_^

Your Japanese Name Is...

Misaki Kaoin

What's your Japanese Name?

yey! so this is my japanese name. cute!!!

sheesh... last na 'to.

Your Rising Sign is Leo

You are confident, self-assured, and more than a little vain.

And you have a flair for the dramatic - whether you're on stage or causing trouble.

Your spirit can't stay in one place very long.

You like to live in new places and travel the world.

Cultured and sophisticated, you pride yourself on having good taste.

You are an expert in art, music, food, and film.

What is Your Rising Sign?

yan na muna. hanap pa ako ng iba. hehe.

thanks to fukuda and haruyuki of tokyo, japan

2005-07-12T17:35:00.000+08:00

yes! we've just finished presenting to our bosses the overview and crude design of the automated main distribution frame, which is our current project. we finally came up with a clear understanding on how to automate mdfs, thanks to fukuda and haruyuki of oki electric industry co., ltd. in tokyo, japan. their patented work surely made us analyze the system better. their idea of integrating matrix boards and robotic arms in automating mdfs is now currently the most used technology in this field. however, we are not simply to "copy" this system. we came up with a slightly different design, of which a prototype will emerge. this will be presented to pldt in order to give them the best value for their money in upgrading our country's largest telephone network system. well, if you're not so much aware of the facts, the way of connecting the subscriber lines to the exchange is still the same old way it was when filipinos first made their telephone call... manual connection of wires.

and oh yes! that's what we're going to automate. so exciting!

latest poll results

2005-07-11T15:54:00.000+08:00

dahil sa mga paulit-ulit bumoto sa kalaban (na may malaking balak mang-asar sakin--eee! effective nga.), eto ang mga resulta:

San Ateneo

2005-07-11T15:28:00.000+08:00

pansin niyo bang ang lahat ng nanalong koponan ng basketball ngayong taon ay may san?

San Antonio Spurs para sa NBA.
San Miguel Beermen para sa PBA.

kaya nga may bago na akong tawag sa ateneo.

San Ateneo Blue Eagles para sa UAAP.

bagay diba?

nga pala, sa upper a kami umupo nung game kahapon. hahaha.

tatlo.

2005-07-11T14:12:00.000+08:00

three names you go by:
1. engelene (pag buo, may marie)
2. eng
3. eilene

three screen names you have had:
1. genin (DoTA)
2. half of the siamese meansters (given by evil)
3. penguin (tdp)

three physical things you like about yourself:
1. eyes (20-20 eye-vision!)
2. eyelashes (parating may wish after maghilamos)
3. hands (dami kasing nagagawa)

three physical things you don't like about yourself (ahem. quite lang ha):
1. bone structure (may in-born scoleosis ako)
2. nose
3. hair (ok sana kaso masyadong makapal, mahirap ayusan. kaya... ponytail forever!)

three parts of your heritage:
1. from ilocos norte
2. from manila
3. tumira sa laguna at bukidnon. hs sa cdo. college sa ateneo.

three things that scare you:
1. recto/españa dark-murky-flood
2. very large lizards
3. frogs (although in denial ako ngayon)

three of your everyday essentials:
1. sleep
2. makapagbasa ng kahit ano
3. makatext (or call) si mamen or dassen

three of your favorite musical artists:
1. hale (sa ngayon. kaso, emo daw songs nila sabi ni chubaka. usually parokya or rivermaya ang naandito.)
2. alanis morissette
3. the calling (umm..bakit nga ba?)

three of your favorite songs:
1. "burn" by tina arena (yung piano version ha.)
2. "is it okay if i call you mine" by paul mccrane (sinong may sabing kanta ng mga bading to?!)
3. "you'll be safe here" by rivermaya (put your heart in my hands...)

three things you want in a relationship:
1. simple but sweet times
2. good, refreshing laughs
3. growing together

three lies and truths in no particular order:
1. i am good.
2. i want to have a pet frog.
3. i study everyday.

three physical things about the opposite sex that appeals to you:
1. eyes
2. nose
3. smile

three of your favorite hobbies:
1. listening to my mp3s
2. reading stuff
3. watching/criticizing movies/shows/advertisements (hahaha!)

three things you want to do really badly now:
1. buy that John Constantine Hellblazer hardbound graphic novel in Fullybooked (mmm!)
2. compose my own song (pero malabo)
3. study differential/integral calculus (oh, really?)

three careers you're considering/you've considered:
1. software/graphic/web/hardware design
2. film editing/directing
3. teaching

three places you want to go on vacation:
1. japan
2. palawan
3. australia

three kid's names you like:
1. mareck
2. eryl(le)
3. rieth

three things you want to do before you die:
1. have a library na mas malaki sa Rizal Lib - dapat nabasa ko lahat ng books ha (asa!)
2. speak more than 5 languages fluently, including japanese (asa ulit!)
3. direct a winner! winner! movie (ASAness talga ko!)

three ways that you are stereotypically a boy:
1. i do not have a kikay kit (hmmm...)
2. i love watching basketball games (tapos sabay analyze sa huli)
3. i like assembling things (tables, cabinets, etc.)

three ways that you are stereotypically a girl:
1. i cry too easily (tear-jerky kahit nagkukuwento lang ng hindi naman sad story)
2. i am moody (harharhar!)
3. i really, really, really like cute things (sabay sabing, "Ang cute!")

three celeb crushes:
1. michael jordan
2. michael jordan
3. michael jordan (siya lang eh)

no. this is not a sourgraping post.

2005-07-10T23:30:00.000+08:00

First half. 13-20. Halftime. 20-50.

oo. dinurog kami ng la salle. at bagamat mabigat ang aking loob sa pagkakatalong ito, mas namayani ang damdamin ng pag-asa. may bukas pa.

kanina, kumain kami ni chubaka ng agahan sa jollibee-katipunan. wala lang. gusto ko lang sabihin. nandun si LA, nag-iisa.

pagkatapos, pumunta kami sa robinsons galleria dahil may bibilhin kaming tea. malas naman o! sarado yung shop.

pumasok kami ng maaga sa araneta. andami kasing tao at patuloy pa rin silang nagbenta ng upper a tickets kahit Standing Room Only. pa'no kung unahan pa kami sa upuan nung mga late bumili. swerte naman nila.

maganda naman ang pwesto namin. juniors game palang, nandun na kami. talo ang juniors against la salle. ayos lang. good game naman eh.

nu vs adamson. sobrang high scoring game. puro kasi foul. antagal tuloy natapos. medyo inantok ako ng konti nun.

tapos, bago magsimula ang main event, may presentation thingie tungkol sa ateneo and la salle being the best and the brightest kuno (yeah right). ang pinakabenta sakin dun yung sinabi nilang… “green, blue. la salle, ateneo. so different yet also the same.” (parang ikinatuwa naman namin yon no!) omg! ford focus ad lang pala. sobrang magastos ang presentation na ginawa nila. may tila flash/powerpoint presentation na, may floating balloon car pa. ang pinakamagandang part dun, yung nakapatay lahat ng ilaw tapos yung mga tao, in-on yung backlight ng mga cellphones nila. la lang. ang cute, parang moving stars. sarap sanang picture-an kaso di ko dala yung camera phone ko.

game na. gg.

pero nung second half, naka-40 points naman ang team, in fairness. nadepensahan din nila ng konti ang la salle. actually, hindi lang konti. pero halimaw talaga si jv casio. pati si araña. dagdag mo pa mga tsambang di sumasablay ni cabatu. swerte lang talaga nila. at malas lang ng ateneo. sobrang malas.

kung naririnig ko lang ang mga commentator, siguro sinasabi nilang, “There were good looks at the basket. But the attempts are no good. It is definitely not the night of the Ateneo.”

hindi nga.

pero masaya pa rin ako. kasi starting si japeth! at sobra, iba ang presence niya sa loob. di ka ba mahihiya kung masusupalpalan ka more than 3 times?! grabe. ang itinagong lakas ni japeth nung game against the legends, lumabas na rin. kaso, hindi naman masyadong nagcontribute ang iba. si jc, nung second half lang lumakas ang loob. sobrang malaki na tuloy ang kailangan nilang habulin. nakakademoralize kaya ang 30-point lead no? yun ang saktong tambak na sinasabi nila. si la. hmmm…

eto ang aking mga puna at naiisip na stratehiya na maaari nilang gawin sa susunod na mga laro. take note: akin-akin lang ‘to. share ko lang kasi sayang naman ang pag-analyze ko kanina. hahaha! ^_^

la: masyadong tense ang laro niya kanina. hindi siya yun eh. masyado niya yatang dinaramdam na siya na ang king eagle ngayon. la, relax lang. hindi lang ikaw ang nasa court at hindi rin lang ikaw ang nasa team. lima kayong sabay-sabay naglalaro o. at may sixth man pa, kami. kahit tambak kayo kanina, patuloy pa rin kaming nagcheer at pumalakpak sa inyo kahit alam naming sobrang imposibleng mapanalo niyo pa ang laro.

mga dapat mong gawin: wag kang matakot sa press ng la salle. dati-rati, tinatakbo mong mag-isa ang buong halfcourt kahit na may dalawa o tatlong nakapaligid sa’yo. plus, nandiyan naman si jc para sumalo ng bola kung natra-trap ka na. pero kunin mo ulit yung bola. wag mong pabayaang na kay jc lang o kay japeth. ikaw ang point guard. ikaw ang dapat tumatawag ng play. ikaw ang dapat nagsasabi sa ibang mga players kung san sila dapat pumuwesto. hindi yung ikaw ang patakbu-takbo at naghihintay ng pasa para i-shoot mo o kung ano. hindi ka ganun eh. hayaan mo na ang stats. hayaan mo na ang mvp title. kung gagawin mo ang sarili mong role sa team nang higit pa sa kayang gawin ng ibang mga players (kahit sa iba pang koponan), magiging para sa’yo yun. tingnan mo si steve nash. hindi siya ang highest scorer ng phoenix at lalong hindi siya ang may pinakamaraming rebound. pero dahil sa laki ng impluwensya ng kanyang mga pasa na nagpapagaling sa mga kasama niya, siya ang mvp ng nba ngayong taon. kaya mo ba yon?

jc: medyo not enough vitamins ka nung first half. well, kayo namang lahat eh. nahawa yata kayo kay bugie… yun yata ang naiwan niyang legacy sa inyo. pero sana hindi naman. wala na si larry. antagal na nung “this one’s for you” eh. hindi ka pa ba nasanay? na ikaw ang first scoring option? marami kang pwedeng gawin. kung hindi ka confident sa shooting mo, ibig sabihin, dapat mag-practice ka na. 100 3-point shots a day, mahirap ba yun? o sige, 50 nalang. masasanay ka rin niyan. pero ang mas dapat mo pang i-develop, yung slashing moves mo. yun dapat ang role mo sa team. at magrebound. at dumipensa. ok naman ikaw kanina. konting push pa. at lakas ng loob.

japeth: pagpatuloy mo lang. next time, dunk ka naman ha.

magnum: nandun ka ba kanina? bakit mas marami yatang playing time si macky kaysa sayo. haaay… inaasahan ko pa man ding ikaw ang magiging dondon hontiveros ng team. yun ang role na para sa’yo. gawin mong consistent ang outside shots mo. kanina, naka-isa ka nga nung first quarter. pero yun lang. at wag kang matakot. kung iisipin, veteran moves na dapat ang mga pinapakita mo. nasan na ang dating magnum? nung first year ka pa lang, mas magaling ka kay larry at mas pinapalaro ni coach joe lipa. wag mo sabihing mahina ka pa rin dulot ng injury mo dati… antagal na nun.

doug at ford: hay. ano bang dapat gawin sa inyo? not enough vitamins na nga, slippery hands pa. konting hussle naman diyan. yung mga bolang nasa harap niyo, kinukuha. dina-dive kung kinakailangan. parang isinusugal niyo dapat ang mga buhay niyo para makuha ang bawat rebound. tapos footback. layup. or pasa kay la para sa panibagong play. tama na ang arte. di na tumatalab sa mga referee eh. at inom kayo centrum ha. o di kaya’y energizing red tea.

the rest: practice. practice. nandiyan na ang talento at suporta. execution niyo nalang ang hinihintay. kayo ang mga napili, ibig sabihin, may mga roles kayong gagampanan sa tuwing kayo’y nasa court. alamin niyo yun. pag-aralan niyo kung pano niyo maisasatupad ang mga “utos” sa inyo. rebound sa mga malalaki. speed at shooting sa maliliit. iwasan din sana natin ang turnovers. mas marami pa kayong ipinasa sa kalaban kaysa sa kakampi. isa pa, practice kayong mag-free throw. free na nga eh, sasayangin pa.

magaling ang ating coach pero mawawalan ng saysay ang lahat ng effort ni coach norman kung hindi rin lang maisasagawa ang kanyang mga idinisenyong play. ngayon, wala na ang pressure. sobrang underdog na talaga tayo. pero tulad nga ng stratehiya ni coach jong uichico, mabuting isipin na tayo ay underdog. lahat ng lakas ay ibubuga para lamang makatapat sa kagalingan ng iba.

ang bawat laro ay di nakukuha sa indibidwal na talento. oo, magaling mag-block si japeth. depensa yun. sabi nila champioships are won by defense. pero mas matalab ang pagsisikap na nagmumula sa nagkakaisang koponan. complement each other. play unselfishly but strongly. play hard. sabi nga ni danny i kanina, “ang bawat laro ay nilalaro namin na parang game 7 na. bigay lahat.” oo, lagyan ng buhay ang laro sa pamamagitan ng puso. at ialay ang bawat galaw sa higit na nakatataas.

One Big Fight!

ps, congrats nga pala sa la salle. magaling! talagang defending champs nga kayo. pero win or lose, mga pare, ateneo is the school i choose. ‘til next game.

San Miguel, the winningest franchise in PBA

2005-07-10T23:28:00.000+08:00

buti nalang, kahit sobrang labo ng abc 5 ko dito sa dorm, naaninag ko pa rin ang mga galaw ni danny seigle. grabe! talagang siya yun eh! si custis, talagang role player. kung hindi dahil sa mga 3-point shots niya, di nila mahahabol ang sampung puntos na lamang ng talk n text. si olsen. hay… siyempre, magaling pa ring pumasa. at matagal na niyang ibinaon ang bangungot ng huling asian games. shoot lahat ng crucial free throws. sabi nga nina quinito henson at miko halili kagabi, si olsen ang isa sa mga greatest free throw shooters sa history ng pba.

at dahil panalo sila, ang saya-saya. dagdag pa nga ni miko halili, “olsen is obviously very happy despite being saddened a while ago by ateneo’s loss to la salle.”

inialay ni coach jong ang pagkapanalo kay coach ron jacobs. lahat naman sila, utang daw nila yun sa kanya. sabi pa nga ni danny s, “coach ron, this is for you. we hope you’re here with us. we love you.” grabe.

pero teka, di ko pa pala nasasabing si danny i ang finals mvp. nararapat naman talaga yon sa kanya. siya ang tumira ng mga important shots na siya talagang nagpapanalo sa kanila. laking pagtatampo pa nga ni coach yeng guiao dahil si danny i raw ang dumurog sa kanila nung semis. siyempre, gawa ni olsen ang play… assist niya. natuwa naman ako sa pag-offer ni danny i ng award niya kay Lord. dahil sa tingin ko, napapalapit na siya ngayon sa Panginoon, maibibigay na niya ang lahat sa kanyang laro. yung hindi tipong clumsy play lang kasi baka ma-injure. malay natin, baka samahan niya sina rommel adducul sa national team. hehe.

si dondon, eto idol ko rin maliban kay olsen. sobrang galing niya lalo na nung game 4. siya ang nagpatupad ng, “when it rains, it pours.” walang ibang attempts kundi three points at halos pasok lahat. talagang maaasahang scoring option si dondon. at hindi lang yon. ang pinakaimportanteng ginawa niya ay ang pag-stop kay willie miller. kaya nga pag naglalaro si dondon, man-to-man defense ang san miguel. pag wala naman, zone defense. pero kanina, dahil magaling si danny seigle, konti lang ang playing time ni dondon nung fourth quarter. pano ba naman, sobrang mismatch kaya kahit sinong itapat mo kay danny s sa number 2. ikaw na ang maging danny seigle. sana si rich, maging ganyan kagaling. at sana, maging guard na rin siya. harharhar. first championship pa lang ito ni dondon. at sabi nga ni danny seigle, “this is not the end. expect more to come.” aasahan ko yan ha. kunin niyo si la sa rookie draft next year.

17 na ang championship na napanalunan ng san miguel, ang pinakamarami sa kasaysayan ng pba. san miguel, iyo na ang kampeonato. itaas mo.

ps. nagcoach din si coach norman sa san miguel. siya nga pala ang nagbigay sa kanila ng grand slam.

I wish this day would never end

2005-07-08T23:30:00.000+08:00

1. rich is part of the all-defensive team, as well as enrico.
2. rich is the rookie of the year.
3. rich is “nominated” for the mythical team.
4. san miguel wins big against talk n text.

lahat ba naman ito makita mo mismo at mangyari sa iisang araw… eh di ang saya-saya.

tickets!!!

2005-07-07T10:30:00.000+08:00

for those who want to buy tickets in school... ngayon yon kaya sorry, wala na kayong aabutan for sure. baka gen ad nalang.

anyway, i just want to share some historical events of my life...

the first uaap game i ever watched live was in araneta. it was game 2 of the championship between ateneo and la salle. la was still a rookie then. ateneo won game 2, but lost in game three, where i also lost almost everything (for those who know me, you know what i mean). we were in gen ad in game 3, which is why i don't want gen ad tickets (even if they're given to me for free). anyway, this is where i really developed my school spirit and all. iba talaga, promise!

the first pba game i watched in araneta (the real one i've watched live was in cuneta astrodome [ginebra vs coke yata] c/o tita lizia. i sat in the commissioner's reserved seats that time, bwahahahaha!!!) is a gran matador fiesta conference. game 1 was san miguel vs talk n text (hahaha!). game 2 was shell vs red bull. san miguel won, shell lost. but i enjoyed it though.

and now, my newest tickets are almost similar to my first ones. on friday, we are going to watch pba in araneta where, hopefully, rich is gonna be awarded as the ROY and san miguel will win to create a 3-1 advantage against tnt. on sunday, it is ateneo's first game this season, which happens to be against la salle. we will watch that game too. hahaha!

i'm not really addicted to basketball. no. ^_^

SUGO sa LRT2

2005-07-06T14:53:00.000+08:00

nung biyernes, tulad ng nakagawian, sumakay kami sa lrt 2 upang makarating sa recto (kung saan kami sasakay ng dyip patungong españa). hindi gaanong mabuti ang pakiramdam ni lac. buti nalang at may nagmagandang loob na magtaboy sa isang lalaking nakaupo upang mapagbigyan si lac. buong biyahe, nakayuko at tila umiiyak na itong aming kaibigan.

buti nalang... bago kami bumaba, may biglang lumapit sa amin sabay sabing: "In the name of Jesus you are healed. Come!"

at nakarating din kami sa review center. kalaunan, wala na yatang masakit kay lac. aba! effective!

kaya sa mga may sakit, maghanap lang kayo ng medyo may katandaang lalaking nakasuot ng "i am a minister". tiyak, maliligtas kayo.

at wag nyong pagkakamalang "meanster" ang "minister" ha.

nga pala. nung papauwi na sina lac at thea, nakasakay ulit nila si manong sugo. talagang tinadhanang magkita silang muli. "Come!"

and btw, san miguel won game 2 (yey!)

2005-07-05T15:15:00.000+08:00

how they got there?

after falling behind TnT for 20 points, san miguel made their run in the fourth quarter. under two minutes left, they gained their first lead of the game (2 points by danny i). the rest is history. (btw, olsen made a three to tie the game.)

go SMB!

which royalty am i?

2005-07-05T13:21:00.000+08:00

You are a Princess! Lovely, Innocent, Charming!
As a Princess you recognize there is so much about the world you need to learn. You may sometimes be naive but other times you are wise beyond your years! You are sharp, observant, joyous, and interested in your own personal growth. You have a very caring heart, and are a sweet and beautiful woman.

Which Royalty Are You? Find out! By Nishi.

i just can't get enough

2005-07-05T09:39:00.000+08:00

July 1: There were two basketball games in my Can’t-Miss-List:

Ateneo Blue Eagles vs Legends (Blue Eagle Gym, 6 pm)
San Miguel Beermen vs Talk ‘N Text Phonepals (Araneta Coliseum, 8 pm)

And here’s my fearless review for both games:

Fabilioh: Big, Bad and Blue (watched live)

If there is one thing I wanted to see in this year’s Big Blue Cheer Rally, it is definitely the highlight game. But of course, it’s also nice to hear Sponge Cola perform a Fight2x Blue and White piece. Real good band, real strong voice, real entertaining music.

So yeah, I was so looking forward to see Rich Alvarez, Enrico Villanueva, and Wesley Gonzales play against the current Hail Mary Five. However, I was dismayed by the fact that none of those three appeared. Rich battled against Red Bull for third place, which they won. Rico was supposed to be playing in that same game but he injured his nose during the semis against San Miguel (Custis did it). Wesley was nowhere, and he’s not on the list. Maybe he was watching and supporting Rich or something.

Anyway, Gabby Cui was there, Paolo “not-enuf-vitamins” Bugia, Vince “the prince” Hizon, Gec “shining moment” Chia (who wore Jayvee Gayoso’s jersey), and Chris Tiu “sekreto ng mga sumasablay na gwapo”. Hehe. I think Bajjie and Chris should have switched places ‘cause Baby Joy is already legendary, being in the same high school champ batch as Enrico, Wesley, and BJ Manalo. But heck, Bajjie is still playing this year while Chris is going to skip this season. He’s going to France as an exchange student (Wow! Talk about prioritizing studies first.).

Jump ball. Hail Mary Five: LA, Magnum, JC, Doug, and Ford. Where is Japeth? I was also expecting to see the so-talked-about-incredible-improvements of Japeth’s play. But to my disappointment, again, he never touched any ball. He simply sat there at the bench the whole time. Nonetheless, the first two quarters were sooo boring. The game for me was slow and dragging, which may be caused by my recent basketball encounter in the name of San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons. Also, the Legends were way behind. They so much proved how legendary they can be… being slowpokes and disoriented at that. They didn’t show that much spirit as well. No coach for them, so individual plays were prevalent… most of which are “shining-moment-attempts” of Gec. Couldn’t blame them as well. I think they didn’t have any chance of practicing with each other, doing some plays, and this year, they did not have the services of Olsen “rara” Racela (the playmaker).

Halftime. Blue Babble Kids did their version of the cheers. Fabilioh! Halikinu! Blue Eagle Spelling! Those cute ones were so amusing and that was indeed a good exposure for them. Who knows? They might even be the future of the 6th Man leaders.
The Legends didn’t go to the dugout. They simply rested on the benches, chatted with each other, and enjoyed their reunion. That was something good… seeing how former Blue Eagle Stars were very much at home in BEG.

Second half. Jun Reyes arrived. Danny Francisco played. A man in barong presented himself as the coach (btw, Sev was supposed to be the Legends’ coach but he ended up acting like a team manager instead). They had plans to crush the hail Mary Five. They had their runs. Successful. I even saw the veteran moves of Jun Reyes against Doug. Also the challenge Vince put on Marty Quimson’s defense. It was good. The game became worth watching. Very. Not-enuf-vitamins also challenged Quimson, but there were a lot of times that Marty got the better of him. Hehehe. By the way, Chris and Paul Tanchi played as guards so LA and Jai were challenged as well.

All in all, some Blue Eagles remained the same. I was shocked to see that Doug still had that dairy-creamy-slippery hands of his. He was not so Kramer last year. JC was good, as usual. LA showed that he’s in his prime. Ford was slow but hell, a huge factor of course. Just too soft as well… still practicing his old slipping/falling style for an offensive foul to be called. Magnum was a hundred percent. Japeth didn’t play (huhu ‘^o^). Ken was better than what he was last year. Macky was still clumsy at times but his “size” matters (considering that the other pointguards are LA and Jai). Jai was definitely a cool guy. He didn’t have to make to fancy passes but played wisely and better than Yuri! He looked like a kid on court but he could do amazing stuff like three pointers, for example. Al Hussaini seemed to be really better than Jobe, he deserves to be in the team. The rest didn’t make that much impact in me except for that other guy who was too loud. He was like Coach Norman’s megaphone on court while he was playing. Good, he didn’t have that much playing time. But wait, Marty was the new revelation. He proved to be worthy of wearing the #10 jersey. He hussled. And hussled. Missed some shots. But got his own offensive rebounds. Footback. Good. Foul! But heck, just approximately 50% shots made in the free throw line. He has to improve that. And I think he’s Coach Norman’s favorite player (just assuming here). I guess he played more minutes that Doug in the second half. He’s hardworking and his football background allowed him to be gutsy enough to dive for lose balls. We certainly need a Sakuragi!!! Nyahahahaha!

So that was it. Ateneo Blue Eagles won the game. Hope this Sunday, they will… again. One Big Fight!

Asi’s Back, So What? (watched on my 7 [not 5] inch tv, abc 5)

San Miguel OWNed the game through defense. And Talk ‘N Text was simply shocked and unable to adjust upon Asi’s comeback. He was slow and it seemed like he got tired immediately. Although this is true, Asi has all the ability to be able to really lead his team. During the 2003 Fiesta Cup Finals (or is it the all-filipino?), I watched him dominate the boards, the scoring, the never-say-die spirit. He was MVP then.

But of course, I am not rooting for them to win. I am San Miguel all the way. After Shell won third, I am now looking forward to seeing San Miguel gain another championship. These are my two favorite teams with Shell only because of Rich and San Miguel because of all the players especially Olsen. When Olsen retires, I hope San Miguel will pick LA as their point guard. This is why Coach Norman is training him as soon as now in order to prepare him to go pro next year. I really, really hope San Miguel will take him. Even if he will not be first pick (which I know is really very unlikely to begin with), San Miguel picking him in the draft’s first round will be the best thing that may happen… for his career and all. Hehe. Wishful thinking…

So what has San Miguel now? Adrian Custis, who just injured Enrico in their semis game—he is a sure addition to the team being not a center but a number 3 or 4. This means that Dorian Peña and Danny Ildefonso can still play a lot of quality minutes. Danny I is really working hard for San Miguel nowadays. As the commentators put it, when he scores doubles, they'll surely win. Dorian looks like an import as well so it seems like San Miguel has two. Plus Danny Seigle, even if he’s not his 100% in the game, he’ll surely come back strong in the next games and serve as SMB’s third import. Hahaha! But don’t forget the locals. Aside from Danny I, Olsen has seen too much championships before so he has the “experience”. Dondon Hontiveros has been effective in guarding Willie Miller as well, although the hundred percent Danny Seigle – Willie Miller match-up will also be something to look for. Dondon and Willie appeared to me like they were canceling each other out, so they became less productive. Talk about defense. Talk about San Miguel defense. It’s tough.

Never mind Nic Belasco. He’ll contribute his usuals. Vic Pablo though is a sure threat. Veteran moves do wonders. Jimmy Alapag is good as well, but he’s against Olsen so… oh well. Denver Lopez seemed to fit himself well in San Miguel, as well as Adriano. I do hope Joey Mente will see some action next time.

Anyway, Game 1 didn’t show the real power of TnT. Honeycutt is one great import, mind you. He might serve as TnT’s spark. But anyway, that will only make the next games much better to watch. More exciting. Much, much more, which will be, of course, at the fans’ advantage. Yeah! Go SMB!

distorted

2005-06-30T13:32:00.000+08:00

tomorrow, the 10% VAT on everything is going to be implemented. that means if i want a Hale Album CD for Php250 today, i'll be able to buy it for Php275 tomorrow. wth! that is almost a round-trip LRT ride from katipunan to recto (vice versa). so much for the days when i can still save and dream to be able to buy the things i want to... like the hardbound John Constantine HELLBLAZER comics in fullybooked (which i managed to glance at everytime i pass by) or the newly released Constantine (The Movie) DVD in odyssey (which i have been waiting for all this time). i don't even know how i'm going to budget my money in order to survive every single month before i actually have my full-time job. and that is after the board exam, of course, which is another pressure i am opt to face.

phew! talk about how distorted the system in this country is.

i mean, it'd be better if the pork barrel of those senators and congressmen be cut in half or more or all of it. it'd be much better if the products with VAT are only those extremely luxurious ones, which the rich people so love to buy. why put VAT on the express way payment? on our staple food-rice? on the ever increasing oil/fuel? on cds... what the ****!

also, the other day, when i was buying my meager dinner in Rustan's, there was this korean lady who's happened to be in front of me in the cash/credit card line. i saw her remove two products from her basket (a loaf of bread and a pack of salonpas) because, i thought, she didn't want them anymore. she might be saving her money. she paid a 500 peso bill for her Php400.20 worth of grocery. but hey, where's the loaf and the salonpas? off they go inside the bags. yeah. she got them without even paying for them. nobody noticed. just me, i guess. but hell, i was stunned enough to do something... or maybe stupid at that to just let it go. but i was totally guilty, if that's what you call it. that was my one chance to prevent some distorted stuff to happen. and i failed.

i feel so bad.

to RICH be the ROOKIE (of the year award)

2005-06-30T12:36:00.000+08:00

i have been boggled by the fact that James Yap is having too much media exposure nowadays (because of the all-of-a-sudden announcement of his engagement with no less than a Kris Aquino). well, actually, i have nothing against this couple. it is good, i even said, that kris finally found someone who's available for her. and who'd have thought it's gonna be this guy? anyway, The Buzz even had this feature of kris going somewhere in visayas to "meet and get to know the family and kin of her future hubby". i got the chance to take a short glimpse of what that was all about and heck, it's all showbiz!

so what's worrying me? well, it's none other than the fact that james yap is also a rookie in pba. the pba season is coming to an end as the first game of the fiesta cup finals opens tomorrow evening. as a matter of fact, i have been rooting for rich alvarez to be the rookie of the year in pba since the draft pick last year. i was even very, very happy that he's been made the first pick. and due to that, shell has been my favorite team (aside from san miguel of course) from then on. yeah, the stats show, rich has been the top choice for this... however, al mendoza shows some proof for me to remain alarmed.

i know how philippine sports, politics, and entertainment can be SO MUCH interconnected with each other despite their supposedly differences. but i know too that showbiz is the most influential of the three. with my fingers crossed, i'm just wishing for the best to win.

and yes, may it be rich, please.

main distribution frame

2005-06-29T17:38:00.000+08:00

our new math teacher today is quite boring. however, i still tried to listen to him somehow. math is quite exciting in itself, and that may be the reason why. but maybe i'm just too bored to do other things so i just ended up listening instead. quite ironic or confusing, ne?

and today is also our early payday. yey! ma'am sally said, it is better to be early so that we won't have to suffer waiting in a long line inside the not-so-spaceous pnb bank here in katipunan. hehe. true, so true.

and then, since we have already finished programming our version of the blowfish encryption/decryption, we have a new project... automating the main distribution frame. now isn't that another exciting job for us! so cool! we are still on the research stage though. then, we might be able to recommend ways on how to develop both the software and hardware of this new equipment. now this is networking!!!

the director's film

2005-06-29T16:49:00.000+08:00

memento is one of its kind. read a good review here.

i'm very disappointed to not have been able to predict what would happen in the end... 'cause i have already watched it right at the beginning. and i had no chance of foretelling the "real ending", which is actually the first thing that happened.

all i can say is that... "that was it? that's how it all began?" and i said that in the closing credits, mind you.

i'd give it to Christopher Nolan, who by the way also directed Batman Begins. he made me feel how it is to have short-term memory loss. 'cause right after the movie, even if i'm supposed to understand what the movie's all about, i'm still lost.

how could he end it that way? how could he show something so true... that yes, facts are more reliable than memory because memories are simply projections and interpretations of the human mind. they might be wrong. but facts are always true... however, they can be distorted as well... to satisfy one's own contentment, whatever it is.

for leonard (Guy Pearce), it is to have revenge. sad for him, he keeps forgetting that he's already done it.

dan dadan dadan legends fight!

2005-06-28T13:01:00.000+08:00

i can hear it. dumdadumdadum... the drums. they're beating our hearts for us. dumdadumdadum. araneta will be filled again. i will have time to go there as well. i might even begin losing my voice. no chance of joining search for star in a million, thusly.

oh well, who cares?

weeheee! as a yearly pilgrimage i promised to make since i followed the team, i will once again attend the Big Blue Eagle Cheer Rally. it will be held this friday, still in our beloved blue eagle gym. and of course, the main event i've been impatiently waiting to watch is the exhibition game--against the Legends again. i've watched them play against a pba team before: ginebra. i was still a freshie then. harhar. so long time ago.

anyway, the 2005 Ateneo legends team is composed of: Enrico Villanueva or Olsen Racela (whoever doesn’t advance to the PBA finals[we know it is san miguel that won over red bull, yeah!]), Rich Alvarez [they already assumed shell won't be able to defeat tnt, haha!], Paolo [not-enough-vitamins] Bugia, Eric Yao, LA Mumar, Jean Alabanza, Vince Hizon, Ranier Sison, Epok Quimpo, Sonny Tadeo, Marco Benitez, Eric Reyes, Jayvee Gayoso, Paul Tanchi, Dino Fernandez, Gabby Cui[idol!], and Chris Tiu (guest player[what is hari-ng-sablay-master-by-eskinol doing here?]).

and they will be faced by our official line-up (68th UAAP Season): members of the team from last year’s squad are: Japeth Paul C. Aguilar (6’7”), Claiford A. Arao (6’4”), Ken Joseph C. Barracoso (6’3”), Christian Joy DP Del Rosario (5’10”), Mark Anthony Z. Escalona (5’9”), John Christopher A. Intal (6’4”), Douglas R. Kramer (6’4”), Benedicto L. Membrere III (5’11”), Martin O. Quimson (6’4”) and Lewis Alfred V. Tenorio (5’8”). elevated from the training team were: Emmanuel B. Nazareno (5’11”), fourth year AB Comm. and Zion C. Laterre (6’3”) third year AB IS. the new recruits from the high school ranks are: Rabeh T. Al-Hussaini (6’6”) from Philippine Christian University and Jose Antonio G. Reyes (5’7”) from the Ateneo High School.

official ateneo blue eagle bulletin #11 and #12 contain the complete news.

see you all at the games! one big fight!

hello... garci. it's me, GMA!

2005-06-28T11:13:00.000+08:00

i failed to watch television last night to see how GMA said her message of apology because i was watching c2's dota game around that time. anyway, i knew for a fact that she will end up accepting that it was her calling a high comelec official during the elections. and yeah, the bunye revelation of the "real tape" was indeed a hoax. who wouldn't recognize the change of frequency, background, etc of a two-way conversation of the "hello gary!" version? the tone of the so-called-gary's voice also seemed to be that of a man who's just reading a script. that was definitely not a good move.

but now, since the people are very anxious to hear GMA's side on this gloriagate tape, which has become a fad in cellphones, jeepney sirens, and the like, Her Excellency finally made her statement. it was revealing.

I was anxious to protect my votes and during that time had conversations with many people, including a Comelec official.

i'm not the Philippine Constitution expert but there has to be some law regarding this. thinking logically, if an election candidate is allowed to talk with a Comelec official personally, there is a great possiblity of underground arrangements. moreso, if it is a current government official, who still has power. mostso if it is the one who currently has the greatest political power in the country. so, if our lawmakers would want to prevent such a corrupt deed, which many think Marcos did in his snap election, they could've had passed an act stating that such a deed is unjust and the doer has to be subject to grave punishment, if ever the constitution still doesn't contain this.

Sir Ibana, a favorite philo mentor, has something to say as well:

My own position on this matter, as I have told our egroup, is that we should continue to respect the political institutions that we have set up for ourselves. My model here is Socrates who "took his post" in Plato's Dialogue, Crito, even if he had the opportunity to escape those who might have unduly judged him to be guilty.
The socratic ideal does not only apply to President Arroyo but most of all to any citizen of any country. This means that, given our current political set up, even if an impeachment process fails to prosper in Congress, we are obliged to abide by the decisions of our duly constituted authorities.
Our present political arrangement can provide for the advancement of our interests by electing a set of political representatives whom we believe will share our positions on the issues of the day. We might not like this kind of arrangement but we must allow our political institutions to evolve from within their current context. Otherwise we shall be courting violence from those who have the means to do so.
We shall also miss the "geist" of the historical development of our country if we rescind from participating in the affairs of the state by bringing our issues to independent bodies who are not mandated by the state to do so. An autonomous Civil Society, which has served its political purpose of ousting previous regimes that have lost their legitimacy, will only weaken the state at this current conjuncture and disperse the social energies that are required by a "strong republic." The long term consequences of this choice could be costly in terms of the capacity of our political leaders to govern.

after all that has been said and done, i just hope that there'll be no more edsa(s). please. we've had enough and the world doesn't seem to see our massive movements appropriate any longer. it is not going to be heroic anymore. besides, cardinal sin is now gone. let us simply trust that those in position to "fix" this problem be able to do so.

and that we may live the way we are entitled to.

Our nation is strong and getting stronger. The progress is steady and I ask you to walk with me on this journey to rebuild our great nation. I remain your humble servant and promise you that I will fulfill my constitutional oath of office to serve the people to the best of my ability. - Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

it might be within our hands... but still, we can't grasp.

after my own cold war

2005-06-27T18:00:00.000+08:00

1. dassen woke me up yesterday saying this:

what is greater than God? more evil than laC (sorry, i mean) the Devil?
the poor has it.
the rich wants it.
but if you eat it...
you'll die.

i never got the answer.

it was nothing.

2. cardinal sin is supposed to be buried today.

3. we had no teacher in math today.

4. i'm well.

am i dying?

2005-06-24T17:05:00.000+08:00

i don't feel so well. in fact, i feel bad. very bad. so bad despite the fact that i'm only sitting here in front of the computer for the whole day.

why?

i have what we call the common cold. and guess what?! i'm curing myself with vitamin c. yeah. just vitamin c. because i have always told every sick-of-cold-person i know that overdosing vitamin c will be the "cure". i just don't know if they listen to me well. because if they do... they might also end up like me.

i am mutating.

yes. i have been overdosing myself with vitamin c since i felt like i'm having a cold. (and i've been taking vit c supplements since always) of course, there should be nothing wrong with that, or so they say. but according to this doctor,

Overdosing on Vitamin C - just like overdosing on any other nutrient - is RELATIVE to the level of those elements that interact with Vitamin C.

i have no idea what levels of other nutrients i have in my body. but i know, i take in more than 2500mg of vit c per day.

so what are the side effects?

High levels / Overdose / Toxicity / Negative Side Effects - Symptoms and/or Risk Factors:
Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, high stomach acid, increased urination, insomnia, irritability, joint pains, osteoporosis, headaches, hypoglycemia, weakness, anemia, PMS, may increase infections by causing copper deficiency, reduced estrogen, reduced progesterone, reduced prolactin.

i experience the symptoms for overdose: i have had diarrhea for more than a week. then i have occassional abdominal pain. i don't know about my stomachs acidity but i know for a fact that i urinate a lot more frequently than before (almost every 30-60 minutes). yeah, i get irritated. joint pains, not yet. headaches, yes. weakness, yes. the rest, i have no idea.

so am i dying? hmmm... i don't know but i do really want to rest. i do.

just not in peace.

whoa!

2005-06-24T12:54:00.000+08:00

today, i went to the office very early in the morning. lucky i was (yeah, right!)since there was nobody there and since i didn't have the keys, i had to wait outside the door for about an hour and a half before somebody with a key finally came.

i was early, which is very unlikely of me, because i was too nervous for my team in this year's game 7 of the nba finals. i didn't want to watch the game on my monochromatic, 5-inch tv. i didn't want to ask somebody else to adopt me for 2-4 hours just to watch the game on a very comfortable screen. i didn't want to see. but i wanted to know.

San Antonio won vs Detroit. 81-74 See the story here.

now this is how one should play ball.

yesterday, i've read steve kerr's column in yahoo sports on who will win the game. of course, the spurs are pressured. the momentum is with the pistons as they grabbed game 6, dominating the game so well. but steve kerr said, the fearless team will prevail. nothing else matters: the stats, the forecasts, history... no! it all boils down to who wants it more.

if there's one thing i wouldn't forget in Batman Begins, it is the thought that "in order to overcome fear, you must become fear itself."

and here, TD goes to the hoop, against all odds to be the "fearless" in the game, as Antonio McDyess, left, and Ben Wallace, right, also try to defend during the third quarter (NBA finals in San Antonio, Thursday, June 23, 2005, their time).

whoa! and this is how one wins the game.

and who would ever think you'd find me in google?

2005-06-24T10:04:00.000+08:00

i was going to search something in google when i accidentally typed in my name. maybe it was because during college, that is the first thing i type in all of my papers (that would be a million times, maybe). and guess what? i am actually there. typing my whole name will give you this single hit. i guess my name is just not that popular in this world.

yeah. i am kinda unique. hahaha!!!

blowfish algorithm

2005-06-23T10:28:00.000+08:00

it seems like today is a very good day despite the fact that i'm quite sick and i almost got myself 'ran-down' by a black ford expedition this morning while doing my daily jaywalking routine. yeah. it seems like fun knowing that everyday, i risk my life in order to get to the other side of the road.

so why did the chicken cross the road?

no one knows. but i guess it is its natural instinct. this i developed through the years of encountering different road monsters as i do my daily illegal act... the instinct of a raging puma attempting to overrun the rest of the speeding road creatures.

quite cool.

so why is this a good day?

because the sun is up... and i've got so many things to do. but it's all right, it's ok... since blowfish is cool and it's gonna be a good day. test it, feel it, taste it (ack!). one good day coming up.

Blowfish Algorithm:

Blowfish is a variable-length key (up to 448 bits), 64-bit cypher. It is symmetric since it requires only one key to encrypt and decrypt the same data. Its data-encryption occurs via a Feistel network consisting of 16 rounds. Each round consists of a key-dependent permutation and a key and data dependent substitution. Almost all operations are XOR except for additions on 32-bit words and four indexed array data lookups per round.

hehe. actually, it's a simpler code compared to BCH and Reed Solomon (which are not for encryption, so there is really no comparison). B. Schneier has it all described in his website.

thanks to him, our job is now much more easier to accomplish.

moon album no. 1

2005-06-23T09:09:00.000+08:00

Taken while on my way home. I've posted this before.

***

It is above Burgundy Plaza. So cool.

***

View from CTC overlooking SOM. Same spot where I shot the pink horizon pic.

***

Holy Firday, Laguna. Taken from my view in Tito Edwin's running vehicle on our way back to my dorm.

***

View from my bed through the window. It peeked its way through the trees surrounding my dorm.

***

Same view as above with my lights off.

***

*****

Watch our for more...

the ball is round

2005-06-23T08:50:00.000+08:00

Ball sports have never been in my league. All of my PEs in college (aside from PE101: Fundamentals of PE) are combat sports: Teakwondo, Arnis, and Fencing. I realized just now that maybe I have this innate fondness for violence that is why I got those. Well, I enjoyed each and every one of them. Actually, I have a theory. Each sport is a step for a higher level of fighting. First step is hand-to-hand combat I learned in Taekwondo. Here, I have built body strength and stamina, the basics in order to be a total warrior. Next, I encountered the use of a weapon: Arnis sticks. Although not deadly in its current state, the combined body strength and stick handling techniques make Arnis a worthy training for the growing warrior. Here, I’ve come to reinforce my fighting skills with the addition of a weapon. And lastly, Fencing taught me the poise and attitude in facing a worthy opponent. The weapon is now a metal foil, which is supposed to be deadly in its nature (but of course, we didn’t use such super real and pointed foils in class). I’ve experienced more duels, thus more chance of molding the heart of this warrior in me. Here, I have come to know that fighting against an opponent may be fun but in real life, where real weapons are used, the reason for fighting has to be deeper than sheer entertainment.

But my being a warrior stint lasted until that time. After that, I’ve come to appreciate just watching sports and action movies on screen. And my favorite is watching Basketball games… live.

The new UAAP Season is now here. I’ve learned some great news. LA is still playing for the Ateneo with JC, Japeth, Magnum, Doug, Macky, Ken, Ford, etc, etc, and (now the reason for having only “some” great news is this not-so-good news) Bajjie aka Baby Joy. Oh yeah! Bajjie is still playing for the nth time. I guess he really “loves” the game. But I have some positive thoughts on this. I suppose Coach Norman Black will give him a very valuable role—something similar to Bruce Bowen for San Antonio Spurs. Hyukhyukhyuk!!!

Sadly, Chubaka and I are eyeing for Jobe to be the Rasheed Wallace of the team. But he didn’t make it. I guess his defense is far too clumsy still… and needs more improvement, which he can achieve in Team B, of course.

So I am really looking forward to buying our tickets for our first game against La Salle. Some say Mac is going pro this year. Good he got his MVP award (at last) this last PBL Conference so he doesn’t have to ask for another from UAAP. He’s got what he has always wished for. Hehe. But who will be the next King Archer? Joseph Yeo? He’s the closest one to being such but I don’t think he’ll be the main driving force of their team. From his previous years, he is really good as an individual player but he has to play with the team in order to truly lead.

In our case, I’m afraid that despite the fact that LA is the true King Eagle, Bajjie might be able to snatch that role from him. You know, seniority rules in this type of thing. And Bajjie has it all… age, number of games played, age again, and Alumni connections. He’s been “the” favorite, I guess.

But whatever is, I’m still excited. One Big Fight! Go Ateneo!

after 10 years...

2005-05-18T16:17:00.000+08:00

there were so many things that happened in the past few months. anyway, mamen and i went to batangas for the holy week. then, we went home to cdo because mamen's work demanded her to be there as soon as possible (in exchange for a delightful extended vacation). then, we went back here in qc. then, i found myself working in the office about qr codes. then, mamen went home. then, chubaka joined the dota tourney. then, me and chubaka and evil and smb were going to españa for review.

hayyyy... daming ginagawa. Ü

white spots

2005-03-21T16:50:00.000+08:00

have you ever seen
such white spots
while you are walking
near the pocket garden?

they are quite cool
since they're not hot ^_^
anyway, i just noticed them
and took a pic shot.

are they houses
of very little spiders?
oh, i love spiders
because of peter parker.

adlib:

evil collaborated
with all of us at the line
that when we shake hands
with father ben, we'll say

yes father,
i know
with great power
comes great responsibility

but i guess
nobody said
a single thing
to father ben

back to spiders:

yeah, i think so too
that the white spots
make up a village
for the tiny spiders.

how creative they are!
for putting their web
slowly but surely
at the ateneo grounds

where nobody walks through
nobody cares
so nobody notices
that they are there

except for me
of course
haha
hahaha

so now i can say
that this is how safe
and cool and peaceful
our campus is

even cute spiders
would want to have a place
in these grounds
that we are now leaving.

and so many things happened

2005-03-21T16:42:00.000+08:00

a whole lot of things happened in the previous days:
1. clearance
2. blue roast (with a blue rose)
3. mamen's arrival
4. graduation (at last!)
5. dassen and mao's arrival
6. days with the family

so there are a whole lot of things to talk about too. but i ought not to tell them now.

i'm simply wasting my time here in ctc.

of course, we still have access.

hahaha!!!

so long...

the world just before i left it

2005-03-07T18:26:00.000+08:00

hi! i think it's time to show you all the world that i'm moving in.

this is ctc219. this is what we call OUR virtual classroom.

CTC-219 is where most of our times are spent just before our thesis defense. we have the key. we name the computers (from Naruto characters). we know the ports that have internet access. we control the network. we run around. we sleep on moving chairs. we eat (which is not good). we clean. we sing. we cheer (when something good happens). we rant about hardships. we tire down. we hide from maam no. we tell stories. we laugh. we can't cry. we do everything. then we do nothing...

i name this the pink sky. it's taken from ctc 2nd floor, overlooking som.

this is one of the most wonderful things i see from ctc. wow! when the sun sets, all i can think of is that tomorrow, it will rise again. and it always does.

my moon. below it is ctc. i'm on my way home.

of course, i do go home. but it's always dark when i get away from ctc. the happiest times are when the moon is full. yes, my moon always accompanies me in walking to la vista. and so i'm very happy.

three spots. these are the only things i see before i sleep at night. i close the lights in my room, so it's this dark. then i close my eyes...

this is where i rest. such a cool place. such a peaceful place.

i can have my silent retreat here...

so, that's all for now.

welcome

2005-03-07T16:00:00.000+08:00

today, i'm landing back to earth. the same old routines, same old lunch and dinner, same old activities, plus blogging... these things welcome me back with warmth.

i'm happy. i really am.

i have too much news to tell. this post is not enough. i'm off to finding my irda too so that i can upload the pics of my journey. watch out for the series of unfortunate events that i've went through. such adventures are worth cherishing, really.

so, gotta go now. ^_^

when the going gets tough

2005-02-28T20:07:00.000+08:00

the tough gets going...

and so i thought it all ended last saturday. darn, it didn't.

a while ago, we had a meeting about how to go about our sweep thing. i am very excited about it though, even if it will mean more overnight stays here in school and all. hay... i'm getting tired.

t'wing lumalabas
mga ugat sa kamay
di ko na kaya

pero kelangan pa ring tumuloy.

go. go. go.

---

good luck to monster and markymark tomorrow! you can do it guys!

for all it's worth

2005-02-26T20:54:00.000+08:00

i've suffered blistering cold, scorching desert... climbed the highest room of the tallest tower... only to be able to write this blog about what happened a little while ago (before i finally slept for more than an hour... very much more than an hour). wow! i love ctc-316!

quoting my speech as i was travelling on my way here:
"oh God, you descended on earth and summoned in us all the strength left in our bodies, just like what you gave Samson before he pushed that last building down. thank YOU very much!"

so, what happened? simple. our thesis defense is finally over and i'm so damn proud to broadcast the following: (would you believe that slackers really prevailed in the end?)

Panelists (3):
Sir G - 19/20
Sir T - 20/20
Sir Q - 20/20

and this is about 20% of our entire thesis grade. but wait, there's more:

Old man:
Sir C - You know, companies are looking for people who can do things like that...

The Natty professor:
Sir N - So, you gave virtual grades ha? Hahaha! (He is actually very happy!)

Adviser:
Maam No - You all deserve an "A"!

thus, i have proven that:
failure = failures
failures = success
success = successes

i'm waiting for more successes to come. hahaha!!! ^_^

oh no! i'm simply too overwhelmed with everything now. sorry for my being too proud. but as Sir Greg puts it: "don't apologize... all you have to do is report everything and tell us what you have learned."

i have learned that Sir Greg is really "the man"! (dalawang suntok sa dibdib sabay turo sa kanya)

and that God really exists.

---

so what now?

1. submission of tcom microwave design tomorrow.
2. cisco finals on monday
3. sweep exhibit on friday-saturday, deliberations on sat
4. thesis documents due on wednesday
5. more activities upcoming, i'm so in demand these days (haha!)

there.

---

i'd also like to congratulate evil and demon. grabe! "you are the most good-looking CEOs to be!" that's the best thing! kudos, as they say it. (ps. demon is the most handsome salesman while evil is the most beautiful lady guard. PEACE!)

and i'd like to give my full support to monster and markymark. "you can do it guys! we are right behind you, if you need us." "aja!", as vivian puts it.

---

and i'd like to greet evil a very happy birthday. even if we will watch MRS tomorrow instead of ASAP fanatic (which is better because lloyd might be there), i will still put my banner up for all the Philippines to see, "Happy Birthday, EVIL!" with your baby pic included.

---

so that's all folks! watch out for more "shining moments" of the meansters brought to you by my blog. God bless us all!

eng (Signed)

my first football game

2005-02-23T13:48:00.000+08:00

today i felt some hope flowing towards my almost empty bucket. so i'm relieved enough to have time to post this "topic" that i really wanted to share. well, i'm quite happy because of the following:
1. tcom project deadline moved to sunday
2. cisco final exams moved to monday
3. cases 1-3 for thesis done--two more left
4. witch hunter commented on my posts (who is this hunter anyway?)
5. even if it's so damn hot outside, ctc219's aircon system is still at its prime

so there. and on sunday, we will be having a field trip to abs-cbn. i really wanted to watch asap mania. but guess what? we ended up with asap fanatic because that's the only "slot" left according to sir francisco. anyway, it's better than nothing...

so what is this football game? last sunday, we watched the uaap football finals between ateneo and ust. of course, since i don't know a single thing about football, all i can cheer is, "sige, magsipaan kayo!!!" luckily, those alumni peeps didn't throw "scary" glances at me. but really, i have never watched a football game. not even on tv. so that was like my first, and goodie... it's a championship. of course, we have the homecourt advantage and all... however, since i was watching, the game was too tight and exciting (as if i can understand a thing). white guys are suddenly kicking the ball around then yellow guys will stop them and kick the ball out of bounds. ahhhh.... but anyway, here's a picture i captured. i was actually aiming for the sunset. haha.

this is supposed to be a captured moment of the game although i
don't see that many players in here.

and no, i'm not a varsity player. how i wish i can be. (earth calling to eng: dream on!)

so there. anyway, the game went on until the hundredth overtime. the score remained 1-1. then, some gray guys decided to simply let the players kick the ball towards the goal with the goalee (i don't know the spelling) as the only obstruction towards success. guess what? first batch of five... still tie. another pair of player... tie. and then another... tie. the alumni peeps suddenly raised their banners saying, "Congratulations! UAAP Football Champions - Ateneo." and then the observers became distractions--everybody went near the ust guy who's supposed to kick the ball (if ever he misses, they'll lose). pressure. pressure. pressure. done.

every body ran towards the goalee (as if he really blocked the ball). there were fireworks and all. i couldn't say a thing but, yeah! we made it back to back. i then realized that in whatever field, even if i'm so into it or not... as long as my school's name is on the line, i'll cheer my lungs out and fight. oh no. i'm becoming so BLUE here.

but ain't i?

look! the pop cola guy is there!!!

gone for a while

2005-02-22T16:18:00.000+08:00

i will be out of this world for a while. 10 days, i suppose. so i'll be back with more posts soon... when i can.

good luck to the world while i'm gone. wish me luck.

early news intake

2005-02-19T08:30:00.000+08:00

after dwelling in ctc-219 for the whole night, we went to jollibee to eat some breakfast. a good way to start the day, i guess. i don't quite feel well though because i haven't taken my bath (until now). anyway, the jolli-bug has always given us opportunity to be 'reality-checked' with what's going on in this world. even though we have internet access in school--24/7 with a maximum speed of 10 lightyears--we don't really get enough dose of news except during our jolli-meals.

so what is the first headline that's catchy enough for me to read?

Fonacier returns as Eagles battle Maroons

when? where? how to watch?
today, 4pm at FEU gym... can't watch it in any way, damn.

just before i opened the pages, something suddenly came into me so i asked, "sasali ba si larry sa pba draft pick ngayon?" of course, i know that he won't be able to make it because he is injured. but, heck, he's coming back to life. i'm waiting for posters around the ateneo now to say... "Welcome back Larry, 14!!!" or something else that can match with the "This one's for you!" mania.

anyway, that's just it. i'm not quite impressed with the frontpage headline saying that three suspects from the V-day bombings are already caught. my goodness! i really wish i'd be a forensic scientist or that i'd be able to form a CSI agency here in the country to be able to resolve crimes faster... and better (reliable, i suppose). in an attempt to show the whole world that we are able to catch criminals "that easily", i guess this will be another fluke like the nida blanca case and all the other cases piled in front of the judges' noses. something like the government paid some poor guys to surrender to the police and pretend that they are the bombers or maybe the police, themselves, abused some civilians they saw from somewhere and forced them to admit the crime. sudden suspects... sudden caught suspects... sudden news... forseen success...

DUH!

so that's it. i didn't read it at all. so, i flipped the pages to the opinion section and looked for there's the rub. nothing there. youngblood. oh, pit stop! read.

this diomar guy is dreaming of becoming the president of the philippines. unlike the evil i know, this guy seems to be very ideal and optimistic. he will be the best president ever, he says. but i still believe evil will be the best president. she is formulating this 5-year plan, in which she has already appointed me to become the MMDA chair, chubaka as the VRB chair, monster as the Dept of Tourism secretary, and maybe she will create a new department for demon: Dept of Liquor, Drugs, Sex, and Violence "Control". but before that, she also has plans already for her presidential campaign. she will become an actress, then she will start a new tradition every year (maybe every february or march): the GIN fest (the gin version of octobeerfest). why feb or march? because this is the time when students, who comprise the young voters, are taking up their final exams, thesis defense, and project submissions. so, who would not want to drown all his/her anxieties during this time? nobody! such a great plan! also, she will terrorize the states and prove that the philippines can be a world power (she can do this in many ways... first and foremost, by alluring all the american men being the next yoko kumada).

then guess what? she only has a 5-year plan. the next year will be the proclamation of martial law. then, she will sell the country and be featured as the 'most successful president ever'. isn't that amazing? i hope she'll sell us to japan so that i'll be able to buy naruto stuff, watch new episodes on tv, etc, etc... why naruto? because naruto has a tendency of becoming another dragonball. naruto z will be the time when naruto is older. naruto gt will be for naruto's son. and so on... there.

hmmm... so i haven't really learned a lot about the world when i read the newspaper. other than the proof that dreamboy and let the love begin are not worthy movies to watch (elektra is still the best valentine movie, haha!), there's nothing new to store in my memory bank. maybe i'm just too close-minded or something. or maybe i'm simply preoccupied with our thesis.

back to "reality".

auto-hidden by my taskbar is our documentation. yes. i almost forgot that reality is just a click away.

this is my reality. even how hard i get away from it, it stays. how "cute".

the system

2005-02-18T14:45:00.000+08:00

It is amazing—how the system goes. Those who live in the outskirts of the country and those who live in the worst houses go to the worst schools and end up having the worst jobs. But these same people are the ones who willingly offer themselves to protect the same system that put them in that position. And the people on top have these poor people do that because they don’t want to do anything at all but remain on top. Hierarchy in the society has always been present and it is so incredible to see that total inequality is supposed to lead to supreme balance. Does the world always mean to be like this?

There are simple systems that I personally do not agree with right now. First is the Katipunan case where Gate 3, which is supposed to be a main gate, is now closed for human entrance and exit. For the purpose of minimizing heavy traffic, U-turn slots are implemented in exchange to crossroads previously managed by stop lights. Of course, in addition to that, islands along the avenue are removed so that the road may handle more vehicles. For the sake of being safe, the students, including myself, just follow the rules that have been set. Of course, being deviant won’t bring back the stop lights at all. There is nothing to do but to adjust. Such a simple case makes me really angry inside. So sometimes (or maybe most of the time), I tend to break this rule (i don't care if i'm called deviant!). Everyday, I cross the whole stretch of the 5 lane Katipunan in front of La Vista Subd just to be able to ride a jeep or trike in going to school.

Why implement such a thing without the consent of those directly affected by the scheme? Who are supposed to be listened to at all times? How do decisions like that come to reality? Are they done ‘alone’? Why?

Now, this brings me to thinking that being in power is really POWER. You can do whatever you want, control the people around you like little dogs, and wallah! You are a sudden god. Sometimes I admire Filipinos being not very trusting to the government. It is so right sometimes. But we just can’t control ourselves. Or we just don’t know what to do with what we feel. Blabbering around won’t do any good. And then the issue of doing something will be brought up. What is that SOMETHING? Who knows? Even I don’t know? Nobody knows. If anybody knew, then we will not be like this right now.

Somebody quite knew what to do, a long time ago. But power is so blinding, you will never know that it is actually changing your being. But there’s nothing to blame. Power is absolutely there to test us people. When we have it, what will we do? When we don’t have it, what else can we do? Somehow, when Uncle Ben told Peter Parker that “with great power comes great responsibility”, he really meant that “with great power comes great challenge against temptation”. Being responsible is supposed to be doing what is right, right? Yeah, maybe that’s just it. But people can also redefine their definition of "right"... so the fine, fine line is not really very obvious.

So where am I going? I don’t know. I thought that by doing this, I may find what I’m looking for. But as a human, I tend to enjoy searching… ‘cause the moment I find what I’m looking for, I realize that that’s not it. The joy is in wanting, not having. So those people who are in power, since they can easily get what they want, end up desiring too much… just too much. And they never stop doing so. Because for them, attaining anything is always possible. Unlike the rest of us.

I’ll just… mmm… keep on searching still. I’ve got to.

some of the best people are born on this day

2005-02-17T19:57:00.000+08:00

mamen

and

michael jordan

...oo nga!

painted evil

2005-02-15T18:05:00.000+08:00

nagulat ako

sa kakaibang braso

puno ng guhit

di napigilang

kuhanan ng litrato

paulit-ulit

el niño

2005-02-14T18:40:00.000+08:00

hindi normal ang araw na ito. pano, kumpleto ang meansters kaninang lunch. ang galing no? minsan lang to mangyari. kataka-taka, ngayon pang valentine's day. siguro ganun lang namin talaga 'kamahal' ang isa't isa. hahaha!

bale, naglakad kami palabas sa Gate 2.5. sobrang init mga dudes. sabi ko nga, parang may leak mula sa hell tapos dito sa lupa ang singaw. sobra!

tapos, narealize ko ngayon na di ko nakita buong araw ang pinaka-M na taong kakilala ko. M as in... mahangin. kaya pala eh. walang hangin dito sa katips kanina dahil di siya pumasok. tsk, tsk, tsk.

yay! gumagana na naman ang pagkameanster ko.

yun.

pero may nagsabi sakin kanina na summer na raw kasi kaya mainit. yah right! summer. summer? summer!!!

matagal na rin akong hindi nakakapagbakasyon kapag summer. siguro, ngayon na lang ulit after five years. hay... sa wakas!

pero bago ang saya, trabaho muna. kahit nagpapahiwatig na ang panahon, kelangang relax lang muna. marami pang dapat gawin. marami pang dapat tapusin. marami pa. sobrang dami.

sobrang marami
ang mga gagawin ko
hirap mangarap

hallway of greatness

2005-02-14T16:42:00.000+08:00

madalas akong
napaparaan dito
pero wala lang

hindi ko alam
kung san ba talaga ko
paa'y dadalhin

kelan pa kaya
ako makararating
don sa liwanag?

kung mayroon mang
liwanag itong daang
aking pinili

valen times

2005-02-14T14:57:00.000+08:00

sabi nga nila, araw ng mga puso ngayon. panahon para magsuot ng pula. panahon para maglakad sa kalye na may hawak na bulaklak. la lang. la lang...

Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Love is a temporary madness.
It erupts, then subsides.
When it subsides,
you have to make a decision.
You have to work out
whether your roots
have so entwined together
it is inconceivable
you should ever part.
Because that is what love is.

Love is not breathlessness…
Not the promulgation
of all eternal passion.
That is just being ‘in love’.
Love itself is what is left over
when being in love has turned away…
Those that truly love have roots
that grow toward each other,
and when all the pretty blossoms
have fallen from their branches,
they find
that they are one tree
and not two.

From De Bernieres

sa tingin ko, kahit naka-blue ako ngayon... at mga computer ang nasasalat ng aking mga daliri... 'blessed' pa rin ako.

salamat sa lahat ng nagmamahal sakin... lalo na sa'yo. salamat talaga.

in an attempt to save the school

2005-02-12T12:50:00.000+08:00

10 minuto bago ang "ngayon"...

nakakita si evil ng kakaibang usok mula sa third floor ng som. nasa ctc-219 kasi kami kaya kitang-kita. binuksan pa nga namin yung isang bintana para masigurado na usok nga talaga yun.

evil: look! may usok o.
me: wow! cool! andami.
evil: grabe lumalakas na.
me: san kaya yan galing? diba som department yang nandyan?
evil: tingnan natin.

tumakbo kami mula ctc hanggang som. mabilis lang naman e. grabe, hagdan palang papuntang third floor, kakaibang alingasaw na ng baho ang naamoy namin. yung tipong papatayin ka. pero go pa rin kami. feeling heroes yata. ewan, gusto lang siguro naming ma-guidon.

basta yun. umakyat kami. sobrang baho. hindi namin makayanan. wala naman kaming nakitang nasusunog... so naghanap nalang kami ng guard. pero wala. janitor nalang. buti nalang alam namin kung nasaan yung hideout nila dito sa ctc.

and shucks! pagkarating namin dun may isang guy pa na nakabalandal sa door. hello?! emergency po ito!!! buti nalang tumabi kagad siya.

evil: manong, ano po yung nasa third floor ng som?
manong: ha? bakit?
evil: kasi po may usok. andami.
isa pang manong: ah. para yun sa lamok.
evil: ah. ang baho po kasi eh.

at oo. kung lamok kami, namatay na pala kami. may history pa man din akong tawaging engue mosquito (mula sa dengue fever). at gusto pa man din ni evil na maging ipis sa next life nya. hay. sayang lang efforts namin.

pero ok lang. at least, wala talagang sunog.

kaso lang, hanggang ngayon, naaamoy ko pa rin yung mabahong thing na yon. nalalasahan ko pa nga eh.

kinabahan pa
dahil may usok doon
wala lang pala

trying to share

2005-02-09T18:05:00.000+08:00

Chinese New Year... on Ash Wednesday
Sir Francisco's Class

Only twenty people
listening about vibration--
that disturbs molecules
for sound production.

Then comes octave--
interval between frequencies
with ratio 2:1
and five ranges.

Damn, I'm alone
not a single
meanster around
to chat with.

Next is amplitude
and also loudness.
All are simply
basics, oh goodness!

Later we'll be
having a fieldtrip.
Alas, thank God!
The bell rings.

---

Nyahahaha! At last, I've got a blog. Been thinking of making one since the day I found out that such "thing" exists. Anyway, I've been trying to collect things for me to write here and all. But I can't find the right timing. And the right topic. However, this day is different. Since today is what they call The Chinese New Year, I try to make something new for myself that might make my Chinese Year a bit "more like me".

Well, I'm quite busy with schoolwork (thesis, blah-blahs...) but as I think of my current status now, I believe I'm doing all these things merely to become a responsible person. This has been the path for me... and as I reach this certain milestone called graduation, all I can do is just "perform to finish everything". Duh! What's this I'm talking about??? Change topic.

It's not that I'm not happy with what I'm doing (hell, I'm still into this...). In fact, I have nothing else to do if I will not do what I'm doing right now. Phew... But in a sense, I guess... I simply want to hold on some more... onto my being a student... here in the Ateneo... a little bit longer.

Why??? I don't know. I suppose my being a student here has been very convenient for me and that I'm quite not sure if the "outside world" will be the same. Darn. I think I worry too much. Or maybe I'm just too excited to 'really' graduate.

I really do not know exactly.

PS. That "more like me" thing I said... this may be it...

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well.
An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly.
You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view.
A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary.

You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?