And... whoala! The rain is gone

I'm not sure if this is just a coincidence but have you noticed how the rain would suddenly stop once the LGU or DepEd suspends the classes? Can you see a solution how we can dictate the natural course of events in this case? Hehehe. But seriously, it really is happening in the past few days. There would be a heavy rain... classes will be suspended... and as if it is a cue for the rain, it will suddenly or sometimes gradually stop raining. Hehehe.

Oh well, I'm just so glad the rain stopped already.

Have a great week ahead, everyone!

On happiness

Sharing a short story from somewhere:

When I was 5 years old, my mom always told that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I want to be when I grew up. I wrote down "happy." They told me I didn't understand the assignment... I told them they didn't understand life.

One of these days, I'm going to wake up and say:

"I don't want anything more." 

- Bill Parish in Meet Joe Black

Happy weekend everyone!

Tag-ulan

My mom just called and told me it's raining hard in the province. It's also raining here as of this writing. A friend of mine somewhere north of Manila also told me it's been raining there all day. Tag-ulan na yata talaga. :-) I only wish the heavy rains won't continue for so long. I still am afraid of the possible consequences prolonged heavy rains....

Stay safe everyone.

PS: If you are looking for possible gifts for nana or anyone in the family, a poncho or a simple umbrella would definitely be a good choice.

On being a student once again

Here's a shameless plug for the institution where I learned a lot of stuff since last year, the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (or PCCI). I and some of my colleagues at work attended two sessions last year and we were not disappointed. I'm taking Corporate Video Production for the next three days starting this Monday.


If you guys are wondering if they have classes on fleet management or similar stuff, the answer is no. Hehehe. The center offers classes on Photography, Digital Imaging & Painting, Illustration & Desktop Publishing, Web & Interaction Design, Digital Video Production, 3D Animation, and Mac Basics. I intend to attend another course by October.


Visit their site. They offer a wide variety of trainings and seminars. You might just find an interesting one for you.

Rain, rain, go away

I took my CPU with me here in Manila because I need to work on some editing gigs which my laptop cannot process. Halfway from our home to the waiting shed, the rain came. Holy effin S. I cannot afford to lose the data in my CPU -- and there's no immediate shelter from where I am. And luckily, a tricycle passed by and offered a ride. The driver took out some fly sheets of sort and used it to cover the passenger side so I won't get wet by the heavy rain.

It worked.

I am just so happy then. But now, I am worried because my mom and sis are alone in our house. I just feel bad that I am not with them at the moment. I really hope the rain would stop now.

On happiness

One of these days, I'm going to wake up and say:

"I don't want anything more."
(Bill Parish in Meet Joe Black)

Happy weekend everyone!

A piece of heaven

A while ago, I was looking for some stunning birthstone gifts for December birthdays -- I mean, it's almost August. And before you know it, it will be September already, then, December. Might as well start now. Unfortunately. I wasn't able to find any as of now.

But luckily, this search brought me to Mang Inasal! And you know what I found there? Heaven... or at least a piece of it

Puto & dinuguan at P49... If this is not heaven, I don't know what is.

You don't believe me? Try it for yourself. :-)

Manual typewriter or laptop?

I choose both.

I found this very entertaining application in Chrome Store. It's an application that imitates the sound of a manual typewriter and it syncs to your keyboard strokes. It's really entertaining. If you have an audiocard and it is activated, visit this site and you'll see what I mean. :-)

https://writer.bighugelabs.com/

This application is not like the famous Siri (who can even perhaps act as a medical answering service!), but the sound of a manual typewriter makes me smile. :-) Imagine, you are using a laptop and you are hearing the sound of a typewriter? Hehehe.

The Newsroom

Now that House is over, I think I need to find another fix. And I think I found it. :-)

The Newsroom is an American drama television series created and primarily written by Aaron Sorkin that premiered on HBO on June 24, 2012. The series chronicles the behind-the-scenes events [how the cable covers news, etc.] at the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN) channel. It features an ensemble cast including Jeff Daniels as anchor Will McAvoy, who, together with his staff set out to put on a news show "in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal entanglements.

- Source

 At 5 episodes as of Season 1, I am already sure I am going to wait for Season 2 (yes, HBO ordered another season) and probably buy original DVDs. I like this series so much that I even downloaded the movie they were discussing in one of the episodes!

Patiently waiting for episode 6... :-)

___

And oh, not that it's a big deal, Olivia Munn plays a commentator with a Ph.D. in economics. Oh my...

Q&A

I have been planning – for a couple of weeks already – to buy another phone because the phone that I have is giving me a hard time typing q and a, and activating the uppercase symbol and the spacebar. Now. I am not really bothered by the q problem... it's the a and the spacebar, man. So, there is this phone, the Lenovo P700. Try to google it guys and you might want to buy one, too. First, it comes with the latest version of Android OS, the Ice Cream Sandwich. Then, you have an awesome battery that, according to most reviews I've read so far, can last up to 3 days of moderate use. Then, up to August 15, you get to have a free powerpack that can probably give you an extra day (yes, day) of moderate use again. And the best of all, it comes with dual SIM functionality.

I almost gave in to the urge. :-)

It's about 11K... and I think this is actually cheap considering the specs. But 11K does not come cheap in itself. Hehehe. I asked myself – do I really need one? Do I have any alternative? (It's like buying a headamp 6 pro license when I only need a free version.) There has got to be a way – and I will get back to you on that.

Coffee break muna.

Good morning, yesterday

Good morning yesterday

You wake up and time has slipped away

And suddenly it's hard to find,

the memories you left behind

Remember, do you remember?

OK, I think I got the title wrong, but hey, you know I was referring to this song, right? I overhear a girl singing some Beatles song. And this is the one that I've been humming for a few minutes already.

Well, hello my yesterday. :-)

Tropical Depression Ferdie

Dela Rosa St.

Grabe si Ferdie. Tsk tsk tsk.

Honesty is the best policy

So, I woke up a little bit late today. I went to my favorite sizzling-an for my breakfast. I just love this restaurant because on top of the wide selection of food they have there, this is just across my place and the people there are very polite. And honest. Oh yeah, I know they are honest.

Here's an excerpt of an honest conversation I overheard from that restaurant just a while ago:

Customer: "Masarap ba ang soup ninyo?"
Waiter/Cook: "Naku, mainit na mainit po, Ma'am."

This is why I love eating there. Hehehe. Good morning, Philippines!

Mr. Go-To Guy strikes back!

As I have said in a previous post, I am the go-to guy of some of my friends. And just this morning, a friend texted me, asking if I can help her on something. She was asking if I know of anyone in Ortigas who might be willing to share a house with them. She resigned from her previous job in Makati and is now working in Ortigas.

She was able to find a house for lease but it was too big for her (but she really like the place daw). So, she's thinking now of sub-leasing out the other vacant room -- she's taking the master's bedroom.

Anyway, I'll probably post some more details about this later once I have talked to her on Friday. But for now, let me just announce that she's looking for bed spacers. The place is in Ortigas... somewhere there.

Details later. :-)

Eks, the go-to guy

I have this reputation that I can provide anything that my friends would ask me (I just made that up – the "having this reputation" part). Or at the very least, I can point them to the right direction. I am not trying to say I am "The Renaissance Man" of the new millennium or something. Hehehe. I am just saying, I can be your go-to guy.

Anyway, this friend of mine is getting married in December and she asked me if I can help her think of a good design for wedding ring. I wanted to tell her that it should be something that she and her fiancé should be talking about, but apparently, her fiancé also suggested the idea that I help them. Hehehe. Well, luckily, we were able to come up with an idea that they both love. They are now looking for jewelry-something would be able to make the actual ring.

As if they are actually rewarding me for that accomplishment, they now put me in charge of the wine and spirits department on the wedding day itself. Anyone here who can give me a wine making kit or liquor guide or something?

When it rains, it pours

I have been blessed lately with some gigs from stuff I really love doing. There is this video editing gig which actually allowed us to visit the beautiful island of Biri in Northern Samar. There is this web design and development project which allowed me to meet some people who eventually referred me to some people who eventually became clients of mine (in yet another field). There is this editing gig that I got where I was exposed to new knowledge in science... And there are a couple more gigs which I am really happy to take on.

No, they are not really paying that much, but the thing is, I don't feel like I am actually working at all because given the time, I am even willing to pay for anyone who would trust me to do these projects. They are fun!

I really hope and pray that the blessings from above won't stop from coming this way. :-)

***

My brother and I are thinking of making custom t-shirts where we can print our own designs and favorite quotes. It would be fun, we think. And who knows, maybe some of you might be interested to hire our services to make similar products in the futures?

A dark night indeed

According to news reports, the suspect is even wearing a gas mask, bulletproof vest, and some other accessories that we usually see in movies (supra shoes not included). He is the villain, of course. See below for a more detailed news.

DENVER, Colorado—A masked gunman killed 12 people and wounded 40 others when he opened fire on moviegoers at a midnight showing of the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises" in this city in the early hours of Friday, police said.

The violent and chaotic scene erupted about 12:30 a.m. local time (about 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Manila time) as a man in a gas mask stood at the front of one of the Century 16 theaters at the Aurora mall and set off a smoke or tear gas bomb before opening fire at moviegoers.

Federal law enforcement officials identified the suspect as 24-year-old local resident James Holmes.

More...

Isolation

Almost 4 days of (almost total) isolation

When you have to cut bamboos and trees so you can have your own shelter... when you have to piece together your raincoats so you can have a decent roof... when you have to look for vines you can use to make ropes... when you have to hunt and make traps for your daily sustenance... when you have to hike hundreds of meters of breath-taking (literally!) tracks to get clean water... when you have to hope it won't rain so you can sleep tight on your make-shift tent but also wish it will rain a "bit" so you won't have to fight a gazillion of mosquitoes while you sleep...

You don't have teak outdoor furniture/s, it's not dangerous, but it's challenging. Ahh... This is a great exercise of getting out of your comfort zone once in a while.

Good thing my cellphone did not bail out on me. :-)

Big n Tasty!

So, have you tried this yet?

Well, you should.