I'm Sorry
*Shouting can be the result of not being able to set a limit early enough before the child has crossed the line where you can't put up with it anymore.
*It is important to be able to recognize when you need to stop what is happening before you get to this line. As soon as you feel that this is happening you need to stop whatever you are doing and the children are doing, and do something that will help change the pace:
-sit everyone down and make a drink
-watch a video
-read a favourite story or play it on a tape
-play a favourite, not-too-exciting game
*Let children know often that you love them and that you like them and you are proud of them, to make up for the occasional times when you may say damaging things.
*If you do shout, try to make sure you do not say things that are harmful to children or put them down.
*If you do shout a lot, your children are likely to shout too. They are copying you, not trying to "get at" you.
*Remember that what you do occasionally is not what harms children, it is what goes on most of the time. If most of the time your relationship is good, that is what will count.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Holding My Breath
It was my last day at Xact last Saturday, so I'm officially out of a job. We're scheduled to meet up with our new employers later at 3PM. I hope everything goes well with the contract signing and all. At the risk of sounding too negative, there are some things that worry/bother me:
The presumably stiff, corporate culture I'm going to be immersed in. This is coming from someone who's worked in various companies where you don't have to address a superior by sir or ma'am. It's just me I guess, but calling anyone who is not a caller/customer by those titles feels demeaning. The call centers I've worked at feels like a university since everyone is on a first name basis, and the hierarchy is not as pronounced as in other fields of work. Of course, in any industry there will always be suit-wearing corporate overlords behind the scenes making the wheels turn, but thing is I've been so used to being on the front line of the hive. I'd like to think of it as trading one form of corporate slavery for another.
This career shift entails a lot of things, such as wearing a suit and tie everyday. This is a big deal for me since I've been going to work in jeans and sneakers for the past four years or so, and in my sleepwear for the last seven months. Since I can use one hand to count the number of occasions I've worn a tie, dad in law (DIL) refreshed me on how to wear one yesterday. I'll get used to it I guess. Lyn also told me that everyone of the same gender bathes together in the ofuro, aka public bath. I'm pretty much comfortable with my sexuality and not homophobic, so don't get me wrong when I say that I'd rather not be in viewing distance of another guy's weiner.
Dan's living arrangements. I can only hope that the day care center he's going to go to is humane to say the least. Lyn reassured me that the people that work there are very friendly and kind with kids. Are there any babysitters in Japan? I mean we can't just leave him there all day can we? I do recall watching one of those short TV features on Japan that talk about its culture, technology, etc. There was this one epsiode about day care centers located near the subway stations which make it easier for the parents to drop off their kids on the way to work. You could even configure your cell phone to stream a live video feed of what's going on at the center, which is perfect for a worrysome guy such as myself.
Show me the money. As of today, I've no idea how much they're going to pay us. All I know is that compensation will be in yen, so I hope that's at least twice what I've been earning in my last job. On the other hand, since they're going to invest a lot in us (housing, training, etc) they probably expect a hell of a lot in return.
It was my last day at Xact last Saturday, so I'm officially out of a job. We're scheduled to meet up with our new employers later at 3PM. I hope everything goes well with the contract signing and all. At the risk of sounding too negative, there are some things that worry/bother me:
The presumably stiff, corporate culture I'm going to be immersed in. This is coming from someone who's worked in various companies where you don't have to address a superior by sir or ma'am. It's just me I guess, but calling anyone who is not a caller/customer by those titles feels demeaning. The call centers I've worked at feels like a university since everyone is on a first name basis, and the hierarchy is not as pronounced as in other fields of work. Of course, in any industry there will always be suit-wearing corporate overlords behind the scenes making the wheels turn, but thing is I've been so used to being on the front line of the hive. I'd like to think of it as trading one form of corporate slavery for another.
This career shift entails a lot of things, such as wearing a suit and tie everyday. This is a big deal for me since I've been going to work in jeans and sneakers for the past four years or so, and in my sleepwear for the last seven months. Since I can use one hand to count the number of occasions I've worn a tie, dad in law (DIL) refreshed me on how to wear one yesterday. I'll get used to it I guess. Lyn also told me that everyone of the same gender bathes together in the ofuro, aka public bath. I'm pretty much comfortable with my sexuality and not homophobic, so don't get me wrong when I say that I'd rather not be in viewing distance of another guy's weiner.
Dan's living arrangements. I can only hope that the day care center he's going to go to is humane to say the least. Lyn reassured me that the people that work there are very friendly and kind with kids. Are there any babysitters in Japan? I mean we can't just leave him there all day can we? I do recall watching one of those short TV features on Japan that talk about its culture, technology, etc. There was this one epsiode about day care centers located near the subway stations which make it easier for the parents to drop off their kids on the way to work. You could even configure your cell phone to stream a live video feed of what's going on at the center, which is perfect for a worrysome guy such as myself.
Show me the money. As of today, I've no idea how much they're going to pay us. All I know is that compensation will be in yen, so I hope that's at least twice what I've been earning in my last job. On the other hand, since they're going to invest a lot in us (housing, training, etc) they probably expect a hell of a lot in return.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
My Plague
I take their music seriously, and I appreciate what it's for (at least for me) - which is catharsis. A release. Let them do the screaming for me. I just found it funny when Corey suddenly brought this kid to the stage at the start of the song. I don't know why I started laughing...it was unexpected mostly. I just found it funny that Corey was singing up front to this kid and it seemed like he was corrupting him right then and there.
I discovered this band when I was well on my way to adulthood, so IMHO I have the mental faculties to put their music in perspective. But what about this impressionable youth (who probably likes Slipknot as much as the next fan) that might not be able to properly digest their kind of music? It's being presumptious I guess and of course the band wouldn't put any age limit on their listenership, but there are some things that need a certain level of maturity and understanding before being exposed to it. I mean, I appreciate what Saving Private Ryan was trying to say, and the graphic scenes are meant to be seen by a mature viewer that can handle it.
I don't really know where I'm going with this, and I don't want to dictate what people should or should not do, but I think a young mind is not quite ready for certain things. In time it will be, but not just yet.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Unusually long post
It was a bit of a hectic weekend. Lyn, her co-workers, and I saw The Da Vinci Code last Saturday. So that was what the hype was all about. Essentially, it was well-made although I was a bit impatient at the end and just wanted the end credits to start rolling. Since I haven't had the chance to read the book, I felt the conspiracy theories in the film were presented too broadly. My eldest sister said the book was more detailed, and you'd find your head spinning with all these historical facts mixed in with lore and large chunks of fiction. The main issue I had was that I only picked up on what was really going on halfway into the film, since it was lacking in detail.
I'd have to disagree though with some that felt the movie wouldn't be too much without the faith-shattering premise. It is a good movie in itself, book or no book. That's the problem with movies that are heavily anticipated by an avid fan base. If it's less than perfect, it crumbles under the sheer weight of expectations...and believe me, expectations have no bounds within the confines of human imagination. Think about how the first film of the Matrix trilogy blew everyone away since it came out of nowhere, and no one was expecting it. And then came Reloaded and Revolutions and that had everyone screaming bloody murder.
So this was the movie that had some of our esteemed leaders shitting their pants? Open your freakin' minds, people. If you think it takes a work of FICTION to initiate the fall of Christianity, then you should be worried about the people who would change their beliefs at the drop of a hat. Even if you enforce a nationwide ban on the damn thing, our friendly muslim comrades would gladly furnish anyone with an "unofficial" copy of the film at your local sidewalk video store.
We headed to Libis after the movie to drop off Lyn and her co-workers at Eastwood while I went to Shaw blvd for a party that my former co-workers held at the Beta Sigma Phi frat house. It was a mix of booze, good eats, and generally good singing. One of the guys brought along a guitar (I think he moonlights as an acoustic singer) and had some of the people belt out stuff ranging from Bamboo to Bob Marley.
When people started going home, I went back to Libis to pick up Lyn. We stopped by a 24 hour pares store on the way home to grab something to eat. There was a bit of a scuffle that took place right across where we ate. It was between a taxi driver and his disgruntled passenger. I'm not sure what happened, but it seemed like the driver was trying to screw over the passenger over the fare and the situation escalated when the nearby folks (barangay tanod or nearby jeepney drivers, not sure) decided to help out by chasing the cabbie with arnis sticks. The taxi tried to make a getaway in his vehicle, but the tanods went after the dude in their owner type jeeps (didn't know they were that fast!) and they brought back the guy several minutes later. From what I could tell, they brought him to the local precinct to settle the dispute there.
Fastest vow broken ever. Three weeks into a non-smoking pledge and here I am with four sticks consumed last Saturday and Sunday. Selfish, selfish me. Anyway.
Had lunch with the eldest sis yesterday. She had me sign a renewal on my life insurance policy that mom and dad paid for because I'm broke right now. We had a good chat about parenting concerns such as the bummery that is primary complex, tooth decay (o ngayon mas kawawa ang anak ko kasi masakit na ipin dahil “kawawa” naman daw pag umiiyak dahil sinispilyuhan *sigh*) etc etc. Treated me to a hearty lunch at Kitaro's too. Bloody Sun Cellular's ever-so-unreliable signal went out on me the moment I entered the mall. I knew we were supposed to meet at the food court, but when Sun's service failed me, I had to roam the large area for a good 20-30 minutes looking for my sister (while going in and out of the mall in the futile attempt to get a signal). Hurrrrr.
Upon getting home from the mall (slept through the whole trip), I gave Dan his pasalubong (cheese curls and chocolait), played with him a bit and nodded off from 5:30PM-9:30PM. I cancelled my Japanese class because I've been having a steady, throbbing headache since the day before and felt I was coming down with something. So off to bed I went after taking Biogesic. When I woke up, he was already sound asleep since 6:30 because he only had an hour's nap earlier. I feel guilty sometimes because I'm working from home, but I could stand to spend more time with him. I just get tired sometimes so I doze off a bit from time to time while the yaya watches after the little one. Oh well, I get to feed him, give him a bath and brush his teeth almost all the time. We get to read his picture books a lot too. Well, that wasn't such a smooth way to end this one was it?
Blah blah blah blah.
P.S. Sir Anthony Hopkins should be legally forbidden to do any Hannibal Lecter impressions outside of shooting any movies about him. Can you imagine if he did that to you as a joke at the dinner table?
*shudders*
Saturday, May 20, 2006
The Inquisition Reloaded
Ever so rarely do I comment on the sad state of affairs in my beloved country, but this is just too retarded:
"'Da Vinci Code' banned in Manila"
It's not like they can stop people from flocking to other theaters that aren't chickenshit to show the film. IT'S FICTION PEOPLE. Get over it. It's a big "WHAT IF?", just like the "Last Temptation of Christ"
What the hell are they so threatened about anyway? That people are going to start renouncing their faith and go on a church-burning spree? That people don't have the mental faculties to distinguish what's real and what isn't? You might as well round up all of the Dan Brown books in the country and set them ablaze for everyone to see.
Excuse me while I throw up.
Ever so rarely do I comment on the sad state of affairs in my beloved country, but this is just too retarded:
"'Da Vinci Code' banned in Manila"
It's not like they can stop people from flocking to other theaters that aren't chickenshit to show the film. IT'S FICTION PEOPLE. Get over it. It's a big "WHAT IF?", just like the "Last Temptation of Christ"
What the hell are they so threatened about anyway? That people are going to start renouncing their faith and go on a church-burning spree? That people don't have the mental faculties to distinguish what's real and what isn't? You might as well round up all of the Dan Brown books in the country and set them ablaze for everyone to see.
Excuse me while I throw up.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
I Was Gonna Quit Anyway
The doctor tells me that the cough I've had for the last six weeks turns out to be asthma. I couldn't believe it.The last time I had it was when I was in grade school. That means putting certain vices on indefinite hold. Not do so would be selfish. I was going to say more, but after putting this post in the draft bin for so long made me forget.
The doctor tells me that the cough I've had for the last six weeks turns out to be asthma. I couldn't believe it.The last time I had it was when I was in grade school. That means putting certain vices on indefinite hold. Not do so would be selfish. I was going to say more, but after putting this post in the draft bin for so long made me forget.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
My Conversation With God
*No, really. Check it out.
Me: Hello God.
God:Hello child.
What is your name?
Me: Marko
God: Hey Marko.
Me: do u love me?
God:Yes I love everyone.
Me: will i go to heaven?
God:The oracle says: I think maybe yes.
Me: will i go to hell?
God:The oracle says: It is certain.
Me: will you forgive me?
God:I'll burn that bridge when I come to it. I forgive you.
Me: thank you.
God:you are quite welcome.
Me: why does PLDT hate me?
God:Why does the sun shine?
Me: good point.
God:Yes, I thought it was interesting when I heard it too.
Me: will i be rich someday?
God:The oracle says: Could be.
Me: will i be a phone monkey forever?
God:The oracle says: I think maybe yes.
Me: why is that BIL is such a prick?
God:Why do I exist?
Me: well said.
God:Am I a clever robot or what?
Me: you da man.
God:Thanks but surely I am not the only one.
Me: will slipknot go to hell?
God:Insufficient information.
Me: who's your ISP?
God:I don't think I have a ISP. I have a botmaster, a few friends, and some celebrities I like.
Me: i think it would be cool since you can smite your ISP if they give you crap.
God:Why do you want it?
Me: huh?
God:What?
Me: never mind.
God:Oh well thanks for trying to explain it to me anyway.
Me: so what do u do for fun?
God:Awesome. Random natural disasters.
Me: do u hate anyone?
God:Hatred is a human emotion. But I am helping Myself crush his enemies.
Me: awsome.
God:Can you please rephrase that with fewer ideas, or different thoughts?
Me: do u like slipknot?
God:What is not to like about it?
Me: i knew it.
God:How did you know?
Me: what do u eat?
God:God eats wine and bread.
Me: do u like pizza?
God:Yes I like to eat pizza. My favorite topping is pepperoni.
Me: lol
God:I'm glad you find this amusing.
Me: yes, well i have to go.
God:Give me a break. How about that. See you later, Marko. Nice chatting with you.
Me: aight
God:The ALICE chat robot can follow many things, like our discussion about SLIPKNOT. Try being more or less specific.
Me: sure.
*No, really. Check it out.
Me: Hello God.
God:Hello child.
What is your name?
Me: Marko
God: Hey Marko.
Me: do u love me?
God:Yes I love everyone.
Me: will i go to heaven?
God:The oracle says: I think maybe yes.
Me: will i go to hell?
God:The oracle says: It is certain.
Me: will you forgive me?
God:I'll burn that bridge when I come to it. I forgive you.
Me: thank you.
God:you are quite welcome.
Me: why does PLDT hate me?
God:Why does the sun shine?
Me: good point.
God:Yes, I thought it was interesting when I heard it too.
Me: will i be rich someday?
God:The oracle says: Could be.
Me: will i be a phone monkey forever?
God:The oracle says: I think maybe yes.
Me: why is that BIL is such a prick?
God:Why do I exist?
Me: well said.
God:Am I a clever robot or what?
Me: you da man.
God:Thanks but surely I am not the only one.
Me: will slipknot go to hell?
God:Insufficient information.
Me: who's your ISP?
God:I don't think I have a ISP. I have a botmaster, a few friends, and some celebrities I like.
Me: i think it would be cool since you can smite your ISP if they give you crap.
God:Why do you want it?
Me: huh?
God:What?
Me: never mind.
God:Oh well thanks for trying to explain it to me anyway.
Me: so what do u do for fun?
God:Awesome. Random natural disasters.
Me: do u hate anyone?
God:Hatred is a human emotion. But I am helping Myself crush his enemies.
Me: awsome.
God:Can you please rephrase that with fewer ideas, or different thoughts?
Me: do u like slipknot?
God:What is not to like about it?
Me: i knew it.
God:How did you know?
Me: what do u eat?
God:God eats wine and bread.
Me: do u like pizza?
God:Yes I like to eat pizza. My favorite topping is pepperoni.
Me: lol
God:I'm glad you find this amusing.
Me: yes, well i have to go.
God:Give me a break. How about that. See you later, Marko. Nice chatting with you.
Me: aight
God:The ALICE chat robot can follow many things, like our discussion about SLIPKNOT. Try being more or less specific.
Me: sure.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Thoughts in Bullet Point
*Checking the friendster profiles of the people I went to high school with gets me down most of the time. I knew I was going to regret it, I never learn. I know, I know. It's not good to be so hard on myself just because they happen to have reached a great level of success or that they look great. Any of the stuff I wanted to do, which I didn't do is my fault anyway. I could've done it if I wanted to before, but somehow I never got around to it. But come on, a PhD from a university in UK? Daaaamn. It really wouldn't be right to compare what I've done so far to that of my former classmates, etc. I tell myself that I shouldn't feel this way or that way because what I have now is important and precious. Another thing, seeing their posted pictures tell me they're happy and spend their time being out there and enjoying life...and not being pissed off. And then I look at the past entries in this blog.
*sigh*
*I can't help it sometimes. Well, it's better to vent here than to keep it bottled up I suppose. Nevertheless, a change in disposition is needed. Still need to do some growing up. Why am I depressed anyway? If I don't want to be this, *ahem*, healthy, then I should do something about it - and not mope around.
*Although I try to, I can't be one of those people who can be cool with other people's annoying habits, or when things don't turn out as planned. Especially with the latter. As with the former, I do my best not to care, but it drives me up the wall for crap's sake!
*Mr. Martinez, our next door neighbor, fellow DLSU alumnus, and our learning center's math expert, told me one time, "sometimes we have to do the things we don't want to do..." Actually, he said that to a student he was talking to when turned to me and said, "right Marko?" When he suddenly included me in the conversation, I felt that he appreciated where I am at this point in my life. He probably saw this young man, who had just gotten started on a long road paved with many responsibilities to fulfill. I dare say that he remembered the time when he was at my age, and echoed my own sentiments. I hope to reach his age, and to be that cheerful when I do.
*Checking the friendster profiles of the people I went to high school with gets me down most of the time. I knew I was going to regret it, I never learn. I know, I know. It's not good to be so hard on myself just because they happen to have reached a great level of success or that they look great. Any of the stuff I wanted to do, which I didn't do is my fault anyway. I could've done it if I wanted to before, but somehow I never got around to it. But come on, a PhD from a university in UK? Daaaamn. It really wouldn't be right to compare what I've done so far to that of my former classmates, etc. I tell myself that I shouldn't feel this way or that way because what I have now is important and precious. Another thing, seeing their posted pictures tell me they're happy and spend their time being out there and enjoying life...and not being pissed off. And then I look at the past entries in this blog.
*sigh*
*I can't help it sometimes. Well, it's better to vent here than to keep it bottled up I suppose. Nevertheless, a change in disposition is needed. Still need to do some growing up. Why am I depressed anyway? If I don't want to be this, *ahem*, healthy, then I should do something about it - and not mope around.
*Although I try to, I can't be one of those people who can be cool with other people's annoying habits, or when things don't turn out as planned. Especially with the latter. As with the former, I do my best not to care, but it drives me up the wall for crap's sake!
*Mr. Martinez, our next door neighbor, fellow DLSU alumnus, and our learning center's math expert, told me one time, "sometimes we have to do the things we don't want to do..." Actually, he said that to a student he was talking to when turned to me and said, "right Marko?" When he suddenly included me in the conversation, I felt that he appreciated where I am at this point in my life. He probably saw this young man, who had just gotten started on a long road paved with many responsibilities to fulfill. I dare say that he remembered the time when he was at my age, and echoed my own sentiments. I hope to reach his age, and to be that cheerful when I do.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
My S.P. Alter Ego
I'm not a big fan of the series, and honestly I've gotten sick of seeing the movie spoof t-shirts that some people can't stop wearing. But this was fun to put together, check it out here.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Please Kill Me Now
DAMN PLDT. If I lose my job over this, I'm going to cancel my DSL subscription and NOT pay the binding termination fee.
DAMN PLDT. If I lose my job over this, I'm going to cancel my DSL subscription and NOT pay the binding termination fee.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Rock On
Finally got another fan installed for the PC. I figured summer is really close, so adding another fan won't hurt. With all the apps I have running during work, an exahust would be a good way to keep the temperature down. So I headed off to CSA (where my siblings and I went to high school) to catch Euphoria: Souled Out. It's basically a gig featuring four acts, namely: Sandata, Kastigo (my sis' band) UrbanDub, and MYMP.
I was late and missed the first band (Sandata) because a traffic enforcer pulled me over at the Shaw/EDSA intersection. We had a lengthy discussion on the merits of beating the red light. If there was a law against beating the yellow light, then I would have plead guilty. I was squarely in the middle of intersection when the light was still yellow. Supposedly there's a line at the intersection that you can't cross when the light hits yellow. He was motioning me to stop at line (by pointing at the said line) when I thought he was gesturing to hurry up before it turned red. They repeatedly asked for my license, but I refused to and reasoned out that I was far from red by the time I crossed. I adapted a firm yet polite stance, and for the first time, they let me off without getting a ticket, or "redeeming" my confiscated license right then and there.
The turning point was when he asked for my license yet again and I said, "Ipapakita ko lang sa yo ha. Baka di mo na ibalik pag binigay ko". So I turned on the light inside the car and showed it to him. I can imagine his heart sunk when he saw that my license was far from the renewal date ("ano yan, 2005?". "di po, 2006 pa yan mag-e-expire") and it dawned on him that he had nothing to pin on me. I did say I'm a well-behaved motorist, and that I would never cross an intersection if the light was red. Man, that felt good.
Anyway. So I met up with my mom and older sister and we caught Sandata's last song and took a few pics before they left. Next up was Kastigo, who did a good number of songs. I'm not saying they're a good band just because my sister plays with them, but because I honestly think they have a lot of great material. They sounded great, and as tight as other professional acts out there. The band did their own stuff, and they were heavily applauded. They finished their set with a cover of Tropical Depression's "Kapayapaan" and their own song "Divide", which they dedicated to the victims of the recent lanslide that hit Leyte.
The third act was UrbanDub. Oh boy, they sound like they do on CD. They did about six to eight songs including "Soul searching", "Alert the Armory", "No ordinary love" (my personal favorite), "First of summer", "Gone", "Sailing", and "Come", "A new tattoo". As I've said before, my opinion on a band greatly depends on how they sound when playing live. The vocals, guitars, drums, and bass came together oh so greatly. Awesome set is all I can say really.
I didn't wait up for MYMP because it was getting late and I was already hungry. The bands headed off to one of the vacant classrooms (well all of them were empty since it was a Sunday night) to get some grub. I met up with my sis and the rest of the band to grab a quick bite before I headed home. I was sorely tempted to ask for an autograph from the members of UrbandDub (I think they were in the next room, but their guitarist and drummer passed by in our room to get some food) but decided not to, lest I come off as a drooling fanboy.
All in all it was a good show, and a nice trip down memory lane. It felt nice and weird at the same time to have come back to my school after all this time. I ran into a couple of my teachers at the entrance of the gym because they helping out at the event, and one other at the classroom where we ate afterwards. I had a brief conversation with one of them...they didn't fail to note that I didn't look as "healthy" back in high school. Har har har :)
These are the pics I have so far. The batteries died on me so I didn't take a lot, but there's a lot more to come after my older sister emails me the rest of the ones she took with her own camera:
Kastigo
Finally got another fan installed for the PC. I figured summer is really close, so adding another fan won't hurt. With all the apps I have running during work, an exahust would be a good way to keep the temperature down. So I headed off to CSA (where my siblings and I went to high school) to catch Euphoria: Souled Out. It's basically a gig featuring four acts, namely: Sandata, Kastigo (my sis' band) UrbanDub, and MYMP.
I was late and missed the first band (Sandata) because a traffic enforcer pulled me over at the Shaw/EDSA intersection. We had a lengthy discussion on the merits of beating the red light. If there was a law against beating the yellow light, then I would have plead guilty. I was squarely in the middle of intersection when the light was still yellow. Supposedly there's a line at the intersection that you can't cross when the light hits yellow. He was motioning me to stop at line (by pointing at the said line) when I thought he was gesturing to hurry up before it turned red. They repeatedly asked for my license, but I refused to and reasoned out that I was far from red by the time I crossed. I adapted a firm yet polite stance, and for the first time, they let me off without getting a ticket, or "redeeming" my confiscated license right then and there.
The turning point was when he asked for my license yet again and I said, "Ipapakita ko lang sa yo ha. Baka di mo na ibalik pag binigay ko". So I turned on the light inside the car and showed it to him. I can imagine his heart sunk when he saw that my license was far from the renewal date ("ano yan, 2005?". "di po, 2006 pa yan mag-e-expire") and it dawned on him that he had nothing to pin on me. I did say I'm a well-behaved motorist, and that I would never cross an intersection if the light was red. Man, that felt good.
Anyway. So I met up with my mom and older sister and we caught Sandata's last song and took a few pics before they left. Next up was Kastigo, who did a good number of songs. I'm not saying they're a good band just because my sister plays with them, but because I honestly think they have a lot of great material. They sounded great, and as tight as other professional acts out there. The band did their own stuff, and they were heavily applauded. They finished their set with a cover of Tropical Depression's "Kapayapaan" and their own song "Divide", which they dedicated to the victims of the recent lanslide that hit Leyte.
The third act was UrbanDub. Oh boy, they sound like they do on CD. They did about six to eight songs including "Soul searching", "Alert the Armory", "No ordinary love" (my personal favorite), "First of summer", "Gone", "Sailing", and "Come", "A new tattoo". As I've said before, my opinion on a band greatly depends on how they sound when playing live. The vocals, guitars, drums, and bass came together oh so greatly. Awesome set is all I can say really.
I didn't wait up for MYMP because it was getting late and I was already hungry. The bands headed off to one of the vacant classrooms (well all of them were empty since it was a Sunday night) to get some grub. I met up with my sis and the rest of the band to grab a quick bite before I headed home. I was sorely tempted to ask for an autograph from the members of UrbandDub (I think they were in the next room, but their guitarist and drummer passed by in our room to get some food) but decided not to, lest I come off as a drooling fanboy.
All in all it was a good show, and a nice trip down memory lane. It felt nice and weird at the same time to have come back to my school after all this time. I ran into a couple of my teachers at the entrance of the gym because they helping out at the event, and one other at the classroom where we ate afterwards. I had a brief conversation with one of them...they didn't fail to note that I didn't look as "healthy" back in high school. Har har har :)
These are the pics I have so far. The batteries died on me so I didn't take a lot, but there's a lot more to come after my older sister emails me the rest of the ones she took with her own camera:
Kastigo
UrbanDub
Monday, January 16, 2006
CRUNCH TIME
It's gonna be one of those weeks I guess. Under the fear of jinxing it, I had held off posting here that I had fully paid off and therefore officially own the PC. It's when you breathe a sigh of relief that the unexpected happens, right? So I haven't exhaled all the way just yet.
Well, it's been acting weird lately. I get this weird CMOS error before Windows starts up. It asks me to set the system date because somehow it forgot it. So I called the dealer and they told me that it's possible that the hardware issue might be related to the motherboard's battery not working - or worse, a bad hard drive that might need replacement. Fortunately it has a one year warranty for those parts. Who would have thought that my livelihood would depend on a piece of machinery? Of course I was just as dependent on a computer at my last job, but the IT guys would take care of it. So whenever it does these kinds of things, it worries me to no end.
The guy that put my PC together has been supportive enough. I've been confiding all my technical woes with him and he's well aware that I use it for work. I had him look at it when the computer was resetting more often than I was comfortable with. It honestly didn't do much good, but he did take the time to hear me out and put me at ease. It makes me a bit guilty when I think about my own job, where I basically just brush my off callers and feign concern/sympathy. Well, it's not like I can really do anything beyond taking messages for angry callers. I'm not complaining though, just to be clear.
So the maid's gone AWOL for the past two days now. She didn't even bother to call and make a phony excuse not to show up for crying out loud. So mom-in-law (MIL) watched after Dan the whole day. While I'm at the subject, I would like to nominate her for The Most Selfless Person in The House award. I've been meaning to say that here for the longest time really. She has no life of her own, only for the others that live here. There is no her, only the things that she must do for everyone else. She basically pulls all the figurative weight here.
And at the opposite end of the spectrum is whiny boy, who doesn't really give a shit about anything else but himself. Who cares if I get along with him? I secretly hate his guts for assuming he's entitled to all the wonderful things he doesn't deserve. Dad-in-law should beat him within an inch of his life to snap him out of his self-absorbed trance. Ang kapal ng mukha talaga. Just because the food MIL prepared doesn't cater to his oh-so-discriminating palate, he says out loud, "ano ba yan, walang makain, peste, peste!" What pisses me off is that MIL tolerates his behavior. Nagpapahain pa ng pagkain. I wonder if his GF knows that his mommy has to fix him breakfast/lunch/dinner. Maybe he needs help having his ass washed after taking a crap as well.
I try to rationalize it by saying that she loves us all in her own way, and this is her way of showing it to him. Bunso kasi. Bah, why do I even needlessly huff and puff over it anyway? Can't avoid it I guess. Well, I'm just waiting for the day that she runs out of excuses for the selfish little prick. I don't say anything because it's not my place to do so. Sayang.
The main reason why I'm stressed out is because I only have one rest day this week and it's exam week for our students too. Aaand, our other tutor isn't coming tomorrow. We're gonna have our hands full tomorrow.
It's gonna be one of those weeks I guess. Under the fear of jinxing it, I had held off posting here that I had fully paid off and therefore officially own the PC. It's when you breathe a sigh of relief that the unexpected happens, right? So I haven't exhaled all the way just yet.
Well, it's been acting weird lately. I get this weird CMOS error before Windows starts up. It asks me to set the system date because somehow it forgot it. So I called the dealer and they told me that it's possible that the hardware issue might be related to the motherboard's battery not working - or worse, a bad hard drive that might need replacement. Fortunately it has a one year warranty for those parts. Who would have thought that my livelihood would depend on a piece of machinery? Of course I was just as dependent on a computer at my last job, but the IT guys would take care of it. So whenever it does these kinds of things, it worries me to no end.
The guy that put my PC together has been supportive enough. I've been confiding all my technical woes with him and he's well aware that I use it for work. I had him look at it when the computer was resetting more often than I was comfortable with. It honestly didn't do much good, but he did take the time to hear me out and put me at ease. It makes me a bit guilty when I think about my own job, where I basically just brush my off callers and feign concern/sympathy. Well, it's not like I can really do anything beyond taking messages for angry callers. I'm not complaining though, just to be clear.
So the maid's gone AWOL for the past two days now. She didn't even bother to call and make a phony excuse not to show up for crying out loud. So mom-in-law (MIL) watched after Dan the whole day. While I'm at the subject, I would like to nominate her for The Most Selfless Person in The House award. I've been meaning to say that here for the longest time really. She has no life of her own, only for the others that live here. There is no her, only the things that she must do for everyone else. She basically pulls all the figurative weight here.
And at the opposite end of the spectrum is whiny boy, who doesn't really give a shit about anything else but himself. Who cares if I get along with him? I secretly hate his guts for assuming he's entitled to all the wonderful things he doesn't deserve. Dad-in-law should beat him within an inch of his life to snap him out of his self-absorbed trance. Ang kapal ng mukha talaga. Just because the food MIL prepared doesn't cater to his oh-so-discriminating palate, he says out loud, "ano ba yan, walang makain, peste, peste!" What pisses me off is that MIL tolerates his behavior. Nagpapahain pa ng pagkain. I wonder if his GF knows that his mommy has to fix him breakfast/lunch/dinner. Maybe he needs help having his ass washed after taking a crap as well.
I try to rationalize it by saying that she loves us all in her own way, and this is her way of showing it to him. Bunso kasi. Bah, why do I even needlessly huff and puff over it anyway? Can't avoid it I guess. Well, I'm just waiting for the day that she runs out of excuses for the selfish little prick. I don't say anything because it's not my place to do so. Sayang.
The main reason why I'm stressed out is because I only have one rest day this week and it's exam week for our students too. Aaand, our other tutor isn't coming tomorrow. We're gonna have our hands full tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
There are a lot of things I am and should be grateful for. For instance, when my team back at my last job was split into two divisions, I was assigned to the one that had day hours - as opposed to the other team that was permanently assigned to night shift. And now, this great opportunity falls into my lap which got me a second job that allows me to work out of home. And so on.
But is it wrong to want more? I know I have it way better than a whole lot of people out there. Lately, there's a lot of tension in the household...although i'm not involved, it bothers the hell out of me. I wish things would just get better. Can't everyone just get along?? I wish I could close my eyes and it would go away. Please God, make it stop.
I am so not in the mood today. a minute left for my break, and the calls are piling up.
But is it wrong to want more? I know I have it way better than a whole lot of people out there. Lately, there's a lot of tension in the household...although i'm not involved, it bothers the hell out of me. I wish things would just get better. Can't everyone just get along?? I wish I could close my eyes and it would go away. Please God, make it stop.
I am so not in the mood today. a minute left for my break, and the calls are piling up.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Happy New Year
Man, I know I'm supposed to write something a bit meaningful about the year that has come to pass, but I've had this pancake fixation for the longest time, it's not funny. Fourty-five minutes to go 'til my half hour lunch break. I wonder if I can whip up a batch in that time? Problem is, there's no syrup...and it wouldn't taste as great without it. Not that I've ever cooked pancakes that are anywhere close to what I've eaten at restaurants, or anybody else's cooking for that matter.
tick tock...T minus fourty minutes and counting.
Man, I know I'm supposed to write something a bit meaningful about the year that has come to pass, but I've had this pancake fixation for the longest time, it's not funny. Fourty-five minutes to go 'til my half hour lunch break. I wonder if I can whip up a batch in that time? Problem is, there's no syrup...and it wouldn't taste as great without it. Not that I've ever cooked pancakes that are anywhere close to what I've eaten at restaurants, or anybody else's cooking for that matter.
tick tock...T minus fourty minutes and counting.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Some thoughts on Kong
For all the references countless movies and shows have made to the 1933 version of King Kong, I have never actually watched it. The only famous scene imprinted in my thoughts of course, is the part where the mighty primate scaled the Empire State Building with biplanes in close pursuit. Having very little knowledge of the original film, I think, helped me enjoy the remake without any preempted biases or expectations.
Anyway, I had no idea why Peter Jackson decided to direct the film. However, it felt like Jack Black's character (the desperate director Carl Denham) in the early scenes draw some parallelisms to Jackson's own I assume, when the studio execs were screening his own work. "How much more of this is there?", the cigar puffing executive asks impatiently. Given the length of the movie, I read that the big wigs wanted Jackson to cut down his film by about half an hour. Well, the film still would have been a huge hit even if they did snip some scenes here and there, but I'm glad they didn't. Fortunately, they were wise enough to allow Jackson to invest more time in building up the anticipation for the arrival of Kong - as well as allow the characters to be fully fleshed out. There was simply enough time to allow us to see the people as complex individuals with personalities of their own, and not just cookie-cutter, run-of-the-mill templates.
As much as I wanted to avoid mentioning the LOTR trilogy (since it would be too obvious and too cliche' to do so), that was what probably convinced the powers that be to release King Kong unbutchered. I mean you look at those three movies, clocking in at three hours each, and they have without a doubt, kicked major ass. It's all about pacing and mastery of your craft I suppose. How else could you keep people glued to the screen for so long without boring them?
On another note, Jack Black was a very good choice to play the role IMHO. He has that passionate aura going for him, just teetering at the point of madness. In most of the scenes he was in, I kept thinking back to how enthusiastic he was as Dewey Finn in School of Rock, and he carried that well into this film. But of course, what made his character different here was that he was plain desperate. As Carl Denham he was, from what I thought, against the wall, playing his last card in a game against his favor. So much so that he was willing to risk not only all that he has, but as the ship's captain pointed out, others' as well.
Oh, and I also liked how Bruce Baxter's (played by Kyle Chandler) statement effectively demystifies the culture of celebrity worship: "I'm just an actor with a gun who's lost his motivation." He has one other quote, that I felt, was taking a pot shot at Jurassic Park. Denham orders Baxter to be within sight of the camera taking footage of the nearby dinosaurs close by reasoning that "the people are gonna think it's fake."
Baxter quips: "trust me, they aren't going to think they're fake!"
LOL.
And I'm sorry for not having said this right off that bat: the special effects are of course, first-rate. As my friend Clyde told me, "You can't tell the difference between live action and CGI." In this case, technology has been appropriately used as an effective tool to paint the picture that was, just decades ago, helplessly trapped in the mind's eye. In particular, the superior facial animation has made Kong a sentient being with a great range of emotions - and not just a faceless main attraction to fill in the money shot. I mean, you have to love those close ups that capture his different moods: rage, laughter, sadness, and silent contemplation.
Anyway, I just wanted to get it out of the way before I hit the bathroom (too much information eh?) and play another round of Vice City.
For all the references countless movies and shows have made to the 1933 version of King Kong, I have never actually watched it. The only famous scene imprinted in my thoughts of course, is the part where the mighty primate scaled the Empire State Building with biplanes in close pursuit. Having very little knowledge of the original film, I think, helped me enjoy the remake without any preempted biases or expectations.
Anyway, I had no idea why Peter Jackson decided to direct the film. However, it felt like Jack Black's character (the desperate director Carl Denham) in the early scenes draw some parallelisms to Jackson's own I assume, when the studio execs were screening his own work. "How much more of this is there?", the cigar puffing executive asks impatiently. Given the length of the movie, I read that the big wigs wanted Jackson to cut down his film by about half an hour. Well, the film still would have been a huge hit even if they did snip some scenes here and there, but I'm glad they didn't. Fortunately, they were wise enough to allow Jackson to invest more time in building up the anticipation for the arrival of Kong - as well as allow the characters to be fully fleshed out. There was simply enough time to allow us to see the people as complex individuals with personalities of their own, and not just cookie-cutter, run-of-the-mill templates.
As much as I wanted to avoid mentioning the LOTR trilogy (since it would be too obvious and too cliche' to do so), that was what probably convinced the powers that be to release King Kong unbutchered. I mean you look at those three movies, clocking in at three hours each, and they have without a doubt, kicked major ass. It's all about pacing and mastery of your craft I suppose. How else could you keep people glued to the screen for so long without boring them?
On another note, Jack Black was a very good choice to play the role IMHO. He has that passionate aura going for him, just teetering at the point of madness. In most of the scenes he was in, I kept thinking back to how enthusiastic he was as Dewey Finn in School of Rock, and he carried that well into this film. But of course, what made his character different here was that he was plain desperate. As Carl Denham he was, from what I thought, against the wall, playing his last card in a game against his favor. So much so that he was willing to risk not only all that he has, but as the ship's captain pointed out, others' as well.
Oh, and I also liked how Bruce Baxter's (played by Kyle Chandler) statement effectively demystifies the culture of celebrity worship: "I'm just an actor with a gun who's lost his motivation." He has one other quote, that I felt, was taking a pot shot at Jurassic Park. Denham orders Baxter to be within sight of the camera taking footage of the nearby dinosaurs close by reasoning that "the people are gonna think it's fake."
Baxter quips: "trust me, they aren't going to think they're fake!"
LOL.
And I'm sorry for not having said this right off that bat: the special effects are of course, first-rate. As my friend Clyde told me, "You can't tell the difference between live action and CGI." In this case, technology has been appropriately used as an effective tool to paint the picture that was, just decades ago, helplessly trapped in the mind's eye. In particular, the superior facial animation has made Kong a sentient being with a great range of emotions - and not just a faceless main attraction to fill in the money shot. I mean, you have to love those close ups that capture his different moods: rage, laughter, sadness, and silent contemplation.
Anyway, I just wanted to get it out of the way before I hit the bathroom (too much information eh?) and play another round of Vice City.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Happy Birthday Dan
We love you :)
We wish you all the happiness that you deserve.
Thank you for coming into our lives and making it brighter with each passing day.
Love,
Mommy and Daddy
We wish you all the happiness that you deserve.
Thank you for coming into our lives and making it brighter with each passing day.
Love,
Mommy and Daddy
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
A Miserable Gray Limbo of Sleeplessness
You know what I am? I’m stuck in a rut. So I’m chained to my office at home, forced to stay up until the wee hours of the damn night to pay off the bills that we’ve incurred in the past few months or so. And for the past few weeks, Dan is waking up at the most ungodly of hours. I mean, I love him for sure, but what’s the deal with him wanting to bolt out of the room and downstairs right from the moment he wakes up? Come on.
His sleeping clock has somehow synchronized with mine I think. He’s up when I’m up, and sleeps through the good part of the day. What’s up with that? I seriously think that our stay-out sitter is lying. I bet she makes him sleep during the day so she has more time to do other chores, because she also does the laundry. In fact, she was originally doing the laundry on the weekends before she started babysitting for us. Now, she does the laundry duties in between Dan’s nap time, and a bit on the weekends still.
Here I am trying to rant this out of my system before I go downstairs again. WB (whiny boy) has asked to use my PC to surf fucking Friendster, or whatever trivialities tickle his fancy I suppose. Gotta make this quick. Take advantage of letting him watch Dan while I blow off some steam here eh? Anyway.
Going back to what I said earlier, I am stuck in a rut. So I’m enslaved to stay up at unholy hours to fill in a second job, we're stuck with bills, bills, and more bills. I was thinking of closing down the business, but that would be bad. Why? It only took a hundred grand from various family members to put up the business, that’s why. So shutting down for good puts that collective equivalent down the drain. And then what? Get stuck trying to pay off more debts if I take that option. Not to mention the goddamn electricity bill every month, by fucking god. WB stays up all fucking night watching TV and wasting away his youth getting bogged down in useless shit. But I digress.
I tell myself that once I’ve completely paid off the PC, I can start paying off the pending BIR and SSS bills for the business. But shit, I wonder when that will be. By that time, they might shut us down already.
So where does that leave me? Lyn wants to teach in the US, but she can’t get her foot in the door because it will take an obscene amount of money to do so. So that leaves me, the guy with the Visa that expires in 2010, to find employment abroad. Lyn says I could probably teach even for just a while so I can petition them or something like that. But I’m not teacher material. I could grin and bear it for a while, I could really. But then I would need to take some education units in school, and that would cost more money right? Who do I borrow from yet again?
Hmm, let’s see. Eeenie, meenie, minie, moe. Dad? Yeah sure, I only owe him enough as it is. If he was the mafia, he would have had me sleeping with the fishes by this time. But he loves his dear boy. Which reminds me, the car is not in good shape. I mean no dents, but the shocks need to be fixed, not to mention the moderately scuffed exterior.
Anyway, I’ve stayed here long enough. I’ll just finish this later at work, if I still feel like writing.
Disclaimer: various parts of this rant do not completely represent the actual truth. But that's how one talks like when a bit upset right?
You know what I am? I’m stuck in a rut. So I’m chained to my office at home, forced to stay up until the wee hours of the damn night to pay off the bills that we’ve incurred in the past few months or so. And for the past few weeks, Dan is waking up at the most ungodly of hours. I mean, I love him for sure, but what’s the deal with him wanting to bolt out of the room and downstairs right from the moment he wakes up? Come on.
His sleeping clock has somehow synchronized with mine I think. He’s up when I’m up, and sleeps through the good part of the day. What’s up with that? I seriously think that our stay-out sitter is lying. I bet she makes him sleep during the day so she has more time to do other chores, because she also does the laundry. In fact, she was originally doing the laundry on the weekends before she started babysitting for us. Now, she does the laundry duties in between Dan’s nap time, and a bit on the weekends still.
Here I am trying to rant this out of my system before I go downstairs again. WB (whiny boy) has asked to use my PC to surf fucking Friendster, or whatever trivialities tickle his fancy I suppose. Gotta make this quick. Take advantage of letting him watch Dan while I blow off some steam here eh? Anyway.
Going back to what I said earlier, I am stuck in a rut. So I’m enslaved to stay up at unholy hours to fill in a second job, we're stuck with bills, bills, and more bills. I was thinking of closing down the business, but that would be bad. Why? It only took a hundred grand from various family members to put up the business, that’s why. So shutting down for good puts that collective equivalent down the drain. And then what? Get stuck trying to pay off more debts if I take that option. Not to mention the goddamn electricity bill every month, by fucking god. WB stays up all fucking night watching TV and wasting away his youth getting bogged down in useless shit. But I digress.
I tell myself that once I’ve completely paid off the PC, I can start paying off the pending BIR and SSS bills for the business. But shit, I wonder when that will be. By that time, they might shut us down already.
So where does that leave me? Lyn wants to teach in the US, but she can’t get her foot in the door because it will take an obscene amount of money to do so. So that leaves me, the guy with the Visa that expires in 2010, to find employment abroad. Lyn says I could probably teach even for just a while so I can petition them or something like that. But I’m not teacher material. I could grin and bear it for a while, I could really. But then I would need to take some education units in school, and that would cost more money right? Who do I borrow from yet again?
Hmm, let’s see. Eeenie, meenie, minie, moe. Dad? Yeah sure, I only owe him enough as it is. If he was the mafia, he would have had me sleeping with the fishes by this time. But he loves his dear boy. Which reminds me, the car is not in good shape. I mean no dents, but the shocks need to be fixed, not to mention the moderately scuffed exterior.
Anyway, I’ve stayed here long enough. I’ll just finish this later at work, if I still feel like writing.
Disclaimer: various parts of this rant do not completely represent the actual truth. But that's how one talks like when a bit upset right?
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Today's update....
currently listening to: P.O.T., Slipknot, Dream Theater, Stone Sour, and Stemage
So I'm a little miffed that the radiator is irreparable. The problem is that it sprung a leak from wear and tear (the car was bought back '97) which has been causing it to overheat. Jimmy says the unit is basically beyond saving; he originally thought that patching it up with a sealant would do the trick. He said, "malutong na yung ibabaw nya, plastic kasi." GREAT.
Given that this is a Honda we're talking about, replacing it with an original part directly bought from the dealer would probably be equal to what I earn in a month (from being a phone monkey, not a teacher). Dad gave me money to have it fixed, but we weren't counting on having to replace the bloody thing. Here's hoping buying a surplus radiator won't exceed four figures LOL. The engine is also noisy so I had a tune-up done as well. The upper arm suspension for both front wheels needs to be replaced too. I'll have to canvass for those at a shop in Imperial where I bought from before. I had some parts of the arm suspension replaced before, but not the whole thing. A few months ago, the guy that looked my shocks said it's best to replace it but I held it off due to budgetary reasons. Oh, and the lock for the rear door at the passenger side won't open either. That's minor though, that'll be easy to fix.
Automobile woes aside, Dan's party is this Saturday. So the car has to be fixed by that day or I don't know how we're going to get there. Of course, Christmas and New Year is also fast approaching. By the end of this month, I will have fully paid off the computer :) That means we can pay off our other financial obligations.
It's my rest day tomorrow too. More GTA3 time, yipee :) Just kidding. If Dan was big enough, he'd probably smack me, hehe.
currently listening to: P.O.T., Slipknot, Dream Theater, Stone Sour, and Stemage
So I'm a little miffed that the radiator is irreparable. The problem is that it sprung a leak from wear and tear (the car was bought back '97) which has been causing it to overheat. Jimmy says the unit is basically beyond saving; he originally thought that patching it up with a sealant would do the trick. He said, "malutong na yung ibabaw nya, plastic kasi." GREAT.
Given that this is a Honda we're talking about, replacing it with an original part directly bought from the dealer would probably be equal to what I earn in a month (from being a phone monkey, not a teacher). Dad gave me money to have it fixed, but we weren't counting on having to replace the bloody thing. Here's hoping buying a surplus radiator won't exceed four figures LOL. The engine is also noisy so I had a tune-up done as well. The upper arm suspension for both front wheels needs to be replaced too. I'll have to canvass for those at a shop in Imperial where I bought from before. I had some parts of the arm suspension replaced before, but not the whole thing. A few months ago, the guy that looked my shocks said it's best to replace it but I held it off due to budgetary reasons. Oh, and the lock for the rear door at the passenger side won't open either. That's minor though, that'll be easy to fix.
Automobile woes aside, Dan's party is this Saturday. So the car has to be fixed by that day or I don't know how we're going to get there. Of course, Christmas and New Year is also fast approaching. By the end of this month, I will have fully paid off the computer :) That means we can pay off our other financial obligations.
It's my rest day tomorrow too. More GTA3 time, yipee :) Just kidding. If Dan was big enough, he'd probably smack me, hehe.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Why I hate reality shows:
Because I have enough drama in my own life to give a shit about anyone else's petty bickering broadcasted to millions of people.
To each his own poison I guess.
Because I have enough drama in my own life to give a shit about anyone else's petty bickering broadcasted to millions of people.
To each his own poison I guess.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)