Otsukaresama Deshita
Tonight marks my last night in Japan. We'll be going home tomorrow because the Manila branch of the company we're training for is going to close due to complications that have arisen during these recent months. I'll be getting into that later on, but our flight's early tomorrow, so good night for now.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Driven by some masochistic need to deprive myself of much-needed rest, here I am still glued to the screen browsing the Web for whatever suits my fancy. I keep promising myself to sleep early, but still manage to stay waaay past my bedtime. Now that there's nothing interesting left to read, blogging has become my excuse to stay online and keep my bloodshot eyes open. Vitamins and coffee (which has not been a necessity for me prior to coming here) are what keep me awake in spite of staying up late.
Anyway, the main point of posting here is just to report that we'll be moving to a different location (an hour from here) supposedly by the month's end. I hate to be dobutful about whether it's going to push through or not, but based on our experience here so far I've learned to take my manager's words with a grain - nay, a hefty spoonful of salt to go along with his words. It's unfair to blame him solely for the things we don't like about about our working arrangment, but he still has to own up to some of the grief we've had so far. I know he's trying his best, but sometimes I can't help but feel some resentment towards him.
Going back to what I was saying, the decision to move us to a different location came about from sit-down meeting with the president of the company himself, and at his house no less. We discussed their plans after our one-year training period ends this September. Afterwards, we spent the night at his place and went home after breakfast. To say the very least, I felt like a stormtrooper being invited by the Emperor to have dinner at the Death Star. Obscure references aside, I am somewhat relieved that we finally had some clarification on our future with the company. It was bothering me so much that we lacked a sense of direction and not knowing the point of stay here that it had driven me to the point of anger and ill will towards the company. Now that they've told us what were meant to do after our training and how our future job relates to our daily tasks at the center, a bit of weight has been lifted off my chest. I only hope that the move pushes through, but why I should I find it so unlikely when the president (and not just our manager) confirmed it? Ideally, we'll be moving by March and will be working out of their main office. That means I don't have to stand for literally eleven hours on end at the cold storage we're training at now. That also means I'm going to gain back the weight I had inadvertently and begrudgingly lost in the last five months. I mean come on, I was still in college the last time I weighed this much (granted that the weighing scale at the president's bathroom was correct).
But more on our work situation when I find the time again to drop by. This former-phone-monkey-turned-coroporate-drone needs to get some shuteye before the date changes (which is less than half an hour from now).
Anyway, the main point of posting here is just to report that we'll be moving to a different location (an hour from here) supposedly by the month's end. I hate to be dobutful about whether it's going to push through or not, but based on our experience here so far I've learned to take my manager's words with a grain - nay, a hefty spoonful of salt to go along with his words. It's unfair to blame him solely for the things we don't like about about our working arrangment, but he still has to own up to some of the grief we've had so far. I know he's trying his best, but sometimes I can't help but feel some resentment towards him.
Going back to what I was saying, the decision to move us to a different location came about from sit-down meeting with the president of the company himself, and at his house no less. We discussed their plans after our one-year training period ends this September. Afterwards, we spent the night at his place and went home after breakfast. To say the very least, I felt like a stormtrooper being invited by the Emperor to have dinner at the Death Star. Obscure references aside, I am somewhat relieved that we finally had some clarification on our future with the company. It was bothering me so much that we lacked a sense of direction and not knowing the point of stay here that it had driven me to the point of anger and ill will towards the company. Now that they've told us what were meant to do after our training and how our future job relates to our daily tasks at the center, a bit of weight has been lifted off my chest. I only hope that the move pushes through, but why I should I find it so unlikely when the president (and not just our manager) confirmed it? Ideally, we'll be moving by March and will be working out of their main office. That means I don't have to stand for literally eleven hours on end at the cold storage we're training at now. That also means I'm going to gain back the weight I had inadvertently and begrudgingly lost in the last five months. I mean come on, I was still in college the last time I weighed this much (granted that the weighing scale at the president's bathroom was correct).
But more on our work situation when I find the time again to drop by. This former-phone-monkey-turned-coroporate-drone needs to get some shuteye before the date changes (which is less than half an hour from now).
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Various thoughts across multiple topics
Just a condensed collection of observations accumulated in the 3.5 months we've been here:
*Humor
Paulette, our Canadian friend and classmate from the kominkan (local community center where free language classes are held etc.), says that other foreigners living here have grown jaded and angry over the years. She says it's mainly because people here lack a sense of humor, but I beg to differ. She's been a kindergarten teacher here for 14 years now, so I guess she knows what she's talking about, yet not everyone here acts the same. Any country has different kinds of people, so there's really no difference where you are. Some of the people I work with are friendly and accomodating while others are sarcastic and downright condescending. The drivers especially like to joke around and laugh the loudest so I can't say that they don't have a sense of humor. It's just the cultural difference that gets in the way of seeing them for who they really are.
* On the language
Speaking of the drivers I work with, they're the ones who use Hiroshima ben (the local dialect here) the most. There are many times that the Nihongo I took up during and after college goes out the window as soon as they start speaking. That's partially why Lyn and I started taking free language classes at the kominkan like I mentioned earlier. It gets frustrating sometimes when I can't express the more complex thoughts and emotions I want to convey, but it'll get better the longer I stay I suppose. In the past couple of months we've been corrected by our team leader Yamasaki san on how to properly use the language. For instance, a bunch of us saw some oddly brown colored drops of liquid on the floor as we were clocking out for the day. As a joke, I told Koyanagi san that it was "kuso", the word for "shit". She laughed at me the way an adult would at a child that unknowlingly uttered an expletive, and not fully aware of its context or usage. My unwittingly misplaced attempt at humor quickly reached Yamasaki san, who half-scolded me. "Kouhi dake" (it's only coffee), he said in a partially amused/shocked tone. This was followed by laughter from Iwano san, the senta chou (center chief) who found the whole thing funny being that I was a gaijin who didn't yet realize that the word was rude. There was another time when Yamasaki san advised us to refer to a woman as jyosei rather than onna (which literally means "female"), which Lyn and I thought was acceptable. You could say onna no hito (female person), but plain onna won't do. Strangely enough, using the term otoko (male, without the hito suffix) is perfectly fine.
snow-capped mountains outside our window
Back home, the weather only ranges from typhoon cold to suffocating heat coupled with insane humidity. Obviously, it's quite new for me to deal with living through four different seasons in a year. We arrived here during aki (autumn), so there were many times when we biked outside without having to put on a jacket. Since it started snowing last December 31st however, three layers of clothing plus a jacket and your choice of headwear is a prequisite when going out. So far, it only snowed for a few days last month (and hasn't since) but recently the average temperature at night is a few degrees shy of zero, if not below. We're still waiting for the peak of winter, which is February when it gets the coldest. Snow is pretty to look at when indoors, but it quickly loses its charm when the reality of having to deal with it sinks in.
Soba served with tako (octopus) balls. The tako balls are mainly a wheat-like substance with a chunk of octopus in the center. The noodles all came in a ready-to-eat bundle (got it on sale for about 120 JPY/45 PHP for two packs) which includes the pink kamaboko (fishcake) and the actual soup itself.
Fried cookies made from wheat sprinkled with sugar. Our Chinese co-workers who live right next to our room cooked this for us. A tasty snack I sneak into work in a little ziploc bag when I get the munchies.
Noche Buena for Christmas Eve: pasta, fried chicken, macaroni salad, cake and red wine.
Tamagocchi-themed fruit chews (which look like gum) that my co-workers gave me.
Mori san gave this to us a couple of days after we got into a conversation about drinking. It's shochu, a popular alcoholic drink here. I haven't had any yet, but Mori said to drink it slowly and alternately with water because it's stronger than sake. I haven't figured out the difference of the two bottles seen here, but I'll ask him at work this Monday.
Just a condensed collection of observations accumulated in the 3.5 months we've been here:
*Humor
Paulette, our Canadian friend and classmate from the kominkan (local community center where free language classes are held etc.), says that other foreigners living here have grown jaded and angry over the years. She says it's mainly because people here lack a sense of humor, but I beg to differ. She's been a kindergarten teacher here for 14 years now, so I guess she knows what she's talking about, yet not everyone here acts the same. Any country has different kinds of people, so there's really no difference where you are. Some of the people I work with are friendly and accomodating while others are sarcastic and downright condescending. The drivers especially like to joke around and laugh the loudest so I can't say that they don't have a sense of humor. It's just the cultural difference that gets in the way of seeing them for who they really are.
* On the language
Speaking of the drivers I work with, they're the ones who use Hiroshima ben (the local dialect here) the most. There are many times that the Nihongo I took up during and after college goes out the window as soon as they start speaking. That's partially why Lyn and I started taking free language classes at the kominkan like I mentioned earlier. It gets frustrating sometimes when I can't express the more complex thoughts and emotions I want to convey, but it'll get better the longer I stay I suppose. In the past couple of months we've been corrected by our team leader Yamasaki san on how to properly use the language. For instance, a bunch of us saw some oddly brown colored drops of liquid on the floor as we were clocking out for the day. As a joke, I told Koyanagi san that it was "kuso", the word for "shit". She laughed at me the way an adult would at a child that unknowlingly uttered an expletive, and not fully aware of its context or usage. My unwittingly misplaced attempt at humor quickly reached Yamasaki san, who half-scolded me. "Kouhi dake" (it's only coffee), he said in a partially amused/shocked tone. This was followed by laughter from Iwano san, the senta chou (center chief) who found the whole thing funny being that I was a gaijin who didn't yet realize that the word was rude. There was another time when Yamasaki san advised us to refer to a woman as jyosei rather than onna (which literally means "female"), which Lyn and I thought was acceptable. You could say onna no hito (female person), but plain onna won't do. Strangely enough, using the term otoko (male, without the hito suffix) is perfectly fine.
* Seasons
snow-capped mountains outside our window
Back home, the weather only ranges from typhoon cold to suffocating heat coupled with insane humidity. Obviously, it's quite new for me to deal with living through four different seasons in a year. We arrived here during aki (autumn), so there were many times when we biked outside without having to put on a jacket. Since it started snowing last December 31st however, three layers of clothing plus a jacket and your choice of headwear is a prequisite when going out. So far, it only snowed for a few days last month (and hasn't since) but recently the average temperature at night is a few degrees shy of zero, if not below. We're still waiting for the peak of winter, which is February when it gets the coldest. Snow is pretty to look at when indoors, but it quickly loses its charm when the reality of having to deal with it sinks in.
* Foodblogging
Just for kicks, I've decided to put up some pics of the stuff I've eaten thoughout the duration of our stay here:
Soba served with tako (octopus) balls. The tako balls are mainly a wheat-like substance with a chunk of octopus in the center. The noodles all came in a ready-to-eat bundle (got it on sale for about 120 JPY/45 PHP for two packs) which includes the pink kamaboko (fishcake) and the actual soup itself.
Fried cookies made from wheat sprinkled with sugar. Our Chinese co-workers who live right next to our room cooked this for us. A tasty snack I sneak into work in a little ziploc bag when I get the munchies.
Noche Buena for Christmas Eve: pasta, fried chicken, macaroni salad, cake and red wine.
Tamagocchi-themed fruit chews (which look like gum) that my co-workers gave me.
Mori san gave this to us a couple of days after we got into a conversation about drinking. It's shochu, a popular alcoholic drink here. I haven't had any yet, but Mori said to drink it slowly and alternately with water because it's stronger than sake. I haven't figured out the difference of the two bottles seen here, but I'll ask him at work this Monday.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Arterial crimson never looked this good
"Scared shitless" was going to be the title for this one, but I've calmed down after going through the cast photos (to convince myself the actors aren't vampires) and the wiki info (beware of spoilers!) on 30 Days Of Night. It was a bloody good ride through and through, especially for those into the whole vampire genre. The cast did a great job of making the horror and urgency of the situation believable throughout the whole film and there weren't any dull moments at all.
Anyway, it's late and I have to turn in for the night. On another note, the finished laundry's still sitting inside the washing machine which happens to be five rooms down the hallway outside. It can wait until tomorrow though, because I'm sleepy and all. Really.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Yoi Otoshi Wo
An hour and a half to go until the year ends on this side of the world, and there is only one resolution I can stand by, which is to blog more often. The problem is that by the day's end, I'm too drained to wring out any coherent thoughts from my dried-up mind. In fact, it's been so long since I've sat down and put the feelings I've accumulated into written form. To think that I sort of prided myself for being able phrase things in ways that some find impressive. Oh well...that is the reason for this post anyway, to get back on the old horse. Lyn (who is fast asleep) and I decided to skip the traditional countdown to the new year and just kick back and relax for now. We can always drink our wine some other day. So here I am, finding a rare window of opportunity to post.
As for work, there is no other better way to explain how I feel other than just coming out with it. This was not what we came here for. We were told that we were to be management trainees yet all we do is just work for the sake of it. It was impressed upon us that our current duties would lead up to a certain career path, but we have slowly realized that this is just a job, and nothing more after the year is over. We have emailed our manager about our concerns, but his half-hearted ambigious answers offer me little reassurance on their long-term plans for us.
If I wanted to work, I would have stayed back home because what we're getting now is almost the same as I was earning before we came here. I could get paid the same and not have to be away from my son for so long. Technically though, we aren't compensated as employees since we're trainees on allowance. They led us to think that our difficult "training" now would result in a better position and of course better pay in the future. After all, nothing worthwhile in the long run is attained so quickly. That is why I agreed to supposedly train here (and earn the same for now) so that my hard work now would result in greener pastures later on. Yet, they just left us to our own devices to do the same thing over and over under the guise of training. I don't believe that it's culture behind this puzzling lack of guidance on their part. Any company around the world would at least set certain goals and a timetable for their trainees. As for us, we don't even have a single tangible piece of documentation to let us know what the hell is going to happen to us after (let alone a verbal explanation). Painful as it is to say, I traded one dead end for another.
But as Lyn has told me, it is really up to us to make the most our stay here so that our time away from Dan will be worth it. Even if the company truly has no plans to make us managers after this, our tenure here will still translate to weighty credentials for our resumes later on. Since immersion is the best kind of learning, our increased language proficiency is another asset that we'll inevitably have when our contract ends. Honestly, staying positive is an uphill battle, but it's getting easier with each passing day, even I might get burned out occasionally.
There many other insights and observations I've had about some of the people I work with and with my experience here in general, but that can wait for tomorrow. I just wanted to get back into the motions of writing again and knock something loose in the old noggin to get the juices flowing again, so to speak.
May you all have a happy new year, and I wish that 2008 will turn the tide for all of us. Next up, thoughts on snow (it just started yesterday), work and foodblogging :)
An hour and a half to go until the year ends on this side of the world, and there is only one resolution I can stand by, which is to blog more often. The problem is that by the day's end, I'm too drained to wring out any coherent thoughts from my dried-up mind. In fact, it's been so long since I've sat down and put the feelings I've accumulated into written form. To think that I sort of prided myself for being able phrase things in ways that some find impressive. Oh well...that is the reason for this post anyway, to get back on the old horse. Lyn (who is fast asleep) and I decided to skip the traditional countdown to the new year and just kick back and relax for now. We can always drink our wine some other day. So here I am, finding a rare window of opportunity to post.
As for work, there is no other better way to explain how I feel other than just coming out with it. This was not what we came here for. We were told that we were to be management trainees yet all we do is just work for the sake of it. It was impressed upon us that our current duties would lead up to a certain career path, but we have slowly realized that this is just a job, and nothing more after the year is over. We have emailed our manager about our concerns, but his half-hearted ambigious answers offer me little reassurance on their long-term plans for us.
If I wanted to work, I would have stayed back home because what we're getting now is almost the same as I was earning before we came here. I could get paid the same and not have to be away from my son for so long. Technically though, we aren't compensated as employees since we're trainees on allowance. They led us to think that our difficult "training" now would result in a better position and of course better pay in the future. After all, nothing worthwhile in the long run is attained so quickly. That is why I agreed to supposedly train here (and earn the same for now) so that my hard work now would result in greener pastures later on. Yet, they just left us to our own devices to do the same thing over and over under the guise of training. I don't believe that it's culture behind this puzzling lack of guidance on their part. Any company around the world would at least set certain goals and a timetable for their trainees. As for us, we don't even have a single tangible piece of documentation to let us know what the hell is going to happen to us after (let alone a verbal explanation). Painful as it is to say, I traded one dead end for another.
But as Lyn has told me, it is really up to us to make the most our stay here so that our time away from Dan will be worth it. Even if the company truly has no plans to make us managers after this, our tenure here will still translate to weighty credentials for our resumes later on. Since immersion is the best kind of learning, our increased language proficiency is another asset that we'll inevitably have when our contract ends. Honestly, staying positive is an uphill battle, but it's getting easier with each passing day, even I might get burned out occasionally.
There many other insights and observations I've had about some of the people I work with and with my experience here in general, but that can wait for tomorrow. I just wanted to get back into the motions of writing again and knock something loose in the old noggin to get the juices flowing again, so to speak.
May you all have a happy new year, and I wish that 2008 will turn the tide for all of us. Next up, thoughts on snow (it just started yesterday), work and foodblogging :)
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
When daddy looks at the sunset, he wonders if you see the same one as well. As the sun dips into the horizon, daddy thinks about you and asks himself if you're doing fine over there. He remembers the time when he raised his voice at you not because you were misbehaving, but because he was just tired and impatient. Daddy still remembers how you only flinched and didn't cry because you're a brave little boy. It was just like the time when you were sick at the hospital and didn't throw a fit as they pricked you with the IV needle. It's those memories that makes daddy recall all the times when he could have been more understanding.
And now daddy wishes he could kiss you goodnight but he can't because you're there and he's here. He misses you so much that he even dreamt that he was carrying you in his arms with your head resting on his shoulder. Daddy wishes that he could pick you up and tell you that he loves you but he can't because there are oceans and seas keeping him away from you. He doesn't open your pictures on his computer because they're too painful for him to look at. It reminds him how far away you are and can't be with him for now. But daddy's trying his best to be strong and not come undone from the pain of not being with you. Someday, he hopes you'll understand why he left you, and not hate him for doing so. Will you still remember daddy when he finally sees you again?
Worlds Apart
It hasn't totally sunk in that I'm actually here, in a foreign country that I've wanted to go to for the longest time. Being cooped up at work for 11 hours a day doesn't make me feel that I'm in Japan. All I know is that I'm just somewhere far away from Dan and won't get to see him until next year. Every day without him is another thorn in my chest. I hope they allow Dan to come over even for just a little while, or least let Lyn go home with the manager (for an export meeting tentatively scheduled next January or February). There are times at night when we come home from work and I look up to the sky, forgetting for a few moments that I'm all the way here. I look away and I suddenly remember that I'm far, far away from my little boy. The most difficult part of the day is in the morning because that's when I think about Dan the most. Is he happy, content, well-fed, safe and warm?
Now I know what it means to die a just a little more as each day passes by. Each day is another one spent without my child. Even before I left, I knew it would be difficult to be apart from Dan in order to further my career, and ultimately secure his future. But as it turns out, anticipating the storm and actually being in middle of its eye are two very different things. It pains me to think that I can't be there for him now. I hope he thanks me for doing this and not resent me instead. The only thing I can do now is make the most of my stay here so they make me manager or at least upgrade my training visa into a working one. Then I would earn more, which is the entire point of being here. Then it would be worth leaving Dan behind for so long. Otherwise, all the hurt I'm going through will have been for nothing.
I have no other option but to succeed.
It hasn't totally sunk in that I'm actually here, in a foreign country that I've wanted to go to for the longest time. Being cooped up at work for 11 hours a day doesn't make me feel that I'm in Japan. All I know is that I'm just somewhere far away from Dan and won't get to see him until next year. Every day without him is another thorn in my chest. I hope they allow Dan to come over even for just a little while, or least let Lyn go home with the manager (for an export meeting tentatively scheduled next January or February). There are times at night when we come home from work and I look up to the sky, forgetting for a few moments that I'm all the way here. I look away and I suddenly remember that I'm far, far away from my little boy. The most difficult part of the day is in the morning because that's when I think about Dan the most. Is he happy, content, well-fed, safe and warm?
Now I know what it means to die a just a little more as each day passes by. Each day is another one spent without my child. Even before I left, I knew it would be difficult to be apart from Dan in order to further my career, and ultimately secure his future. But as it turns out, anticipating the storm and actually being in middle of its eye are two very different things. It pains me to think that I can't be there for him now. I hope he thanks me for doing this and not resent me instead. The only thing I can do now is make the most of my stay here so they make me manager or at least upgrade my training visa into a working one. Then I would earn more, which is the entire point of being here. Then it would be worth leaving Dan behind for so long. Otherwise, all the hurt I'm going through will have been for nothing.
I have no other option but to succeed.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
I was planning to sit down and revise my earlier post about our stay here, but I can't muster enough brainpower to write any further. In the meantime, pics can be viewed here.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Nihon At Last
We finally made it after more than a year in the making. Looking back, the delay was just about right since it gave us time to prepare for our departure. Of course, the toughest part is leaving Dan behind. Hopefully we can negotiate for him to stay here with us, or at least come over for the holidays this December. We bought yahoo credit so we can call home from time to time and check on Dan.
What's happened so far:
9/19: Our original flight the day before was cancelled on account of a typhoon blowing through the Taipei region, so we had to come back. The NAIA staff was pretty strict with each passenger's checked in and handcarried luggage weight limit which is 20 kg and 7 kg respectively. Since we previously exceeded the checked in limit by 100%, a lot of rearranging was done but we still went a bit over the maximum amount. After we had DIL take a lot of stuff back home, we finally passed the first step but not without pissing me off. I calmed down by the time we took off for the first leg of our journey. We stopped over at the Taipei aiport for a few hours to take a connecting flight to Hiroshima. Touchdown in Japan was about 8:30 PM local time and we proceeded to have a bit of dinner with our new boss, staff member and a Filipino friend who arrived here a year before us. The place we're staying at is not bad at all, here are some videos:
part 1:
part 2:
part 3:
9/20:
This was a busy day. We drove over to the the main office (which was an hour from our place) for a short meeting with the sacho (president). For a man of his rank, he seemed like a very simple man who was down to earth and talked to us very politely. As best as I could decipher from our conversation, he wants to eventually help him with exporting stuff from home to here. From what I understood he'll arrange to upgrade our training Visas to working ones after a year. We could negotiate for Dan to stay with us by then, but then we also have to request for him to come over during the summer because it might not be feasible to do so by December. After all, I can't bear not to see him for a whole year. They've been pretty accomodating so far so I think there's a good chance for that to push through.
Sadly I don't have much pictures of the sights yet, but I have a year to go so there's plenty of time for that. After that, we headed over to city hall to get registered for an alien certificate and open a bank account. It was off to the grocery (called "supaa", or supermarket for short). The food here is expensive but the electronics is cheap.
We finally made it after more than a year in the making. Looking back, the delay was just about right since it gave us time to prepare for our departure. Of course, the toughest part is leaving Dan behind. Hopefully we can negotiate for him to stay here with us, or at least come over for the holidays this December. We bought yahoo credit so we can call home from time to time and check on Dan.
What's happened so far:
9/19: Our original flight the day before was cancelled on account of a typhoon blowing through the Taipei region, so we had to come back. The NAIA staff was pretty strict with each passenger's checked in and handcarried luggage weight limit which is 20 kg and 7 kg respectively. Since we previously exceeded the checked in limit by 100%, a lot of rearranging was done but we still went a bit over the maximum amount. After we had DIL take a lot of stuff back home, we finally passed the first step but not without pissing me off. I calmed down by the time we took off for the first leg of our journey. We stopped over at the Taipei aiport for a few hours to take a connecting flight to Hiroshima. Touchdown in Japan was about 8:30 PM local time and we proceeded to have a bit of dinner with our new boss, staff member and a Filipino friend who arrived here a year before us. The place we're staying at is not bad at all, here are some videos:
part 1:
part 2:
part 3:
9/20:
This was a busy day. We drove over to the the main office (which was an hour from our place) for a short meeting with the sacho (president). For a man of his rank, he seemed like a very simple man who was down to earth and talked to us very politely. As best as I could decipher from our conversation, he wants to eventually help him with exporting stuff from home to here. From what I understood he'll arrange to upgrade our training Visas to working ones after a year. We could negotiate for Dan to stay with us by then, but then we also have to request for him to come over during the summer because it might not be feasible to do so by December. After all, I can't bear not to see him for a whole year. They've been pretty accomodating so far so I think there's a good chance for that to push through.
Sadly I don't have much pictures of the sights yet, but I have a year to go so there's plenty of time for that. After that, we headed over to city hall to get registered for an alien certificate and open a bank account. It was off to the grocery (called "supaa", or supermarket for short). The food here is expensive but the electronics is cheap.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Just Messin' Around
*courtesy of the bonus disc that came along with my Terminator 2 DVD (courtesy of my friend who shipped it all the way from Las Vegas):
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Your flesh is a relic, a mere vessel. Hand over your flesh and a new world awaits you. We demand it.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Has it been 4 years ago??
I took these with my old faithful Olympus which was brand new back then. My friend made a video with a soundtrack and here is the result:
I took these with my old faithful Olympus which was brand new back then. My friend made a video with a soundtrack and here is the result:
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Melancholic Emo Drama
If only I could use hindsight during an eye exam or when driving at night, but alas it only serves to remind me of all the times I could have been a better person to the people around me. If I could go back in time, would I really want to? Probably, if only to seize the opportunities when I could have done the right thing.
If only I could use hindsight during an eye exam or when driving at night, but alas it only serves to remind me of all the times I could have been a better person to the people around me. If I could go back in time, would I really want to? Probably, if only to seize the opportunities when I could have done the right thing.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Updates, yo
My masters have been less than pleased with my recent slump in overall performance which comprises attendance and whatnot. It's been a while since I got chewed out that good. So much so that I'm anticipating a denied request for leave I had planned at the month's end. Oh well, what's an errant phone monkey to do right? To be fair though, I have been pulling 11 and 13 hour shifts over the past two weeks, and while I have been late often, I haven't been absent in over a month. But I know when I'm wrong. Hopefully, my masters will put greater weight on my good traits over my less than desirable ones and grant permission for leave.
The only thing that bums me out is that I was probably made trainer only once because of my said lackluster attendance records. A while back I was made to train a couple of agents who needed a bit of help but that seems to be more and more like a one-shot deal. And to think the boss personally talked to me about handing me this new task (well it was an online conversation but that's as personal as it gets as we're continents apart). I don't know if they just don't need to train anyone for now or they just got someone else who slacks off less than I do. While I had to give up the privilege of not physically commuting to work, I liked the feeling of breaking the monotony of my usual routine and actually relished in an added sense of responsibility.
Ah well, them's the breaks I suppose.
Moving on! Speaking as a member of the non-athletic subspecies of humanity, it's mighty easy to get into badminton. I'm talking about the casual, freestyle, just-for-shits-and-giggle kind and not the professional type of play. Lyn and I have enlisted our next door neighbor and BIL (who usually get together to drink more than anything else) to join us in our bi-weekly (or tri-weekly, God and my wallet permitting) sessions. It feels good to sweat out your stress and other hangups over a nice one or two hour game.
I don't know if the scale at the local grocery is broken or what, but I think the readings show a drop in my weight faster than what I was expecting. I had weighed myself before and after a month of playing, and the results took me by surprise. I'm going back to getting weighed soon but my parents did say I trimmed down a bit since my belly wasn't as obvious as before. All I can say is that marginal improvement is better than none. Who knows - if I keep at it, I'll lose enough to look like I did before enlisting for the sedentary life of a drone of the digital empire. Not that it was anything like rippling musculature back then, but I certainly felt better about how I looked before.
Oh, Kastigo's album launch last week went very well. Hopefully I can post videos and pictures here once decent videos surface and Dad emails his snapshots over. But that's all for now.
My masters have been less than pleased with my recent slump in overall performance which comprises attendance and whatnot. It's been a while since I got chewed out that good. So much so that I'm anticipating a denied request for leave I had planned at the month's end. Oh well, what's an errant phone monkey to do right? To be fair though, I have been pulling 11 and 13 hour shifts over the past two weeks, and while I have been late often, I haven't been absent in over a month. But I know when I'm wrong. Hopefully, my masters will put greater weight on my good traits over my less than desirable ones and grant permission for leave.
The only thing that bums me out is that I was probably made trainer only once because of my said lackluster attendance records. A while back I was made to train a couple of agents who needed a bit of help but that seems to be more and more like a one-shot deal. And to think the boss personally talked to me about handing me this new task (well it was an online conversation but that's as personal as it gets as we're continents apart). I don't know if they just don't need to train anyone for now or they just got someone else who slacks off less than I do. While I had to give up the privilege of not physically commuting to work, I liked the feeling of breaking the monotony of my usual routine and actually relished in an added sense of responsibility.
Ah well, them's the breaks I suppose.
Moving on! Speaking as a member of the non-athletic subspecies of humanity, it's mighty easy to get into badminton. I'm talking about the casual, freestyle, just-for-shits-and-giggle kind and not the professional type of play. Lyn and I have enlisted our next door neighbor and BIL (who usually get together to drink more than anything else) to join us in our bi-weekly (or tri-weekly, God and my wallet permitting) sessions. It feels good to sweat out your stress and other hangups over a nice one or two hour game.
I don't know if the scale at the local grocery is broken or what, but I think the readings show a drop in my weight faster than what I was expecting. I had weighed myself before and after a month of playing, and the results took me by surprise. I'm going back to getting weighed soon but my parents did say I trimmed down a bit since my belly wasn't as obvious as before. All I can say is that marginal improvement is better than none. Who knows - if I keep at it, I'll lose enough to look like I did before enlisting for the sedentary life of a drone of the digital empire. Not that it was anything like rippling musculature back then, but I certainly felt better about how I looked before.
Oh, Kastigo's album launch last week went very well. Hopefully I can post videos and pictures here once decent videos surface and Dad emails his snapshots over. But that's all for now.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
The Anti-Me's Vehicle of Choice
I only wish I had thought of this first :)
Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.
I only wish I had thought of this first :)
Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.
Friday, July 06, 2007
The Simpsons Me
If I ever become famous and they ask me to be a guest on the show, this would be my image and likeness in their universe.
If I ever become famous and they ask me to be a guest on the show, this would be my image and likeness in their universe.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
The Anti-Me
* idea ripped off from a random forum
I am a successfully established man of substance who makes all the right decisions (read: DISKAAAARTE) and never gets flustered or confused. I know what exactly to say or do in any given situation, all my moves are slick as owlshit. I'm a badass that can hold his own against a fight and can take on anyone, anytime, and anywhere. I'm an asshole who doesn't give a shit that he is one and everyone else is too afraid to point it out. I like talking about basketball, politics and other manly things with my big shot friends who equal my machismo, preferably over 20 cases of beer. We like to gather around and talk about how much we rule and share other grand tales of testosterone.
Additionally, I am also an accomplished musician who excels in guitar and the drums. I belong in a kickass rock band whose songs offer a mix of thought-provoking lyrical content with a smattering of all-around heaviness. I am confident, sociable and outgoing - not to mention hip, young, and fresh. I am a specimen of physical prowess, my stamina is nigh inexhaustible and hardly break a sweat during the most rigorous of sport activities. My preferred look when leaving the house is sporting the biggest pair of aviator shades, a fauxhawk (because a mohawk would be too inconvenient), a shirt with a popped collar, and pre-torn, pseudo faded jeans.
Shows like Heroes and Firefly and The Office are too much for me to handle since it requires some thought to appreciate them so I'd rather watch other people's self-important, manufactured drama which is commonly referred to as reality shows. There's one show in particular that I can't enough of and most of its viewers know nothing about references it makes to the George Orwell book that its namesake is taken from. Nothing passes off for entertainment better than people lying around in a house doing the most inane things conceivable by man.
* idea ripped off from a random forum
I am a successfully established man of substance who makes all the right decisions (read: DISKAAAARTE) and never gets flustered or confused. I know what exactly to say or do in any given situation, all my moves are slick as owlshit. I'm a badass that can hold his own against a fight and can take on anyone, anytime, and anywhere. I'm an asshole who doesn't give a shit that he is one and everyone else is too afraid to point it out. I like talking about basketball, politics and other manly things with my big shot friends who equal my machismo, preferably over 20 cases of beer. We like to gather around and talk about how much we rule and share other grand tales of testosterone.
Additionally, I am also an accomplished musician who excels in guitar and the drums. I belong in a kickass rock band whose songs offer a mix of thought-provoking lyrical content with a smattering of all-around heaviness. I am confident, sociable and outgoing - not to mention hip, young, and fresh. I am a specimen of physical prowess, my stamina is nigh inexhaustible and hardly break a sweat during the most rigorous of sport activities. My preferred look when leaving the house is sporting the biggest pair of aviator shades, a fauxhawk (because a mohawk would be too inconvenient), a shirt with a popped collar, and pre-torn, pseudo faded jeans.
Shows like Heroes and Firefly and The Office are too much for me to handle since it requires some thought to appreciate them so I'd rather watch other people's self-important, manufactured drama which is commonly referred to as reality shows. There's one show in particular that I can't enough of and most of its viewers know nothing about references it makes to the George Orwell book that its namesake is taken from. Nothing passes off for entertainment better than people lying around in a house doing the most inane things conceivable by man.
Thank goodness I don't have to stretch my neck over the neighbor's fence to hear them fight, all I have to is turn on the TV and I can actually see inside another person's house to endlessly scrutinize everything they do since I am the paragon of perfection. And don't forget the babes in the show, nothing like a little T & A to boost viewership eh? Not only are we rubberneckers, we're also voyeurs!
Most importantly, this post makes sense to everyone else but me. There are many other things that define who I am, but they escape me at the moment so this coherent organization of thoughts is far from finished.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Fantastic Four
All in all, F4 was a great popcorn flick since I watched it for the effects and the humor, not for depth or emotional attachment. It had great action sequences loaded with CGI, especially when the Torch did a Peter Petrelli and kicked Doom's butt. Of course he's ambigiously dead yet again, hopefully in store for the third movie (if there will be, but I have a strong feeling there will be).
Effects-wise, they did a pretty good job with Ben's rocky skin. It gave an appearance of a hard yet malleable texture which allowed subtle creases and folds to match the Thing's facial expressions. I was watching The Mask last night, and it just occured to me that Jim Carrey's stretchy legs during his dance number with Cameron Diaz were way more beliveable than Reed's arms during his respective performance. Are dance sequences a new prerequisite for superhero movies? Personally, it should be the opposite and should even be prohibited by international law because they only serve to make me cringe.
There were a few more things I didn't like, with Galactus being on top of the list. I'm the millionth guy to complain about him, but it's not because he was depicted as a giant, swirling cosmic cloud instead of a giant man in purple tights (as in the comics). Rather, it's one particular scene building up to his arrival where he casts a shadow over Saturn. Even casual readers of Marvel will be quick to point out that its shape is undoubetdly that of his (again, comic version) head. Why bother if they weren't going to actually show Galactus as he appeared in the comics? It felt like a slap in the face of the collective fanbase. Was it a cruel joke or were they basically saying "sorry fans, this is the best we could do since we didn't have the time and/or budget"? And what was the point of the Torch paying for airfare if he was gonna fly outside the damn plane (aside from pandering to the Chris Evans fans)?
Wasn't it pretty obvious to the US military that Doom wasn't just going to observe the Silver's Surfer's board? Geez, they were going to accompany him "under armed guard" and didn't see a betrayal coming? Whatever. And what was up with Jessica Alba's orange skin? Her natural tone was fine, were they trying too much to make her look caucasian?
The funniest bits throughout were the scenes with the Thing and the Torch. Being that Johnny's vain, it was pretty hilarious seeing him temporarily switch powers with Ben, rocky but with hair. I also laughed when Ben scared the bear away and told him off after it left. Chris Evans still has the best lines, this time laced with some innuendo (Torch asking Thing about his girlfriend: "So, uh, how do u guys, uh you know..."). The acting between Reed and Sue felt pretty wooden though. What were supposed to be meaningful emotions shared between the couple kinda fell flat.
Otherwise, F4 was really entertaining as a whole and I got what I paid for.
All in all, F4 was a great popcorn flick since I watched it for the effects and the humor, not for depth or emotional attachment. It had great action sequences loaded with CGI, especially when the Torch did a Peter Petrelli and kicked Doom's butt. Of course he's ambigiously dead yet again, hopefully in store for the third movie (if there will be, but I have a strong feeling there will be).
Effects-wise, they did a pretty good job with Ben's rocky skin. It gave an appearance of a hard yet malleable texture which allowed subtle creases and folds to match the Thing's facial expressions. I was watching The Mask last night, and it just occured to me that Jim Carrey's stretchy legs during his dance number with Cameron Diaz were way more beliveable than Reed's arms during his respective performance. Are dance sequences a new prerequisite for superhero movies? Personally, it should be the opposite and should even be prohibited by international law because they only serve to make me cringe.
There were a few more things I didn't like, with Galactus being on top of the list. I'm the millionth guy to complain about him, but it's not because he was depicted as a giant, swirling cosmic cloud instead of a giant man in purple tights (as in the comics). Rather, it's one particular scene building up to his arrival where he casts a shadow over Saturn. Even casual readers of Marvel will be quick to point out that its shape is undoubetdly that of his (again, comic version) head. Why bother if they weren't going to actually show Galactus as he appeared in the comics? It felt like a slap in the face of the collective fanbase. Was it a cruel joke or were they basically saying "sorry fans, this is the best we could do since we didn't have the time and/or budget"? And what was the point of the Torch paying for airfare if he was gonna fly outside the damn plane (aside from pandering to the Chris Evans fans)?
Wasn't it pretty obvious to the US military that Doom wasn't just going to observe the Silver's Surfer's board? Geez, they were going to accompany him "under armed guard" and didn't see a betrayal coming? Whatever. And what was up with Jessica Alba's orange skin? Her natural tone was fine, were they trying too much to make her look caucasian?
The funniest bits throughout were the scenes with the Thing and the Torch. Being that Johnny's vain, it was pretty hilarious seeing him temporarily switch powers with Ben, rocky but with hair. I also laughed when Ben scared the bear away and told him off after it left. Chris Evans still has the best lines, this time laced with some innuendo (Torch asking Thing about his girlfriend: "So, uh, how do u guys, uh you know..."). The acting between Reed and Sue felt pretty wooden though. What were supposed to be meaningful emotions shared between the couple kinda fell flat.
Otherwise, F4 was really entertaining as a whole and I got what I paid for.
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