Hanove!

Last Thrusday, my mom texted me that I need to go home for the blessing of my uncle’s house (whose family I stayed with for almost a year when I was in Junior college). So on Friday, I decided to go an early shift (with the blessing of my boss – thanks mami! :)) so that I can leave Manila by 5PM. Unfortunately (and for reasons I don’t know), many people are still going up to Baguio so I was only able to board the 6 PM trip. I was assigned to seat # 2, just behind the driver’s seat. It looks like the bus is new. Its interiors are different from the old Victory buses. It has a small flatscreen TV.

When we were along NLEX, there was a sudden long sound (like that of a siren) from the bus. It lasted for about 2 minutes and it only stopped when the driver decided to pull over. After a few minutes of checking, we resumed the trip. The driver did not give us any reasons for that.

When we were in Tarlac for the first stop over, the driver did not park in the usual parking lot. We were in a different area which I could not locate. But beside us is another bus which was being repaired. I’m not sure whether the driver had the bus checked as well.

Moving on to I guess Taloy, when the road is already uphill and zigzag, we heard the siren sound again. Weh! Good thing we were near one small stopover for other buses so that’s where the driver pulled over for the 2nd time that night. This time, they asked us to get down and board another bus – at 12:30 AM. Scary waaaa!!! Three Victory Liner buses passed by and most of the passengers boarded those buses. I opted to just wait for other buses rather than competing with all the other passengers for a seat. I was already sleepy and I didn’t want to be standing for the rest of the trip. Besides, I just heard about the Puerto Galera incident and its cause was overloading. My praning self imagined that with a lot of my co-passengers wanting to get to their destinations already, they will all board those buses no matter how uncomfortable it will be for them and then the bus might be overloaded wehehehe.

Anyway, after 15 minutes, the driver told us that it’s already ok to board. Since there were only a few of us passengers left, and since none of the other passengers opted to wait for other buses and just get back in our bus, I followed suit. When everybody were settled and the driver was about to start the engine, the condoctor said, “alalay na lang pare”. Waaaaa. Scarier! Right then and there, I wished I could have just boarded one of the other buses earlier. The trip was slower this time because of it, and then it was foggy and it was already drizzling. What a combination.

Based on the driver and conductor’s conversations which I was able to eavesdrop (hehehe), the bus overheated and the siren sound was a warning. And according to them, it was a good thing that the bus had the siren, otherwise they would not have known that the bus already overheated. I don’t want to imagine what could have happened then.

After 30 gruelling minutes, we finally reached Junction Marcos Highway, where my uncle and brother were waiting for me. After a few more minutes, home sweet home in one piece :). Whew!

Lotto!

Just saw in the news that the winning stake is now more than Php 166M. Gosh, that’s a lot of money and if you are wise enough to manage it, you’re good to go for your whole lifetime.

No, I haven’t tried betting on it. Last Sunday when I was at SM, I saw a lot of people lining at the lotto booth to buy tickets. I wasn’t tempted then, will I be tempted and try it later? Hehehe.

What’s in store for the week?

• IL UAT. No, I’m not yet done wehehe. So good luck later this morning. :p
• Voices set up
• Escalation process review - first round
• Meetings
• Scrums
• RAM
• Set up new laptop
• MYC review
• New hires orientation
• Etc. etc. etc.

*updated 6/3/2009*

Chillax mode: Angels and Demons

Date with Anne and Mira on Saturday, May 23.

After regenerating a report that’s needed to be sent to the vendor, I rushed to Gateway to meet with Mira and Anne to watch Angels and Demons. I arrived few minutes before the movie started at 7:30 PM. Buzzer beater hehehe.

I haven’t read the book. I got feedbacks from others who have already watched that the book is better than the movie. But I enjoyed the movie. And now, I want to read the book ehehe.
After the movie, we had dinner at the food court. And of course chit chat. We called it a night at around 12 PM.

Chillax mode: A visit to Kwebang Lampas in Quezon

On Sunday, off we went to Kwebang Lampas in Quezon. It was an activitiy initiated by Anne.

Participants are some of her friends and mostly from Choral and Outdoor (clubs in the office).

The place:

• Isolated so it was a perfect weekend getaway. You need to walk for about 30 minutes before you get to the beach. The trail at that time was muddy. At one point, we had to remove our slippers because it was really slippery.
• There were only a few people that day so it was not crowded.
• There’s a cave in the area. Chorale rehersed inside the cave. Trip lang nila hehehe.
• There’s also a cliff where some enjoyed diving. For others, it was the time where they were able to conquer their fears and realize their dreams-that is to jump from cliff and dive into the water.
• There’s a CR in the area but no shower room. You can take your shower in the place where you start your trek. I was not able to get the name of the family who lives there.
• You can also rent a boat going to the beach if you don’t want to walk.

I was quiet most of time-due to lack of sleep hehehe. I was just contented watching the others’ antics and laughing with them. And no, I still did not conquer my fear of the deep waters, and I think I never will wehehe.

Was back in Manila around 1AM. Tiring but fulfilling.

Chillax mode: IS APAC Teambuilding

Yes, it went as planned last May 15-16, 2009, held at Noah’s Park, Montalban Rizal.

So what was in store for us?

• Side trip in one of the markets in Rizal to buy ice.
• Passed by Gelo’s home to get the rice.
• Rough road for the last 2 KMs going to the place.
• Lots of food food food, most of it prepared by CJ and family. Thanks CJ. As always, YUMMY!
• Ihaw, ihaw, and more ihaw – hotdogs, bbq, bangus, tilapia. It took us hours to cook everything hehehe. One icebox was filled with just ihaw. I helped a bit in the ihaw. It was so hot. But then again, we use firewood in Baguio so I’m used to it-no big deal.
• Rewards and recognition for Q1 projects. Impromptu for all of my lines. I didn’t know it would be that way hehehe.
• Games-garden maze and putok balloon using airsoft gun.
• Was not in any of the games. Was on the phone addressing an issue. Yes, we got the call from Server team before the program proper. I was only done long after the finished the games. Amp. But it was resolved so I’m glad.
• Videoke videoke videoke! Emie and I sang to our heart’s content up until 7 AM wahahaha. Adik! Bitin pa yan sa lagay na yan. If I was not sleepy, and if it was not for the hot rays of the morning sun, I would have wanted to sing some more hihihi.
• Swimming! We tried all of the pools I think. I didn’t try the slides though. :p
• Take home food hehehe. We weren’t able to consume all our baon. Sa dami ba naman non hehe.
• Of course, jump shots (emphasis on the S) in midday. Whew! So hot!
• Back in Manila by Saturday, 3PM.

So there. I think everybody enjoyed naman. ‘Til our next chillax days.

Hay

Gusto kong magwala. Mahirap ba talagang intindihin o ayaw lang intindihin? Ang tagal na nito, wala man lang nangyari. Ilang beses ko nang sinabi, wala pa ring nangyari. Nakakainis na. Parang sasabog na ang dibdib ko. Nakakfrustrate. Bakit ganon? Isang malaking BAKIT!

Sungit mode na.

Sensya na. Tao lang.

Sayote causes High Blood :p

Why? Is it because of its composition? Nah. Here’s why.

A husband comes home in the evening after working all day in the garden. Tired and hungry, he asks his wife what’s for dinner.

Husband: Wife, what’s for dinner?
Wife: Sayote.
Husband: What? Sayote again? Sayote in the morning, sayote for lunch and now sayote for dinner?! (in an angry voice).

So that’s why. :D

It’s just a joke of course, common to sayote farmers. But though it’s just a joke, it’s not far from being a reality (or to some, it has already become a reality hehehe).

Note that when you’re a farmer, it’s basically what you plant is what you eat hehehe. so if you plant sayote, you eat sayote. :D Add to it the fact that its market value is not that high. Believe it or not, the price can go for less than P1 per kilo in our place. Now, this is no joke. I remember logging our sayote sales when I was in 2nd year high school. At some point, it went for as low as P0.25 per kilo. Deduct from that the jeepney fare, fertilizers, labor (if you hired someone to clean your garden). And the harvest is not that much too. How much is left? Do the Math. I can’t imagine how we survived those days hehehe. Of course it has its golden days too where prices shoot up. But these days are RARE. Wehehe.

But I still love sayote. I can survive with sayote alone for viand – plain sayote at that – no add-ons, only sauted in oil, with a dash of salt. That’s usually the way we cook it. Because of its low market value, we can’t afford to buy meat to add to it wahaha.

Sayote will always be a part of me. It’s what has been putting food on the table for my family, until now. Take that literally and figuratively. Simply, it’s the source of living for us. And if my stint in the corporate world fails, I would still gladly go back to sayote planting. :)

Vision Board

A vison board is an artwork you create where you put pictures of the things you want to do or to have. By doing so, it helps you focus on your goals thus achieving them. Maybe because it’s visual and you get to see it everyday thus you are always reminded of your goals and you are more determined to watch them.

I have watched this on TV a long time ago. I’ve also read it in some magazine. Last month, my friend mentioned that she has one. I wanted to have one for the longest time but never came to doing it hehehe. I only was able to buy a corkboard and some pins ahihi. Talk about procrastination. Amp. Now that I’m reminded of it, I’d like to do it. At least I already have a list of the things I want to have so that would be quicker. :D

New Task

Yes, I have a new task. That’s on top of the tons of other tasks I have.
Deadline? Next week.
Implementation? Few days before June 1.
Free time? NONE
What to tackle first? Dunno. Will plan out later.
Delegate? Not an option. Everyone’s loaded. Kawawa naman sila di ba? Baka mas lalo silang malito sa mga kanya-kanya nilang projects :p. And the new employees will have longer learning curves. Timeline won’t be enough. Baka magka-issue na naman dyan.

Tough. But I’m tougher than you think :P.

Sa mga pagkakataong ganito, hinihiling ko na sana hindi ako makakasalamuha ng mga whiners, mainarte o reklamador. Kung meron man, sana isipin nyo rin na hindi lang kayo ang nahihirapan. Hindi lang kayo ang maraming ginagawa. Hindi lang kayo ang napapagod. Maliwanag? Oo? Good! :D

Gusto kong…

Gusto kong matutong magdrive.
At gusto ko na rin ng sasakyan.
Gusto kong magroadtrip kahit saan, kahit anong oras na libre ako.
At habang naglalakbay, tumutugtog ang aking mga paboritong kanta.
Gusto ko…

Kailan kaya matutupad ang pangarap na ito?

Pangarap ka na lang ba? O magiging katotohanan na?

Hay.

:D

Sakit

Nagbabadya na naman ang aking karaniwang sakit. Inisip ko lang kanina na baka pagod lang ako kasi puro meetings ako sa halos buong shift ko. pero hanggang ngayon, mabigat ang pakiramdam ko. Ganito lagi nararamdaman ko pag nagkakasakit ako ng todo at para akong lantang gulay. Masakit ang muscles ko. Feeling ko kanina sa office pa lang parang namamaga ang mukha ko. Pagdating ko sa bahay, salamin agad hinarap ko. Buti na lang normal naman. Pakiramdam ko lang yun. At hanggang ngayon nahihirapan akong makatulog. Mas lalo ko tuloy nararamdaman
ang sakit.

Ano ba naman ‘to. Totoo bang kung ano ang nangyari sa unang araw ng Bagong Taon, ganon na the whole year? Huwag naman sana pero naman kasi, first day of the year, may sakit ako at umulit na ng kung ilang beses at nagpapang-abot pa ang mga ito. Hindi pa ako gumagaling sa una, nagkakasakit na naman ako. Nakapagpacheck-up na nga eh. Binigyan na rin ng gamot. Pero wala pa rin. Anong gagawin ko?

Teka, anong sakit nga ba? Sa ngayon, symptoms ng lagnat nararamdaman ko. Mainit na katawan ko kanina pa. Kakairita nga eh. It’s all in the mind lang ba? Sa akin hindi. Ganito talaga pakiramdam ko pag magkakasakit ako.

Ayaw ko pa naman maggamot. Feeling ko kasi, sa kung ilang beses na akong nagkasakit mula last year, sobra-sobra na yung mga nainom kong gamot. Ayaw ko nang dagdagan pa. Kaya iwas gamot muna. Pero nasaan na ba ang mga gamot ko? Just in case lang hindi ko na talaga kaya. :D

Nag-iisip

Team building na…Noah’s Arc
Ano kayang mangyayari?
Mukhang maganda yung place.
Gusto kong libutin yung place umaga ng Saturday. Sana magising ako hehehe.

Minsan

Minsan sa ating buhay, may mga bagay na akala natin, ok lang na hindi na nangyayari pero pag nangyari uli ito, don natin mapagtatanto na nakakamiss din pala. Pero hindi rin naman ibig sabihin na gusto mong ibalik ang dati. Kadalasan, mapapangiti ka na lang sa alaala ng kahapon hehehe.

PERO…

May mga ibang bagay din na dinadasal mo na sana yumabong pa at sana hindi matatapos ng basta-basta na lang at sana may patutunguhan naman.

*****
Wahaha! Me ganun?
Oo meron, may namiss lang kasi ako. :D

Weekend Suspense

We are hoping to complete one activity of our current project so we pushed for its completion on our end on Friday night (and working until the wee hours of Saturday). So that on Saturday, it was the vendor’s turn to work. We sent them 6 files which they are supposed to load in their test environment. At around 10 AM, we started receiving emails from them updating us of the status of their activities. They loaded the first 3 files without any problems. They will be updating us of the status of the next 3 files. The suspense is killing me. Ugggh! Their next update was that they have successfully uploaded the 4th and 5th file and they are currently uploading the 6th and last file. Hayzzz. Why did they have to update us by batch? Hehehe. Why don’t they just do all the uploading and tell us the good news that it was all uploaded successfully. Anyway, at this point, I was fervently praying and hoping that there won’t be any glitches anymore. Finally at around 3 PM, we received the good news hehehe. Though it was mortal sin to talk about work since I was at Emie’s birthday party, I can’t help but share the good news to them as well hehehe.

HOWEVER!

The story didn’t end there. After the test environment, they were supposed to upload the files to their production environment and there are some configurations that need to be changed in the files. The vendor manually changed it but upon loading the 6th file, it was not uploaded successfully. Gah! I had to recreate the files using the correct parameters for production this time. I am getting pissed off because I haven’t eaten anything yet and it’s already 4PM hehehe. Plus, I’m always disconnected from the net. Plus I’m already itching to go to the mall hehehe. I almost run to the office for a more stable connection but good thing my last attempt did not fail me hehehe. Maybe, it sensed that I’m getting annoyed by the minute hehehe. So anyway, we haven’t heard from them after I emailed them the file. On Monday morning, we received the good news that the file was successfully loaded. Whew! What a wait! :D

Family Outing 2009

Last May 1, my family (together with some relavites) went for swimming in Itogon. Itogon is one of the municipalities of Benguet province and the swimming pool area is almost 2 hours away from Baguio. It’s amazing that aside from Asin Hotspring, and La Union (where the nearest beach is), there’s another option for swimming hehehe. The place is not sophisticated actually. Below are some details that I remember.

• The pools aren’t tiled. But they have a Jacuzzi. Oha!
• Entrance fee is Php 20.00 per person.
• Hut rental is around 300-500.
• There are a lot of nipa huts in various sizes so it can accommodate small to big groups.
• No electricity yet in the huts so night swimming is not an option at the moment.
• There are CRs and shower rooms.
• The pools are drained every 5 PM.
• There are stalls that sell swimming gears from swimwear to floaters.
• Only a few stores (or none at all) sell food and if there are any, it’s expensive so the best option is to bring your own baon.
• They accept reservations for the nipa huts but it’s more expensive than when you just rent it upon arrival. Good thing for us, my cousin’s BF is from the area so we just asked him to reserve for us hihihi.

The pools are constructed in the base of a mountain so while nearing the area, you wouldn’t expect that there are pools because what you’ll only see is the towering mountain. Amazing.

Of course we had a great time, especially the kids who were in the pool practically the whole time we were there. They were only out of the pool during meal times. As for me, I stayed in the pool for only 2 hours. It was so hot I didn’t like to get sun-burned hehehe (but I still did anyway). The rest of the time, I was sleeping, reading, or eating, while consciously waiting for any ring from my Blackberry (because if it did, it just means one thing - there’s an issue in the office that needs my attention – this is another story). We left the place at around 4 PM.

The only downside was that it was a holiday and it’s summer so there were SO many people.

Err...I haven't downloaded the pictures from my camera still, so no pictures to share hehehe.

My cousins are requesting me to sponsor a trip to Riverview in Asin this time. We’ll see about that. It’s more expensive there. It may be twice (or more than) the expenses in Itogon. But nevertheless, I also want to try it there so maybe next year. :D

If-Then-Else

I was in the middle of checking on the feasibility of implementing an HR business rule in the HRIS system by creating an SQL job when my colleague remembered some items mentioned by the business owner.

Colleague: Check when the IL was filed. If filed before March 15, then….
Me: (Cutting off my colleague hehehe) Me ganun?! Hahaha.
Colleague: Oo me ganun talaga hahaha.

We wer laughing at the way he constructed his business rules because it’s already close to the pseudocode of a software code hehehe. Maybe, for the longest time that they’ve been requesting systems from us and from the countless meetings with them where sometimes we have to use technical terms (especially during those times when we, Software Engineers, were not yet experts in translating technical code to layman’s terms hehehe), they got to pick some of our software language already. Cool. At least now that they understand some terms, it won’t be hard for us to be translating everytime hehehe.

One year

Before this day ends, I’d just like to note that this marks my first year anniversary in my QC apartment. I can’t believe I’ve been living alone for a year now…and loving it hehehe. It’s just sad that due to my busy schedule, I don’t have any energy left to clean it so err…it’s a mess at the moment wahahaha.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to another year in that place. :)

Of rubber balls and glass balls

This is still from the book Suzzane’s Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson.

“ Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls. The balls are called work, family, health, friends and integrity. And you’re keeping all of them in the air. But one day, you come to understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls – family, health, friends, integrity – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered. And once you truly understand the lesson of the five balls, you will have the beginnings of the balance in your life.”

*****

Though finding the balance in life can also become challenging sometimes, depending on the circumstances. But during these moments, I’ll just content myself with the thought that yes, we can balance everything. It may become unbalanced at some point but we can always bounce back to a balanced life.

We

“We is so much better than I.”

That’s an excerpt from the book Suzzane’s Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson. I started reading it yesterday dawn just to put me to sleep and when I woke up, I decided to read a few more chapters. From then on, I was hooked. I can’t put the book down until I finished it hehehe.

As the title puts it, it’s a diary about the love story of Suzzane, Matt and their son Nicholas. I almost can’t believe it that it’s written by a man hehehe. There are heartbreaking moments but it’s full of heartwarming tales as well. :)

Now back to the excerpt. Simply, I wish that the time would come when I would be using We more often rather than just I. That would be nice. :)

Amp!

Isa sa mga pinakanakakainis na gawain...MAGHINTAY!

So pissed!

So slow!

Frustrating!

So slow talaga!

Mali!

Is it a wrong decision once again? Sana naman hindi.

Why should it take that long?!

Ay yay yay...

Hindi pa rin?

Utang na loob matapos ka na!

Hay, ganito talaga katagal?

Syempre nawala na sa isip kong magdinner. 1:20 AM na.

Uwian na.