Cooking with Arnold IX

Post after post after post of kitchen tragedies (see my “Cooking with Arnold” series in the history), a good Samaritan has come to my aid all the way from Madrid, Spain.

Meet Cherina from the Application Integration team. Web server wizard. She posted some ridiculously easy recipes on her site specifically for me to try. If she went through all this trouble posting it for me, I might as well give these a try. Besides, going through the recipe instructions, these things will be easy. There’s no way anyone can mess these up.

But then again, I’m the rice burning, potato mashing, pancake smoking, Coke using chef slash arsonist. And oh, I make you have allergies too.

“Gazpechas”

The ingredients are listed in Cher’s site.

I cleaned and chopped up the veggies (tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, onion and green pepper). I’m not a veggie person and there so many things yet for me to learn about vegetables.

Do you take out the tomato seeds? (I didn’t)
How do you cut green pepper? (I chopped it in half sending seeds flying in every irection)
Do you peel cucumbers? (I didn’t)
Do you take out cucumber seeds? (I didn’t)





I took out a blender, pureed the veggies then realized that I went through all the trouble chopping them all up and end up pureeing them anyway. D’oh! The concoction turned brown. It doesn’t look good. It smelled like freshly cut grass. I added the seasonings (olive oil, salt, pepper, vinegar, water), stirred it and stared at it. It looks horrible. I placed some plastic wrap over it then left it in the fridge to cool.



The next day, Feliz was over for lunch. I was too cowardly to taste this and I brought in someone else. I took out the bowl from the fridge and removed the plastic. Feliz saw it and jumped up and down “Wow! KARE KARE!”

An angel and a devil appeared on my left and right shoulder, both of them waving their hands and shouting “We know what you’re thinking! Don’t do it! Don’t do it!”. I sighed but agreed.

I told Feliz it was actually a cold veggie like soup. I took out a small spoon and I asked her to taste it. It felt like I was pushing a lamb into a lion's cage. Before she could approach the bowl, I took the spoon and mixed the bowl with it. I took a small portion and slowly brought it to my lips. My hands were shaking. I was so nervous I dropped the spoon which bubbled to the bottom. With Feliz and Louvre laughing horribly in the background I took out another spoon, closed my eyes and tasted the damned thing.

It tasted just like that… damned.

I ran to the sink and spat it out. I took the bowl and dumped its contents into the garbage disposal. I was still doing some spitting sounds because I couldn’t get the taste out of my mouth. On the way out, I picked up a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough ice cream just to remove the awful taste.

Gazpechas… Gazpacho na lasang…

Not Your Ordinary Sky

I looked up one day to see the sky and took a deep deep breath. I notice that the sky was blue, purple, pink and yellow.



Wow, I never thought the sky would ever look so gay.

Of Families and Happy Memories

When a certain group of friends form a special bond, they become family. It may not be as funny or as exciting as Joey, Phoebe, Monica, Chandler, Rachel and Ross but a family is a family.

I have a family.

We spend the whole day together and shared stories about each other. We had breakfast at their place and had dinner at my place. They told me things about their lives and I shared them my own. I learned a lot from them. They learned a lot from me. I remember telling them about Jaye, how much I love her and how much I missed her and they helped me complete my Debbie project – my big surprise for Jaye.

It was October 2006. I was flying home to Manila being the first person to leave. Before leaving, we had a serious moment and I shared that I was sad because things will never be the same again. This is the way this part of our lives go. They countered that nothing will change and I nodded my head not to agree but because I knew none of them have walked this path before. I had. None of them understood but I want them to continue on with positive thoughts. I don’t have to drag them down didn’t I?

Almost a year has passed now. All but one has flown back to Manila. One moved to another company. One moved to another country. One got married. One will be married later this year. Lorna and I were the only ones left in Chicago and when she flew home, everything pretty much ended there. Just like I predicted, things were never the same again. The way the cards have been shuffled, it will never be.

I have a family… well… had a family. I still have them as friends, but family, I don’t think so.

I miss everyone. Everything we did. Everything we shared. Every single detail. They all have moved on. I have moved on too as I have my better half now and a million plans.

Sad? Yep.

Regret? None at all.

Some people, even if they only appear in a chapter or at least a page in our life can make a big difference. In the end, it's not how long they appear or how many times they are mentioned but it's how much they made you what you are today.

Of Monday Mornings

*Beep beep* goes my alarm.

I woke up on time (not too early, not too late) but I was still groggy. After taking a bath, I put on my black dress pants and a gray striped shirt. I wore my black belt and my black socks, brushed my teeth, combed my hair and did my daily muscle flexes in front of the mirror (ala Hulk Hogan).

I chucked my laptop into my bag, grabbed everything else I would need in the office and took my iPod from my drawer. I also grabbed my sunglasses since it was a sunny day. I put on my black shoes, picked up my laptop backpack and walked to work – looking cool with my iPod and my sunglasses.

I arrived in the office, placed my bag on the table, removed my iPod and sunglasses and realized…

I grabbed my brown shoes by mistake. Arnold namaaaaan…

Lesson: Get completely dressed first before putting on your sunglasses.

Cooking with Arnold VIII

“Mystery Shrimp”

Sunday dinner… Louvre (my roommate) and I scoured through the freezer and saw some frozen shrimp. They’re already prepared and seasoned so you just pop them in the microwave and it will be ready to eat in minutes. This had garlic and butter seasoning. Mmmm shrimp with butter and garlic. I love shrimp. Louvre loves shrimp. We’re both hungry yet we were staring at the frozen bag of shrimp deciding what to do.

There’s no expiration date.

So technically, it’s not expired right? We inherited this from the previous tenants in the apartment. The problem is that when we cleaned out the freezer, we saw some fresh meat and yet we saw some super expired products as well. We saw sausages and chicken breasts that expired last December, 2006. Yuk! I think if we take it out the freezer, mushrooms would grow on it.

We threw those out but the shrimps were really intriguing. I opened the bag and took a quick whiff. It smelled like garlic and herbs - nothing funky. We decided to go with it. I have some vinegar and milk on stand by just in case.

Instead of using the microwave, I fried up the shrimps over a stove. I added some butter, pepper and a little salt and after a few minutes the shrimps were ready. I transferred the shrimps to a serving dish and placed it on the dinner table.



I turned off the heat but since we were using an electric stove, the butter in the pan continued cooking then started to turn black. Well, I know when I’m cooking something is meant to burn. It’s my curse I guess.

The shrimps gave out an intoxicating smell of garlic and butter. I turned off the vents in the apartment to preserve it. Mmmmm! We sat down and waited who will take the first bite. Louvre was the brave soul. He said it was good… very good even. I took a curious bite and didn’t taste anything sour (the sign that this is one bad bad shrimp).

We devoured the entire plate of shrimps then watched TV. The next hour will tell us if gambling with these mystery shrimps paid off.

It didn’t.

Louvre started to get itchy. (uh oh). He had rashes. (UH OH). I ran downstairs and bought some Antihistamine from 7-11. He said he didn’t know he had an allergic reaction to shrimp but then again, he said he had never eaten this much shrimp in his life.

Oh great, now when I cook not only do I have to keep a fire extinguisher ready, now I have to hand out waivers too?

The Devil, the Angel and 200 dollars

I was walking home from Borders and this guy walking opposite where I was going reached for his wallet causing a bundle of bills fell from his pocket. It was a thick wad with lots of twenties. He didn’t notice he was now short around 200 dollars and was nonchalantly walking away.

What do I do? The devil and an angel appeared on my shoulder. He doesn’t look rich so I think he needs this money. I’m in full “tipid” mode and 200 dollars will certainly help me out. It took me half a second to think and another 3 seconds to translate what I was going to say in English then I told the guy, “Hey buddy, you dropped something.” while pointing to the bills. “Oh Sh*t!!!” he screamed and ran back to pick up his money. He ran towards me and thanked me.

The rest of my walk home felt good.

I always have these angel-devil moments. Unlike others though, my angel and my devil always work on a compromise and they’re pretty good friends, sometimes even agreeing 100% on certain situations. Like one time in Aurora, I picked up a pair of Reebok sneakers which were on super sale. The devil told me to buy it since it looked good and I need a second pair of shoes. Angel told me that it was a good deal since it was just 20 bucks – pretty cheap for walking shoes this good then they gave each other a high five. *apir!*

In this case, devil wanted me to call the guy’s attention but if he offers something, take it. I’m not evil but I’m not a saint either.

Nope, the guy didn't offer anything. Did I regret what I did? 200 dollars din yun. Nah, I did the right thing and I know i would feel worse if I took it.

What if he dropped 500 dollars worth of bills instead of 200 dollars? Hmmm... probably I would still call his attention and tell him he dropped something...

...pero Tagalog. :P

Back to a Familiar Place

1.2 miles.

That’s 6,336 feet.

That’s how far my apartment is from the office. I know some of you might be saying that you walk this far everyday too and is not a big deal… or that “yung lolo ko 10 miles nga nilalakad e”. If you walk this far everyday then good for you. In my case however, it is a very big deal because

- I have to drag a laptop with me
- Both the soles in my dress shoes are worn out (so it’s like wearing leather sandals)
- I’m not an athlete (so 1.2 miles is really faaaaaaaaaar for me)

I only got used to the walking after a week. Most of the time it’s straight to bed or the couch (then watch ESPN) for me.

You might comment “Pero at least Chicago downtown naman yan. Ok environment.”

True. However, one thing about Manila is that you never ever bother knowing what the weather is like for that day. Manila is either hot or rainy. A quick peek out the window and the common question is “uulan ba?”. That’s it. It takes weeks before the weather changes.

Like I posted before, Chicago weather is weird. It’s fickle. One day it’s too cold (like Baguio weather). One day it’s too hot (anywhere else other than Baguio). One day it would be so hot in the morning then it would rain in the evening. There’s also the wind. Going to the office, my hair is combed to the left. Going home it’s combed to the right. When I go out for lunch it’s split in the middle. I don’t even bring a brush anymore. Why bother? It will get messed up anyway. Pero at least I can let the hair just go through my hair then I’ll move in slow motion (ala Prince Charming in Shrek). The weather + the wind + 2.4 miles + being fat = ugh... i just wanna sleep.

This is why I’m happy this week that we moved to a new apartment. My old apartment. It’s just a few blocks away from the office and I’m more familiar with the nearby buildings. Singha is just downstairs. There’s a 7-11 and a CVS store. There’s a 24 hour McDonald’s and Hooters a few more blocks away. I’m also more used to shopping at Jewel than Dominick’s.

Hay… Sterling... happy to be back. Memories…

Chicago Short Stories

Penang

One time we had lunch at this Malaysian restaurant called Penang which is located in the heart of Chinatown. The only thing more unusual than a Malaysian restaurant in Chinatown was the person I saw inside:

I think he's lost.

and oh, another thing...

Sinong niloko mo? Lamb ka dyan...

The Taste of Chicago

It’s a big food fair over at Grant Park. I went there with my monopod and DSLR camera but didn’t have a good time. Ugh. Honestly, it was the worst event I’ve been to here in Chicago. I’ve never seen a place so dirty, smelly, and overflowing with people… and I’m from Manila.

Aurora!

The traditional shopping place. We took Jude to Aurora for his last major shopping weekend. I missed this place not for the stores but for the memories...

Our after shopping photo

The Monopod

I was walking along Wacker drive when I saw this dude taking a picture of the Marina City Towers. He had a DSLR camera with a tripod, attached flash, lens hood, and more gizmos I have never seen in my life. My camera has a lens cap and a filter and that’s it. Before going to the Taste of Chicago event, I came up with a monopod.

Bought it from the camera shop? Nah. Look closely.

It’s a broom handle, a Velcro strap and a small table tripod. Eat your heart out McGyver, bet you couldn’t have thought of that.

Cooking with Arnold VII

"Attempted Adobo”

I knew I had to cook this sooner or later so why delay the inevitable? Will I burn the chicken? Will I mess it up? Read on.

Dinner started with a trip to Dominick’s (a grocery 2 blocks away). I picked up some chicken drumsticks, pepper grinder, Datu Puti suka, Silver Swan soy sauce (yup, they have it here) and bay leaves.

Let’s start by preparing the ingredients. I peeled and chopped garlic then washed and salted the chickens. I heated a saucepot and placed a generous portion of canola oil. Realizing that the chicken drumsticks won’t fit in the pot, I transferred the oil into a pan and sautéed the garlic. Smart!

The garlic turned dark brown. Uh oh… Classic Arnold.

I quickly put in the chickens and lowered the heat. After a few minutes, the chicken turned… yellow? Do chickens really turn yellow?

While the chickens were cooking, I prepared the pot where the chickens were supposed to be frying. I put in the vinegar, soy sauce, water, bay leaves and ground pepper. Now comes the first glitch of the night.

I bought the peppercorn with an attached grinder. This way I can have both ground pepper and whole peppercorns. The problem is that the grinder is attached permanently which means I can only grind the pepper to get them out. This means… no whole peppers. I ground some extra pepper to compensate. Does it work like that?

Oh no… the garlic is really getting burned! I placed the chickens, the burnt garlic and the cooking oil into the pot, covered it and prayed.

It doesn’t look like adobo. I’m worried.

After 10 minutes, I know I’m not supposed to peek but I’m reaaally curious. It still didn’t look anything like adobo. I think I better run to McDonald’s before they close.

After 35 minutes, I uncovered the pot and… my adobo looks like kare kare! Adobo is supposed to look dark brown right? Mine is light brown. I tasted the sauce and it was very sour… it tasted like sinigang!

I turned off the heat and started thinking of a way to fix this. The sauce needs to be dark and I need to counter the sour taste. This means I need something dark and something… sweet. I stood up and walked around, checked the cabinets, checked the fridge… dark and sweet… dark and sweet… dark and sweet… dark and sweet…

Coke.

I placed a can of Coca Cola into the dish. Look, I’m not a chef so I solve problems as logically as possible. It’s like in my tool box back home, I would only have two tools – duct tape and grease. If it moves but isn’t supposed to move, I use duct tape. If it doesn’t move but is supposed to move, I use grease. If something is sour, put coke. Life is simple.

I tasted the mess and hey, it’s not bad! The Coke really did the trick! I took out a plate, placed some rice and ate the chickens. After 30 minutes, I wasn’t poisoned! Louvre arrived home and tried the adobo. He said it’s good (but take note that he just had a lot of beers) though he says the adobo over at his house didn’t have this much liquid in it.

You can’t even taste the burnt garlic! I actually cooked something edible! Wow! I guess two (or more) wrongs really make a right.

The next day, I asked Jaye to guess what I had for dinner a) adobo; b) sinigang or c) kare kare ?

Answer: d) All of the above

The Chase

The effects of having a late lunch -> come dinner time, you think you’re full and will just wait for breakfast but around 10pm you couldn’t sleep because now you’re too hungry.

11pm.

I wanted to cook something but I don’t want to start any kitchen disasters so I headed out and searched for any open fast food joint. A block away was a McDonald’s but it was closed already. There should also be a Popeyes somewhere but it was also closed. Subway, Chipotle, Potbelly Sandwich, West Egg Cafe … Closed, closed, closed, too expensive. I know a 24 hour McDonald’s but it’s a mile away. Hooters? Also too far. I gave up and decided to go home instead or drop by 7-11 to buy a Snickers bar or a hotdog. 4 blocks away from home, this guy came up to me and was asking something. He walked nearer and nearer until he’s within arm’s reach and he’s STILL walking nearer.

I’ve seen this before. Someone asks something then sticks a knife to your gut.

I took a few steps back. He took a few steps towards me. I took two quick steps back. He was sort of lunging at me.

Feet: “It’s time to run right?”
Brain: “Not so fast. Arn wrote an article before that he was tired of running and that he shouldn’t run from anything again. No more running he said."
Feet: “Oh, screw that entry!”
Brain: “GO GO GO!”

I turned around and ran like hell. He paused for a few seconds then he started to chase me! I don’t want to run to my place because that would lead him to where I’m staying. I wanted to run to another hotel/apartment and hide. One block away and he was still after me. Think think think, I have the stamina of an 80 year old man. I know I can only run for 4 blocks at most… 6 blocks tops if I’m chased. If he continues, I'll have to turn around and fight. I thought about what was in my pockets and checked if I can use anything to cause physical harm.

Keys… it won’t do a thing.
A grocery card (like a credit card)… too soft.
A quarter… won’t help.
A 20 dollar bill… I’ll really put up a fight before I give up this one.
A pair of tweezers… what do you want me to do? Pluck his eyebrows? (I picked up the tweezers on my way home earlier that day because i have a hangnail.)

I ran diagonally and ran into the street. I was good at frogger while I was a kid anyway. 2 blocks away he stopped chasing me and I found myself far from home now. I took the long route back. Long but well lit… panting and wheezing and running more if my legs permitted me to. I came home exhausted. My knees hurt. My back hurt. My heart was beating like crazy.

Well, the objective was to find something to rid my hunger. After all that, I was in no mood to do anything but sleep. Mission accomplished.

Aaawwwwwww...

The beauty of webcams... it's like talking to someone beside you. :)

Words from a Panda

I had my first Panda Express lunch today - noodles, sauteed chicken and of course... orange chicken. Every Panda Express meal comes with a fortune cookie. Do you still remember this entry? Basically, append "...in bed" to your fortune cookie message and it sounds a lot more interesting.

This means...

...in bed?

Father's Day at Foster

I stuffed all the things Mel and Jaye gave me into my backpack and lugged the two baskets we bought for tita. I walked all the way from my place to Dearborn and Ontario and waited for old number 22 (The Clark bus a.k.a. The Tito Roger bus... We drop off Foster st then walk to Tito's house). The bus arrived, the doors opened and guess who was inside.

Fritzie?

What the heck was she doing here? I thought she was in Buenos Aires so it took me a while to realize it was really her in here. She was also on her way to Foster where Gina, Boni and Zette were barbecuing hotdogs, steaks and bratwursts. I didn’t want to volunteer to do any cooking since I have the dreaded “Arn’s Touch” (anything I cook I burn). It was nice being with some familiar faces again though I think this is the first time I’ve really been with them.

Here's Fritzie and Boni slicing up the steak

Funny how that works when you hang out with your better half's close friends. It’s like automatically I’m one of the group just like the way Jaye is already part of my DB/Web team back in Manila. =)

Walking around the Windy City

Interesting.

Walking around downtown Chicago was weird. Just weird. It was like travelling back in time.

So many familiar things and places: the hill over at the Elk’s (you know that honey), Lincoln Park, Lakeshore drive, Navy Pier, O’Hare, Jewel-Osco, Rock and Roll McDonald’s, Ontario, State, Dearborn, Wacker, Clark, La Salle and the El train. Things have changed though. Jaye isn’t around to look out for me anymore. No smoking CheChe. No story telling Rico. No hoopdie driving Ria. No dancing clown Allan. No Lianne (yet). No Pads. No Ate Jen. No Fritzie. No Tessa. No Copi. No Mel. No RJ. No Joyce. No Aji. No Jhon, Sye, Sya, Mike and Lei.

Gwenny was here but she just moved far away. Vince was here but he moved to Indiana.

I went over to Jude’s to hang out. Sterling felt weird. I'm overwhelmed with memories.

Happy? Not much.
Sad? Not really.
Interesting? Definitely.

My Question Last May

Interesting.

Last May, I asked one of the questions that will only be answered in June. I only gave myself two possible answers:

What will I eat for lunch on June 16?

a) 2-piece Chickenjoy from Jollibee
b) Pad See Iew from Singha

June 16 came and went.



... I guess all great stories come in trilogies...

Crabby Arn

We were having lunch at this seafood place one day. I already ate a stick of barbecue and some shrimp then my uncle placed a huge orange crab on my plate. It smelled great!

but how do I eat it?

I don’t know how to “himay” (hmm… dismantle?) a crab. I eat crabsticks and crab rangoons from Singha (Thai restaurant in Chicago) but I never learned to eat crabmeat straight from a crab mainly because (1) mom always took out the meat for me when I was a kid and (2) having crab in our house was more rare than me going to the gym.

(which is like saying... "never")

I took the crab and tried to break it in half. I know I’m supposed to break it at a certain spot but I didn’t know where. I tried splitting it open with my bare hands and it felt like my fingers were being sliced with a dull knife. The crab was still in one piece and now my fingers were swollen. I grabbed a metal thingie and smashed the crab shell open sending pieces of crab flying around the place. I rammed and rammed the crab like I was playing wack-a-mole. I was getting ticked off because the smell and the sauce were delicious but I couldn't get the meat inside. Watching me hammer the crab, poke it with a knife and shout at it was like watching a monkey open a coconut.

...or like watching the Incredible Hulk operate a cell phone.

RRROAAARRRR! Arnold MAD! *bam!* (hammers the crab) Arnold CRUSH crab! *bam!* (pierces crab with a knife)

Was I able to get the meat out? Yup. Was I able to eat it? Yes but it was irritating since I fine minced the shell into the meat. Now I can’t differentiate the meat from the shells add that to the fact that both the shell and the meat are white. Genius. I ended up ordering a big box of Hotshots from KFC on my way home.

No shell, no claws, no problem.

It Was Just Meant to Be

I’ll be a few minutes late for the church service and so I told Jaye to go ahead without me and that I’ll just catch up. She didn’t tell me where exactly she would be sitting.

I arrived 20 minutes late and the place was packed. I proceeded to one side and an usherette asked me if I wanted a seat. I smiled and was about to say no and that I was looking for my friend but she took it as a yes and she directed me to this one seat with a bag on top of it. The bag belonged to the girl beside it.

The usherette asked if someone was seated there and the girl said it was reserved for someone. I grabbed the bag, placed it on the floor and sat on that particular seat.

I didn’t know who that usherette was nor did she know me or the girl. She just wanted to find a chair for me. How she directed me to that one chair - among all the empty chairs in the crowd, beside Jaye I’ll never know.

It guess it was just meant to be.

Learning from Waves

[My beach stories... part 4]

Obviously, this trip was more of a retreat for me than an office team building.

After that short conversation with Him earlier, I was back in the ocean not to ask anymore questions but just to have fun with my friends. After a few minutes of getting bounced around by the waves, I realized that waves are a lot like life’s problems and there are so many ways to handle it.

A wave came and I jumped backward into it. All the others were doing that.
Lesson: Look at how others solve their problems. If it works for them, it might work for you too. It's not guaranteed but it's worth a try.

A wave came and I dove into it. I went through the wave and surfaced on the same spot.
Lesson: Some problems can be taken head on. No running. No hiding. No delaying.

A wave came and I dove underwater. The current couldn’t drag me since my weight was concentrated on a single spot and resistance was above my head.
Lesson: Sometimes, the best thing to do is duck.

A small wave came and I punched it. It deflected most of the water and there wasn’t enough momentum left to drag me.
Lesson: Some problems can be solved using brute force. As much as I don’t recommend this, it sometimes works.

A wave came and I jumped backward. After landing back on my feet and regaining my balance, an unexpected wave came and wiped me out. Sending me floating back 10 feet, making me gulp salt water and burning my eyes.
Lesson: Problems can come in sequence. After solving one, be alert for the next.

With my back turned, a wave came and wiped me out. As I was floating and figuring out which way was up, I was coughing underwater because I inhaled a lot of seawater. I flailed my arms around until someone caught me.
Lesson: Problems can screw anyone but friends will always be there.

A wave came and I jumped with the wave towards the beach and swam. The wave brought me almost 20 feet from where I started.
Lesson: Roll with the punches. No resistance, no conflict, no problems.

A wave came and I jumped backward. As the wave hit me, my right leg cramped up. I swam back to shore on one leg while massaging my calf.
Lesson: Know when to quit and control damage.

I think the biggest lesson I learned from all this is that during the entire experience, I never stopped and complained that another wave was coming. I never blamed anyone for the waves. I never complained about the salty sea or the rocks I step on. I never wished that I was on a pond instead. I enjoyed the ocean even with the waves battering me around.

Stop complaining. There will always be problems. Enjoy life.

Angela and Erwin

[My beach stories... part 3]

I was walking back to our resort after taking pictures of the sunrise. 2 kids saw me and walked along with me. They were carrying a bag of mangoes and selling me some so that they can go to school. Unfortunately, I didn’t have anything with me other than my phone, my camera, my room keys and a camera battery. I have no intentions to eat mangoes for breakfast but I wanted to reward these kids for earning money instead of begging for it. The next best thing I could do for them is take them to the beach in our resort so they could sell mangoes there.

I asked them about life around here. Their dad earns just enough to survive. They have to sell stuff from the forest to earn extra. They walk along these beaches everyday to make a few bucks.

And yesterday I was complaining that the air conditioner in our room was not cold enough and that the battery of my iPod was already drained because I did not charge it for a week?

Here’s Angela and Erwin. I’m guessing that’s their dad who was resting after taking a dip in the ocean.

Of Sunrises and Happy Thoughts

[My beach stories... part 2]

I’ve photographed sunsets before especially in Chicago but I’ve never taken a picture of a sunrise.

I was at the beach at 5:30 in the morning, camped on a log which served as my makeshift tripod. I walked the whole stretch of the beach looking for a good angle of the mountains and finally settled on that log.

Sunsets are nice. It gives me that warm fuzzy feeling that today was a great day. The remaining sunlight creates unique shadows and the sun has changed into an orange ball on the horizon. I can look into it without shielding my eyes, take one deep breath and say “Truly, it was a good day.”

Sunrises are different. I know it’s a cliché but sunrises give me that “new beginning” feeling. All the pains and problems of yesterday are lost. It’s a fresh start and the day is already good and only up to me to mess up. I can look into it still without shielding my eyes, take one deep breath and say “This will be a good day.”.

I got caught staring at the sunrise for longer than I imagined. My camera was now just hanging around my neck - turned off and with the lens cap on, as I sat on that log – thinking, smiling, realizing so many things and appreciating life and what it has given me.

Staring at the sunrise – not a feeling like it. I took a few photos but used up most of my time staring. I’m a poet first, photographer second.

Not yet done

[My beach stories... part 1]

I was standing on sand and rocks with the water above my shoulder and just below my ears facing the sea. I raised my arms to my side and said “Here I am. If today’s the day so be it. You have a clear shot at me. Here I am. Your move.” then I closed my eyes and emptied my mind.

For a minute I felt empty. His answer was quick.

I opened my eyes and a big wave was forming in front of me. I closed my eyes and stood still. It slammed me and spun me in many directions. I was floating but I didn’t know which way was up. I reached out my hands and my legs hoping to feel sand which I did with my right arm. Next thing I know I was standing up waist deep in water with my eyes burning from the salty seawater and I was now facing the beach a few feet away from where I started from. When I regained my eyesight, another wave hit me from behind the knees taking me down and I was floating on my butt. I ended up sitting on the sand, neck up in water and still facing the beach. Another wave came and slammed behind my head which felt like someone slapping me and saying "Stop asking stupid questions."

I stood up and walked back while clearing the sand that was lodged onto my ring and causing my finger to itch. It took me a while to realize it but I did.

Thanks for the quick response.

Election Thoughts

Poor Manny

I could imagine Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez all sitting on a sofa watching the news about Pacquiao's loss over at ESPN, laughing uncontrollably and drinking Corona.

(In a Mexican accent) "Wala ka talaga katolad Manny! Bwahahahahahah!! Talo ke Darlene bwahahahaha!!!"

Election Ads

Frankly I was disappointed with the quality of mudslinging in this election (Well, I didn't see much from where I am so I guess I really shouldn't complain). Remember that ad before asking Enrile "how much are you?" and he goes on and shares his worth? Remember that ad with Miriam describing some Filipinos as "species of lower life forms"?

FINALLY, here's one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WavDUB3p0g8

My thought? "Lahat naman e" :P

The month of June

June will be interesting. I guarantee it.

Five Short Chapters on Change

Chapter 1
I walk down a street and there's a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. It takes forever to get out. It's my fault.

Chapter 2
I walk down the same street. I fall in the hole again. It still takes a long time to get out. It's not my fault.

Chapter 3
I walk down the same street. I fall in the hole again. It's becoming a habit. It is my fault. I get out immediately.

Chapter 4
I walk down the same street and see the deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.

Chapter 5
I walk down a different street.

Typical Arn Story

This place where I'm currently taking my week long training serves breakfast, lunch and merienda for free to their students. They used to order out from nearby restaurants but I guess due to budget constraints, they decided to get an in-house caterer.

Anyways, one morning they were serving pancakes and ham for breakfast. They gave me two pieces of pancakes and a slice of ham. I placed a chunk of butter on each and drowned them in syrup which was unusually...er... malabnaw. I started walking away when the server called my attention.

"Ser, patis ho yan."

Making My Vote Count

This week I voted and celebrated democracy...



... and I for once I was proud I had dirty fingernails. :P

The Shakeys Experience

Last night, Jaye and I hopped off work and went straight to Park Square where I was looking for some lens hoods for my camera (as advised by Pads). After walking and walking and walking… we couldn’t find it and decided to eat dinner. We dropped by Shakeys and there started one of our worst dining experiences ever. Sorry guys, you had this coming.

- It was hard to call the attention of waiters. It took them a while before they could even give the menus to us and we even had to seat ourselves. A waiter would walk by and I raise my hand like a geek in math class but I get ignored. Another waiter walks by and I’m ignored. Another waiter… you get the idea.

- They first served the drinks (which was the only thing they served on time). I took a sip and placed the glass down. Jaye took a sip, looked at me and we had that conversation with incomplete, incoherent sentences but made perfect sense to us: “Lasang…” “uhuh”, “Parang…” “uhuh”, “Ganun ba…” “yep”… The soda was stale. I called the waiter and asked to have it replaced. They problem is…

- They have rude waiters. Look, we ordered for bottomless sodas so we’re not stiffing you by pretending the sodas were stale. The waiter had that “arte nyo naman” look when he grabbed the half empty glass. I asked where the soda came from (because if it was from the fountain, I’ll switch to iced tea). In a very arrogant voice, he explained to me “EH KASI HO SODA HO YAN.”.

Riiiiiiiiiight. That explained EVERYTHING. The waiter left and Jaye and I were laughing our butts off.

It’s not like we ordered Bloody Maries. It’s just Coke! Did they get it from their supplier in powder form or something? How do you mess that up?

- The orders took a long time to arrive. We observed the place and it wasn’t because there were plenty of customers and there were only a few waiters… it was a problem with efficiency. It’s like they don’t know the meaning of multi-tasking.

- We ordered the Bunch of Lunch which looked more like the bunch of Meriendas or bunch of appetizers. Just before Jaye could finish her sentence describing the Shakeys of old, I was already done with my spaghetti, mojos, pizza slice and was halfway done with my chicken.

- Don’t get me started with how long it took for the soda refills to come. Sabagay... Soda nga naman diba? (still doesn't make sense)

- We finished our meals and asked for the bill. The waiter acknowledged, ran off and was never heard from again. Another waiter passed and I asked for our bill. Again we never heard from that waiter again. We looked around and there were only a handful of customers left. Is their service really that bad or is the phrase “check please” in addition to drawing a rectangle with your thumb and pointer finger actually a voodoo spell that disintegrates waiters?

The Shakeys in this generation is completely different from the Shakeys a few years ago. The bunch of lunch before was really a BUNCH of lunch. I thank the Lord that I was able to experience such a meal before. Hold on, let’s recap. Problems with the current generation? Check. Complains a lot? Check. Balky knees? Check. An overly appreciation of the Lord? Check. I’m definitely old.

I rate this restaurant, 3 stale mojo potatoes.

Nagawa mo ba to?

1. kumakain ka ba ng aratilis?
Tried but I hated it. Aratilis (for me) is still the best ammo for my slingshot. My neighbor made aratilis shake which was gross. ewww....

2. nagpipitpit ng gumamela para gawing soapy bubbles na hihipan mo sa binilog na tanggkay ng walis tingting?
Yup, but instead of walis tingting we used the stem of a papaya leaf.

3. pinipilit ka ba matulog ng nanay mo pag hapon at di ka papayagan maglaro pag di ka natulog?
Or else daw hindi ako tataba... and now look what happened.

4. marunong ka magpatintero, saksak puso, langit-lupa, teleber-teleber, luksong tinik?
I loved patintero (I was our team's "patotot" - the vertical line guy). we had different teams with different "home courts" where we had different rules. Saksak puso is extremely familiar but I can't remember anything about it. Teleb what? Luksong tinik and luksong baka tried but I wasn't good at it (I sucked at anything that involved jumping)

5. malupit ka pag meron kang atari, family computer or s-nes?
Yup! I graduated family computer and moved on to Sega, PS1, PS2. I'm enjoying PS2 so far.

6. alam mo ang silbi ng up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, a, b, a, b, start?
30 lives in Contra 1. (and if you held down left select and A ata it was the sound edit version). It also gave you freebies in Gradius.

7. may mga damit ka na U.S.E.D., Boy London , Cross Colors, Esprit, Blowing Bubbles at pag nakakakita ka ng Bench na damit eh naalala mo si Richard Gomez ?
I had Boy London shorts before. Bench was automatically linked to Richard Gomez - anything Bench and anything related to rowing.

8. addict ka sa rainbow brite, carebears, my little pony,thundercats, bioman, voltes v, mazinger z, daimos, he-man at marami pang cartoons na hindi pa translated sa tagalog?
Yup! Those were the afternoon cartoons after arriving from school and while eating Nissin's Ramen.

9. nanonood ka ng shaider kasi nabobosohan mo si annie at type na type mo ang puting panty nya?
Really? I didn't know that.

Huy, nung isang beses red yung suot nya...well, that was what I heard.

10. marunong ka mag wordstar at nakahawak ka na talaga ng 5.25 na floppy disk?
Wordstar, Wordperfect and dBase. I was using Turbo C when I was 13. :)

11. inaabangan mo lagi ang batibot at akala mo magkakatuluyan si kuya bodgie at ate sienna... nung high school ka inaabangan mo lagi beverly hills 90210?
Yup! Took me a while to realize 90210 was the zip code.

12. gumagamit ka ng AQUANET para pataasin ang bangs mo?
N/A. I was always bald when I was young. I had aquanet in my bike to ward off dogs in case I was chased.

13. meron kang blouse na may padding kung babae ka at meron kang sapatos na mighty kid kung lalake ka?
I had mighty kid shoes and I would cross the velcros so it would look cool. I also had a pair of Kaypee shoes.

14. nangongolekta ka ng paper stationaries at mahilig ka magpa pirma sa slumbook mo para lang malaman mo kung sino ang crush ng type mo?
Slumbooks I loved signing though I didn't really keep one for myself. I had a filo and a trapper keeper though.

15. kilala mo si manang bola at ang sitsiritsit girls? e si ning-ning at ging-ging?
Batibot!

16. alam mo ibig sabihin ng time space warp at di mo makakalimutan ang time space warp chant?
Of course! It's funny that Shaider episodes ALWAYS end the same. He beats them up, monster has "surprise" powers and now beats up Shaider, Annie mabobosohan, Shaider gets the upper hand, calls his spaceship/gun and blasts the monster.

17. idol mo si McGyver at nanonood kang perfect strangers?
McGyver not much but I was a huge fan of cousin Larry and cousin Balky. Back in grade school I did the "dance of joy" with my best friend everyday. But I still don't know where myphos is.

18. eto malupet... six digits lang ba ang phone number nyo dati?
n/a. We lived in the mountains and we didn't have a phone that time.

19. nakakatawag ka pa sa pay phone ng 3 bentesingko lang ang dala?
Yup! That big red pay phone as described in that song.

20. cute pa si aiza seguerra sa eat bulaga at alam mo ang song na "eh kasi bata"?
Yup, she was still a girl then.

21. inabutan mo ba na ang Magnolia Chocolait eh nasa glass bottle pa na ginagawang lalagyan ng tubig ng nanay mo sa ref?
Yup! I would be devastated when mom would buy Magnolia Milk instead of Chocolait.

22. meron kang pencil case na maraming compartments na pinagyayabang mo sa mga kaklase mo?
Yup! I had 1, 2 and 3 pencils. I also had that pen with multiple colors but it drove my teacher nuts reading my essay in 50 colors.

23. noon mo pa hinahanap kung saan ang Goya Fun Factory?
Yea...

24. alam mo lyrics ng "tinapang bangus" at "alagang-alaga namin si puti"?
Tinapang bangus? nah. Alagang-alaga namin si puti I know only the chorus.

25. alam mo ang kantang "gloria labandera".. lumusong sha sa tubig ang paa ay nabasa at ang "1, 2, 3, asawa ni marie"... hehehehehe?
Araw gabi... (I don't know the rest of the song...)

26. sosyal ka pag may play-doh ka at Lego... at nag-iipon ka ng G.I. Joe action figures at iba pa ang mukha ni barbie noon?
I had GI Joe's. My brother got the lego's. I also collected Micro Machines and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures.

27. inabutan mo pa yung singkong korteng bulaklak at yung diyes na square?
Don't forget the 1 cent coin and the HUGE 1 peso coin.

28. lumaki kang bobo dahil ang akala mo nangangagat talaga ang alimango sa kantang tong-tong-tong. .. diba naninipit yun?
Yup, but it doesn't rhyme with "dagat". It think it falls under poetic license.

29. alam mo yung kwento ng pari na binigyan ng pera yung batang umakyat ng puno para bumili ng panty... and shempre, alam mo rin ba kung ano binigay nya sa nanay nung umakyat ng puno?
This one honestly I have no idea. Does anyone know this?

30. meron kang kabisadong kanta ni andrew e na alam mo hanggang ngayon.. aminin?
Ok ok ok I was a HUGE Andrew E fan. I have all the cassettes but my lyrics were all wrong because I got them from Songhits. I also watched his movies (for shame...)

31. laging lampin ang sinasapin sa likod mo pag pinapawisan ka?
Nah.

32. bumibili ka ng tarzan, texas at bazooka bubble gum... tira-tira, at yung kending bilog na sinawsaw sa asukal?
I even know the Bazooka Bubble Gum jingle and collected the comic strips that came with it. :P

33. takot ka dumating ang year 1999 dahil sabi nla magugunaw daw ang mundo?
I was already in IT by then and I knew all the technical details so I wasn't scared. :)

Tech Questions

I remember last year, Vince, my buddy from Chicago asked me where do files really go when they get deleted. I gave out a geeky answer but I wasn't sure (the files will still be in memory but they lose the pointers to it, making them blanks and unretrievable).

Here's a second question: what makes a mouse pointer move? Jaye sent me the answer here.

Try moving the pointer fast, slow then try clicking it. :P

Of Certifications, Ads and Things You Hear If You Just Listen

MCP x2

I passed my second Microsoft Certified Professional exam! I didn't sleep for days reading the MOC and was literally a zombie when I took the exam. The last time I felt like that was during my thesis days back in college. It was worth it and I even got a surprisingly high score given that this wasn't my specialization. (The test was about database administration, I specialize in performance optimization). 2 Down, 2 to go.

Why I don't appreciate some local television ads

Piolo is shown driving a European sports car. Angel, who's wearing a sexy top waits for him from her home. Piolo arrives and takes off his shirt while walking towards her. They play rock music in the background. Then they drink coffee? The ad is about coffee?

I know the ad is about a "light" coffee and they show a guy "dreaming" that he looked the same way Piolo does... but I still don't get it.

One more thing, how come when Piolo is on TV they ALWAYS find a way in the script for him to take off his shirt. "Ako po'y maglalakad papuntang paaralan... NAKOW!... may dumaan na mamang may dalang spaghetti, nadapa at tumapon sa shirt ko."

Nothing wrong as long as it doesn't involve cowboy hats

I was walking past the security guard here when I overheard another guard over his radio ask him "Kamusta ka naman diyan?" in a uhh... concerned voice. "Ok lang ako dito. Ikaw?" then he saw me and turned the radio down. Though somewhat awkward, I think it's sweet to know that our security forces here are BFF.

If I heard "why can't I quit you?", that would merit a full blog entry from me.

Of Monthsaries, Bowling balls and Happy Thoughts

Overtime work + bowling + dinner

Project team building? Nah, It's actually our agenda to celebrate our MONTHSARY! :D It was't like this is what we had in mind for our ideal date but with our workload that time, we didn't have much choice. It was a busy week but we refused to reschedule and celebrate it another day. Besides, we've been aching to go bowling for a looooong time.

So it's Jaye vs Arn. Sweet little Jaye against Herculian man Arn who outweighs her by... much! This had "NO CONTEST" all over it and pretty sure it would be over fast. We picked the lane, put on our shoes and picked our bowling balls. I even taught Jaye had to pick out a ball. Honestly, I wanted to keep the score close so as to not embarrass my honey.

We rolled the first frame and immediately I know I've been had. I'm your typical office guy bowler - no professional form, capable of hitting pins, no spins, occassional strike. Our first game was like watching Sanjaya beating the crap out of Batista. I would roll the ball and hit the 2 left most pins. Jaye would get a strike. I get 2 more pins and Jaye would shoot a spare.

No fair.

I even tried to imitate the guy beside me (who had a funny release) to no avail (went straight to the gutter). I tried teasing her and even surprised her after she released the ball and STILL rolled out a strike.

She won the first frame by a few points... Ok, ok she won by a lot more than that... Ok ok ok fine, the score was so bad that if there was a referree, he would have stopped it by the 3rd round and award a TKO victory to Jaye. She won by 55.

The second game started with Jaye rolling a gutter ball and walks back smiling at me. Yea right. I have a change in my strategy too since I know Jaye's weakness - she laughs a lot. The next few frames were more about me dancing in the lane, doing a Johhny Bravo flex after releasing the ball, basically just make a fool out of myself. With Jaye laughing all night, it kept the score close enough for me to pull an upset win in the end.

We wanted to bowl a third game but decided to have dinner instead. What a great night! It felt so good not to think about work for a few hours and just enjoy life.

It was really nice of Jaye not to embarrass her honey.

Happy monthsary!

Pacman Rides Again

The boxing event was named "Blaze of Glory": Manny Pacquiao vs Jorge Solis of Mexico. There was also a fight between some dude and whatshisname but I really didn't care.

Manny Pacquiao comes in as the favorite having defeated other notable Mexican boxers including two wins over Erik "Wala kang katulad Manny" Morales (who appeared in a San Miguel Beer commercial with Manny). The promoters made sure that people won't treat Jorge Solis as a pushover by building up on his undefeated 32 wins - 0 losses - 2 draws on 23 knockouts standing, his height advantage and his aggressive. The fight was last Sunday and that morning I was really really really really wishing for a result some Filipinos wanted.

A Pacman loss.

To those who didn't see that fight, Manny won by knocking Solis out in the 8th round. Ok ok ok Manny fans I get it. Before you throw at me your Surf detergent boxes, Chicken McDos, Alaxan and Circulan capsules, Datu Puti, Thunder energy drink, SMB and GSM bottles, Magnolia ice creams, Smart sim cards (ouch), Magic sings, Nike shirts and Darlington socks (yup, those are all his endorsement deals) hear me out first.

I'm a sports lover and I know what a Pacquiao win means to the country and I would have wanted Manny to win this fight...

but he chose to run for congress.

Despite strong advice from influential people he still went ahead and will probably continue to file as a candidate. He's exploiting a hole in our democracy about the influence of celebrities in politics. Manny Pacquiao, the greatest Filipino boxer. He already has that title. In his next match, if Juan Manuel Marquez beats the crap out of him he still holds that title. Don't taint it by going into politics, well at least not now. Wait until you've accomplished everything first but it's not a good idea to mix in politics while you're in your prime. Wait until Mexico declares you public enemy number 1.

In this match, we saw a careless Pacquiao play around in the first few rounds. If you have the "hopes of the nation" on your shoulder, focus on the fight! Was he stalling? More rounds mean more ads? Making the fight close to make it more entertaining? Was he acting as if he was giving his best, then get beat just a little then make a dramatic finish? Nah, I've seen clips of his movie with Mikey Arroyo and Manny can't act wet in the rain.

True enough Manny fought like a congressman in the first 5 rounds not even showing shades of the vicious Pacman who floored Morales and would've beaten his entire corner if he wanted to. Manny was head butted opening a bloody cut on his left eye. From then on he turned it up a notch, going berserk and finally knocking Solis out. Manny wins. Solis humbled. Crowd cheers. Filipinos give the people's champion a pat on the back then immediately comment "What the heck was that?!?". Despite Manny winning the match, it was a big disappointment. They didn't like the way Manny handled this fight. It seems that not all Filipinos now are automatic Pacman fans. Remember during the Morales fight when people would chant "Mejico" then it would be drowned out by stronger chants of "MANNY! MANNY!"? This time there was something off as not all Filipinos are on his side. Did you see the battle of Cebu event last February? He was booed as if he was a Yankees fan at Fenway Park.

How about the prefight press conference of "Blaze of Glory"?

Fernando Beltran, Solis' promoter said "Solis is undefeated and he doesn't know how to lose. He is a two-time national champion in a great, great weight class. I really believe Solis will shock The Philippines and the world. Mexico will be very proud of its champion on Saturday night."

Jorge Solis said "When I heard that I was fighting Manny Pacquiao in the main event on pay-per-view I got so excited I started jumping up and down. I couldn't sleep - not scared - but because of the excitement of it all. I came to San Antonio to win. As the saying goes in my hometown, I am taking home all of the marbles. I hold the pride of Mexico in my two fists. Manny's winning streak over my countrymen will end Saturday night. Be ready Manny, no excuses!"

Both statements were cocky but these are what you expect from a pre fight interview. Both predict a Solis victory and they say Filipinos should be prepared for a shocker.

Justin Fortune, Manny's conditioning trainer said "We never underestimate an opponent. But a physically fit and strong Manny Pacquiao is impossible to beat, and Jorge Solis, you can call this fight Mission Impossible."

There you go! They say Mexico will win, tell them to dream on. Now what did Manny say?

Manny said "I know my opponent Jorge Solis has worked hard and is determined to win. This will be a great fight for both of us, both of our countries and all of our fans. But there can only be one winner and I have every intention of leaving the ring the way I came in -- as champion."

Ok... he says Jorge is good, everyone will have a good time but he intends on leaving as the winner.

Eh?

This is a pre fight interview! There's no need to use safe words! Tell him you'll punch his face so hard such that it will bend all around over to his ass where he'll drive a burrito and a San Miguel beer bottle all the way up!


Pacquiao vs Morales. Now THAT's an intimidating pose. Frown and flex!


Pacquiao vs Solis. Ugh. I could've sworn they were dating.

My point is it's obvious that Filipinos hate politicians A LOT. Manny turning congressman is a bad move as they hate Congressman Manny more than Boxing Hero Manny. Come on, we're not dumb. Are we telling the world that a boxer, who is known to be fond of parties, bars, billiard playing and women has enough political knowledge and experience to be congressman in the Philippines?

I wished Manny would have a controversial loss - illegal gloves, Solis is really Evander Holyfield and the judges are really Barrera, Marquez and Morales in costume (ala Scooby doo) or probably something like WWE where Pacquiao is already winning but Stone cold comes in and gives him a Stone Cold Stunner.

I was rooting a Pacman loss hoping that this will finally put an end on his current congressional plans. A Manny win will somewhat seal his victory in the upcoming elections. Manny's corner predicted a Pacman victory. Solis' corder predicted disappointment for Filipinos.

Both sides were right.

From New York to Paris

How do you get from New York, NY to Paris, France? I found an interesting answer in Google:

1. Go to http://maps.google.com
2. Enter "new york, ny to paris, france" to get driving directions.
3. Scroll down to step number 23. ayos no? :P

Best Wishes to Ai and Ferdie!

Wishing you both a lifetime of everlasting love and happiness! Congratulations!

Taal Adventure

Mom and dad were bored one morning and asked me to take them somewhere they have never been to and do something they have never done before. I wanted to bring them to Circles (a posh restaurant in Makati) for dinner but I don’t think they would find that funny (‘cause we’ll be eating instant noodles for the next few weeks after we pay the bill).

Actually my mom hinted days ago that the Taal crater was interesting (which translated to “Take us there or I’ll cook nothing but vegetables for the next 8 weeks). That morning, mom packed some food and dad donned his “go everywhere” look while I prepped my cameras and my iPod. Hey, I was pretty bored myself.

We loaded up the family car and headed out. A few blocks away from our house, mom and dad asked where I will be taking them. I told them “Taal Crater”. Mom had that “You better” look while dad had “oh crap” written all over his face.

Travel time from the house to the Taal volcano usually takes 3 hours by car. Given the speedster that I am, I was able to shave off one whole hour, reaching the Talisay, Batangas in only 2 hours. I don’t drive crazy. I drive fast but never crazy.

Upon reaching Talisay, we were hounded by these annoying people trying to lure us into their resort. I was driving around the shoreline with 2 guys following me around on a scooter. Grrr… I wanted to run them over. From Talisay we took a boat to Taal volcano and immediately our guide informed us that the real taal volcano is not what is always shown in postcards. The real volcano is the one with the lake inside it and not the mountain which is the most visible thing from Tagaytay.

I enjoyed the dinky boat ride. I had salt water in my hair changing my hairdo from the lego-man hairdo to a full afro. I should’ve brought my cap *groan*. From the Taal shore, we “had” to ride a horse all the way up to the crater.

I’ve never ridden a horse before. Back when I was a kid, horses freaked the hell out of me. I refused to ride horses when we would go to Baguio. I didn’t even ride carousels until high school but I didn’t travel all the way to a volcano just to let a four legged beast scare the crap out of me again.

I ended up with a brown horsie who was ticked off when he saw that he ended up taking a fatso all the way up the hill. I know squat about riding horses and I had to learn everything on how to control it in a span of 15 minutes while we were still on level ground because after that, it’s all uphill for me (or him). It was an exciting moment for me when I found out that the horse goes to the direction where you pull the reins and runs when you kick them gently with your heels. It was a terrifying moment when I found out that he sprints full speed when hit their behinds with a stick. Good thing I was able to find the steering wheel, gas pedal and nitrous oxide... where's the seatbelt? Going uphill felt terrible as “Cast Iron Sports Cup” was automatically added to my To Buy list. (ouch)

The crater was beautiful as I brought out my camera. Funny how I was geared up like Rambo. I have my primary camera (my DSLR) around my neck. I have my secondary camera (my Canon Ixus) as my sidearm in a pouch attached to my belt and I have my tertiary camera (my phone) with a grand total of 5 spare batteries.

Taal Volcano Island. The big thing on the right is what we always see from Tagaytay but that's NOT the volcano crater itself. The crater's on the left.

My smartass horse... and he's eating ants?

A tree in the crater.

The crater. Dad tried to explain to me the chemical components of the water in the lake and I fell asleep instantly.

The lake in the volcano.

The boat we rode to and from Taal Volcano

Going down with Mr. Horsie was worse. I didn’t know if he would slip or fall because we were going down the hill on a 45 degree angle. I was shouting “Ingat! May bato! May bato sa kaliwa!” hoping the beast knows Tagalog. There was a scary moment when he stopped by a cliff and looked down. I started shouting “Huwag!!! Huwag!!! Doon tayo dumaan! Wag diyan!” and I didn’t know that there was a small group of people behind me who started laughing and taking my picture. I also notice that the island had so many Korean visitors which divided up the tour guides into two groups: the happy ones were the ones who ended up touring the young pretty Korean women while the grouchy ones were the ones who ended up touring their parents and their brothers / boyfriends.

At the bottom of the hill, I was glad to be off the horse. We took the same boat going home, ate and went home. I was sore all over. Was it worth it? While we were on our way home mom and dad were happily smiling knowing that they had a great time and it wasn’t a boring day where they would watch American Idol reruns all day. Yea, I think it was worth it. =)

It’s still a funny thought that mom and dad got bored and their son brought them to a volcano crater.

March was for the Penguins

Not the best month so far.

- March has been the most expensive month for me so far even eclipsing my expenses last December.

- March had my single most expensive transaction for the year.

- March was my busiest month in terms of workload as I am the newly appointed lead for both the online (web) and backend (sql) team. I tried reading some stuff to upgrade my VB 6 skills to .Net and I blew my brains out. (Koya Kiko!!! help!!!)

- I had no vacations for March. There was a day when I missed work but ended up working in the afternoon at home.

- The most days in the month where I was injured and couldn't play basketball. I had an assortment of small injuries ranging from plantar fasciitis, knee pain, calf pain etc...

Good thing it's already April! Go Bosawx! :D

Random Thoughts 2

Hey Mickey you're so fine, you're so... hey, you're not Mickey

Did you see the music video for Avril's new single "Girlfriend"? What happened?!? A few years ago, Britney was the dancing and "singing" (It was either Brit singing or someone starting her car) teen icon and Avril was the Anti-britney rocker girl. Now Avril is the new Britney? and Britney looks like Mrs. Potato Head?

Probably a last minute substitute

I watched the Gerry Penalosa fight a few weeks ago and I must say the fight commentator was terrible. I'm not saying it was like that because she was a woman but because I believe commentators should know how the sport is played and the common terms used.

"At itong si Gerry ay natatamaan ng mga suntok at ayun! ayun! nakasuntok siya! Ay! Ay! Natatamaan naman siya ngayon! Ay! Ayun! Sapul! Nakabawi siya!"... and it went on for an hour like this.

Too many Booboys

One morning, I was listening to Chico and Delamar's Morning Rush when I heard an top ten entry sent by Booboy The Clown.

Booboy the clown? I only know Booboy the clown.

When I arrived at the office, I confirmed that it was indeed Allan who was laughing that I was able to make the quick connection (He sang and danced "Send in the Clowns" during the CIO Idol back in Chicago)

The Countdown to August

It will probably be the best month of the year (second only to May). =)

Not Listening to Sexy Rexy?

Someone sent an email asking what I meant by "EOP" in my other post. It stands for English Only Pilipinos. Yea, you know what I'm talking about dude!

Jinxing Rob and Amber

Last time, I mentioned that my team for the Amazing Race: All Stars is Rob and Amber and after I posted it, they were eliminated because of a freak mistake. Funny that Mirna called Amber a b*tch. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

My prediction on who will be out next: Joe and Bill.

3 out of 4

I picked out the Final Four for this year to be: Florida, UCLA, North Carolina and Ohio State. I missed only by one (North Carolina lost to Georgetown in the Elite Eight). Dang, I should've made a bet with somebody.

The Holy Cows

My precious basketball team which is on a tear right now after winning 18 straight games in the regular season! I have a non-bearing game right now as I'm alone in first place with a 19-2 record. That's for the myScheduling league though. For the CIO league, I lost the top spot and is struggling just to hold on to #2. Get well Dwyane! Don't worry, I don't blame you (too much).

I also have another team called "Scrambled Eggs" which is a low seed in the playoffs. I think i got eliminated this morning. :-/

300

I heard from my friends it's really good. I read Gwenny's and Enzo's reviews (hey they won't blog about it if it ain't any good right?). Last week, I dragged Jaye to watch it. She asked if it was a violent and bloody movie and I think I said, "just a little". Yup, like I'm a "little" chubby. :P Sorry honey, next time we'll watch something less bloody. :P

You probably read so many reviews and comments about it already so I'll say that it's really good and stop right there. Don't wanna bore you all :P

That night, I reached under the boxes in my room to get my weights (I want an 8 pack too!) but found nothing but dust bunnies (eeewww). Where'd go? My bro who watched the movie earlier took it. grrrrr...

Fight or Flight

The fight-or-flight response, also called the acute stress response, was first described by Walter Cannon in 1927. His theory states that animals react to threats with a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system, priming the animal for fighting or fleeing.

We all have our own fears, problems and concerns probably related to work, family, money, love, friends or all of the above. It can be trivial or crucial, simple or complicated, generic or specific. I believe everyone runs away from something. We may not admit it but we do. Running away from an overwhelmingly difficult challenge, from tremendous pressure or from the inevitable.

I have been running away for a long time now, strong enough just to keep my head above water. One day, I stopped and felt how tiring it was to live like this. I grew. I changed. I overhauled my life and decided no more running. I started to fight back.

No more running.

I realized that it's a new era in my life since a few months ago. I've already turned my life around half way for the better and I've never been this strong and happy. Time to take it all the way.

All the way around.

Thanks Jaye. :)

Thanks Jaye for the love you're sharing with me, for your patience and understanding and for letting Arnold be Arnold.

Mass Transit Day 3

One thing I know about myself - I adapt fast.

On the third day I was already able to develop a routine as I was at the LRT station early and for the second straight day I was able to avoid the MRT rush by arriving just in time for the empty train which I just found out arrives at 7:00am. I was at the office in record time and I didn't look harrassed despite being crunched by the MRT doors. (ouch!)

My trip home was more interesting. After work, I rushed out of the office and into the MRT station where people were boxing out the yellow markers where the train doors would align. Let's see, on day 1, I was able to board on the 3rd train while on day 2 I was able to board the 8th train. On this day, I was able to board the first train that arrived despite all the people blocking off the train entrance. The doors opened and a guy was getting off. While he was pushing people out of the way while in the train, he blocked off the people who were getting in with me alone on the other side. Once he stepped off, this thin man pushed me off so he can get into the train.

Simple physics. A thin man pushing off a fat man. What will happen?

The guy pushed off me, was knocked back and hit the crowd behind him blocking them all off. I was still standing still. I boarded the train and didn't have to push anyone. From the MRT I ran to the LRT station while talking to Jaye (who told me NOT to use my phone in Cubao) and quickly boarded the next available train. At my stop, I positioned myself right in front of the door so that I can get a headstart and avoid the rush by doing a jackrabbit sprint. I was out and greeted by a huge crowd that took 3 of the 4 highway lanes. What was this, another rally? There were no waiting jeeps or any other public utility vehicle. A jeep would come by, drop off a passenger and people would do "sabit" (hanging from the jeepney's entrance which is now prohibited by law).

Here's another interesting thing last night. People were constantly fanning and moving like one of those party shows on MTV. Suddenly, something hit my eye and it itched terribly. What was going on?!? A 10 wheeler truck with huge headlights passed and lit the entire area and I saw lots (and I do mean LOTS) of fluttering things in the air. Argh! Insects! Not sure what they were (I'm no Gil Grissom) but they were huge and they were EVERYWHERE. I now remembered that there was a creek just beside the highway and it was probably hatching season or something. Now comes the funny part, jeepneys would constantly stop at this one area where incidentally there was a high concentration of those flying things. I found out about this when an empty jeep parked there, I ran to it and was swarmed by these insects making me run back. Another empty jeep passed by but I couldn't board it because I was laughing at this sequence.

Around 20 people would be standing in the lightly insect infested area. A jeep would stop at the highly infested area dropping off one or two passengers. Twenty people would run to the jeep while waving their arms wildly. One would be able to board while 19 would run back to the lightly infested area still flinging their arms around while shouting and shrieking (and coughing).

That was F-U-N-N-Y!

After a few more minutes a jeep stopped and dropped off a passenger in front of me. I grabbed the side bars and did my spiderman swing (like the one I did yesterday) only this time, someone was also boarding the same jeepney. I (inadvertently) gave him a flying kick sending him down to the asphalt before landing on the jeep's entrance. The jeep sped off before he could even say anything.

The song playing from the jeepney's sound system? The theme from Mission Impossible "Take a Look Around" by Limp Bizkit.

Mass Transit Day 2

One day older, one day smarter.

I woke up doing the same routine and left the house 10 minutes earlier (as if that will make a difference). I was walking to the main road near our house to wait for a trike and passed by my friend Bing's house who was prepping her car on her way to work. A quick "Hi-Hello-Musta-Ok lang kaw?- ok lang din" conversation and off I went. Five minutes later at the main road Bing drove by, pulled over and offered to drive me to the LRT station. Cool! Another friend who I haven't talked to for a long time.

The LRT was kinda packed which was unusual at this time. When the train stopped at one of the station, this lady came in and just crowded me. Hey, fair game right? When the train arrived at my stop, the doors opened and she was blocking my way. I said "excuse", she just looked and didn't move. I said please move or I might hurt you if I bump you. All I got was a stare. Ten seconds later, no more mr. nice guy, I bulldozed my way to the door ramming the lady into a pole just in time before the door closed. She was saying something and I only had that "told ya so" look. I didn't mean to be rude and I know being rude to a person who was being rude in the first place isn't right but hey, I warned her.

One of the things I learned yesterday, pushing and shoving are just plain rude but in this place, no blood no foul. Everyone's aggressive and you will push and be pushed no matter who you are.

On to the MRT station and it was still hell but this time, I would be the devil.

A ultra jampacked train came and people still tried to enter. People from behind were pushing. I was pushing everyone in front of me. Hey the guy behind me was pushing me too! No one got on until probably the 4th train which was freakishly empty. It's an empty car! The gloves came off and I saw people pushing and elbow their way in. Pure madness. When the train arrived at my stop (I know now where the doors would open), I stepped out and I looked harrassed.

The session was boring and I heard my 234th computer joke of the week. Ugh.

After 9 agonizing hours, Gezelle was still teaching and Carla was still checked her mail so it was off to station with Alex, Jaye's project mate. My card was rejected upon entry (maybe because I inserted it too early?) and had to take it to the admin office. I told Alex to go on without me. Down at the platform, it was a lot more crowded than yesterday. =S I saw Carla and Cesar (a new friend from People Support) waiting. People were clearly frustrated because the trains would always arrive full with only 1 or 2 passengers able to enter. The old man beside me was furious. The guys behind me would just laughed it off. A train would stop, we would push everyone inside the train then step back and start laughing. Hahahaha bunch of jerks! Finally a train stopped with 10 people dropping off and all of us practically stormed inside. They pushed everyone out of the way forcing them further into the car while laughing.

I arrived at my MRT station and walked to the LRT station while texting Jaye telling her that I was still in one piece. I ran towards the stairs just in time before the train left. In the LRT station, instead of taking one of those jeeps waiting in a corner for passengers, I took the risk and went on to the main road and looked for a jeep was already on its way to my place. A jeep slowed down just a bit and while it was still moving, I ran to the back, grabbed the handle bars which swung me across the right brakelight and landed perfectly on the entrance with 8 bucks on hand and instanteneously said "bayad o". The guy inside said "galing nun a, parang spiderman." with a smile.