Work Hard, Play Harder

Traffic stress therapy

2009-11-07T02:35:00.002+08:00

On your way home and stuck in heavy traffic at night? Instead of ranting and bursting, try tuning in to those radio stations where they involve callers and texters on their programs. All time favorite pa rin syempre si Mr. Fu. -- he's a classic pagdating sa mga bading hirits!

New discoveries courtesy of my loose car battery (battery got disconnected, zero power supply on the stereo, ergo memory of my favorite FM stations got erased, and to quickly get back radio signal have to use the auto-search signal function). Auto-search led me to shows of Papa Jack (f_ta alias pa lang ulam na) and another DJ named Papa Dom (or Dong?). Sorry forgot the names of the stations (walang kwenta, nagbanggit pa ako haha!).

I guarantee you wouldn't want to get out of your car even when you're already parked at home and they're still talking.

Am I back blogging? Nah!

See you in another 7 months haha!

That's over 7 months from my last post

2009-11-07T02:34:00.001+08:00

Am I back blogging?

Don't think so haha!

7 Months to the Big Day

2009-11-07T02:32:00.000+08:00

Ang tagal!

Wolfgang + Razorback = ?

2009-03-21T00:24:00.006+08:00

I don’t know! Hahaha!

What can I say? Three hours of their combined performances seem to have flied so quickly. Sobrang sakit ng ulo ko when we entered Music Museum. By the time Razorback played their first song to the time to the finale of Wolfgang, I didn’t feel anything. When we stepped out, there was the pain again.

Need I say more?

Those guys are gods, man. They played good stuff all night – and, take note, all of those songs were original compositions.
I managed to take a shot of Razorback on my phone cam from where we seated. Papang papa kasi si Basti, I forgot to take pics of Wolfgang while they were performing. Ahahay tita!

This is us on our way back to parking lot (syempre from the office, I had to change to a costume that fits the occasion) – Sabel and I were talking that the money spent was all worth it (We were aiming for the cheaper tickets but those were sold out by the time we were buying). And I’m so glad that Sabel got the time of her life seeing her idols perform live. Muntik na ko magselos kung paano sya sumigaw cheering for Basti, Manuel, Mon and the bassist of Razorback (forgot the name).

And yes, Tirso Ripoll, I believe, was the soul of the evening. Very very cool guitar man. He brought new twists on some of the songs of Wolfgang when he jammed with them on about 5 songs. I love you, pare! Hahaha!

Congrats BABY JULIANNE!!!

2009-03-17T08:51:00.001+08:00

BIG BIG KISSES and HUGS to my niece - Julianne - who is graduating from Junior Kindergarten today.

She is getting the highest honors (gold medals) in READING, LANGUAGE and MATH.

She is also bringing home the bronze for PENMANSHIP (mana daw sa Lolo at sa Tito nyahaha!)

For all of these, she is on top of the whole Junior Kindergarten in Holy Spirit Child Development Center.

Julianne is a promising ballerina - which I hope she can pursue when she joins STC next school year.

And did I not mention that she was also the champion in their school's singing contest?

Congrats Baby Girl! You made us all proud!!!

Bicycles in EDSA? No Way! YES WAY!!!

2009-03-16T21:25:00.003+08:00

The schedule of the 11th Tour of the Fireflies is out. And yes, it's after April 15 wohoo!!!

And from the words of one of the organizers "We're doing EDSA baby!!!"

Can't wait! Got to register!!!

Wolfgang babeh! Isama mo na rin Razorback wohoo!

2009-03-15T13:56:00.004+08:00

We were just too lucky to get today the 2 of the 5 remaining best seats for the Wolfgang and Razorback concert this coming Thursday.

I've was a big fan of Wolfgang when my brother bought their first album over a decade ago. Somehow, I lost track of the band and I am just so glad to learn that they are still together. Their killer melodies topped with Basti's powerful voice is just perfect. And oh, with Razorback on the side, the stage will be burning!

And yes, with their good looks I'm afraid Sabel is an even bigger fan =)

First it was M Francis

2009-03-06T13:18:00.001+08:00

Now it's Francis M!

Kinda hard to predict who's next.

Kung sinuswerte nga naman - Part 2

2009-02-22T22:14:00.000+08:00

Another solo spinning in UP. Si Gary Granada ata to. Kawawa naman dahil may suot syang brace on the neck while performing. Medyo folk and country ang dating, not really my type of music. But I stayed on, dahil entertaining ang lyrics and there's some form of subversion between the lines. I don't know, napalalim lang ata interpretation ko sa kinakanta nya.

Pag sinuswerte nga naman

2009-02-15T23:07:00.001+08:00

Did some spinning alone in UP this afternoon and got a treat of free performance from Radioactive Sago Project. Sarap talaga ng libre!

I learned that UP is showcasing 4 homegrown musicians for the month of February and this project is on its 3rd week already. Have to be back same time next week.

Sad News: Mike Francis Ceases to Be

2009-02-02T17:57:00.004+08:00

Just read this on Inquirer.net

80s pop icon Mike Francis dead
By Gerry PlazaINQUIRER.netFirst Posted 03:41:00 MANILA, Philippines—

Mike Francis, international pop sensation in the 1980s passed away Friday due to a lingering illness. He was 47.

The Florence-born Francis, or Francesco Puccioni, had been particularly a favorite in Manila with his name figuring in the top acts during the heydays of electronic pop from 1985-1987, with such hits as “Friends” with Ami Stewart, “Survivor” with Belen Thomas, and his stirring solo “Let Me In.”

His only live album, “Mike Francis Live in Manila” that featured his highly successful 1989 gig at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, proves how his music was well-received in the country.

A greatest hits compilation, “The Very Best of Mike Francis” featuring a mix of his Italian and English hits, was released seven days before his death in Italy.

All Work and No Play Makes JR a Dull Boy

2009-01-26T20:48:00.003+08:00

Yun lang.

Been working 7 days a week for the last 2 weeks.

I feel so heavy (as if I have not been heavy).

Got to find time...

I'm Alive!

2008-12-26T02:11:00.000+08:00

Yes, I'm still here!

Merry Christmas!

Poster Shot

2008-08-11T20:56:00.004+08:00

The sun, the sea, the sand, the road, the mountain, the bike... priceless!

Bakasyon Grande

2008-08-05T21:14:00.000+08:00

I'm off to a two-week vacation to my hometown Pagudpud.

Just too LAZY to write, so I'm officially converting this into a photoblog in the meantime.

Bike off the bag

I just came from an 11-hour bus trip, slept for about two hours after breakfast and I was on the saddle by 1:30 PM (adik!)

Passed by this lonely highway. Concrete had to be torn down and was still to be replaced.

This is my first day so I didn't go far, warm-up ride lang for the day. This area has always been my fave spot (perfect place to rest and take a leak), so I had to make sure I had to reach this.

But then, parang bitin, so on my way home I had to take a side trip to Saud to check on our famous beach.

Weather was not so good. Waves were high. No swimmers around. But look, the Philippines only (?) wind power turbines can still be seen from here.

Logged 22.93 kms today.

Sa Mga Nag-React!

2008-07-22T23:53:00.002+08:00

I can't help it. Admittedly, that was a truly mushy post.

By the way, today is her nth birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SABEL!

You're stunning!

2008-07-21T01:00:00.004+08:00

We had dinner in our favorite Chinese restaurant tonight. As we were walking towards the carpark, I glanced at your face and realized how gorgeous you really are. I kissed your cheeks 10 times. There was you, unmindful of what was running on my mind.

Uhm, ahh

2008-07-21T00:52:00.003+08:00

I was required to attend a training last week. It is called "Instructor Skills Training Workshop". As part of the workshop, we were made to lecture on a topic before the group for 10 minutes. Guess what, I was the top of the class... the one who said the most "uhms and ahhs" while speaking. My official score: 64! That's uhm over 6 per minute... ahh 1 for every 10 seconds. Xet!

I Saw The Sign

2008-06-17T22:25:00.000+08:00

Parang kilala ko kung sino mga nag-aral dito...

with flying colors!

(Somewhere in Antipolo)

Wawa Naman U (The First Wawa Ride)

2008-06-09T01:47:00.009+08:00

This actually happened two weekends ago. Since Paul, our "trails master" is due to leave for NZ in July, we are taking full advantage of the the remaining days he's with us to bring us to those epic ride destinations.

We parked our cars at Chow King - San Mateo. From there it is about 15 kms. of paved road ride before reaching the dirts.

Upon getting off-road, the real fun begins. Wawa is a favorite destination for some tourists and photographers. And who wouldn't love this place? It is a majestic site to behold while crawling on the side of the mountains of Montalban and trying not to fall on the cliff where the great Wawa river runs.

In Paul's own words, this was the Katipuneros' lair during the first and second world war -- it was a perfect entry and exit points by our heroic grandfathers to and from Manila and Northern Luzon. If I heard it right, this was also a hideaway by the Japanese when they were being overrun by the Filipino and American soldiers at the conclusion of the war.

The place is likewise the setting of the famous folklore on Bernardo Carpio. Remember the character trapped between two boulders and with his extraordinary strength was trying to prevent both boulders from crushing him? He is the Filipino version of Hercules. There is a rock formation resembling the feet of Bernardo Carpio but, sadly, we couldn't locate it.

In more recent history, the area was the birth of Philippine rock climbing. The boulders are a perfect site for the sport.

River was mocha-brown due to the recent rains

Mountain of limestone. Spot the caves. These probably were the site of our Lolo Katipuneros' underground assemblies.

Those boulders are HUGE!
A tunnel!

Another view of the other mountain. Now the caves can be clearly seen.

Forgot to mention: the Americans planned to put up a water system here and this explains why the Wawa Dam exists. This structure is as old as history. 9.11.1908 -- it is about to turn a century old this coming September!

Solo muna.
But wait, there's more!

Local folk warned us of the dangers brought about by the recent heavy rains.
Amoy alak sya, but we appreciated the caveat.

A hanging bridge. Panalo talaga sa posing si Joel!

OK, I admit, I made this my phone's wallpaper!
Action shot! And I thought I have this fear of heights.
Wawa Dam. Poor guy nearly drowned in admiration

After crossing the bridge.
Now closer to the dam.

We had to walk... better safe than sorry.
Finally reached the dam.
Biking further, this was the end of the trail for us.
Water level was high and we couldn't cross the river.

Kaya picture picture na laang.

Kunwari tatawid gamit ang bangka.

We crossed the river, by the way.
But through a side trip and via another hanging bridge.
See how narrow this bridge is.

Overall, the ride was moderate. There was not much climb to worry about. In other words pasyal-pasyal lang... you can do this trip kahit puyat. The locals are friendly, as well.

This ride was made even more memorable by a minor sprain on my left ankle. I was falling from my bike and I made the mistake of landing my left foot on a hole. And AWW, I even heard the crackling sound on the ankle joint. I had to thank Jesus it wasn't that serious. The pain while riding back to San Mateo was all worth it.

Licao Licao Finally!

2008-05-18T23:57:00.010+08:00

This was one of my biggest frustrations last year. It was the first day of the All Saints' Day long weekend. I woke up at 5:00, all set with my bike, my gear, my tools, my trail food and drinks. When I was at Shell Commonwealth at around 6:30 AM to meet my riding buddies. It was too late when I realized that I left the key inside my locked car - with the engine running. I had to bail out from the scheduled ride and let the group go ahead to the trails.

God had other plans for me on that day. His plans were: I have to take cab, get the duplicate key at home, head back to Shell Commonwealth, and drive back home convincing myself that it was just not my day.

Yes, folks, the destination was Licao Licao.

But last Saturday, I had to bear that painful lesson in mind. I made sure the duplicate was with me just in case that stupidity would happen again.

At last, the spell was broken.

We met up at UP at around 6:30 AM then headed to our jump-off point. We reached San Jose Del Monte in about 40 minutes minutes. We were on the saddle before we the clock hit 8.

Weather was excellent so there was no rush to get back to our base before noon. While typhoon Cosme was pounding Zambales, it was generally windy and, more importantly, dark clouds blocked the scorching heat of the sun. Occasional drizzle was always a welcome refresher.

Licao Licao is by far the trail where I easily fell in love with. Too bad this one came six months later. Lots of single tracks, endless variation of climbs and descents (my heart rate shoot up at 240 bpm again - not sure if it was due to a difficult climb or a scary descent) and, best of all, rare romance with virgin nature =)

Heavy rains for a number of days made the trails unusually muddy - but well, it adds up to the challenge and experience. I'm sure it is another story when the trails are dry.

There are magnificent views of the nearby mountains and at some points a glimpse of Montalban/Maarat. The locals are generally nice as well - a biker's smile and greetings are usually reciprocated.

So much for the words, the pictures tell a better story. Click on the images to enlarge.

We parked at a vacant lot near the road

I went ahead and pedaled to death not knowing that Jowell had a flat tire.
Took these shots while waiting and wondering what happened to the three.

These are the only action shots I was
able to take (lagi kasing kulelat).

Pauls turn to have a flat tire.

Tulong kunwari.

A glimpse of where we came from.

Leny having a bike problem this time.

Jowell thinks kulang pa rin hangin ang goma.

Always tempting to strike a pose.

Scenic daw dito, so we stopped for some posterity shots.

Tabi muna at may tatawid na kalabaw - a true blue 4x4 transportation.

One of those single tracks. One needs to wear an eye protector here as
tall grasses can hit one's eyes (or is it the other way around?).

Syempre ako naman.
Yellow and red amid the greens.
There was a river to cross. We took the time to wash away the pounds
of dirt and mud - on the bike and on the rider.

Malungkot si Leny.
Pormang jumejerbak.

"Miss ko na asawa ko."

My saddle loosened. Wondering if I am that heavy... (syet).

I heart Licao Licao!

And that was the lost shot.
My main problem from then on was to finish the rest of the adventure,
taking pictures was already the least of my concern.

We were done by 2:30 PM. We drove straight to Katipunan to claim our reward:
SISIG at Katips!

Ilocano 101

2008-05-10T21:35:00.003+08:00

Classic Ilocano 101 namin ng kaibigan kong si Rommel (God bless you, bro, wherever you are. Magparamdam ka naman pag nasa Pinas ka.). Latest addition ko yung last word.

ILOCANO = TAGALOG

Utong – Sitaw
Pukis – Gupit (sa buhok)
Bayag – Mabagal
Suso – Puso ng saging

EXAMPLE:
Nakabaybayag dyay agpukpukis ta nangan ti utong ken suso.

TRANSLATION:

Napakabagal ng barbero dahil kumain ng sitaw at puso ng saging.

Monterey Part III

2008-05-10T20:34:00.006+08:00

Had my first official post-busy season ride with two of the ladies of X-SPI Mtbikers this morning. Pangkondisyon for the month of May kaya medyo light route lang (light nga ba?). Syempre being out of the saddle for a while, I ate their dust from start to finish.

Destination was the hills Monterey and a bit of a tour to the the beautiful city of Marikina para bumili ng puto sa Rocha’s. Their putos are heavenly.

This was my third trip to Monterey. It’s a short 7+kilometer ride from Jowell’s house (where we assembled). Yes, it’s a short ride but the climbs are too damn STEEP! My HRM stats (back and forth) say I had an average heart rate of 148 beats per minute (bpm) and, read this, my peak was 240 bpm! Lack of real physical activities for the past months really took a toll on me.

Syempre di mawawala ang photo ops. No action shots though, puro vanity shots lang sa rest areas. Click on the pics to enlarge.

Pink ladies praying for power before the climb

Leny's Korean/Japanese pose

Pa-cute (Pilit na ngiti ng laspag)

Eastwood and Ortigas skylines (Makati shadowed by smog)

Once more with feelings

Leny musing kung paano nya kakayanin bumalik

Naisip na nya siguro

Look-alike daw nya si Antonio Banderas

Never underestimate this Princess, he can hurdle Antipolo and Monterey by lunchtime.

Walang magrereklamo, blog ko to!

In times like these, the best refuge is under a tree.

Last solo pic ko na to promise.

10th Tour of the Fireflies

2008-04-22T13:11:00.021+08:00

The statement was heard! We made it to the front pages of the major dailies!

Hanapin nyo ako dyan:

Philippine Star, April 21, 2008

Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 21, 2008

Hehehe eto pala ako:
The Tour of the Fireflies is now on its 10th year. Here’s a brief from the TOF website:

The Tour of the Fireflies (ToF) is an annual 50-km bicycle ride through seven cities to promote the use of the bicycle as an alternative means of transportation that is cheap, efficient, environmentally sensible and good for one’s health.

This year, synchronized bicycle rides in Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Baguio, and Tarlac are being organized by supporters to drum up more support for sustainable transportation and livable communities.

When: April 20, 2008, SUNDAY
Early registration starts at 5.30 am

Start: 7 am
End: 12 nn - Short awarding ceremonies follow

Where:

In Manila:
Starts and end at Tiendesitas. Pasig
The colorful mardi gras on wheels for clean air will go through through the cities of: Pasig, Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasay, Manila, Quezon City, Marikina.

Malalakas talaga ang dasal ng mga padyakero. The weather was very cooperative, it was mostly cloudy. The most challenging part came only when we were along Roxas Boulevard and along Libis where clouds were not there to block the scorching heat of the sun. Pero HEAVEN when we would pass by the firetrucks giving us spray of cold and fresh water. My cyclometer registered total of 50 kms including my trip from Metrowalk and back. Eto matindi according to my hear rate monitor: I burned 5,379 kilometers in the process! WHOA pag araw araw pala ganito mahihiya itabi ni Mark Nelson ang abs nya sa akin hehe…

Here are some shots taken from my phone camera.

Before the Julia Vargas Avenue climb…

A participant for the best earth-friendly costume…

Wave of blue jerseys grinding towards Ortigas Center…

20 kms later, a stop at Quirino Grandstand. Leny about to munch “nilagang itlog”…

Jowell and his yellow mountain bike with matching yellow water bottle…

theoverweightcyclist living up to his name (looking wasted)…

We had a brief stop at 7-11 along Timog to grab Gatorade. Hmm saan kaya nakatingin si Jowell?

Let me look closer… AYUN!

HAHA! Peace Jowell! Pero bakit nga ba nakalabas dila mo?

Next stop at QC Memorial Circle…

We got stalled along Kalayaan Avenue. Looked like the jeepneys along Kamias didn’t want to give in.
See the hot-rod chopper bicycle on the background. ASTIG! Must have been a real challenge for the guy as he was wearing jeans, black cotton shirts and leather BOOTS.

The event was participated in by cyclists of all shapes and sizes, also in their bikes of all shapes and sizes. Here are some interesting snapshots from the generous folks of Pinoy Mountain Biker.

More brave souls vying for the best costume award:

6,000+ it was:

Miss Earth beauties (and not-so-beauties) were there. Poor ladies, they were made to ride on those single-speed bikes and without helmet. Noticed some of them didn't even have water with them. Bakit ba dami ko observations? =)

Love these bikes...

Especially this...

Pero sa lahat ng nakita ko, eto ang IDOL ko...

Hibang

2008-04-10T03:54:00.003+08:00

Pakshet na busy season talaga.

Nawawala na ako sa sarili...

Sino ka............... ?

Nasaan ako.............................?

Sino ako...........................?

Hmm... makakain na nga ng cup noodles... msg... msg... msg... msg... msg... msg... msg... msg... msg... msg...msg... msg... msg... msg... msg...msg... msg... msg... msg... msg...msg... msg... msg... msg... msg...msg... msg... msg... msg... msg...msg... msg... msg... msg... msg...msg... msg... msg... msg... msg...msg... msg... msg... msg... msg...msg... msg... msg... msg... msg...msg... msg... msg... msg... msg...msg... msg... msg... msg... msg...msg... msg... msg... msg... msg...

Sino ka............... ?

Nasaan ako.............................?

Sino ako...........................?

SWAMPED!!!

2008-04-04T18:47:00.004+08:00

Mae, my kapit-cube, showed me the cover of the March 2008 issue of Readers’ Digest. Akmang akma to sa buhay ng mga katulad naming auditors sa mga panahon na to.

Sa mga nakaka-relate, say:

EY-MEN!

Meet The Overweight Cyclist

2008-03-23T17:50:00.008+08:00

Why “theoverweightcyclist”? The adjective is obviously self-explanatory. The noun needs more introduction, at least, historically for now.

I was baptized to this sport (cycling/biking) sometime in November 2006. A former officemate at SPI Technologies, Brian Ng, who was then the Director for Special Projects and now the Director for Asian Operations of RR Donnelley Global BPO (whew haba!), introduced me to this. Before I forget, another great guy who influenced me into this thing is Paul De Vera, a then colleague at SPI’s Business Finance Group and now handling Special Projects for Asian Terminals, Inc. (pasensya na, yun lang nakalagay sa email footer mo har har!). Sige, to lengthen Paul’s introduction – this guy is a competitive athlete, an adventure racer and even an environmental activist. He is married to his loving wife Gina, with whom they have a son named Lucas. OK na ba?

Paul’s Role
Paul graciously lent me his ultra-light, red Specialized mountain bike. He also gave me some pieces of professional advice days before the ride, the most valuable of which is this: “There is no shame in walking.” He was not only my bike benefactor, he also sponsored my lunch (tinola) at their house after my maiden ride.

Brian’s Role
He brought me to Sta. Rosa’s (Laguna) on that fateful day. I was a clueless human being who only thought of taking it easy, sit on the saddle and pedal as long as I want. That changed when Brian asked me to wear a helmet, a pair of gloves, an eye protector (sun glasses) and a hydration pack. I was wondering, “What the hell are these for?”

The Plunge
The whole ride was fun and dangerous (extremely dangerous for me then). We started out at Paseo de Sta. Rosa (a little mall), had a little break in front of a subdivision entrance before going off-road. First to tackle was a series of three (not sure, but it was at least three) stages of long climbs. They call that stretch Cardiac. Cardiac IT was - I felt like having a heart attack before I finally swallowed my pride, got down on the saddle and started walking hand-in-hand with Paul’s bike. The break area bikers call Bukuhan was the goal set by Brian for me for the day. (Bukuhan is a rest area past Cardiac where bikers can buy fresh buko and even Gatorade).

We reached Bukuhan quite early (not that I was fast, but we started out early), so after drinking Gatorade and fresh buko juice like crazy, Brian asked me if I can still go on (I had the option to go back downhill and we just meet up at Paseo before going back to Manila). Being the cocky guy that I am, I said yes with a little expression of hesitation. Good thing I went on with the ride. It was still a challenging course but far more relaxed than the Cardiac climb. We went inside Mango, Website, Coffee, Upak, Duck and other Trails whose names I forgot.

I must admit, that ride was beyond my physical means at that time. It was four hours of climbs and downhill drive, going in and out of trails with short rests in between. I suffered cramps on both legs in the middle of the Coffee Trail. I had scratches on both legs courtesy of a bad fall also at Coffee Trail. I almost didn’t report to work the following Monday because of pain all over my body.

But that was the beginning of a quite satisfying hobby. It must have been on the Website Trail when I was already convinced that I had to buy my own bike. Two weeks later, I bought my own bike, who (which) I privately call SPY (katas ng SPI). SPY is a 2007 Jamis Cross Country 2.0 hardtail - a pretty decent one for a starter.

Here is SPY as shown on the website.

This is SPY in my bedroom the day I took it home from the bike shop:

Damn I can't find that pic! Will post it I soon as I see it.

This is SPY abused and badly beaten on one of our trail rides:

following week, my gear was complete: helmet, cross-country shorts, jerseys, gloves, eye protector, hydration pack, bladder, water bottle and cage, air pump, spares, tools, etc. Sige isama na rin ang Nivea sun-block har har!

Quite expensive to start but it is all worth it. There are priceless perks: physical benefits, dates with nature, some urban beating and, yes, cool people to ride with.

This is good stuff and I am still very much into it…

More Time-Off From Work

2008-03-23T12:47:00.005+08:00

Talking about working hard and playing harder, this is one creed that can be very difficult to achieve.

I went to work on Black Saturday and managed to allot some time to have dinner with Sabel. I was in bed by 2:30 AM and had to wake out at 7:00 AM to bike around UP. Yes, I was able to squeeze in my addiction in the midst of the busy season. I was with my biking buddies, Leny and Jowell. Paul was there, too, but he was in running mode.

It must have been due to the extreme heat and my lack of sleep that I finally gave up by 11:00 AM and separated from the duo.

We met up later at a newly discovered hang-out, a coffee shop at the Vargas Museum known as Cordillera Coffee. Leny and Jowell learned about this place last month.

Coffee is good, not as good as Bo's though, but it is an oasis for coffee addicts who happen to have found themselves in UP.

There's Jowell's back, Leny and Leny's mom.

"Tito ang gwapo gwapo mo naman!"

2008-03-22T03:48:00.004+08:00

JULIANNE, my 4-year old niece, would say this to me only on two occasions:

I've just done something good for her; or,
She needs something from me.

Wala lang (Translation = It just uplifts my soul each time I hear this straight from the mouth of an innocent babe).

A Very Important Person's Birthday

2008-03-22T02:00:00.008+08:00

It's now March 22 and I remember well it's the birthday of my former boss and mentor.

Tim Bautista is somebody's name that may not ring a bell to everyone, but he is one prominent person in the pay-TV industry not only in the Philippines but also in Asia. TLB, as we call him, is the VP and COO of CABLE BOSS. I worked with him as his executive alalay for more than half of my working life.

He is one unforgettable character and I owe a big part of who I am right now.

I first met him in 2001. I could say that his charm (and the offer) made me say "yes, I am leaving the smallest and least prestigious accounting firm in the Philippines!" From then, it has been a roller coaster ride with one of most wonderful man I've ever met in this life.

TLB the Boss

Isa syang taong de numero (translation = He wants everything in place and in order to the point of enumerating all the things he wants done). But he can give you a great deal of latitude the moment you earn his trust and confidence.

Not much pressure working with him. He doesn't care how you get the job done as long as you get the job done.

He can be unreasonable at times though. There are moments when you simply have to scratch your head and say "Yes, Sir."

TLB the Mentor

I prefer calling him this way rather than as a boss. Working with him is like being a disciple to a teacher.

These are the main things I learned from him:

Fear of God
Love of family
Valuing friendships
Maintaining strong ties and relationships in business (and in personal life) whatever it takes
Pride of one's heritage (including school pride)
Formulating win-win solutions
Arguing any position depending which side you are in (har har!)
Getting-the-hell-out-when-in-deep-shit (har har har!)

TLB the Person

This guy is a human being. He also has weaknesses that may not seem to project to his people.

We have lots in common from the Godly deeds to the devilish vices and everything in between. But more often than not, he is an exact opposite of me. He has strong personality, eloquent rhetorics, good sense of humor, quick reasoning, charismatic leadership, nice cars, lots of money - stuffs that I don't have. Good looks? We both have it (har har!).

You don't have any idea that I have this blog and may not be able to read this little tribute. But this goes out to the heavens!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TLB!
ANIMO AMO!!!

Ningas Kugon?

2008-03-22T01:21:00.005+08:00

I hope this is not another bad case of ningas kugon. One of the bad traits they say that Filipinos like me possess. They say, we tend to start things with great enthusiasm and excitement but lose steam in the middle and end up finishing nothing.

It's barely 24 hours since I started this blog and I seem to have a lot of ideas to post in this blog.

As planned, Isabel and I, though we arrived late at church, managed to catch up with the Good Friday prusisyon. This is at Isabel's place, at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Project 6. It was a good 2-3 kilometers of prusisyon. Being the "well-oiled machine" that is me, thank God I was soaking wet with sweat the moment we reached back church. But it was OK, no big deal... it was a part of the sacrifice that goes during this time of the year.

We had the same experience in the same parish last year. We also attended the prusisyon on that Good Friday but we had to cut it short the moment we passed by Isabel's house. Talk about giving in to comfort. We suddenly felt like not finishing the prusisyon the moment we passed by their house and simply thought of the excuse of answering to the call of nature. But that was last year.

As planned as well, we had our so-called "meatless" dinner at Little Asia. This is a far cry from the usual meal that we usually order there, the Vietnamese spare ribs (this is our all-time favorite in this ristorante). I'm not good at memorizing names of food but we had a fish fillet drowned in melted cheese and a Vietnamese fried squid thing. We requested the waiter not to put pork on our Japanese fried rice. This is abstinence without fasting folks. The food was so good that we didn't finish everything (pwede pala yun). The generous sprinkle of crispy-fried garlic on the squid must have had us.

It was 9:30 PM when we downed our dessert - again I don't remember the name of that dessert but it's a pagoda-like appearance of crispy-fried ultra-thin wanton with thin slices of banana topped with chocolate. There's another topping that one has to put separately - vanilla ice cream (da best!!!). It was still early and we had nowhere to go, so tried killing time inside the ristorante doing one of our favorite stuff - talking about anything under the sun.

We left Little Asia and went back to Sabel's house. We ended up browsing the new fashion magazine she just bought. Man, that magazine is thick, probably the size of a 1/4 PLDT directory. I made her listen to one of my fave song during the past weeks, Metallica's version of Whiskey in the Jar. I believe she didn't like it. Whiskey in the Jar is an Irish folk song that Metallica made a wonderful cover and if I remember right they won a Grammy for the song in 1997. Try listening to it.

This is Life

2008-03-21T12:31:00.000+08:00

Today is a slice of life that I've been longing for. I woke up 11:30 AM, had a quick brunch and though of what to do the rest of the day (today is Good Friday). This is a stress-free day: no pressure to wake up early, no pestering traffic to negotiate, no GAMx, no PFRS, no FS, no client... just a day to be spontaneous.

The only schedule I have today is a visit to the church with my girlfriend, a.k.a Isabel, my bestfriend, the love of my life ;) We have been planning to have a "meatless" dinner at Little Asia. We are still wondering what to do next after dinner.

The Beginning

2008-03-21T01:33:00.001+08:00

I have originally planned to start this blog sometime in May 2008, when the peak season of my job is over. As many of you may know, I work in the smallest and least prestigious auditing firm in the Philippines. I am usually busiest from January to April.

Oh well, it is the middle of the holy week and I have a big excuse not to report to work today and spend my whole Maundy Thursday at home (although it is technically Good Friday now as I write this post). Being at home the whole day kind of make me run out of things to do, so why not start this.

So what does it feel to be writing my first ever blog? Well, I feel like kind of apprehensive because I may not be able to sustain this site. I have this feeling that I may run out topics in the future and end up having an empty site. Anyway, sabi nga nila "Bahala na si Batman."