Ang Mga Pakulo Ni Pong

Baby, Baby, Baby O...

2012-01-22T01:07:00.002+08:00

Natanong ako noon, alala ko pa... Tagal na nun, bago pa lang ako sa opisina sa unang kumpanyang aking pinaglingkuran... Siguro 4 months pa lang... Natanong nila... Bakit ako nagpapahaba ng balbas... Simple lang naman ang sagot dyan... Para maranasan ng girlfriend ko kung anong feeling na halikan, mahalikan, at makipaghalikan sa isang lalaking may bigote't balbas... At least di na siya ma-c-curious pa... At least alam na niya ang feeling at difference ng kiss sa may bigote't balbas kaysa wala... Naalala ko pa nga... Kung minsan nasasabihan na akong mag-ahit, kundi wala akong kiss... Ang sagot ko? Eh di wala! Bahala kang manuyot yang mga labi mo... Akala niya siguro di ko siya matitiis... Oh well... Syempre, di niya ko matitiis... Sa huli, may bigote o wala, may kiss pa rin... Ganun yata talaga ang ikot ng mundo...

At lagi ko ngang hirit noon kay Bibi - hindi pa ipinapanganak ang taong makapagpapa-ahit sa akin araw-araw...

Noon yun... Yung girlfriend ko noon, kumander ko na ngayon... Ay mali, misis ko na ngayon...

May ipinanganak noong January 20, 2012, at tumiklop na ako... Walang kalaban-laban...

Because I Love You

2012-01-22T00:00:00.011+08:00

Patient siya eh, and understanding...

Lahat ng pinagdaanan namin,

pinilit niyang intindihin

at naging pasensyosa siya...

And hindi siguro kami tatagal nang ganito

kung hindi dahil sa kanya...

So, siguro,

kung anuman yung mayroon kami...

Yung, siguro kung 99% noon,

dahil sa kanya...

It was 10 years ago

when I prayed ever so deeply to God

to, uhm, give me a sign

and lead me to the man I'll be with

for the rest of my life -

and He gave me you...

Babe, I know there will be differences

that we'll have along the way

where our views may not always be the same -

but I swear, I'll try to be by your side...

Ever since I never stopped,

uh,

thanking the Lord for giving me you

and I never stopped loving you...

I will always love you

and I will always keep falling in love with you...

I love you!

And compromise 'cause I realize

that with you, and no one else,

I want to spend the rest of my life

because I love you...

And I meant every word I said,

when I said that I love you

I meant that I love you forever...

I love you!

Bi ♥ Ba's Wedding: Onsite AVP from Miamel Ocampo on Vimeo.

12 Years of Christmas

2011-12-01T00:01:00.000+08:00

Mahal kong Bestfriend,

Sa totoo lang, alam ko namang hindi mo nalilimutan ang kahalagahan ng araw na ito. Sadyang naaalala mo lang bumati matapos kitang batiin. Ganoon naman ata talaga ang takbo ng iyong pag-iisip - naaalala mo kapag paparating na, pero kapag nariyan na, tila abala ka na sa kung anumang bagay at hindi mo na makuhang mambati. 11 years ka nga namang ganyan, maiba pa kaya ngayong taon?

Ayaw kong pumusta dahil hindi pa ata ako nananalo sa iyo sa lahat ng mga pinagpustahan natin. At ang pinakasikat na pustahan natin? Ang pustahang naganap sa isipan mo...

Unang araw ng ikaapat na taon sa Mataas na Paaralang Pang-agham ng Maynila, maligalig na pumasok ang bida-bidahang si Bibi sa kanyang unang klase. At nang silipin ang silid, sinipat ang bawat isa sa mga lalaking kaklase habang iniisip "sino kaya sa mga ito ang magkakagusto sa akin?" Tumutok kay Baba at ibinulong sa sariling, "pusta ko ito."

Ano naman ang laban ko sa pustang 'yan? Hindi ko alam kung may lahi kang manghuhula o sadyang pinagbutihan mo ang pag-career sa akin ngunit ang tanging katiyakan ay - ni wala man lang akong nagawa. Natalo sa pusta nang wala man lang kalaban-laban. Di ko alam kung anong nangyari, damdamin ko sayo'y di na nga kailangan sabihin. Kumbaga, sa kwento ng ibang lahi, ipinagkasundo mo na ako sa iyo. Tapos agad ang kwento.

Hindi naman sa nagrereklamo ako - nagpapaliwanag lang. Sa katunayan nga, lubos akong nagpapasalamat dahil iniligtas mo ako. Iniligtas mo ako noon, at paulit-ulit mo pa rin nga akong inililigtas hanggang ngayon. Kung hindi mo nga naman ako ginayuma nang bonggang bongga, malay ba natin kung saan ako pupulutin ngayon. Basta ang alam ko, nagpapasalamat ako na ako ay masaya. Sinabi ko na nga dati, hindi ko alam kung anong ginawa ko para biyayaan ako ni Lord ng isang Bibi, pero di ko na rin pagdududahan si Lord, baka bawiin ka pa.

At sana nga, kahit papaano'y masaya ka rin. Ang hirap kasi sa pagkakaibigan natin, masyado akong patawa - hindi ko na tuloy alam kung kailan ka nga ba tunay na masaya o natatawa na lang. Alam mo yun, sa sobrang patawa ako, pati sa tuwing napapaso ako o nadudulas ako o nasusugatan ako eh natatawa ka pa rin. Kita mo na, sadista ka eh... At ako naman si isa't kalahating masokista. Kahit masaktan ako, basta masaya ang Bibi ko, sige lang! Mahal na mahal kita... At ang sakit-sakit na... Huhuhu...

Tandaan mo, malaki lang ang katawan nila, pero di nila ako kayang patumbahin! Hmmp!

Nagsimula sa kathang isip na pustahan... Ikaw na ang lakas tama! 12 years... Ang simple lang ng hiningi kong Christmas wish noon... Ang tagal na pala 'no? Pero kahit bali-baligtarin man ang mundo, hindi pa rin tayo tapos. Marami na nga tayong napagdaanan, ngunit mas marami pa rin tayong haharapin. At ang pinakamasarap na pakiramdam sa tuwing iisipin ko ang lahat ng ito? Sa lungkot at ligaya, hirap at ginhawa, si Bibi ang kasama ko.

Oo, parang 12 years na ang Pasko sa buhay ko... At yan nga ay dahil sa iyo.

I thank you, bow! I thank you, �mwah�

Lubos na nagmamahal,
Bestfriend Methodist

For Just One Day

2011-11-29T23:53:00.000+08:00

My boss from somewhere out there popped a mind-boggling question out of nowhere...

Boss: If you were to be someone for a day, who would you want to be?

ChicMagnet: I want to be Bill Gates.

Boss: Why would you want to be Bill Gates?

ChicMagnet: Just to see what's the new invention coming up.

Boss: I wanna be JayZ.

Pong Pagong: Beyonce?

Boss: So I can spend the day with Beyonce.

Boss: We think alike! This is not good. Not good at all...

Boss: So who you wanna be?

Pong Pagong: That's easy - Hugh Hefner

Boss: Who the hell is Hugh Hefner?

ChicMagnet: Yeah, who in the world is Hugh Hefner?

Pong Pagong: Google is your bestfriend.

After a minute...

Boss: I wanna be him! Me me me!!!

Great minds...

Bestfriend Loving

2010-12-01T00:06:00.001+08:00

As the 11th month of the year closes, we usher in the 11th Happy Bestfriends' Day. You know, that annual celebration we have to remember (actually, in the history of this day, you've been fairly consistent in needing such reminder) the momentous event of you falling prey to my Mr. Suave moves.

Tell me, do you remember that fateful day when I almost got hit by a bus because I wasn't paying attention to the road as I had been busy texting you? No? I almost died! See, you're not paying attention! That's not how the story goes. And if you can't remember (and I know you'll be looking for the previous posts on it), hmmp! No kiss... My lips are zipped!

Like what we've been doing the last few years, it's time to reminisce.

First off, my birthday...

And then we got married... No big deal...

Then a surprise birthday cake on Happy Bibi Day...

And then we went for a quickie honeymoon in Macau...

Soft shell crabs on our 2nd year of being Civilized...

A longer honeymoon in Vietnam...

Took a break and rested in KL & Colmar Tropicale...

And pigged out in Desaru...

As I look back on the year, we had quite a bittersweet one, bestfriend. We had some good, if not great, times, and we had some tough ones too. Sometimes we don't expect that friends can become lovers in the end. But we did. Only God knows what the future will bring - and he gave me you. Maybe that's why things work out well for us, because I fell in love with my bestfriend.

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) v.201011-001

2010-11-09T18:02:00.000+08:00

Remember the golden rule: do not do others unless you want them to do you...

The Art Of Learning

2010-10-23T22:02:00.001+08:00

No, this isn't some preachy post on how one should go about learning this or that. No, this isn't a self-help blabbering from someone who could hardly get himself to learn even the basics of the industry he is currently immersed in. No, I will not tell how things should be done. No, no, no, no!

Fact is, I might as well start learning the art itself. See, come 4 months, I will have been with the company for 2 years. And I still don't know what I'm doing. Or, I do know what it is that I'm doing, but the very nature for which I'm doing what it is that I'm doing remains vague. It's one thing to admit that the industry itself is perplexing, but it's a-whole-nother excuse to say that it kinda is hard to learn it.

When I was being interviewed, I told them upfront that I knew nothing of it and yes, I was willing to learn. I was being honest. There aren't any formal trainings on it - a few how-to sessions do take place. And that's helpful. But really, there isn't any bible on it. Nada! There's always Wikipedia to source info from, so they say. Have I tried it? Once. Or maybe a few times, in fact. But it's not that easy. No, it's a wee bit boring.

That's the problem - trying to find the easy way out. Frankly, I know there's really no easier way. But seeing some of my colleagues trump me with their matter-of-fact, all-knowing, don't-even-think-of-second-guessing-me tirades, it really makes me wanna know everything ASAP. Like, NOW. But you never get to the peak without even climbing a step. No. How many times have I hoped that I could think things into being. Ha! If only...

I need to work on this art of learning sooner or later. I'd rather do it sooner, but if that entails taking some time outside of the office to actually start learning, well... Sigh. Why can't I just get a grasp of things with a snap of my fingers. I was, for all I can remember, quite the diligent one. But I just couldn't get myself started on this and it's quite annoying! I should set my goals - I will, by the end of the year, know a thing or two about what I'm doing. I promise.

Oh, promises aren't meant to be broken. Promise!

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) v.201007-001

2010-07-12T19:05:00.000+08:00

it's ok to be someone's Ms./Mr. Right... so long as your first name isn't Always...

Break Break Down

2010-06-05T13:47:00.001+08:00

I can vaguely remember Lola's post-stroke days, when we had a couple or so physical therapists helping her get back up and about. It wasn't easy. I can see in her eyes the frustration of not being able to do what she wants. It wasn't easy and sure as hell it ain't pretty as well.

I remember she had to hold on to something just so she could stand up. My arm used to be one of those things. I was young and at times I would just wonder why she couldn't stand on her own. I felt nary a jerk on my arm yet it still seemed as though she needed it. My Lola was both beautiful and strong, but what she had to go through then, it wasn't pretty at all.

I forgot how it felt like to be afraid that something will act up or give up on me. It has been nearly 2 years since I had last felt something quite unwanted. I guess I was due to face another one.

The first of June meant the first in a long while that I was genuinely afraid of the inevitable. I was never the one to dream about living the white-haired, nay, completely bald life. I'm just a tad too realistic to dream about. And my bitterness of Sunshine taking off when she had just eclipsed half a century doesn't help either.

And so the first of June saw me crumble five times. Yes five times. Climbing a few steps, getting down the stairs, alighting the bus, getting off a cab, and standing in our room while i was about to drink water. All five times I imagined seeing the same frustration my Lola had in my very own eyes. I was a wreck. Alright, the first was totally unexpected and that should have given me a hint. But no, even when I totally expected it, the next three failures seemed even more daunting, each after the other. I was confident, though, that once I stand up, I'll be fine. Then the last one hit me. And as I lay down after it, I realized I had been taking these things for granted. My mind needed but one slip to think of something else and these things gave in.

I know I needed to rest. I wasn't really afraid of not being able to make use of these faculties in the near future. I know that since I could still feel down to my toes, they only needed some time to rest. And so I worked from home the following day and yes I was able to stand with a bit of pain. The fear of collapsing was still there but I had more control of them than last night. It was like learning how to stand up then walk and sit down all over. Another day after and I got myself to take a cab rather than risk anything (more like me still being afraid of taking the bus). I was able to get off the cab quite fine and the rest of the day saw me trying to climb up/down a flight whilst holding on to the rail. It was painful and there were times when it felt as though they would give in again. At the end of the day, I still took the bus (yeah, holding tightly on the door while stepping off).

I walked gingerly, albeit slowly, from the bus stop all the way home. It was nice that the sun wasn't in the mood to scorch me that afternoon. I was able to, with every step, absorb each sight that I have taken for granted. It was an improvement, really. And there's the fulfilment of being able to do these things again.

While I was lying after that last crumble, I promised myself that I will not let this happen again - the ME being helpless and causing Bibi more problems. I don't ever want to fail like this again. I have to be strong for my family, and ME being helpless just doesn't cut it. But I know this now, it doesn't hurt to appreciate the little things again while living life in slow mo - and I don't need another part to break down to see that.

Baba VS Bibi v.201004

2010-05-11T16:44:00.000+08:00

Nangyari ito noong April pa at lagi kong nalilimutan (well, kinakalimutan) i-post...

Habang nagkukulitan sa grocery...

Bibi: Ikaw... Lagi mo kong niloloko...

Baba: Aba, kailan kita niloko...

At agad-agad nga, pagkalabas sa bibig ko ng mga salitang yan... Nanlaki ang mga mata ko at napakagat labi bigla... (In short, medyo nainis ako sa sarili ko, medyo lang...)

At sa inaasahang pagkakataon, at dahil na rin isinubo ko ang sarili ko sa... Anak ng pating naman talaga o...

Bibi: Kailan?! Tinatanong mo talaga yan?!

Kumbaga sa lotto, hindi lang ito basta palit ticket... Parang nanalo ng jackpot si Bibi!

At ako nga ay natahimik na lang... Ngingisi ngisi... At walang tigil nga ang paghirit ni Bibi...

Bibi: Alam mo, yung hirit na yun, 10 points yun!!!

Pambihira! Pero dahil blog ko ito, na lang ang ilalagay ko... Lugi kung 10 points agad eh!

2010 Standings...
Bibi - 1 +
Baba - 4

Baba VS Bibi v.20100227

2010-02-27T19:00:00.000+08:00

Naglilibot kami sa ION nang maisip ni Bibi magyabang...

Bibi: Dapat talaga under kayo sa'min eh... Kita mo yung pangalan niyo, nasa loob lang ng pangalan namin... Men, nasa loob ng Women...

Aba aba... Rumaraket ng points...

2010 Standings...
Bibi - 2
Baba - 1

Sandali lang, wag munang magpalakpakan... Likas namang mabilis akong mag-isip, kung kaya...

Baba: Kaya nga hindi niyo kaya na wala kami eh... Ano kayo, WO?!

Dahil nasupalpal ang hirit ni Bibi, heto na ang tamang tala...

2010 Standings...
Bibi - 1
Baba - 2

Baba VS Bibi v.20100215

2010-02-02T18:45:00.000+08:00

Holiday ngayon at napag-isipan namin ni Bibi bumisita sa Ikea para magtingin tingin... Maluwag ang MRT at kami nga'y nakaupo... Sa mga nakasakay na ng MRT dito, may bahagi na ang upuan ay sakto sa dalawang tao lang... Bago pa man umusad ang tren, napansin kong bakante ang naturang mga upuan...

Baba: Wala palang nakaupo dun o...

Bibi: Ikaw talaga, gusto mo pa ko masolo! Wag dito sa MRT!

Arrrgh!!! Hmmp!

2010 Standings...
Bibi - 1
Baba - 1

Bob Ong VS Pong Pong v.20100109-001

2010-01-09T11:46:00.000+08:00

sabi ni Bob Ong "maglaro ka ng SNAKE sa cellfone, mapapansin mo, para syang relasyon. sa una hindi mo iisiping hahaba ng ganon. tapos kapag tumagal na, nagiging exciting pero nakakatakot dahil baka sa isang untog lang, matapos ang lahat."

sabi ko naman "maglaro ka ng SNAKE sa cellfone, mapapansin mo, para syang sa relasyon. sa una hindi mo iisiping hahaba ng ganon. pero hahaba talaga yan kakalaro niyo, wait lang kayo. tapos kapag tumagal na, nagiging enticing! wag kang matakot, matatapos rin ang lahat."

haha! parang bolero lang...

Baba VS Bibi v.20100102

2010-01-02T18:18:00.000+08:00

Kasisimula lang ng taon nang maisipan ni Bibi na makipaghiritan...

Bibi: Mabait ka daw sabi ni Mama.

Baba: Hay naku, hindi yan ang sabi ng mama mo.

Bibi: Ano?

Baba: Sabi ng mama mo, "Ang gwapo ni Stephen."

Bibi: Hindi marunong magsinungaling si Mama.

Baba: Kaya nga...

And the winner is... Ahem...

2010 Standings...
Bibi - 0
Baba - 1

Song Bird Si Love Bird

2009-11-09T17:54:00.000+08:00

As I was walking from Suntec to City Hall MRT station, i heard something quite unexpected...
Dashboard Confessional's Stolen...

you have stolen my heart...
you have stolen my heart...

I don't know about any of you, but I had this nagging feeling to listen to love songs all night long...
So I jumped to Agot Isidro's Beginning Today...

beginning today i promise you
i'll give my heart to you...
beginning today i promise to
never part from you...

Well, I kept skipping those loud songs I normally listen to... I'm in the mood for love... Surreal...
And so I hit play on Honeyz' Finally Found...

i prayed so many nights that you would come my way
an angel from above to light my darkest day
a love so strong it can't be wrong
it's with you that i belong

And when I got home, I rummaged for Nikki Gil's If I Keep My Heart Out Of Sight...

if i keep on talking now, i'll only start repeating myself...
and all i can say is i love you...
i love you...
i love you...
i love youhoohoo...

Hay... Ang sarap ng feeling... I love youhoohoo!!! Umuwi ka na Bibi... Sige ka, kakantahan kita...
For Real's For All Of My Life...

for all of my life,
you are the one,
i will love you faithfully forever...
for all of my life,
you are the one,
i give to you my greatest love,
for all of my life...

Halika na... Come and lay here beside me na...

Simple Logic - Daylight Saving and Polar Bears

2009-10-23T03:32:00.000+08:00

For those of you who work with teams based in Europe or the U.S., the concept of daylight saving should be familiar. But to help clarify, here's a brief on it...

Daylight Saving Time in the US begins on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November. In 2009, it therefore began on Sunday, March 8 at 2 a.m. and ends on Sunday, November 1 at 2 a.m.

Time moves ahead one hour in March, whereas it moves back one hour in November (hence the saying "Spring forward, Fall back").

In many western European countries, Daylight Saving Time begins on the last Sunday of March and concludes in October on the last Sunday of that month.

Gulp... Still with me? It's not rocket science, so they say. But all this trouble, for what? Hey, I wouldn't mind having some of my colleagues explain it further...

Andy: good nite, leaving 10 mins early to get adjusted to daylight savings
Tony: I wont say an hour - as then tomorrow you will leave an hr early..
Andy: then i will be adjusted... that's the plan :)
Nabs: so you are adjusting before the adjustment!
D: We will have 5 hours between us correct. Right now we have 6
Andy: indeed
D: We and LDN will have only 4
Andy: you know, we europeans are very environmentally concerned...so we save daylight in order to save the polar bears. the darker the less warm. simple logic
D: Here in the US we are over concerned that is why we moved savings to stay until late November
Nabs: yeah we give them an extra hr to become extinct!

Ooh... "Now you know!"

(Seriously, though, Benjamin Franklin is credited with the concept of Daylight Saving Time. The basic idea is to make the best use of daylight hours by shifting the clock forward in the Spring and backward in the Fall. Daylight Saving Time has been in use throughout much of the United States, Canada and Europe since World War I.)

Baba VS Bibi v.20090917

2009-09-17T19:13:00.000+08:00

While out at Vivo City... You know how Bibi is... She sees this piece of clothing that she sort of finds interesting (read as: thinks to herself "this looks nice, I wonder if it looks nice ON ME")...

But no... One could only imagine the never ending debates going on in her head... "It looks nice... But I just bought a top at the other shop... I wonder if it would look good on me... But we should be saving... I have been looking for something like this for quite some time now... But Baba hasn't shopped for anything yet... I really should go to the fitting room..."

And really, I had to stop her from getting a major headache...

Baba: Bilhin mo na yan habang kasama mo ako... Bukas, credit card mo na ang gagamitin mo...

Just like that, Bibi shot me a quizzical look...

Bibi: Wala namang pinagkaiba yun... Ikaw pa rin ang magbabayad...

Major headache... Major headache!!!

Either... Or...

2009-07-06T07:52:00.000+08:00

There's something wrong here... Seriously...

Since I started working here, I haven't had the chance to come to the office wearing my Cyberjaya Friday getup... And I kinda miss donning a tee and putting a sports jacket over it... While Friday's here are dressdown affairs as well, I've been coming to work in a short-sleeved polo and the occasional ball jacket to keep the temp at a more manageable level...

So last Friday, I finally did it... I wore a crumpled shirt to work... The day was fine right until I wore my sports jacket...

It was like being gone for a very long time and that jacket could hardly get enough of me... It hugged me like there won't be any next time... No, it clung to me as though its life depended on touching every inch of me...

It was either the sports jacket shrunk... Or...

Let's not go there...

-----------------

So today's a Monday and I'm off to work as usual... As I was getting dressed this morning, I noticed something strange...

My polo was acting differently... It seemed like it was wrapping itself around me a little tighter than usual...

I can't believe this! 2 out of 2...

It was either the polo shrunk... Or...

We're not going there!

-----------------

Bibi: Baka umurong dahil sa laba...

I was bent on believing... Really... Until that sheepish grin crept on that silly face of hers...

And to put it plainly, I need some new clothes...

Bibi: Bili na nga tayo ng mga XXXL para pag lumaki ka pa, di na natin kailangan bumili ulit...

Ahem... Harrumph!

-----------------

I finally figured it out... You know how they're always setting up sales/promos/discounts here? They've got this all planned out... All the clothes here shrink!

And if you're thinking that you are lucky coz you got your clothes somewhere else, think again... The washers here make your clothes shrink (regardless where you got them)!

So, at the end of the day, you are inclined to get new ones... Devious!

-----------------

And the hard part is... We should be suing them!

And the harder part is... It would take a whole lot more moolah to sue them than buy new clothes...

And the hardest part is... I love shopping!

You know, there's a reason it's called SG...

Shopping Galore!

HTC Madness!!!

2009-06-25T07:58:00.000+08:00

I guess my friends know that I'm currently with Dash, my HTC Touch Pro...

But today, I found a couple other HTC units that I might actually consider getting in the not so distant future...

First up, the HTC Firestone...

Deemed as a possible successor to the HTC Touch HD... Nice... Yeah, well, it is nice...

But maybe, just maybe, not nice enough...

So I think I'm getting the HTC Hero...

Ok... Now that's really nice... Seriously... But brown doesn't really appeal to me...

You know what's hot? A white HTC Hero...

Goodbye savings! Hello Hero...

But you know what's even better than a white HTC Hero?

A white HTC Hero for a Christmas gift... (No need to say goodbye to my savings, say hello to the gift and a bunch of thanks to the gift-giver!)

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) v.200906-002

2009-06-23T17:12:00.000+08:00

Don't hate the player... Hate the game...

Kung game ka, aba, hate yourself!

Horrorscope

2009-06-11T09:03:00.000+08:00

Nakakatakot naman ito...

FYI - PC Show @ Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre Levels 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 (11-14 June 2009)

Taking care of a money matter today might not be enough to put your financial concerns to rest, but it is a step in the right direction.
- Translated as "Shopping today might not be enough to put your financial concerns to rest, but it is a step in the right direction." Ano ba? Pati ba naman horoscope pinapapigil na ako mag-shopping?

You may need to simplify your approach to having fun, which could involve cutting back on luxury purchases.
- No more Starbucks? No more B&B (Billiards and Beeryard) weekends? No more Bacardi weekends? No more potato chips? No more chocolates? No more... No more...

Avoid the temptation to slip into denial about your income to spending ratio.
- Di naman ako denial ha... Maliit lang nga talaga ang sweldo ko, at medyo maliit ang gastos ko... Aminado... Kailangan ko ng bonus... Or increase sa sahod... Please!!!

Get back to the basics now and don't spend more than you earn.
- That's what credit cards are for... Di ba?

Promise, last na to... After this weekend, lockdown na talaga... Wala na rin kasi pera after... Haha!

Besides, wala pa akong para sa sarili ko no! Pwede na siguro ang o kaya na regalo para sa sarili...

Here Comes The Bribe

2009-06-10T05:27:00.000+08:00

Que horror! Anong klase yan... Bakit July 30 pa?! Napakatagal naman!

http://entertainment.sg.msn.com/movies/film.aspx?P_MediaID=36235
http://www.sgclub.com/singapore/the_proposal_156147.html

Speaking of proposals, nag-propose na si Archie kay Veronica...
(Si kitkatkatie nag-tip sa'kin nyan, haha!)

At ano ang epekto nito sa matagal nang issue tungkol sa "Blondes vs Brunettes"?

http://jezebel.com/5272099/does-archies-proposal-to-veronica-settle-the-blondes-vs-brunettes-debate

Pati si Luke Skywalker at Han Solo nasama... Mga adik!

Buwan v.20090606

2009-06-06T16:01:00.000+08:00

Nakakatuwa yung banyo namin dito... Ang ganda kasi ng view ng bintana...

Nope, hindi ako nakakakita ng kung sino mang babaeng hubad sa kabila...

Nakikita ko ang buwan...

At dahil nga normal shift (APIS/APT), naaabutan ko pa ang buwan sa tuwing maliligo ako bago pumasok...

At kung papalarin (o mamalasin, depende sa kung maraming trabaho) na makauwi nang nakalubog na ang araw, nakikita ko ang buwan sa aking paglalakad sa labas pauwi...

Fan ako ng buwan... Mula pagkabata... Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero nakakatuwa talaga...

Iba ang pakiramdam...

Bago pa man napansin ng iba, naisip ko na siya... At kanina nga ay nasa banyo ako nang mapansin kong may kakaibang liwanag sa labas...

Hindi pa gaanong buo, tila may kakapritsong kulang pa sa bandang ibaba... Malamang bukas pa ang full moon... O maya-maya...

Pero madilaw siya ngayon... At sa isang langit na tila nilubayan ng mga ulap ngayong gabi, ang ganda ng buwan...

Masarap pagmasdan... Magaan ang pakiramdam...

Paglipas ng araw, pangarap ko'y ganap
Ako'y iyong nasa isip, ako'y hanap-hanap
Di raw panaginip, sa isang iglap
Magkasama tayo, sa alapaap

Hawak kamay at
Sabay na humahanga sa
Ganda't liwanag ng buwan

Drill Me Baby, One More Time

2009-06-06T08:25:00.000+08:00

On my last Aeroline coach ride from KL to SG (which was a month ago, so this post has been really delayed), I stumbled upon a really interesting interview...

The magazine's cover was this budding celebrity from Sabah, and she's... Hmm... Nice...

Q: Your musings on your blog about your 'unattractive' post-nata figure cracked me up. But seriously, you look stunning. How did you get back in shape so fast?

A: As soon as I could, I hired a personal trainer, and man, he drilled me!

WTH?!

If you can't get it with whoever it is you're with, get a personal trainer... Is that how it goes?!

Well, that was taken out of context... So the real answer was...

A: As soon as I could, I hired a personal trainer, and man, he drilled me! I worked really, really hard.

Well, quoting Kanye's Stronger...

Work it, make it, do it,
Makes us harder, better, faster, stronger!
Work it harder make it better,
Do it faster makes us stronger

Seriously, the answer was...

A: As soon as I could, I hired a personal trainer, and man, he drilled me! I worked really, really hard. I jogged, I ate right. Plus, I was booked for a cover shoot of a health mag, so I was totally determined to look my best.

There you go. It ain't that bad.

Man, he drilled her!

Print Screen

2009-06-05T13:12:00.000+08:00

This just in...

A colleague from Zurich was asking if "anyone knows how to do print screen while on remote desktop?"

And here's what he got:

Anil: anyone knows how to do print screen while on remote desktop?
Andy: as i don't have remote access i don't know :)
Andy: i would suggest putting the screen on the scanner, or holding the scanner against the screen
Mark: ctrl+alt+printscreen
Anil: that doesn't work for me
Andy: i assume its different if you use a standard remote desktop connection inside the bank or if you use a vpn tunnel from outside, Anil is sitting at home
Step: image.jpg (71.3 K)

Mark: cool
Andy: try this, Anil image.jpg (26.1 K)

Anil: thanks Step
Anil: ctrl+alt+ +
Step: nps Anil
Anil: Andy, my screen didn't fit on the scanner
Step: Andy, man, you really are serious about this :-P
Andy: then i suggest you try Step's way, that might also work :)

They did it my way... (wala kasing mahanap na scanner sa bahay, haha!)

Pop Fiction

2009-06-03T19:35:00.000+08:00

2 weeks ago, napatambay ako sa MPH (Em-Pee-Heych) habang hinihintay si Bibi (dinner out kasi kami nun) nang ako'y mapasailalim sa napakalalim na pag-iisip...

Naligaw kasi ako sa mga rack na may nakasulat na "Popular Fiction"... Naaliw naman ako, kasi nandun yung Twilight (na pinagbibidahan ng mga Culleng sina Edward, Macaulay, Farrell, Firth)... Naibulong ko tuloy sa sarili ko, "aba, popular nga!"

Pero, medyo na-derail ang aking pagkahanga dahil sa mga nakita ko...

Ayan si Dean Koontz... At kung ang pagbabasihan ay ang nasa cover ng libro, The International Bestseller daw... Kilala niyo ba siya? Ako, hindi... Pero nasa popular fiction to eh... Hmmm...

Ayan, si Ian Rankin... At, once again, kung titignan ang cover, The Number One Bestseller daw... Kilala niyo? Pambihira, nasa popular din yan, pero wala akong idea...

Matapos nga ang dalawang pangalang yan, napaisip na ako... Ano ba yung "bestseller"? Yung may-akda? O yung isinulat niya? Sorry, dumb-dumb talaga, pero clueless ako pagdating sa ganyan... Pero naliwanagan naman ako nang makita ko ang mga ito...

Si Nora Roberts... Hindi lang "The International Bestseller"... Siya rin ang "No. 1 Bestselling Author"... Best na, No. 1 pa... San ka pa? Eh di sa... Popular Fiction!

In fairview naman, baka sabihin niyo masyado na akong nangmamata... Andun din naman sa section na yun ng bookstore yung sikat na sikat na...

Si Paulo Coehlo... At ang kanyang makukulay na mga aklat... Ayan, medyo sikat na yan... Sa sobrang pagkasikat, maraming nagpapanggap na nagbabasa sila niyan... Haha!

Oh well, dahil tinatamad pa akong basahin ang Twilight (at dahil wala pa rin naman akong kopya), pagtitiyagaan ko muna ito...

Ahem... That is not an erotica book... That is a book on friendship... Wushu! Haha!

Too Old Too Soon

2009-05-17T09:31:00.001+08:00

There's a pretty vague memory of me wanting to grow up... Be an adult... Do this and that... Who didn't? With all the liberty these adults had (and flaunted) while we were young, it always made me want to be like them... Soon...

I'm 26... And I really do hope I don't get to live past 50... I feel way too old for my years... Been through a lot, and I don't think I'd want to go through any more... I know I can't get a rewind... I've been living in fast forward and at the very least, this is a plea for a pause...

Will I ever get back to a time and place when things weren't that complicated? When doing things simply meant doing them... No hidden agenda... No people prying... Pretty much how adults would just let you do whatever it is that you want to do...

For someone who wanted to grow up, I'm regretting I grew up too soon... It was too fast... Can we slow down? I feel like I'm running out of steam...

Problem Solving

2009-05-17T09:17:00.002+08:00

Pythagorean triples... I woke up thinking of them... With whatever clutter there is in my mind the night before, I woke up with hopes that they'd all be gone... And then I realized that these clutters don't tidy up on their own...

It used to be that way... Everytime I'm faced with a troubling situation, I always knew how to find my way out... I knew what to do, or at least I was confident enough to work my way into solving it... But now, I'm not even sure where to start... I just don't know...

Pythagorean triples... It used to be that easy... My favorite number game... Each and every time, they never fail to fascinate me... Three integers where the sum of the squares of the lower two is actually the square of the third... (3, 4, 5)... (5, 12, 13)... It's not at all cryptic... It is what it is... Plain and simple...

I never did memorize the formula to getting each of these values... And everytime I try to think of the formula, I never fail to scold myself for not remembering... That would have saved me the effort of finding out... Pretty much like a bookmark to your favorite webpage, I would have gladly appreciated the saved hassles...

But I never did... And each time, I solved it in my head... And everytime I found it, I never failed to smile... There really is no strength in numbers... I found comfort in them...

Everything is math... And problems do have solutions... It's just that, sometimes we keep trying to find the refined ones... Failing to realize that real life isn't always that elegant...

Problem Solving

2009-05-17T05:17:00.000+08:00

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) v.200905-001

2009-05-11T19:38:00.000+08:00

kung control freak ka at wala kang control... isa kang freak!!!

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) v.200904-001

2009-04-26T22:49:00.000+08:00

Birds of a feather (pluck together)...

Bongga!!!

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) + Feelingero Mode v.200904-002

2009-04-14T23:13:00.000+08:00

Is that si taken?

Congratulations...

Taken... Away... Take away... Haha!

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) v.200904-003

2009-04-13T20:13:00.000+08:00

Define inconsistency...

It's him being thick...

And her being dense...

(gusto ko na manood ng 90210!!!)

Missing Graduations

2009-04-11T13:50:00.000+08:00

Ok, so this is one weekend na hindi dapat mangyayari... I wasn't planning on going home for Chinky's graduation dahil nga bagong lipat lang ng work... May mga leave na rin naman, pero hiya ko na rin lang lumiban ng matagal sa trabaho...

Pero nung minsang tumawag ako sa bahay, natanong ni Daddy kung uuwi ako para sa grad... Isang sabi mo lang Dad, book na agad! Ilang beses ko na rin naman kasing natanong kung kailan ang naturang graduation... April 3 daw, 7AM. Ilang beses rin nilang sinabi na April 3... Si Daddy mismo pumunta na sa school at nakita na April 3. So April 3 na nga...

Nag-file ako ng leave para sa April 3... Pumayag agad ang amo ko... Nagbook agad ako ng EconoLight flight ng PAL... At nang matapos ang booking, nagtext agad ako kay Chinky at Daddy, April 3 ng 4AM lapag ng eroplano...

The following day, tumawag si Chinky, April 2 na daw ang graduation... Anak ng tinola! Pinakausap niya sa'kin yung babae sa registrar at yun mismo ang nag-confirm na na-move na at nag-sorry pa na hindi daw naayos ang sched... Nakailang sorry siya bago ako napuno at nagsabing "di niyo naman babaguhin yung sched nyan dahil uuwi ako eh, so wala na tayong magagawa dyan"...

Seryoso, badtrip ako... Pero hayaan na lang...

Pero umuwi pa rin ako, nag-celebrate a day after ng graduation... Masaya rin naman makita yung dalawa... Pareho nga lang nahihiya magpa-picture, pero sige, masasanay rin kayo! (Palibhasa ako walang hiya!)

Body Shop-er

2009-04-11T12:57:00.004+08:00

Matagal tagal na akong di nakakapagshopping... Actually, simula nung dumating ako dito sa SG nung Feb 21, di pa ako gumagastos para sa mga kabalbalan ko...

Kaso, dumating ang March 10... May problem kasi ako... Paubos na yung Puma Create na gamit ko dito... At wala naman akong mahanap sa Guardian o Watsons nung ginagamit ko sa Malaysia...

At dahil wala na talaga akong bagong magustuhan, binili ko na yung scent sa Body Shop na matagal ko nang gusto... Kistna... Napabili rin ng kung anu-ano para maging member...

At sa unang pamimili, nakakuha na ng S$10 rebate...

Fast forward to March 30, dahil nga uuwi ako sa Pinas, kailangan bumili ng pasalubong... Actually, nagpabili yung kapatid ni Bibi, so bumili na rin kami ng pasalubong para sa iba pang mga kapatid...

At ang kinahinatnan? Damage sa credit card! (Nagasgasan dahil na-swipe... Haha!)

At ang maganda namang nangyari dito? Nakakuha ng S$10, S$15, at dalawang S$20 rebates... And it all adds up to S$65!!!

Ang saya mag-shopping!

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) v.200904-002

2009-04-10T13:38:00.000+08:00

The more you hit, the more you love...

Sabi ko nga eh, hit me baby one more time!!!

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) + Feelingero Mode v.200904-001

2009-04-10T00:41:00.000+08:00

Kumpare's sons are easily done once you've had a taste of perfection...

Comparisons daw... Ooh I'm perfect...

Bal Bass

2009-04-01T21:53:00.000+08:00

Eto ako noon...

Kapansin-pansin ba? (Mga loca, hindi yung legs nung nasa likod ha! )

Lorie: why are you growing your beard?
Lorie: or forgot to shave lang?
Pong: ay, bawal po ba yun?
Lorie: or ikaw ba talaga yung nakita ko kahapon?
Lorie: hindi naman
Lorie: nagulat lang ako
Pong: sa office? ako po yun
Pong: :-)
Lorie: kasi biglang wolverine ang dating
Lorie: hahahahah
Lorie: bagay naman

Baka naman Wolverine's Goofy Brother (hanapin niyo na lang sa blogspot yung post na yan)...

Pong: dapat kasi, weekly ang shave ng balbas, tapos yung sa tuktok, every 2 weeks
Pong: bagong buhay
Pong: kaso, bumalik na sa dating habit
Pong: monthly na, nakakatamad din kasi magshave
Lorie: ok lang....actually mas bagay....
Lorie: kasi nung wala parang ang bait bait
Pong: haha
Lorie: ngayon parang ganito "anong tinitingin-tingin mo?"
Pong: mabait po talaga
Lorie: yup! I agree :-)
Pong: ok po minsan yung ganito, pag nasa pinas ka, takot ka rin lapitan ng mga snatcher
Pong: ;))
Lorie: korek!

Ayan... May mga boto na sa balbas ko...

Pero napapanahon na rin naman ang paglinis ng mukha... Medyo may kainitan na rin kasi dito eh... (At mainit na ang ulo ni Bibi dahil di pa ko nag-aahit...)

Tuloy, eto na ako ngayon...

Pinkaloo...

Who Am I?

2009-03-25T21:05:00.001+08:00

Got this from Mazel's multiply... Naaliw lang din ako, iba na ang walang magawa... :-)

Sa totoo lang, nakakatuwa yung interpretation sa sagot ko sa mga tanong... Kokology ito!!! At okrayin ko daw ba ang sarili ko...

1. Click this link
2. Take the Personality Quiz (it's VERY short and easy, really)
3. Copy & paste the result to Multiply
4. Tag your friends including me =)

Your view on yourself:
You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.
- straight forward daw, bawal malihis, bawal maligaw... efficient problem solver pa! may appeal pa sa mga parties... ano ba yan!

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:
You are a true romantic. When you are in love, you will do anything and everything to keep your love true.
- di ko lang alam paano naging tungkol sa "type of girlfriend I am looking for" itong interpretation na ito... ewan ko lang talaga... (at biglang tumugtog ang Slave To Love, haha!)

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:
You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you (meet) that person.
- haha... hanggang hindi nagcommit, hindi pa right... makes sense to me!

The seriousness of your love:
You are very serious about relationships and aren't interested in wasting time with people you don't really like. If you meet the right person, you will fall deeply and beautifully in love.
- talaga naman... life is too short para seryosohin... smile, be happy... pero oo nga, why waste time? yihee... deeply and beautifully!

Your views on education:
You may not like to study but you have many practical ideas. You listen to your own instincts and tend to follow your heart, so you will probably end up with an unusual job.
- hmm... unusual ba yung job ko ngayon? normal lang naman... marami sigurong kabalbalan na nangyayari, pero usual naman yan sa IT... wahaha!

The right job for you:
You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.
- i agree... kaso yun nga, gusto ko lang tumambay at magpakatamad... may job ba na ganun?

How do you view success:
You are afraid of failure and scared to have a go at the career you would like to have in case you don't succeed. Don't give up when you haven't yet even started! Be courageous.
- oo nga... gusto ko talaga maging bolero eh... promise! kaso, ang hirap career-in yun... di ako marunong mambola eh... kahit itanong niyo pa sa hotness kong baby, di ba babybabes?

What are you most afraid of:
You are afraid of things that you cannot control. Sometimes you show your anger to cover up how you feel.
- control freak! di naman sa ganun... ni-promote ko nga ang "yaan na lang" eh, kasi may mga bagay na wala talaga tayong control... at, ahem, sabi o, sometimes lang ang pagshow ng anger! feeling niyo kasi lagi akong galit eh!!!

Who is your true self:
You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.
- i heart you... *bow*

May Pera Sa Basura

2009-03-23T16:15:00.001+08:00

Sa mga nakapunta na sa dati kong room sa Unit 8010 ng Cyberview Gardens, marahil eh alam niyo nang magulo ang kwarto ko na yun...

May ilang beses na ring sinabi ni Annette na puro basura yung kwarto ko... Puro pagkain din... Pero puro basura daw... (Well, di ako naniniwala kay mom kasi lagi naman niya akong inookray...)

Anyway, dahil paalis na nga ako nun ng Malaysia, kailangan ko nang maglinis... At oo, puro pagkain, puro basura, pero puro pera din...

Masaya talaga ako nung gabing yun... Sabi na eh, magtabi ka lang talaga, balang araw marami kang mauungkat...

Go Green!

2009-03-22T04:25:00.001+08:00

No, I'm not rooting for them...

I should be chanting "Three fights and a fight, fight, blue and white!"

But this post is really about a toylet that got me wanting to "Go Green!"

I guess, by now, you've all met Demi... And in case you haven't, hop on to the first-ever Demi post... Around June last year, I fell in love with Demi... Demi, the ASUS U6Ep with some pretty sweet specs...

And you've probably heard how I got her all hooked up with Tera... eSATA quickies every now and then... Then I added Boom to the mix... I mean, Ive pretty much leaned towards white and silver for all other stuff... The motif is so enchanting...

Three days after the IT Show last weekend, I was browsing for new ASUS laptops when another U6 baby flashed... The ASUS U6V with his not-that-bad specs...

Tera would do quickies with this baby fairly easily with the built-in eSATA port... Yeah, Boom's an albino beside this tanned baby...

Now I'm torn... I don't see myself without Demi... But I do see myself with this new baby...

Can you imagine me having that? Hay... Temptation galore!

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) v.200903-002

2009-03-15T06:42:00.001+08:00

Judge with reason and logic, but do not comment...

Why do you speak for all your kind? You can only speak for yourself.

Oh sweeping... Boy you'll fit just right under the rug.

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) v.200903-001

2009-03-15T04:40:00.001+08:00

If you're horny, and you know it, clap your hands!

Rainy Day ang Monday

2009-03-02T15:08:00.001+08:00

Una sa lahat, pangit ang Monday... Dahil si Bibi ay afternoon shift, ibig sabihin, pag-uwi ko, lonely boy ako... Well, nandyan ang housemates, pero syempre, iba pa rin pag kasama ko si Bibi... Hay...

Ikalawa, dahil nga wala si Bibi, breadtalk na naman ang dinner ko... Kailangan na talaga mag-grocery!

Ikatlo, biruin mo nga naman, lunes na lunes eh nagcrash ang primary production server... Eh di kailangan ng reboot... Natural, kailangan i-startup ang mga job... Takte... Inabot na ng 1pm...

Ikaapat, 1pm na ako naglunch! Well, di ako masyadong magrereklamo kasi yung amo ko eh sa cube niya naglunch... Tinapay lang... Syet, kinabog ang diet ko!

Ikalima, paglabas ko pauwi, tirik na tirik ang araw at ang laki ng patak ng ulan... Pambihira naman... Pwede bang mag-decide kung magpapainit o mambabasa? Kailangan sabay? Hay...

Ikaanim, siksikan sa MRT pauwi!!! Bwiset talaga! Minsan na nga lang ako umuwi ng maaga, ganyan pa...

Ikapito, nagcrash ang YM ko pag nag-YM voice! Bwiset talaga! Di tuloy ako makakuha ng chika updates kay Jodai...

Ikawalo, pinamukha pa ni Jodai... "sayo na ang pinakawalang kwentang YM sa araw na to :D"

Ikasiyam, ang hinayupak na last pay ko eh hanggang ngayon ay missing in action pa! Pambihira talaga, alam naman nilang aalis ako ng bansa nung Feb 21, naisip pa nilang i-cheque ang sweldo ko nung Feb 25? Nuknukan ng kaewanan! Tapos di pa sumasagot sa mga email at tawag. Pera yan, root of all evil...

Ikasampu, gusto ko nang magwala! Mainit ang ulo ko!

Sa kabilang dako... May poknat na ang Merlion! Tinamaan daw ng kidlat... Kawawa naman...

Hay, nakaka-drain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Craig David

2009-03-01T12:16:00.001+08:00

May concert daw sya sa Manila sa March 27.

Well... Nandito siya sa SG sa April 8...

http://www.mtvasia.com/News/200902/06017479.html

Muds! Nood tayo???? (nakabook na kami! book ka na rin!)

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) v.200902-005

2009-02-28T09:17:00.001+08:00

The past will only haunt you if you let it do so.

But there are people that just won't let you forget it.

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) v.200902-004

2009-02-28T03:39:00.001+08:00

Benevolence is just another term you use to mask up your betrayal.

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) v.200902-003

2009-02-28T03:31:00.001+08:00

The end (no matter how good it may seem) doesn't justify the means.

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) v.200902-002

2009-02-28T03:11:00.001+08:00

Learning to trust someone is like setting yourself up for a major heartbreak.

Do it at your own risk.

Baba VS Bibi v.20090222

2009-02-22T19:27:00.001+08:00

Bibi: Bawal ka na mag-taxi ngayon. Dati pwede kasi bisita ka dito. Ngayon, di ka na bisita.
Baba: Ha! Eh nung nasa Malaysia ako, lagi akong nagtataxi.
Bibi: Iba yun! Eh dun ka nakatira dati eh.
Baba: So? Dito na ko nakatira ngayon.
Bibi: Bahala ka nga!

Sige, bigyan ko kayo ng chance hulaan kung sinong may point? Haha! 1 point for Baba! Woot woot!

Baba: Sana mababait officemates ko.
Bibi: Wish mo lang. Matatanda officemates mo noh!
Baba: Ha! Yan ang wish mo lang.

One point for Baba. Naman! I-project ba daw sa'kin ang kapraningan niya (ano naman daw ang relasyon ng kabaitan sa katandaan, jellyfish ka talaga)?!

Welcome to SG (for good)

2009-02-21T18:43:00.001+08:00

Ok... Finally the day came for me to pack my bags and fly to SG for good (well, at least until I decide to move somewhere else, that is).

I've been dreading this day. I mean, I should be excited, but hey, if you've been through a lot of interrogations when crossing borders, you're entitled to be a little skeptical. As for my case, a little too skeptical.

In the last 3 occasions I visited SG, I've been asked whether I had a job in MY. Considering the ridiculous number of SG immigration stamps I have on my passport, I can't really blame them for checking. Back then, it was easy to be the Mr. Cool that I normally am. I'd just flash them my DHL ID and that's it, they'd let me pass. But now, I have no office ID. I have no job in MY. And to make matters worse, the HR in SG reiterated that I shouldn't inform the immigration officer of my job in SG unless it meant my life. Wow.

And so there I was, trying to leave MY. "So you finished your contract in Malaysia?" asked the local immigration officer to which I humbly replied "I resigned." And just like that, they stamped me out.

Landing in SG, Bibi went to the lady immigration first. The lady was as pleasant as anyone can get. I was hopeful that nothing would go wrong. Until it was my turn. She read my name, "Mr. Stephen Mark..." "Ocampo," I completed. She smiled. Then I called BIbi "Babe, lika" as I gave her my hat. Then, as I turned to face the immigration officer, the smile turned into this face that can't wait to see me off. What the hell?! And she stamped that I was only allowed to stay for 14 days. What?! But then she crossed it out and stamped again, this time giving me 30 days. I said thanks and she never did acknowledge it.

"Maganda siya ha. Mabait pa," Bibi said. "Suplada kaya. Nung tinawag kitang 'babe' biglang ang sungit na. Pambihira, nakita namang magkasama tayo tapos ganun? Magagalit na may tinawag akong 'babe'?" I revolted.

But it's all good. I'm in. It was the deepest sigh of relief I've had in years. Thank you Lord.

Now I need to prep for work on Monday. Wish me luck!

Cleaning Up The Fridge

2009-02-14T09:21:00.001+08:00

Well, I'm home alone today and while I was preparing lunch (mac & cheese), I noticed the stuff I packed in the fridge...

- a litre of low fat milk
- still around a pint of chocolate ice cream
- nearly a third of a kilo of grapes
- cheese slices
- ice cream soda
- 4 cans of Carlsberg Special Brew

It's gonna be a long night... (And just near the fridge, I still have two-thirds of a litre of black label left to down... It's going down tonight... )

Wait till I start cleaning up my room...

Mahigpit na Ipinagbabawal

2009-02-13T22:46:00.001+08:00

Mga ilang ipinagbabawal ni Pong Pagong..

1. Bawal umiyak... Kung iiyak ka, siguraduhing may nakahandang yumakap sa'yo... Ako laging nakahandang yumakap... (Di ko habit magpaiyak ha! Although may nagsabi sa'kin nyan dati...) O ha!

2. Bawal mambitin... Kahit ano pang larangan yan... Sa pagkain... Ang taong gutom, bawal alukin ng isang pirasong Chocnut... Mag-aalok ka na rin lang, iabot mo ang buong plastik! Same goes sa kwentuhan... Wag sisimulan kung di balak tapusin... Pwede ring wag nang banggitin kung di rin naman pala para sa taong pinagbanggitan ang naturang kwento... At kung saan pa applicable...

3. Bawal mag-sorry pag di naman kailangan mag-sorry... Nawawala kasi yung essence nung salita eh... Tuloy, when you really mean it, parang di na mawari kung totoo ba or saying it out of habit...

4. Bawal mang-away... For world peace na rin... Mas masaya naman kasi na walang kasamaan ng loob... Tsaka, it's better to make love, not war...

5. Bawal mang-iwan... Kung pwede lang, isama mo kaming lahat sa mga pangarap mo... Wag kang selfish... Seryoso, kung iiwan mo rin lang, bakit mo pa sinamahan?

6. Bawal magpaiyak... Lalo na kung yung papaiyakin mo eh nasa public na lugar gaya ng office, school, LRT/MRT... Pahihirapan mo pa sila maghanap ng cubicle na pagmumukmukan kung saan di sila makikita ng iba... Buti sana kung laging may CR na malapit...

7. Bawal magsabi ng hindi naman ni-mean... Don't say "happy birthday" to someone if you're not really wishing him a happy one... Don't say it because it's customary... Classic example yung "I love you"...

Ang dami kong kabalbalang naiisip... Wala pa akong iniinom na gamot nyan ha... Pero may sense naman yung iba... Di ba?

Happy Hearts

2009-02-13T22:04:00.001+08:00

I haven't been well the past couple of days... There, I finally conceded... (I've been trying to tell people that I'm not really sick... Lumuluha lang ang ilong ko...)

And there's the occasional headache... The slight fever... The sore throat...

I haven't been this sick in quite a while... And my body's trying its best to keep up...

Good thing my heart's not acting up (been a while na rin since the last episode)... Actually, I think he'll be fine...

Bibi: miss na kita babe! nanggigigil ako sayo!!!

Some hearts just get lucky sometimes... Even hearts like mine...

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) v.200902-001

2009-02-10T21:29:00.001+08:00

Absence makes the heart grow fonder...

Out of sight, out of mind...

You're out of your mind... Yes, you're in love...

Yaan Na Lang

2009-02-10T20:29:00.001+08:00

It's not really fatalism, but more of a concession...

Like the time when I lost my wallet (and I haven't used another since)...

And those days when you missed getting the next higher letter grade by one percentage mark...

How about that craving for lechon kawali only to find out that they've ran out and you're left with porkchop?

Or that moment when you realized that you won't be getting that which was promised to you... A couple of stories... A chance to mend things... Time spent together...

You only go through each day of your life once... You can choose to spend most of it thinking of things that have taken place... Welcoming the things that come your way... Contemplating on how you can change the things to come..

Don't be too hard on yourself... I can't say you did the best you could... But it's done, anyway...

Yaan na lang...

Somebody Stole My Sunshine v.003

2009-02-02T23:33:00.001+08:00

Ayaw ko ng ganito...

Magaling ako eh... Kaya kong lusutan ang anumang paglagyan sa'kin... At the very least, ok pa rin ako ngayon... Di ba? Ako pa, kaya ko naman kahit ano pa yan...

Pero bakit ganito...

Bigla kitang naalala... Not that ayaw ko, pero hindi sa ganitong pagkakataon... I'm trying to be strong... At sa gitna ng kaguluhan sa buhay ko, I'm still trying to be the man that you would've wanted me to be... At ang layo ko pa rin... Sobrang layo...

Ang tanda ko na...

Damang dama ko yan... Sa araw-araw na pamumuhay bilang nakatatandang kapatid at panganay na anak... Pati na rin sa pagiging kabiyak ng isang makulit na bata... At sa walang patid na pag-aruga sa mga kaibigan sa abot ng makakaya...

Nasaan na napunta yung mga panahong ako yung inaalagaan?

Dalawampu't dalawang taon na ang nakaraan... Tapos na ang klase nung araw na yun... Hinihintay kitang sunduin mo ako, gaya nga ng mga nakaraang araw... Pero nung araw na yun, ang tagal mo... At nadatnan mo nga akong humihikbi makalipas ang kalahating oras... Saglit mo lang akong pinaghintay, pero parang ang tagal mo talaga...

Tumawa ka... At hanggang ngayon nga ay hindi ko alam kung nang-aasar ka lang o kung nakakatawa ba talaga na umiiyak ako... Well, di siya nakakatawa... At sinigawan nga kita dahil hindi talaga nakakatawa maghintay... Nang malaman mong natatakot ako, tumigil ka na... "Nandito na si mama..."

Naulit pa naman ang pagkahuli mo sa pagsundo... Pero hindi na naulit ang pag-iyak ni kuya... Isang behlat na lang ang sumasalubong sa'yo... Mabilis ako matuto, 'kala mo... Di mo ko matitiis at obligado kang sunduin ako... Pero sa totoo lang, alam ko kasing dadating ka rin... Di ba?

At sa bawat pagkakataong may takot na unti-unting nabubuo, lagi kang nariyan para masigurong ok lang ako... Kaya ganito ako... Kayang harapin kahit ano pa nga yan... Kasi alam kong nariyan ka lang... Lagi naman eh...

Matagal na pala...

Hindi ba't malakas ako? Kailangan eh... Para sa kanila... Dahil kung hindi ako, sino? Bawal maging mahina... Pero sa'yo, kaya kong tumiklop... Bumigay... Kapag sinabi mong "ok lang yan," ang daling paniwalaan... Walang dapat pagdudahan...

Dati nga madali lang bumawi... Andyan lang sa bahay ang iyong kabiyak at bunsong anak... Kahit wala ka, nariyan sila... Ngayon, mag-isa ako... Alam mo ba yun? Wala sila...

Noon, madali lang sumigla... Halos araw-araw kong kasama ang iyong paboritong dalaga... Kahit wala ka, iniwan mo ako sa kanya... Ngayon nga'y malungkot ako... Naiintindihan mo ba? Malayo siya...

Nagpupumiglas...

Natatakot ako ngayon... May mga bagay na di ko hawak... Wala akong magawa... Kung sana'y nandito ka... Isang yakap mo lang... "Ok lang yan..."

Nasaan ka na...

Hindi na ba ako pwedeng maging bata? Ang tagal mo naman Ma...

Di ko na naagapan...

Feelingero Mode v.20090131

2009-01-30T23:31:00.001+08:00

Well, nagpapaantok lang ako at naalala ko lang kung gaano kasaya humirit sa sarili...

Bukod sa national anthem ng mga feeling ("Pogi" by Da Pulis):

Uma-umaga sa 'king paggising
Iniiwasan ko ang salamin
Ayoko nang makita ang aking mukha
'Cause you know I've got this big problema

Di ako makatulog
Tuwing gabi nabubulabog
Ang gusto ko lamang ay manahimik
Please girls, leave me in peace

Mahirap talaga maging pogi
Mahirap talaga maging heartthrob
Mahirap talaga maging pogi
Mahirap talaga maging cutie pie
A ha hay

Meron pang isang kanta na swak na swak... "Perfect" by True Faith:

Baby, as you look into my eyes
Ooh, I'm perfect
Judging from the way I make you high
Ooh, it's worth it
Perfect... it's everything I am to you
Perfect... and everything I am to you

Ayun o, napakanta kayo no?

At napapaisip na akong sumulat ng novel... Ang pamagat:

My Unbearable Hotness Of Being

Pogi na... Perfect pa... Unbearable Hotness!!!

Helpless

2009-01-29T21:37:00.001+08:00

weakest point to... hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko...

ayaw ko nang isipin pero di ko maalis sa isip ko...

minsan, tulala na lang, wala na sa sarili...

di ko na masabi kung anong tunay na saloobin...

mabigat ang katawan... masakit ang ulo...

nanlalata...

gusto kong maiyak pero di ko magawa...

walang magawa... tutulo na bigla...

hay sipon... please, sana mawala ka na...

Sony Rolly

2009-01-26T16:29:00.001+08:00

Hey, if anyone's planning to get me anything... Please, get me this new music player...

Nasa Orchard kami kanina at nakita namin 'to ni Bibi sa may escalator sa Wisma... Pambihira... I love it!

The new Sony Rolly... Promise, nakakatuwa siya... Check niyo yung Videos ko sa Multiply para mapanood niyo... :-)

Home Alone

2009-01-25T10:39:00.001+08:00

Oh yes... I'm home alone...

May pasok kasi si Bibi, 2pm-11pm... Well, dati, pag may pasok si Bibi, sasabit ako sa lakad ni Jode o ni Jojo... Ayaw ko lang rin siguro makulong sa bahay...

Pero ngayon, ewan... Ang daming pwedeng gawin eh...

1. Work... Nagdala ako ng mga dapat kong i-QC at isang change request na dapat kong gawin... Pero tinatamad naman ako... Pero kailangan ko rin naman sila gawin eventually... Hay... Pero kasi, kung kayang gawin ng iba, ipagawa mo sa kanila... Di ba?

2. Go out... Wala nga lang akong mahahagilap na kasama ng last minute... Gusto kong mag-mall hop pero tinatamad naman ako gumastos... I mean, part ng mga plano ko for 2009 eh magtipid at medyo nasanay na rin akong wag gumastos... So para saan pa ang paglilibot sa mall kung wala naman akong mapapala? Gusto ko rin mag-bilyar pero babalik na naman ako sa premise na ayaw kong gumastos... So paano ako magbibilyar? Sana may manlibre sa'kin...

3. Watch movies... Well, maraming na-download... Maraming pwedeng panoorin... Pero kasi, nasasayangan naman ako sa mga panahong ganito kung manonood lang ako... I mean, pwede naman ako manood anytime nasa bahay ako sa Malaysia... So bakit ako manonood dito?

4. Read books... Well, a couple hundred pages na lang at matatapos ko na yung Eldest... At gusto ko nang matapos yun para naman matuloy ko na dun sa third book... Pero namimiss ko na tumambay sa Starbucks... Yung bibili lang ako ng Venti Hot White Choco at mag-uubos ng oras habang nagbabasa... So kung magbabasa man ako, hindi dito sa bahay... Di ko ata kakayanin (well, inuwi ko sa Malaysia yung libro at hindi ko nga siya nagalaw)... Unless magtimpla ako ng sarili kong kape... Wenk...

5. Install apps kay Blue... Dahil bagong reformat si Blue (toylet ni Bibi), kailangan kong mag-install ng samu't saring bagay sa kanya... At nararapat lang na gawin ko yun habang wala si Bibi... Para nga naman di ko ma-interrupt ang quality time nilang dalawa... Pero tinatamad pa ako... I mean, alam ko naman na ang kailangan kong ilagay... Click click na lang yan at tapos na... Baduy...

6. Sleep... Masaya sana yan... Ang problema lang, pag natulog ako ngayon, malamang sa malamang eh hindi ako aantukin mamaya pag-uwi ni Bibi... So matinding puyatan na naman yan... At pag nagkaganun, late na ako magigising bukas... At wala na namang mangyayari sa araw ko if ever... So bawal to, for now...

7. Muni-muni... Ok to... I mean, ang daming pwedeng pagmunihan ngayon... Pero narealize ko lang... Kung nangyari na, para saan pa't pasasakitin ang ulo kaiisip ng mga pwede sanang nangyari? Tapos na eh, may mababago pa ba? Kung nakatakdang mangyari, hindi ba't dapat hintayin ko na lang at wag ko nang pag-aksayahan ng panahon pag-isipan? So minsan, parang hindi na rin pala worthwhile endeavor ang pagmumuni... Well, unless desperate na at wala nang ibang magawa... Tsaka pag may mga ibang nasa muni mode din, magsama-sama ang mga walang magawa...

Hay... Mukhang mananalo yung sleep...

Promise, bukas dapat marami na akong magawa... Bawal na magpaka-bum...

Zzzz...

Happy AnniBEARsary

2009-01-21T22:01:00.001+08:00

Ang bilis ng panahon... Hindi ba't kailan lang nung ako'y mangulit... Well, sige, magparamdam... O siya, oo na, manligaw...

Bata pa tayo noon... Matanda ka na ngayon... Pero hindi ka pa rin nagbabago... Makakalimutin ka pa rin...

Gaya na lang noong January 22, 2000... Nalimutan mo atang ako dapat ang magtanong at ikaw ang sasagot... At dahil nga nalimutan mo, ikaw na nga ang nagtanong... At dahil ayaw ko naman i-break ang heart mo, sinagot kita... Ganun lang naman kasimple ang buhay...

Ngayon nga'y 9th anniversary natin... 9 years na si BiBa... Naaalala mo pa ba ang mga pakulo ko tuwing anniv? Siguro hindi ko na malalagpasan yung last year... Ang tagal mo rin kasing inawitan yung mga bulaklak na yun... Sa totoo lang, tingin ko nga dapat di na ko magbigay ng gift ngayon eh... Pero syempre, pwede ba namang magkaroon ng anniv si BiBa nang walang matatanggap si Bibi galing kay Baba?

Cannot!

At nung December 21 nga, nasa Pavilion kami naglilibot-libot... At nakita ko nga ang mga ibibigay ko para sa darating na anniv... Dalawang pares ng cute na cute na bears... Binayaran ko nga at pinabalot... Malinaw sa kanila, magkahiwalay babalutin yung dalawang brown na bear at magkasamang babalutin yung gray na bears... Alam ko na ang ilalagay ko...

December 24, dumating ako sa Singapore... Hindi ka ba nagtaka at mas pinili kong umuwi muna sa bahay kaysa hintayin ka sa Harbourfront at makipagkita agad sa iyo matapos ang iyong shift? Miss na talaga kita, pero malamang uuwi ako para itago yung gift ko sa'yo... Alangan namang isabotahe ko ang sarili ko... At yun nga, inayos ko pa ang paglagay sa paper bag... Nasa ilalim yung dalawang gray na may nakasulat na "MARRY ME?"... Sa taas nila'y ang isang brown bear na may nakasulat na "YOU"... At sa taas niya'y ang isa pang brown bear na may nakasulat na "WILL"...

Hmm... Ang dapat kasi sanang mangyari eh una mong makita yung "WILL", tapos yung "YOU", at sa huli yung "MARRY ME?"... Para ang dating sana eh "WILL YOU MARRY ME?" Ganun dapat talaga yun eh... Gets mo?!

Pero ewan ko ba! Tinawagan kita kanina saktong 12 AM at nawindang ka dahil nalimutan mong anniv na natin... At napahiya ka rin dahil hinanapan kita ng gift mo sa'kin... Wala kang masagot dahil natural, gaya nung nakaraang taon, wala ka na namang gift!

At ang lakas ng loob mong maghanap ng gift from me?! Aba! Sa buong history natin ng anniv gift-giving, hindi mo pa ako natatalo... Feeling mo wala kang gift?!

Wag kang feeling!

At sinabi ko ngang nasa ilalim ng bed mo ang mga gifts mo... At dun nga nasira ang mga plano ko... Kundi ka ba naman isa't kalahating excited, nilabas mo silang lahat agad sa paper bag nang hindi man lang muna binabasa ang mga nakasulat sa card...

So ang ending...

"YOU WILL MARRY ME?"

Pambihira, hanggang ngayon nagdududa ka pa?

Happy 9th Anniversary Bibi... I love you... ¤mwah¤

P.S. Ang cute talaga nila no? - http://mamamiapizzamia.multiply.com/journal/item/22/Proposal_2009

Di Ako Pangit!

2009-01-18T19:56:00.001+08:00

Matagal-tagal na nang huli kaming mag-chat ni Bibi ng naka-webcam... Well, huling nagkita nga naman kami eh January 5 pa... So napagpasyahan kong i-surprise si Bibi at magpakita sa YM gamit nga ang webcam nung Friday night...

Bibi: OMG!!!!!
Bibi: o mah gas!!!!
Baba: hahahaha
Bibi: beyb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bibi: what happened to your face?????????!!!!!!!
Bibi: waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

Sa YM yan ha... At hindi pa siya nakuntento nun... Tumawag pa nung Saturday (habang nasa office siya) para mang-okray...

Bibi: babe, mag-shave ka na. mapangit kasi pag sobrang haba balbas.
Baba: so sinasabi mo na pangit ako?!
Bibi: hahaha!

Pambihira... I mean, c'mon... Napakuha tuloy ako ng pic ngayon gamit ang webcam... Look at this face, so blessed with inspiration...

Sinong pangit?! Hmmp!

Asa Pa Ako

2009-01-14T23:07:00.001+08:00

Libre lang mangarap, pero ngayong 2009, sana matupad naman itong mga munting hiling ko...

1. Sana ma-promote ako... Bukod sa pagdagdag ng isang salita sa job title eh may kaakibat na pagdagdag sa sweldo... Sino nga ba namang ayaw niyan?

2. Sana magka-increase sa sweldo... Kung hindi man ako ma-promote, ok na rin sa'kin ang substantial na increase sa sahod... Tipong pwedeng pambayad ng tax kada buwan ang increase... Woot woot!

3. Sana may bonus ngayong April... At sana mga 5 times ng buwanang sahod... Ang saya nun noh?! (Sabi ko nga, libre lang mangarap, buti nga di ko sinabing 10 times eh! Ask generously...)

4. Sana malaki ang tax refund... I mean, sana abot ng katulad last year... Pambili rin ng bagong laruan yun!

Napansin ko lang, parang puro patungkol sa pera ang hiling ko noh? Well, money is a necessary evil...

5. Sana makahanap ako ng work sa Singapore... Syempre, sana the price is right... (Pera na naman!) Pero di ba, kung aalis man ako sa napakagandang kinalalagyan ko ngayon, aba eh sana sa mas magandang package na... Nung minsang may tumawag at tinanong ako ng expected salary ko, sabi ko "10k SGD, take it or leave it." Aba, ang loca, nag-goodbye... Kapal ng mukha!

6. Sana maka-ipon na ako... Hindi na ako bibili ng mga kung anu-anong hindi naman talaga kailangan... Pero may magandang jacket sa Nike eh... Pero di naman malamig dito, so aanhin ko ang jacket? Pero terno siya sa jacket ni Bibi eh... Pero ka-presyo na siya nung Nike Free ko... Tsaka may Ateneo jacket pa naman ako... Pero sayang eh...

7. Sana makapag-aral ako ng banking and finance... Wala naman, para malihis naman ako ng landas... Lagi na lang shipping, logistics, container/cargo transport... Seryoso na, kailangan ko matuto nyan para sa hinaharap...

8. Sana mapalitan na ang office laptop ko... Kung pwede lang talaga na itong personal na laptop na lang ang gamitin ko sa office, i-volunteer ko na talaga... (Pwede naman daw, sabi ni Mio, yun nga lang, install-an daw ng XP at wala daw akong admin rights at i-uninstall daw ang mga non-standard software... Leche!)

9. Sana matapos na ang financial crisis sa mundo... Kung hindi man, eh di sana yumaman na lang ako! (Blog ko to, pwede maging selfish!)

10. Sana mabigyan ng external training ulit... TIpong they would be spending an absurd amount for me to learn something new... Sana tungkol sa mga bagay na magagamit ko rin pag-alis ko ng kumpanya... (Sabi ko nga, absurd!)

Hay... Hindi naman ako nanghihingi ng hindi nila kayang ibigay... Kung paglalaanan lang nila ng panahon na intindihin ang mga pangangailangan ko, aba, mabibigay nila yan noh!

Kaya please lang, sana ibigay na nila... Kundi... Hay naku... Hay naku na lang... :-P

Hapong Kay Ganda (HKG) v.20090112

2009-01-12T10:38:00.001+08:00

Pambihira, lunes na lunes eh sasalubungin ako ng sandamakmak na kabalbalan...

Tignan niyo 'tong amo namin... May sabi-sabi pang i-copy daw siya sa mga e-mail para alam niya kung anong nangyayari... At syempre, sinabi niya sa amo niya na yan ang kanyang new year's resolution, ang maging involved sa mga proyekto...

Heto na nga, lumapit, nagtatanong tungkol sa project namin... Eh nag-email na nga ako nung nakaraang linggo na ngayong linggo pa maaayos dahil naka-bakasyon pa ang ibang mga kausap, aba, ang matalinong amo biglang tanong sa'kin na tipong nambibintang pa kung bakit walang nangyayari sa project na yun...

Kundi ba naman isa't kalahating... Ewan!

Sabi ko nga, babawasan ko na ang pagmumura... Pero...

Kamote que! Anak ng tinola! Tokwa!

Bwiset!

Of Love Letters and Shared Moments

2009-01-08T13:23:00.001+08:00

"Kapag nasabi na ang lahat ng masasabi, di pa rin nasasabi ang pinakamahalaga..."

Or something to that effect...

Actually, ang gusto ko lang sabihin eh, may point yang statement na yan... Pero, somehow, gusto ko ring patulan... I mean, oo, di pa nga nasasabi ang pinakamahalaga, pero alam mo yun, yung challenge ng pagkakahon sa salita ng mga mahahalaga na yun... Yung paghanap ng paraan para ma-convey mo yung mga yun... At yung pagsabi dun sa sasabihan ng mga gusto mong sabihin... At yung pagkamulat niya sa mga bagay na kung minsan ay tinatanggap na lang na nariyan, pero yung pagpapamukha mo sa kanya sa pagpapahalaga mo sa kung ano mang mahalaga...

Wala, maganda yung pakiramdam...

So kung may magbigay man sa inyo ng love letter, tanggapin niyo... Malaking challenge ang pagsulat nun... Mahirap ikahon sa mangilan-ngilang salita ang mga gustong ipadama... A for effort? Hindi naman...

Unawain mo... Sa gulo ng isip ng bawat tao, nakuha ka pa nilang pahalagahan...

Nagliligpit ako ng gamit ko kagabi nang makita ko yun... Naalala ko nga... Nakatanggap ako ng love letter nung pasko... Actually, dalawang love notes yun (na nakita ko nga ulit kagabi) at isang love letter (na naiwan ko naman sa'yo)... Matagal na akong di nakakabawi sa'yo, pero salamat... Yun ang pinakamagandang regalong nakuha ko... *HUGZ*

At may chocolates pa... Love letter at chocolates... Hay...

Brain Squeeze 101

2009-01-05T16:54:00.001+08:00

Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero bigla ko lang naisip...

Anong kabaligtaran ng farfetched?

Wag niyong sabihing believable, dahil unbelievable ang katapat niyan...

Wag ring likely, dahil unlikely ang kapareha niyan...

Plausible... Eh sila nung implausible...

So how?

Pongskie's WOW (Words Of Wisdom) v.200901-001

2009-01-01T18:35:00.001+08:00

In matters of the heart , be truthful... Honesty maybe the best fallacy but neither you nor I can change facts...

Di Ako Mataba!

2008-12-23T16:44:00.001+08:00

Jode: pong, alam ko na bakit ka nataba
Jode: magaling mag-alaga si Mio

================================

Annette: hahaha... si estee din sabi laki ng tinaba mo
Pong: talaga?!
Pong: kailan sinabi?
Pong: loca talaga un
Pong: di sinasabi sa face ko
Annette: hahahaha
Pong: kailangan sa iba ko pa malaman
Pong: baliw un!
Annette: hahaha... xempre bakit naman sasabihin syo

================================

Annette: tanong mo si mia kung malaki ba tinaba mo
Pong: nakow
Pong: di siya nakakalimot ipaalala sakin
Annette: hahaha

Abuso na kayo ha... Di ako mataba, dumodoble lang paningin niyo! Hmmp!

Stigmatized

2008-12-17T02:32:00.001+08:00

What is Branding?

Your brand resides within the hearts and minds of customers, clients, and prospects. It is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions, some of which you can influence, and some that you cannot.

A strong brand is invaluable as the battle for customers intensifies day by day. It's important to spend time investing in researching, defining, and building your brand. After all your brand is the source of a promise to your consumer. It's a foundational piece in your marketing communication and one you do not want to be without.

================================

At Work

You were in a call the other day and there he was, asking the same questions... Needless to say, he got the same answers... This time, though, he carefully drove home the point that you've been here for a year and a half and yet, you're still the picture of mediocrity that you were back then... You won't be going places... Not like this...

Who are you? The architect who drafts what needs to be done and eventually goes out to do it? The handyman who fixes what needs repairing? The director who oversees and meddles in a production? Now tell me who you are, who you really, really are...

================================

In Life

You are branded for life... Branded for good... For you are nothing more than a jerk with a hood... You try to cover up the wrongs of the past... And people see right through your empty lies... They can see the deceit in your eyes...

It's in the way you move, at most when you talk... You are haunted by ghosts, no, wait, you are stalked! For each and every time you change, who is it that you try to play? The old chap that never fails to remember? The occasional friend who willfully passes judgment? The lover who undoubtedly has not forgotten?

And as you empty your self into the other, what is it that you leave yourself with? Better yet, to what penalties do you subject your volatile self ever so readily? What sort of pass do you expect to get when you are only as good as your branding?

Do you honestly think there's hope? Those who know you think they know it all... You make new friends and they relive the ghosts of the past... You build relationships with the truth on hand... And you watch them jerk to their inevitable collapse... Keep hoping next time you'll do better...

I will not be the same... (Keep telling yourself that...)

Buwan

2008-12-12T22:25:00.003+08:00

Mas gusto kong pagmasdan ang buwan sa kanyang kabuuan... Full moon, 'ika nga... Naaalala ko pa noon, high school, kay laki ng buwan noong gabing iyon... Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero masarap pagmasdan...

Kailangan ko na yata bumili ng telescope...

Well, di naman ako naghangad maging astronaut at wala akong planong lumapag sa buwan... Sadyang may mga bagay na kaaya-aya from afar... Ano nga namang sense ng puntahan pa ang buwan, eh di hindi ko na siya nakita ng buo... Baduy...

Anyway, nagsalang ako ng labada at salamat sa buwan, di ako nadapa... Nakakatuwa, ang liwanag sa labas... Ganda't liwanag ng buwan...

At hahanguin ko na nga ngayon ang aking nilabhan... Pero naisip ko lang, baka tumambay muna ako sa labas... Hindi ko kayang ikahon ang mga bagay-bagay pero sasabihin ko na... Kung ano pang nangyari o mangyayari, napagtanto kong maganda ang gabing ito dahil sa kabuuan at liwanag ng buwan...

Paglipas ng araw, pangarap ko'y ganap
Ako'y iyung nasa isip, ako'y hanap-hanap
Di raw panaginip, Sa isang iglap
Magkasama tayo, sa alapaap

Hawak kamay at
Sabay na humahanga sa
Ganda't liwanag ng buwan

Lagarista Saturday @ SG

2008-12-07T08:42:00.001+08:00

Nakakaaliw ang Sabado sa SG... Una, sa lahat, birthday ni Rage nung Friday, kaya magpapakain daw siya ng Saturday night... So, yun pa lang, ayos na...

Pero hindi... Kasi may pasok si Bibi... So ang aking babysitter ay si Jode (as always, no I'm not complaining)... At dapat nga'y magkikita kami ng 1PM sa CIty Hall MRT station... Late ako...

Bisita kay Jojo at thank you sa kanila ni Mama LJ dahil super sarap nung vanilla ice cream... Yahoo!

Next stop ay sa Suntec para dun sa Fossil Private Sale... Pero dahil di pa ako nag-lunch, kumain muna kami ng gyoza at siomai... Pag akyat sa sale, ayun, napakahaba ng pila kaya't di na kami tumuloy...

Pero may nabili naman kaming watch...

Kakatagpuin namin si Bibi, Rage, at Jeanne sa Queenstown MRT at mula nga roo'y pupunta kami sa favorite resto ni Rage para mag-dinner...

After dinner, nakaplano nang mag-isang shot ng tequila sa kung saan... Pero si Jode ay biglang nagdalawang-isip at kape na lang raw... Pero dahil BI (bad influence po, hindi bisexual) ako natuloy kami sa pag-inom...

Maraming nainom... Maraming napag-usapan... Ayos!

Quotable Quotes:

Jode: Di ka sakit sa ulo Pong... Sakit ka sa puso...

---------------

Pong: Sobra ka na ha! Tanggal ka na sa friendship!

Jode: I resign!

---------------

Pong: Hindi umiinom yan (referring to Bibi)...

Rage: Oo nga... Tapos, unang pagkakita ko sa kanya dati, sa Malate, umiinom...

Jode: Akala ko ba madali kang maka-get over?

Bibi: Sira!

Pong: Kailangan ko siyang iligtas...

Rage: Galit na galit nga si Pong nun na uminom ka...

Bibi: Hanggang ngayon, di pa siya over dun!

---------------

Rage: So ano nga yung pinag-usapan niyo?

Jode: Kasi nga, si Pong...

Pong: Kasi nga, sabi ni Jode, pag napag-uusapan daw, nag-iiba daw mood ko, o tono ko, o mukha ko...

Jode: Di naman sa ganun, may kakaiba lang...

Pong: Eh kasi naman... (unti unti nang lumalakas ang boses)

Rage: Ayan! Ganyan!

---------------

Jode: Malakas na boses mo...

Pong: Malakas talaga boses ko pag nakainom...

Jode: Malakas talaga kahit hindi...

Pong: Ok fine...

---------------

Jode: Si Pong kasi, outspoken... Ako...

Pong: Inspoken?

Jode: Introvert!

--------------- Jeanne: Bakit kayo nagbreak?

Pong: Dahil sa mga kalokohan ko noon...

Bibi: Dahil sa akin nga daw... Ipinasa sa akin ang sisi...

Jode: It's not you, it's me...

Pong: Yun yung panahon na tumultuous yung buhay ko...

---------------

Rage (ala Billy Joe look alike): Tahaaaaaym... I've been passing tahaaaaaym watching tren go by...

---------------

Bibi: Paano i-zoom?! (habang pinapakita ni Jode ang pic ni Billy Joe look alike na apparently eh for girls lang ang pic)

Jeanne: Bakit kulubot?

Pong: Ano ba yan, kailangan i-zoom... Sobrang liit!

Rage: Haha! Si Mia na nagsabing maliit, iba ka Pong!

(At naiyak na lang si Jode...)

Cloud 9

2008-12-01T01:08:00.003+08:00

I've known you for so long, you are a friend of mine... How long, exactly? Well, we've been besties for 9 years now...

It was shaping up to be a glum day, and we've been texting all morning as I was prepping to leave... It was, after all, a school day...

You know, I could say that it's a 15-minute leisurely walk from our place to Faura for my first class... But I don't think there's anything leisurely about going to school, so I'd say that it was going to be a boring 15-minute walk...

And yes, I was texting while walking... It was THAT safe to do so over at E. Abada and Katipunan...

And since Christmas was just around the corner, I had the audacity to ask what you wanted for the holidays... Being the coy baby girl that you were, you didn't even so much as attempt to answer the question... Instead you pounced back with an "Ikaw? May gusto ka?"

And you probably know the rest of the story...

It was a glum morning... Up until you let the sun shine on me... For me...

I never really asked for more... I may have lost Sunshine a couple of years ago... But she left me knowing that I have you... You've kept the sun shining for me...

I love you bestfriend... Sobra!

(Yes, I know, nakalimutan mo... Never ko makakalimutan... Nevah!)

Lucky Seven - http://ponggoloids.blogspot.com/2006/12/lucky-seven.html

Bestfriend Methodist - http://ponggoloids.blogspot.com/2007/12/bestfriend-methodist.html

Meet My Boss

2008-11-20T21:21:00.002+08:00

tenenten tenenten ten

Damned

2008-11-01T03:51:00.001+08:00

Sooner or later you're going to have to change... Each and every time you take the blow for a friend, you risk a scar on that image of yours... And you know it...

But you keep taking the hit... Why do you even choose to cover for them? Them teeming with their lame excuses and careless unconcern? Them trampling on anyone to have the biggest slice of the pie? Them willing to point their finger at your fat ass just so they could cover theirs? You choose to cover for them... Still...

And when people ask you, you hardly look away... You are not coerced to lie... But you choose not to tell everything... You hardly fear them yet you choose to keep mum... They know you are better than this yet you make yourself look otherwise... You're not weak yet you've always portrayed that role quite well... And now's not any different...

Even the chesty prick that others curse claims you to be the sharpest thorn... You, who at one time, would not dare think twice about setting someone up for the garrotte... To embarrass... No... To humiliate and punish, if you wish... With no remorse... Where are you now?

Damned if you don't...

You were never good at what-if's yet here's a timely one... What if you didn't hold back? Did it ever occur to you that you could've skipped this tumultuous phase? That it would probably be a couple of other asses that'd be whipped instead of yours?

And if you did, you probably wouldn't fall out of favor with some people... But then you'll be the schmuck that other people loathe... The embodiment of the things they quetch of... The very same face you met headstrong with reckless abandon... Him leading the pack... When leading meant leaving... And you're fated to become the very thing other people hate...

Other people like you... You who realize that everything, yes everything, is beyond your control... You are one of them... Them constantly complaining of the never-ending displeasure... Discontent to a certain extent... They could never admit it, but it was altogether futile... There's just nothing they can do... And you are whining and dying with them... Until you defect to the ruthless...

Damned if you do...

20081009 - Capricorn

2008-10-09T08:23:00.001+08:00

Waking up around 5AM to feel that I'm a little warm... Waking up around 10AM to the realization that I do have the fever...

Being reminded endlessly that projects got screwed up... Having to talk to managers to clear things up... Can you blame me for going on vacation that was plotted at the beginning of the year?

While were on the work topic, being asked to wear nearly all the hats a person could while being immersed in a project... The only consolation I get from the boss is that I was doing alright... Till I screwed up...

The angst at company politics and how things are at the office... The fact that there are others in the team earning way more but are doing far less...

The welled up urge to move to Singapore and stay with the missus for good... Hoping to update my resume ASAP... And hoping that someone actually entertains my application...

Planning for the big day... Mapping out leaves and working on the itinerary...

I guess it's not as intense as it could get... It's just one of those days...

Dashing and Debonair

2008-10-06T19:28:00.001+08:00

I met up with Jojo before Bibi and I left SG... The really huge favor was to have him tinker with Demi (my Asus E6Ep) and install Windows XP Pro and Windows Vista Business... And since I had already decided that I won't be bringing her on my trip, I handed Demi to Jojo for the needed pimping...

It was the break of dawn... Wednesday, September 17... I finally got to see my dad and my sis after nearly a year and a half working far, far away...

I had already planned to leave Bond (my Nokia 6288) to my sis since I couldn't find any unlock key for that Smart-locked phone... But dad was dropping hints that he wanted a new phone as well (it was, after all, about time I replaced his Motorola ROKR), so I was inclined to leave Posh (my LG Shine) behind, as well...

Bibi and I arrived at Changi Green last Sunday, 12:30 AM... And I felt naked... I had no laptop... I had no phone... I felt oh so helpless...

So Bibi decided she'd be getting me a new phone... I did have a couple of phones in mind... The HTC Touch Cruise and the Sony Ericsson W960... But these were sooooo last year...

We were rummaging at Vivo City yesterday for a new phone... The frontrunner was the Nokia E71... In the not so distant second was the Samsung I780...

But we got Dash over at Funan... No questions asked...

Meet Dash (my new HTC Touch Pro)... Bond meets Posh and adds a touchy feel... And he hooked up with Demi quite easily...

I know I love it... XOXO...

Windows Live Writer v.20080914

2008-09-14T11:20:00.001+08:00

Dear Reader,

Here I go again... Trying to blog using an external editor... Well, if you must know, I had to reinstall Windows a couple of days ago... And since I really didn't like the Blogger Buddy in Windows Sidebar, I figured I'd use another editor (not that I'm unhappy with my Notepad++ which makes life easier for me)...

While I was trying to install Windows Live Messenger, I stumbled upon this... Windows Live Writer... The pitch being that it offers a ton of spoon-feeding for bloggers... Ha! This seems to be my thing, huh?!

And I'm liking it... First off, linking to a previous entry in my blog was a breeze... Wow... I mean, seriously, this is for lazy, on-the-go, and impatient bloggers like me (lazy? on-the-go? impatient? I never thought they'd all agree to describe me fittingly)... It did allow me to change my font settings... And it does provide me a real-time preview of how my blog entry would look like by allowing me to create/edit the entry with the exact template/format it will be published in...

I'm not sure if this gets posted to Multiply (as I haven't had the chance to investigate why I can't seem to cross-post from Blogger to Multiply while the other way around works easily) but if this endeavour pans out the way I expect it to, I'd be really happy...

Time to find out...

Rgds,
S.

P.S. This also has a spelling checker... Can I just say... I'm really loving this!

Lagarista Monday @ SG v.20080901

2008-09-03T13:34:00.001+08:00

I could have sworn I didn't notice Bibi leave... She woke me up at around 10AM, having just arrived home from Bedok... I think everyone knows why she was out that early... May sakit... Haha!

Anyway, we had lunch with Muds at Plaza Singapura... Muds!!! It's been a while since I last saw her (almost a month)... And the bubbly lady went on to tell the story of Pocobo (and yes, she was still laughing about it, adik ka Muds!) and a story on how he got Papa Glen to help her do some household chores... Haha... And there we were actually thinking how it was incredibly awesome that she sent me a message a couple of weeks back confirming if I was in SG... Wow... ESP? Galing! Well, that was until she confessed that Maymay told her... Haha... Bilib na sana kami...

We checked the Creative store at Plaza Singapura and the saleslady confirmed that new stocks of the Zen X-Fi's leather case will come in this Friday... Coolness!!! But I promised myself I'd check it first in Malaysia, maybe it'd be cheaper back there... Haha! Temptation galore!!!

We went to Funan 'coz I needed to have my BT headset checked... I mean, yeah it worked for Posh (my LG Shine), it was good for calls, but the music streaming was choppy... And it worked for Bibi's Nokia N95; calls were good, music was even better... I can't believe this... But the real problem was, I couldn't get it to pair with Posh again... Sheesh... So we were in Funan and we found out that the supplier is in Ubi... Darn...

Bibi suggested that we go to the store where we purchased the BT headset... EPICentre over at Wheelock Place... After nearly half an hour of having 2 different clerks and 3 different phones try to pair with the headset, we were nearly convinced that the device was "faulty"... Until this Nokia E-series phone successfully linked to the headset and eventually, Posh did... Wow... I'm not really too high on the music streaming now, but I want a PDA phone... Seriously... I want a new phone that can match my lifestyle... And I have a very long list of candidates...

We decided to check Wisma Atria and Marina Square but nothing seemed to catch our fancy... Well, apart from the Creative store at Marina Square with the Creative Zen X-Fi and the Creative Xmod (a white, Low Fidelity to Xtreme Fidelity modulator) and a white Creative wireless boom headset... Wow... And Bibi was high on Creative's video recorder... Hmmm... I think we just got a nod to buy some stuff... Haha!

Oh, I forgot to mention the Pedro white leather briefcase/laptop bag we found at Citylink Mall...

But not enough dough... So, moving on...

Lagarista Sunday @ SG v.20080831

2008-09-03T13:12:00.001+08:00

The turn to Sunday saw me telling Bibi a story that was 2 years in the making... Yes, from fashion consultant to Lola Basyang mode, that's the boylet Bibi got in me... I'm not sure how she liked it, but it's one of those "once upon a time" bedtime stories... With the "happily ever after" ending as well...

And after around 5 hours of sleep, we went to COMEX at Suntec... Shopping Galore at an IT Show? Can! Bibi got me a Plantronics Voyager 855... Woot woot! I love it! I mean, how can you not love it, it does well on calls and music... Haha! It was a no-brainer, after craving for a bluetooth headset for a couple of months now, she had to get me one... Woot woot!

We bumped into Jojo and LJ's cousin who were also rummaging at the IT Show... And afer a couple of hours more, we found the Asus P320... It comes in Black, LustrousPink, and Pearlescent White... Wow... Imagine having that white/silver GPS PDA phone together with Demi (my white/silver Asus U6Ep), Boom (my white Altec Lansing THX certified speakers), and Tera (my silver WD 1TB eHD)... Yes... I was that close to giving in... The only thing that held me back was that it was my first time to see that phone... No idea how it fared in reviews and other tests... So, goodbye phone, for the moment...

A little more gadget surfing and we found the Creative Zen X-Fi... 32GB mp3/mp4 player that's WiFi ready... But the problem was, the leather case was out of stock... Baduy! I mean, I wanted it (because my primary mp3 player Bond, my Nokia 6288, will be given to my Sis, hence I need a new player... Yown!) but I didn't think I can live without that leather case... So, goodbye mp3 player, for the moment...

We were on our way out of the IT show and into the mall when... Guess who we bumped into... Lola Jas (Jobeibeh, Annskie, Boinks, Calai Calai Forevermore, WeeWee Na Pooh, and Dudoy Dohonabel's teammate from way back)!!! I mean, huwaw! It was just yesterday when I told Jode that in the countless times I've been here (SG, that is), I have yet to see Jas... And guess what, pumapayat ang lola niyo!

Ok, so we went to a couple of shops and got my dad a cap... We then met up with Timmie (with JP in tow) for her dose of Gossip Girl (Maits! You owe me big time!)

Seriously, after all that, Bibi just wanted to go home and sleep... And so I didn't get to buy a new phone... Ma-guilty ka babe!

Lagarista Saturday @ SG v.20080830

2008-09-03T12:57:00.001+08:00

I guess I should be doing some explaining... August 31 is Malaysia's National Day... Merdeka if you wish... And when holidays fall on a Sunday, the following Monday is a holiday at work... So now I have a 3-day weekend... And I don't think I'd be anywhere else except SG (unless gusto kong mapalo sa pwet, huway not?)...

I arrived around 4:30AM last Saturday, and since Bibi had to go to work, I slept till around 11AM... I met up with Jode and we were supposed to go to COMEX at Suntec but hunger got the best of us... And as Yoda said, hunger leads to hate... Hate leads to pain and suffering... And before we went any farther, we had lunch at Kenny Rogers' Roasters over at Marina Square... We skipped COMEX and went to the Giordano warehouse sale (at Paya Lebar) instead where we would meet Jojo and LJ... I got a couple of jackets, a top for Bibi, and a sweater for my Sis... Oh, and I got my eSATA ExpressCard, thanks Jo!

It was time to prep for Bibi's Batch Anniv Dinner... An affair that had me wearing something I wouldn't normally don on a weekend... So I was all dressed up and... Wenk... Bibi was wearing Plan A... As much as I wanted to say that it looked fine, I found it hard to keep mum... I mean, she had me wearing something out of the ordinary... I'm not about to let her waltz with me wearing something that felt sooooo hmmm... So what happened was a quickie makeover... And we started the night with her wearing Plan B... Seriously, I felt guilty... The only thing that I didn't have her change were her stilettos and her bracelet... I even made a "for your future reference" comment about her necklace and I ended up not wearing one as she wore mine... It was THAT stressful for her...

Dinner went well, and I'm glad Bibi didn't stay too long in that sullen mood I put her in when we were dressing her up... Otherwise, I wouldn't have had a splendid night as well... Cheers to 1 year of friendship and what-have-you's... And yes, we did end up looking good at some photos... That's more than enough to pacify my angst for having to wear my boots from KL all the way to SG (and back)... I mean... Come on! And next time, I won't believe any of them when they say that it is a semi-formal/smart casual affair... This is a one-time deal... Photos at Bibi's page...

Tera Tera

2008-08-24T03:00:00.001+08:00

Dahil pauwi kami ng Pinas, napag-isipan kong i-uwi na rin ang aking eHD para sa kapatid ko...

At dahil mawawalan ako ng eHD, kailangan kong bumili ng bago... (Yun yon eh... Ganda ng logic no? Talagang may justification ang pagbili...)

At ang binili ko nga ay si Tera... Ang Western Digital My Book Studio Edition... 1 TB na may USB, Firewire 400/800, at eSATA interface... Pre-formatted for Mac (kaya ni-reformat ko pa)... At higit sa lahat... Silver...

Actually, mas mura yung Home Edition... Kaso black siya... At kung kilala niyo ako... Wala nang dapat pag-isipan pa... :-)

Nagpabili na rin ako kay pareng Jojo ng A.C. Ryan eSATA ExpressCard para laging quickie is Demi at Tera... ;-)

Naughty Boy

2008-08-20T19:31:00.001+08:00

Seryoso akong nagtratrabaho at medyo may nililinaw ako sa kausap ko sa ibang bansa... Marahil dahil sa kakulangan ng laman ng aking bokabularyo eh napatanong ako sa aking mga friendships...

Pong: Anong english ng makulit?
Mio: Naughty...
Pong: Gagu! Sasabihan ko si Zahira "sorry makulit ako"...

At nagtawanan ang lahat... Alangan namang sabihin kong "sorry for being naughty"!!!!!

Adik ka Mio!!! (Bumenta naman!)

Pero mas adik si Zahira...

Thanks Stephen,

I will come back to you.

Regards,
Zahira

Ayan na... Di pa nagiging akin, gusto nang bumalik... Haha!

The Sound Judgment

2008-08-06T09:24:00.003+08:00

Naaalala ko pa noong ako'y nasa SG nung isang weekend para dumalo sa mga pa-birthday ng aking mga kaibigan... Paano ko ba naman malilimutan yun, eh yun lang naman din ang weekend na sinimulang okrayin ni Bibi si Demi... Nang makinig siya ng mga mp3 ni Demi...

Bibi: Ano ba naman itong laptop na to... Maganda nga, pangit naman ang sounds... Buti pa tong Acer ko, Dolby Digital Surround...
Baba: Sorry ha... Wala pa akong nakikitang magandang speakers eh...

At walang katapusang okrayan na naman... Keber lang, alam ko namang naiinggit lang si Bibi sa magandang si Demi... At sa kalauna'y mapapalitan rin naman ang laptop niyang yun dahil bibili kami ng bago...

Nasa Tiong Bahru kami noon, hinihintay si Ate Bubbles nang mapadpad kami sa showcase ng mga bagong laptop... At nakakita nga si Bibi ng gusto niyang ipalit sa kanyang lumang Acer Aspire 4520... At ang gusto niyang ipalit?

Heto na... Heto na ang Acer Aspire 6920G... It comes with an Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn T8100, 320GB HDD, 4GB RAM, nVidia GeForce 9500M GS, Blu-Ray reader drive, HDMI port, and a 16:9 aspect ratio display... And to rub it in... It boasts of a 2nd Generation Dolby Home Theater, a CineSurround True 5.1 channel pumping surround sound from the built-in speakers, and a Tuba CineBass booster that deepens music and special effects with the all-new Dolby® Natural Bass technology.

Whew... Ang daming pakulo!

Noong huling weekend ng July ay naglibot ako para maghanap ng speakers... PC Fair rin naman the following weekend, so tama lang na mag-canvas na... At matapos ang pagtingin-tingin... Mukhang ok lang naman ang mga options... Up until I heard something booming...

Yun nga... Yun nga ang Altec Lansing MX5021... It was a humble 3-piece set with 2 satellites (each having one 1" loaded horn tweeter, two 3" full midrange drivers, 20W) and 1 subwoofer (one 6.5" long throw woofer, 50W)... A modest THX certified 2.1 system... And it does come in black or white... Guess what I was high on...

So we got Blue (the Acer Aspire 6920G) and Boom (the Altec Lansing MX5021) last Friday... Pagdating ng bahay, ayun, derecho na agad sa kwarto para i-setup si Blue... At ayan na, pinagmamalaki na ni Bibi ang kanyang entertainment lappie na may 5.1 speaker system... Naglipat na nga agad ng mga mp3 para mapagyabang na... At dahil tulog pa ang housemates kong si Tot at Pot nun, ipinagliban ko muna ang pagsetup kay Boom hanggang sa sila ay makaalis (night shift kasi ang dalawa)...

Nang dumating na ang itinakdang oras... Boom! Nagpatugtog na ako ng mp3 ni Demi at nagwala na nga si Boom... Natulala saglit si Bibi...

Bibi: Waaaah!!! Gusto ko na yung speakers mo! Sa'yo na lang si Blue, akin na si Demi at Boom!
Baba: Hehe... Walang bawian...

At ang mga sumunod nga'y malulupit na kantyawan...

Bibi: Di bale, paglumipat ka na sa SG, akin na yan si Boom!

Yun lang, naangkin na agad... Haha!

Birthdays and SG

2008-07-21T23:34:00.005+08:00

Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday... Happy birthday... Happy birthday to you!!!

This weekend is just too fun to pass up... I mean, this is, after all, the birthday weekend of three of my dearest friends... That could only mean one thing... Chika moments! Woot woot!

July 19... It's the birthday of my buddy from the previous company... "They call me... They call me... Mimi..." Happy birthday Muds!!! Haha! Anyway, I was present (in SG) on her birthday, but we didn't catch up that day as I had just arrived that morning and I needed to rest (a little)... She was busy too (on a date with Papa Glen)... Yihee!!! So I'm saving our chika moments for a rainy day...

Seriously... I was too lazy to go anywhere that afternoon and it didn't help that it started to rain... So Bibi and I decided to stay home and just order from Pizza Hut for dinner... But then, when we've finally decided what to order, it stopped raining... And just like that, I needed my battery charged so we went out to do what any other lazy ponggoloids would do... Shopping... SG this weekend... Shopping Galore!

After a couple of shirts here and there, we decided to go to The Cathay to get our tickets for The Dark Knight and to waste a couple more hours over at Starbucks... Met up with birthday girl Jode (her birthday was last 16th) pero kurips! Di nanlibre! (I had to say it in tagalog, mas may feeling! :-P) Happy birthday Jode!!! We were supposed to stay at Starbucks but all seats were taken... So we ended up chatting the night away over at the food court...

July 20... It's the birthday of BarroJo, JoBar, Jojo B., Big Papa Jo... Happy birthday Jojo!!! I told him last Wednesday that I won't be in SG for the weekend... Awww... But I did send him an IM when I got in last Saturday... Surprise! Haha! How can I miss that, it's a once every year (haller!) event... Besides, he's cooking... And LJ's cooking too! Wouldn't want to miss out on all the food...

Kuya Jori was there as well... It must have been the first time since 2006 that the 3 of us gobbled together... It was Jori's birthday (his third bash)... And I still am proud that Jojo and I were the first, ever, officemate bwisitors in Jori's first, ever, birthday bash since he started working in our previous company... Haha! It was great catching up! Although we do miss the booze... Aww...

We went to watch The Dark Knight (the 9:30 PM screening) and, well, I wanted to watch it because of The Joker... And, I really am not a fan of end-of-film monologues so I didn't really enjoy Commissioner Gordon's spiel as Batman ran away... But it was a good movie... 4 bags of popcorn (out of 5) and an Oscar for the late Heath Ledger... Although his death could've played a big part for the rest of the fan base in being overzealous to catch the movie, I still think it was a good performance...

July 21... Met up with Muds for lunch today over at The Cafe Cartel in Plaza Singapura... And it was raining... Haha! We did save the chika for a rainy day... And yes, we were off to the usual reklamohan... A Muds & Suds chikahan never comes without the okrayan that each new story deserves... Line managers are never exempted! Haha! And I did enjoy the black pepper pasta... Yumminess!

And now, here I am... We just got home after having dinner with Ate Bubbles and her dear friends Mike and Sani over at Little India (I forgot the name of the resto)... Note to self, it's not always nosebleed to be talking in English with non-Pinoys... Not with those two, at least... From jacking up stories about bitches at the alley just outside to me actually having a bitch at home (thus explaining why I rarely go out of our place over at Cyberview Gardens), we had a good time...

No, I am not hiding anything... I am a good boy... :-P

Let It Roll

2008-07-17T01:25:00.002+08:00

I long for the warmth of days gone by... Boyz II Men's 4 Seasons Of Loneliness... That was the song playing in my head on the morning of July 15...

Well, actually, I was kind of hoping that I would fall deeper into that pensive sadness... But, as was the case, the lack of sleep proved too much for me to bear... I wasn't sad, my battery was running low... I slept at around 4 AM, and somehow it doesn't come as a surprise... I woke up at 7:30 AM 'coz I needed to be in the office at around 10 AM for a comprehensive blood test (something I had to pay for but could easily be reimbursed with my flexipoints)... And I think I should be fasting for it... Hmm...

Shoot, I had 3 hashbrowns for lunch... I was a tad too lazy to go to the caf for food... Too lazy to do anything, actually... And so I wasted the day away, trying so hard to pretend that I was working... Finally I gave up on the torture I put myself into... It was 8:30 PM and I had a couple of sandwiches for dinner...

=============================================================

Can you explain to me what has become of us... Urbandub's The Fight Is Over... That was the song I was screaming in my head on the night of my blood test...

I really hate it when I'm down... It is as though there is a linear relationship between my patience and my energy... And that night was no different... I totally flipped...

I hate it when things don't go as planned... I hate it when people change their minds... I hate it when people are too stubborn... I hate it, most of all, when they do this while I'm absorbed in this gloom... Utterly annoyed... And you know what's more annoying? The fact that I didn't have enough energy to berate people... So I decided to just go down those sandwiches and leave for home...

=============================================================

If you could see the sad look on my face, you'd be in your car headed back to my place... Come Back To Me by Plain White T's... That was the song Posh was playing while I was on that 20-minute walk...

Seriously, this song (and probably that long walk home) changed my mood... I know I owe it to myself to be nice... But I think I am entitled to be grouchy every once in a while... For what I've been through that day, I think I deserve a pass... Right?

Hardly... If I were them, well, "to hell with your mood swings"... I know... And so I thank you for trying to make me smile... Thank you for sticking around...

Blogger Buddy v.20080714

2008-07-14T04:15:00.001+08:00

Dear Reader,

This is my first post using the Blogger Buddy I installed in my Windows Sidebar.

In case you haven't noticed, it's a couple of minutes past 4:00 AM and I'm still awake. It's a hard habit to break.

Just a couple of quickies (things that I should be mentioning before I totally forget them). First, this Blogger Buddy doesn't have the drop down list of available fonts. So unless I key in the HTML codes for it, this would probably be posted using the default font (my best guess would be Garamond). Next, the window is a little too small. Well, it is sitting at the sidebar, what else should I expect? It doesn't have the add image functionality that the blogger editor has. In fact, the only thing going for it is that I don't need to open my browser to post this entry. Cheerios!

Well, after that rant, I do hope I can get to sleep now. I practically fried my brain cells trying to beat Bibi in Literati last night and then trying to come up with a project plan for Clariant. Why am I still awake? Sigh.

I need a break. Seriously, I need a vacation.

Later,
S

X-Rated Demi

2008-07-13T06:31:00.004+08:00

I finished watching Someone Like You (yeah, the Ashley Judd & Hugh Jackman feel-good flick) around 4:45 AM and I still couldn't get myself to sleep... Weird... For the past couple of days, I started yawning at around 3:30 AM... Looks like a can of soda is to blame...

And so, again, I found myself with nothing left to browse on the internet... I already finished playing online poker last night, and I finished a game of NBA Live in my PSP... So that leaves me with nothing else to do but... Ahem... Work...

Nope... I don't think so...

Then I remembered that chitchat I had with a dear friend... It was yesterday afternoon when I dropped by Kitkatkatie's blog and I was soooooooooo inggit of the dock she installed on her Vaio... Woot woot... Gotta get myself one...

It's been a little over a month since I got Demi and I have yet to do any major fondling of her assets... I decided to do a little pimping... Oh, and I do need to change my wallpaper... I'm getting tired of looking at that girl's face... Asus!

So, after nearly half an hour playing with the dock... And another half hour trying to find an app to decompress a .sit file in Vista... Voila...

Haha! I think I'm buying a Mac soon... :-)

Good Mournings

2008-07-04T13:22:00.003+08:00

I did put "what is variant angina pectoris?" as my YM stat this morning... I've been living the sullen life for the last 24 hours when Aaron popped... Concerned as well if I was sick, he and his Dear Diane shared their thoughts on the YM stat...

Diane said that it might just be a case of costochondritis... And so the giddy me googled it right off the bat...

=====================================================
Chest Pain: Is it Costochondritis?

Costochondritis refers specifically to inflammation of the cartilage that joins the ribs to the breastbone (called costal cartilages). The chest pain of costochondritis sometimes is severe.

Costochondritis usually, but not always, involves one side of the breastbone. Sometimes the pain can extend to the shoulder or arm on the involved side. Chest pain in adults usually leads to a battery of tests to rule out heart disease. If those tests are normal and your physical exam is consistent with costochondritis, your doctor will diagnose costochondritis as the cause of your chest pain.
=====================================================

That's a relief... A little, I think... I still need to undergo tests, just to be sure... Just like what my doctor prescribed...

Baba: See, sabi sa'yo wala lang 'to eh...

Bibi: Kailangan mo pa rin magpa-test para ma-rule out na heart disease... Naiintindihan mo ba?

Baba: Walang mangyayari sa'kin...

It was a good morning, nonetheless... Mournings postponed for a later date... :-)

Reason To Believe

2008-07-03T22:49:00.003+08:00

I woke up at around 4AM to something different... I was trembling... And just when I had switched the AC off, I noticed that my shirt had been dampened by sweat... Weird...

Somehow, I found myself trying to find the right name for what was happening... The pains have gone, thankfully... But a part of me wants to know what it is... And so I stumbled upon something new...

=====================================================
What is variant angina pectoris (Prinzmetal's angina)?

Variant angina pectoris is also called Prinzmetal's angina. It usually occurs spontaneously, and unlike typical angina, it nearly always occurs when a person is at rest. It doesn't follow physical exertion or emotional stress, either. Attacks can be very painful and usually occur between midnight and 8 a.m.

Variant angina is due to transient coronary artery spasm. About two-thirds of people with it have severe coronary atherosclerosis in at least one major vessel. The spasm usually occurs very close to the blockage.
=====================================================

Seriously, this is shaping up to be a good endeavor... The more I learn, the more I can be indifferent of what happens to me... Because I am expecting it to happen... Bring it...

Then again, I'm not ready for it... I don't think I'll ever be... And I've been a picture of gloom all day... :-(

Heart Of The Matter

2008-07-01T02:20:00.002+08:00

It was just another day... I was chatting with Bibi when my last blog entry was brought up... I still remember how I tried so hard to stop Bibi from reading it while I was with her in SG last Sunday... I didn't want her to see it while I was there... Of course, I did not succeed...

Bibi was concerned... That manifested when she mentioned today that the things I felt weren't just normal muscle pains... They were symptoms of a heart attack...

=====================================================
Heart Attack Warning Signs

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — the "movie heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

* Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

* Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

* Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.

* Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

=====================================================

Hmm... I never thought of it that way... The worst I envisioned was that a nerve or what-have-you that linked my pec to my arm acted up... I'm too young for this... Then again, no one's too young to die...

Baba: Ok lang yan, malayo sa bituka...

Bibi: Malayo nga sa bituka, eh sa heart naman... Heart na nagpump ng blood para sa buong katawan mo...

Baba: Walang mangyayari sa'kin...

I know... I'm strong enough to get through this... :-)

Soreness... Sureness...

2008-06-27T19:57:00.014+08:00

It all started one fine Thursday night... I got home after the Drink Till You Drop experience I posted earlier... Everything went well... And yes, I eventually fell asleep...

And then I woke up in the middle of the night to something new... Excruciatingly new... A pain I've never felt before, rendering me immobile for a couple of minutes... Even breathing was torturous... It was the first time in a long while that I got truly worried that something's wrong with me...

It was painful... A part of my left chest topographically resembling the strip of the pec that was situated in front of the subscapularis... I have no idea which muscle was acting up... But it was there... And as I clutched it tight as I could, I felt a sudden chill... It was just 3AM, and it was indeed going to be a long night...

I managed to sneak in a series of naps... Waking to the jolt of pain that my left chest just couldn't seem to stop... And as I went through Friday in the office, I found myself clasping it time and again... It wasn't as painful as the ones I had at dawn and I'm thankful enough... But I would have loved for it to stop...

I slept through Friday night as though I had a sling on my left arm... I found that it was the most convenient position I could get, allowing me to breathe... I survived the night nary a pang...

After having finished lunch, Saturday noon marked the return of my chest-shoulder pain... As I slammed my left arm against the wall in revolt to this unrelenting assault, I found no other course but to take medication... An Alaxan and an Advil... True enough, the pain was gone within 10 minutes...

Was it psychological? I have no idea... But I didn't want to take any medication for the simple reason that, if I don't feel any pain signalling any strain/damage in me, I might further mess things up... I can't lose now... Not just yet...

It has been nearly a week and I do feel like everything's back to normal... I just hope it is...

Body Buddy

2008-06-22T15:06:00.004+08:00

Spent last night out with the girls of CBV 7080 - Diana Tuna, JudayNiRoy (the artist formerly known as Due Date), and Maymay Duh!... We were supposed to visit Carrefour for groceries but we decided to do a little shopping first... Loitered at The Body Shop and I got myself a new toy...

The Body Buddy... An easy-to-use, rubber and mitt-shaped body massager with two differently textured sides that provide varying degrees of massage. It helps to tackle tension, invigorate the skin and stimulate circulation in the bath or shower.

Oooooh... Pamper me over and over!

Drinking Habit

2008-06-21T23:35:00.000+08:00

It was last Thursday, June 19, when I downed 2 bottles of Guinness... It's been nearly 5 months since I last had a dark beer and yes, I still love it... A little shot of alcohol helps loosen some strings and releases the more eloquent side of me... The vocally eloquent one... And beeing the only Pinoy in the group, I am otherwise obligated to speak in English...

Dinner went well, thank you... Amidst stories of scorpions, rattlesnakes, lost passports, and non-alcoholic margaritas, I managed to engage them with more than my usual "Yeah!", "Really?!", and the ever-popular "Haha!"...

What effect, exactly, does alcohol have on me?

Night Owl Team Lead: So, how many islands does the Philippines have? Seven thousand? Ten? Fifteen?

Pong Pagong: High tide or low tide?

Night Owl Team Lead: What tide?

Pong Pagong: Tide... Well the moon has this magneto-gravitational effect on the earth and that's what I would like to call tides. It's like when you're at the beach, late at night till early on in the morning, how waves come crashing to the shore, reaching its farthest point... While in the afternoon, the waters barely seem to moisten the sand and how farther in you can get into the water without fear of drowning....

Night Owl Team Lead: Ok...

Pong Pagong: Here's the thing, low tide, you'd probably have seven thousand plus islands... On high tide? There's only Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao... Just three... Everything else just sinks away...

Was I making sense? I'd like to think so...

Night Owl Team Lead: Wow...

Pong Pagong: Seriously... Seven thousand, one hundred and seven islands... One island resurfaces on low tide... But there are alot of those that are probably too small to be inhabited by people...

See, I still know my... Hmm... In which subject did they teach that back in elementary?

And when I got back, I even had enough to rhetorically read out the B2BiCC value proposition posted in the office... Just ask Maita or Maymay...

No, I'm not lasing...

More Demi... More!!!!

2008-06-12T16:37:00.004+08:00

It's gonna be a while before I find myself enjoying work... In fact, it's gonna be a pretty long while before I find myself wanting to work...

I'm hooked... Quite frankly, I'm soooooo into her right now... I'm just happy I got Demi...

You know, Ghost, Striptease, G.I. Jane... Demi... Oh so sexy!

Meet Demi...

Asus U6E

Everyone knows I'm sooooo drooling for Compaq's smooth ebony finish... I also love Mac's plane white frame... But give me a smooth ivory exterior and a leather palm rest... I'm passing out...

A Penryn T8300, 250GB HDD, 3GB DDR2... Forget the nVidia that doesn't come with it... I am H-O-O-K-E-D!

This lady may not be the gaming type, but heck, I wouldn't mind taking her with me and Bibi on our out of town trips... I wouldn't mind being caught having her in hand... This girl can do a lot! And she does help me win bets over Bibi... Woohoo!

I've lost my mind! And now I'm stylin' and profilin'!

Quotes:

Rage: Naaaaaaaks Pong, binili mo ung “walang nvidia pero mas mahal kasi ma-porma”? :D

Jori: Ponggus si Demi pala ang sexy lap dancer mo hehe

Cravings

2008-05-30T21:21:00.005+08:00

Poker / Blackjack
=================================

Well... It's been quite a while since I last played poker... Up until Sunday at Ana and Gigi's despe party... I loooooooooove the rush! Haha... So this morning, I logged on to PokerRoom and played a couple of tournaments... Yes I lost both... But it's just a couple of thousand bucks... I still have 22 grand, play money, that is...

So it got me thinking... Winning a couple hundred bucks in blackjack at Macao and being able to keep quite a substantial sum in my play money account... Why don't I play online poker and blackjack for real... Casino in the comforts of my home... You know, I could be rich... I could very well win my way to a brand new car!

Then again, I might just be a little too excited... :-P

Stocks / Investment
=================================

Ok... So I know nothing about this stocks thing... But I did play Stock Market in Neopets... If the real world stock frenzy is theoretically congruent with that, I think I have a good shot at it... But it all boils down to the amount of money I have to begin playing... Which, as of the moment, I can proudly say is...

Nada! No money yet... After I win 10 grand in online poker, I'll start playing stock market in the real world... I'm investing in Euros... Woohoo!!!

Billiards
=================================

This might sound crazy, but I still have high hopes of owning a pool table and playing one-on-one with my dad... I could get a decent one at around 25 thousand pesos... I mean I could... Seriously...
If only I had a spacious living room to put it in...

Bibi
=================================

In about an hour, I'm leaving work... Off to SG... Soooooooooooooooo craving for some Bibi lovin'...

History In The Making

2008-05-21T03:51:00.004+08:00

I don't want to write for the sake of putting it on the record... Writing has been therapeutic for me, believe it or not... I've been a lot different since I started writing... And somehow I've always left the raucous part of me unpublished... A couple of tequila shots would definitely let it out but somehow, I cannot find the urge to do so in writing...

And so I want to write about history... History repeats itself... Like a couple of years back when I saw a text message that left me uneasy... Fast forward to the present, I find out about a YM message that leaves me... Well, you guessed it right... No wonder I'm still up... Tossing and turning on my bed... My head's all too awake right now and yes, I am writing this at 3:30 AM...

I am an avid fan of double standards... Back when I was young and stupid, that is... Now, I've grown to understand the black, the white, and the gray areas... And like what I usually do to my friends, I can play the part of the devil's advocate... But I guess it never occurred to them that I might actually be the devil...

For the most part, I am an intelligent person... I always try to take into account all variables before solving the mysteries life throws at me... But there are times that I let myself drown in the idiocy of the situation... The same situation I was faced before and am facing now... Well, you know what they say, there's no such thing as an accident-prone area, it's the person who gets the bitter part of the accident... Same goes here, a situation can never be identified with idiocy... The messages simply came from an idiot...

I was young... I did stupid things back then... And just like that, I let a stupid text message change my life... It has served its purpose... It has passed judgment... And I have the rest of my life to ponder and suffer the consequences... To say that I have regrets is an understatement... But I wouldn't be who I am now if I hadn't been young and stupid... Sorry? Of course... But everything else is beyond repair...

Fast forward to the present and yes, I am faced with another stupid message... But somehow, I'm not quite sure how to deal with it... I could be indifferent and just let it slide... Or I can face the problem headon... Then again I could do something stupid just like old times... But the mere thought of partaking in that gibberish makes me want to put on my mask of disgust... Why do those people even exist?

So history does not repeat itself this time... No more stupid things to do nor stupid words to say... Besides, I am a little too happy to be disgruntled... A little too attached to be easily taken away...

The committed life pans out just fine... And yes, I'm here to stay...

Random v.20080519

2008-05-19T23:34:00.001+08:00

It's 5 past 11 PM and I find myself blogging... It's been quite a while since I last wrote about anything and everything under the sun so I'll try to do that now...

Project Management

I need to study PRINCE2... And according to the summary, the CBT (Computer-Based Training) is a comprehensive 10-hour course... Can I say TOKWA?! I mean, I want to go somewhere with this undertaking but 10 hours?! My attention span doesn't last that long... Heck, I can't even watch porn for more than an hour... And that's saying something...

Although I could go shopping with Bibi for 10 hours straight (except in Divisoria, lest me singing No Air)... Now that's saying a lot... So the approach to this training is... One, you need this to at least put something glaringly impressive in your CV albeit being immersed in it for the last couple of years doesn't give you the right to flaunt it... Two, imagine the perks of actually being qualified to do so (well, give or take a couple more years) thereby getting a job that pays better thus more moolah for shopping!

Plus, it's something that I think I'll be good at... Feeling!

Oh, did I say I need to study it now?! I need to... 'Coz I have a knowledge transfer session this Wednesday and they said I need to know it by then... Good grief!

Later!

Health and Fitness

Hmm... I definitely owe myself this one... I promise I'll start this June... Promise! Well, I'll be on APT shift this June, so I guess I have enough time to torture myself... Haha! This is going to be LEGENDARY!

Billiards

It's been almost a year now since I last played a game of 9-ball... Aww... I really am craving an hour of billiards!!! And yes, my only chance is in Singapore... Waaah!!! This June?! Can... Can!!!

1 Year Anniv

Hey! It's been a year since I left my dad and sis... Aww... Well, I'm not complaining... But it wouldn't be too bad to have them here as well... Wishful thinking...

Seriously, it's been a year now and I've been more productive (read as rich) than I was before... Well, I think I am, but my bank account doesn't say so... Blame it on my never-ending plea to go shopping every so often... I think I'm sick... A very bad condition... I'm a shopaholic... There, I've confessed it, finally... I am no longer denying it...

Oooh... It's payday weekend... Let's go to the mall!

Working In Singapore

Do I want to work in Singapore? Yes, just because Bibi's there... But if Bibi decides to move somewhere else... I guess I'm moving somewhere else as well... :-P

High Jack

2008-04-28T11:47:00.001+08:00

We needed to come to work early today, 10 AM early, 'coz we're having a team dinner with Hay Naku...

At around the 11 AM mark, Amo asked me to go to his cube... He started talking... Well, this time, he was removed of his narcissistic remarks... He was in a giving mood... He praised me...

He went to this lengthy speech of how I was immersed in a lot of things, doing this and that, helping the team grow... Wow... He noticed that? Cool... I'm like a Jack of all trades, master of none though ofttimes better than master of one...

Amo: You've done development, analysis, quality... You did them well... And I don't want to keep giving you the same work over and over and you have no say like a donkey...

Ok... Did he just say donkey? Oh that's bad... At my horny moments, I'm a jackrabbit... At my hornier moments, I'm a jackhammer... But did he just allude to a jackass?!

And he rambled on... Repeatedly saying that he's not selling it but he wants me to consider doing project management... But he's not selling it ('coz that's unlike him daw)... He wants me to think, first, about which role will make me most happy... Doing project management or being a technical lead and doing quality check... Then he wants me to think of my CV... He wants me to put something glaringly impressive in my CV in the future and he wants me to pick one... Project Management or Technical Lead/Quality Assurance...

And I needed to make a choice within the next 24 hours...

*luke-warm five*

BiBa's Bells v.009 - The Recital

2008-04-07T02:18:00.002+08:00

Baliktanaw - April 6, 2008 10:35PM

Pabalik na kami ng hotel matapos mamili ng mga handa ni Bibi sa pagsalubong ng kanyang birthday... May problema pa rin pala ako... Hindi ko pa rin alam kung paano sasabihin...

Sa totoo lang, mahiyain tayo pagdating sa mga ganyan... Kaya't kung tutuusin, isa itong malaking problema... Idagdag pang ayaw pala ni Bibi ng mga jewelry at laruan, ano pang silbi ng mga regalo ko?

Ting! May idea na naman... Actually, wala pa akong idea, pero hihingi tayo ng tulong kay Bibi...

Baba: Anong gusto mong gift?

Bibi: Ano ka ba, ang dami mo nang nabigay, tong bakasyon na to, dinala mo ko sa Hong Kong at Macau...

Baba: Nye, syempre gift sa birthday, dapat sa mismong birthday makukuha...

Bibi: Hmm... Sige, wag ka na lang mambabae...

Nakow, napasubo ako dun ha... Charing!

Baba: Ano buzz, granted na yan no...

Bibi: Talaga... (sabay pa-cute)

Baba: Bilis na, anong gift, yung pwedeng ilagay sa kahon...

Bibi: Wala akong maisip eh... Kantahan mo na lang ako...

Baba: Yun lang pala eh... Sige, game! Irerecord ko pa yan mamaya...

At nagkaroon na nga ng plano bigla... (Unless mali ang intindi ko at ang gusto niya pala eh Magic Sing, kantahan na nalalagay sa kahon, hmm...)

==========================================================

Baliktanaw - April 7, 2008 12:00AM

Kakasetup ko nga lang ng digicam para mag-record ng aking birthday song para kay Bibi... Nakapwesto na siya sa kanyang upuan...

Bibi: Birthday ko na!

Baba: Ah talaga? Happy birthday to you...

At kumanta nga ako habang naglalakad palayo, papunta sa safety deposit box...

Bibi: San ka pupunta?

Kumakanta pa rin ako nang ilabas ko ang isang kahong nakabalot sa itim na plastic...

Bibi: May surprise ako?!

At inabot ko nga ang kahon kay Bibi, saktong patapos na ang kantang pinamagatang "Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday... Happy birthday... Happy birthday to you..."

Bibi: Ano 'to? Paano mo nagawa? San galing? Paano mo nadala?

Baba: Ewan, nandun sa safety deposit box... Baka bigay ng hotel, birthday mo kasi...

At dali-daling pinunit ni Bibi ang wrapper... Habang nagbubukas siya ay dahan dahan kong itinago ang isa pang maliit na kahon sa bag na dala-dala niya sa aming mga lakad...

At hindi maipinta ang mukha ni Bibi nang bumulaga sa kanya ang regalong ihinanda ko...

Bibi: Waaah! Binili mo siya! Di ba sabi ko wag mong bibilhin? Ang ganda! Seryoso ka? May games na 'to? Nakacharge na? Ang galing!

Tinawag nga ako ni Bibi at lumapit naman ako (parang aso, uto uto)...

Bibi: Lika dito!

Baba: Bakit?

Bibi: Hug kita...

At niyakap niya nga ako... Nagpasalamat... Nang matapos ang wala pang 1 second na hug, naglaro na si Bibi... Gaya ng nasa plano ko, hindi niya napansin ang isa pang kahon sa loob ng kahon ng PSP... Mahusay...

Tick tock... Tick tock... Tick tock...

Medyo nakahalata ako... Dinedma na ako ni Bibi... Ayun, naglalaro na... Pero kailangan mahinto muna ang paglalaro kundi, mauubos ang memory ng digicam nang hindi man lang na-video-han ang pagkakita niya sa isa pang gift ko sa kanya...

Baba: Ligpit mo na yan...

Bibi: Naglalaro pa ko eh!

Baba: Mamaya na yan, ligpit mo na yan...

Bibi: Mamaya na, laro muna ako...

Baba: Ligpit mo na sa box yan...

Bibi: Bakit ba?! Aha! May laman pa yung box no?!

At dali dali ngang niligpit ni Bibi ang PSP, sinilip ang kahon at dinukot ang isa pang mas maliit na kahon...

Bibi: Ano to?!

Baba: Ewan ko...

At humalakhak ang bata... Nakita ang isang singsing...

Bibi: Ang cute niya...

At pilit niyang isinusuot sa ring finger ang cute na singsing...

Baba: Wag mong pilitin kung hindi kasya...

Kaya't nilagay na lang niya sa kaliwang pinkie ang naturang singsing...

Bibi: Ang ganda...

Baba: Nakita mo ba yung diamond?

Bibi: Asan? I Love You (habang binabasa ang naka emboss sa singsing)...

Baba: Ayan, silipin mo...

At kinuha nga ni Bibi ang firescope na nasa kahon at sinilip ang cute na singsing... May isang uto uto... :-P

Baba: Ano ka ba... Wala dyan no...

Bibi: Eh nasaan?

Baba: Dala dala mo kaya buong trip...

Bibi: Saan?! (na may halong pagkainip)

Baba: Nandun sa bag mo...

At dali daling kinuha ni Bibi ang bag niya...

Bibi: Weh! Nilagay mo lang ngayon dito eh...

At binuksan nga ni Bibi ang mas maliit na kahon...

Bibi: Bakit mo ko binibigyan nito?!

Ah... Eh... Ewan ko kung saan galing yung tanong na yun... Ang akala ko kasi, granted na yun, pag binigyan ng singsing ang babae, alam na niya ang ibig sabihin... Sorry naman, first time kong magpropose... Puro palya pa...

Baba: Para di ka na maagaw ng iba...

At sinuot ko na nga kay Bibi ang singsing... Touch move, walang bawian... Period, no erase...