the oblique observer is being resurrected

I'm resurrecting The Oblique Observer and turning it into something akin to an autobiography whereby I'll try and record memorable stuff that have happened in my life. The stuff I put in there may be serious, funny, or nonsense but it'll be something factual, something that I experienced, something that I'll most likely never forget (except when I get amnesia or Alzheimer's sets in).

Like I said in that blog's description -- Reminiscing, remembering, and recording the old stuff lest I forget!

Hopefully I'll be able to start blogging on TOO soon :) Wish me luck, folks!

no blog updates temporarily

Hullo, folks! Hope you're all safe.

Can't update my blogs of yet as internet connection at home (courtesy of Globe) is still unavailable. I've already called their customer service line 3x since Monday and I even reported the incidents (landline and internet repair) at their Greenbelt business center but up until now no service.

While I understand that repair is currently ongoing, I can't understand why they send out a PR to media that they've fully restored service to southern Metro Manila and that only the eastern parts of Manila including Rizal remain under service maintenance (which according to the same PR news report is just a mere 4% of their total Metro Manila coverage).

Heck, is Makati now part of eastern Metro Manila? Last I heard Makati was still southern metro so that means that they've NOT YET fully restored service to their southern area.

Geesh ... just dissed.

Quickie-blogging from the office :) Stay safe!

why not go for a good president?

Yesterday, erstwhile presidential candidate Sen. Mar Roxas announced he was withdrawing his bid for the Philippines's highest office in order to maintain the Liberal Party's unity and thereby give way to Sen. Noynoy Aquino who will be officially announcing his presidential bid (unofficially, it's a foregone conclusion unless you haven't been watching or reading the news for the last month or so) for the 2010 elections.

As much as I stay away from talking about politics on this blog of mine, a comment made by the business sector represented by Mr. Peter Wallace in Inquirer.net's banner story "Roxas Gives Way to Aquino" today that was "unimpressed" with the recent events. I've excerpted the specific piece of the article:

Business unimpressed

Markets however are likely to be unimpressed by the events.

“The business community has no experience of him at all, we don’t know what he is like and what his policies will be,” said Peter Wallace, head of the Wallace Business Forum consultancy.

“He has not shown in his time in Congress or the Senate to be a very active person, or take a leadership role,” he added.

But Wallace said an Aquino candidacy on a clean government platform could be successful although the momentum would need to be sustained.

“The outpouring of affection and sympathy for Cory and family was in part an expression of disappointment, disgust with the current government’s inability to maintain the morals and honesty that people expect in a government,” he said.

“And so his running would be a popular choice in that regard. But we have to remember that what we are seeing today is a reaction to the death of Cory just a couple of weeks ago, and we are talking about elections nine months away from now,” Wallace said.

Read the entire article here.

I don't know if Mr. Wallace truly represents the entire business sectors as other business leaders, I believe, are just about as fed up as the rest of us. Moving on ...

Now, it might be true that Noynoy doesn't really have the "experience" that so-called experts believe presidents need to have gained prior to their ascendancy to the presidency. And I share the similar observation that Noynoy has not been really that "active" in both Congress and Senate unlike other congressmen and senators who are quite active (many I believe active in enriching themselves, their families and friends and doing just about all the dastardly deeds one abusive of power will do). And yes, Noynoy might just be riding the wave of euphoria sweeping the Philippines right now (the so-called Cory Magic) and yes as well as that Noynoy will be a popular choice given the lack of morality shown by the current government leaders.

But don't you think it's high time we put morality and delicadeza and plain good manners and proper conduct to the highest office in our country?

Noynoy might not be a perfect president (but then again who is), and he may not be an economic standout that the business sector will like or a very charismatic leader who can lead his flock into total righteousness and Godliness. But then we will have a president who will be of good moral character. A president who, like his mother and father before him, will put the interest of the country first (unlike a president who puts her and her family's interest first and foremost) and that bodes well for the business sector as well. A president whose actions will always be subject to the scrutiny of his family (I can just imagine Noynoy being lambasted by Kris in public if he goofs up) and who has a moral obligation to his honored parents to remain guilt-free and stained of immorality.

Don't you think it's time we get a good president again?

wang-wang

I am not one for politics in this personal blog of mine but Bahay Talinhaga's Youngblood article published on the Inquirer (thanks to PGENRESTORIES talking about it, of course) is quite familiar. Just a couple of hours ago while crossing Ayala Avenue towards RCBC Plaza, I had to stop (even if it was already "walk" for our side of the sidewalk) because a convoy of government vehicles suddenly came out of nowhere and with their wang-wang demanded ... no, usurped without any respect the intersection of Ayala corner Buendia.

Here's an excerpt:

They Don't Fear Us
Paolo Chikiamco

I am not, generally speaking, a very tolerant man. But of all the things that rouse my ire, I reserve a special, searing hatred for the wang-wang.

My favorite wang-wang anecdote concerns the mad-cap journey of one particular convoy of official vehicles that a friend had the bad luck to witness. All the vehicles had their windows done up in the always trendy opaque tint which reflect dully the red flashes of their sirens. While most of us would automatically assume that the beneficiary of such royal treatment was a high-ranking politician, it turned out that this particular convoy was bearing a famous hairdresser who had presumably been summoned to deal with a fashion emergency of great national significance.

I know that I am not alone in feeling this way; the Inquirer ran an editorial last April denouncing the wang-wang culture of our government officials. In an age when grainy videos of consensual coitus can ensnare the attention of media and government for days, I am fairly certain the matter could do with a bit more exposure (pun unintended) and a lot more indignation.

Read the rest of the article here.

Confront government officials and they will say either of two reasons why there's a need for wang-wang:

a) they need to go to their next destination right away because of their sworn duty to serve the public, if they can get to point B from point A right away, they'll be able to serve their public more, being stuck in traffic is not an excuse

and

b) they, because of the very nature of their job, need to protected from those who wish to deter them from dispensing their sworn duty to serve the public, so the wang-wang system adds security; by being able to move faster, they'll be able to evade those deterrents

But then again, why don't you try and get stuck in traffic and experience the hell the rest of us routinely get exposed to. Maybe, if you understand how your public feels you'll finally be able to come up with solutions to our worsening traffic problems. And while you're at it, pull down the windows of your gas-guzzling vehicles and feel the fresh, smoggy air of the metro. You'll be able to empathize with us more.

And concerning safety, if you were only doing your jobs like you are supposed to then there won't be a problem of security. You won't ever need the wang-wang or those millions of escorts you routinely convoy with. Those escorts of yours are better off protecting your public.

And Paolo is right that they, our beloved politicians who we vote (or not vote but still get voted into office somehow), do not fear us. Hey, we're paying for your wang-wang and you don't respect us. The next time I step in front of your convoy, I the lowly worker who pays for your salary, will you stop and allow me to cross? Or will your gazillion escorts whip out their high-powered firearms and empty their magazines on me?

In David Eddings' series, The Tamuli, the protagonist Sparhawk (on one of his epic quests to acquire so and so item to save the world) was being briefed by the Tegan Queen on the economics and politics of the island nation of Tega. Sparhawk was astonished when he learned that in Tega, individuals avoided being elected into any government office at all costs and he asked the Tegan Queen why it was so.

The Tegan Queen explained that once an individual was elected into office, his belongings were confiscated and became property of the nation (inventoried, of course). This was done so that the elected official would have no other loyalty than to serve the nation. If during the elected official's tenure the nation prospered, he can look forward to a prosperous return of his properties after his days at the office are over (assumption: with interest). However, if the economy of Tega worsened while he was in the office, he would be penniless when his time to step down comes.

It would be great to be able to do that here and firmly enforced by an oversight group specially hand-picked to do this job (an unbiased Ombudsman would be ideal). Once one of our beloved politicos gets voted into office, all his property and money will go into a special treasury bonded with government income. If he does well and gets the Philippines on the right track to development, a chain reaction will follow -- peace and stability, profitability, sound economy -- at the end of his tenure, he gets his property back with interest. If, however, he doesn't do good in office, well, the government and the public get his property as insurance.

Fat chance that will happen anytime soon, right? But heck, maybe it's time for another revolution, it's been 20+ years since People Power, right?

And after that, maybe they'll be no more need for wang-wangs.

let's drink to that!

Drinking, as in drinking liquor or anything alcoholic, has never been a top social activity in my books. It ranks slightly lower on things I prefer not to do in life (a couple of rungs below "smoking") and I try to avoid it as much as I can.

Contrary to popular belief (by friends and the numerous doctors who show doubt when I answer their query on how frequent I consume alcohol with "occasionally"), I do not like to drink. If you've been to one of the few gatherings my wife and I have organized for our daughter (baptismal, 1st and 2nd birthdays) alcohol is almost never served unless requested. I don't consider beer to be part of the party's budget in the first place.

I would also rather enjoy a quiet evening with friends in a coffee shop or restaurant rather than in a booze bar. While I will merrily ride along if friends and companions prefer the chaos and noise of a bar to enjoy a bottle or two (or five) but personally I would've preferred downing two mugs of dark coffee while enjoying the conversation. In the first place, no conversations happen in a bar with blaring music. What happens is a shout-out and shout-back.

If alcohol and beer appealed to me, I would've already been seduced since high school. Most certainly I could have conked myself drunk every night during my college years if that were the case. Even more certainly, my earlier professional years allowed me the chance to purchase drunkenness if (and only if) I had wanted alcohol. But alcohol never really appealed to me. Never did, never will.

Then how do I explain my rather rotundness? (something the annual physical exam docs associate with regular drinking)

My being fat has to do with an overly aggressive food intake and not because I've been to too many drinking binges. The times I've drank are far and few in between and the last time I've drank majorly was in the company outing last year when I downed 2.5 bottles. Before that, the most bottles that I drank was 4 and that happened only on a couple of occasions. A normal consumption for me would be 2 bottles max and even at that weakling of a number I've been cutting down to just 1 bottle or even less per occasion (and being a bit of an introvert, those occasions are very, very rare indeed).

I don't even recall the last time I've drank beer. I think it still dates back to that company outing I mentioned earlier. I managed to get home alcohol-free from the company Christmas party early December and during the holidays just swilled a bit on red wines (take note, a bit).

Don't get me wrong, I've experienced drunkenness before. And I swore to myself while puking my guts out over the inodoro that I will never get drunk again after that one instance. This happened in college when some youngish relatives dropped by (cousins of mine) and as is the normal decorum my father proceeded to offer alcohol -- beer, wine, rum, even a sangria. He then prodded me to join them (his drinking companions being my age group, he reasoned) and left with no choice, I indulged in that "washing". So, there I was drinking glass after glass of beer, rum, wine and sangria (the last three leftovers from previous celebrations of my father) all the while worrying if I can still wake up at 4am the next morning to catch the earliest bus to U.P. as the next day was registration day. In those heydays, computerized registration was still a dream and us Isko's and Iska's had to line up for each and every subject (hence the moniker U.P. = University of Pila). At around 2am, my guts exploded and I found myself in the toilet emptying the contents of my digestive tract.

Since that day, I've made sure to never get myself drunk again. And I've kept that promise. Anytime I feel the alcoholic drink beginning to seep through my brain (the signal is light-headiness), I stop the alcohol and I don't care if it was just my first bottle.

All in all, for courtesy's sake, I drink, especially when proffered a bottle or a can. You don't want to offend in the first place so you accept. But if I can, I avoid it. Being a diabetic for over a year now has given me a very valid medical excuse not to drink. It's hard on the liver and I can't risk that with the D and all.

So, I apologize to all those who I've possibly offended, insulted or inconvenienced with my refusal to accept your invitation to go out for a bottle or two. I know it's for camaraderie and all but if I can possibly avoid it. I will avoid it.

Magkape na lang tayo :)

* San Miguel Pale Pilsen image courtesy of Wikipedia. San Miguel Pale Pilsen name, design, bottle and label are trademarks of San Miguel Brewery and San Miguel Corporation. All rights remain with them.

this is how i work

I let my work speak for itself. Look at the results. Am I getting things done? Are the things being requested (and in most cases, demanded) produced? Am I meeting impossible deadlines set?

The bottomline is I get things done properly and as creatively and as with minimum errors as possible given the inconsiderate deadlines and the vague parameters.

I let my work speak for itself. I don't have to brag about it.

I don't believe you have to be noisy to be effective. I'm a quiet person, what can I do? Even though I work in marketing, I don't have to conform to the notion that marketers are a noisy and boisterous and loud bunch.

I choose the quieter path. It still get things done and that's the most important thing.

And if it seems like I am not working ... no, no, no ... if it seems like I am not seen to be working then I think someone is blind. If I haven't been working how can things be done?

If I have to, I myself do the nitty-gritty. I don't just stand idly by and let every one of my guys do the work. If I had the time and the capacity I try to unload work from them. Geesh, if you just give me a proper design machine I would've probably done a lot of the design work myself.

And I work my best each and every time. Of course, "best" is subjective and relative. Your "best" might not be at the same level as my "best". Your "best" might be the heavens while mine is grounded on what's possible and probably given all the factors.

And I try to be a darn good leader and commander to my troops. God knows I do try to make sure they're well taken cared of. But sometimes I can only do so much. I can only say so much and I can only promise so much. The rest is up to the guys on top to take a look down and see what needs to be done.

And I work within and around whatever knowledge or information I have at hand. I can't second-guess. I can't predict. I most definitely can't fortune-tell. I only can work with what I know. You can't expect me to turn in millions in worth if I don't have anything to work with in the first place.

And alongside that is the ability to work independently. I can think for myself, thank you. But then again, I can only wield so much authority. There's no such thing as "empowerment" yet. Everything's still very much dependent on whatever happens on top.

Give me a enough of a mandate to decide and shape and carve and spindle and I can weave threads of gold.

But don't expect that I will be loud or boisterous. I don't work that way. I work quietly and like I said, I get things done, in one quiet way or the other.

the slug-like feeling

Sluggish today. Real, real sluggish despite getting enough sleep.

In fact, the sluggishness started this morning (way, way early) as I was supposed to go on a morning walk-xercise but when my alarm went off at 5am, my body felt stiff and there was a noticeable pain from my back, from my sides and both my legs were wobbly.

I thought I just needed breakfast which consisted of a breakfast sandwich and fries from the Golden Arches. But even after breakfast, I still wasn't feeling any better. Even coffee didn't help and I'm now sipping my second tall mug for the day and my body still feels non-responsive.

I'm guessing I'm just dead-bone tired. That's all.

Tired from the daily grind and I have yet to really recover from last week's episode with Ikai in the hospital.

The first night at the ER -- Friday -- was the real killer whereby with no room available, we had to spend the entire night in the Emergency Room. Ikai and Elvie shared the bed while I had to make do with 5-10 minutes naps in sitting position in different places. When it got too cold in the ER's pulmo station (that's where we were situated the entire time), I moved to the waiting areas just outside of the ER's main doors. When the mosquitoes started biting, I moved back inside the ER. The longest sleep spell I had was a 15 minuter in the then vacant ultrasound waiting area. The rest of nights in the hospital were better but not by much. I had to sleep on the long john which offered not much comfort. And then, there was the periodic (as in once every hour) visitations by nurses, nursing students and doctors to check on my daughter's condition which incidentally also woke me up (at least several times but for sure by the time the clock struck 3am, I was snoring uproariously and quite oblivious of what was going on).

This week started with three days of half-days as I needed to stay in the hospital in the mornings and ran errands hitherto. The real rest only came Wednesday night when we were back home and finally got to sleep on our bed.

This weekend, no idea if I'll be able to rest as there's an ongoing company event that I'm still two minds of making my presence felt.

Kapagod.

wednesday warbles: valencia mocha, crocs, philips DVD theater, starbucks, kfc

valencia mocha
On a recent trip to Robinsons Supermarket, there were Great Taste coffee promodisers hawking GT's new coffee concoctions. And one of the concoctions was a little number they dubbed Valencia Mocha -- a mix of your usual mocha coffee with the twist of a Valencia orange.

Egad!!! I said to myself, somebody finally caught on to my idea of mixing coffee and orange juice together in one cup!!!

Remember my post on orange coffee? Hmmm, one product manager must be a regular of this blog for such a germ of an idea to come out ha ha ha!

crocked again!!!
Weng: Kuya, there's a big holiday season sale here in Dubai Duty Free for all departments except electronics and jewelry
Ram: Wow!
Weng: What do you want me to buy for you?
Ram: Crocs
Weng: Again?!
Ram: Yes, even if it's the same design and same color
Weng: What?!
Ram: Yes, because the ones you sent me last time are now pudpud (worn-out) :)

new noisy thingy
There's a new noisy thingy in the small apartment -- a Philips MCD 139B/98 Micro DVD Home Theater.

Elvie and I saw the little beauty on a steep discount in SM Makati and decided to use the plastic to buy it right away with justification that we were planning to buy a new one anyway this December. From the original price of about PHP11K, they sold it for only PHP5,900 -- almost a 50 off!

It now sits on top of the TV cabinet and its compact size complements the smallness of the apartment. A single-disc player, it is able to play DVD+RW, DVD-Video, Picture CDs, Video CD/SVCD, DivX, DVD, WMA-CD, MP3-CD, most CDs, CD-R and CD-RW. It is however a bit choosy (mapili) and will not sometimes play interactive DVDs of the Captain Hook or Blackbeard type except for actually playing the movie. Nevertheless, its speakers (3" woofers with a passive sub-woofer) are more than enough to rumble the apartment. Its max volume is 40 but by the time your remote hits 15, the neighbors are sure to complain.

Too bad though that it doesn't have a USB port yet nor a microphone jack. But heck, you can't always have everything. But this sound machine is one spiffy addition to the appliance list.

it's christmas time in the city
The first real indication that I had that it's already the Christmas season is waking up on the morn of December 1st rather chilled. Now, that's a Christmas indicator for you -- the mornings now have a tinge of coolness that you that "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas", so to speak.

The apartment is also now be-decked with some Christmas decors, all for our little Ikai, who will for the first time will most likely remember a teeny,weeny bit of Christmas on her second year. The Christmas wreath now hangs on the front door and two garlands dominate the wall - afilled with Christmas shiny-shinys -- balls, bells, and poinsettias. The highlight of the decors is our four-year old Christmas tree which is about a foot high, again decorated with shiny-shinys and in the evenings dazzling with lights.

Now, need to fix the bulbs of the three sets of Christmas lights that'll be decorating the window.

finger-lickin' good is now worth a "finger"
I just had to have KFC for lunch today.

I usually don't have the patience to wait a long line if the matter on hand is something gastronomic. So, it's really a craving that has caught that has gotten me patiently waiting in line and trying to avoid the rather pesky chub behind me in the line (kept on moving and chit-chatting with her friends and in the process, consistently hitting my back and side with her overly-large hand-bag) and order a two-piece original recipe fried chicken meal.

KFC has raised its prices though. Their Fully Loaded meal (2 piece) is now a mean PHP 185 whereas it was some PHP20 lower the last time I dined in. The meal I ordered which came with a regular-sized drink was PHP 135 which I swear is a price increase of 14%.

Egad!!! I thought fuel prices are going down so doesn't that mean cooking oils and other lards you use to fry KFC chicken with are also going down. LPG, which I assume you use, is going down as well, price-ly speaking. Is there a scarcity of chicken nowadays that you had to raise prices?

starbucks crazy
The cues are once anew a-winding in Starbucks as coffee crazy aficionados of the brand are once again consuming tons of SB stuff to get stickers to hopefully redeem the highly coveted Starbucks Limited Edition 2009 Planner.

In this age of PDAs, portable PCs, hybrid cellphones -- a planner is so, so, so your grandfather. One would think that in this so-called digital and personal consumerist age a thing like a planner will be obsolete and better off being synonymous with dinosaurs. But heck, people are forking over gazillions of pesos at SB to acquire one of these old-fashioned thingies.

Now, don't get me wrong. As I'm much hooked and amused with the idea as well. Currently, my SB card has four stickers on it ... 12 more to go before I get my planner!

But I do get the feeling that we're being led on by this craze and I totally understand it --- it's a brand-thing! It's a full, total brand experience with Starbucks and we're all gloriously hooked. Every time I make a bee line to SB for a cup, there are at least four people in front of me -- and I'm talking about getting coffee at around 8:30am or 2pm, the dead hours. I pass by lunch time or about 9-10am and shucks, the line at the SB counter here at their RCBC Plaza branch is snake-like.

Imagine, each one holding a promo card will need to buy 16 drinks -- 8 of the usual (mine would be Caffe Mocha), and 8 of the Holiday blends (Praline, Toffee Nut, and Dark Cherry Mocha). I made some simple calculations based on what I drink (size and type) and egad ... I will be spending at least PHP 1100 to complete the 16 stickers to collect one friggin' SB-branded planner that would cost somewhere around PHP100 each. Bulk orders mean lesser cost per piece and with the trend of people to go agoo-goo crazy over the SB planners annually, for sure SB will make another killing this season.

Merry Christmas Mr. Schultz.

Now, off to SB for a Dark Cherry Mocha, tall, hot, non-fat, no whip. And yes, another sticker :)

lost memories

While fulfilling my duties as the security guard in my folks' home in Laguna while they were away, I tried vainly to rummage through the junk in my former room (turned bodega) to locate precious mementos of my younger days -- letters from friends and those who've I've held dear, movie and concert tickets that stirred up various emotions, various notes on pieces of paper and memo and sticky pads from significant individuals, photos, birthday greetings, various keepsakes and little souvenirs -- only to realize that I cannot, for the several hours I've rummaged, find them.

And I fear that I've lost them forever.

These little stuff, while seeming to be nothing more than junkable stuff to others, tell my story. In a nutshell, one can get a glimpse of who I am, and more likely who I was, with all the things that are contained in that medium-sized filofax. In between the covers of that filofax one can immerse in what things I value most in life. In the concerted junk, one can understand why I am now who I am and what has shaped my entire being.

And unfortunately for me, I've now lost them all.

Elaine would probably be the best person to understand my penchant for keeping things as she herself is another such junkie. Like myself, she is a sentimentalist and a romantic at heart -- always looking back to the past either for help in tackling the now and tomorrow, or for comfort, or for anchorage when the present seems forbidding and unsettling. Still got that box of keepsakes, Layne?

The bulging filofax I lost contains approximately stories and memories of my life from highschool up to college. That's a good eight years of memories down the drain. Definitely no monetary value but rates high on the sentimentality and emotional scales. Included in that bunch were letters and cards I got from my ex-girlfriend who is now my wife plus several movie tickets on dates we've had, and not to mention receipts from the coffee shops we frequently haunted during our courtship years.

Also lost is a bunch of letters from a good friend whose insights to life were always thought-provoking (like how it is that when we write letters we do not talk to the person himself or herself but to a piece of paper or how it is that we learn to understand early on that life is indeed not always fair and that you need to compromise).

Gone as well are various memorabilia from Peyups days including blue books with positive comments from professors, my class cards, my CMC library card, my acceptance letter to UP, among other things.

In junk heaven have gone pictures - highschool ones, college days and I believe, some personal pictures of my younger days when I was no more than a little boy with a rather big head on a small frame. I'm also missing photos of my days in the Lhuillier Group with former officemates which I was sure was also included in between that filofax's cover.

And oh, yes, letters from past loves as well are now in oblivion.

I was meaning to eventually clean up this "mess" actually and just retain the really, really important mementos (those of my wife's and those that I believe would cost something in the future should one of my friends suddenly become famous) but fate (or a rather overzealous cousin who believes cleanliness is the only virtue) played a cruel joke instead.

And now, they're all gone, gone, gone ... whoa whoa whoa.

wishful thinking

A recent featured article on Yahoo on jobs with great perks lists "Marketing Manager" as one such job. While the entry on the marketing manager does speak the truth about such individuals receiving "in kind" (free tickets to movies, gifts on your birthday, dinner or lunch-outs, etc.), the thing that caught my attention was that it noted that the median annual salary for marketing managers was a whopping US$104,400. Since the figure quoted was median, the annual salary range could be higher than that.

Quickly opening spreadsheet and doing the math of 104,400 x 47 (the prevailing peso exchange rate) -- egad! That translates to freakin' Php 4,906,800 a year!!! That's a far cry from what I currently receive!!!

And then I remember, this figure was for American marketing managers and not locals like moi ... wala lang. Imagine if I was to receive such an amount per year then there's no need to really look beyond the shores of the P.I. for greener pastures.

Wishful thinking nga lang. Good day, folks.

dumpster

This day has just been one helluva of downer ... been in the dips since morning since I posted that rant and as the hours passed by, nothing has lightened my mood nor raised my spirits nor elicited some form of genuine chuckle. I feel pensive (the negative sense of the word) and I just feel like shit, real, real shit. Work has been continuous and the only breaks I get are the wee-wee breaks and the hour-long lunch break which didn't even take me an hour to finish. Nah, I'm not down because of work -- the work helped ease my mind off all these brooding over things I cannot name. I thought a tiger paw doughnut was just what I needed -- a little sugar rush as a pick-me-upper -- but even that has failed.

And just a while ago, I had a little encounter with some colleagues because of a miscom between our bosses and the person I was talking to just got up and left. And the heck I was just trying to sort things out -- things that I shouldn't have been part of in the first place.

Talk about great timing and just added piling on the pits. Today would've been a good day to have gotten sick. Staying in bed would've been a better alternative than this lumpy and melancholy feeling. Even coffee failed to perk me up.

Probably the weather. Probably because of lack of sleep. Probably need more coffee. Probably nothing. Probably something.

Hell.

on getting things done

There are several reasons why some tasks or actions, no matter how complex or simple they seem, don't get completed or get postponed or deferred. The range of reasons range from a lack of resources (resource like money if you're talking about purchasing something), a lack of time (most likely because you've got a zillion other stuff to work on), a lack of urgency (most especially if there are other tasks that are of a higher priority), or a lack of determination to start what needs to be worked or finish what needs to be completed.

The latter is what is termed as procrastination.

And I'm guessing we are all victims of the last reason why things remain incomplete and undone. Good ole Wikipedia defines procrastination as:

"... a type of behavior which is characterized by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time. Psychologists often cite procrastination as a mechanism for coping with the anxiety associated with starting or completing any task or decision."

And why am I suddenly talking about procrastination in this post today?

Well, the word came into my mind as I sat idly in front of the LCD monitor finding ways to better dress up this blog of mine and while doing so gradually noticed that there still some things (aka chores and stuff) that needed doing inside the apartment. Things and stuff which have been put off for one reason or another, but on several occasions deferred or postponed just because I was procrastinating.

I look around and see that a couple of boxes containing books and magazines (majority of which are mine, no doubt) are still tucked away underneath the staircase -- still waiting to be unpacked (since we transferred apartments July last year) to be tucked away in bookshelves that have, in about 15 months since moving in, never been built. The cable TV wire that runs along one side of the apartment continues to be a belligerent reminder that I have yet to find a ladder somewhere and do a nifty tuck of the thingy. The sofa set cushions remain as they were bought some four years ago and in bad need of new foam and upholstery (something my wife and I have been talking about for several months).

That also brings to mind that the DVD player remains unplayable because I keep on forgetting to buy a new remote control for it. The older VCD component is slowly rotting away inside the cabinet because I have yet to have it checked by an electronics repair-person more than a year since it first showed signs of malfunction. In the second floor of the apartment, my wife and I keep on saying that the windows need to be screened to keep away insects -- and yet that task too remains incomplete up to these days.

Sometimes though, the apparent procrastination is also brought about by the other reasons why things remain undone like lack of resources and time -- but we sometimes also let the time and resources come and go, completely forgetting again to work on what was needed and then make a promise again to do it next time.

On a more personal fulfillment level, I too am guilty of procrastination.

To be honest, I'm more of a crammer since my schooling days and while I might have improved somewhat as the years passed, I still sometimes end up deferring working on things and instead do other less relevant stuff (like writing this post about procrastination on my personal blog when I should be updating my income-generating blog).

And there are also times at work that I do end up deferring tasks to be done ... like sending that short email reminder, or working on a deadline-driven project. Gee, that doesn't sound so good, right?

Going back to personal fulfillment level ... yes, I too procrastinate. For example, the story I plan to submit to Neil Gaiman's Philippine Graphic / Fiction remains unfinished and truth be told, if I hadn't finished the outline a couple of months back, I would've forgotten what I was writing about already. The story that I finished (and blogged about) a couple of weeks back remains unedited. In fact, several story ideas continue to be contained in my gray matter -- these ideas should've been transferred onto paper (or in this case, into digital storage) lest I forget all about them. I've already forgotten a lot of the lyrics and chords of many of the songs I've composed since the days I've learned how to play the guitar and a couple of my blogs have not had an update for months now when I've made a promise to me-self that I will be more diligent (one blog in fact remains inactive and it has such a good potential).

Now, after writing all of these things and getting them off my chest -- will I shun procrastination?

Probably not.

But hopefully after mulling about these things and the possible consequences of my inactions (like losing the potential PHP100K first prize from the Neil Gaiman contest), my tendency to procrastinate will be lessened. Maybe I'll be more proactive, more diligent, maybe more dedicated and maybe have more will power to plod on and push through with tasks, decisions, and responsibility.

Maybe ... maybe ... maybe next time :)

music man

As I enjoy my last day of a two-day leave from the office checking and answering emails (what kinda vacation leave is that?!) this Friday afternoon, I am listening to a recording of songs which I've composed, sung, guitared, and primitively recorded during my college days -- more than a decade ago.

And I once again go off to a dreamy daze as I remember my long-hair days in Peyups as a member of alt-rock band Hampas Dugo (literally translates into Strike Blood) and former band-mates Wendell (lead vocals), Val (lead guitars), Gen (bass), and Christian (drums). I played the rhythm section and was secondary vocals -- singing my own songs, of course.

Out of the 12 or so pondo songs we had (all originals), two were my compositions -- Gaya-Gaya (Copycat) and Pesimistiko (Pessimistic) -- the rest were written and sung by Wends. And during gigs, my two songs were interspersed in the song line-up to allow Wends to rest his vocal chords because, truth be told, our songs were not the mainstream types. While we were not the type that screamed their lyrics, our originals were more on the heavier side -- mixing heavy metal with a bit of glam and folk. Wends' songs were what I referred to as socially-conscious with titles like Timbangan (Weighing Scales), Bangungot (Nightmare) and Berdugo (Executioner). But he also showed his easy-go-lucky and uhm, gago side, with songs Nabuburat (Pissed Off) and Lango (Drunk).

Gaya-Gaya was probably the most pop-ish in HD's song line-up with traces of E-Heads and Yano in its tune and lyrics. I originally wrote and performed it for a Communications class and somehow, my future band-mates felt it was a good mix. The other song I sung, Pesimistiko, was typical angsty Ram. Originally, a very slow tune, the guys mixed it up during a semi-hiatus I had due to chicken pox and when I returned two weeks later, they arranged Pesimistiko in such a way that it became a precursor of what was to become rap-metal. It became a jazzy fusion thing and was actually fun to sing -- I was almost rapping it, actually.

HD enjoyed a full two years with its original line-up, developing a bit of a cult following in the UP College of Mass Communications where many friends and college-mates watched our performances in and out of campus. We managed a couple of gigs in then Club Dredd Timog and composed and recorded a version of the DZUP station ID. At that time, our contemporaries were Tungaw, Fatal Posporos, Agnus Dei and the now extremely famous and prolific Parokya ni Edgar.

Unfortunately, the band, like I said, lasted only a couple of years as other priorities set in. I was the first to leave the band, opting to concentrate on finishing my degree in four years. A full-time commitment to a band was not what my parents had in mind for me, and I myself didn't see a future whereby a long-haired Ram would still be holding an electric guitar and making the rounds of the rock scene. There was also a falling out between our vocalist and our lead guitars, something that had been brewing for the longest time, and the latter decided to part ways with the band he had co-formed.

Wends, Gen and Christian actually continued with HD even after Val and I left. They picked up a new guitarist and their music became punkier although their heavy metal tone remained. Even after I graduated, Wends led the band into several more gigs until the band had to really dissolve when Wends finally got his diploma in 1998 or early 1999.

Since college, I've not made any attempts at forming a band or becoming part of one. I've been busy with corporate life and now as I have my own family, that has permanently sealed the door to such ventures. I will however welcome an opportunity to sing or play again, just give me enough time to practice. And I will continue to write songs when I can. And I will record all the songs I've thus written so far, along with any other song I will write in the future.

The music man may have left his band, but the man has not left his music.

Cheers, repapips!

been bad, real, real bad

Another reason for feeling a bit down today is because I checked out rather poorly in my most recent check-up.

My urinalysis came clean and my FBS was within range but unfortunately my bad cholesterol level was high. My Lipid Profile checked out as follows:

Cholesterol Level: 242.02 mg/dL (normal range is 50-200)
Triglycerides: 172.84 mg/dL (normal range is 15-150)
HDL Cholesterol (good cholesterol): 44.11 mg/dL (normal range is 40-60)
ALDL Cholesterol (bad cholesterol): 166.37 mg/dL (normal is 0-100)

The thing that got my doctor yakking was my LDL (low-density lipid) which was bad cholesterol and that recorded figure of 166.37 is interpreted as "high level" by medical standards and definitely "bad". LDL and a high cholesterol level in general is associated with heart disease and at this point in time, that's not what we need with the plans to immigrate being foremost in mind.

Yep, my fault as my venture to a healthy lifestyle got sidetracked this past month or so. I got to eat a little bit more than I should have and consumed foods that I should've avoided. Really, it's my fault and I've got no one to blame but myself and as my wife puts it, no one can help me but me.

So, my doc and I have set a target of an overall cholesterol level of 70 by the time I come back for a check-up two months from now.

While I will moan and mop about this abysmal result for today, there's even more work ahead of me, healthwise. I'd better get crackin'.

the problem with organizing

The problem with organizing anything is that things will never fall into place, things will never be perfect, things will never happen the way you plan them to be -- no matter how hard you try to make it otherwise.

Sounds pessimistic? Nah, that's just the reality. Take it from someone who's been there, done that, and I was hoping never to do it again yet that cannot be.

I was handpicked to head the committee that is organizing the company-wide outing and a little more than a week before the date, we're still scrambling to get things done.

That's the nature of these things and no matter how hard you try, no matter how hard you cover your bases, there's bound to be some loose ends -- always.

The best that can be done would be to try and rectify things, try and immediately remedy problems, and try and quickly resolve issues.

But things will never be perfect. That's what I've learned.

The problem with what I'm involved with right now is that there are too many people you're trying to please. People with their varying opinions are coming from all directions. Heck, you needed those feedback some months ago and then they only start coming now.

And the thing is I guess I'm just a bit jaded about these things. I mean, I enjoy going to trippings like these where you eat, enjoy and well, booze on someone else's expense but to actually organize this is ... well, that's different.

I don't really think I'll be enjoying this outing tremendously. That's another reality of being the organizer. While you're organizing the very thing that's supposed to be for everyone's enjoyment, the reality is that this little shindig is for everyone else's enjoyment -- not that of the organizer(s). Been there, done that. 

I'll just try to make the best of it, of course. That's the only thing that you can do. It'll still be work, you can count on that. You just have to be a little light-headed when the day comes -- that's what you should keep in mind.

And after years and years of doing this, I already know what needs to be done. Yep, but getting others to do what you want done is another thing unfortunately. We don't always have the luxury of having the same wavelengths as the people we work with. And while you may be pouring your heart and soul into the organizing, others are just contented to sit back and watch you make a fool of yourself. They'll also be the ones to bicker the most -- as if they were the ones paying.

But I've learned to accept that reality as well. There's a cliche to this -- you can't please everyone. I would rather please myself but heck, that's not possible in this case -- as the organizer, you need to make the sacrifice.

I won't be enjoying the outing like I said. But by hell I am going to make the best of it.

'Nuff said.

the fit

My recent journey on the D path has changed my lifestyle, and in some ways, my fashion and will do more so when I finally hit my endocrinologist's desired weight of about 160 pounds (which about 30 or so pounds away).

The main factor for the D changing my fashion is now I can fit into smaller-sized clothing.

Yes, after so many years being a size 40 (at times 42 counting the bulge) and an XXL or at times XXXL, I now am down to about 37-38 inches and can fit comfortably in XLs which hasn't happened for the longest time. In fact, the last time I recall having fitted a size XL was in 1998, a year after graduating. Since then though, the waist and the tees have expanded until now.

I can now wear shirts I bought years and years ago (like a gray XL I bought in Cebu with the thought of initially slimming down) and this black Jag shirt which was labeled an XXL but actually fitted like an XL. In fact, my repertoire of shirts have expanded somewhat and I'm finding it hard to wear two relatively new Polo shirts I bought sized XXLs which now make me look like a trying hard hip-hop fashionista.

I'm also now having problems with day-to-day office attire as most of my outfits were bought when I was still a big boy (although a couple of expat bosses still refer to me as 'big fella'). My pants are now a problem as I now have to really make sure my belt is tight on or otherwise I may experience an embarrassing moment of being caught with my pants down, literally.

However, I cannot yet a major wardrobe overhaul as I'm still about 30 pounds away from my target weight and that's still going to affect the sizes (unfortunately not the length) of pants and the wideness of my tops.

However, this is just a minor setback. I'm actually looking forward to the day when I begin my overhaul of clothing. Who knows, where once I was just looking for comfort and fit when I shop for clothes (only a few brands carry a XXL or XXXL), now aside from comfort and fit, I may add another criteria for choosing the wardrobe -- style :) Yah, right!

Monday Mumblings: Rated K on Diabetes, Short Story Writing, VETASSESS

rated k paints a dismal picture of diabetics
In last night's episode of Rated K which I happened to be peripherally viewing (I was playing Sims 2 on my PC which was just right beside the living room TV), one segment featured a diabetic. Of course, that got me interested but I was rather disappointed because that particular segment talked about diabetes as some form of dreaded disease.

It talked about how this TV performer (forgot the name) who used to weigh 280 pounds suddenly shriveled and his body thinned out after being diagnosed with the disease. It was not clear however if this person had Diabetes Type 1 or 2 but it appeared to be hereditary since it was implied that it was possible that he got it because of relatives who also had it.

It was rather saddening to hear diabetes being pictured this way -- like some form of debilitating disease. I know the show meant well but it should've cleared some matters like what caused the body to drop in weight suddenly and it was also not clear what medication and treatment were undertaken by the protagonist of the segment.

The segment also painted a scenario of hopelessness since it seemed as though it tells viewers that when you get the disease it seems like the end of the world. Come on, I've got the D and I'm living my life to the fullest. I'm actually in my best health in years and I love it. Sure there are restrictions and sure there is an ongoing medication but it's not life threatening if you follow medication and ensure you get a good medical regimen.

Korina, I admire you and like what your show on Sundays but please, make sure your researchers get the picture of diabetes right. Yes, diabetes is a chronic disease in that there's no cure for it. But, don't instill fear in diabetics or cause fear in people to dread the disease. Please.

vetassessed is positive
After roughly six weeks after filing, I received word from our immigration consultant that my VETASSESS assessment is positive. Last Saturday, I got a copy of the result and yes, indeed, it says in the form that my nominated occupation of Marketing Specialist is positive -- meaning that my nominated occupation and my submitted documentation to prove that I am such has been approved by the Australian authorities.

This is the first step into our Skilled Independent Regional Visa application, our passport to greener pastures in the land Down Under. Next step would be to pass the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) where I need to score 7 in all components -- reading, writing, listening and speaking.

sims 2 again
I'm playing Sims 2 again and starting to get hooked to it again. I'm still trying to re-figure out again how the gameplay goes but I'm getting there slowly. And since I'm playing the deluxe edition which combines both the original game and the Nightlife expansion, there are some totally new additions to the game which I have yet to really be familiar including the ability to drive your own vehicle, group dates (wherein I sucked in my first attempt), dating (again, which I sucked and only ranked so-so) and bowling which was quite exciting.

With Sims 3 said to launch in 2009, I'm just biding my time and not rushing to buy the rest of the expansion sets for Sims 2. i'm pretty sure that once Sims 3 launches, they'll be selling the Sims 2 expansion sets and item sets in packages (like what they did for Sims 1 when they launched the 9-in-1 package when Sims 2 was released). So, 2009's just around the corner ... just a few more months of wait and the expansions are sure to be packaged in one affordable bundle.

short story's on the way
I'm about half-way with the speculative short story I'm writing hopefully for submission to the Neil Gaiman-sponsored Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards 2009. Two months to go before the deadline but I hope to submit it by month's end.

What's missing however is the short story I intend to submit for consideration in the Philippine Speculative fiction anthology that Dean Alfar's working on (BTW, Dean, congratulations on the new daughter :) ) which has an earlier deadline of mid-September.

Time-willing and with hopefully manageable work I'll be able to submit entries to both. Keep your fingers crossed, folks!

let-down

It looks like nothing's going to be done about the "borrowing" incident a relayed about a post ago ... what a let-down.

Boooo!!!!!!!

stealing is still stealing

A little incident in the office has rather shook up what would've been another boring Monday morning -- someone took something from someone.

Now, when that happens I think that is still stealing. Whether that's a private property or a property entrusted into someone's care by the company is not the issue. Taking something from someone without permission is still stealing in my books.

Even if the item in question was returned, I firmly believe some sort of action is still in order. Whether its a reprimand or a generic memorandum -- whatever, it is, there should be some sort of deterrent action that management needs to do or otherwise, that's a precursor for worse things to happen. Let this slip and for sure, something far worse than a headset will get stolen.

And the idea that since the item was returned there's no need to raise hell is not ok with me. I'm not asking "eye-for-an-eye, tooth-for-a-tooth" justice here. Just something reassuring from management that even little incidents like this shouldn't be taken for granted nor forgotten.

If this matter is just let go, then woe. My faith and trust will be lessened definitely.

In other news, I'm now 193 lbs. No sweat :P

monday mumblings: stranded, mmorpg, videoke, vetassess

stranded
As typhoon “Frank” devastated much of the Philippines over the weekend, my wife and I, and Ikai and her yaya were fortunate enough to make it to my parents home last Friday evening before the typhoon unleashed its onslaught on the Luzon isles.

Tough luck for my mother and father who were out on an overnight swimming in Bulacan as they got wet not only from the dip in the pool but from the rains as well.

In any case, the storm stranded my little family in Laguna for a day longer than expected. We were supposed to go back to Makati yesterday afternoon but the uncertainty of the weather and the fear that SLEX was flooded made us decide to while the rains out for another night.

Woke up at 4am this morning to prep for an early morning trek. Good thing my father was in the mood to bring his apo home although it did burn another P500 from my pocket for gasoline.

mad about mmorpg
My inability to get adequate video-game time has been driving me nuts. Thank goodness for browser games – those web-based massively multiplayer online role playing games. And I’m not talking about Ragnarok or RAN Online or that sort.

These browser based games are more simpler in nature and some are even text-based meaning the action happens as you read the paragraphs, the words and the consequences.

Currently, I’m playing the following games:

Travian – build a civilization, nurture your resources, grow your population, defend it, attack other tribes, reach the pinnacle of mankind and become the 8th wonder of world all in 2D. You build up the capability of your civilization by harvesting your resources of crop, iron, clay and wood and then upgrade your village with facilities that will ensure its survival such as barracks to train troops, a granary and warehouse to house your resources, armoury to better your troops armor, stable to train cavalry, marketplace to get your trading and commerce going and oother fun yet time-consuming bits and pieces. That's one of my four cities on the left. (www.travian.com)

NationStates – inspired by Max Barry’s book, Jennifer Government, in NationStates, you become head of a nation that you will guide to progress or ruin depending on decisions you, as their leader, will ultimately make. Daily, you will be given one or two issues to decide on and you will hear all the sides relevant to the issue on hand. You chose who to side or agree with, or, if you don’t find the arguments reasonable, you can always dismiss the issue. Interactivity comes in that you can endorse other nations and other nations can endorse you in return. You also join a World Assembly (the UN in this alternate world) and help make the world a better or worse place by putting forth your vote on matters passed on to the WA for legislation. Unfortunately, no making wars yet in this version but version 2 should be more updated. (www.nationstates.net)

Earth 2025 – build, research, spy, and make war all in the comforts of text-based MMORPG. Earth 2025, the turn-based game by Swirve Games is somewhat slow at first but once you finish your first hundred turns, the action heats up as more action options is made available to you and other nations will now be able to do what they want with you – spy on you, raid you, make an alliance with you, or ultimately make war not love to you. (http://games.swirve.com/earth)

DarkOrbit – the only real-time browser based game I play is DarkOrbit, a space exploration based game where you take the role of a novice space pilot and explore the known universes (of the game) and collect and mine resources which you then sell to earn credits. You work for an interstellar mining company and you earn wages by securing the more rare materials. You can also combine resources to come up with new elements which will command a higher price. And your tool? A spaceship which you can sell later on for a better ship or upgrade with weapons, shield and ammunition. Any why weapons? Because there are other mining companies out there competing for the resources you’re looking for and they’ll never hesitate to shoot down a pilot working for a rival company. Upgrade, upgrade and reach the zeniths of a space pilot’s career. (www.darkorbit.com)

Now, where and when do I play these games? Except for DarkOrbit which requires a very fast broadband connection, I play these MMORPGs at home and at the office whenever I have the chance. That’s not saying I’m playing while working. The “play” in these games require a quick decision after reading a few paragraphs of text (as in NationStates) or assessing the situation (as in Travian where I’m managing the growth or destruction of four cities). Just a click of the mouse and that’s that. You just then sit back and wait for the action to be completed or wait for several hours for the consequences of your action to ensue. These games don’t interfere with work but rather help break the monotony.

Hell, even this blog post takes time to write. I’ve been writing this in spurts in between juggling assignments, projects and people management :)

videoke
I don’t know how many people know this but I like to sing.

I may not be in possession of an ultra-fantastic, makalaglag-panty type of voice but at least I know how to hit the right notes at the right time … timing. I also know when to stop when I’m pretty sure I’m doing a zombied rendition of the musical scales of a song and get myself organized and launch into the next line in the correct pitch.

So, with us getting stuck in Laguna for another day, I decided to setup the videoke machine and hit out some tunes.

Now, why not do that in our Makati apartment? That’s because it’s going to be a helluvalot noisy. One person singing at one end of the apartment can be heard at the other end and at the third floor. When Ikai does her usual shouting fits, her voice dominates the entire compound. In Laguna, it’s a house and lot and while neighbours can still hear you singing, it won’t be as noisy as you have all this space surrounding you to serve as a buffer lest you hit a note flatter than it should be.

So, for about an hour or so, my wife and I happily chirped away with Ikai interjecting baby talks and shouts in between songs when she got her hands on the microphone.

vetassessed
Friends and relatives know that my wife and I (and our little Ikai and her soon-to-be manufactured sibling) have plans of immigrating abroad where we hope to seek greener pastures.

We took one step further last week with the passing of my VETASSESS form along with AUD350 (ouch, hefty P16,500 in local coins) as payment for processing.

The VETASSESS process will evaluate my education and work experience and determine whether it matches the occupation I have nominated in the country of my intended immigration.

In my case, I’m being VETASSESSed as a Marketing Specialist. I know it seems like a tier lower than my current GER status but the reality is that the GER has no bearing outside of the P.I. So, after scouring through the occupations list, it fell to either Marketing Executive or Marketing Specialist (a Marketing Director is different as it is a higher position and I’m not qualified for it). However, the Marketing Executive had a component of sales which I was not doing so it’s only logical that I nominate myself as a Marketing Specialist.

The VETASSESS takes three to six months to process and after I get a positive result then it’s onwards to immigration application proper.