Saturday, December 29, 2007

In Closing


2007 has been a rollercoaster for me. I have so much to be thankful about, a few of which are:

- The super stressful and hairfall-inducing OTs, tight deadlines, countless deliverables. Sure, it was really tough at times, but the challenges brought our team closer. I will be forever proud to say that I work(ed) for Accenture, even if I frequently get asked if I am a call center agent (haha). I worked with the best people and I've made great friends - and that's a far cry from the previous company I worked for. *cough*

- Finding a new job. It gives me hope that things will even be better when I transfer. *sana nga* :) Now, all I have to do is look for openings for my AM teammates *mwahahaha*

- From being in the reds to finally saving up. Hay, salamat Lord :)


- Good health ko and ng family ko, lalo na ni Mama. :)

- Great events/ lakwatsa: Beyonce Experience, Avenue Q, Side A performance (Accenture Party), movie nights, EK, Global Fun, Forest Club, Jewelry classes, etc.

- Free time! Chocolates! Shopping sprees! Accessories! Losing a few pounds!

- Having *great* friends around: NEC_losers, highschool friends, teammates, ex-officemates, cousins and titos/titas, Ma. Cor peeps :D

- Being with Mike for almost 4 years. I really wish you'd be back on Monday. I don't know how to spend New Year without you.

Happy New Year, guys. Enjoy the festivities! Ingat sa fireworks... at sa calories ;)

Friday, December 21, 2007

Parang highschool?

Before hindi ko maintindihan why girls go gaga over bands. I mean, I enjoy the music, yeah, pero to actually wave and scream like a schoolgirl during a concert? It's just not me. Until... I saw this guy at the Accenture party:



Lee Von is the new lead guitarist for Side A. SUPER grabe mag-guitar, ang galing kumanta, ang charming pa. Friendly din sya nung nagpa-picture kami with the band. *hay...* Nakaka-addict! I bought the Side A Gig yesterday, and I'm looking for the gig sched. Ano ba to, stalker? Kadiri. Hahaha...

Sorry, I just have to flush this out of my system -_-; Sana magsawa na ko by the time nabasa ni Mike tong post ko, hehe :P Peace By!! ^___^

Monday, November 05, 2007

Objectives

In myCompany, we are taught that goals that are not put into writing are no good at all. As much as I hate objectives-setting at work, I think it's time I do it for my personal life. So far, I have 3 things I want straightened in my life:

1. MY FAITH
I haven't been to mass for around 2 years(I think). I know I don't want to stay Catholic, but I'm not doing anything to be a Christian either. I have to go to church. I really have to go to church. I can't believe I've been putting God out of my life. I don't even pray at night... tsk, tsk, tsk. Feeling ko ilang beses na kumakatok si Lord sa kin pero I dismiss Him just so I'd have a few more hours of laziness. Bad, Tinnerts, bad :(

2. MY HEALTH
I know I'm not obese, but I could be in much better shape. I don't want to spend my prime years with my body right now. On top of that, I have colds that last for weeks. Ayayay...
I have to lay off the chicharon, junk food and chocolates. *sigh* I don't want to endure "ang taba mo" comments anymore. Pagkatapos nitong milestone sa work, I'm hitting the gym.

3. MY FINANCES
I remember saving money for months just to buy a single book. Before I started working, I'm quite content with what I have. Dati, I would treat myself to a new shirt or bag, whichever I can afford, and I would feel so happy.
Now, even if I buy 5 shirts and 2 bags in one afternoon, I still don't feel gratified. When I look at my year-to-date income I'd just ask myself - san na napunta yung pinaghirapan ko? I really have to save money. I want to save at least 70% of what I'm earning, starting next payday. Sabi nga sa isang magazine, "Just because you can spend P5,000 without hurting your wallet doesn't mean you have to." Oo nga naman.

Hay, pagpray nyo naman na sana matupad yung goals ko. ^___^

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Oh dear

I used to think being 25 is old.

I still do. :(

When remember thinking how old the college students were when I was in highschool. They were much taller, they have fuller bodies (if you know what I mean), and they seem to carry themselves very well. Plus, nakaka-gimik na sila madalas sa mall.
Come college, I used to think the students who already graduated are old. My 20s seemed far away, as I was surrounded by teengers like me, getting invites to debut parties, and hearing yuppies say, "Sorry I can't go, I have to work."
When I did graduate, I was "stuck" at 21. I was already 23 then, when I even have to think how old I was, because I was used to telling anyone who asked na "21 na ako". Ngayong 25 na ko, I do feel old. Konti na lang wala na ko sa kalendaryo. Eww :( Yeah, alam kong OA, pero that's how I feel. For some reason, I feel like I have to do something significant soon or else, I'm wasting my youth. Hay. Anyways...

My friends from the office sent me several greetings, with matching pictures pa. From my COBOLmates:

("Everyone else" refers to my 5 male batchmates. And yes, malakas sila kumain ^^)

From my AM Family: (the comment that made my day: "Ang pogi ng lalake mo jan ah.. stateside.. hehehe.. kamukha ni JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE.. wahahhahaha")

From the project: (feeling manginginom :P)

Super salamat sa lahat ng bumati. Na-appreciate ko ang pag-alala nyo sa aking kaarawan. Ang sarap talaga ng maraming kaibigan ^______^

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Books!!!!!!!!

I finally organized my books last weekend. I classified them into 2: the "happy books" and "others". "Others" are mostly the romance novels and mystery stuff that I could do without. My "happy books", on the other hand, are the books I would definitely take with me should I move elsewhere. Here's the bulk of my happy books:

I still have the Pure Dead, Oz, and HP series to complete. (Yes, I still don't have HP7 :P) I'm also looking for Burnett's other books. Well, at least I have a boxed set of Narnia books ^__^

Here are my *favorite* books:

I still have a looooooot of Roald Dahl books to buy. Just looking at this page gives me bookgasm: DAHL
Damn... those signed copies are so expensive. Hay :(

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Anger Management

I'm moody, I get it.

I'm always told that I cannot control my feelings. I simply cannot smile when someone is being an ass in my presence.

Blatantly and intentionally showing off your stuff, as if it makes you a better person?
Oh, someone is bitching about how big their taxes are due to the salary increase in front of people who did not have any increase at all?
What, you still cannot do something I've explained five times, when each time you affirmed you have it under control?
How about that hideous ass who keep on talking about women as if we're always ready to open our legs for him?

I don't care if it's directed to me, or to my friends, or to my colleagues. I will show you how I feel about you.

What? What was that again? I have to be civil? Like how? Laugh with the insensitive people who seem to find humor in your stupid jokes? Don't take it against me if I don't find you amusing.

What I simply do not get is why they always target those who react, instead of those who made initiated the reaction. So, it's okay to shout out insensitive comments. But hey, if you react, I'm sorry but you simply cannot adapt to your environment. WTF? I don't have to deal with you people.

They say life is too short to be so angry all the time. I agree. I will also tell you that life is too precious to have do deal with morons all the time.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Life is short

Mike stayed at his uncle's house when he worked in Laguna. There was always food on the table, his things were kept clean, and he was never forced to do any chores. His aunt was like his second mom during his stay there. It was early in the morning when her husband came from work, and she collapsed right after she opened the gate for him. She died August 30.

The lady across the street used to iron our clothes. She was very efficient with her work and gets along with the neighbors. My mom told me she was rushed to the hospital around noon last week, but was only given medication late in the afternoon because they didn't have money. She died September 6.

A friend's sister-in-law had goiter for as long as I can remember. Everytime my mom sees her, she'd always asked if she had herself checked up. She was only 26 years old. After being in the shower for more than an hour, her husband forced the door open only to find her lifeless on the floor. She died yesterday, September 9.

"Ang bilis lang ng buhay," my mom said. I'd always sigh when I hear that from her. Death is surreal when it happens to someone you know, more so when you see it 3 times in a span of 2 weeks.

As if defying these deaths, Mike's cousin had their second baby yesterday.

As if defying life, I'm reduced to solving error tickets as if my existence depends on my fixes.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Taxi Adventures

It was Tuesday, 1:15 am, in an MGE taxi. I was then with my officemate, Chris, who is with the taxi with me up to the Sta. Lucia Mall, which is ~5mins from our house. Before we reached the mall, Chris told the driver, "Manong, sa Sta. Lucia lang po."
"Ano yun?"
"Sa Sta. Lucia lang po."
"Bakit?"
"Baba lang po ako."
"Ay, di pwede."
(Chorus kami ni Chris)"Bakit po?"
"Ang niradyo sa kin kanina sa Masinag daw kayo. Sa Masinag pa ko hihinto."
Nagkatinginan kami, with panic and fear in our eyes, sabay hirit si manong... "Hinde... joke lang", sabay cross ng 3 lanes papunta sa gilid ng mall.Pagbaba ni Chris, I told him loud enough for manong driver to hear, "Uy Chris, yung plate number TVF 144 ha!" When I closed the door, the driver really LOLed, then said, "Natakot yung kasama mo ah."
Leche, magtrip ba?

-----------------
Yesterday, around 12:30am, and this time, in a Dollar taxi. Chris was doing OT so I had to go home alone. We were near the Santolan LRT station when Manong driver asked me, "Ineng, wala ka ba talaga kasamang umuuwi? Delikado ang panahon, di ka dapat umuuwi mag-isa ng ganitong oras." He was a bit old, maybe in his late 50s,and he reminded me of my Tito Rolan.
"Yung madalas ko pong kasama pauwi nag-OT pa ho, pero hinatid naman nya ko kanina para merong may alam ng plate number." I then remembered the MGE incident - parang 180 ng personality ng manong driver from the day before.
Baha sa main street going to our place, so I had to ask the driver to take me to the tricycle terminal. He was kind enough to call the tricycle driver for me para di na ko susugod sa ulan. I gave him an extra 50 pesos as a thank you.

-----------------
Ngayon, pasado alas-onse na. I'm *so* tired and I'm not up for any taxi adventures. Baka mamaya yung masakyan ko ngayon baliw naman. I just hope I'll have this migration finished before 12mn para magshuttle na lang ako. -_-

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Aning-aning

I know I should have done this a long time ago: take pictures of the accessories I made before I give them to whoever ordered them.

Here are a few things I made lately....

A chocolate brown necklace made of glass beads and "candy" stones (I don't know what they're really called). Made in a jewelry-making class I attended 2 weeks ago.


Black necklace made of pearls, murano beads, Swarovski crystals, etc. The beads are from an officemate's old bracelets (plus a few from my stash), which she requested be made into necklaces.


Experimental bracelet made of Swarovski crystals and glass beads. Made out of boredom...


Another product of my jewelry class, made of silver and freshwater pearls.


Earrings made with Swarovski and murano beads.


The upper 3 I made with left-over beads from the officemate's bracelets. The lower 2 were prizes I got from the class (the teacher gave prizes when he likes the stuff you made).



I would post some more pics when I'm done with the batch I'm working on right now. Hopefully I'd remember to take their pics before I have them dispersed O_o

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Ugh

Disclaimer: This is just me nit-picking for details.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is one big disappointment for me -- the translation from the book to the movie had a lot of variance. There were many things added, and there was much more taken out. While I understand that it's quite impossible to incorporate all 870 pages worth of details into a 2-hr movie, it would have been better if some points in the book were retained. Here are a few:
- The screaming painting of Sirius's mother and the elf heads on the wall. Where were they?
- Ron and Hermione are prefects - this would have been interesting on screen. I'd like to see how Radcliffe would pull off the I'm-happy-for-you-but-I'm-jealous look.
- Cho Chang's friend being the traitor instead of Cho herself. I don't like Katie Leung (she's not as beautiful as I thought Cho was from the book), but I felt sorry for her character on-screen.

- Grawp as a violent giant, not as a stupid troll. "WHERE HAGGER?"
- a bit more detail about the Order of the Phoenix. Afterall, the book/movie is not "Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Army"
- Dobby telling Potter about the Room of Requirements. I've noticed that they chucked out Dobby since the fourth movie... what's up with that?
- Avada Kedavra was not the spell used on Sirius. The scene was open-ended, yeah, but still...
- Trewlaney giving the prophecy
- The long talk with Dumbledore in the end. I don't think a simple "I care too much about you" gave justice to the usually enlightening end of the movie. The professor would have explained what the hell the prophecy was for.
- Finally, where was "WEASLEY IS OUR KING"? Come on!!!! I was waiting for that!!!

At the end of the movie, all I could say was, "That's it?" If I didn't read the book, I would have wondered what on earth the prophecy was for, and what's the big deal about it. Cho would be a scumbag, Kreacher is just an old loyal elf, Luna might have a crush on Harry and... what was the Order of the Phoenix again?

*sigh*

To give credit to the film, the cast did pretty well. The performance of Daniel Radcliffe(Harry), Emma Watson(Hermione) and Rupert Grint(Ron) have improved since the fourth movie. Alan Rickman (Snape) and Maggie Smith(McGonagall) are great as usual. Imelda Staunton (Umbridge) really impressed me - she was both freaky and annoying. Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort) was over the top as usual, though the way he held his wand was a bit off O_o

So... yeah. Here's to hoping the sixth movie will be better.

Monday, July 09, 2007

Free Online Dating
This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:

  • hell (2x)

  • kill (1x)




Weird.... it counted "hell" but not "fuck"? O_o

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

naalala ko lang

Nasa 2nd row ako ng van pauwi kagabi, nang may sumakay na magsyota sa harapan ko. Apatan sa isang row, at nandon pa sila malapit sa pintuan kaya kitang-kita ng buong sasakyan. Kasasakay pa lang nila, naglambutsingan na. Kung maghalikan akala mo sila lang ang tao sa mundo. Yung babae, grabe humarot... gusto atang sakyan yung lalaki dahil mula bewang pataas, nakadikit sa likod nung lalaki (may pinaparamdam kaya sya?)
Nairita ang lola mo, at di ko mapigilang magsabi ng, "Ano ba yan!" Ang mali ko lang, naka-earphones ako at di ko namalayan na napalakas ang sabi ko... napatingin sa kin yung babae ng medyo busy sa paghalik sa leeg ng syota nya. Natauhan siguro at naisip na wala sila sa motel... tumigil sila at umupo ng maayos hanggang makarating sila sa kanilang babaan.

Hindi ako manang, at sigurado akong may times na sweet kami ng boyfriend ko sa harap ng maraming tao. Pero kung tila foreplay na ang ginagawa nyo at ako ay direktang nasa harap nyo sa isang masikip na van... utang na loob. Wala akong hilig sa porn.


PS: Naisip kong mga magagandang bagay na lang ang isusulat ko rito, pero sadyang malas ata ako nitong mga nakaraang araw at wala akong masulat na maganda, maliban sa isang mahabaging Aleman na dinefer ang isang trabaho ko. Sana bukas, gumanda naman ang araw ko, tutal kaarawan naman ni Mike.
Yun lang.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Field trip ka dyan...

Last week, I had this brilliant idea to go to Quiapo - alone. I never went there alone before - lagi ko kasama either si mama or friends ko. So, it was quite an adventure.

I am making accessories (lots and lots of them) for my officemate's sister. She sent me the pics of the stuff she wanted 2 weeks ago, so I thought I better work on it before she changes her mind. Since I cannot work with incomplete materials, I decided I have to buy stuff na.

From Makati, nag-bus ako papuntang Quiapo. Para akong nag-field trip!! The bus travelled painfully slow, but I enjoyed it. Syempre, ang taga-bundok, tuwang-tuwa sa Manila City Hall, PGH, Metropolitan Museum, at sa mga gumamelang pa-wet effect pa painted on the LRT posts. Laking gulat ko na lang pagdating ko sa Quiapo - SOBRANG DAMI NG TAO! Dati kasi, kahit papano, makakalakad ka pa ng maayos. Nung pumunta ako, parang walang mahulugan ng karayom -_-

So... I went to the usual place na binibilan ko ng mga aning-aning ko. Bad trip talaga ko nung nakita kong yung 1 strand of pearls that I bought in St. Francis Square for 75 pesos (after 5 minutes of tawad pa yun ha, tuwang tuwa na ko sa lagay) ay... janjananan... 20 pesos lang doon. Alanjo.... Anyways, naka-1K mahigit ako sa mga pinagbibili ko. Nakakatuwa talaga bumili ng something na priced at 150, pero pag bumili ka ng at least 6 pcs ay 80 pesos na lang, tapos magsmile ka pa ng onti sa tindera at yung isang item pa na 100 pesos naging 50 pesos na lang :D Ang saya!

Nung pauwi na ko, I retraced yung way kapag kasama ko ang aking dakilang officemates na si Chris at Judith. We usually go to the underpass, akyat to Hidalgo, bili ng DVDs, then hatid si Jud. And then... and then... then... hindi ko na alam!!! Ilang beses ko inulit-ulit sa utak ko kung paano ako nakakauwi, then I realized kasama ko si Chris pag naglalakad papuntang LRT... and ngayon di ko na alam. I kept thinking - wag magmukhang tanga at baka manakawan ka na naman. Shit. I went to the nearest Greenwich and called up Mike. I asked him how to get home, and the first thing he told me was, "Bakit nagse-cellphone ka dyan sa Quiapo?!" Nakampante na lang sya nun sinabi kong nasa loob ako ng Greenwich. "Bakit ka kasi pumupunta dyan ng ikaw lang mag-isa? Ni hindi ka pa marunong umuwi..." Oo nga naman :'( He told me the directions (Sakay ng G-Liner to Legarda Stn, the LRT) and bumawi naman sya with "Ingat ka By pauwi ha." Teehee. :)

Sobrang relief at comfort ang nadama ko when I got on the LRT. I didn't care that I was standing up the whole time, carrying what could have been 5 kilos of beads. I really felt stupid going there alone - and a lot dumber that I even thought of bringing along my little cousin with me, had she not went home to Bataan the other day. Hay.. super thanks talaga kay Lord at nakauwi ako ng maayos.

Will post the pics of the accessories I made over the weekend soon. Hopefully they are beautiful enough and worth all the effort that is Quiapo.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

A Picture Post

Since I don't have the time to post a decent blog entry, I'll just attach as many pictures as I can from the team building last weekend in Bolinao, Pangasinan. Pero bago ang lahat...

...side trip muna: This is from a recent trip to Albay. The volcano really is majestic up close. If I had a giant fan I will blow all the clouds away for that perfect shot.



Okay, back to Bolinao...

Second tallest lighthouse in the Philippines



My dear AM Client Team :)



The rock formation site where several MTVs were said to be shot



ang tatlong kikay ^_^


If there was one good thing about this resort, it was the abundance of flowers. This shot reminds me of Burnett's Secret Garden



Go Red Team!!!



Beautiful sunset :)


Masabi lang na nag-kayak... The water was less than 2 feet deep, and it stayed that way even if you walk 500m from the shoreline (yeah, no kidding -_-). This is our frail attempt to enjoy the sea.



prettiful :)



------- Now, it's time for flowers!!!! I love gumamelas, and Puerto del Sol has them all over the place. Presenting their many colors:

pretty in pink!



Cory Aquino


reaching for the sky



exotic :D



(Time for migration... will post more some other time. Ja ne!)

Monday, April 23, 2007

saklap



How sad. How true. Fuck.

Friday, April 20, 2007

The Island

Sybase Powerbuilder User group Meeting, Monday & Tuesday, May 21 & 22, Hotel Alexander Plazza, Frankfurt, Germany
Join us for this meeting to learn more about Powerbuilder 11 and the developement of Web Applications with Powerbuilder.


This piece of news from the Sybase newsletter is so annoying in 3 levels - I want my training, I want to go to the island, and I want the new version.

I can't wait to see the fall of the empire the self-righteous KKK built for themselves...

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

300

A German client and a witty officemate (who says the oddest comments) had a conversation:

German Client: Hey, you know, I saw 300. It was good!
Witty Officemate: Really? 300?
GC: Yes!
WO: 300? 300 pesos?
GC: No, 300 the movie...
us: O_o



I was never familiar with the Greek history. The only thing I knew about Sparta was they made lousy uncomfortable beds for Sims and Leonidas is a store which sells their expensive chocolate per gram. Anyways, I did some reading after I watched this fabulous movie. Turns out that they intentionally altered history such that the Spartans will look like yummy man-candy (which they are, especially Gerard Butler...) and Xerxes is an eye-liner loving self-proclaimed god. It wouldn't be half as fab if the Spartans wore 60lb-armors and Xerxes sported a beard, right?

The movie is very indulgent - with many slow-mo scenes that will make you go either 'eww' or O_o or 'wow'. It was definitely the 'eww' for the love scenes and the unnecessary jiggle of Queen Gorgo's breasts, every scene with Xerxes in it made me go O_o, but the fight scenes earned the 'wow'! I am always squirmish, but I watched every fight scene with full attention. It was so different from other war movies and fight scenes. It was odd in a way Kill Bill is odd, but so much better. (Maybe the Spartans made it better? haha)


It was a movie worth watching again - and I *rarely* watch movies more than once. I hope it's still showing when Mike comes back, because I would love to drool over those fabulous abs and laugh again when I hear Xerxes's altered voice.

Obviously, I don't care much about the alteration of history. I just appreciate the production and all the visuals that went into this film. It was a feast for the senses! Watch it and know why everyone is talking about it ;)

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Gawa kang blog!!

That's what my friend Diorie always say when we have rant sessions about work. Here you go Dio, this post is for you :)

I adulterated Alan's latest post to reflect my sentiments about work. Ice Cube will be so proud of me!!! Quoting Alan:
They remarked that the Philippines is becoming a country of junior software engineers. Most senior software engineers are abroad(Singapore and US being the favorite) creating a vacuum in the Philippine job market. The good news is it is raising the salaries of senior software engineers.
Here is my version:
They remarked that DB Cargo is becoming a country of junior software engineers. Most senior software engineers are abroad(Germany being the favorite) or in some other project, creating a vacuum in the project. The good news is that the first 5 are still here.
Oh yeah, how could I forget. Di na pala "junior software engineer". Associate na raw. Sus....

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

fire drill + stilettos = hell

Anyone who has tried going down 38 floors in 3 inch stilettos will tell you they wish they had been out of the office the whole day. Ang sakit na binti/paaa ko!! Lecheng fire drill yan, grrr!!!!!

Friday, February 23, 2007

You are from Accenture if...

This has been all over my inbox today. Some things are so to the point, they remind of that 80's kid list....

----------------------------------------------------------------
You are from Accenture if:
- Rex Lallata Jr.
1. You love your company and makes no apologies for it (- Bill Green)
2. You mistake the mall as an extension of your office.
3. Your cubicle is at least within 100 meters radius to the nearest ice tea cooler.
4. Your office is somewhere along the MRT line.
5. You know that roll in roll off is not something you do with the deodorant.
6. You do geek speak like BS7799, SEAKK, ATIS-GDN, x5999.
7. You say ".. it's Confidential" when you don't know the answer.
8. Your body's liquid component is 33% blood, 33% ice tea, and 33% eight o' clock juice. <- kulang ng coffee
9. You also have traces of 'lumot' juice in your body. The City Service says it's green tea. You wonder why the City Service still prepares you that lumot juice when nobody in the world really likes it. You utter distaste by also referring to it as 'sitaw or kangkong punch'. <-haha
10. You take a nap after lunch. You have mastered the talent of snoring without the sound and sleeping with your eyes half open. How ingenious. <- err... di ako natutulog pag lunch
11. You go home late night and grab yourself a burger and coke as dinner at the nearest Mini-Stop or Burger Machine, unaware of those drunk bullies staring at you on the side ( - courtesy of Winston Cruz in one of those People's Hour sessions) <- oh so true...
12. You sit happily in your chair clueless of global warming because the air conditioning is frigging cold. <- truelaloo
13. You don't know Sugar Mercado or Boy Uling. (Sugar, who?)
14. Your fashion perception is limited to wearing black from your waistline down (black toenails included). <- di naman, may blown and gray slacks naman ako...
15. You play basketball in the middle of the night.
16. You watch Prison Break, Grey's Anatomy, 24, CSI or anything that requires a bit of a brain activity.
17. Okay, okay, you also watch American Idol.
18. You go to the gym when everyone's going home. <- haha
19. You are into sports which either be as physical as basketball or hilarious as finger-wrestling with your office mates.
20. You are drowned with abbreviations like SEAAK, WBS, ATIS, PWS etc.
21. You have a compilation of abbreviations either stuck in your memory, stick notes, or saved in a notepad file.
22. Until now, you still have no freaking idea what on earth SEAAK means. <-haha!
23. You know that there is Sunrise even at night, 24 hours a day, six days a week.
24. You do yoga.
25. You don't do yoga, but you still find your best position to sleep on a chair. 26. Your imaginary friend consists of Sy Betty (CBT), Snuffalafagus and Ice Cube.
27. You get Ice Cube from e-mail and not from the fridge.
28. You don't feel that you have a boss.
29. You dial O when you want to order Take Out lunch.
30. You get annoyed when people make noise inside the elevator.
31. You get annoyed when other Accenture employees talk loud inside the elevator.
32. You are relieved when you realized that those talking loud inside the elevators aren't really from Accenture.
33. You sometimes forget that you are from Accenture and you talk loud inside the elevator.
34. You love life.
35. You live love.
36. Your life is love.
37. You think you are smart.You know you are smart.
38. You celebrate Christmas parties 4 times (one with your team, one with the project, one with the Bench people, and one with the whole Accenture) <-ang saya, di ba? :)
39. You know that Bench is not something to warm your butt with, but another endless sessions with CBTs.
40. You forget that Bench is also a shirt and underwear.
41. You know SCRIBO. You define yourself in two words : Best People.
42. You pose for a picture gesturing the Accenture 'V' sign either Korean-style or putting the V behind your friend's head.
43. You discuss something with someone over a conference call and punctuate the conversation with "Get's mo?".
44. You do your work not because you are afraid of your boss but because you don't want to fail your teammates who believe you can do it.
45. You get scared people won't notice when you die because you are stuck at work.
46. You feel you are surrounded with best people.
47. You think everyone is nice, happy and useful. <-useful? ano ba yun...
48. You consider your teammates as the extension of your family.
49. You have at least one Accenture jacket.
50. You have an Accenture bag, Accenture pen, Accenture electric fan, pouch, shirt, or notebook. 51. You wish you have an Accenture fridge, Accenture house, Accenture car and Accenture water dispenser (Ha ha ha).
52. Your secret in cooking comes from the Maya kitchen.
53. You mistake People's Hour as the Yoshinoya hour because of the meals they serve. ( Well sometimes, they also serve Pinoy meals, Thai meals, Value meals, etc.). <-pede ring Max's hour
54. You slouch at your chair like you own the world.
55. You work on Saturdays not because somebody tells you to.
56. You only put off your computer on Fridays. <- minsan pa nga hindi....
57. For security reasons, you wish your head covers the whole of your 17'' monitor. (Maybe, you want to try afro, or inject your head with fluids, or wear headgear the size of planet Earth).
58. You know that someone is from Accenture by simply looking at him. (Yes, it takes one to know one)
59. You enjoy your moments with your family because it's something you can't always afford with the nature of your work.
60. You are trying to go home early to catch you baby awake, but you always end up like that.. trying.
61. You know where to go in cases of fire and emergencies. (To the left, to the left...)
62. You don't know where is your head office (...it's really because you don't have one).
63. You get pissed off when someone pronounces your company as 'acksencha'. You argue that it is pronounced 'ahhhk-sent-yurrrr'. Payn, whatever.
64. You answer yes and no when friends ask you if you work in a call center company.
65. You have to pay P50 just to be able to wear maong on the holidays.
66. You had rewritten science by reformulating E=mc 2: Energy = McDo 2x a day.
67. You go to work and the first thing you do is check your email and try to empty your inbox. 68. Your unkindest remark to your teammate includes "Kelan ka maro-roll off?", which is not even understood by 99.9% of the human race.
69. Most of your jokes is incomprehensible to the average human being and you wonder why. Up to now. <- oi di naman...
70. You are invited to attend your friend's wedding and you ask "When is the Go Live date?" <- ha! so true
71. Your idea of a rockstar is your teammate who knows C and C# coding too well but doesn't even know how to do C minor on the guitar strings.
72. You have the solution on how to save the world. For real. You join community initiatives which sounds somewhere like Piso para sa Pilay, Maong para Makatulong, Tong para Tumulong, Diyes para Sa Buntis. Bente para sa Hinete. This list goes on and on. <-lol!!
73. You live in the fast lane. You live up to the great Latin philosophy 'labore dura et ludus durus' - work hard and play hard. (Well that sounds good in Latin, only that I just made that up. Ha ha)
74. You play 'the-first-one-to-blink-loses' against your computer monitor. It's ok if you get ruptured retinas, you win anyway.
75. You call your boss on a first name basis.
76. Your boss is also referred to in three letters like EMA, BTL, ATI, OMG and the like. (No, GMA is not in the list.)
77. You are working in a project under a shady codename like Project Timbuktu or Team Tickle-UrAnus. This makes your friends upset and suspect you work in an underground network alliance which makes the Yakuzas and Mafias look like smalltime, bluffing sissies.
78. You haven't seen Bill Green in real life and you wonder if he really exists. This puts him in the league with the world's most mysterious characters like the Big Foot, the banker in Deal or No Deal, and Big Brother.
79. You know nobody's blaming you when you get into conversations like 'Sinisi kita kanina sa email ha'. <-hihi
80. You are plotting for world domination.
81. You enjoy a basket of fruits from the 'HR Angels' after your wife do the laboring.
82. Your super heroes include ASLA for money matters and ATIS for everything that requires fixing. Mending of broken hearts not included.
83. You know that ATIS is not always a fruit.
84. Your team lead is your good friend ('Outside the kulambo ka na naman?' ), enemy ('Ha ha ha'), enemy ulit ('Asan na deliverables mo?'), and psychiatrist ('Sige, pagpasensiyahan mo na lang') rolled into one.
85. You know that i-Talk is not a monthly TV program to rival i-Witness. It's a date with your psychologist.
86. You change password every 75 days. You twitch and turn trying to remembers all those passwords that you have. At the end, you call ATIS to reset your password. <- ay sobra... kakainis
87. You are a Bermudian subject (Your company was founded in the Bermuda Triangle, that's why).
88. You play the 'first-one-to-reveal-his-salary-loses' with your team mates. You know that salary information is confidential but you still entice your team mate to divulge his. Those who lose are called 'victims' and they can no longer participate in the game. Currently, you are ranked No. 27in the list and you are up against the No. 1 seed. Like you are playing tennis. <-may naloko na ko nito
89. You are bugged by those annoying credit card companies every hour in your office phone. They suspect you are filthy rich. Maybe filthy, but not rich. <- sobra... mga istorbo
90. You are injected with a tracking pill in your body so that your whereabouts are traced by the company. Until now you don't know about that, do you?
91. But seriously, you are a player in this society. You have high hopes. You have dreams. You have a brilliant mind in working out solutions. You have hopes that this country is worth living after all. You want to develop young minds and contribute in your own little way. This country is failing your expectations but you are still here to give it a shot. You wish people would just work and help themselves out. You are God's little blessing to this country and you know you will help in every way you can to give this country another chance. <- remains true until di ko pa tapos bond ko :P

Monday, February 19, 2007

Burned out

I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote a post on September 28, 2005. If I could just spend one day like that in the office...

I've always remembered the first time I have to oversee a KS Session in the project: I had fever, a runny nose and a stupid headache that I couldn't even stare at the monitor for more that 10 minutes straight. I still went to work even though I was sick since the previous night.

However, for the past few weeks, I get up feeling well, but with the least bit of determination to go to work. I've been wondering where all the eagerness and engagement went. Siguro I just need another trip to Palawan? haha, I wish. Or maybe another dinner at Circles? Hay...

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen

I've never been a fan of the Back to the 80's thing on RX 93.1. I guess the only reason I still listen to the Morning Rush on Wednesdays is that Delamar gets to choose the stuff for the Top 10 (hehe :P) When they played this particular song yesterday, I just had to stop in front of the radio and listen to the whole thing. There wasn't much of the actual singing in the song itself, it's more like a monologue forced in between beats. The lyrics had so much sense in it that many listeners asked for its title right after it played...

Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen


Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '97,

Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis or reliable then my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice....now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, nevermind, you won't understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded, but trust me in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future, or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind: the kind that blindsides you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts; don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive; forget the insults. (if you succeed in doing this, tell me how).

Keep your old love letters; throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives; some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of Calcium. Be kind to your knees -- you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40; maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.

Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body: use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or what other people think of it; it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance...even if you have no where to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions (even if you don't follow them).

Do not read beauty magazines; they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents; you never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings: they're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but what a precious few should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps and geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old; and when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse, but you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you are 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia; dispensing it is a way of wishing the past from the disposal--wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts, and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

University of the Philippines Department of Computer Science Homecoming

Been tagged by Aimee regarding the homecoming :)
Spread the word!!

Department of Computer Science
College of Engineering
University of the Philippines Diliman

January 05, 2006

Dear CS Alumnus:

The Department of Computer Science, your home for four years or so, is celebrating its 26th Anniversary. As a member of this family, we invite you to come home to see and experience the CS life as we have it today.The Department has gone through a
number of changes — from ES to ECS to CS, from a few lecture rooms to a new building, from ‘the youngest department’ to ’one of the best departments’ in Engineering, from paper to online submission of academic requirements, from a
few Radio Shack TRS 80’s running TRSDOS and Basic to fully-equipped laboratories
running the latest software. Indeed we have gone through exciting transformations, but still we are the same CS Department that you know.

With 5 Outstanding Engineering Faculty awardees among our faculty members, with 7 Engineering Class Valedictorians, 2 Summa, 40 Magna and 121 Cum Laudes among our 1047 graduates (so far), with several BPI Science, P&G Excellence, and Undergraduate Research Competition winners among our students, and a curriculum that is constantly reviewed and revised to adapt to the dynamic discipline we are in, we keep alive the tradition of excellence that has always been the hallmark of our Department. With 22 CS Week celebrations, annual freshmen orientation and department-sponsored events and competitions, with the newly instituted Mentoring Program and GeeCS for academic-related activities, we continually strive to keep our students well-rounded as well. No matter what period of the CS Department history you were a part of, no matter what contribution you have made, your Department is waiting for you to be back home. Be a witness to the way it has grown; better yet, be a part of it.

We hope to see you in February 24, 2007.
Very truly yours,
(signed)Evangel P. Quiwa