another one of those de javu thingy

i remember back in high school, i had this friend, his father owns a construction company and his mom works for a TV network. he was the riches in the barkada. a driver drives him and picks him up at school and if we are going somewhere we would always use his car

i remember one time while we were riding his car, i thought to myself, someday i'll be driving my own car

and years later, when i already have my baby (utk 239), i suddenly remember that moment :-)

I hate you

Do you want to know why?

When we were together, it came short of physical, verbal and psychological abuse. It was traumatic. I can't take it that's why I left

And now, 6 years later, I realized that it was a lose-lose situation for me. First you got to keep my princess and second, because you have my princess, she's closer to you

I don't think you how it feels when she does spend time with me but would ask to "come home" to you, or when I would see her hug you. It takes a lot for her to hug me without me asking


I hate you

Good problem to have

How many can say that they have a good problem to have? Many of us complain about things which if we look at it differently, we can say that they are good to have.


Let me tell you about a friend, every payday he would complain that his salary just slipped through his hands. He had to pay his car, his house and he is an expecting father.


But that is all good right? I mean how many people have a good job and is able to pay all that? How many people have started investing in their own house?


I keep telling him every time he gripes, "Pare, that's a good problem to have"

Best compliment I received (so far)

Someone told me that I'm conceited, I'm conceited every time I expect others to be like me

Go to guy

When we were kids we all dreamed big. I mean things like becoming a billionaire, the president, franchise player , a rockstar or maybe even a movie star. But it turns out, most of us will just turn out to be ordinary people who have to go to work everyday and earn a living.



I had my own share of those dreams too. When I was a kid, I wanted to become a rock star or someone like Michael Jordan. I realized early that I don't have musical talent so I accepted the fact that I will never be on stage performing



But being like Michael Jordan? We all know # 23 as a basketball legend, someone who will have the ball when the game is on the line, a go to guy so to speak. So when I was a kid I would play basketball everyday, during summer twice a day, from 8am to 11am and then again from 4 pm until it gets really dark and I can no longer see the ring. But, I'm not athletic, I'm vertically challenged, I can't jump, and when I do my friends call me "palaka" because my legs are like that of a jumping frog. During tournaments I spent more time on the bench, there was even a time when I almost sank the ball at the opponents goal (embarrassing)


So, I didn't get to live out that dream either? I think we should look at it in a different context. This is the part where "magbubuhat ako nang bangko" please excuse me (pagbigyan nyo na minsan lang). So I grew up (and grew old), finished college and started working. During the course of my career, there were occasions where I was asked to handle the difficult tasks. Why? because according to my bosses (or at least one of them) I get things done. But mind you there are also times when I was not able to deliver (just like #23)


You see the connection? I didn't get to become like Michael but to some extent, in certain situations, I was the go to guy.

Toughest Moment - Part 2

Actually it's not part two, it's more like the second most toughest moment for me. Sorry I just have to be consistent with the title of the first one (Part 1)

Happened about six, or close to six years ago. Between the night of December 3 and the morning of the 4th. It was when I was deciding (or decided) to leave. I remember that night, I carried my princess, smelled her, kissed her, because I will surely miss her. On our way home I had to endure the nagging while driving. When we got home, I didn't want to fall asleep, because when the morning comes I'll leave and don't know when I will get to see and hold my princess again. Leaving would also mean not (maybe not yet) realizing my dream of having a family, at least a normal one. That's all I ever wanted.

Morning came, got ready for work and went to the office as if nothing will happen. When I got to my desk I called my mom and ate, told them that I'm leaving. Mom said no, my ate said "bahala ka dito lang kami".

I got up, went out of the office, got into my car, drove back to the apartment with my list of "to dos" and stuff to take with me, and the rest is history.

working on weekends

I'm not a big fan of that, weekends should be spent with the family, or resting, or doing things to relax. but lately I've been finding myself working Sunday nights. You know, doing those little things that should make the week easier, like cleaning up my inbox, replying to emails, planning the week, listing down my to do

it's not good, i don't want work to slowly eat my weekend

my contribution

global warming & high oil prices, two global problems, which you can say, are inter related.

Now, i can not do anything big to solve those problems, only small things which I hope would contribute

... i will plan my trips and routes, avoid traffic and travel at times when traffic is good
... i will turn off the airconditioning of my car whenever possible
... i will, as much as possible, stay home on sundays
... i will unplug all electrical devices whenever possible
... i will turn off the lights whenever i leave the room
... i hope i will be a good example for others

Masonic Thoughts - Working tools of a Petitioner/Candidate

Now brethren, you might find this funny, or you might think that we are not taking masonry seriously, but if you give it some thought, you might agree.

The Bottle opener and the cigarette lighter

The bottle opener is an instrument made use of by masons (and other people) to open bottles of beer during fellowships and the cigarette lighter to light cigarettes. But we as free and accepted masons are thought to make use of them for the more noble and glorious purpose of learning humility. What else is a better way, for a would be mason to let go of all his worldly possessions and achievements and learn to treat his brother as an equal than that of serving his would be brothers

PS - Thank you to Bro Maynard Matammu of Nilad Lodge # 12, he is my co-author of this blog. If there is anyone who does have any recommendations on how we can improve the "working tools for petitioners" please feel free to do so

Random Thought - "why do people say..."

mini cooper? is there a big cooper? or a medium cooper? or an extra large cooper?

ATM machine? automated teller machine machine?

PIN Number? Personal identification number number?

TIN Number? Tax identification number number?

relationships ... "current' state of mind

i think this is some sort of a continuation of one of my earlier blogs, i kept thinking about my fruitless search in finding a lifetime partner, and when i hang out with my friends, there are a few things i realized...


i don't think i will (or did) enjoy someone telling me to come home NOW!

i don't think I will (or did) enjoy asking for someones permission

i like hanging out with my friends without worrying about someone will be mad at me if I do

never again will my pay be in the hands of someone else other than me

never again will I argue with someone over petty things, there are more important things like world peace, global warming and high oil prices (nyahahaha!)

so i decided (or at least i think i did) that i will stay single and enjoy, but a friend of mine told me 'don't you want someone taking care of you?" well... I do, but I just can't find that someone

thoughts about death

ok, first of all, this is not a premonition, am not going to die yet, i want to see my daughter finish college and hopefully be able to carry my grandchildren

now, thinking about death...

i would say "not yet please" mainly because of the reasons above. If not for these reasons, I'm ready to face my creator now (or am I really?)

i hope i would go out quickly, not only that i don't want to suffer but i don't want others to suffer as well taking care of my comatose vegetable body

no violent death please, or death by accident, a massive heart attack will do

i want a peaceful death

when i breath my last, i want to be able to say, "mission accomplished"

why is it always at the last place where you look?

of course, because you stop looking

why kobe bryant wears the number # 24

because Jordan wears 23 and he wants to be higher than Jordan

How do you manage your boss?

Or how do you manage a difficult client or anyone higher than you in the corporate jungle? I have two tips;

1) Information Overload. Copy him in emails, forward emails, send him reports, send him updates, ask him questions, answer all his emails
2) Give him things to do. Escalate, escalate, escalate & escalate. Then after escalating, follow up. Get things off your plate and pass it upwards


:-D

Only rule in QA

There is only one rule in QA and that is...

"Make Manny look good" :-P

outside looking in.. now it's inside looking out

have you ever took notice of something, or someone and then dismissed it and some time (or years) after you suddenly find yourself with that someone or you are already part of that something? It's like de javu

I have one...

It was summer of 1997, my dad was confined in Makati Medical center because of accident at work. On weekends I would go and visit him and bring clothes for my kuya and other things they would need in the hospital. Going there I would take the LRT from Monumento in Caloocan and get off at Buendia. On my way there I would pass by a building in Quirino along taft, it has the words "Scottish Rite Temple" then I thought, "ano yun? a religion from Scotland?" Then dismissed the thought

Years (more like decades) later, in 2007, I found my self on the "other side" The picture below is taken from the window of the Scottish Rite Temple in Quirino and guess what the view is? The LRT :-)

Random Thought(s)

Thank you Site


Sa Mcdo ba pwede ka bumili nang happy meal maski malungkot ka?


Wala na bang pagasang maging makulay ang mundo nang isang taong color blind?


Ang lason ba kapag expired na nakakalason pa rin?

the world doesn't stop spinning

don't you find it a bit disheartening? that when you are so happy because something good happens or when you are so sad as if the whole world is on your shoulders the world doesn't stop and either rejoice with you or agonizes with you...



either way, life goes on baby...

she broke my heart

It happened in the intersection of Quirino and Taft Avenue in Manila, it was around 3PM, in my car as I was about to turn left to Taft

I saw it coming, she looked at me straight in the eyes and asked what she needed. I gave her what she asked for, it doesn't really mean anything for me. She looked at me again and our eyes locked, I saw in her eyes that she was so happy with what I gave and was close to tears, that's when she broke my heart...

that's her in the picture, sitting...

You feel awkward sister?

You feel awkward sister? You're in the company of freemasons :-)

The picture was taken during the medical mission sponsored by our Lodge, in the picture are 3 Freemasons, community workers from the parish and a nun from the same parish

It was, in a way, at least in my opinion, an awkward experience for Sister(I didn't get her name), I notice that she was a bit hesitant in approaching us but nevertheless decided to approach us and thanked us for conducting the mission

The Church doesn't like Freemasonry, for reasons I don't know and probably won't understand and accept and I will not care about anyway.

It is a Freemason's hope that that will change in the future, and events like this will hopefully, slowly but surely change all that. Because every masons believe that the animosity is baseless. We just don't want to tell you our secrets that's all :-P

On fellowship and community service

This is more like an apology to two people in my life. I have criticized and short of mocked them when they told me that they are going to a community service event or join their community or group in a fellowship

I did join a medical mission by the lodge and I found it fulfilling and made me realize that my problems are nothing compared to others

And the fellowships? It's not just you go out with your friends for a bottle of beer and a nice dinner, it's a chance for you to learn as well

Sorry Miss Cauayan and Iska. I take it all back, you're right and I was wrong

Buy your happiness

Again, another testament that you learn in masonry, even if just over bottles of beer in a fellowship. I was hanging out last night with two brods and we got into a discussion over a topic which I will not elaborate on in this blog. But the lesson I learn from them is, if you can, "buy your happiness"

Let me use a real life example with some assumptions to explain the lesson. We all know that Paul McCartney (the former Beatles), recently got divorced where he had to shell out millions. Now people might think that, Paul have been had right? But maybe Paul is more than willing to pay that amount and maybe even more just to get rid of the bitch and get on with his life, you see where I'm getting?

So, if you can afford it, buy your happiness, because 1) you need to enjoy your money and 2) you need to enjoy life