Restaurant Interiors and Lights

Inside a newly-opened restaurant across my old office in 2005...

lights hanging over the ceiling

what's on the table

wall and light

At the Central Business District

These photos I took pre-2005.

shot taken at dusk

rush hour traffic at Paseo de Roxas/Ayala Avenue intersection on a rainy night

the same Paseo de Roxas/Ayala Avenue intersection on a clear day that was a public holiday

Binondo Church

These are pics I took of Binondo church. That big old 400+ -year-old church in Manila. I miss churches this old and big. hehe!

viewed from a building nearby

church interior during "simbang gabi" or Christmas mass

Intramuros Pics

The following are some photos I took while in Intramuros (old Manila):

1. San Agustin Church

a hallway in the centuries-old Philippine church,
established when the Philipines was still a colony of Spain

ruins on the church grounds;
a remnant of the heavy bombings Manila suffered during WW II


top view of the church interior

candelabra over the staircase

2. Puerta Real Gardens

one of the tunnels going in or out of Puerta Real

Puerta Real Gardens lighted up for some event

3. Another Intramuros Scene

evening shot of the moon over what remains of an old structure (of the National Archives?)

Mish Mash Photoblogs

The following are some photos I took, mostly pre-2005. My, am not busy today, Saturday, am I? Haha! :P After I've posted these, I can then probably start on my Europe blogs.

1. Badtz Maru, My Melody and Real Madrid

Sanrio characters My Melody and Bad Badtz Maru flanking this stress ball,
a Real Madrid merchandise I bought in Granada, in front of my keyboard.

2. Unos amigos en una estancia en Batangas

A weekend at a friend's place in Batangas.
And us exploring the grounds with the huge mango trees.

3. My Pet is Cuter than Yours :P

Whitey

4. Stuff on My Old Bookshelves

souvenirs from everywhere = Australia, UK, Netherlands, Indonesia, and
Boracay (shells and the little stuffed lizard)

zoom out, Badtz Maru's there again...

5. Old Black Laptop

the screen off my old laptop (which has now rested in peace...)

6. Christmas Lanterns at the Town Center Mall

somehow looks Indian-inspired?

Zidane Retires and Leaves Real Madrid

Here are some press pics of my other favorite football player, Zinedine Zidane of France or Zizou, after his last game for Real Madrid as he retires from professional football last May 2006.

This is the guy whom I came to know with the 1998 World Cup where he led France and won the Cup. These photos are from a photo gallery from the El Pais website. I love these photos because they're expressive and showed tons about the emotions of the moment. Very true, and real.

After 5 years of having played for Real Madrid, Zizou retires and leaves the Spanish football club...

at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium and received an emotive farewell from the crowd,
and he getting emotional too..

with the crowds all around the Madrid stadium holding signs with the number 5 on it,
signifying his 5-year stay at the Spanish club...

waving to the crowds in tears...

overcome with emotion....

Luis Figo Retires from International Football

These are some press photos of my favorite football player -- Luis Figo of Portugal -- when he bid his farewells to the crowds after the 2006 World Cup game between Germany and Portugal for third place. He has announced his retirement from playing for international games for Portugal and this was his last international game. In the background in the second photo are some of his teammates for the Portuguese team which he led.


He is one of the world's best football players. And has played for Spanish clubs FC Barcelona (when I first learned of him and became a fan) and Real Madrid. He now plays for Italian club Inter Milan. Viva Figo. =)

Recently Downloaded Mp3s

1. El Cine/Mecano
2. Survivor/Mike Francis y Belen Thomas
3. Un Amore Solo Non C'e/i Ragazzi Italiani
4. Sade mp3s

Smint Galore en Barcelona

I am a Smint mints consumer. In fact, my bag is almost never without a box of Smints, especially the blue one. I buy another box as soon as I run out of them. I take one each time after coffee or other meals. I'm like a pill-popper. Or in this case, a Smint-popper. I pop them like they're my ecstasy pills. Not!! :P haha! Now you know why my name here in my blog is Smint Freak (but not Smint Addict). hehehe!

Smint is a product of Spain. In Manila, some supermarkets sell them, and usually only up to 3 flavors at a time.


So just imagine my reaction when I saw this bunch of Smints being sold in one of the stalls along Las Ramblas in Barcelona (pictured above) near the Plaza Catalunya end as I was leaving Las Ramblas. Hey, Smint in all its different flavors!!! Different colors!! Smint galore!! Cool!! Haha! Naturally I just had to photograph them. What better way to get a pic of Smint mints than to photograph them in its homeland and in different colors. I'm such a ninny!! haha! The stall owner was probably puzzled why this chica asiana was interested in taking pics of his Smint stand. He certainly watched me shoot the photo. hahaha. Behind the Smints, on the left, are books on cannabis. I had not noticed them until now. Plus lollipops by Chupa Chups, same manufacturer with Smint.

I just had fun seeing them and taking the pic, for this blog. This blog used to be called Smint Freak, pertaining to me. But since I don't always get to update this blog, and it's not always about me... I changed it to Just Chillin'. Because that's usually what I do when I update this blog, just chillin'. As I expect so does anyone else who stumbles upoon this blog.

Zizou, Figo y Portugal

This is a cool press photo of my two favorite people in football: Luis Figo of Portugal and Zinedine Zidane (Zizou) of France giving each other a hug during the semifinal match between Portugal vs. France. These two were former teammates at the Spanish club Real Madrid. I believe this 2006 World Cup is their last World Cup participation.

And here's an even cooler pic of the two exchanging their shirts after their match, where Portugal lost. Tsk!

Here's the thing, I rooted for Portugal in this World Cup match not just because I liked Figo, but also because I loved the Portuguese people who were sooooo warm and hospitable when I traveled to Portugal. They helped me without hesitation when I ask them for explanations or instructions on going someplace, some even would volunteer, etc.

From:
- the girl at the subway,
- the girl in the train,
- the girl at the pizza parlor,
- the mother and old lady on the suburban rail platform in Lisboa going to Sintra: Maybe seeing as I was alone, female, and travelling to Sintra with the suburban rail, the old lady offered that I should join her on her train 'cause it's the same one going to Sintra, bless her. She spoke Portuguese, I spoke Spanish. And in between, we exchanged smiles and maybe sign language. haha!
- the guys at a Lisboa street where I got out from the train: The first one being the Portuguese guy who walked back to me as I passed by -- after I have asked him some questions earlier and went our separate ways -- and brought me to two guys who he said speak better English and can help me and who turn out to be from the UK complete with the accent but who don't look English, astonishingly. This Portuguese guy helped me out of his own initiative, finding me and walking back to me after I thought he had already gone ahead when we went our separate ways, and bringing me to the English-speaking guys. And then the English fellows were very friendly and wished me well. If that's not being a very good person at heart (for all of them), I don't know what is...,
- to the lovely couple at the Vasco de Gama mall who seemed like Brazilians and were very patient in explaining to me about how to get to Sintra; practically everyone I approached in Lisboa.

They won my heartfelt thanks and gratitude. I can't help feeling an affinity with them. Made me glad I came to Portugal even though at first I didn't include it in my itinerary until a friend who's been there encouraged me. And for that (not to mention the amazing scenery on the way to Lisboa from Galicia in Spain), I look forward to my next trip to Portugal. Not everyone in Europe is cold and unsmiling. :P

Fun Link

This link had me laughing. I got it from one of the blogs I listed here. It's fun. Hehe! Go and check just how stubborn you can be. :P

Which Sanrio Character Am I?

See the result of a fun online quiz I took. Seems that even though my favorite Sanrio character is Bad Badtz Maru, I am a different Sanrio character. Hehe!

According to the online quiz, this is me:

Which Sanrio Character are You?

you are MONKICHI!
you are poetic, smart, and hilarious.
you mostly keep to yourself, but are
really funny when people get to know you.
Take this quiz!

Things to be Thankful For

I am thankful:

- that I have a 5-day workweek
- that it's 8 hours of work each day
- that I have 2 days off each week to do whatever else needs doing,
spend more precious time with people who matter to me, or enjoy
other activities
- that I can afford to buy some books even when they are only paperbacks.
- that I'm not overweight. Yet.
- And therefore, I have little or less chances of health complications while
I'm at it.
- that I can get by with two more foreign languages other than English
- that my workplace has little politics if at all, at least not the unfavorable
sort that can drain one's spirit or morale
- that the people I work with are extremely competent and professional:
no gossipmongers, f***wits and megalomaniacs (borrowing from Bridget Jones's Diary),
sycophants (yes, look it up in the dictionary, won't you? haha.. jk.), and manipulators.
No someone who behaves like he knows everything but actually he knows nothing
nor what he's talking about and he doesn't seem to be even aware of it. Really. And
everybody else would just love to thump him. haha! It's incredible once you get to
meet a person such as this. Believe me I've met this sort. Hehe.
- that I have great friends with little hang-ups nor major insecurities that impinge
negatively on others
- that I even have time for this blog right now. :P
- that the project am currently on at work is something where I learn many new
interesting things for Web 2.0 and J2EE architecture
- that I have a pet dog
- that I live in a great neighborhood
- that I love my house
- that I was able to get myself a Macintosh notebook
- that I was able to go to the places I wanted to go to for the longest time before I hit 30 years of age
- to Tim Berners-Lee or whoever else is responsible for the Internet
- that I know how to thank and be grateful to the people who have been good to me, especially during my travels
- etc.. :P

Blogging, Things to Do, La Sombra del Viento, and Book-buying in Manila

Today’s Sunday. And what a nice Sunday it is to spend at home. Am supposed to be reviewing right now for my technical certification exam by Sun Microsystems and yet, what am I doing? Here I am, updating my blog. Hehe. Will do my review after. ;)

Recently, so many things have entered my thoughts. Stuff to do, things to learn, etc. I also thought about this blog of mine and how I haven’t managed to really keep it up to date. Blogging is a great outlet for when you have so many things going on around you that is worth mentioning in a blog. However, when you are fully employed Monday to Friday, I suppose you really can’t expect to keep one’s blog updated regularly and would rather pass the time much more enjoyably by reading, going out with friends, and reviewing for certification (not! :P). Even shopping has become a chore. It has been for a long time. Would rather stay home than do shopping. I’m the sort who shops more for necessity rather than leisure. Especially when the malls are always packed with people and even to window-shop has become too stressful an exercise. Haha. Would be better, and less stressful to do the shopping overseas.

I have not even had my Europe photos printed, but I have developed a website of my photography of at least two of the places. There are just so many photos that choosing which ones alone to print is quite an exercise and made it seem that to develop the website is a far easier task. Needless to say, the sites are already developed but are not yet published online. I look forward to the day when I can get to do all the sites for each location and publish them. One site alone is a project in itself. But other pressing matters beckon. One would think that to have 2 days off weekly will allow me the time to do the things I need and want to do. But no.

So this morning, it was a pleasure that I was able to finish a book I just recently bought. By Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafón. A Barcelonense. The title being the Shadow of the Wind or “La Sombra del Viento”. And I only bought it because when I saw it at the bookseller’s, I was attracted by the cover. It reminded me of the kinds of books I saw at the Casa del Libro in Madrid. And when I picked it up, well, indeed, it is by a Spanish writer and it‘s a bestseller in Europe. And it’s set in Barcelona. I suppose no other reason would have enticed me to buy the book other than the fact that I like Spain, have been there, saw the kind of bookstores that they have and how I found the bestselling books on display there to seem to be far more interesting than the English ones marketed here that seem to lack substance and are published more for commercial reasons than anything else. Plus, that I also stayed for a while in Barcelona before I left. It helps to have been to the city and I guess help me reminisce. Hehe! So seeing this book was a joy. It was like a find. And it’s translated into English too. Doesn’t cost too much as well. I wasn’t expecting anything else other than it’s set in Spain and the novel might not turn out to be so good after all. But after the first two chapters, I changed my mind. It was an engrossing read.

I hardly buy nor am interested in reading popular, mass-market, bestseller books (like the Shopoholic novels, and others whose titles I don’t even bother to remember). Just a select few which I’d rather borrow than buy. The few being lighthearted novels or thrillers. I was never one of those people who promptly went gaga over Harry Potter (and still am not but I have read four of it), or the Shopoholic series, or the Mitch Alblom books, etc… Those are the sorts of books that seem to be popular in Manila among those who regularly buy books. Which I find a bit of a pity. I’m kind of on the extreme ends of book-buying. I guess I lean more towards buying and reading fiction that is like non-fiction (i.e., books by Albert Camus, stories with medieval history or art thrown in), modern classics, and trashy love stories, etc… Hehe; not exactly thrillers and such. Am not fond of Anne Proulx either. Despite her Brokeback Mountain. I think American publishing houses, just like its counterpart in Hollywood, are too great at marketing their books and most people here who buy books regularly tend to be the sort to more easily fall for it. But that’s just my opinion. I hope to get to read at least one good book each month.

But this book by Ruiz Zafón is worth it. The London press reviews of this book are quite right in this regard. Am glad I bought and read this book. This quote from one of the more interesting characters – Fermin Romero de Torres – I found quite funny but a food for thought nonetheless: “Like the good ape he is, man is a social animal, characterized by cronyism, nepotism, corruption, and gossip. That’s the intrinsic blueprint for our “ethical behaviour”, it’s pure biology”. Right. Haha!

The novel’s ending alone, made me wish I had the Spanish version and read it in Spanish. Hehe. I certainly look forward to it. Oh well. I’ll next probably be getting the Alatriste series or any other novel by Arturo Pérez-Reverte as well as by Ruiz Zafón. Saw an Alatriste novel by Pérez-Reverte at the bookseller’s once, went back for it but didn’t see any copy again. I hope that there will be when I go back to check and buy.

So now, my meager book collection consists of the following:
The Pilgrimage by Paolo Coelho
The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho (not exactly my favorite)
The Plague by Albert Camus (my favorite author)
The Stranger (L’Estranger in French) by Albert Camus
Iberia by James A. Michener
Siddharta by Hermann Hesse
Microserf by Douglas Coupland
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (an interesting read on how a cathedral was designed and built amidst church and state/royal politics during the medieval times)
Etc.

I’m currently interested in the following books:
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
A bio or history of : the Medicis, da Vinci, or Michelangelo (after being in Florence, one wants to know more about these people)
Stories set during the Renaissance in Italy
Stories set in Medieval England/France/Spain
In the Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
Bandolino by Umberto Eco
books by Arturo Pérez-Reverte
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Night by Eli Wiesel
Etc.

But now it’s back to my certification review. And enough about books. ☺ I wonder when I’ll be able to update this blog again.

Santi

Just got myself a new baby. Presenting.....Santi. Hehe!



After several months of tolerating all those spam and malware that don’t seem to ever go away from my PC, and with my having no PC formatting skills nor interest, I’ve finally decided late last year to get myself a Mac notebook and say goodbye to those annoying programs that make my PC have a life of its own when I connect to the Internet.

Now I have Santi. It’s short for Santiago (a reminder of one of my favorite places in Spain: Santiago de Compostela). And before I go any further about him, let me just say (to the tune of Black Eyed Peas’ “My Hump”): My Mac. My Mac. My Mac. My Mac. Check it out! :P

Now, Santi is a nifty little Macintosh notebook with a 12-inch screen and a nice user interface with the Mac OS X Tiger. Santi came with a really cool-looking box/package and a free HP printer. But it’s Santi of course that happens to be cooler. hehe!

The major reasons I got Santi:
1. I am more used to working with notebooks rather than desktop PCs and find it easier to use a trackpad and keyboard shortcuts than using a mouse all the time.
2. The notebook has to be lighter and smaller than my previous one (a black box of a Compaq notebook) and ease the load off my back. Am not overly concerned with having big screens at the moment if it will only add to the load.
3. I needed something that is not so vulnerable to viruses and malware when connected to the Internet.
4. Portability: something I can easily bring anywhere.
5. Has wireless networking/Internet capabilities. - I just finished downloading a set of photos from my Sony Ericsson mobile phone to Santi using Bluetooth. And it was really easy. Bluetooth is turned on with Santi and the file transfer just went zippideedoodah to him. It is much more convenient and really beats having to plug in a USB cable for me to transfer files from another device. (Hooray to Bluetooth technology there as well.)

It so happens that Santi fits the bill. Am right now writing this on Santi’s AppleWorks application while I’m seated on a couch enjoying my weekend at home, though Santi also has Microsoft Office for Mac. Might as well try something new that’s there.

Santi is really meant for my home use. However, I find myself also contemplating on whether I should outfit him with work-related apps: IBM Eclipse, some other Java/J2EE development software, JVM, and UML modeling tools, or should I just stick to keeping Santi as work-free as possible. However, I’ve already given Santi some text-based Java references. Hmmm.

In the meantime, am also waiting for Santi to go to sleep and lose some power so that I can finish calibrating his battery and I can go to sleep as well.

Asi que, am happy with Santi so far. And hope to do some more tweaking til I get the best possible user interface experience from it: keyboard and navigation shortcuts, text navigation without relying too much on the trackpad/mouse to move the cursor from one point to the next much more easily, etc. That and getting some more Mac use info from Macintosh forums on the Net. Time to connect. Zippeedoodah! Zippeedee-yay. My of my how cool Santi is hey. :-)

TMB metro - Barcelona Metro

Signage at the Catalunya stop of the TMB metro, Barcelona's subway system (operated by TMB or Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona).





Lesseps. Fontana. Passeig de Gracia. Diagonal. Arc de Triomf. Urquinaona. Catalunya. Universitat. Urgell. Rocafort. Espanya. Hostafrancs.

Such distinctive names and spellings. All these metro stops I sped past with the Barcelona Metro's "Linya A o B". The subway system of Barcelona.

It is the only metro system so far, where, as I was waiting for the next train at the Catalunya stop, I was pleasantly astonished to hear a metro service interruption announced through the metro speaker system in Catalan. Then Castillan Spanish. Then the following languages if I remember all and correctly: French, English, Mandarin, and Arabic (maybe). And the announcement was repeated in the same languages, for good measure. Cool. Certainly never encountered such in Madrid.

Doodle on YM

Doodled on a YM imvironment a friend and I played around with while chatting online with each other. Quite entertaining seeing those strokes appearing or disappearing (when my friend erases her doodles). Here's the screenshot of my doodle.

Galicia, Espana

Really love Galicia. At left is a photo I took of the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. Such a memorable place. Love the scenes on the way to Lisbon, Portugal from Galicia by bus too.

Andalucia, Spain

At left is a photo I took as I explored and walked along the cobbled streets of the Albaicin district, somewhere in Andalucia, Spain… I will never forget this place.

Hazy Towers

Shot this pic on my way home last night. 'Twas a really rainy day. Observe the hazy view of the lighted towers at the central business district. And the guard at the walkway was trying to prevent me from taking the pic (anti-terror stuff. Do I look like I can be a terrorist? Hello? heehee!) until I pointed out how strange the scene looked and he relented.

Really glad I have this decent camera with my new cellphone. Easier to carry around and thus take pics at the spur of the moment.

What I Wouldn't Miss

1. inane Sunday noontime variety show/s on TV with people who do nothing but sing, dance, sing and dance some more.
-- You derive no value from it and it almost feels like your brain is being fried or turned to mush. There aren't even any games on this show. No challenge at all. Same goes with showbiz talk shows with guests whom you never knew existed before as actors. hehehe. Is there still Philippine cinema at all? I think it's dead. Eat Bulaga is waayyy more entertaining than these, with the wit of Joey de Leon and his gang around.

2. small-minded people who like poking into other people's business in the guise of concern but then promptly get eaten up with the green-eyed monster of envy or jealousy should they find that all good things happen to you that they start behaving consistently like crap to you or the unlucky person each time and doing more than one of the following: hide information from you that you were supposed to know, their evident smug satisfaction each time they feel like they gave you the one-up, talk about other people's secrets to you even if those secrets belong to their close friend, and tell you to keep them secret as well (geez), manipulate communication or conversation such that other people or you get the burden of responsibility for blame, and not them, when in fact it was their idea, etc.

And the whole time you weren't even aware that that's how they're actual characters are while you were just being yourself, minding your own business. Believe me, I've met one or two embodiments of this sort of person and it's not a pleasant experience undergoing this dawning realization that that's what they turn out to be. No wonder they end up flocking together. haha! Someone you thought was a friend is actually the devil in disguise. hehehe! A tip on weeding out such a person, they're the ones who like complaining, or showing concern and invading others' privacy or make remarks that don't exactly sound like complaints but are dropped to bait others into getting the ball rolling about such complaints and them ending up not carrying the burden of responsibility for the remark made. They like covering their _ _ _es and let others unfairly take the downfall. Actually, they're like cowards. And I think they really have some serious insecurities going on inside themselves for them to do such things just so they can feel better about themselves. I pity them. These people, I certainly never met from school or university. And I feel sorry for people who get fooled by such persons and think they are good friends with them. All I can say is, watch out. Tener amigos como estos, quien necesita a enemigos, no?

3. Philippine journalism that appear to pander too much to has-beens who still believe that they have things to say that are of national importance. Puh-lease. I find the daily news full of the same petty political stuff with the same characters it puts me in a bad mood. It's the same old story all the time. Nothing's changed. These news shows have no other subject to talk about to get the ratings and advertising revenues they want so they quote and interview some politicians and ex-politicians who are so full of themselves. That's why nothing happens with this country.

Furry Friend 2

Whitey in color.

Furry Friend

So now I can remove "get a dog" from my to-do list. hehe!

A New Furry Friend

Got a dog last weekend. One of many dogs of my uncle. It's a pomeranian. Or a mix with another breed. Am not sure. Anyhow, it's a year old and very sweet. Guess what her name is? Whitey. Yup. That's what my uncle, the previous owner, named her. Hehe!

Used my mobile phone's camera for the pics. Taken this morning before I left for work.

Meaningful Travel Quotes

"Exploration is the physical expression of the Intellectual Passion.
And I tell you, if you have the desire for knowledge and the power to give it physical expression, go out and explore.... If you march your Winter Journeys you will have your reward, so long as all you want is a penguin's egg."
-- from the book The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard

"W e travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again -- to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more. "
-- from Why We Travel by Pico Iyer

What I'll Miss While Away

1. not you certainly, hehe.
2. street food such as squidballs, fishballs, "maasim na mangga" with "bagoong", banana-q. Waaah!!!
3. the walk home after work
4. Edsa Shangri-La Mall and Alabang Town Center
5. the beach
6. accessibility in going to see movies
7. Manila and Makati
8. Bohol, 'nough said.
9. film and concert DVDs/VCDs so cheap they're practically free...
10. the following shows in their original English format: 24, The Apprentice, The Amazing Race, Desperate Housewives, LOST, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Nip/Tuck

Walk On.. All This You Can Leave Behind

I like this U2 track Walk On, somehow conveys in another way my current life track:

And love is not the easy thing
The only baggage that you can bring
Love is not the easy thing
The only baggage you can bring
Is all that you can't leave behind...

And if the darkness is to keep us apart
And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off
And if your glass heart should crack
And for a second you turn back

Oh no, be strong
Oh, oh
Walk on, walk on
What you got, they can't steal it
No, they can't even feel it
Walk on, walk on
Stay safe tonight

You're packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been
A place that has to be believed, to be seen
You could have flown away
A singing bird in an open cage
Who will only fly, only fly, for freedom

Oh, oh Walk on, walk on
What you got, they can't deny it
Can't sell it, or buy it
Walk on, walk on
You stay safe tonight

And I know it aches
And your heart, it breaks
You can only take so much

Walk on...
Walk on...

Home...
Hard to know what it is, if you never had one
Home...
I can't say where it is, but I know I'm going
Home...
That's where the hurt is...

And I know it aches
And your heart, it breaks
And you can only take so much

Walk on...
(Hooo)

Leave it behind
You got to leave it behind
All that you fashion
All that you make
All that you build
All that you break
All that you measure
All that you feel

All this you can leave behind

All that you reason, (it's only time)
(Love is a feeling on my mind)
All that you sense
All that you scheme
All you dress-up
All that you've seen
All you create
All that you wreck
All that you hate

New Mobile Phone Unit Sony Ericsson W800i Walkman Phone

Finally bought a new phone to replace my Sony Ericsson Z600 two nights ago.
For once, I left the office to go home just when the mall stores are still open. And happened to finally find the best deal to purchase this phone. Wasn't meaning to buy one that day but because it was too good a deal to pass up and I believe this phone has the best features around while I also need an upgrade 'cause my Z600 is sorely lacking in capacity, I ended up buying it.

It's the sort that is ideal for long-haul flights 'cause the unit gives you a choice to use the walkman only function or the phone function (with walkman) when you turn it on. So if you use the walkman only function, you don't interfere with flight regulations regarding the use of mobile phones onboard flights. And you can store lots of mp3 files in it 'cause it has a 512mb memory stick duo apart from the internal 64mb memory capacity. Upgradeable up to a 2gb memory stick duo. No more iPods. Heehee! Uses USB to transfer files between PC and phone. It also has FM Radio. And you don't always need the headset to listen to them. The phone plays like an actual radio using its speakers. Cool.

And then, I love the camera features 'cause among other things it has B&W, (photo above from mobilemag.com)

sepia, film negative, and solarize effects. It's 2 megapixel and it's handy for those times when I can't use/bring my Canon Powershot (a more serious, but bulkier digital camera which I can't always bring with me everyday wherever I go).

You can still listen to it play even as you navigate your phone functions. My only gripe is its rather stiff keypads. In everything else, am glad I bought this. No need for a cumbersome separate Mp3 player unit and a separate camera anymore.

The Town Center

Was at a mall last weekend. Been a while since I was there. Went to the Alabang Town Center. And had a thoroughly great time shopping at a bazaar on the top floor called 50th Avenue where you can also pay by credit card. hehe!

I thought I'll be to the mall just to check it out. Didn't think I'd end up going home with lots of new stuff I'd never thought I can find in Makati or elsewhere. hehe! Let's just say I was in for a surprise last weekend and went home a satisfied shopper. Heehee!

I've never enjoyed shopping for quite some time until last weekend when I found that bazaar. I've been quite tired of the usual generic boutique clothes found in the malls. They've all begun to look alike to me. Nothing really stood out anymore. So much so that shopping for clothes has become some kind of an exercise in futility and instead I find myself buying books and videos instead. I still can't find a great black blazer/jacket in Manila like one can in Hong Kong where they abound.

But last weekend, without even meaning to, I found unusual finds at this bazaar. There were even Indian-style skirts there that were made in Nepal. Too bad none of those Indian skirts fit me. hehe! One need not go to stores like Mango to find great clothes and accessories.

There was a band that played at the mall too that weekend. It was called MYMP. Heard them playing as I was having dinner at one of the outdoor restaurants there. Not bad.

And I found there the mobile phone that I might be buying soon. Hmmmm!!

Stuff I Hope to Accomplish Soon!!

1. meet up with friends in Europe
2. get a nifty ref magnet from each stop (babaw ko! mwehehe!)
3. watch a Real Madrid match at the Santiago Bernabeu and see Figo and Zidane in action if the schedule permits. hehe! Otherwise, just tour the stadium and buy some Real Madrid merchandise.
4. watch a bullfight
5. go to Santiago de Compostela and around Galicia, Sintra, Venice, Tuscany and Cinque Terre
6. party in Madrid/Barcelona
7. visit the Prado in Madrid
8. shoot lots of great photos
9. have a great time
10. maintain a blog for all of the above (maybe)
11. and the list goes on...

New Mobile Phone?

Might be getting a new cellphone. Not sure yet. Won't anymore be getting the Z800i as a better one has been released. hehe.

Will be needing that new phone for music, better photo resolution, USB connection to PC and best of all a rather generous capacity of 512mb upgradeable to 2gb. I won't have to buy an Apple ipod and won't have to deal with cumbersome stuff in my bag with a separate cellphone and a separate mp3 player as well... And I can even connect this phone to stereo speakers when I wanna play my music out loud and not through a headset... Did I say that the ipod shall be in its jurassic age soon? hehe! Glad that I didn't go out to buy that.

It will be like I bought a miniature PC with a camera, mp3 player and cellphone in one unit, plus Internet capabilities. Not a bad idea really. hehe!

Module 01b

I just opened the detailed specifications file of one of my first objects/modules for my new project assignment. I think I need to lie down. Haha! Jk.

I did get a mild headache though, attempting to understand the first contents that came out. When I should have remembered it's less taxing to do so if I had printed it first and analyzed it from there.

It's so alien. But just like with all things new, one just has to get used to the process. New project, new standards, new methodologies...

Waiting for things to finish printing...

Gotta run.

Mi Perfil ++

Basics

Date of birth: late 70s
Lefty or righty? Righty

I am a Philippine-born Chinese-Spanish-Filipino. And know the languages of my heritage, non-native speaker though I might be.

Where, what, why and how?

Occupation: corporate slave in mgm't and technology consulting
Education: un combinacion de estudios artes y direccion de empresas...
Schools: You wouldn't really wanna know would you?... hehe.

Favourites

Music Video: Love Thy Will be Done (vocals by Martika; in black and white)
Food: Asian/Italian
Drink: none in particular
Car: maybe a mid-sized SUV. I'm not really a car person
Colour: shades of green and violet
Time of year: spring/fall
Day: Sundays

Randoms

Do you believe in God? Yes
Optimist or pessimist? Realist
Cake or death? Pasta
Aisle or window seat? Aisle seat, anytime. :P
Give or receive? both
Batman or Spiderman? Batman
Mickey or Donald? Donald
Beach or Mountains? the beach
Alternative careers that would be interesting: international development work, urban planning, travel photography
Pet peeves? When I'm late, when others are late.

Me, Myself, I

I hate Mondays. And get Monday morning blues most of the time because I make the most out of my Sundays. haha.

I like going out and winding down a hectic workweek with dinner and coffee/tea with friends. I also love an occasional trip to watch movies, theatre, cultural event, etc. But most especially, when the opportunity arises, I love going out of town on weekends to the beach, mountains, other trips, etc...

But I'm also a home girl at heart. I prefer to stay home on Sundays while enjoying a good read, crap on TV, or something on the Net. I'm not afraid of meeting new people but am not really a party-going person. My life is quite simple at the moment.

I like culture, languages, and photography. I like going out of town because it gives me new places, people, scenes and color to photograph. I like taking pictures and easily find interesting subjects and angles. I like walks/walking or exploring. Naturally, to travel is always a welcome idea for me, especially when I haven't been to the place yet. It's always nice to explore and experience new places and learn more about oneself.

I'm not much of a shopping or mall enthusiast. Shopping is a chore to me. I shop for necessity rather than interest. Otherwise, I go to malls only 'cause I like hanging out with my pals.

If cities were used to describe me, I am a San Francisco rather than a New York. :P I prefer the former over the latter. I find the latter overrated.

I prefer wine/vodka drinks, over beer. But can only drink them when my tummy is not empty.

My most surreal experience would be when the Eurostar train I was riding seemed to be moving over or surrounded by the waters on its way to Venice. Waters and boats right outside the windows... That was awesome. And unforgettable. I was quite dumbstruck that for once I failed to take a photo of something I found utterly interesting. Bummer!!! haha!

And lastly, the 3 favorite places I've been to so far are Granada and Santiago de Compostela (both in Spain), Florence and Via Appia Antica (outside of Rome) in Italy, and any beach/island in the Philippines that's also like the one I went to in Panglao Island (yep, I took that pic) in Bohol province. I love the sea: standing by it, viewing it, walking by it, being in it, but not being under it. hehe! :)

Nu nu ni nu, ni nu ni nu ni nu... *whistling* ;P

1. who's picture you keep on your wallet?
>> My ID pics, you never know when you're gonna need them.

2. what time do you go to bed?
>> normalmente, después de media noche

3. what was the last thing you did before you filled this up?
>> leo mis emails

4. who's the one you always meet the most?
>> mis compañeros de trabajo, mis padres

5. who's the person you're gonna call if you need help?
>> Los Ghostbusters...? haha.. ;P Mi familia.

6. what's on your mind just now?
>> Yo quiero mi café aqui.

7. who's number on your speed dials?
>> ninguno

8. with whom do you wanna be to have fun?
>> mi familia y mis amigos.. por supuesto. ;)

9. what's your latest movie?
>> con Brad and Angelina.. no esta mi pelicula exactamente, pero una pelicula que vi. Mwehehe!

10. where did you last go out?
>> Fui al gran almacenes en Makati.

11. what do you hate the most for now?
>> the fact that my notebook PC needs formatting, badly!!

12. when was the first time you sleep alone?
>> huh? Yo olvido...

13. what do you wanna do for now?
>> post this to this blog

14. what do you do everyday besides eat and
sleep?
>> leo mis emails

15. things that could piss you off?
>> tardiness

16. fave pet?
>> perros

17. what colors that make you happy?
>> shades of green and violet

18. most fave thing in your room?
>> mi TV

19. what was the last thing you bought for your room?
>> mattress para mi cama

20. any instruments in your room?
>> Nada

21.do you cook?
>> Normalmente, solamente cuando tengo que.

22. miss someone?
>> Pues.. no.

23. plan to buy something?
>> Si.. muchos.

24. are you satisfied with your life now?
>> Cierto... aunque todavia tengo algunas metas a lograr.

A Management Consultant Joke

Here's a joke forwarded to me by an Aussie ex-colleague, who was a Managing Consultant in the Sydney office of one of the IT/mgm't consulting companies I worked for:

**********************************************************
A shepherd was herding his flock in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced out of the dust cloud towards him. The driver, a young man in a Broni suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and YSL tie, leaned out the window and asked the shepherd, "If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock, will you give me one?"

The shepherd looked at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looked at his peacefully grazing flock and calmly answered, "Sure."

The yuppie parked his car, whipped out his notebook and connected it to a cell phone , then he surfed to a NASA page on the internet where he called up a GPS satellite navigation system, scanned the area, and then opened up a database and an Excel spreadsheet with complex formulas. He sent an email on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, received a response. Finally, he prints out a 150-page report on his hi-tech, miniaturized printer then turns to the shepherd and says, "You have exactly 1586 sheep."

"That is correct; take one of the sheep." said the shepherd. He watches the young man select one of the animals and bundle it into his car.

Then the shepherd says: " If I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my sheep?"

"OK, why not." answered the young man.

"Clearly, you are a consultant." said the shepherd.

"That's correct," says the yuppie, "but how did you guess that?"

"No guessing required." answers the shepherd. "You turned up here although nobody called you. You want to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a question I never asked, and you don't know crap about my business. Now give me back my dog."

Nice to Know

Zara, the clothing/homestore from Spain, is finally opening its first branch in Makati. At Rockwell (why not Greenbelt?). Nice!!

Post-project

We just finished a major phase of our Oracle project (how else will I find the time to post to this blog). hehe! And now we can breathe better. haha! Maybe 'til the client feedback from overseas. Ack!

Also, tonight is our team dinner (and drinks?..hehe!). yey.
Then after this project, I'll be back to a J2EE project. Would also be interesting to work on the project being supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, for the government.

So now what's playing on my mp3 player?:
Shakira's Tortura single (feat. my favorite Spanish music artist Alejandro Sanz)

And this morning I woke up to a text message from a friend in Spain. Giving me my "wake up call". Saying it's already morning and "rise and shine". haha! Bless him. Indeed it was a good morning. Not humid/too sunny especially after the rains after midnight. The air was cool and breezy around where I live. The perfect condition to do some running/jogging. I wish I had the time to do that each morning before getting ready to leave for work.

Also, I got an important document I've been waiting for to help me get one of my plans going. *crossing my fingers*.

So here's to a great day. And hopefully a great week. =) There's much to be thankful for. Hehe!

Fascinate Me

Am still fascinated by:
- trains
- starfish
- star-filled sky
- dolphins/whales

Quote

As quoted from the Felicity TV series:

"Our best decisions, the ones that we never regret, come from listening to ourselves." - Sally

"Sometimes in a relationship, going through hell isn't so bad if you come out of it a little stronger. The same is true about friends." - Sally

*******
And what do I say?
-- AMEN to that. ;)

Obviously Between Tasks/Jobs Right Now

Testing... Doing research.. Please do not disturb.

Mi Piso

Took pics of the view from my apartment in the central business district. I live solo in a studio unit a stone's throw away from my work, the malls, grocery, park and church. With a balcony with an open-sky view. Nice! One side of my studio is like a glass wall, transparent, with a glass door opening out to the balcony; as opposed to having the doorway be part of a solid concrete wall. I guess it helps make it look more spacious.

As to the roofdeck (see pic), I don't always get to go to my roofdeck as, I guess, am just such a lazybones to do so. The only times I go up there, it's to have my laundy done by the laundry service. The condo where the unit is at is also a hotel/serviced apartment sort of building. But since am not a guest but a tenant, I have to bring my own laundry there.

It has a pool but I've never got around to using it. Though my brother has, several times. Neither have I used the gym. I'm usually out of the apartment Mon - Sat daytime. So understandably, I'd wanna stay inside, relax, and be a homebody come Sunday. What a waste of rent. haha!

As to how it was when an earthquake struck, well, let me tell you, it's something to dread as I live almost on the 30th floor. So any thought of trying to even use the stairs to rush down to safe ground was, is, and will always be, a futile exercise were the earthquake strong enough.

Whale in Puerto Galera

Was stranded in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro because of Typhoon Dindo. Which meant:

- two nights more of stay
- more time
- more card games
- more drinking sessions
- more shopping
- more wind and waves (literally!!)
- more exploration
- more photo ops

Actually missed Manila and the grind and started worrying. Ack! Horror of horrors! haha.

A dolphin? No... a whale!! Whales, more like
Saw dolphins, oops, I meant killer whales on our way back to Batangas. Hehe! We initially thought it was a dolphin we saw until our boat got nearer and as the creature was surfacing, we saw the telltale white area and realized it's a killer whale. A juvenile maybe. Definitely not an adult. Ack! Then as it went past our boat, another one surfaced/swam beside the first that we saw. Who would have thought. Was able to get a shot during our mad scramble, tracking it as it went past our banca. And I had only one shot left free in my camera. Talk about good luck! :D Love you, whales!

Random Thoughts

to do list:
- consolidate my address book online and in hard copy
- set up birthday reminders

This blog:
- feeds my vanity
- I check when am not busy and I remember to check it
- needs to be updated or
- has to be pulled off the web to keep my privacy :P

I wish I:

- would create a page in this site where I can gripe on things and people I deal with at work. Hey, I need some stress relief too. ;)

What's playing in my Mp3 player for the past 3 weeks now:
- Juanes - Un Dia Normal album
- Certain songs off the Alejandro Sanz Unplugged and No Es Lo Mismo albums

I should be sick of them by now but am not. Hmmm. They make me want to run off to Spain. Hehe!

Why is it that
The CDs I want to buy aren't always available in the record bars here?

This weekend I'll be:
- out after work watching a very Hollywood film and hanging out with some friends
- out of town to an island resort in Puerto Galera courtesy of another entity. Lucky me. ;) Have sunblock, will travel... and maybe learn some diving skills...

Lastly:
- It's always a good idea to have few items in one's baggage, with only the occasional indulgences. Makes life simpler but still meaningful.
- Am happy for my friend who's got his wish and shall be leaving for Spain sometime this year (and not for a vacation too). Maybe we'll all hook up in Europe next year with a friend who's in the UK, and some who will also be moving to Spain this year. Yeah, I wish! Ciao!

Second Week of April 2004

would be interested to read
a. Angelina Jolie's journal on her development work in the Third World
b. many other things :P

travel ideas
a. South Africa
b. Croatia, particularly Dubrovnik
c. Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam
d. Morocco

work clothes and shopping, chore chore chore chore chore. :P
Sick and tired of my work clothes. Realized that it's been quite some time since I last bought clothes for work that I hardly remember when that last time was. Imagine? hehe! Every morning, opening my closet, gives me my first problem for the day. What to wear -- 'cause am really sick and tired of seeing the same old stuff. Argghh!! And I hate shopping in the malls 'cause it's tiring to walk quite some distances between shops and not really knowing what am looking for. *Sigh* If only I can afford to hire someone else to do the shopping for me. As if!! haha! Never thought that clothes shopping can be such a chore until now. I don't quite look forward to it. I guess that's why I've procastinated for so long already. Maybe if I do that overseas, I can feel enthusiastic. Hmmm!!