Thursday, September 22, 2011
Ikaw ay taga UP High kung...
Message from Sylvia, Peachy and Miriam:
Please go to this website link to support our
sendoff party for the UP Integrated School.
This is a project of Batch 1980.. our last event
for the school since it will be gone very soon...
Please share to UP High events.. and participate
by actively sharing and connecting for the school cause..
If you wish to volunteer your time and efforts.. please feel free to contact Ms. Sylvia Flordeliz-Pangalanan
Sincerely,
PR Committee of Huling Yugyugan..
Sylvia, Peachy and Miriam
Thursday, August 18, 2011
I Am Impressed: The BPI's Automated System
I've been with Bank of the Philippine Islands on and off for more more years than I care to count. And I have been more than satisfied with their service. Though every so often, a random question does pop up and I have no idea if the people in the frontlines (the tellers) would even know the answer to these questions.
Case in point is why one of the accounts I had previously opened was still active? I opened this quite a while ago, and I have taken out all my funds from that account. But I guess since it's a payroll account, BPI has some internal policy not to delete it from their records. I don't know. I can only smile when a teller mentions that I have that one account in that branch, and I have to reach back into deep memory before I realize what the teller meant. I'm not mad or angry, just perplexed about the whole thing.
One innovation which BPI has recently rolled out is an automated system replacing the transaction slips. There are these machines which look like a cross between ATMs and info-kiosks, and you enter all your transaction details into them. Of course, it has a touch screen interface, and the navigation is clean, smart and, dare I say, sexy.
The transaction kiosk replaces the transaction slips. No more filling up of forms, just a few tap-taps and you're through. I first used the system at the old Rustan's Cubao branch. And it has now been rolled out to some of the branches here in the bukid. The transaction isn't completed at the kiosk. Instead, you are issued a queue number. Once the number is called up on the screen, you go to the teller, present the number, and money and the teller will give you a transaction receipt.
From a workflow viewpoint, this means that there was only one data entry point for the whole transaction. The teller is only there to confirm the money is received. Because there are now lots of seats, there is no need for queueing. As a client, I would need to do the data entry standing up, but then again, filling up the old forms took a bit longer. On the teller side, there should be no more data entry errors. Errors on money count would still be there, but this should be minimized. For withdrawals, the first option is still the ATM machines at the front of the bank. But for larger cash amounts, and for passbook accounts, this should be faster as well.
All in all, I am impressed. Very impressive indeed.
Case in point is why one of the accounts I had previously opened was still active? I opened this quite a while ago, and I have taken out all my funds from that account. But I guess since it's a payroll account, BPI has some internal policy not to delete it from their records. I don't know. I can only smile when a teller mentions that I have that one account in that branch, and I have to reach back into deep memory before I realize what the teller meant. I'm not mad or angry, just perplexed about the whole thing.
One innovation which BPI has recently rolled out is an automated system replacing the transaction slips. There are these machines which look like a cross between ATMs and info-kiosks, and you enter all your transaction details into them. Of course, it has a touch screen interface, and the navigation is clean, smart and, dare I say, sexy.
The transaction kiosk replaces the transaction slips. No more filling up of forms, just a few tap-taps and you're through. I first used the system at the old Rustan's Cubao branch. And it has now been rolled out to some of the branches here in the bukid. The transaction isn't completed at the kiosk. Instead, you are issued a queue number. Once the number is called up on the screen, you go to the teller, present the number, and money and the teller will give you a transaction receipt.
From a workflow viewpoint, this means that there was only one data entry point for the whole transaction. The teller is only there to confirm the money is received. Because there are now lots of seats, there is no need for queueing. As a client, I would need to do the data entry standing up, but then again, filling up the old forms took a bit longer. On the teller side, there should be no more data entry errors. Errors on money count would still be there, but this should be minimized. For withdrawals, the first option is still the ATM machines at the front of the bank. But for larger cash amounts, and for passbook accounts, this should be faster as well.
All in all, I am impressed. Very impressive indeed.
Sunday, August 07, 2011
Texting While Driving: Stupidity Has No Bounds (But Please Do Not Include Me In Yours)
There have been a few incidents and accidents involving drivers who are texting while driving. This is beyond stupidity. I have been a passenger in several vehicles where the driver was texting while on the wheels. But I guess, unless these drivers have been involved in an accident while tip-tapping on their phones, they would never stop. No matter how many times they are told that it's dangerous.
But the boundaries of human stupidity does not exist. I thought I had seen the most stupid things before. But this last time was way beyond any of those.
Mind you, I've ridden vans, which go through traffic like they were in a Harry Potter movies, while the driver was using the cell phone. These vans counterflow and defy conventions, rules and regulations, and dare defy the laws of gravity. And I rode them on the daily commute for more than 20 years.
As I said, this last one was way beyond there. It was nearing midnight, it was raining, the roads were wet, we were on a highway, the traffic was relatively light but composed mainly of heavy trucks, and the tricycle driver was driving with one hand while texting with the other hand. He didn't just do it once. It seems he was having a frakking conversation! He kept whipping it out of his pocket, read the message, text his answer and put it back into his pants' pocket. Surreal!
If the trucks weren't passing us by left and right, or he wasn't overtaking the trucks, it would have been hilarious. But really, if any driver wanted to fulfill a death wish, then please by all means, do so, but without any passengers. And that includes me.
Crazy gits!
But the boundaries of human stupidity does not exist. I thought I had seen the most stupid things before. But this last time was way beyond any of those.
Mind you, I've ridden vans, which go through traffic like they were in a Harry Potter movies, while the driver was using the cell phone. These vans counterflow and defy conventions, rules and regulations, and dare defy the laws of gravity. And I rode them on the daily commute for more than 20 years.
As I said, this last one was way beyond there. It was nearing midnight, it was raining, the roads were wet, we were on a highway, the traffic was relatively light but composed mainly of heavy trucks, and the tricycle driver was driving with one hand while texting with the other hand. He didn't just do it once. It seems he was having a frakking conversation! He kept whipping it out of his pocket, read the message, text his answer and put it back into his pants' pocket. Surreal!
If the trucks weren't passing us by left and right, or he wasn't overtaking the trucks, it would have been hilarious. But really, if any driver wanted to fulfill a death wish, then please by all means, do so, but without any passengers. And that includes me.
Crazy gits!
Monday, August 01, 2011
"The Prestige": A Steampunk Movie With NiKola Tesla
I saw a documentary of about Nikola Tesla, and I've been reading about his name for the past few years. With the latest developments on electric cars and robotics, his name just keep cropping up.
Among the things I've learned lately, it looks like Tesla is larger than life, and larger than fiction as well. He had patents for radio communications which Marconi used in his experiments. If Tesla had pushed for those developments, he would have been a bigger name today than Marconi.
He improved on Thomas Edison's the electrical distribution model. He invented the alternating current (AC) and this made for a the capability for longer electrical transmissions. Whereas direct current (DC) would have needed repeaters every 10 miles or so, AC did not have that problem. You only needed a long cable and higher voltages, and when the power is in your neighborhood, the voltage would be stepped down via a transformer.
Tesla also one-upped Edison with the light bulb. In more ways than one. Edison owned the patents for the light bulb. The only work around for producing a better light bulb was in the manufacturing process. Tesla created a better light bulb manufacturing process which was cheaper and had better results in creating a vacuum inside the bulb.
In addition to that, Tesla created a bulb which did not use wire filaments, and did not produce heat when lit. This is the precursor of the modern compact flourescent bulb. It was not manufactured then. But we're enjoying the benefits now.
In fiction, his being an OCD type genius trumps Sheldon Cooper any day. His claim to science fiction fame does not only rest on the static energy charges of his inventions, but also on two things he wrote about but did not pursue: the earthquake producing building shaker, and the death ray. It seems that he did create the building shaker, but might have buried the idea and invention because it is too powerful. The death ray was something he wrote about but because his papers were lost inside when he died, this was never pursued.
I just can't stop thinking about Tesla, because his ideas were the basis of some ideas I heard about or are being used today without any attribution to him. Back in 1990, a friend of mine wanted to write a thesis on robotics about how a robot can find a wall socket and plug itself to recharge. (The easy part is knowing when to recharge, so let's skip that.) The way my friend described it, there is residual electromagnetic radiation from wall sockets. So the robot would only need to follow the electromagnetic radiation to it's source and plug itself. Discerning between a microwave and a wall socket can come later. Again that should be the relatively easy part.
The concept of electromagnetic energy from wall sockets as well as other sources inside a home or office is also something which is being researched by electronic goods manufacturers. The research is straight out of Tesla's thinking. Tesla wanted to develop a wireless electrical transmission system. This has been proven on a small scale inside laboratories. Admittedly, the small one quarter-scale devices are still as large as a basketball court.
But there is also the research on smaller devices. In this case, small really does mean small, like cell phones, tablets, laptops, and the like. And even robots. The research is trying to find ways to recharge these small electronic devices via electromagnetic radiation. It might be necessary to get close to the outlet, or any source for that matter, but definitely, it would mean wireless recharging.
Steampunk, as an art movement is unique as the artwork is a marriage of old mechanical and wooden devices with modern electronic devices. The clincher is that the melding of the design works. It is a melding of the innards of the modern device with the design aesthetics of the antique device. Whence you have computers, with keyboards which look like they came from the Victorian era. When Tesla left his homeland, European design was stil very much in Victorian.
There are not too many steampunk movies. In fact, strictly speaking, I would not want to consider "The Prestige" as a steampunk movie, though there are some who categorize it as a steampunk fantasy. This is a weird categorization (like French-Japanese fusion cuisine) because Christopher Priest, the writer, is an established science fiction author. I guess the feel of the movie is very H.G.Wells because of Wells's influence on Priest's writing.
"The Prestige" also used Tesla as a character and story device very adroitly, and on multiple levels.
The movie seems very heavy and dark. It did not unfold, instead it unraveled faster than it was intended to be. It does stand out as a good example of a Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale, Michael Caine collaboration, even if it did have Hugh Jackman for top billing. It should have been perfect as a Hugh Jackman vehicle because he had prior experience in this genre.
If you like Andy Serkis and David Bowie, you won't notice them in this movie.
It is one of those movies which is very thought-provoking on so many levels.
Among the things I've learned lately, it looks like Tesla is larger than life, and larger than fiction as well. He had patents for radio communications which Marconi used in his experiments. If Tesla had pushed for those developments, he would have been a bigger name today than Marconi.
He improved on Thomas Edison's the electrical distribution model. He invented the alternating current (AC) and this made for a the capability for longer electrical transmissions. Whereas direct current (DC) would have needed repeaters every 10 miles or so, AC did not have that problem. You only needed a long cable and higher voltages, and when the power is in your neighborhood, the voltage would be stepped down via a transformer.
Tesla also one-upped Edison with the light bulb. In more ways than one. Edison owned the patents for the light bulb. The only work around for producing a better light bulb was in the manufacturing process. Tesla created a better light bulb manufacturing process which was cheaper and had better results in creating a vacuum inside the bulb.
In addition to that, Tesla created a bulb which did not use wire filaments, and did not produce heat when lit. This is the precursor of the modern compact flourescent bulb. It was not manufactured then. But we're enjoying the benefits now.
In fiction, his being an OCD type genius trumps Sheldon Cooper any day. His claim to science fiction fame does not only rest on the static energy charges of his inventions, but also on two things he wrote about but did not pursue: the earthquake producing building shaker, and the death ray. It seems that he did create the building shaker, but might have buried the idea and invention because it is too powerful. The death ray was something he wrote about but because his papers were lost inside when he died, this was never pursued.
I just can't stop thinking about Tesla, because his ideas were the basis of some ideas I heard about or are being used today without any attribution to him. Back in 1990, a friend of mine wanted to write a thesis on robotics about how a robot can find a wall socket and plug itself to recharge. (The easy part is knowing when to recharge, so let's skip that.) The way my friend described it, there is residual electromagnetic radiation from wall sockets. So the robot would only need to follow the electromagnetic radiation to it's source and plug itself. Discerning between a microwave and a wall socket can come later. Again that should be the relatively easy part.
The concept of electromagnetic energy from wall sockets as well as other sources inside a home or office is also something which is being researched by electronic goods manufacturers. The research is straight out of Tesla's thinking. Tesla wanted to develop a wireless electrical transmission system. This has been proven on a small scale inside laboratories. Admittedly, the small one quarter-scale devices are still as large as a basketball court.
But there is also the research on smaller devices. In this case, small really does mean small, like cell phones, tablets, laptops, and the like. And even robots. The research is trying to find ways to recharge these small electronic devices via electromagnetic radiation. It might be necessary to get close to the outlet, or any source for that matter, but definitely, it would mean wireless recharging.
Steampunk, as an art movement is unique as the artwork is a marriage of old mechanical and wooden devices with modern electronic devices. The clincher is that the melding of the design works. It is a melding of the innards of the modern device with the design aesthetics of the antique device. Whence you have computers, with keyboards which look like they came from the Victorian era. When Tesla left his homeland, European design was stil very much in Victorian.
There are not too many steampunk movies. In fact, strictly speaking, I would not want to consider "The Prestige" as a steampunk movie, though there are some who categorize it as a steampunk fantasy. This is a weird categorization (like French-Japanese fusion cuisine) because Christopher Priest, the writer, is an established science fiction author. I guess the feel of the movie is very H.G.Wells because of Wells's influence on Priest's writing.
"The Prestige" also used Tesla as a character and story device very adroitly, and on multiple levels.
The movie seems very heavy and dark. It did not unfold, instead it unraveled faster than it was intended to be. It does stand out as a good example of a Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale, Michael Caine collaboration, even if it did have Hugh Jackman for top billing. It should have been perfect as a Hugh Jackman vehicle because he had prior experience in this genre.
If you like Andy Serkis and David Bowie, you won't notice them in this movie.
It is one of those movies which is very thought-provoking on so many levels.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Old Hard Disks And Security
A while back I saw a documentary/news report from Deutsche Welle about old hard disks disposed in Germany. The trail somehow led to Africa where the disks were being recycled for use. Bottom line is that when the reporting team took a look at the used hard disks that they bought, a lot of the hard disks were still readable, and contained personal data from their former owners.
It was not news to me that data could still be mined from old hard disks. My concern was that the former owners didn't know that their data was not safe. Considering that some of the hard disks were from corporations, it was not surprising that there was a lot of financial data on the disks. Whether formatted, erased or not, these data could still be recovered. Some files included credit card and bank information. It is not a stretch to say that if these got into the wrong hands, real money could be stolen from the former hard disk owners.
It is not hard to unerase a hard disk. In fact, you don't need to buy the software, you can download PC recovery software and use the software without any need for training.
The German's have a good nationwide recycling and waste management system. But it seems that PC owners do not know that their data goes out with the hard disks that they discard.
I've not really been a fan of throwing hard disks away. I use the hard disks as long as I can. When the disks finally fail, I disassemble the hard disks and retrieve the disk and the magnets. But I don't know of anyone else who does that.
Normally, users are concerned with the continued use and access of their data. There is no concern that the disks they discard could still be mined for any data.
It was not news to me that data could still be mined from old hard disks. My concern was that the former owners didn't know that their data was not safe. Considering that some of the hard disks were from corporations, it was not surprising that there was a lot of financial data on the disks. Whether formatted, erased or not, these data could still be recovered. Some files included credit card and bank information. It is not a stretch to say that if these got into the wrong hands, real money could be stolen from the former hard disk owners.
It is not hard to unerase a hard disk. In fact, you don't need to buy the software, you can download PC recovery software and use the software without any need for training.
The German's have a good nationwide recycling and waste management system. But it seems that PC owners do not know that their data goes out with the hard disks that they discard.
I've not really been a fan of throwing hard disks away. I use the hard disks as long as I can. When the disks finally fail, I disassemble the hard disks and retrieve the disk and the magnets. But I don't know of anyone else who does that.
Normally, users are concerned with the continued use and access of their data. There is no concern that the disks they discard could still be mined for any data.
Earthquakes and Storms
There was an earthquake the other night. Actually, it was already past midnight. It was enough to get me out of bed. It was a good several seconds long, which also had a second wave. It was not too concerned for my safety. I was home, there's a roof over my head. I was awake and the roof didn't cave in. I knew I was okay.
Immediately after the earthquake, I sent text messages to family and friends. For me it was normal. I had just conveniently forgotten that majority of the people I sent text messages to were asleep at that time and most probably didn't feel the earthquake. After I had settled down a bit, I was happy to note that there were several answers which came in via text messages. Seems everyone was safe, and that made me feel safe, and great.
What worried me was the following day's events. Specifically during the afternoon when there was news of another earthquake, this time a bit farther south. Come to think of it, this was the first time I ever heard that there was an earthquake in that area.
But on top of the second earthquake, there was also concern about a typhoon coming into the country. A quick online search for weather maps and there it was, a typhoon with enough cloud cover to blanket the upper half of the country. The clincher was that there's another typhoon following it. It is not hard to imagine that the second storm will follow the same path as the first.
As far as I am concerned, as long as these natural phenomena DO NOT happen all at once, as long as these events take a number, and bide their time happening, the country and everyone in it can cope.
Twenty typhoons a year, that's normal. Even with three of these within the Philippine Area of Responsibility, as long as these don't make landfall all at the same time, that will be okay and everything that such a calamity will bring will be taken cared of.
Earthquakes? Keep them at Intensity 6 and no higher, even if it was on an almost daily basis, everything will be fine. A strong one every 20 years? That's about it, with no strong earthquake occurring more often than that.
As long as an earthquake doesn't happen during a typhoon, everything will be fine.
Immediately after the earthquake, I sent text messages to family and friends. For me it was normal. I had just conveniently forgotten that majority of the people I sent text messages to were asleep at that time and most probably didn't feel the earthquake. After I had settled down a bit, I was happy to note that there were several answers which came in via text messages. Seems everyone was safe, and that made me feel safe, and great.
What worried me was the following day's events. Specifically during the afternoon when there was news of another earthquake, this time a bit farther south. Come to think of it, this was the first time I ever heard that there was an earthquake in that area.
But on top of the second earthquake, there was also concern about a typhoon coming into the country. A quick online search for weather maps and there it was, a typhoon with enough cloud cover to blanket the upper half of the country. The clincher was that there's another typhoon following it. It is not hard to imagine that the second storm will follow the same path as the first.
As far as I am concerned, as long as these natural phenomena DO NOT happen all at once, as long as these events take a number, and bide their time happening, the country and everyone in it can cope.
Twenty typhoons a year, that's normal. Even with three of these within the Philippine Area of Responsibility, as long as these don't make landfall all at the same time, that will be okay and everything that such a calamity will bring will be taken cared of.
Earthquakes? Keep them at Intensity 6 and no higher, even if it was on an almost daily basis, everything will be fine. A strong one every 20 years? That's about it, with no strong earthquake occurring more often than that.
As long as an earthquake doesn't happen during a typhoon, everything will be fine.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Old Words, New Words
I caught a glimpse of a link for an online vocabulary test. What the test does is to gauge a person's vocabulary range. Though it is relies on an honor system as it only asks if you know at least one meaning of a word, it does give an idea of where you stand compared to the rest of the population and compared to people your own age. The scores given are the expected number of words that a person knows.
I took the test, and my scores were a bit higher than the median for my age group. I don't have an idea of the score distribution for my age group, but I comparing my score with the median, I think the difference might be statistically significant. The other score comparison showed that I'm in the upper 15-percentile of the population.
The way the scores were estimated, it should be noted that the median scores increase with a person's age group (meaning, the older you are, the higher the expected score).
My regret about this test is that compared to my age group, my ranking looks to be decreasing. At least, I think that if I got evaluated in the same manner when I was entering college, I should have a vocabulary range in the top 10-percentile rank. I have no way to prove that now, which is just too bad.
I really think that my vocabulary is not as broad as it should be, if only I had kept on reading books. Actual books made of paper which you hold in your hand, somewhere in front of your face, and read at leisure.
I find that most of the articles I read on the internet do not challenge my vocabulary. Articles on the internet do not have the breadth of vocabulary of their paper equivalents because there is no need. Or if there were, the articles would be of the technical kind (hence with a completely different vocabulary and language), and for the most part have been dumbed down in order to be understood by the population at large.
I really need to get back to reading.
On the other hand, I am very much amused about a TV show I avidly follow. Their use of English is such a breath of fresh air. They use words like debacle, and expressions like "that's a ripper", "you're in a world of hurt." I really enjoy the way they use the language. It's a welcome change of pace.
I took the test, and my scores were a bit higher than the median for my age group. I don't have an idea of the score distribution for my age group, but I comparing my score with the median, I think the difference might be statistically significant. The other score comparison showed that I'm in the upper 15-percentile of the population.
The way the scores were estimated, it should be noted that the median scores increase with a person's age group (meaning, the older you are, the higher the expected score).
My regret about this test is that compared to my age group, my ranking looks to be decreasing. At least, I think that if I got evaluated in the same manner when I was entering college, I should have a vocabulary range in the top 10-percentile rank. I have no way to prove that now, which is just too bad.
I really think that my vocabulary is not as broad as it should be, if only I had kept on reading books. Actual books made of paper which you hold in your hand, somewhere in front of your face, and read at leisure.
I find that most of the articles I read on the internet do not challenge my vocabulary. Articles on the internet do not have the breadth of vocabulary of their paper equivalents because there is no need. Or if there were, the articles would be of the technical kind (hence with a completely different vocabulary and language), and for the most part have been dumbed down in order to be understood by the population at large.
I really need to get back to reading.
On the other hand, I am very much amused about a TV show I avidly follow. Their use of English is such a breath of fresh air. They use words like debacle, and expressions like "that's a ripper", "you're in a world of hurt." I really enjoy the way they use the language. It's a welcome change of pace.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Stripes and Spots
There was some minor hubbub during the last PHL-Sri Lanka football game which was held at the Rizal Memorial Football Field. The Azkals won, and whatever happened that day has been moved aside and the team (and supporters) are now looking forward to the next game. Definitely, Kuwait is more a tough team, and all the focus is on that game.
The minor bump was when Ronnie Nathanielz mentioned that it was impossible for the Azkals to win. The issue was that he was on the TV panel and was supposed to be impartial (or at least pro-Philippines). Instead he showed that he was pro-Sri Lanka for this game.
I thought that there shouldn't have been anything wrong with his opinion. In fact, this should have been expected of him. He is a natural-born Sri Lankan. That's what he is.
He may be more Pinoy than some of the Azkals, if only because he's been a Philippine citizen since the early 1970's. His citizenship was courtesy of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos. Marcos issued a Presidential decree proclaiming Ronnie's citizenship.
Ronnie is a very loyal person. He has time and again shown his loyalty to Marcos, without being tagged as a Marcos Loyalist. He has always shown his loyalty to Danding Cojuangco, whom he calls "Ambassador." I do not see that he would change his preferences or loyalties, even to Sri Lanka football.
Expecting this from Ronnie, there should have been no problem with him on the coverage panel. It doesn't matter what his football loyalties are. In hindsight, he should really be the one on the panel. It's not any different from putting an Ateneo alum with a DLSU alum on the coverage panel of an Ateneo-La Salle game. It just makes sense.
Am looking forward to the next Azkals game. That should be fun.
The minor bump was when Ronnie Nathanielz mentioned that it was impossible for the Azkals to win. The issue was that he was on the TV panel and was supposed to be impartial (or at least pro-Philippines). Instead he showed that he was pro-Sri Lanka for this game.
I thought that there shouldn't have been anything wrong with his opinion. In fact, this should have been expected of him. He is a natural-born Sri Lankan. That's what he is.
He may be more Pinoy than some of the Azkals, if only because he's been a Philippine citizen since the early 1970's. His citizenship was courtesy of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos. Marcos issued a Presidential decree proclaiming Ronnie's citizenship.
Ronnie is a very loyal person. He has time and again shown his loyalty to Marcos, without being tagged as a Marcos Loyalist. He has always shown his loyalty to Danding Cojuangco, whom he calls "Ambassador." I do not see that he would change his preferences or loyalties, even to Sri Lanka football.
Expecting this from Ronnie, there should have been no problem with him on the coverage panel. It doesn't matter what his football loyalties are. In hindsight, he should really be the one on the panel. It's not any different from putting an Ateneo alum with a DLSU alum on the coverage panel of an Ateneo-La Salle game. It just makes sense.
Am looking forward to the next Azkals game. That should be fun.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
MasterChef Australia vs. MasterChef US
MasterChef is a reality cooking show which started in the UK. Over the past few years it has spawned franchises in Australia, New Zealand and the US. This year the MasterChef franchise will begin taping the Philippine version. That is a totally different story altogether.
I first saw snippets of MC Australia early during the summer. I was not very much impressed, as I've seen cooking shows, reality show, and reality cooking shows. It wasn't until I saw an episode of the MC US that I got interested in it. I think the first episode I saw of the US version was an audition episode. I looked around, found and watched the entire first season of MasterChef US. It was impressive, and it was very American. There was a diverse range of contestants, running along a wide age range, economic and financial strata, work experiences, and regions. The regional tastes showed in the contestants cooking. This was a show which really showcased the breadth and depth of the USA. The judges were impressive. There was Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich. These people also have a wide knowledge of cooking, taste, flavors and an appreciation of the human condition.
That first season was exciting, and for me, defined what a reality cooking contest should be. The contestants had to draw deep into their repertoire for some of the dishes. They cooked out of their range and comfort zones. These amateur cooks were pushed to their limits. Standing alone, the first season of MC US was great.
I was only able to watch one episode of the original MasterChef series. The presentation was very Brit, and dry. It was almost too serious but not serious enough, a bit techie, and frankly was not very appealing for me. I love British shows, but this was not one of them.
And then I saw MasterChef Australia and my appreciation of a cooking contest changed. This was not a sprint like the US edition. This was a marathon. Whereas the US version was taped over five weeks, the Australian version was done over a period of three-and-a-half months. The American series aired once a week. The Aussie series aired 6 times a week, Sunday to Friday. And the real telling part was the attitude of the contestants. They treated themselves as amateur chefs who are good enough to be professionals, who think they can jump ahead of professionals even without training, and who treat the contest as if they have to kill off the competition in order to win. The atmosphere was more like Survivor or Hell's Kitchen than a cooking show.
The Aussies, on the other hand, were gentlemen and ladies whose aims were to become chefs or food writers, and treated the show as a friendly competition. They know that after the show, for good or worse, they will be working beside the other contestants. I guess what one of the presentors said is very true for the Aussies: “cooks help each other in the kitchen.”
Aside from camaraderie of friendly competition, the contest itself showed more of the techniques of cooking and a cooking show for advanced techniques. The show has a weekly MasterClass where the contestants were taught methods and techniques. There was more theory and discussion about food than in the American version. The contestants would talk about their food being worse or better and why, and not any trash talk against the other contestants. There surely was fear but there was real awe and respect for the judges, the food and the contestants.
The American version has contestants who have shown disrespect with the rules and proceedings. Some contestants cannot take criticism, taking the judges to task for the failed cooking. Being cocky has become a trademark for a lot of the contestants on American reality shows, and MasterChef is not an exception. Americans have also shown their inadequacy in the kitchen when faced with fish and other seafood. There's even a former IT guy who dared to cook food as his version of standard fine dining or french food. The judges kept taking him down, but he never did notice. That was one stupid git. But in the current season, even that cockiness could not compare to an 18 year old trust fund kid who belittles everyone else in the competition. It was ironic that he lost in a head to head elimination to a redneck lady while cooking steak. He does not know how to cook rare, medium rare and well-done steaks.
MasterChef US is enjoyable for the drama and the competition. There are also almost no recipe cards for the contestants to follow. But in terms of enjoyment, entertainment value, novelty, educational experience and overall quality, I would rather watch MasterChef Australia.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Monday, December 20, 2010
The Week Before Christmas and Everything is Happening So Fast
It's Christmas Week. I'm not sure if anyone else has called it that,
but for me, the week which has Christmas stuck there somewhere is
Christmas week. It includes the two weekends (think of the weekends as
bookends on a bookshelf). That one week is just part 1 of Christmas
celebration. The main part, as the early part of December is the
run-up or prequel, prologue or foreplay. And then there's part two,
which extends from Christmas week, to the following weekend and is
mainly New Year's celebration.
but for me, the week which has Christmas stuck there somewhere is
Christmas week. It includes the two weekends (think of the weekends as
bookends on a bookshelf). That one week is just part 1 of Christmas
celebration. The main part, as the early part of December is the
run-up or prequel, prologue or foreplay. And then there's part two,
which extends from Christmas week, to the following weekend and is
mainly New Year's celebration.
This is the crazy season.
The craziness starts in the gift-giving. And then moves to the binge
eating. And then to the crazy schedules where you have to meet
everyone and see everyone and drop off gifts, and so on. After the
first week of December, everything moves to high gear, and zooms past.
No time to have that headache, no time for a sick leave, and even if
there was a typhoon (a TYPHOON in December -- which I've experienced
before), there is no excuse for the craziness celebrating Christmas.
I am not a Scrooge, but it does get really crazy to the extremes. I
have experienced back-breaking gift giving in my time. I was giving
away wine before it was fashionable. I gave pinot noir and zinfandel
before people even realized what reds and rose were. I was giving
Gundam Zoids toy models before these became hot items. But some days
you just have to ask yourself what you were thinking or what you were
doing.
The past few years, I have receded into a shell. I have not celebrated
Christmas as much as I should. This year though, I have started to go
out and hang loose with old friends. Hopefully, I can keep this up and
get out of my shell, and stop being a recluse. Moving forward is not
just a day to day thing, it should be a focus for me.
Though there is the urge to blink, or just nod off and wake up
sometime in January, I'm keeping my eyes peeled and will enjoy
Christmas this year.
To one and all, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Enjoy and Keep Safe.
Bask in the love, express it and share. Peace!
/andoy
20 December 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The National Novel Writing Month Challenge: 20K words and counting
The month is past its halfway mark. The NaNoWriMo schedule should have the novel at 25,000 words by now. I have 20,500+ words on my novel.
I am happy with my progress, and just to make sure that I do finish on time, I have increased my daily word count quota to 3000 words. The stats say I need to do 2,200+ words a day to finish. That should give me some allowance.
I used a method which would allow me to write at my own pace, and supposedly would not hinder me with what thinking about what happens next. I started to write the novel without thinking about the story. I wrote parts of it, a little at the end, and then a snipped at the middle. Until I got a hang of the story, and found an arc I can follow. The non-linear way I used also allowed me to insert other material instead of editing the existing text. Additionally, I can put in more words in between what I had already written.
I post the daily word count on FB, in order to keep me motivated. I am heartened by the show of support I am getting.
For a while there, I thought I ran out of ideas on what to write. I wasn't writing yet, but early last night, I thought that there was nothing to write, and that the arc itself would not be able to supply me with more ideas. After I had started the next chapter, I got the feeling that there would be more fillers, or that the scenes would write themselves to fit the cavities, as it were.
I'm doing good. I started one week late, and now on track to finish about 5 days before the deadline.
I'll start public posting of some materials soon. I hope to have some innocuous and vague chapters written which I can post without giving away the story.
An offshoot of this challenge is that I now have a good feel of writing 3,000 words a day of narrative.
I am happy with my progress, and just to make sure that I do finish on time, I have increased my daily word count quota to 3000 words. The stats say I need to do 2,200+ words a day to finish. That should give me some allowance.
I used a method which would allow me to write at my own pace, and supposedly would not hinder me with what thinking about what happens next. I started to write the novel without thinking about the story. I wrote parts of it, a little at the end, and then a snipped at the middle. Until I got a hang of the story, and found an arc I can follow. The non-linear way I used also allowed me to insert other material instead of editing the existing text. Additionally, I can put in more words in between what I had already written.
I post the daily word count on FB, in order to keep me motivated. I am heartened by the show of support I am getting.
For a while there, I thought I ran out of ideas on what to write. I wasn't writing yet, but early last night, I thought that there was nothing to write, and that the arc itself would not be able to supply me with more ideas. After I had started the next chapter, I got the feeling that there would be more fillers, or that the scenes would write themselves to fit the cavities, as it were.
I'm doing good. I started one week late, and now on track to finish about 5 days before the deadline.
I'll start public posting of some materials soon. I hope to have some innocuous and vague chapters written which I can post without giving away the story.
An offshoot of this challenge is that I now have a good feel of writing 3,000 words a day of narrative.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Arts in the City Presents Camille Lopez-Molina with Mary Anne Espina
Arts in the City season gala opens with a recital by the Philippines own prima donna soprano, Camille Lopez-Molina. She will be assisted by Mary Anne Espina on the piano.
Arts in the City Concert and Recital Series is a venue for the country's seasoned classical performers. The series is produced by Mr. Antonio Cojuangco's Arts in the City in cooperation with Maskara Productions.
Venue will be at the Bonifacio Arts Center, FVR Park 26th St., Bonifacio Arts Center, Taguig,
Metro Manila, Philippines.
Arts in the City Concert and Recital Series is a venue for the country's seasoned classical performers. The series is produced by Mr. Antonio Cojuangco's Arts in the City in cooperation with Maskara Productions.
Venue will be at the Bonifacio Arts Center, FVR Park 26th St., Bonifacio Arts Center, Taguig,
Metro Manila, Philippines.
Ongoing: 1ST NATIONAL ORCHESTRA FESTIVAL 2010
Venue is the Cultural Center of the Philippines Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) at 8 o'clock in the evening, from September 21 to 25.
For more information, please call the CCP Box Office at (63 2) 832-1125 local 1409 and direct line at (63 2) 832-3704.
Manila Symphony Orchestra
UST Symphony Orchestra
FILharmoniKA
Angono Chamber Orchestra
UP Orchestra
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
New Pentax K-5 for advanced amateurs and prosumers
Pentax has just released the K-5 which is set to replace the K-7 for the advanced amateur/prosumer segment of the DSLR market.
Among its feature set, several stand out, including:
-- 25fps 1080p HD video with and HDMI port for viewing on HDTVs;
-- improved high dynamic range (HDR) capture, along with an improved image alignment for handheld shots. You would normally use a tripod to get the multiple EV spread shots to get the baseline photos for blending to an HDR photo.
-- a stainless steel chasis with a magnesium alloy cover, along with a full weather sealing and coldproof. This would make the camera more rugged than most other models around. It would be great to bring along for any weather condition.
-- extended low-noise low-light capability, which can be pushed to an ISO sensitivity of 51,200.
-- a burst mode of up to 7 frames per second.
Considering its feature set, the K-5 is a step ahead of the Canon 550D and the Nikon D90, which are now their respective manufacturers are calling their entry level models. The price is also a step up at an MSRP of $1,599 (body only).
Most cameras which have been released in the past year have been focusing on better video capabilities, bigger and more innovations for the viewfinder LCD display, and a more affordable price point. At this price point, there are enough features to entice amateurs to upgrade from their older model entry-level camera and move a step up. The changes made on the body answer makes sure that this is a rugged model, and time would tell whether it lives up to its promise of durability.
Among its feature set, several stand out, including:
-- 25fps 1080p HD video with and HDMI port for viewing on HDTVs;
-- improved high dynamic range (HDR) capture, along with an improved image alignment for handheld shots. You would normally use a tripod to get the multiple EV spread shots to get the baseline photos for blending to an HDR photo.
-- a stainless steel chasis with a magnesium alloy cover, along with a full weather sealing and coldproof. This would make the camera more rugged than most other models around. It would be great to bring along for any weather condition.
-- extended low-noise low-light capability, which can be pushed to an ISO sensitivity of 51,200.
-- a burst mode of up to 7 frames per second.
Considering its feature set, the K-5 is a step ahead of the Canon 550D and the Nikon D90, which are now their respective manufacturers are calling their entry level models. The price is also a step up at an MSRP of $1,599 (body only).
Most cameras which have been released in the past year have been focusing on better video capabilities, bigger and more innovations for the viewfinder LCD display, and a more affordable price point. At this price point, there are enough features to entice amateurs to upgrade from their older model entry-level camera and move a step up. The changes made on the body answer makes sure that this is a rugged model, and time would tell whether it lives up to its promise of durability.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Anti-Virus for Windows
One of the reasons I went for Linux was the sheer stupidity of using a virus laden operating system like Windows. Any ad for an anti-virus program will tell you that 30,000 new viruses are created every day. These include mutations, revisions, escalations, evolutions and the odd totally new revolutionary virus flavor.
The funny part about viruses is that there is no single anti-virus program which can protect against all the viruses out there. Even the best anti-virus programs can only detect 95% to 98% of all viruses. And to think that it takes a while (a day or two or a week or two) before the virus signature is included in the program's database or virus definitions. Until that time, the PC is vulnerable.
But that's just the paranoid me talking.
So with (at least) 2 anti-virus programs running, as well as (at least) 2 anti-spyware programs also running in the background, I have to ask, is it all worth it? For a while there, I thought it was. Yup, I thought having all these programs running in the background keeping the PC safe (rather, keeping Windows safe) gave me some peace of mind.
But at what price?
You start up the machine, and it takes forever. The anti-virus and anti-spyware programs have to check for updates, and do a preliminary scan of memory and boot sector, and important programs. And only then can you really start to run your Windows programs. Or at least try to make them run, for the most part the programs crawl because of all the programs running the background, accessing the internet stream, accessing the hard disk, accessing the data being read by the hard disk, and generally keeping the system resources too busy to run the programs you need to run in order for you to work.
Another funny thing which happens is when you have one anti-virus program running (lurking) in the background, while you have another anti-virus program in the foreground scanning the hard disk. This gets worse when a virus is found. Each of them will block another, because the other one is accessing an infected file. The programs will ask for user intervention to allow the other program to access a file (for deletion).
Going Linux, I thought I had evaded and left all this crazy virus business behind. It turns out that even if linux does not have native viruses, Windows viruses still exist in the system. Simply put, if a file is infected, and I copied it into Linux, it might not infect my PC, but it would still be there. So if I run a Windows program (through WINE) it might still infect other Windows programs and files in my PC. It's also possible to infect flash drives (improbable, but possible). More probably, the virus on the Linux machine would not infect the Linux OS, but it can infect Windows PCs on the local area network.
Bottom line, since I have a netbook on the LAN, then it is vulnerable not just from the internet or shared files, but also from Linux PCs. The Linux PC wouldn't feel anything, but the Windows PC would be hurt bad.
The funny part about viruses is that there is no single anti-virus program which can protect against all the viruses out there. Even the best anti-virus programs can only detect 95% to 98% of all viruses. And to think that it takes a while (a day or two or a week or two) before the virus signature is included in the program's database or virus definitions. Until that time, the PC is vulnerable.
But that's just the paranoid me talking.
So with (at least) 2 anti-virus programs running, as well as (at least) 2 anti-spyware programs also running in the background, I have to ask, is it all worth it? For a while there, I thought it was. Yup, I thought having all these programs running in the background keeping the PC safe (rather, keeping Windows safe) gave me some peace of mind.
But at what price?
You start up the machine, and it takes forever. The anti-virus and anti-spyware programs have to check for updates, and do a preliminary scan of memory and boot sector, and important programs. And only then can you really start to run your Windows programs. Or at least try to make them run, for the most part the programs crawl because of all the programs running the background, accessing the internet stream, accessing the hard disk, accessing the data being read by the hard disk, and generally keeping the system resources too busy to run the programs you need to run in order for you to work.
Another funny thing which happens is when you have one anti-virus program running (lurking) in the background, while you have another anti-virus program in the foreground scanning the hard disk. This gets worse when a virus is found. Each of them will block another, because the other one is accessing an infected file. The programs will ask for user intervention to allow the other program to access a file (for deletion).
Going Linux, I thought I had evaded and left all this crazy virus business behind. It turns out that even if linux does not have native viruses, Windows viruses still exist in the system. Simply put, if a file is infected, and I copied it into Linux, it might not infect my PC, but it would still be there. So if I run a Windows program (through WINE) it might still infect other Windows programs and files in my PC. It's also possible to infect flash drives (improbable, but possible). More probably, the virus on the Linux machine would not infect the Linux OS, but it can infect Windows PCs on the local area network.
Bottom line, since I have a netbook on the LAN, then it is vulnerable not just from the internet or shared files, but also from Linux PCs. The Linux PC wouldn't feel anything, but the Windows PC would be hurt bad.
Sometimes Windows Still Surprises Me
Bought a replacement CPU the other week and had a chat with the sales person. Got a case with power supply, no keyboard, no mouse, a mother board with a processor. I told the sales person I was assembling with some spare parts. I have spare SATA hard disks, memory and a (256MB) PCI-E video card. He asked me what the memory speed was, and I said 400, at which point he mentioned that it might not work with the newer board and processor. Okay, got that. I added memory to the bunch.
And then he asked what OS I used. I asked why, how would that affect my purchase. He mentioned that 32-bit Windows uses only up to 3GB (or thereabouts) and a 4GB memory would be hobbled. He suggested that I install 64-bit Windows instead, since the processor was 64-bit anyway.
It got me thinking about it a bit. Getting home, I backed up my files and proceeded to install and re-format one hard disk for Ubuntu Linux 9.10. I had used 9.04 till then, and was very much satisfied with how fast the PC boots up. I didn't install the 64-bit version, but still Linux was able to detect and make use of all 4GB memory. (On linux, the command on the terminal is "free -m" which shows memory usage.)
Oh well. Maybe I'll be installing Ubuntu 9.10 (64-bit) another time. But for now, I'm happy with what I got.
And then he asked what OS I used. I asked why, how would that affect my purchase. He mentioned that 32-bit Windows uses only up to 3GB (or thereabouts) and a 4GB memory would be hobbled. He suggested that I install 64-bit Windows instead, since the processor was 64-bit anyway.
It got me thinking about it a bit. Getting home, I backed up my files and proceeded to install and re-format one hard disk for Ubuntu Linux 9.10. I had used 9.04 till then, and was very much satisfied with how fast the PC boots up. I didn't install the 64-bit version, but still Linux was able to detect and make use of all 4GB memory. (On linux, the command on the terminal is "free -m" which shows memory usage.)
Oh well. Maybe I'll be installing Ubuntu 9.10 (64-bit) another time. But for now, I'm happy with what I got.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Friday, March 05, 2010
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Monday, March 01, 2010
RT @DrySpring: Nicole Fuentes Interview with BookWenches about "Keeping Her in the Light": http://ow.ly/1cHhJ
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
RSS Feeds for Multiple Sites
First off, what are RSS feeds. RSS is the logical successor to what in the late 1990's was called "push technology." It's basically a sign-up service, where a website update is sent to the client's feed reader. This is not an email service, though there are email clients and webmail which can double up as RSS readers.
Nowadays, RSS is defined as "really simple syndication." And it really is simple. It's so simple that most bloggers can activate this on their blog without any problem at all. It's just an option switch, turning Atom/XML on.
The good news is that RSS sends a message to RSS aggregators informing them that the website has been updated. And the aggregators broadcast this to other aggregators. And if you are signed up to receive the feed, you're informed of the update. Why is this a good thing? For the blogger or website owner or webmaster, he doesn't have to maintain a subscription list, and have the email sent to the subscribers. Maintenance wise, that is so neat.
And as I mentioned earlier, even a newbie can have RSS turned on. And with that, the world knows when a blog is updated. This is an advantage because even without knowing it, the blog is being listed for search engines. There's no need for the search engine spider to go to the site and crawl all over the directories.
On my part, the last point is the one I really like. Significantly, this can be extended further by submitting the RSS feed or channel to more RSS aggregators. This is part of my job. It makes the blog more easily seen by search engines, and has a positive impact on page rank.
The fun part is that I do also this on my own and for free with some other blogs I like reading. It's my way of sharing these blogs with the rest of the world. (Of course, this works only for publicly readable posts. Private posts stay private.)
--Andoy
16 Feb. 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Posting to Multiple Sites
Lately, I've been experimenting with posting on multiple sites, not just for status, micro-blogs and blogs but also for pictures.
Maybe, that should be specially for pictures. Lately, I've been into multiple sites for social media networks, and other sites. It's a bother to update all of them at the same time. This way, I update once, and all of them get to receive the updates.
For posts, I've been using Ping.fm. For pictures, I found Pixelpipe. The good thing about both is that you can use your phone to send pictures from your phone directly to the sites (via email) or you can use WAP (specially for Ping.fm).
Pretty cool.
--Andoy 15 Feb. 2010
Maybe, that should be specially for pictures. Lately, I've been into multiple sites for social media networks, and other sites. It's a bother to update all of them at the same time. This way, I update once, and all of them get to receive the updates.
For posts, I've been using Ping.fm. For pictures, I found Pixelpipe. The good thing about both is that you can use your phone to send pictures from your phone directly to the sites (via email) or you can use WAP (specially for Ping.fm).
Pretty cool.
--Andoy 15 Feb. 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Circuitous Route of Social Network Linking
Am experimenting with forwarding my status updates and posts on Social Networks. What I really want is to post once and it gets published in a lot of other places.
I tried it first with Plurk. I set up Plurk to send the post to Twitter as a tweet and to update the Facebook status. This works fine. But it does not extend itself that far. For what it's worth, I've been using WAP to send to Plurk, to post to Twitter tweets, because I can't send tweets directly from my phone. Yup, I send tweets from my phone. In the roundabout way I've just described. The way things are, that's going to be the way it's going to be.
I also use HootSuite to view and post tweets as well as view feeds from Facebook.
Now, I am experimenting with Ping.fm. Several advantages:
1. I can use WAP to send to Ping.fm. As long as I have a cell phone signal, I can post.
2. it can connect to 36 social network sites (of which I've activated 10 of them (gtalk status, yahoo profile, multiply, hi-5, blogger, twitter, facebook, linkedin, myspace and plurk).
A brief note: as part of my job, I need to register to a lot of websites. I have a list of more than a thousand websites and this list is going to get much longer.
3. Anent to the above, if I register to a new social network site, hopefully, I can add this to Ping.fm and update from there.
4. I have the option to use Hootsuite to post to Ping.fm. I have Hootsuite.com up on the browser about half the time I'm on the computer, and that's a lot longer than I stay on Meebo, YM or Skype.
Disadvantages:
1. I still have to check which accounts get updated, and if it's tagged as a status or as a blog post.
2. Plurk is not cooperating. Or is behaving in a weird manner. I've disabled Twitter and Facebook forwarding on Plurk. It worked part-way. The status updates, tweets and posts don't go to Twitter, but they still go to Facebook. This will take some more tweaking before I get it right.
3. I can use WAP to send to Ping.fm. As long as I have a cell phone signal, I can post. (this could be addictive)
Another brief note: I know I have accounts with Flickr, AIM, WordPress, Delicious, Diigo, Vox, TypePad, PhotoBucket and Yahoo Meme, but I'm still thinking of reasons to connect these to Ping.fm.
--Andoy
11 February 2010
I tried it first with Plurk. I set up Plurk to send the post to Twitter as a tweet and to update the Facebook status. This works fine. But it does not extend itself that far. For what it's worth, I've been using WAP to send to Plurk, to post to Twitter tweets, because I can't send tweets directly from my phone. Yup, I send tweets from my phone. In the roundabout way I've just described. The way things are, that's going to be the way it's going to be.
I also use HootSuite to view and post tweets as well as view feeds from Facebook.
Now, I am experimenting with Ping.fm. Several advantages:
1. I can use WAP to send to Ping.fm. As long as I have a cell phone signal, I can post.
2. it can connect to 36 social network sites (of which I've activated 10 of them (gtalk status, yahoo profile, multiply, hi-5, blogger, twitter, facebook, linkedin, myspace and plurk).
A brief note: as part of my job, I need to register to a lot of websites. I have a list of more than a thousand websites and this list is going to get much longer.
3. Anent to the above, if I register to a new social network site, hopefully, I can add this to Ping.fm and update from there.
4. I have the option to use Hootsuite to post to Ping.fm. I have Hootsuite.com up on the browser about half the time I'm on the computer, and that's a lot longer than I stay on Meebo, YM or Skype.
Disadvantages:
1. I still have to check which accounts get updated, and if it's tagged as a status or as a blog post.
2. Plurk is not cooperating. Or is behaving in a weird manner. I've disabled Twitter and Facebook forwarding on Plurk. It worked part-way. The status updates, tweets and posts don't go to Twitter, but they still go to Facebook. This will take some more tweaking before I get it right.
3. I can use WAP to send to Ping.fm. As long as I have a cell phone signal, I can post. (this could be addictive)
Another brief note: I know I have accounts with Flickr, AIM, WordPress, Delicious, Diigo, Vox, TypePad, PhotoBucket and Yahoo Meme, but I'm still thinking of reasons to connect these to Ping.fm.
--Andoy
11 February 2010
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Epic US NCAA Big East Game: Syracuse win over UConn in 6OT game
Was working when I caught sight of this news item. And it was jarring in a way. Six overtimes. It ended past 1:00 in the morning. And one player played all but 3 minutes of the entire game.
From ESPN: Syracuse survives longest game in Big East history with epic win over UConn
--Andoy Castellano22 March 2005
From ESPN: Syracuse survives longest game in Big East history with epic win over UConn
--Andoy Castellano22 March 2005
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
71 KG and counting
No disrespect to my friends who have always been a bit heavier than me, but I never imagined I'd get heavier than 145 pounds (about 65KG plus change). When I visited the doctor last week, I was officially at 71 kg. And I don't like it.
So now, after talking about my test results (normal BP, no more pus in the urine, and except for the relatively high cholesterol everything else is a normal blood chemistry), I'm on a low cholesterol diet.
Of all the diet suggestions out there, I've decided to follow my friend Rach's suggestion. Oatmeal for breakfast and half-rice with dinner, and watch the animal fat. This is going to be hard to do. But I guess it should work. I do need more soup, vegetables, fruits and less of fried food.
Rach mentioned that she's been having (unflavored) oatmeal for breakfast for the past seven years.
I also have another friend who has oatmeal for lunch at the office. Albert has been having a big battle with his weight for some time now.
And now I'm in the same boat: oatmeal on a regular basis. Waaaahhhh!!!! It does need some getting used to. So far, I've had oatmeal for lunch and/or breakfast these past few days. I really need to get down to around 140 pounds. Though I think I would be more comfortable with 135 pounds (and back to a skinny butt, hehehe).
Oh well. This will need lots of work.
--Andoy
24 February 2009
So now, after talking about my test results (normal BP, no more pus in the urine, and except for the relatively high cholesterol everything else is a normal blood chemistry), I'm on a low cholesterol diet.
Of all the diet suggestions out there, I've decided to follow my friend Rach's suggestion. Oatmeal for breakfast and half-rice with dinner, and watch the animal fat. This is going to be hard to do. But I guess it should work. I do need more soup, vegetables, fruits and less of fried food.
Rach mentioned that she's been having (unflavored) oatmeal for breakfast for the past seven years.
I also have another friend who has oatmeal for lunch at the office. Albert has been having a big battle with his weight for some time now.
And now I'm in the same boat: oatmeal on a regular basis. Waaaahhhh!!!! It does need some getting used to. So far, I've had oatmeal for lunch and/or breakfast these past few days. I really need to get down to around 140 pounds. Though I think I would be more comfortable with 135 pounds (and back to a skinny butt, hehehe).
Oh well. This will need lots of work.
--Andoy
24 February 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
An Alternative Side to Life
Doing some research, I came across this blog.
http://path-lighter.blogspot.com/
Enjoy!
-- Andoy
11 February 2009
http://path-lighter.blogspot.com/
Enjoy!
-- Andoy
11 February 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
President of the World
During the run up to Barrack Obama's Presidential Inauguration, I heard a phrase which struck me as odd. He was called the "President of the World." I guess it must be true. And Obama's predecessor certainly proved that moniker.
I've been a hermit since the start of the US Presidential campaign, and didn't really care one bit whether it went one way or another. I was just happy that the election would mean that George W. Bush's presidency would be about to end.
But in a big way, Pres. Bush really was the "President of the World." His Presidency was felt by the whole world. When the US economy melted down, the rest of the world teetered on the edge of the abyss, looking down at where the US was taking them. I all fairness, it was not his fault that 9/11 happened, or that Iraq didn't have any weapons of mass destruction (which he admitted just before he left office), or that the housing loan and financing meltdown happened on his watch. He can't even be blamed for winning against Al Gore. (The last is definitely true. Al Gore lost Tennessee! If he had won his home state, he didn't need to win Florida, where George's brother was Governor. But I digress.)
Another aside, tt's too bad that Bush was the butt of jokes from day one. But everything was there, From his daughters' driving under the influence, to his mispronouncing "nuclear." Bill Clinton may admitted to taking a whiff of marijuana when he was in college, but George W. Bush was called a cokehead in some media.
All in all, George W. Bush will be remembered for the worse economic recession since 1964, and for the worse military record since Vietnam.
I guess that in that sense Obama really is more, or should be more of a "President of the World" than his predecessor. For one, he's an African-American and not a WASP. Another is that he seems to have a bigger grasp of world issues than Ex-President Bush. And he also seems to be more of an intellectual in the mold of JFK. But time will tell if he will live up to it. Meantime, the world is fueled by his messages of optimism. The world is really excited about this one.
I'm just happy it's him. But it's just too bad that the McCain campaign was one of a self-destruct example, imploding upon itself. At one point it looked like an Obama-Clinton race, rather than McCain vs. (Obama or Clinton).
Good luck to the new US President. The rest of the world is watching.
I've been a hermit since the start of the US Presidential campaign, and didn't really care one bit whether it went one way or another. I was just happy that the election would mean that George W. Bush's presidency would be about to end.
But in a big way, Pres. Bush really was the "President of the World." His Presidency was felt by the whole world. When the US economy melted down, the rest of the world teetered on the edge of the abyss, looking down at where the US was taking them. I all fairness, it was not his fault that 9/11 happened, or that Iraq didn't have any weapons of mass destruction (which he admitted just before he left office), or that the housing loan and financing meltdown happened on his watch. He can't even be blamed for winning against Al Gore. (The last is definitely true. Al Gore lost Tennessee! If he had won his home state, he didn't need to win Florida, where George's brother was Governor. But I digress.)
Another aside, tt's too bad that Bush was the butt of jokes from day one. But everything was there, From his daughters' driving under the influence, to his mispronouncing "nuclear." Bill Clinton may admitted to taking a whiff of marijuana when he was in college, but George W. Bush was called a cokehead in some media.
All in all, George W. Bush will be remembered for the worse economic recession since 1964, and for the worse military record since Vietnam.
I guess that in that sense Obama really is more, or should be more of a "President of the World" than his predecessor. For one, he's an African-American and not a WASP. Another is that he seems to have a bigger grasp of world issues than Ex-President Bush. And he also seems to be more of an intellectual in the mold of JFK. But time will tell if he will live up to it. Meantime, the world is fueled by his messages of optimism. The world is really excited about this one.
I'm just happy it's him. But it's just too bad that the McCain campaign was one of a self-destruct example, imploding upon itself. At one point it looked like an Obama-Clinton race, rather than McCain vs. (Obama or Clinton).
Good luck to the new US President. The rest of the world is watching.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
And a Jump Back to theReality of the Tropics
For a while there, I was hoping that the cold weather would last a while, even if only for another week or two, or till the end of February. But no luck, Since last week, the temperature has been steadily going up, and as long as the sun was showing, we had summer weather for the better part of the day.
Oh well, it may be low single digit temperature for Germany, for instance, but I'm okay with the more normal 26 degrees Celsius here in Marikina.
--Andoy
22 January 2009
Oh well, it may be low single digit temperature for Germany, for instance, but I'm okay with the more normal 26 degrees Celsius here in Marikina.
--Andoy
22 January 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
And The UPCAT Results Shows
Well, Darwi didn't pass. That's according to the online listing. That's okay. At least she already has a choice. And she may decide to take the entrance exam at PUP.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Darwi Passed the USTET
Yup, she passed the UST Entrance Test. She applied for the Hotel and Restaurant Management program. And she passed. At least I won't have to worry where about where she'll study. Some consider the HRM program at UST as being the second best in the country, with St. Benilde on the top of the list. This comment was from a UST student, so I would tend to believe him. (Besides, he's got a good rep, he's running for honors in his course.)
Part of the admissions process for the UST HRM program is an interview. Darwi asked if that meant that she was not yet accepted into the program. I think UST has the interview more to get to know the student than for anything else. (Kenneth had an interview before taking the exam at St. Scholastica's College Manila. But that was to see if he really had the aptitude for music and to see if he really wanted to enroll in the course.)
It shouldn't have come as a surprise, but she still wanted to take the exam at PUP, still for the HRM program. Still, I was surprised, though. But she wanted to take the exam at PUP because her classmates were going to take it. Opinions vary about the program, but the majority place PUP in the top 4 schools for that course. I got that opinion without taking into account that I have three brothers who graduated from PUP.
Now, I just wish Darwi also passed the UPCAT. HRM at UST may be good, but UP is UP. And besides her ninang was graduated from HRM at UP. Will have to wait for the results of the UPCAT then.
--Andoy
15 January 2009
Part of the admissions process for the UST HRM program is an interview. Darwi asked if that meant that she was not yet accepted into the program. I think UST has the interview more to get to know the student than for anything else. (Kenneth had an interview before taking the exam at St. Scholastica's College Manila. But that was to see if he really had the aptitude for music and to see if he really wanted to enroll in the course.)
It shouldn't have come as a surprise, but she still wanted to take the exam at PUP, still for the HRM program. Still, I was surprised, though. But she wanted to take the exam at PUP because her classmates were going to take it. Opinions vary about the program, but the majority place PUP in the top 4 schools for that course. I got that opinion without taking into account that I have three brothers who graduated from PUP.
Now, I just wish Darwi also passed the UPCAT. HRM at UST may be good, but UP is UP. And besides her ninang was graduated from HRM at UP. Will have to wait for the results of the UPCAT then.
--Andoy
15 January 2009
Coldest I can remember since...
This has got to be the coldest start of the year I can remember since the early 1980's. That's a lot, considering I'm comparing Marikina weather to UPLB during the early 1980's.
In those days, there was real strong north wind and the people in the campus walked a lot more weird than normal. Either they walked slower -- because of the cold they can't move fast. Or they moved fast -- really fast -- maybe to get the blood going.
Kenneth gave a weird comment the other day. He said that he's glad to ride aircon FX to the Katipunan LRT station, because it's warmer inside the vehicle. Even Darwi agrees, and she sometimes rides the (very slow) buses.
On my desktop, it says the temperature is at 22 degrees Celsius. Yesterday the numbers didn't go higher than 24 degrees. That's almost like Tagaytay weather during March or April. It's been hovering from 21 to a high of 28 these past few days. But that's according to the internet server. Reports on the news, however, say that the temperature has gone down to as low as 18-19.
Maybe it's old age, but I wear sweaters most of the time. And I spend almost all my time indoors. There was a time last week when I found myself wearing a thin jacket on top of my sweater. When it's cold, I usually wear my tie-dye pants. I've been using it as a pajama for some time now. I need to get myself some sweat pants to go along with the sweater. I remember Lilia reminding me that that's the reason I won't migrate to the US, Canada, or anywhere where they have four seasons. I get easily cold.
One thing though which hasn't changed, I haven't been heating my bath water. I still enjoy the (very) cold water streaming out of the shower. hehehe
Galit galit na kapag bumaba pa ito ng 16 degrees!
--Andoy
15 January 2009
In those days, there was real strong north wind and the people in the campus walked a lot more weird than normal. Either they walked slower -- because of the cold they can't move fast. Or they moved fast -- really fast -- maybe to get the blood going.
Kenneth gave a weird comment the other day. He said that he's glad to ride aircon FX to the Katipunan LRT station, because it's warmer inside the vehicle. Even Darwi agrees, and she sometimes rides the (very slow) buses.
On my desktop, it says the temperature is at 22 degrees Celsius. Yesterday the numbers didn't go higher than 24 degrees. That's almost like Tagaytay weather during March or April. It's been hovering from 21 to a high of 28 these past few days. But that's according to the internet server. Reports on the news, however, say that the temperature has gone down to as low as 18-19.
Maybe it's old age, but I wear sweaters most of the time. And I spend almost all my time indoors. There was a time last week when I found myself wearing a thin jacket on top of my sweater. When it's cold, I usually wear my tie-dye pants. I've been using it as a pajama for some time now. I need to get myself some sweat pants to go along with the sweater. I remember Lilia reminding me that that's the reason I won't migrate to the US, Canada, or anywhere where they have four seasons. I get easily cold.
One thing though which hasn't changed, I haven't been heating my bath water. I still enjoy the (very) cold water streaming out of the shower. hehehe
Galit galit na kapag bumaba pa ito ng 16 degrees!
--Andoy
15 January 2009
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Storm crow
It's 3:30 in the morning, I'm wearing boxers and my legs are cold. I should be wearing pajamas or my tie-dye pants. I have a malong here somewhere (it's actually Lilia's) but I'm not sure if I want to use that just yet.
I'm not complaining about the cold. It's December and January and it should be cold. In fact, it's colder this time around compared with the past couple of years. It's cold because it's raining and been raining or cloudy since New Year's Eve. The weather for the whole of December was funky. Not "changeable" nor "unpredictable" but more like "out of the ordinary." The reason I say that is because, although the weather is cold, strictly speaking it's not cold because of the North wind. It's been cold because of the cloudy weather with drizzles and rain, and wind blowing mainly from the south.
There are a lot of reasons for the cold weather, except for the wind blowing from the north.
Twenty five years ago, I was wearing jackets and sweaters for December till early February. There was a time I was wearing denim pants when crawling to bed with the windows shut.
This is really funky weather. And I guess the concept of global warming is true. Global warming leads to freaky weather. This time, there's practically no cold north wind to speak of. For all the typhoon damage last year, there was a drop in the number of storms.
If all of these changes happened during the last 25 years. I don't want to think about what changes might happen during the next 25 years. Or ten years.
I'm going to bed.
--Andoy
9 January 2009
I'm not complaining about the cold. It's December and January and it should be cold. In fact, it's colder this time around compared with the past couple of years. It's cold because it's raining and been raining or cloudy since New Year's Eve. The weather for the whole of December was funky. Not "changeable" nor "unpredictable" but more like "out of the ordinary." The reason I say that is because, although the weather is cold, strictly speaking it's not cold because of the North wind. It's been cold because of the cloudy weather with drizzles and rain, and wind blowing mainly from the south.
There are a lot of reasons for the cold weather, except for the wind blowing from the north.
Twenty five years ago, I was wearing jackets and sweaters for December till early February. There was a time I was wearing denim pants when crawling to bed with the windows shut.
This is really funky weather. And I guess the concept of global warming is true. Global warming leads to freaky weather. This time, there's practically no cold north wind to speak of. For all the typhoon damage last year, there was a drop in the number of storms.
If all of these changes happened during the last 25 years. I don't want to think about what changes might happen during the next 25 years. Or ten years.
I'm going to bed.
--Andoy
9 January 2009
Monday, January 05, 2009
The Kid and the Princess (and if she had a choice, she would have wanted to be a Jewish Princess)
I received a text message from a friend of mine this past New Year's Eve. I thought it was an ordinary text message. It came from a long time friend from UPLB and truth is, we don't really try hard to keep in touch. A text message every few months is all we can come up with. Sometimes, I send a text message for an invite to coffee or something, and the reply is along the lines of, "I'm sorry but I can't come because I'm in the _______ (fill in the blanks: Mindanao, two time zones away, etc.)
There are times I wake up in the middle of the night after having a dream about her. The dreams border on nightmares. And I force myself to wake up, and I do. I wake up with a scream, a shudder, sweating, and shaking.
I admit I have carried a lot of emotional baggage because of her. All 25 years of baggage.
Somehow the latest text message was a pleasant surprise. It was an affirmation, or a recognition of what I am to her. It was a good day when I received that simple line she sent.
Now I can stop pining.
Yup, roses are black... sometimes.
--Andoy
5 January 2009
There are times I wake up in the middle of the night after having a dream about her. The dreams border on nightmares. And I force myself to wake up, and I do. I wake up with a scream, a shudder, sweating, and shaking.
I admit I have carried a lot of emotional baggage because of her. All 25 years of baggage.
Somehow the latest text message was a pleasant surprise. It was an affirmation, or a recognition of what I am to her. It was a good day when I received that simple line she sent.
Now I can stop pining.
Yup, roses are black... sometimes.
--Andoy
5 January 2009
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmas 2008
We had a fun Christmas this year, even though there were some members of the family who weren't there with us.
Bert is still in the Middle East of course. But he did call. The conversation we had was upbeat and sad at the same time. We were discussing the future and my current situation. There are some things I need to discuss with him.
And then there's Lilia. I had looked forward to sleeping in our old room. But sad to say, she didn't manifest herself last night. Oh well, once is enough I guess. Though there were at least two separate manifestations, one at Lavender and the other at Novaliches.
As usual, we had Christmas eve at my parents' place and then went to Novaliches, to Lilia's folks in the morning. I'm still having some sleep deprivation headache. Mild headache.
Was able to take lots of pictures during the exchange gifts last night. But not too many pictures at Novaliches. I'll have to double the effort at picture taking this New Year. We might celebrate it at Novaliches (as usual) but plans are still up in the air.
It was a good Christmas celebration. I'm happy. And the kids are happy.
--Andoy
25 December 2008
I've posted the pictures.
Bert is still in the Middle East of course. But he did call. The conversation we had was upbeat and sad at the same time. We were discussing the future and my current situation. There are some things I need to discuss with him.
And then there's Lilia. I had looked forward to sleeping in our old room. But sad to say, she didn't manifest herself last night. Oh well, once is enough I guess. Though there were at least two separate manifestations, one at Lavender and the other at Novaliches.
As usual, we had Christmas eve at my parents' place and then went to Novaliches, to Lilia's folks in the morning. I'm still having some sleep deprivation headache. Mild headache.
Was able to take lots of pictures during the exchange gifts last night. But not too many pictures at Novaliches. I'll have to double the effort at picture taking this New Year. We might celebrate it at Novaliches (as usual) but plans are still up in the air.
It was a good Christmas celebration. I'm happy. And the kids are happy.
--Andoy
25 December 2008
I've posted the pictures.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A Dip in the Road
I am at a big crossroad. Not a nexus. A crossroad. Or more like the caves of Moria, where the path has three paths to choose from. I hesitate.
I am afraid of what is happening to me. I am depressed. I want to cry but I can't. I shake. I need coffee, but I'm trying to cut down on it. It's the gas, you see. I burp a lot of gas on a bad day. And that hurts. I've got medication for that.
There are some people I would want to have talked to. Or with. One just got out of the hospital for an operation. There is one other, but I have tried to set an appointment for about three years, and no go. And then there's this language instructor I know, who I cannot get myself to talk to. It's complicated, I dearly want to talk to her, but I can't. We decided not to see each other with exception of coffee. But things broke down after that. She hates me. The best I can hope for is that we can meet sometime in the future. For coffee.
There's only one other person I talk to about it right now. The words are seeping in and I am trying very hard to move forward and out of this funk. I have to get up and look to working and to take care of my family and my friends.
My natural hardheadedness keeps me from understanding things which I am hearing. And that includes the things I say.
I'm having a difficult time. I cannot concentrate on my work. I am dying. I am going crazy.
It's this time of year when I sorely miss Lilia. I miss her a lot. I've had ups and downs during Christmas. But it was bearable with Lilia. She handled the Christmas lists and the shopping.
Sadly, I have wanted to cry since late August. A good cry. But it hasn't happened yet.
I am coping. I am now making breakfast for my kids. Waking at 4:30 or 5:00AM to cook breakfast.
Lilia takes care of a lot of things. Not least is the budget and the school opening and Christmas shopping. She cleans the house. I live here but have not cleaned it as much as she did. She took care of us. I miss her a lot.
I feel I am dying. The pain is back.
There's the five stages of death: anger, denial, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I have accepted that she is gone. But only now is anger seeping in. And the depression keep coming back. Ano ba???!!!!
I am trying to keep it together, and not show it for the kids. But it is very painful. I guess the pain shows as well.
I can go on and on with this rant. This is a stupid cycle. And the best I can do is do one task at a time.
--Andoy
16 Dec. 2008
I am afraid of what is happening to me. I am depressed. I want to cry but I can't. I shake. I need coffee, but I'm trying to cut down on it. It's the gas, you see. I burp a lot of gas on a bad day. And that hurts. I've got medication for that.
There are some people I would want to have talked to. Or with. One just got out of the hospital for an operation. There is one other, but I have tried to set an appointment for about three years, and no go. And then there's this language instructor I know, who I cannot get myself to talk to. It's complicated, I dearly want to talk to her, but I can't. We decided not to see each other with exception of coffee. But things broke down after that. She hates me. The best I can hope for is that we can meet sometime in the future. For coffee.
There's only one other person I talk to about it right now. The words are seeping in and I am trying very hard to move forward and out of this funk. I have to get up and look to working and to take care of my family and my friends.
My natural hardheadedness keeps me from understanding things which I am hearing. And that includes the things I say.
I'm having a difficult time. I cannot concentrate on my work. I am dying. I am going crazy.
It's this time of year when I sorely miss Lilia. I miss her a lot. I've had ups and downs during Christmas. But it was bearable with Lilia. She handled the Christmas lists and the shopping.
Sadly, I have wanted to cry since late August. A good cry. But it hasn't happened yet.
I am coping. I am now making breakfast for my kids. Waking at 4:30 or 5:00AM to cook breakfast.
Lilia takes care of a lot of things. Not least is the budget and the school opening and Christmas shopping. She cleans the house. I live here but have not cleaned it as much as she did. She took care of us. I miss her a lot.
I feel I am dying. The pain is back.
There's the five stages of death: anger, denial, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I have accepted that she is gone. But only now is anger seeping in. And the depression keep coming back. Ano ba???!!!!
I am trying to keep it together, and not show it for the kids. But it is very painful. I guess the pain shows as well.
I can go on and on with this rant. This is a stupid cycle. And the best I can do is do one task at a time.
--Andoy
16 Dec. 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Health Issues
Darwi had acute gastroentiritis last Thursday. She got home not feeling well. She went to the home of one of her classmates, along with some others in her group where they had dinner. Unfortunately, even before dinner she vomited. And she was not able to eat much that night.
She told me when she got home that she was embarrassed that she vomited at her friend's place. I was just glad she got home safe. She didn't eat any that night, and had a slight fever. If she had diarrhea that evening, I would have taken her to the hospital. We had decided that she won't attend class the next day, and instead we'd go see the doctor. She was relatively okay during the weekend, but I as since she was not yet feeling very well, I had her rest on Monday.
And with me, I had postponed visiting the doctor for some time now. I've had gas problems since last week. It subsided somewhat during the weekend, but when Monday came and I was still feeling some pain, I had to have it checked. I'm feeling better now. But the gas keeps coming back. Not as painful as before, but it's really a bother.
Now if the dementors would just keep away so I could get some sleep, then that would make my day.
--Andoy
11 December 2008
She told me when she got home that she was embarrassed that she vomited at her friend's place. I was just glad she got home safe. She didn't eat any that night, and had a slight fever. If she had diarrhea that evening, I would have taken her to the hospital. We had decided that she won't attend class the next day, and instead we'd go see the doctor. She was relatively okay during the weekend, but I as since she was not yet feeling very well, I had her rest on Monday.
And with me, I had postponed visiting the doctor for some time now. I've had gas problems since last week. It subsided somewhat during the weekend, but when Monday came and I was still feeling some pain, I had to have it checked. I'm feeling better now. But the gas keeps coming back. Not as painful as before, but it's really a bother.
Now if the dementors would just keep away so I could get some sleep, then that would make my day.
--Andoy
11 December 2008
Paquito Sanchez
My brother-in-law passed away this past weekend. Paquito was 49. He left behind his wife Grace in Canada and four children. His eldest is studying nursing in FEU while his three other kids are all in Canada.
Binigyan na siya ng taning sa buhay noong isa pang taon. Ang sabi ng doctor ay wala na silang magagawa para sa kanya.
He has had multiple operations. Part of his lung was cut, along with his stomach and several feet of his intestines.
I'm happy that he survived more than a year after being discharged from the hospital. For me, it's some sort of bonus time. But I am not okay with this.
What's sad is that he was not able to see his youngest daughter since he came back from Canada. She planed in with her older brother this past Tuesday. The youngest sibling had wanted to go visit as well, but there was not enough financing available for all to go back to the Philippines. Grace elected to stay in Canada. Though it was her sister who footed the bill for the two kids to fly back.
No, I am not okay with this. It felt like a slow creeping depression which I experienced last Sunday, when we went home. On Satuday, we went to the house in Novaliches, for the wake, and stayed overnight. From there, we went decided to do some shopping just to be ahead of the Christmas shopping rush. This was more or less a spur of the moment thing, as I didn't know when I would do my Christmas shopping.
I guess it did show that I wasn't in the mood for Christmas. Maybe not yet. Maybe not really this year. It was not like a "bah humbug" kind of feeling. It was just like sleep walking. I didn't have any plans to buy anything, but still took the time to do so.
Paquito was the youngest of Lilia's brothers. I guess I did try not to be too much affected by his death. But that's that. And the feeling of emptiness just creeped in.
Supposedly there are several stages when getting the news about death: anger, denial, bargaining, depression, acceptance. With Lilia, I am hovering between depression, acceptance and anger. With Paquito, I have accepted it before it ever happened, but I am still in denial.
I don't like it. I absolutely hate it. He's gone, and there's nothing much I can do. But I don't have to like it.
--Andoy
10 December 2008
Binigyan na siya ng taning sa buhay noong isa pang taon. Ang sabi ng doctor ay wala na silang magagawa para sa kanya.
He has had multiple operations. Part of his lung was cut, along with his stomach and several feet of his intestines.
I'm happy that he survived more than a year after being discharged from the hospital. For me, it's some sort of bonus time. But I am not okay with this.
What's sad is that he was not able to see his youngest daughter since he came back from Canada. She planed in with her older brother this past Tuesday. The youngest sibling had wanted to go visit as well, but there was not enough financing available for all to go back to the Philippines. Grace elected to stay in Canada. Though it was her sister who footed the bill for the two kids to fly back.
No, I am not okay with this. It felt like a slow creeping depression which I experienced last Sunday, when we went home. On Satuday, we went to the house in Novaliches, for the wake, and stayed overnight. From there, we went decided to do some shopping just to be ahead of the Christmas shopping rush. This was more or less a spur of the moment thing, as I didn't know when I would do my Christmas shopping.
I guess it did show that I wasn't in the mood for Christmas. Maybe not yet. Maybe not really this year. It was not like a "bah humbug" kind of feeling. It was just like sleep walking. I didn't have any plans to buy anything, but still took the time to do so.
Paquito was the youngest of Lilia's brothers. I guess I did try not to be too much affected by his death. But that's that. And the feeling of emptiness just creeped in.
Supposedly there are several stages when getting the news about death: anger, denial, bargaining, depression, acceptance. With Lilia, I am hovering between depression, acceptance and anger. With Paquito, I have accepted it before it ever happened, but I am still in denial.
I don't like it. I absolutely hate it. He's gone, and there's nothing much I can do. But I don't have to like it.
--Andoy
10 December 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
SM Marikina: Bright! Very Bright!
The SM Mall near our place opened last September 5, which coincided with my birthday. For about a month before the opening, me and my family have been joking about going there on opening day. Unfortunately, some things happened and we ended up at Sta. Lucia on September 5.
It was a good thing we didn't go to SM Marikina on opening day as the place was supposedly packed. There were a lot of people checking out the new mall. Among other things, there were free film showings. Oh well. (And if I had known, I would have gone there too.)
So, finally, after more than a month and a half, I found myself going there because Globe Handiphone/Wireless moved from Robinson's Marcos Highway to SM City Marikina.
Even from the outside, it looked small. It looks a lot smaller than SM Centerpoint in Sta. Mesa. But it did have a better looking facade with the glass wall which was about a third of the width of the building, and from the first-floor to the top.
I didn't put much significance to the glass facade. Until I stepped into the building. And it was bright inside. It was very bright inside from all the sunlight streaming in through the glass wall. I did enter the mall before noon time, and the building faced south-west, catching the afternoon sun straight on. Walking around the building the northern side facing the river, also had an ample glass wall. As a general rule, SM Malls have always used bright lights inside. And the bright lighting plus the natural lighting coming in through the glass made the interiors very bright indeed.
As an added bonus, the place looked airy. But this was maybe because of the relatively wider hallways. At least, the hallways are wider than most of the SM Malls, like MegaMall, Centerpoint, Manila, North EDSA, Fairview, and Cebu and relatively wider than Southmall. It's almost as wide as the center area of SM Makati.
In terms of being light, and sunny, SM Marikina compares favorably with Ayala Town Center. In fact, the only place I've found about the same amount of natural light would be Ayala Center Cebu. And Ayala Center Cebu has about as airy an ambience as that of SM Marikina. (Amend that, Ayala Center Cebu is a lot more airy.)
Yes, I've been to SM Mall of Asia. Once. Or twice. And I don't really like it. It has more room. But the place stinks from Manila Bay's breeze and it has a sheen of dirtiness to it.
It was a good thing we didn't go to SM Marikina on opening day as the place was supposedly packed. There were a lot of people checking out the new mall. Among other things, there were free film showings. Oh well. (And if I had known, I would have gone there too.)
So, finally, after more than a month and a half, I found myself going there because Globe Handiphone/Wireless moved from Robinson's Marcos Highway to SM City Marikina.
Even from the outside, it looked small. It looks a lot smaller than SM Centerpoint in Sta. Mesa. But it did have a better looking facade with the glass wall which was about a third of the width of the building, and from the first-floor to the top.
I didn't put much significance to the glass facade. Until I stepped into the building. And it was bright inside. It was very bright inside from all the sunlight streaming in through the glass wall. I did enter the mall before noon time, and the building faced south-west, catching the afternoon sun straight on. Walking around the building the northern side facing the river, also had an ample glass wall. As a general rule, SM Malls have always used bright lights inside. And the bright lighting plus the natural lighting coming in through the glass made the interiors very bright indeed.
As an added bonus, the place looked airy. But this was maybe because of the relatively wider hallways. At least, the hallways are wider than most of the SM Malls, like MegaMall, Centerpoint, Manila, North EDSA, Fairview, and Cebu and relatively wider than Southmall. It's almost as wide as the center area of SM Makati.
In terms of being light, and sunny, SM Marikina compares favorably with Ayala Town Center. In fact, the only place I've found about the same amount of natural light would be Ayala Center Cebu. And Ayala Center Cebu has about as airy an ambience as that of SM Marikina. (Amend that, Ayala Center Cebu is a lot more airy.)
Yes, I've been to SM Mall of Asia. Once. Or twice. And I don't really like it. It has more room. But the place stinks from Manila Bay's breeze and it has a sheen of dirtiness to it.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Gundam 00: The First Season
I may not have watched all the Gundam series, but I would admit to being a fan. In fact, I remember buying a Gundam model before any Gundam series was ever shown on local TV. At the time, these toys were just on display and nobody was buying them.
(Come to think of it, it seems that one reason nobody took notice of these toys at that time were because of several things: these are not Voltes V or Mazinger Z; the Gundam anime series weren't being shown yet on local TV; and/or the toys needed some assembly. I would guess the latter.)
Moving forward to 2008, and here's the latest incarnation of the Gundam series. Gundam 00 is still mecha, but with more neurotic main characters than ever before. Sure Gundam Wing had four boys who were each loners and neurotic, but in Gundam 00 the main characters are not just hung up with something, they're also bishounen types.
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I've always thought that the bishounen was a counter-foil to the protagonist. Much like the noh drama having a shiite (protagonist) and a waki (antagonist), the characters have masks which portray the emotions or thoughts of the role. Here, much like the noh drama, the counterfoils also have their own sidekicks. And there's a musical interlude every so often.
This is not a bishounen fest (nor a babe fest, for that matter) but for the most part there is more technical emphasis on the mecha than in most anime or even compared to earlier Gundam sagas. And the machines are more vulnerable Gundams.
There is however quite an emphasis on being slightly large, though still within the norms (I think). The tech girls are have big boobs. At least that's two girls with big boobs out of three in the cockpit. And the main strategist is tall and sophisticated, she has her own mini-bar, in her quarters, on Ptolemy which is a mothership and control center for the Gundam fleet. The guns are also slightly large. Or in the case of the sniper (called, fittingly enough, "Lockon") a very big sniper gun. Big! Really big!
As a mecha series, this is violent. But some of the characters are more violent than others. I would say that there are some who are certifiably insanely violent, and they're on both sides of the fence. Real psycho types. Though I would respect them more than the other types who are too cool under pressure. Cold blooded with ice in their veins. And two of them are girls.
Oh, and one schizoid.
Yes, I like the graphics. Yes, I like the story. Yes, I like the series even without the great graphics or the immersive story. So sue me!
The second season is soon to begin in Japan. And the first season is about to shown in the US.
This series rocks!
(Come to think of it, it seems that one reason nobody took notice of these toys at that time were because of several things: these are not Voltes V or Mazinger Z; the Gundam anime series weren't being shown yet on local TV; and/or the toys needed some assembly. I would guess the latter.)
Moving forward to 2008, and here's the latest incarnation of the Gundam series. Gundam 00 is still mecha, but with more neurotic main characters than ever before. Sure Gundam Wing had four boys who were each loners and neurotic, but in Gundam 00 the main characters are not just hung up with something, they're also bishounen types.
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I've always thought that the bishounen was a counter-foil to the protagonist. Much like the noh drama having a shiite (protagonist) and a waki (antagonist), the characters have masks which portray the emotions or thoughts of the role. Here, much like the noh drama, the counterfoils also have their own sidekicks. And there's a musical interlude every so often.
This is not a bishounen fest (nor a babe fest, for that matter) but for the most part there is more technical emphasis on the mecha than in most anime or even compared to earlier Gundam sagas. And the machines are more vulnerable Gundams.
There is however quite an emphasis on being slightly large, though still within the norms (I think). The tech girls are have big boobs. At least that's two girls with big boobs out of three in the cockpit. And the main strategist is tall and sophisticated, she has her own mini-bar, in her quarters, on Ptolemy which is a mothership and control center for the Gundam fleet. The guns are also slightly large. Or in the case of the sniper (called, fittingly enough, "Lockon") a very big sniper gun. Big! Really big!
As a mecha series, this is violent. But some of the characters are more violent than others. I would say that there are some who are certifiably insanely violent, and they're on both sides of the fence. Real psycho types. Though I would respect them more than the other types who are too cool under pressure. Cold blooded with ice in their veins. And two of them are girls.
Oh, and one schizoid.
Yes, I like the graphics. Yes, I like the story. Yes, I like the series even without the great graphics or the immersive story. So sue me!
The second season is soon to begin in Japan. And the first season is about to shown in the US.
This series rocks!
Monday, October 06, 2008
Wearing the ring... Again
I never really knew my wedding ring was kept since I had it repaired (altered? enlarged?) but I was pleasantly surprised when I found it again. I was rummaging among some of Lilia's things trying to find a pair of scissors. And among some of the knick knacks were the rings we've had repaired.
I wasn't really trying to find it. And was not really thinking of wearing it. But it was there. And I wore it. It's now of a good fit, but a bit tight going through the knuckle. I should still be able to take it out anytime I want to. Just needs a little bit of getting used to. And I need to remember to take it off every so often. Or maybe not.
Yes, finger still hurts a bit till now, but, at least, the ring is not pressing on the finger anymore.
I wasn't really trying to find it. And was not really thinking of wearing it. But it was there. And I wore it. It's now of a good fit, but a bit tight going through the knuckle. I should still be able to take it out anytime I want to. Just needs a little bit of getting used to. And I need to remember to take it off every so often. Or maybe not.
Yes, finger still hurts a bit till now, but, at least, the ring is not pressing on the finger anymore.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Slow September, Fast Hours
This is my day: I wake up, get some breakfast, work on the computer, have some lunch, work some more, merienda (and maybe take a nap after merienda). The kids arrive and I stop working when they do. After dinner, I continue working till around I don't know what time. Get some sleep and then I wake up with a start.
This has been the longest September I have ever experienced. The funny thing is that the days seem to go by so fast. Is it me or am I in some kind of a time warp where time suddenly has a mind of its own?
Weirder and weirder.
This has been the longest September I have ever experienced. The funny thing is that the days seem to go by so fast. Is it me or am I in some kind of a time warp where time suddenly has a mind of its own?
Weirder and weirder.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
And moving forward...
Something happened two weeks back. My wife died. I'm writing this now hoping that I can move forward as I have not been able to. Dying is like a hump for the survivors. I admit I could not let go because I don't know how.
I was working that night. And it was a pleasant surprise that the kids and Lilia went to bed early. Around 10pm, Lilia had to get up and pee. Passing by the open door she saw me still working and told me to get some sleep lest I get sick.
Two hours later, I heard a bang with her on the floor prone with her hands across her chest. I turned her on her back and I tried to revive her. Didn't work. The past two weeks have been a blur.
It seems that everything is moving so fast.
The house is a mess. Two renters moved into the apartment on the house's ground floor. And we had to move our things out of there. We haven't cleared out Lilia's things. But we were able to pack her clothes. These would be sent to Bolinao for distribution there.
(For several years now, my parent's have been bringing old clothes to Bolinao, almost twice a year, for distribution to relatives who are not as well off as we are. The rest of the family pitches in and segregates old clothes for this purpose.)
On the advice of friends, the kids and I have done some re-arranging. We've taken out some chairs. These are now being used by one of the renters. We've put the computer in the living room. So when I work at night I am sitting with the couch to my back. That's where Lilia died by the way. And I just have to keep looking behind my back at the sofa.
The last photo we had together was during the storm.
I took a work-at-home internet-based job so that I can watch over Lilia. The daily commute was a good two hours in the morning and more than two hours in the evening. That was not good. And considering that she got hospitalized in June, I thought that working from home was a no-brainer. Three weeks later, I find myself at home and alone.
I haven't been listening to mp3 songs lately. Most of the songs are downers or from Kenneth's emo playlist. It would have been okay if it was Kenneth playing the guitar, then Darwi and I would be singing along.
I am not into a depression. I am staring at it and keeping away as much as I can.
But after two weeks, I still can't let go. I don't know how. I am not a teetotaler, but I'm no drinker either. My focus right now is work and the kids.
They're teenagers now, with Kenneth a freshman fine arts student and Darwi graduating from high school. They should be able to take care of themselves if I leave them at home. But I'm not very comfortable leaving them.
We've had some household activities which we do as a group. These were all Lilia's tasks before. She didn't give these tasks for us to do. Now we do the household tasks. But poorly.
How do I let go of a twenty year marriage?
I've known Lilia for 25 years. Deep she is. That one has seen the future. And she has seen the now. Lives in both she does.
Lilia sleeps on the couch. She has her legs elevated as well as her head and torso. Kinda awkward methinks. The legs have to be elevated because of her allergy and varicose veins. Her upper body has to be elevated because she has an enlarged heart. Every so often she groans and moans from a bad dream, and I have to wake her up. (On the other hand, I also have those dreams where I literally cry out for help for somebody to wake me up.)
We've got a small place. Two bedrooms, one was formerly occupied by the kids and the other by me and Lilia. I asked Kenneth to move out of the other bedroom and room with me. I guess I did that so that I won't be afraid of sleeping. We don't close doors here. Never been a habit.
I'm moving forward. But I still have this very physical pain in my chest.
Sometime soon it won't be as painful. I hope.
--Andoy
3 Sept. 2008
I was working that night. And it was a pleasant surprise that the kids and Lilia went to bed early. Around 10pm, Lilia had to get up and pee. Passing by the open door she saw me still working and told me to get some sleep lest I get sick.
Two hours later, I heard a bang with her on the floor prone with her hands across her chest. I turned her on her back and I tried to revive her. Didn't work. The past two weeks have been a blur.
It seems that everything is moving so fast.
The house is a mess. Two renters moved into the apartment on the house's ground floor. And we had to move our things out of there. We haven't cleared out Lilia's things. But we were able to pack her clothes. These would be sent to Bolinao for distribution there.
(For several years now, my parent's have been bringing old clothes to Bolinao, almost twice a year, for distribution to relatives who are not as well off as we are. The rest of the family pitches in and segregates old clothes for this purpose.)
On the advice of friends, the kids and I have done some re-arranging. We've taken out some chairs. These are now being used by one of the renters. We've put the computer in the living room. So when I work at night I am sitting with the couch to my back. That's where Lilia died by the way. And I just have to keep looking behind my back at the sofa.
The last photo we had together was during the storm.
I took a work-at-home internet-based job so that I can watch over Lilia. The daily commute was a good two hours in the morning and more than two hours in the evening. That was not good. And considering that she got hospitalized in June, I thought that working from home was a no-brainer. Three weeks later, I find myself at home and alone.
I haven't been listening to mp3 songs lately. Most of the songs are downers or from Kenneth's emo playlist. It would have been okay if it was Kenneth playing the guitar, then Darwi and I would be singing along.
I am not into a depression. I am staring at it and keeping away as much as I can.
But after two weeks, I still can't let go. I don't know how. I am not a teetotaler, but I'm no drinker either. My focus right now is work and the kids.
They're teenagers now, with Kenneth a freshman fine arts student and Darwi graduating from high school. They should be able to take care of themselves if I leave them at home. But I'm not very comfortable leaving them.
We've had some household activities which we do as a group. These were all Lilia's tasks before. She didn't give these tasks for us to do. Now we do the household tasks. But poorly.
How do I let go of a twenty year marriage?
I've known Lilia for 25 years. Deep she is. That one has seen the future. And she has seen the now. Lives in both she does.
Lilia sleeps on the couch. She has her legs elevated as well as her head and torso. Kinda awkward methinks. The legs have to be elevated because of her allergy and varicose veins. Her upper body has to be elevated because she has an enlarged heart. Every so often she groans and moans from a bad dream, and I have to wake her up. (On the other hand, I also have those dreams where I literally cry out for help for somebody to wake me up.)
We've got a small place. Two bedrooms, one was formerly occupied by the kids and the other by me and Lilia. I asked Kenneth to move out of the other bedroom and room with me. I guess I did that so that I won't be afraid of sleeping. We don't close doors here. Never been a habit.
I'm moving forward. But I still have this very physical pain in my chest.
Sometime soon it won't be as painful. I hope.
--Andoy
3 Sept. 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)