2012 The First Anihaff

Here it is again, the summary of what I did or went this first half of the year!

January.
My first time to actually be on the boat and attend the Fluvial procession for the festivities of the Sto. Nino.

Met the giants of the sea. Oslob is now the new haven of whale sharks, the biggest fish out there! This is beach #1

My first "unofficial" photo shoot with Clyde @Cebu Zoo.

February
FC mode with the Kyocera QA team for the birthday celebration of mam Chery Semillano!

Dinner with Manager for a training well done.

March
FC mode to the highest level. Went to Moalboal because of an invite from Donna's bf, Clyde. The winner of the 2M pesos gave a treat to his team mates and luckily we are the "joiners" club. Beach #2

The twins have graduated!

Observing Earth hour with NCR friends at Anzani.

April
Movies, movies, movies!

Holy week procession

Holy week beach! Beach #3

Birthday of Aunt Gette, with family. Beach #4

Dinner with manager.

Fiesta reunion with Highschool mates.

Dinner with cousins.

May
Avengers with cousins.

Boosog day with the Kriminals (Donna, Clyde and Mye) and the Banker (master Ariel Q)

Team summer outing! Beach #5

Bye Joemarie!

June
I was so busy this June.
This is my second time to explore Palawan, my first time in Coron! Nature at its best! I am overfilled with the colors Green, Blue and more of them whenever and wherever I looked. Though it was rainy and our flight was almost cancelled. Thank God all went well. Beach #6

This is also my second time in the tallest peak of Cebu, Osmena Peak in Mantalungon Dalaguete. It was 5 long years ago that I first stepped into the peak and it still is a nice experience to be back!

After almost four hours of walk; uphill, downhill, rocky roads, asphalted roads, dirt roads, muddy roads and slippery roads - and all the missteps and tumbles, I finally seen and swam in Kawasan falls! The water is so cold it strips all the stresses away.

So that's what I've been through the first half of this year! Wow! What's in store for me for the other half? Im excited and thrilled, hoping that it will all be good, no make that great adventures!

It Is Starting To Feel... "Goodbye"

Another mellow dramatic post.

2008 was the year of my first resignation on my very first company. After staying for nearly 4 years (just one month short) I decided to explore other opportunities. It was my very first outside of Cebu job. I faced the uncertainty of it, and looking back at it now, I did quite a good job!

Though it lasted only for a year, I was back in old Cebu.

For most of mid 2009 to mid 2010, I consider those times as my lowest moments in my programmer career, I just stayed on a job for having one. I have made bad, really bad decisions and may have hurt my reputation to some important persons that helped my career (a professor, a colleague). I really did not pursue to learn and get updated or excited on new stuff. I went from being a creator to being a user of tech. I got to be everybody else, knowing the technology by the advertisement and the consumer type, not the system analyst I dream about becoming one day.

But it was fine, I sidetracked to another profession which might be useful someday.

NCR accepted me and because of it, I somewhat realigned myself with programming and the passion once more burned. Im not saying that Im my old coder-til-midnight self I once was, but at least Im back in familiar shores so to speak. I might say it was a good almost 2 years here (again, 1 month short), I met new friends, gone to new places with them, enjoyed a whole lot of new experiences.

Im going to miss this place, Im going to miss Cebu again, and most importantly Im going to miss my little nephew and niece. But I have to do this again because this is, as I see it now, the make or break moment. I have to make it and be good, no, be the best! I have to because I see no other alternatives.

To the future! All sails ahead.

Osmena Peak and Kawasan Trek

June 16 2012, the day I returned to Osmena Peak after about 5 years since I went there last.

It was a rainy morning. Actually there was an upcoming typhoon and the weatherwas just gloomy and the rain fell hard. It came over me that maybe we should cancel the climb but I really wanted it to push through since if we cancel then there may not have been any other time to go.

There were around 11 of us who initially signed up for the climb but only 4 of us pushed through with it (plus 1 guide, a friend of Jome). We were four; me, Jome, Mark and Eric. Val our guide and a friend of Jome is a pro in climbing Osmena peak and traversing Kawasan Falls.

Jome and I went grocery shopping at the Metro supermarket for the food we'll eat and the other supplies we need for the climb and the trek. The bus takes around 3 hrs from the city to the town of Mantalongon Dalaguete. The road is not that good when the bus starts to climb the mountain, there are parts where only one vehicle can pass through the road and the road is at the brink of a very steep slope (which is very scary when you are seated at the window side and looking down will make your hair stand up).

When we arrived at the town, we ate our late lunch at a carenderia and started walking to the peak. It was a muddy walk (but fairly easy since the mountain is not that steep) because of the rain and the fact that I wore slippers made it harder than it has to be.                


Reaching the top, we set camp and our guide made the tent. I borrowed my tent from a friend and when the guide said that my tent is of professional grade and is barely even used, I suddenly felt embarrassed of my friend because had I known I might not borrowed it and look for another tent. I thought that if I had his tent I will not let anyone borrow it from me.

Osmena Peak is still a beauty! The scenery is just beautiful, even though now you can see houses from a distant, it is still is a sight to behold.

During the night, the rain fell hard and Mark and Eric had to transfer in our tent because their tent didn't hold up to the wind and the rain. 


Morning came and we started to walk our way to Kawasan. It was a very hard walk as we go from slippery mountains to rocky roads to grassy and muddy steeps. We have 3 pit stops to relax and catch out breaths. After nearly 4 hours of walking we finally arrived at Kawasan Falls.

It was my first time at Kawasan and I expected it to be just OK. But am I wrong! It was very clean and surprisingly empty. The water is so cold and very clear. Blue and Green is the color of the water. It is very nice to just dip in the cold waters and let the water massage your back. It truly is very refreshing and took my stress and tiredness away.

Around 4 we head back to the road where we catch our ride back to the bustling city.

Coron: Palawan

June 10-13 with former Ideyatech teammates.

We booked the tickets months prior, February, for this 2nd trip to Palawan. This time I was not active in booking and looking for places as what I've been from 2 trips years back (Bora 2010, Puerto Princesa 2011). JC did all the hardwork and he deserves some praise.

We were initially 7 people, but Mary and her boyfriend did not push through since Mary got sick the day of the trip.

The weather was also not cooperating and there was an impending typhoon too!

We arrived at the Busuanga airport and it was a very small place in the middle of the mountains. It was also the day of the Pacquiao-Bradley match (where Pacquiao lost), our contact cannot be reached and we are still waiting for Kervi who's on another flight.

Our 4days were spent at Sunz Coron, a nice resort at the back of Mt. Tapyas, and is owned by a Korean lady (who greets us when we arrive at the place) .

Sunz en Coron breakfast is free if it costs 150. If you go beyond that price then you have to pay the extra amount.

Day 1:
Mt. Tapyas. Climb the mountain through 700+ steps. At the top see the panoramic view of the islands of Coron.
Maquinit Hot Spring. Dip into this hot spring, besides the mangrove forest, and relax your way. The hot water is very soothing and relaxing.

Day 2: Island Hopping
Siete Pecados. Fish feeding and snorkeling
Kayangan Lagoon. Swim in the very clear waters of this lagoon
Twin Lagoon. Swim and enjoy the cold waters in this hidden lagoon.
Banol Beach. Fine sand under huge rocks. Very survivor like setting.

Day 3: Beach hopping
Banana Island. Very nice white sandy beach and well maintained island.
Bulog Island. Sand bars and snorkeling. Nice corals.
Shipwreck site. eerily see parts of the sunken ship, and the fishes here are huge...

Day 4: Going Home.
One of the scariest, and lows of my life. The feeling that your flight might be cancelled is very frustrating and there is nothing you can do about it. The only things that can be done is pray. Pray hard. I thank the Lord for answering my prayers and I was safely back home in Cebu on time.

See You Soon

Now that we started to know each other well

It's time to say farewell

Goodbye should not mean we'll never see each other

But see you soon in the not so distant future

It's nice to have met you all

In this short life of constant change

You will always be a part

In this life of mine that wouldn't change

Through good and bad times

We might not have agreed on sometimes

We might have fought

I might have not heard your thoughts

A couple of years may not be long enough

It just feels like a blink

Too swiftly time flies away

I just want it to stay

I might not have been a perfect friend

But I want you all to know

Thank you for sharing the person you are

It's all I need, it's all I care

So see you again

Because this goodbye is not the last farewell

The memories we have

Will be here in my heart and loved

As I Walk Me Home

coming home late at night from work
tired, hungry, rest i crave
in my bed i release the stress

in my sleep im awake, im dreaming
living rich, happy and free
how i wish it's not a fantasy

seeing the things i want to see
doing what i want to
if only all my dreams come true. 

originally posted:http://phdwight.multiply.com/journal/item/3/As_I_walk_me_home

I Got Accepted

Yes! I got accepted by NetworkLabs (a joint venture of Nokia-Siemens) and signed to start working at their company this August 6.

Singapore, what would I do with you now? Will I still continue to pursue you? Is this the right time?

Why do I feel that I made the right decision in accepting Network Labs?

Time will tell my fate, but I think for now I must go with my gut-feel.

2012 Team Summer Outing

It was supposed to be company funded but because of the company's government like bureaucracy the budget was not released (or approved, I don't know) and so we have to pay 300. However, it didn't mattered because it was truly a fun day, free from the worries of work and just pure happiness under the sun, sea and sand!

Badhas Day

So tired after all those places I've been today.

First off is to Pioneer in Ayala Business Park. I decided that I get the money that I deposited on top of my insurance so that I can pay my annual insurance due this year and have the extra for my Coron vacation. The clerk said that I will be contacted when the cheque arrives, maybe in 2 business days. I thank the past Dwight for making good decisions about money. The present and future Dwight should make good money decisions too!

Second is to the interview for Nokia-Siemens (Network Labs) in IT Park. I was called in for the Java interview and was happy that the interviewer seemed like a good person and not intimidating. I was so lucky that he asked the questions which I absolutely know the answer. It was, for me, a smooth going interview.

I went home after that, and getting ready for another interview for a different company that afternoon, but was contacted again by Network Labs because I have another interview with C/C++ hiring manager. I thought about not going, but decided to go for it and try it.

The interview for C/C++ was more challenging than the Java one. He is very prepared on the flow of the interview, starting with personal information then going to technical details and the questions I may had for them. I have this "panic" mode when someone gets me to code in front of them, it feels intimidating. He was nice enough not to laugh at my silly code for a simple problem.

Though it always surprises me that I can pass exams in C/C++ where I give no hope for it, and I, most of the time, being trashed in Java where I'm a little confident with answering. I blurted that I'm really surprised that I was called for an interview for C/C++ because I thought I flunked the exam. He said that I have a good score on C and an average for C++, what kind of luck I have.

I'm not expecting anything from Network Labs because even though the interviews went OK to my standards, it was not spectacular from someone that have 8 yrs of programming experience!

Because of that second interview at Network Labs, I rescheduled my other interview at Media Mind to Wednesday next week. I was so tired with all these interviews that I was so hungry after.

I decided that I'll eat at Joeds, if I could find its new location. It was sometime ago that I wanted to eat there because of Japanese food at a friendly Filipino price. Thankfully, after some strolling I found the place and ordered a bento that has this yummy pieces of pork, I didn't even bother to know their names. Yum!

And with that my day ended, so tired but yet satisfied!

CANCELLED

My supposedly Singapore flight on July 3 is cancelled!
Cebu-Pac didn't even sent me a reminder (text/call/email) that the flight was cancelled. I found out when I checked online that I noticed that the July 3 Cebu to Singapore flight is not anymore on the list.

I immediately called Cebu Pacific and the agent confirmed that indeed the flight was cancelled. I have to re-book my flight to a date not 30 days later than the original departure date. Then I thought about what this could mean, what does the universe trying to tell me now? Yes, Im a believer of things happen for a reason and sometimes that reason is unclear until the event happens and could potentially be life saving, life altering, turning point, disruptive change in someone's fortune. Yes, Im putting a lot of weight unto this "cancelled" flight fact.

Could this mean the universe is trying to tell me:
- "Don't push your Singapore plans now! It's not yet time"
- "I'm testing the strength of your decision in going to SG"

Is this the rain before the rainbow or the calm before the storm?

Currently, Im still thinking...

God bless enlighten me, I need your wisdom now.

Busy Week

"Bookings", that's what we call when we have events to attend to. I've been overbooked last week and to top it off it is also "tingbits" week (the week right before the salary).

1. Avengers with Kyocera friends. This is my first screening of Avengers (1 of 3!). Borrowed 255 from te Jade for this booking.

2. Avengers with NCR officemate in IMAX. I just have to watch again because I was not satisfied with the screen quality of Ayala cinema 2 (it was blurry). I borrowed 150 for dinner and 400 for IMAX (bad habits here).

3. Team dinner with manager. This is a free dinner and yummy at that! We were treated by our manager for supposedly a job well done on a previous RFQ that was delivered to customer.Yay! More of this please...

4. Fiesta with Highschoolmates. Before we were employees, when we were still students, we used to go to our classmate Jeff's house every last Saturday of April for their fiesta. Some have jobs across the world, some are busy with their jobs and some are busy with their family, but some of us still got to go. It was nice seeing you friends!

5. Hukad dinner with cousins. Aunt Eyen invited me along with her siblings and children to come and dine in Hukad. I don't know the occasion (if there was) but was so happy and full afterwards! More, more and more of this random dine out auntie!

6. Avengers with cousins. This is my 3rd Avengers (and hopefully the final one, because Im getting broke), because I promised my cousins to watch with them. Afterwards we went to Songhitz and danced the Kinect for an hour and karaoke for another hour! It was a fun day.

These are my little pleasure in life, I genuinely am in a happy state whenever I am with family, friends and movies.

Earth Day. Aunt Gette's Birthday Celebration!

We are on the middle of the summer season and this is my 3rd beach for the year 2012!

I have to be honest, I did not feel so excited and so happy this time going to the beach because I have so many things (actually only just 1 gargantuan decision of a lifetime) that is bothering me. I can't just help but let my mind drift and think about it (and ruin my vacation).

However, all was not lost because I got to spend the entire day baby sitting my nephew who loves the beach and he is like all the other kids blissfully happy under the sun. "Pakgang" is the term for that sunburnt skin in our dialect.

This is the 2nd consecutive year that my aunt celebrated her birthday and this time is much more special because they tried island hopping (which I did not joined).

As usual with this activity, the food is AWESOME!

Soon my worries will go away (or at the least changed), I need to think more positively and get that buff body I dream about for like forever.

Unsuccessful

So I tried to take the exam of Nokia-Siemens. At first I did not have the intention of joining their company, I just want to take their exam to prepare myself on my future endevours in exam-taking. However all that changed after their manager, which is from Hungary, finished his talk. He is a very funny guy while discussing what their company do and what they need, and the career path one can take. I was really sold to them. In a way I wanted to pass the exam. I did study for about a week on Java and I felt comfortable that I can answer the exam and pass it!

I failed. Miserably.

The first part of the exam is composed of general programming questione, more like an IQ test for programmers. The 1st question asked for an algo on computing a prime number. That is also where I made my first (and maybe fatal) mistake. I instead computed for an odd/even number! And to make it worse, I realized it when I got home. Then there is a question regarding arranging the shapes and I totally also dissed it too! Sad.

That meant I was not really prepared and Im a bit rusty on thinnking about algo on problems. The exam have not even included sorting and searching algorithms! The horror it may have brought. The lesson of the story is I have to study more. Review. Review. Review.

How about the Java centric questions? Gahd, another point of misery. I was able to maybe not get totally lost but it is still no good. There are questions that I really dont know the answers or are not sure because of the breadth and depth of the Java language. I have not programmed Java for quite a long time and it doesn't help that I dont have any programming projects that can hone my skills.

It was a sad 2 day realization for me. I am officially lost on this.

What will be my future, it looks uncertain. But I have to risk one more time.

Lost Spark

Not in an island
Not in an ocean
Not in a lake or a mountain peak

To each others heart
We both cant fake
The looks in each other's eye
The flash of each other's smile

Your hair feels good in mine
My body fits perfectly in yours
We both move in unison
Harmonizing together, it's perfection

This is years back
When hormones fills our stocks
Now we are memories apart
Yearning for that lost spark

Easter Beach

Was not planning to go with this beach outing along with my mother (and by extension my nephew and niece) and a gazillion other ka-barangays, but glad I did!

It is not a fancy or I may dare say beatiful beach place but I know in the eyes of my nephew this memory of his childhood will be etched in his memory forever, and I like to be a part of that.

My mother said the bus will fetch us by 6am, but the baranggay bus which they rented is occupied and we got serviced by this hideous and old, eaten-by-rust kaosiong bus past 9.

We arrived at the beach and it was packed! So packed, that it looked like a pilgrimage site with thousands of people. I did not take a dip at the beach because of the soaring heat and the multitude of people, mostly children, happily bleaching theirselves along the shore where strong waves kisses the brown-sand beach.

If you look at it, the beach looks muddy and you can see garbage floating in the water. Whenever there are lots of people, expect garbage to abound! Biscuit packages, plastic bags, barbecue sticks, juice packs and other kinds of debris are being carelessly thrown by these people into the very waters they swim!

When I was a kid, I remember that my lolo Max (my mother's father) used to get us from our house on a weekend and we go to the beach in Lilo-an. It is one of my fondest memories of him. In the eyes of a child, it is not really important if the beach is white sandy type or if it has many amenities or nice rooms. In the eyes of a child, the sound of the waves and seeing the expanse of the blue waters are enough for him to feel happiness. Simple, unadulterated, happiness!

This time, I am certain that my nephew and niece have the time of their lives enjoying the beach, not having a care in the world or whether they will get sun-burnt. All they care about is to play with the sand, the waves and their friends like there is no tomorrow.

For me, my duty is to take snapshots of memories I can share with them in the future in a time where the world will be not so simple anymore. I want to share to them that once in their lives they were happy and totally free.

Prayer

As I was walking along the procession of the dead Jesus, I let my mind drift and talk to God, in a prayer of sorts. I was having difficulty in finding the perfect timing to medidate and be in solitude throughout the day. All the members of the family are in the house and it's noisy - it's not helping with the meditation. The soaring heat is also a big issue, there is no escape from it since we dont have airconditioning.

During the procession, I thank the Lord for all the blessings He has given unto me all these years. Im grateful to Him because even if I am not the best person He still showers me with blessings. Being alive, well and having my friends, family and job are the basic things the Lord has not forsaken me to have. I am thankful and aware that not all people are given these good circumstance in life.

I also asked the Lord for my impending adventure, that He will still guide me and bless me on the new things that I will embark upon, that I will not be led astray, that I will be following the right path.

On my vengeful and bitter heart, that He will lighten my anguish towards the people I don't approve of, of those that hurt me, specially if its family. I pray that the Lord will fill me with love and see the world in a child's way once again.

Forgiveness on all the sins I committed knowingly and unknowingly - I also asked from Him, for who can forgive me but Him alone?

Thank you Lord. And bless us all.

A Happy Blog

Wahahhaa. Laugh.

I've been rereading my previous posts and aside from bad grammar and poor sentence construction, I noticed that most (majority) of my entries are gloomy, sad, desperate. I have a copy of my Friendster comments (yeah Friendster, before Facebook there was Friendster) and from their comments Im supposed to be this jolly, simple, innocent person! Whhaha.

Seriously, in a span of as little as 6 years I changed. Maybe some will call it maturity. My perspective changed, my ideals and my personality changed.

In some aspect I may have become better, and in another aspects I may have become bitter.

But I can still feel that happiness, my true happiness, is just lurking around the corner.

Cheers to that!

Holy Week

I tried to observe the Holy Week traditions/practices this year. For the very first time in my near 30 years of being a Catholic. The reason? I just want to try it.

It started on Ash Wednesday. Fail. 

I did not have my forehead "ashed" (?!?). I tried to go to Guadalupe church early, but the church was closed when I got there. I thought the church will be open by then. I did not have the chance to go to church that evening. 

Also on that same day, I tried to "abstain" from food. Another fail.

From the strictest sense of "abstinence" one is not allowed to eat along with meat, any food that contains milk and dairy products (except eggs). I drank 2 yakult that day. But nonetheless I only ate ponkan (local orange fruit) and lots of water and one egg (because I was so hungry that night). 

On Fridays within the Lenten season, I should not eat meat. But I reduced this to not eating pork alone as I can't bare it to work on an empty stomach with only fruits and vegetables to sustain me. Also it should only be one full meal (but you can eat small snacks as long as it will not equate to a full meal). Another fail. 

One Friday, I was almost finish eating binagoongang baboy when I realized it was Friday! On another occasion, I ate snacks (dinner) which made me feel full (french fries and fresh lumpia).

Now that the Lenten season is coming to a close, there is only one more Friday to abstain any food. I hope I will make it! 

Though one might say that the modern interpretation of abstinence and fasting is not only on food per se but I realized that it is very hard to deny oneself of the basic needs (food), and that it is easier said that done. I now have great respect to those people who can go for days (or even months) with only water and little food, praying and in solitude. 

I might have only zeroed in on the food and not eating part but I guess I will try this again next year and on that time I should up the ante and focus on the spiritual and meditation. The holy week should be deeper in meaning that just being deprived of food. I may have failed now but it did not hurt trying and maybe in a small amount I have thought of the real meaning of this season and that is Jesus died for us, and that is a sacrifice heavier than any fasting or abstinence.

Countdown Begins

63 days.

That's 2 months shy, away from my 2 years in here.
I bought a ticket and that's the start.
Of this countdown that would take me near
To some land I longed to be a part.

In 92 days will fly away.

Hopefully it will turn out well
Will stay there for 3 weeks
I hope my chances are there
Jobs will not scare

I need this to prepare a life
Of me in my own paradise
To have a good future
The present should work harder

So goodbye my old friends
Goodbye my new found friends
Adieu to you my family
My heart will never forget the memories

If in the event the timing is off
I'll return here or over there
Somewhere I knew from before
Will be back to earn some more