An Ode to Cebu City

Cebu City, the home for me
My province my City my Home
Though imperfections abound in every sight
And corruption holding your upward flight
I still choose you over any other city

Coz, its in you I feel proud to be within

It is where I was born
Nurtured and gain insights about the world
Educated, gained friends and feel love
Nothing is more precious
Is anywhere than in Cebu

From Magellan's cross
To the Basilica and the other churches
Of Spanish times and historic past

To the recently modern
Malls, Parks, highways and bridges
Of todays mighty buildings

You shine in the night
Maybe not the brightest of all cities I've seen
But you shine differently in my eyes
Especially here in my heart

Another Place to Discover! Soon...08/27-30/2011

Happy 4th Birthday Lance!

My nephew turned 4!
Time really flies.

He now has a personality, at four he knows what he wants and what he doesnt want. He knows how to navigate the internet for his games and youtube videos that he likes.

Just this school year he had been enrolled in kindergarten.

As always, I always wish for your health, and well being Lance.
Be a good kid and grow up to be a good person.

Our family is always at your side to guide you in every way.

Doubts

I am doubting my skills again. 

Can I do this? Last week I felt like Im on the right way, but now? Im totally lost.

An alarm is now slowly awakening inside me. Im starting to get scared.

I have many things I want to try and accomplish, but my mind is not cooperating. Lately I feel weak and just want to sleep. Not that I dont get enough sleep at night, I do, but I still get sleepy in the morning specially right after lunch. 

I have lots of ideas I want to try, new technologies and tools I want to learn. The problem is Im not driven to excel. That's the problem.

And I don't have a solution yet. 

Hoping that this is just a temporary lull and will fade away soon.

The Feeling is Universal

I don't want to tell my disappointing story about immigration!

Now let me share about Singapore.

Singapore! I arrived at midnight and while travelling all I can say is "wow" this and "wow" that! That is how much I appreciate its beauty while Im inside the taxi. I was blown away by how clean and modern it is. Not that I dont have an idea, but seeing it right through my own two eyes is just surreal.

I love cities. The urban jungle as they say. I was born and raised in a city so Im no stranger to the city life. Years ago I saw this documentary about what they called Mega-cities. Cities with millions and millions of people in them. Surprise! Manila is one of them. That was also one of the reasons why I pushed through with my plan to work in Manila, to experience how to live in a crowded, urban jungle, a mega-city! Singapore is one of these mega-cities too! I had plans to be there but I was having these other plans but I digress.

Singapore is far-far away compared to Manila, and I don't mean the distance! I meant the progress! Manila (and the Philippines in general) is this tax burdened place with poor service and inefficient government with corrupt politicians in the mix. Singapore looks flawless in my eyes (I dont know its internal politics) but as someone new, I know that they are progressive and is continuing to do so.

Their transportation is very efficient and clean. One card for all payments. Their MRT is very clean and safe and also very cold. Their buses are clean and stops only at designated bus stops. Taxi drivers are polite and issues receipts. Did I mention that everywhere is clean?

My Singapore stay is too short to be conclusive that it is perfect, but for me Singapore is everything I dreamt of as a perfect city. Should be back. Soon. Hopefully.

Universal Studios Singapore.

My inner child surfaced! Thanks to the newly weds they treated me to USS. It's quite expensive but I got it for free! Life is wonderful!

There are many rides and attractions but I will never forget the Battlestar Galactica, Human and Cylon roller coaster rides! They were just breath taking! It's a must to ride them. After riding the Cylon coaster I just felt off. My head spins and I felt like fainting - and I was so pale they were alarmed. After sipping hot noodle soup and changing my sweat drenched shirt, my color re-appeared. And all was well.

Waterworld, Jurassic park's rapids ride, Shrek's Castle 4D show and other fun adventures and sights filled my day and my senses.

One of THE BEST Days of my life.

The Feeling is Universal

I don't want to tell my disappointing story about immigration!

But first let me share about Singapore.

Singapore! I arrived at midnight and while travelling all I can say is "wow" this and "wow" that! That is how much I appreciate its beauty while Im inside the taxi. I was blown away by how clean and modern it is. Not that I dont have an idea, but seeing it right through my own two eyes is just surreal.

I love cities. The urban jungle as they say. I was born and raised in a city so Im no stranger to the city life. Years ago I saw this documentary about what they called Mega-cities. Cities with millions and millions of people in them. Surprise! Manila is one of them. That was also one of the reasons why I pushed through with my plan to work in Manila, to experience how to live in a crowded, urban jungle, a mega-city! Singapore is one of these mega-cities too! I had plans to be there but I was having these other plans but I digress.

Singapore is far-far away compared to Manila, and I don't mean the distance! I meant the progress! Manila (and the Philippines in general) is this tax burdened place with poor service and inefficient government with corrupt politicians in the mix. Singapore looks flawless in my eyes (I dont know its internal politics) but as someone new, I know that they are progressive and is continuing to do so.

Their transportation is very efficient and clean. One card for all payments. Their MRT is very clean and safe and also very cold. Their buses are clean and stops only at designated bus stops. Taxi drivers are polite and issues receipts.

My Singapore stay is too short to be conclusive that it is perfect, but for me Singapore is everything I dreamt of as a perfect city. Should be back. Soon. Hopefully.

Universal Studios Singapore.

My inner child surfaced! Thanks to the newly weds they treated me to USS. It's quite expensive but I got it for free! Life is wonderful!

There are many rides and attractions but I will never forget the Battlestar Galactica, Human and Cylon roller coaster rides! They were just breath taking! It's a must to ride them. After riding the Cylon coaster I just felt off. My head spins and I felt like fainting - and I was so pale they were alarmed. After sipping hot noodle soup and changing my sweat drenched shirt, my color re-appeared. And all was well.

Waterworld, Jurassic park's rapids ride, Shrek's Castle 4D show and other fun adventures and sights filled my day and my senses.

One of THE BEST Days of my life.

My Best-friend's Wedding

Another one down! In a good way.

Marriage they say is one of the things people who are in love enter and never get out of (supposedly) until they die. In a world of billions, finding the ONE by yourself is kind a hard if you really think about it. That person you will stick like glue for the rest of your mortal life. The person you will look at every waking day, be at each other's side for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, 'till death do you part. Such a big promise to make. (I know divorce, annulment exists but I am looking at the best case scenario).

So I am very happy when I hear my friends are getting married for the right reasons, not because they already have children or is pregnant or got someone pregnant (I am not saying having children before marriage is NOT a good reason to marry). We are now in a certain age (late twenties) where our society expects us to either have children or married or blessedly single and not just singly alone.

It makes me believe that love is still alive. Love is still a choice someone made and not forced by someone else. That love, no matter the past mistakes and the hurts conquers all. That love is truly what the bible say it is.

So I say kudos to my best-friend that she found her THE ONE and say my congratulations to the both of them! May they live happily forever ever after.

To You Back When

Would we be still together
If I just gave you everything?
The time, the feelings
That your heart yearns

Could we still be humming love songs
In each other arms right now
If I just gave you my all
My whole affection somehow

The truth is, if you did not felt it
You failed
For I have given my everything
To you back when

The laughter shared is still fresh
Time makes it rusty and old
Even if there's newer laughs
I still keep yours here

The sun we shared in our days
The rain we showered
The wind we tasted
All witness to the truth 

So, ask this, did you remember
How it used to be
Did you felt the warmth
The burning passion from me?

Coz if you dont
Then you've failed
Because, I have given
My everyhthing to you back when

A Child Once More

Seeing 3 Idiots inspired me. Even with its song and dance numbers, and sometimes obvious and unrealistic plots, the core story is really great! I teared and laughed, and was very touched emotionally. A movie about friendship, life struggles, your place in this world, romance - comedy and drama rolled into more than 2 hours of epic (mis)adventures. All is well, if you follow your passion and not live in fear.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

I live life full of dreams
When I was little
A child of wonders and no fear

The world then was a simple place
In my mother's arms I'm secure
No monsters can scare me anymore

I own the world, I have my place
In my home, Im loved
What's more to ask for?

Yet time goes by and I grew up
Innocence is lost
My heart is but not pure

Time is a trickster
When we're young we wanted to grow old
But then when we mature
We look back, the way we were
And wished we could have a little more

Now that Im a grown man
I remember that child
Can't help but smile
To see that little boy had grown

Though not perfect
And not as happy as can be
He knows he can reach the stars
If he wants it to be

From time to time
I live in that child's world
For I kept the child within
Deep in my heart, deep in my soul
I'm a child once more

Videoke Afternoon

Amongst the five of us, Mike is the only one whose got a decent voice to showcase, but as they say majority wins!

Mike "roel santiago" the cheetah-balladeer. He also got the "cheetah" moves, thus the moniker. Videoke plus a little bit of macho dancing is somewhat interesting.

Madz is the new Charice. Released the new single "Tiramid" with high critical acclaim from various peers.

Amabelle "the songstress". Songs are free to admit that they are stressed and worn out, this includes but not limited to "the man who cant be moved", "still loving you", etc.

And lastly but certainly not the least...

Vella the "endangered songbird". You cant blame anyone who tries to hunt them to extinction because of such amazing powers to alter notes. Good that Vella says she "doesnt want to sing".

Until then!

Another Reset

It is building momentum
However I dismiss the idea
My gut feel is telling me
A reset is inevitable
The future is re-definable

So long I will say by then
To this place where I play pens
Where my skill in writing
To this blog Im posting

Goodbye is a good way to say hello
Till we meet again
Or never see one another
Our lifetime is but forever

"So long" our lips would say
Our eyes may tear
Crocodile I hope it's not
It hurts for us to part

And yes, people often part
But if they stay in our hearts
Will be forever become a piece
Even after we are laid in peace

I Forgot the Feeling

-- Warning: Don't read if you are uneasy on topics regarding sexuality --

Yes, I recently realized that I can now be a certified re-virginized. Yeah its a made up word for virginity is more of a hymen being ruptured, its the actual thing - the experience - of doing it, hymen rupturing or not (what?!), and for me I don't have one. But more than the sex act, let's talk about feelings.

Yes, I forgot the feeling of being with someone else. Why so? It's been a couple of years (officially 3 since my last official relationship) and with that time frame I actually did not seek for another relationship. I go on with my life, job, family, friends and tours. I can honestly say that it didn't bother me (as much) that I have no one. Then one by one my closest friends began to marry and have children (not necessarily in that particular order). And I realized that I'm at the end of my 20's! What?! a decade has passed me by so quickly (passed me by in the sense of love/relationship and not the other aspects of life - hopefully)!

Then I asked myself, for someone had asked me "Are you prepared to go old alone?" Actually I was dumbfounded by that question but the quick-witted me answered gleefully "Yes, maybe I will be a little sad but I will go into a home for the aged when time comes..." There is a half truth to it. Yes, I may be ok with it, but more than being ok with it in the future (when there is nothing I can do by then) is the present me who suddenly rang an alert bell in my head (or is it in my heart?). Are you really not going to try to find someone who you could "try" to be together with? Try practicing your rusty pumping moves before time will make it hard to get hard (porny but true).

I was quite struck for a while. I tried to remember my "best" relationship and why it did not work out. I tried to remember how it started. I tried to feel the feeling of being in a state of love.

And then I remembered.

The mushy texts and midnight calls. Passionate kisses and touch. The crazy things you do and your plans how to "score".  The trips you eagerly await for the both of you to be alone. The feeling of someone wanting you. The feeling of wanting someone so badly - you want them at your side all the time. You want to do things together -eat, church, play, (un)dress. Someone you can share your activity for the day(night), your hopes and your dreams, yourself.

That must have been love right?

Then there were the feelings of jealousy, trust issues, insecurities, too much of something it becomes unhealthy, nagging and the penultimate - indifference.

Then I remembered the reason why I avoided relationships after that great love - is that I was torn to pieces, I lost myself. I honestly did not know myself after that. I realized I isolated myself from my friends, I suddenly have lots of free time, I became a totally different person literally and figuratively. My values and perspective shifted and my heart wounded.

That is why I strayed away from being in a serious relationship.  Years passed.

Now, am I ready to take a chance once again? Only time can tell, but I can tell you my hormones are rising.

If My Life Is A Play

If my life is a play
What would it be?

Will it be a drama
Full of crying
Full of tragedies
Full of misery
A sea of tears?

Will it be an action
Full of fighting
Full of violence
Full of anger
A broken and bruised body?

Will it be a comedy
Full of laughter
Full of joy
Full of happiness
Smile that is ear to ear?

Maybe a little of those and some
I imagine my life
If it will be played
Is a sitcom

From innocence
To unexpected experiences
From a seed, becoming a tree
From a bulb to a blossom

A sitcom, where most of the time
Many persons come in
And leave
Each bringing something
To move my story forward
Some I love to remember and flash back
Some I loathe and skip forward

A sitcom, where you can laugh
At the same time cry
Be in a state of love
And in a state without
In a group
Alone
But each new episode is a story
However mundane and common
Must be shared and told

Doesn't really matter if the characters are common
Doesn't really matter if the stories are unoriginal
Even if there are plot holes
And character development is slow
Or the ending is predictable
Or the story "jumped the shark"
It still is my story I like to be told
In a series
As a sitcom
More or less 30 mins long

How Can I Start?

I started to move
Closer to where you are
To know me better 
To know you as well

I send signals,
To your direction
Don't refract it to someone else
Theyre intended for you alone

Yes, I move like a turtle
Slow
But Im not taking chances
Now

Thank you for responding
Even if you are just being friendly
And all this I just made up in my head
For its true, I have feelings for you

Model Employee Characteristics (translated to Bisaya)

hardworking - gahi patrabahu-on
time conscious - oras ray bantayan
customer service oriented - laing taw ang pirme bantayan
efficient - dali makakitag rason
effective - maayo mulusot
team player - ipasa sa uban ang trabaho
highly inquisitive - chismuso/chismusa
sense of responsibility - angkunon ang nindot nga trabaho sa uban
creative - maayo muhimo ug storya
resourceful - cgeg facebook ug internet
excellent skills in communication - tabi-an/saba-an
willing to work on shifts - sip2x
willing to work on overtime (with pay) - pankwartahay
willing to work on offertime (overtime without pay) - BUANG!
flexible - pirme lng galikay sa trabahu
records and reports progress - reklamador!
well-behaved/mannered - hingatug

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

This song is soulfully rendered.

	Amy Winehouse - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Tonight you're mine completely
You give your love so sweetly
Tonight the light of love is in your eyes
Will you love me tomorrow?

Is this a lasting treasure
Or just a moment's pleasure?
Can I believe the magic of your sighs?
Will you still love me tomorrow?

Tonight with words unspoken
And you say that I'm the only one, the only one, yeah
But will my heart be broken
When the night meets the morning star?

I'd like to know that your love
Is love I can be sure of
So tell me now, cause I won't ask again
Will you still love me tomorrow?
Will you still love me tomorrow?
Yeah

Treasure Hunting

Not the Yamashita
But of the source of everlasting
Not of El Dorado
But of the bread of life

Sunday's gospel reminds me
Of how we should seek his kingdom
Admission is free
But the choice is ours to decide

Am I ready to follow Christ?
Forgive - the true Christian way?
Love- that's equivalent as Jesus dying on that cross?
The short answer is silence.

With all the promise of happiness
Why do we stay in misery?
You may get wings, and sing praises to the Lord
But why do we choose to stay in this  polluted unheavenly place?

The answer is a deafening silence, much more deafening than the sound of silence itself.

Should I seek inside my heart
As they say the heart is where God's temple is
But all I found is emptiness
Maybe the Lord has left me
But maybe its me that choose
Not to look and find Him

Am I forever not going to find 
That infinite joy
That unending hymn
Happiness not based on earthly desires?
Truth that hurts noone
Boundless, eternal - will it ever be realized?

In God's time, He will show me, in His time.
Because I still believe.

Disconcerted

Recently, I noticed that I behave rather differently. Erratic is not an apt description, disturbed maybe. But why? I don't even know myself a 100%. Maybe it's a combination of what or where I am now. It is on times like this that I like to self reflect on what I am doing with my life.

Family.
Same as always, or as lately. My sister's marriage did not last, and I dont know the complete details. It went bad I guess. I don't know what she will do  or her plans are, but I wanted her to be responsible, take a job and start her life over again (it's not like it has ended), she just need a fresh look at things.
My other sister's "live-in relationship" is a sad story to watch. If I have powers like the XMEN, (give me Wolverine's adamantium claws) and I will gladly rip every single tissue of this useless bastard living in our house. Who in their right mind, if you have a sick child (baby) would you still go to a concert and be merry all night? Shit!
The problem with my family is that I can't talk to them without going WW3. I have my opinions, and sometimes I just let it out and it may seem to them that I am high and mighty and doesnt care (I really care, but in a hierarchy that they don't know). Now, even if I really wanted to go ballistic on things at home and cause a stir, I decide to just stay plump.

Work.
I can describe work as one word for the past 2 weeks or so. IDLE. Slowly it spells I-Dull. It feels demeaning when people around you are doing something, learning, creating and you are there, just there.

Friends.
One of my considered bestfriends is getting married this few weeks. She will be leaping to the "real" life. I'm happy for her, she deserves to be happy and I know she is smart enough to know where she is going and with whom.

Maybe I am on an upcoming crossroad of my life. Bring it on!

A Simple Case of "Bad" Genes

It's true, sometimes nature is not fair. As the song goes, some "people" (I know the original lyrics is a "guy" but I'm trying to be gender sensitive) have all the luck. If my memory serves me right, we have 23 chromosome pairs half of which we get from mom and the other half from dad. This means that we have a 50% chance of getting a trait from each of our parents.

My dad has a pretty nose for an asian. He is also big boned, tall, dark and in my honest opinion, considerably handsome as I can see from his younger years' photos. My mother on the other hand is tall, light in complexion, and is a pretty lady in her prime years.

But wait! I am not implying that Im a good looking son of a b*tch, because both my parents are relatively attractive. If we look closely, our parents too have 23 pairs of those chromosomes and only some of them are "expressed". So it might be that what we have from mom and dad are not the "expressed" traits, and we need a little digging the family tree to know where we get these traits.

And here it is the "where did I get these traits" list (Im still on the process of self discovery and this list is not at all complete and accurate).

Mom side:
The lean gene. As I can see my relatives from both sides, I can say that my mother side has the most "lean" bodies. I have cousins who are like me in that they dont get fat easily. Though through time (they are now on their late 20's/early 30s) they are starting to get those pounds, and I can only surmise that it will hit me too.

Intelligence. Ok, hold on to your seats! I'm not saying that I'm Einsten-like. Most literature I read says that intelligence comes from your maternal side. I observed and compared scholastic records of my relatives from both sides and yes I confirmed that my mother-side had all great education-success stories and some of them are now (im)migrats to other countries. Though my mother is only a highschool graduate and my father a college dropout - I would still choose them over than any parent of the world.

Receding hairline (and soon baldness). My mother is not bald (or balding), and I can remember that my grandfather was not also bald. My father is bald(ing), but why do I put this here? Aside from what I read that it is from your maternal side that this gene is passed, I confirmed from a recent family reunion that my mother side's far cousins/relatives have bald patches. That's the inconvenient truth for me and it is easier I think to just accept nature's design (good thing caps/bonnet are available whenever confidence is not a hundred percent).

Dad side:
Chinless/Nose/Face Contour. Yeah, my face is not balanced. I dont have a chin (or not prominent enough). My father has a chin, my grandfather too. My nose and face structure is not also similar to either my dad or mom. Nature decided to give me most of my lola's features than my dad's. Talk about pamana.

Common:
Heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. Both sides of the family have these and it is a strong motivation for me to try to be healthy (through avoiding unhealthy foods and alcohol) because I don't want to be hospitalized (who does?).

Mystery:
Gray Hair. None of my recent relatives both from my mother and father side expressed this trait.

A Night of "No Discrimination"

Yes, you read that right. "No Discrimination". The last time I checked, the meaning of "no discrimination" is that people are treated equally. That simple. No frills. An example quote to further illustrate the concept is "No man (or woman) is above the law". The law is the law, that's why lady justice is blindfolded because justice does not discriminate against gender, age, nationality, religion, etc...

And I just learned that company L (a famous printer company in the vicinity of Ayala Business Park) segregates the entrance between their company-hired employees, sub-contractual employees and OJTs. It is OK if the treatment to those entrances are the same but from what was described to me, non-company hired employees are frisked to death (ok not to death really), while those company-hired employees can easily just enter without any hassle. For me that is already DISCRIMINATION.

Disclaimer: I have not directly experience or observed the said behavior since I have not worked there or visited their facility. This has only been said to me through a late night chat with someone who used to work there. I don't intend to put malice on the said company, this is just my immediate and personal reaction when I learned about this.