Jets Takes Early Vacation

What started out as a promising season ended with a fizzle as the Favre-led New York Jets ran out of fuel at the last stretch of the season.

The Jets were actually on top of their division with an 8-3 slate, which was already double their win total the previous season, but sputtered to lose the remaining 4 of their last 5 games. Their final game loss to the Miami Dolphins officially closed the door for a possible playoffs berth!

There has been a lot of debate as to why the Jets went on a skid and many of them have their fingers pointed at Brett Favre. According to one blog that I read, Favre should not be blamed solely for the dismal performance of the Jets in their last five games since the flaw maybe more on the Jets system itself more than whose quarterbacking. A case in point is the New England situation where Tom Brady was declared out for the season (due to an injury) and was replaced by second string quarterback Matt Cassell. Despite the fact that Cassell has not started a game since being drafted in 2005 he did a superb job in leading the Patriots for the 2008 season. Unfortunately, the 11-5 season that Cassell managed to carve out was not enough to bring them to the playoffs. Yes, the New England system is sound but I don't think it would have worked if Cassell have not played the way he did---successfully filling up the big void left by Brady. I'll give it to the Pats, they know talent when they see one!

Now, I'm a Favre fan and I shifted loyalties when he moved to the Jets, however, statistically speaking, Brett had much to do with the declension of the team. In the last five games, he threw for only 2 touchdowns and gave away 9 interceptions. This kind of stats will not win you games---even if your system is sound! Brett finished the season with 22 TDs and an equal amount of interceptions. Throwing an interception means giving back the ball to the other team and giving them the opportunity to score. It is the accountability of the quarterback. Brett knows this and offers no excuse---bad shoulder and all!

Lola Ayak: In Requiem

It was barely two months ago that my wife and I were in Dingle, Iloilo under the cordial reception of Lola Ayak. At 95 years old, this woman puts real meaning to the simile "as strong as an ox"! So it was a surprise to all of us when we heard that Lola Ayak passed away early morning today. Apparently, Lola Ayak went into a coma late night of the 24th and never recovered.

I remember her fondly because everytime we're in Dingle, she'd always pass me something to eat as if I have a "give me food" neon sign on my forehead! That, and her knack of speaking to me in a barrage of Visayan where all I can understand is, "Noy, @#$%&!" I'm not sure if she notices my glaced eyes during this litany where I could only rhetorically reply, "Opo". For all I know she's asking me if I ate already! Hmmm...come to think of it...those were rather looooong monologues for a question...anyway...

Dingle visits won't be the same without Lola Ayak!

Maria Tinzon: Mother and Beloved Lola---May you rest in peace!

A Christmas Reflection

During the birth of Jesus, God chose some shepherds to first receive the Good News of our Salvation. Why did God choose the poor to be the first to bear witness to the coming of the Messiah? Then I realized that people only remember to call on God during times of difficulty and tend to forget Him when times are good! God chose the poor shepherds because the birth of the Messiah will give them HOPE.

It is only a couple of hours before Christmas and as we busy ourselves with all the last minute preparations, let us pause for a moment and think of what the meaning of Christmas in our lives sans the noche buena feast and the gifts...

From my family to yours---MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Breast Cancer Awareness

"To be forwarned is to be forarmed."

In many aspects of life we have learned to take clues from certain events in the past in order for us to become better prepared when the same situation occurs again in the future. Like during the rainy season when the chances of rain is high, you bring an umbrella; or, knowing that Monday morning traffic is more congested than any other day of the week, you set off earlier than usual. This is the same for breast cancer. Early detection is critical so it is important that the we are aware in terms of the self check procedure. Notice that I mentioned WE and not YOU since---yes my laddie---dudes can be prone to breast cancer too!

I chanced upon this video while web surfing. It is educational and with Olivia Munn teaching us how---definitely entertaining! Go easy now, boy!

Divine Providence

I have written about God's Divine Providence in my blog http://nonoy-1025.blog.friendster.com/2008/05/god-will-provide/ as a testament to my own personal experience. To further expound on God's presence in each of our lives, let me share with you a recent happening in the life of my friend Cora.

Last December 7 I received a text message from her asking for the cellphone number of our former Managing Director (whom we worked for when we were regular employees at Jollibee Novaliches). She said that it was important. After giving her the number, I asked what the urgency was about. According to her, her 3 year old son Angelo is in need of a special operation for HYPOSPADIAS, a birth defect of the urethra in the male that involves an abnormally placed urinary meatus(opening) and she needed to borrow money to cover the expenses---Php 23,000 for the operation alone. After hearing this, I was filled with empathy for Cora since I have also felt being at the end of the rope before.

Angelo was born out of wedlock and Cora doesn't have a stable income so to speak. She's into networking and is mostly under the auspices of her family. Since I am not a rich person I can only give her what my shallow pocket can afford, but I really felt for her and I had this nagging urge to give this woman and her son a MERRY Christmas. So I told her that I'll try to raise additional funds by calling out to our former colleagues in Jollibee. "Pray ka lang," I told her. After which I began my text and e-mail brigade for "Operation Angelo".

I did not envision to generate all of the money but our friend Art from Los Angeles seemed to have jumpstarted the whole thing by pledging half of the total amount and the rest just snowballed! By December 9, total pledges amounted to Php 27,000 not including 2 pledges from abroad with undeclared amounts.

I felt Cora's joy when I gave her the good news and what a wonderful feeling it was---the same feeling I had when I felt God by my side during my times of trouble!

Postscript:
As I've mentioned, Cora does not have a steady job and it would truly be a great help if any of you reading this blog can provide her one. I personally feel that what we have provided her was a temporary solution to her financial problem. As a Chinese proberb would say, "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a life time."

She's in her early 40's and was formerly our administrative assistant during our Jollibee days. Unfortunately, she was not able to finish college. I know this isn't much of a criteria to get a job for but I need to try anyway. Who knows, God may again intervene. Can't win the lottery jackpot without placing a bet, right?

Too Much Fun Can Hurt!

Early Saturday morning I woke up having a hard time swallowing! It felt like something got stuck in my throat that I couldn't seem to swallow! And the effort of swallowing was painful as if something was tearing in my throat! So I got my flashlight and checked out what's going on inside and to my shock---my tonsils and the surrounding cavity was swollen! No wonder it felt like something was stuck in my throat---I was actually trying to swallong my tonsils! Fearing that the swelling will not let up and eventually get myself choked by my own body part, I asked my brother, Nino, to take me to the FEU hospital in Fairview. I tell you, it was really hard to explain yourself with a swollen tonsils! When did this situation occur? Do you have a cold? Cough? Fever? When the physician finally saw what's wrong I think she said "YIKES!" althought in her most professional doctor's demeanor! What she next asked me really bothered me---"Kinalikot nyo po ba 'yan?" It was a good thing I was having a hard time talking otherwise I could have rattled some choice expletives! Anyway, she prescribed me antibiotics (which cost like gold and which I had an allergic reaction to), painkillers, lozenges and then sent me home.

When I related this to my wife she said that I was actually snoring so hard that night she felt the room shaking. That got me thinking---did I accidentally suck up an insect or something? A cockroack maybe! Then I remembered the good time I had the previous night during an office Christmas party! I totally enjoyed myself with the program that I couldn't stop laughing! I was already feeling the coming of an asthma attack when we were on our way home which fortunately did not materialize. I guess that's probably it. I wouldn't want to dwell too much on what that doctor asked me last! Good thing she was kinda pretty!

Partying the Digitel Way!

I attended the the Christmas party sponsored by Digitel for their clients last December 10, 2008, at the Bar One in Robinson's Galleria. Actually, I'm not a party guy and would usually shy away from such functions but we needed representatives to the affair---duty called and I responded.

I was with two other officemates, Emil and Jimmy, and we had a nice time socializing. We were able to rub elbows with a couple of Digitel big wigs like Mr. Daniel Teng (Chief Executive Advisor), who got on the microphone and serenaded the crowd with his rendition of "Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok Ko", a song he specifically chose to represent Digitel's commitment to it's business partners! Mr. Teng is a Malaysian and the crowd was very appreciative of his effort to sing a Tagalog song as shown by the hollering applause he got after! There was also Mr. Dinky Liwanag (Vice President for Corporate Sales and Marketing) who awed us with his charming candor! And of course, we were also able to meet some beautiful ladies...wait...before I continue, let me just quantify that I was an Art Studies graduate and it is but natural for me to be attrracted to beauty in an unadulterated and innocent way---except when I met my wife whom I married and had 6 equally beautiful kids with! That being said, let me continue (whew! that was a life saver!)...where was I...ahh...meeting beautiful ladies...well one of which was the host and RX 93 deejay, Gelli Victor, who was so gracious enough to have my picture taken with her and give me an opportunity to add another friend in my Facebook account! I was a big RX fan during my seminary days---my GRUNDGE YEARS(musically, that is) I call it---and it's rather nice meeting someone from the station. A very pretty one at that! You know the talk about deejays being...well, all voice but not much..this is proof to the contrary! Anyway, I almost got burned meeting her as she called on our group to participate in a game! Good thing Emil got introduced to her first and she eventually egged him to join! Emil won that game and got a 6 month subscription to Town and Country magazine! Again, I was hoping to win in the raffle but the hope was again in vain! The 6 months subscription to FHM would have been acceptable!

The food was also great but I had to restrain myself from eating too much less I want another stomach ache bug me all night! All in all it had been a very enjoyable night! Many thanks to Ms. Charms who was a very gracious host and who made sure that our gastronomical needs were satisfied!

Note to self: Need to invest on a 10 mega pixel camera to capture better quality pictures---my camera phone sucks in low light environment!

Gelli and Me (had to take off my glasses to avoid flash reflection!)

We caught up with the pretty models before we left---pretty eh?

Emil winning the DIGITEL spelling contest!

Our host for the night---Ms. Charms!

The Incredible Tim

If there's a name in our household most frequently hollered to---that would be TIM!

Turning 3 years old this December 23, this child is a real dynamo! I tell you, sitting still is not his strong point! He would always be running around, jumping, shouting, and occassionally sneaking in a sucker punch from his Ate Colleen(poor Colleen can only cry when this happens).

Looking after him can sometimes be very frustrating you just can't help but shout! The thing is, if you don't hear his usual riot he's got to be doing something nasty like showering himself with baby powder or emptying a newly bought cologne! Naturally, when I got home today, and my wife told me Tim did something again I was not surprised at all!

The event was captured by Chesca on her camera and I almost wet my pants when I saw these pictures! I have witnessed Tim climb up a stack of monoblock chairs---but not this kind of high! I'm sure his lolo and lola will flip out when they see these shots!

Viva Pac Man!

If I were a betting man I would have wagered that the Pacquiao vs. De la Yoya bout would last the distance! With the Pac Man at a disadvantage in terms of size and arm lenght he would not be able to catch the Golden Boy with his trademark straight left and will definitely stay out of a rope side slug fest; De la Hoya on the other hand, is an aged fighter and will not waste energy throwing low percentage punches. Well, I would have been right with my assessment of Oscar but dead wrong with that of Manny!

Speed proved to be Manny's edge as he continuously landed straight lefts on the face of De la Hoya and sliding away to negate any counters by thrown his way! Manny's was very dynamic all through out the fight making him a hard target for Oscar! He was the epitomy of Muhammad Ali's boxing mantra, "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!" After 8 rounds, De la Hoya was PRETTY NO MORE! His face was puffy red and his left eye almost swollen shut! Nacho Beristain, Oscar's trainer, can no longer bear the beating being taken by his ward and called it quits before the 9th round began.

I knew of the decision even before the "live" telecast was shown on TV! My aunt was listening over the radio (which is apparently the "more live" telecast) and announced that the fight was being stopped for reasons she just couldn't seem to understand. Then came the flurry of text messages to confirm that, indeed, The Pambansang Kamao has won!

I still watched the "live" telecast just to witness what really transpired. According to the radio account of my aunt, Manny got staggered on the 6th round and needed to knock out De la Hoya to win! After watching the bout I can now confirm that my aunt is not a reliable boxing commentator!

Well, I'm not going to feel sorry for the Golden Boy! He's had his run and what a good run it was! He defeated seventeen world champions and has won ten world titles in six different weight classes---this is a testament of his greatness! Besides, he just pocketed a boat load of cash---what's to fuss about?

The whole Philippines has been in the state of elation since mid-day---so I guess it's time for me to do my own victory dance! Viva Pac Man!

Supernatural Season 4

The thing about ironing a lot of clothes is I get to catch up on my favorite TV series. Supernatural happens to be one of them. It has been running for four seasons now and I have got a lot of backlog to watch!

Come to think of it, I did not believe that this series would last this long. Actually, after the Winchesters killed the Yellow Eyed Demon in Season 2, I thought that this was the end of the adventures of the duo---wrong! It so happened that a whole lot of demons got out before Dean and Sam closed the doors of hell! That became the storyline for Season 3.

After making a deal with a demon to save Sam's life, hell finally catches up with Dean in the Season 3 finale---now how do you top that to do a Season 4? Well, with a stroke of genius---the writers put in Angels to the equation! Now, it's Demons, Angels, and the Winchesters in a merry-go-round of twist and turns!

I just watched Episode 4-10 and boy, it was worth all the mound-full of ironing!

Twilight

Edward and Bella. The Romeo and Juliet of the on screen adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight". One a human, the other a vampire. Hmmm...now where have I heard of this storyline before? Oh, yeah---Bram Stoker's "Dracula". In my opinion, Twighlight is the modern day romanticized version of Mina and Count Dracula!

I just watched the movie with my wife and I would have slept through it if not for her sharp elbowing whenever she'd hear me snore! I guess I've watched too much vampire movies to find this one interesting enough for me to stay on the edge of my seat in anticipation. For one thing, it was more a love story than anything else. It doesn't hold much suspense either! I guess the only part I liked about the movie was from the baseball scene up to the chase scene. After that it was like an F-15 loosing both its engines at 35,000 feet! To have labeled this movie as "action packed" is definitely a misnomer!

No, I haven't had the chance to read the novel yet but I did Google Stephenie Meyer and browsed through her official website. Apparently, her story was like that of J.K. Rowlings---first time writer who made it big! Like Rowlings and her Harry Potter series, Meyer also scored a franchise out of the love story of Edward and Bella with "New Moon", "Eclipse", "Breaking Dawn", and "Midnight Sun"(the last one has yet to be published)! Considering the big fan base that the Twilight series has I am intrigued as to what got lost in the moview versus the book! I liked Anne Rice' book "Interview with a Vampire" but was turned off with the movie with all it's missing side stories! The only thing I like about novels translated to the big screen is that you get to identify a face with to each character! In fairness to the movie, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart did have great chemistry as the star crossed lover. No wonder my daughter Chesca is agog to watch this movie! Actually, she was suppose to watch it today with a friend but got cancelled the last minute.

I'm definitely raising hell if the book will have the same disappointment as the movie!

Understanding Inflation and Interest Rates

The media have been bombarding ordinary folks like us with all this talk of an impending economic crisis next year and, to be honest about it, I did not understand it one bit(with all these babble riddled with technical economic terminologies!).

I chanced upon this article in pinoymoneytalk.com and it gave me a better understanding of two important economic jargons---INFLATION and INTEREST RATES. The nice thing about this article is it also explains the relationship between the two! Have an enlightening read!

What is inflation?
Inflation is the percent change in overall prices between two periods as measured by a price index. The country’s 9.6% inflation rate means, in simple terms, that a product costing P100 last year is now selling at P109.60 this year.
A higher inflation undermines the purchasing power of a currency. This is because one needs more money today compared to last year to buy the exact same thing. So if inflation is rising and wages and personal income are not, the consumer will surely feel the crunch.

What are interest rates?
In the context of inflation, interest rates refer to the benchmark rates such as federal funds rate that the Central Bank (Federal Reserve in the US) uses to control money supply. By imposing higher rates, the Central Bank effectively curtails the ability of banks to lend money to their customers. How? The increased rates force banks to increase their own interest they charge to customers. These refer to interest charged on, say, housing, car, or credit card loans. If, for example, you were planning to buy a house and was thinking of taking out a bank loan, you might back out if you discover that the interest rate on housing loans has increased. In that case, the money that should have been loaned to you is retained with the bank and does not flow to the market.
Banks may also decide to increase their interest on deposit accounts. With higher rates, people might think twice about spending (anyway, it is now worth less than before) and decide to simply save. By saving, the supply of money in the market becomes more limited.

How are inflation and interest rates related?
With less money to spend and weaker purchasing power, people can buy only fewer products compared to before. As a consequence, demand for products declines. When supply exceeds demand, sellers will opt to lower their prices in order to sell their products. When prices are lowered, inflation rate goes down too.
So there, by imposing higher interest rates, the Bangko Sentral can control inflation. That’s exactly what the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas expects to happen when it raised the interest rate yesterday by a quarter of a percentage point (25 basis points).

What are the drawbacks of higher interest rates?
It must be pretty obvious by now. Using our bank loan example again, you’d see that due to higher rates, business activity in the market slows down. The threat of high interest rates make individuals and companies defer taking out loans which could have been used to, say, finance a new business or build a house. Less economic activity translates to slower economic growth. Low growth means reduced company investments, less job opportunities for people, or worse, lay-offs of existing employees. That, certainly, is not good.

What I Learned from my Bus Ride to Work

A funny thing happened yesterday morning as I was on my way to work—I woke up at Ayala Avenue!
I ride the bus every morning and to catch up on some needed sleep I’d snooze it off as soon as I pay the fare. I’m sound asleep as soon as the bus exits the Fairview area. Usually, I’d wake up somewhere in the Cubao area. Yesterday was no different…except…I decided to close my eyes again and the next thing I knew, the bus conductor was yelling “Ayala! Ayala!”
Actually, this is a records of sorts! To tell you the truth, this is not the first time that I overslept on the bus. My previous best was waking up in Guadalupe. Going back home, it was as far back as Tungkong Manga in Bulacan! Don’t worry, I don’t intend of topping the last one!
My call time at work is 7am. I was in Ayala trying to hail a bus ride back to Pasig at 6:50am! Arrived in the office at around 7:25am!
Moral of the story—sleep early!

Winter Solstice

Cooler breeze, longer nights---winter solstice is here! Well, since I’m in the Philippines, snow would be out of the question! But definitely, this time of the year is something looked forward to by Filipinos like me! It’s Baguio-like coldness in summertime! Unfortunately, the long cold nights can be very challenging when it comes to waking up early! Damn challenging indeed!

In our household I’m the one in-charge of preparing breakfast and lunch packs for the kids. That would mean getting up early! My wake up call? 3am. Permit me to explain that.

Diesel engine needs to be heated up before you start it in the morning---I’m like that! Hence, a 30 minute cooking activity can take me a while to do! It would take 30 minutes to drag myself out of the comfort of bed; then there are my daily hygienic and physiological rituals---coupled by TV and internet surfing---would be an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour! Believe it or not, I’d almost always find myself scrambling off to work! Since the office is still in Pasig City, I should be on the road by 5:15 am if I am to skirt the morning rush hour and meet my 7 am call time. And that’s during the humid nights!

Now that it’s cooler, I would sometimes need a slap on the face to keep me moving! What compounds the situation is seeing all my bedmates still bundled up in their blankets and still in dream land! Bummer eh?!

The Hard or Harder Way?

Living life is NOT easy!

From the very beginning, a struggle happens between millions of sperms jockying to penetrate a single egg! Coming out of our mother's womb is even more traumatic! So if you're thinking that life is a FREE ride to Nirvana---you're ABSOLUTELY WRONG!

Now that we've cleared that up, there are two ways on how to go about and making life worth living---the HARD WAY or the HARDER WAY.

The hard way is by LISTENING to the "boring" rantings of your parents. These consists of life experiences that they have gone through which is often preceded by the phrase, "Noong bata pa ako..." Of course, these tales of love, heartaches, difficulties, challenges, trials, success, and triumphs can be daunting to hear since you will be given the reality of life's difficulties. Those who were open to listen and learn basically were given a road map to avoid the rough road. Of course, the fact remains that this journey will be long and filled with challenges!

The HARDER WAY is shunting the councel of your parents and doing things on your own. This would mean that you will make your own mistakes, go through the process of standing up again and hopefully learn from the experience. Many young men and women have chosen to go through this path and apparently, learning from past failures seem to be a very rare commodity! These people almost always end up as BUMS!

May it be hard or the harder way, EDUCATION is a big part of any life plan. If you think that you can just breeze through school and get your dream job---DING! DING! DING!---you're wrong again! The quality by which you went about your life as a student will most often than not determine the job offers that you get. Note: Mediocrity is not a value that any company looks for in an employee!

Planning your life is not just a matter of knowing what you wnat to be. The key engredient to finding success in life is knowing what you want, knowing what needs to be done, and then actually doing it!

My Reading List

During my younger days I used to be a voracious reader! The very first novel I read was "Rich Man, Poor Man" by Irwin Shaw.

At first, it was just a trial read since it was recommended by a friend. But what started out as a curiosity eventually became a hobby! I was so taken by the each book I read that I would take it everywhere I went. One thing I hate is waiting and doing nothing! Reading became my stop gap!

One book came after another: Sidney Sheldon, Robert Ludlum, Harold Robbins, James Clavell, Frederick Forsythe, Anne Rice, Howard Fast, Andrew Greeley, John Grisham, Tom Clancy, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling and Michael Crichton were my favorites! My recent discovery was Patricia Cornwell.

I'm also into motivational books. Being a fan of the NFL and the NBA I naturally went for the success stories of players like Jim Brown, Kurt Warner, Terrel Davis, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Wilt Chamberlain to name a few.

I guess I got the reading bug from my father. To prove this contagious effect, I seemed to have passed it on to my daughter Chesca. The very first book she read was a present from her Ninang Shannon entitled "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott. Then came the "Lord of the Rings Trilogy" and the "Harry Potter Series". Of course, being a young lady, she's now into the teeny-bopper romance novels "Gossip Girls".

Unfortunately, I no longer have the luxury of time to read like I did before! Now, it's only whenever I'm sitting on the dumpster or if I'm going somewhere where I know would put me on a waiting line.

Phil Jackson's "It's Only a Game" is my current read but there are currently 15 other book purchases that are still in need of my attention stacked in my bookshelf at home and in the office.

Iloilo Tripping Part 2

Day 4
The weather took a slight turn for the better. After having luncheon meat, egg, and fried rice for breakfast, we set off to visit nanay’s grave site around 8am. We were escorted by Lola Ayak, Auntie Judith, Jurome, Noynoy, Kayla and Francis. Visitors were still scarce in Dingle Public Cemetery but the place was already abuzz with workers tidying up the place for the coming “undas”.

Nanay’s grave is still in the same barren state we left it last year. Not for long. My brother-in-law, Nelson, and I made arrangements to have this situation remedied. We miss you Nanay! Rest in Peace!

After eating lunch, we bade Lola Ayak and the rest of the Tingsons adieu! If hospitality had a surname I’d say is has got to be Tingson!

The weather was gloomy and we took the first opportunity to get going before the rain starts again! Unfortunately, we did not have the luxury of hiring an air-conditioned transportation for the kids so we had to settle with a jeepney. Good thing Noynoy was gracious enough to accompany us until Jaro City and help us with the luggage! Daghang salamat, Noynoy!

We took a taxi from Jaro City to Century 21 hotel. We booked for a standard room (since it’s the only room available), reserved a room for Nelson for his arrival tomorrow, freshened up a bit and went to SM City Iloilo to buy pasalubongs! We bought the usual stuff: “biscocho”, “pinasugbo”, “barquillas”, “piyaya”, toasted muffins, and a couple of souvenir shirts.

Day 5
It was an early morning for us. Woke up at 5:30am, got my dose of a long hot bath and started packing up my things.

Ceasar, the taxi driver, arrived at 7:15am. We took our last minute pictures on the hotel lobby and off we went to the airport.

7:55 Am. We bid Ceasar good bye and thanked him for his excellent service.

Tim saw his very first, up close airplane, when Air Philippines air bus landed around 8:15am. As usual, Tim’s voice was the only one heard in the airport! It was a big playground for him and he ran from one end of the airport to the other! I tell you, this boy has got a LOT of energy!!

We only ate left over pizza from the previous night for breakfast so when we finally got settled in the airport, our tummies started grumbling. Good thing there was this coffee shop which offers affordable pastries and extra strong java to boot! The name of the stall is JO Coffee Shop.

Justine on the other hand, sat quietly as he stank up the place with a huge dump! He was, hands down, the best baby in the airport---mainly because HE WAS THE ONLY BABY in the airport!!

9:42 am. Well what do you know, two babies enter the terminal---sorry, STILL NO CONTEST!

The PA announced the boarding orders for Cebu Pacific flight 454 bound for Manila at 10:15 am. Justine was already asleep when we boarded so we only had to contend with Tim and his tantrums. Fortunately, his conniption came out in the latter part of the flight.

I have been flying Cebu Pacific for personal travels and have not participated in their in-flight game. This time was different. The category for the game was famous movie lines. Being a movie buff I found it hard not to join. Actually, I tried closing my eyes to the commotion but when I heard the first line, “May the force…”---I immediately jolted from my oblivion and raised my hand! For all I knew I was the first! Kreesa, the stewardess, may have thought I was asleep and was staring far at the back---darn! That movie was “Star Wars”! Then came the second movie line, “Life is like…” There would be no missing me this time as I raised my hand high in the air! “Forrest Gump!” That earned me a Cebu Pacific pouch! Not contented, I raised my hand once more to snare the third and last movie line, “I can see dead people!” Unfortunately, the crew did not mention the undeclared rule that you can only win once---so the price went to another passenger! Bummer! At least I won!

We landed at NAIA Terminal 3 at 11:45 am. I was supposed to take pictures of the pretty Cebu Pacific stewardesses but they seemed to have vanished when the door opened. Actually, there was one left but I wanted to get all three in one shot. Maybe next time!

This is the first time that I de-planed in this terminal. One thing I can say about the place is that, “It’s huge!” The length of the walk from tarmac to the luggage claiming area was about 4x the length of Terminal 2! Anyway, vacation is over! Hoping to do this again next year!

Iloilo Tripping!

My wife was not able to attend her mother's funeral in Iloilo last year due to her pregnancy so I promised her that I will bring her there on the event of nanay's 1st year death anniversary. And so, from October 27-31, we did just that!

Day 1
Well, it’s 11:51 in the evening of October 27 on board Super Ferry 9 bound for Iloilo. Got me a stateroom for the missus, Tim, Justine, and Colleen. They’re asleep now---happily I should say---given the aircon, tv, and a solo bathroom at their convenience! Unfortunately, leaving the others behind is giving me pangs of loneliness…okay, okay---guilt! Specially after I heard that Carl was crying after the send off entourage was on their way home. If Chesca was very vocal about her protest regarding her being left behind and Ringo’s unemotional aplomb, Carl was deadpan and detached about the whole situation---so we thought! Anyway, Chesca and Carl were supposed to be part of the trip. Unfortunately, I got late in booking for a six bed cabin. Why not economy or tourist? The fare is cheaper, yes, but you’ve got no privacy at all! Not to mention a common bath and a negligible air-conditioning system! Besides, it’s a 21 hour boat ride so might as well travel with some style!

Day 2
Aside from the above mentioned perks of going stateroom are the “no line” meal and the reserved table. Looking at the long queue at the economy and tourist I do believe I made the right choice. Sad thing is---the food sucks!

I had the chance to roam around the facilities. According to Jasmine the Front Desk, the best Super Ferry boats are 15, 16, and 17. So far, the best SF boat I got to board on was #12. The presence of escalators says that it is a big boat! It is unfortunate that there isn’t a new boat travelling the Iloilo route, so, we ended up with #9. You can tell that it’s old just by looking at it! Not much to entertain your self in except for the karaoke bar in the dining area and the over priced convenience store!

The prerequisite for the room is a private bath, so it’s either cabin or stateroom. When I took the rounds of the place, I stopped by the common bathroom and though it may not look too shabby, the smell was something else! Another justification for the rooming I chose!

We arrived at the port of Iloilo at 7:35pm. Since disembarking was not favorable with two kids in tow plus a laptop, a big suitcase, and a trolley bag, I decided to get a porter to do the heavy lifting @ Php 200. I was not in the bargaining mood and settled with the guy mainly because of his gently manners. The van fare was hefty at Php 150 considering that the meter only got to Php 55 from port to the Century 21 Hotel. Anyway, it was a nice cool van and Ceasar was a smooth driver. I eventually decided to hire him again for our trip to Dingle tomorrow.

After cajoling Tim to get in the elevator---boy, he really broke the silence of the hotel with his tantrum---we finally got to settle in. SM Delgado was just around the corner and I did some last minute addition to our travelling provisions.

Tomorrow afternoon we will be setting off for San Matias, Dingle.


Day 3
Brrrr! Was the aircon COLD! Woke up with my throat parched!
Jhoy and Justine was already awake by 7:15am. After a Jollibee breakfast, a fast drop by at SM Delgado to replenish supplies (normally consisting of water, diaper and a whole lot of junk food), and ordering room service for lunch, we set off for Dingle.

We arrived at San Matias around 1:30pm and was met by Lola Ayak, Auntie Judith, and Auntie Ne-ing all of whom gave us a tearful welcome accompanied by a litany of Visayan I could not understand.

We were suppose to go to the cemetery late in the afternoon but it rained and we decided to there tomorrow instead.

The highlight of the afternoon was Tim getting attached to a chicken! Tim has been fond of chickens for so long it was a real treat for him to actually hold one. Good thing about this chicken is that she doesn’t care how many times Tim grabs to pick her up---she just lets it be without pecking back! My worry is if Tim decides to take the chicken home with us!

Also with us during this time were Noynoy and his children Kayla and Francis, Jurome, and Kuya Roming.

Day 4 and 5 to be continued tomorrow...

Boxers or Brief?

Working after lunch can be very challenging. I’ve tried to sneak in a 30 minute snooze before and what I got after was a big throbbing headache! So I just try to relax and watch my favorite TV series (now it’s “How I met Your Mother”). However, once the 1 o’clock lights goes on and it’s back to work, sometimes you just can’t keep your eyes on straight and you end up crossed eyed sleepy in front of your computer! Darn I hate those moments! Specially when I’m in the middle of composing an advisory and I just couldn’t get my head on straight! I’ve tried splashing water over my face, shimmying like a wet dog, slapping my face silly---but when I sit down I’m back to slumber mode!

Last Friday was no exception. So instead of doing the usual wake up routine that I do, I went around the office and did a survey. The question: What do you prefer in a man---BOXERS or BRIEF? My respondents---all the ladies present on our floor! Total: 10. Based on the survey results 70% of the ladies like men in boxers! Now, let me clarify that of the respondents who voted boxers---71% wanted the cycling short style…thing. My idea of a boxer short is the loose kind with the button fly (didn’t realize there was this other…thing!). Well, I guess this reinforces my wife’s thing for boxers too! And she tells me that I look good in in them---how can you argue with that?! So one day at the department store she buys me these boxers for me to wear. The first day I wore one it felt like my package was all over the place! It just wouldn’t stay put! Now, I just walk from Edsa to San Miguel Avenue where the office is located (if you’re familiar with the place---you’d say that’s quite a long walk) and when I say walk I say brisk walking! Weird thing when you’re walking this fast and you’re on boxers is that your nuts is ding-donging as you go! Heck, it’s damn WEIRD! Another odd thing about boxers is the button fly. My question is---why put on buttons at all? I mean, for convenience I don’t button up when wearing boxers. Imagine this: you’re already in the verge of exploding in your pants and you couldn’t get the damn buttons to open!! See?

Yes, the front opening is convenient for immediate release (specially after gulping a lot of bottomless ice tea!). But putting the package back in feels kinda awkward. Sometimes you think its already in but no sooner that you feel that its still dangling outside the damn boxers! Guys, you know how it feel to have your package hitting zipper, right?! Totally NOT COOL!!

I guess I need to tell the missus to buy me those boxer briefs instead!

Heroes Season 3

New season, new twist.

Season 2 left off with Sylar getting back his powers and resumes the latest season with our favorite villain finally cornering Claire and gets to dissect her brain. Thing is, he does not kill her for some special reason (which is still unfolding).

Then comes a new revelation: Peter, Nathan, and Sylar---siblings? Well, apparently, Sylar was given up for adoption by Mrs. Petrelli (reason still unknown). Now that makes Claire her nephew, right?

Sylar as the protagonist? After being captured (again) by the Corporation and "nurtured" by Mrs. Petrelli, Sylar is being groomed as unlikely partner of Noah Bennet to capture the escapees of Level 5. Will he be able to prove himself the heroe? Or, will he make a smorgasborg out of the escapees and steal all their powers?

The premise of the show remains the same---to change the future! Yeah, yeah, time travel is a bit unfair! Ok! It's unreasonable! Anyway, at the beginning of the first season, we had a lone time bender in Hiro Nakamura and by its season ender Peter inherits Hiro's powers and began using it in the second season. Needless to say, future-Peter changes the future once more when he goes back to the past and tries to assasinate his own brother, Nathan, whose decision to divulge the existence of people with special abilities leads to a tumultuous future. Does he die? Yup! For all you Nathan Petrelli fans, no need to worry because he was risen from the dead by the dead Mr. Lindermann! Now how the fuck is that possible?! I guess we'd just see as the new season unfolds!

Many male viewers went amuck as Nikki's character was killed the last season but I guess the producers saw the impact of Ali Larter's presence in the show and wrote a storyline for her to be back in the cast of the latest season as Nikki's identical sister.

As a whole, I find it still worth the watch time.

So far, 3 episodes have aired. Episode 4 is already out in torrent.

Prison Break: A Lesson in Project Management

I just finished watching Season 1 of Prison Break and boy---was it a classic example of what Project Management is all about!
Project Management is planning, planning, planning and more planning. It's thinking about all the "what ifs" that could break your project and making sure contingencies are in place for such an occasion. Michael Scofield devised a plan to rescue his brother from prison and a date with the electric chair. He had a plan so meticulously laid he knew what things he needed, where he needed to go and who he needed to cohort with to make it happen. He was so intensely keen on every detail of the prison. Now, in order to make sure that error is put to a minimum in terms of how they're going to escape, he went to the extreme of tatooing the prison layout in his body--camouflaged as ordinary tatoo art. Michael then had himself put into prison by committing a crime he knew would land him in the very prison his brother is awaiting execution---Fox River Correctional Facility.
Once inside, he immediately set his plan in motion. But as Murphy's Law states, "if anything can happen---it will in the worst possible way." Michael was confident that his plan was fool proof but as major blunders came his way we see what the character a true project manager should possess: patience and the ability to adapt to change! With each set back he was able to re-group and and make changes to the original plan until finally they were able to accomplish the planned escape!
It was real treat to watch I tell you! When I was first told about this series I was not at all interested. But as I watched a couple of episodes---I was hooked! Every time an episode ends it's "bitin" and it becomes an itch to watch the next! All 24 episodes are guaranteed to keep you at the end of your couch. Unfortunately, I did not find the escape scene particularly realistic where they had to unhinge the window bars by tying it to a descending elevator without alerting any guards! Still, it's worth all the watch hours! Check it out!

To My Wife

(A Valentine's blog for my wife posted in Friendster, February 14, 2008)

Well folks, it's Vday once more!
Sad thing about this day is that it falls 1 day short of payday, meaning, most of us, by this time have little or no more budget for a valentine's day gift or date! Bummer!
Take my case for instance. I'm so poor-doy right now that I only got my wife "pichi-pichi" last night when I got home---I didn't even get the chance to tell her it's her valentine's present until this morning! In fairness, the "pichi-pichi" was real treat! But one thing's for certain, the situation surely sapped the life out of romance! The whole fiasco turned even worse when I found a box of chocolates and a card from my dear wife in my bag this morning! Darn! How do I top that one?!
No dough, so buying a present would be out of the question! Well since I've got of 45 minutes travel time to the office I might as well make good use of it and wrote a poem:

To My Wife by Carlos Macarayan (February 2008)

Each day with you I celebrate
Every moment I treasure
Your smile,
Your kiss,
Your warm embrace,
I keep them all in my heart.
Every once in while
I'll pick from these memories
and reminisce,
To give me comfort in my solitude,
And Hope in my despair,
You are my anchor.
When I close my eyesI see you

The warmth of your smile

Exorcising all my fears

Keeping me sane

In this insane world.

Alanis' Angst

Inspired by the song "Ironic" by Alanis Morisette...

Alanis' Angst by Carlos Macarayan (1996)

Tell me Alanis
The story of your life,
About the man who hurt you
bad...and
The guy that would make you
Glad...
Tell me about your days
With the salvation army
Singing your songs
to the deaf
Trying to tell them your story---what a shame
Now look whose ears are plugged.
It truly is ironic---
Life, I mean
The Pauper
Now a zillionaire
Basking in the glitter of the paparazzi
Smiling amidst naked feet.
Let is all out Alanis---
All your hidden anger
And the pain that so burdened
your heart
Salving it with melody
The song of your life.

Missing You All!

The year 2008 is truly very special. For the first time in 11 years the complete brood of Macarayans from Blk 25 Lot 20(LAGRO) got together for a reunion! First to arrive, last December 12, was my sister, Conila, from Australia and her family(with her husband Arnold and daughters, Ella and Inna. Then came my brother, Bong, with his wife Fe, and siblings: Nico, Reujen, and Issa. The reunion was a real raucous!
My sister comes for a visit every so often but it was the first trip back to the Pinas for my brother in 11 years and it was a real treat seeing him and the rest of his family again!
Ten grandchildren were in the house for the New Year and a couple of occasions after that---it was a blast!! They were such fun moments that last January 10, 6:16am, my youngest son, Justin Matthew, decided to see what the fuzz was all about!! Now, that’s 11 “apos” loitering our household!
It was fun seeing the children bond! Chesca and Nico seemed to be lost talking about girly stuff; Issa, Colleen, Carl and Tim were playing all day; Reujen and Ringo squared it off on the basketball court. I would have loved to join in on the basketball court and play with the Macarayans vs Lagro game but my bum knee, asthma, and bad back prevented me to…old age, I guess…
Naturally, it was almost always a feast at home during this time---with my mother cooking up a storm to feed the idiosyncratic appetites of the family. Lucky for me, the cacophony of gastronomic fiesta ruined my appetite and I only ate in between washing the dishes(in small quantities, mind you!). Needless to say I didn’t gain much weight during the holidays! Well, not that I needed to anyway! 230 lbs for my 5”11 frame is already too much says my doctor!
Anyway, my sister went back to Australia last January 12 and my brother last January 18. Now all that remained were the reverberating echoes of screaming children and the boisterous laughter of reminiscing adults!
It’s sad that my brother and his family can only stay for 18 days. Everyday passed by so fast. Such a short time to catch up on things. Well, if you’ll ask my mother she’ll surely get sentimental about it. I guess that’s normal for mothers. But that’s something most would misinterpret until such time that we find ourselves missing our children when they have their own families…nonetheless, I’m thankful to God for giving us this opportunity to see each other once more!
Missing you all…

PS
To my dear nephew Reugen, in playing basketball with dirty players: (1) don't get mad---get even...discreetly(specially on official games; (2) play smart and let the ref see what needs to be seen(get my drift?); (3) practice, practice, practice and practice---great players made it big not because of talent alone!; (4) don't run too fast---"MADAPA KA!"

Goodbye, Nanay!

My mother-in-law died early morning of November 10 after a year long bout with a liver disease. We buried her in her last November 17 in her hometown of Dingle, Iloilo.

Nanay lived a very colorful life. Colorful in the tele-novela sort of way---but let's not go there. She was a very caring woman who was specially protective of her grandchildren. With her "apos", saying "no" took a real effort!

Knowing the value of hard earned money, nanay was very stringent about unscrupulous spending. However, she was very generous with her grandchildren specially when it comes to their basic needs.

Nanay was well loved by many. This was mainly because of the countless people she came to help during her lifetime. She would always find it in her good heart to help when the situation calls for it.

The ailment saw her getting in and out of the hospital---being drained of her bodily fluid since only 40% of her liver was functional. I have witnessed the calvary that she went through. It pained me to see her lying in the hospital bed with all those tubes stuck into her and unable to move on her own. Everyone was affected by her sickness.

As the hospital bills piled on Nanay's life-long savings got depleted. We all struggled to keep up with the bills. It was a very stressful situation which sometimes led to friction amongst siblings. It was a good thing that Nanay has got a good investment of friends who chipped in financial support during such financial crisis.

Nanay knew how much I hate mushy situations and she continually badgered me during her funeral---trying to make me cry...well, she succeeded and I had to immediately skirt away from the crowd and cried myself silly in my own little spot. She must have been laughing in her grave seeing me like that! Anyway, it was a good cry which let out a lot of my angst.

Thank you Nanay for all the support you have given us. We will surely miss you

The Day We Met

The Day We Met by Carlos Macarayan(1996)

We met one summer day in March
In the revelry of the blazing yellow sky,
Wearing your Sunday dress in pastel ellegance,
Your hazel brown eyes dancing about
Squinting...
Gazing at the ethereal spendor
of the Monetian sun...
On cobblestone path
You strolled
In the pageantry of nature's beauty
As the sunflowers stood in ovation
While the cypresses
Swayed and danced
To the rhythm
of your every step...
You were a sight like no other
The envy of the Louve
The avatar of every artist's dream
The scent of you filling the air
Sending me in oblivion
A moment etched in the Parthenon
of my mind...

Sorry

I have ghostwritten for a lot of my friends during my seminary days and if I'm to count the number of girls I got to court through my pen---I can say that I have had a lot of girlfriends during those times. The thing is, what I write on paper I cannot say when face to face with the opposite sex. I guess my gift for writing is to compensate for my being "torpe".

Even after we've gone our separate ways some of my former classmates would call me to commission my writing skills. This one was for a friend who got into some sort of a misunderstanding with a girl he's courting. They got hitched after a year.

Sorry by Carlos Macarayan(1996)

The thought of having
hurt you---
Fills me with dread,
Like an arrow lost in flight
Listless and wrenched,
The pervading pain,
Breaking my heart in two
Which only
The salve of your forgiveness
Can heal---I'm sorry...

Revenge

I wrote this after watching the movie "House of the Spirits". Such cruel tragedy!

Revenge by Carlos Macarayan(1996)

The wrath of a vengeful heart
demands a reckoning,
Against the same blood that
spawned such sin,
Boiling with anger
The broken mind ravages and raves
Blinded by the fire that rages
From deep within...

Life

Life by Carlos Macarayan(1996)

Life is but a phase
A state of being
In Love...
In Pain...
In Trepidation...
The ephemeral circumstance
Of feeling...
Struggling...
Striving...
To make a difference
In this abstract existence...

Innocence

The book "To Kill a Mockingbird" (Harper Lee) really got me riled up that i got to write two poems. If you haven't read it yet I suggest you do. It's a really nice book to ponder on.

Innocence by Carlos Macarayan(1996)

Is a young child's heart
That sees through the barrier
of color and race,
Unblemished by the vexation
of prejudice and bias
Innocence...
Is a child's subtlety of reason
That defy the interpolation
of avarice and greed,
His unending search for the light
amidst the darkness
Innocence...
Is a child's wanton naivete
That inhibits him
from fear and cowardice
The elixir that strenghtens him
to persevere and to stand fast
Innocence...
Is every child
Within us
That battles all our evils
And defies the logic
of the mature mind...

Sleepless

Written one sleepless night...

Sleepless by Carlos Macarayan(1996)

The silent night
drifts past,
Witnessed by the
crescent moon,
Its darkness---
A spell for dreams
and static thoughts...
Crickets in the shadows
The stacatto
of their opera,
Syncopated by
dog beats, and
The occasional rustle
of leaves,
Leaving me mesmerized,
Caught up in a labyrinth
of Stravinskian rhythm...
Still,
I remain awake
Nothing to do
But stare, and
Listen...
Another one of those
restless beings
In the dead of the night

Eternal

Eternal by Carlos Macarayan(1996)

Your picture flashes
From time to time
Intruding
In my solitude
Whispering...carressing
My lonely heart
Keeping me awake
With countless memories
Of moments that could have been
But never were...
In the silence of the corridor
I hear your voice
Enveloping me
Possessing me
Calling me...
You are a love
Lost---
In the labyrinth
of the past
The Phantom
That haunts
My restless soul
Cursing me
To the plight of longing
For you---in Eternity.

The Lonely Journey Home

I used to take the bike to and from work when I was just a service crew and going home at night was real something...got me a real close encounter with a bat once---let's just say we got to bond together for a little while!

The Lonely Journey Home by Carlos Macarayan(1994)

Alone on a deserted highway
Not a soul in sight
Only you, the tall "dayami", and
The symphonic croaking of frogs
Accompanying your every step...
Like swimming in murky waters
The darkness envelopes you
Heart pumping as
The rush of wind buffets
Cool blows upon your face...
Fear,
Often times would cling
To your being, and
As you go deeper into the night
You fight,
To keep control
Wrestling with ghouls and goblins
In your schizophernic mind...
But as the clouds give way to the moon
You see,
The reason for your journey
Illuminated by the laughter of children,
The Joy that pervades, and
Banishes all the fears,
Exorcising the anxieties of
The lonely journey...Home

My Friend, Ren

A birthday poem for a former colleague, Ren-Ren, ages ago...where ever she is I hope she's happy...

My Friend, Ren by Carlos Macarayan(1995)

I have a friend
Whose name is Ren
A real shiner
so says my pen
In a crowd,
She won't be ignored
For no matter how small
She'll be endowed
The queen of the ball
She has ivory white skin
Which looks good with yellow
A china doll face
Which is divine when mellow
Her rich brown hair
Cut down to a trim
Making her fair
Sexy and slim...ows?
Anyway,
It's her birthday todaySo let's give her her way
A year older
I guess she'll be bolder
But,
Come what may
A friend she'll stay

A Secret Place

A Secret Place by Carlos Macarayan(1995)

Often times
I'm in a blank
Thinking thoughts, and
Speaking words, which
trails the air
Into nothingness
Secrets,
A life long of secrets
Spoken only
To walls, and
Silent corridors
Singing songs
In a theater
Full of chairs
Memories,
Buried deep in
an abyss
In dreams, and
Empty castles
In the sky
Where the phantoms roam
And the princess dance.

Life

My boss would always tell us, "don't burn bridges". The wheel of life turns unpredictably. For all we know the people working for us today can be someone big in the future(maybe become our boss!). So it is very important that we never look down on people. Take the opportunity to be part of your subordinate's growth both personally and professionally. I am very fortunate that I have had good bosses(including my current one) who patiently took me under their tutelage and take me to where I am today. Now, I would like to do the same with my people and hope that I also impact their lives in as much as my bosses did mine!

Poems

I wrote this as my daughter Chesca's school assignment...

Poems by Carlos Macarayan(1995)

Is a treasure chest
Of emotions,
Spoken,
In metaphor, and
Vivid imagery,
A catharsis,
for turmoil and angst...
The trumpet for happiness, and
A monologue
for LOVE...

Quid Pro Quo

In other words, "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."

People often times forget that in any relationship there should be give and take. Often times the narcissist in us prevails and we focus only on what we can take from others. This is bad karma!

Being in the customer service business this Latin phrase have proven itself countless times as I deal with both internal and external customers.

Leading a project involves inter-department and vendor coordination. As such, it is important that you have a good working relationship with them, otherwise, support will be a very rare commodity for you---and your project---is doomed from the start!

Striking a smooth working relationship with other people entails a lot of giving and less of the taking. This like saving for a rainy day. The more you give, the more emotional bank load you invest. This way whenever you are on the negotiating table there is always a compromise to all conflicts and the willingness to arrive at a win-win solution.

Child's Play

This was written when I was baby sitting my son Ringo when he 4 years...

Child's Play by Carlos Macarayan(1994)

To and fro,
To and fro,
Screaming and screeching,
Crouching...
Stalking,
The fiend with the crooked smile...
SHU-WING! Goes the man
in the dark suit,
"I am...Batman!"

Reverie (1989)

I wrote this poem while I was still courting my soon to be wife...

Reverie by Carlos Macarayan(1989)

Lend me your ears and
hear me say, "I love you"
Hold my hands and
feel me say, "I love you"
Yes I do and now you know,
That love for you is what makes me glow
Now, as I hold your hands and look
into your eyes
I ask, "Do you love me too?"
Am I wrong in hearing the words,
"Yes I do..."

Thinking of You

I co-wrote this poem in 1992 with a friend who was courting a girl(who soon became his wife)...

Thinking of You
by Joel Lee and Carlos Macarayan(1992)

It was a long cold night
in my little sleeping box
Unable to get a yawn nor wink
Amidst my sleeping suit and sox.
And so I thought of writing
A poem for you, my dear
Reminiscing those prcious moments
To exorcise all my fears.
But then I thought...
I am neither skilled nor capable
To think of words that rhyme
And so there I was flustered
Thinking hard while playing with my dime.
Ahh, but the thought of you
Gives me such strenght and inspiration
To go beyond myself,
And conquer this trepidation...
And so I think of you and sigh---
My hands and my mind possessed
As I find my quill pouring out words
That I have long wanted to confess...
I love you so and I always will
No matter the adversity
You will always be in my heart
For eternity.

Be Happy!

The most important component in finding true happiness is ACCEPTANCE.

This may seem to be a simple process but it is actually easier said than done. If you experience a nagging difficulty in any aspect of your life---it's likely that the cause of this problem is the failure to accept reality as it is.

There are certain things in life that we can change like job, address, haircut, girlfriend, boyfriend. However, there will be times when we cannot just change them on a whim. If you don't like your boss you don't just quit and say good riddance! Finding a job is hard nowadays. Your current house may not be as plush as you want it to be but do you have enough financial excess to move out and buy a new one? Or, you wanted to have a mohawk style hairdo but if you have a receding hairline like Bruce Willis there wouldn't be much hair to style. What I'm saying is---in order to be happy in life you should find contentment with what you have.

Resentment is a disease that eats up the soul! If you have an abundance of resentment in your heart there can never be room for happiness!

I cannot tell you what to do. All I can say is---IT'S NOT A GOOD FEELING TO BE RESENTFUL! So, I chose to be happy! Try it! You may find it worthwhile doing!

What Now, Brett?

And the Brett Favre comeback saga continues...
Apparently, the Packers organization has "moved on" to the post-Favre era and is now posturing Aaron Rodgers as their number 1 quarterback. Naturally, Favre wanted a release so he could show what he has still got in another team. Unfortunately, the Packers aint quite ready to release him just yet. Now, why is that?!
They've offered the number 2 spot which I think is an insult to Favre's stature! I'm sure Brett will not be amenable to this set up!
If I were the Packers---I'd let Brett play out the remainder of his contract (he's got one more year left) and have him redeem himself from last season's sorry loss to the Giants. That would be reason enough for him to really step it up one more notch to greatness!
But then, I'm not the Packers!

Dare to Dream!

"Mangahas kang mangarap!" That was what Dr. Onofre Pagsanghan was passionately preaching about during Jollibee's General Meeting last June 23, 2008. Dr. Pagsanghan or "Pagsi" as he is fondly called is an 81 year old Ateneo high school teacher whose teaching experience spans 57 years and counting!

I have had the privelege of hearing this man speak twice. The first one was during our department team building in Tagaytay. Although, he basically spoke of the same things, I was mesmerized a second time!

When I first saw him, I was wondered what this feable looking man has to say that will make me want to listen. He was close to balding and looked withered. There was, however, a certain spring to his stride as he went up the podium. To my surprise, he spoke with such energy, passion and the eloquence I couldn't help being capture by his every word! With his extra ordinary charisma he spoke of his life experience and transformed mundane moments into lessons that many of us can attribute to.

His message was simple, "Mangahas kang mangarap!"---"Dare to DREAM!"
Born from a poor family in Manila, Pagsi dreamt of studying in the Ateneo. A simingly impossible aspiration for someone whose family is barely able to make ends meet. But through the kindness of their parish priest coupled by persistence, perseverance, and an unwavering hope that there is life beyond the confines of poverty, he was able to prove that dreams can come true!

With S'Ato's declaration of the company's 2020 vision on international television, we find ourselves looking through the eyes of young Pagsi. Such a tall order for a small company to prance about in the land of giants!
The road towards this vision will definitely not be a walk in the park and considering that the international players are already entrenched and dug in, our path will be an uphill climb on rocky grounds.

"Mangahas kang mangarap!"---To open 4,000 stores world wide and be the best Asian food chain in the 2020 is definitely a long haul but with Pagsi's example he has taught us that YES, one can dream one's impossible dreams and try to reach for that unreachable star, only if one is ready to pay the price to make it a reality!

Talking About Brett Favre

I fellow football enthusiast told me last Thursday that Greenbay quarterback, Brett Favre, is mulling a return to active play after announcing his retirement a couple of months ago. Obviously I haven't been following the post-Superbowl news as of late---well, except for that teary retirement speech of Brett.

I root for two football teams in the NFL---the San Francisco 49'ers and the Greenbay Packers, but primarily the Niners. I recently shifted to the Packers when Steve Young retired.
When Brett got to the podium to bid his football career good-bye I was NFL comatosed. Who do I root for now that Brett decided he'd be fishing on the next football season? Anyway, the latest talk about a comeback stirred me from my slumber. True enough, when I logged in the NFL website, there it was---Brett is definitely coming back for, I'd guess, I more year! Can't blame him though. He ended last season with an interception filled game it must have like bile that wouldn't seem to wear off or a relationship turned sour that needed...closure.

Unfortunately, the Greenbay organization isn't about ready to get him back for the reason that they have already committed to the rebuilding of the team without Brett. So, I guess, it's going to be another team for Mr. Favre next season.

Question now is: "Who's going to gamble on a 40 year old quarterback?" I'm sure Brett won't settle for a secondary position. Well, if price wouldn't be an issue, I'm praying that the 49'ers would send an offer sheet. Their main quarterback, Alex Smith, didn't give impressive numbers last season. Maybe the 49'ers organization will see the possibility of giving Favre his last hurrah and at the same time let their young quarterbacks learn from the master. Wishful thinking? I guess we'll find out when the next season begins. For the meantime, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Note: This blog was a result of an excessive amount of ice coffee I just injested!