Thursday, December 27, 2007

Buy A Sole Feed A Soul

FILA launched a promo "BUY A SOLE FEED A SOLE" wherein if you buy a shoes in their promo, part of the income shall go to a charity institution.

At first, I was not struck by their ADS that would help others, but by the pric of their shoes. Not so cheap yet not so expensive. But when I was inside the store, I can't imagine that on just a pair of shoes, I could even help those less fortunate.

I hope that this little good deed will extend to lot of people who is in need.



Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Where Are You Christmas

Remember the movie "The Grinch". A nice movie telling us the meaning of Christmas. Sometimes, we are always hunted by our past and we can't move on. But also sometimes, love can only heal this wound.

Merry Christmas.

"Where Are You Christmas"
By: Faith Hill

Where are you Christmas
Why can't I find you
Why have you gone away
Where is the laughter
You used to bring me
Why can't I hear music play

My world is changing
I'm rearranging
Does that mean Christmas changes too

Where are you Christmas
Do you remember
The one you used to know
I'm not the same one
See what the time's done
Is that why you have let me go

Christmas is here
Everywhere, oh
Christmas is here
If you care, oh

If there is love in your heart and your mind
You will feel like Christmas all the time

I feel you Christmas
I know I've found you
You never fade away
The joy of Christmas
Stays here inside us
Fills each and every heart with love

Where are you Christmas
Fill your heart with love

Monday, December 24, 2007

Lonely, I'm Mr. Lonely

It's less than 24 hours, and we will be celebrating Christmas. Here I am at my room, just watching movie and let the time pass by. I wish I could fly so that I could go back and forth to places where I want. But reality strikes, and I must face it. Hope this won't happen again. :(

Sunday, December 23, 2007

il mare (part 2)

Il Mare(Siwore), a Korean film casted by Jeon Ji-hyeon (전지현) and Lee Jeong-jae (이정재) tells a story of "time-transcending love". A love separated by time, connected by a mail box, a mysterious box.







Wednesday, December 19, 2007

il mare

I'll Be Home for Christmas?

Sounds familiar. But not in my case. This will be the first time I'll be spending this holiday away from my family, away from home.

Lot's of work to accomplish, and other reasons, why I'm not going back to Manila to celebrate Christmas & New Year with my family. Total independence? Not really. Do I have other options? Yes I do. But I prefer this one. Kill joy am I? I don't think so.

There are also lot of people their who wouldn't have a chance to be with their love ones. I guess the important thing, not to forget them even we are very busy. To pray for them.

Happy Holiday!!!

Christmas Carol

Christmas is one of the busiest day of the year. Everyone seems to be excited planning their party, buy gifts to love one.

We sometimes experienced to be tired and get stress, but when we hear a Christmas carol, our tiredness get away. We even sing the songs without knowing it.

Christmas, one of the most awaited holiday of the year.

Merry Christmas!!!

Friday, December 14, 2007

Gifts

Everyone becomes excited when they received gifts. Sometimes, we create a wishlist so that the one who will give their gifts will know what we want.

Not for me. Not this Christmas. I don't know why. I didn't even bother to write my wishlist. Maybe because I don't know what gift do I want to receive or it doesn't matter what's inside the wrapper.

This christmas on our party, I received a gift cheque and a bonus of starbucks goodies. Thank you very much. I have no rights to complain in the first place, because he has no idea of what I want. It's just a play safe situation.


Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Lexmark Retro Fever '07

Like Blast from the Past, Lexmark celebrated its Christmas Party with its theme "Lexmark Retro Fever '07".

Lots of productions and surprises prepared by the committee, everyone enjoyed the party as we all reminisced the songs and dresses from 60's, 70's and 80's.

Even time passes by, we will surely remember this thing as it continue to be part of our history.

Cookies Everywhere


A store made of cookies? Yes.

Conceptualized by Marriot Hotel, Cebu, this store is made of cookies and bread.

The store is located at Ground Floor, Ayala Center Cebu. They sell pastries and different goodies such as cookies and breads.

Breakfast at San Remegio, Cebu

Sounds great, but not for me. It was a very tiring day.

Off to Lexmark Christmas Party, two of my officemate decided to head to San Remegio, north of Cebu which is around 4 hours of travel from Cebu City to join the Christmas party of some of their friends. We were suppose to leave the city by 1am but all of the bus were full when the bus arrived at Lacion. We've waited for almost 3 hours until we decided to go to North Bus Terminal. I almost slept at the entire travel.

At the beach where they had their Party, we just had our breakfast and slept again for about an hour. Around 12 noon, me and my friend agreed to go back to the city and not to join the others anymore.

We arrived the city around 4 pm . I just had my dinner, took a bath, and slept for almost 12 hours. That was a tiring day, and won't let it happen again.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Heroes Die? Powerless?

Fans of US TV series Heroes might get disappointed when Hollywood writers strike resulting to cut down of episodes. Not only Heroes get affected by this but also other series.

Episode 11, Powerless, has already been aired and a season ender for Heroes. If negotiation ends well, they might continue to write Heroes for a new Season and possibly aired by 2008. Preview of Season 3, Episode 1 has been included in the last episode having its title Villain.

Will this be the end for Heroes?

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Not Qualified

I went for a screening for blood donation in Chong Hua Hospital, Cebu. I was very nervous at that time knowing that they extract around 500cc of blood. Unfortunately, the medical technician who was about to get a sample of blood told me that I was not qualified because my veins are too small. My veins might collapse during the extraction. Does this mean I cannot donate my blood anymore?

My Favorite

Palabok is one of my favorite since I was a child. It is a good partner with Halo-Halo(for me).


Rose, thank you for the food(First Blood!). And welcome to Lexmark.

To Donate or Not To Donate?

It's a great felling knowing that you could help others even in a very little. But if it's your first time to do one thing, there's a strange feeling that keep on holding you back. There's a need for a little push. I know I can do this. May the force be with me.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Places, Places, Places

I love to travel. In fact, If would have a chance to have a second job, I want it like those who are in public affairs who are traveling to different places to cover some interesting topics. Here are my list for this year.

February 24, 2007 - Bantayan Island, Cebu




April 5, 2007 - Nueva Ecija




April 29, 1007 - Kawasan Falls, Cebu




June 2, 2007 - Camotes Island, Cebu




June 9, 2007 - Bohol




June 16, 2007 - Bacolod City




June 16, 2007 - Iloilo City




June 17, 2007 - Boracay




June 18, 2007 - Caticlan, Aklan




June 18, 2007 - Kalibo, Aklan




August 11, 2007 - Puerto Princesa, Palawan



October 12, 2007 - Intosan, Danao City, Cebu

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

We'll Never Say Goodbye

It's been almost two years that me and my fellow colleagues received a news, a closure of the company. It was very painful at first knowing that you'll be separating yet a fruitful one because the bonding with each other becomes stronger and remains the same and more opportunities open to each one of us. To all my mentors, colleagues, friends, and specially my batchmate MNLT200306(NEC Mobiling LTD, Manila June 2003 Batch), thank you for the memories.

We'll Never Say Goodbye
By Art Garfunkel

We share the days of laughter
We share the nights of sorrow
And in the morning after
We face the bright tomorrow
Side by side we'll always stand
Spirits flying high
Long as I can hold your hand
We'll never say goodbye.

We walk the halls of learning
And serve a proud tradition
The flame of truth is burning
To clarify our vision
Look at how the future gleams
Gold against the sky!
Long as I can share your dreams
We'll never say goodbye

There's little to be sure of
But we will last forever
For now we know the pure love
We feel when we're together
Then if someay we should part
We will not say die
Long as you are in my heart
We'll never say goodbye








Monday, December 3, 2007

Japanese Language Proficiency Test

About thousands of people from Manila, Cebu and Davao here in the Philippines participated on the recently concluded Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). The exam assesses your Japanese Language skills which include grammer, vocabulary and listening skills.

Gladly, I've passed Level 4 and Level 3 yet I haven't used it as of the moment. Maybe, because I'm now working in an American firm unlike before in which Japanese language is very helpful when I was working with NEC.

Pictures below are taken with their proctors. I find their proctor, Amika Tahahashi, cute. How I wish I was there. Sigh.

JPLT examiners from NSP Manila Branch



To all of you guys, good luck. Gambette ne!

Friday, November 30, 2007

Yule Rock @ NSP








Faith

Article below are taken from forwarded e-mail. Credits goes to "Anonymous"


INTERESTING CONVERSATION


An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem
science has with God, The Almighty.

He asks one of his new Christian students to stand and.....

Professor : You are a Christian, aren't you, son?
Student : Yes, sir.

Prof : So you believe in God?

Student : Absolutely, sir.

Prof : Is God good?

Student : Sure.

Prof : Is God all-powerful?

Student : Yes.

Prof : My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him.
Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't.
How is this God good then? Hmm?

(Student is silent.)

Prof : You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God
good?

Student :Yes.

Prof : Is Satan good?

Student : No.

Prof : Where does Satan come from?

Student : From...God...

Prof : That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student : Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?

Student : Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?

(Student does not answer.)

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness?
All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?

Student :Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?

(Student has no answer.)

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the
world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student : No , sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God?
Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?

Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student : Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says
your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof: Yes.

Student : And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof: Yes.

Student : No sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega
heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called
cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go
any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word
we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold.
Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of
it.

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as
darkness?

Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something.
You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But
if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't
it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness
darker, wouldn't you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of duality.
You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God.
You are viewing the concept of God as something finite,
something we can measure.
Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and
magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as
the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist
as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of
it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a
monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of
course, I do.

Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the
argument is going.)

Student : Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work
and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavour, are you not
teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class is in uproar.)

Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's
brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain,
felt it, touched or smelt it?.....No one appears to have done so.
So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable
protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir.
With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face
unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student : That is it sir.. The link between man & god is FAITH.
That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

Break Free

Break Free

By Hillsong


Verse 1

Would you believe me, would you listen if I told you that
There is a love that makes the way, it never holds you back


Verse 2

Who would have thought that God would give his one and only Son
Taken a stand upon the cross to show his perfect love


Pre-chorus
So would you break free, would you break free get up and dance, in His love


Chorus

His love never ends, yeah.
There's no escaping the truth, there's no mistaking its you
God forever we'll get up and dance, get up and dance and praise you
There's no escaping your love, there's no mistaking your light
Across the world we will get up and dance, get up and dance and praise you


Verse 3

Now is the time to take this freedom that has come our way
Offer our lives to see the glory of His name


Bridge

Never ? all our days
We are holy Lord, holding onto all your ways
We are holding on, holding on to all you've said and you've done
We are holding on to your love
Now we will dance

Palawan Tour

Palawan Tour


Good thing Cebu Pacific offers lots of promo like the Piso Fare, so "every Juan can fly".



At first we decided to have a trip to Cagayan de Oro but the time that Cebu Pacific offered this promo, they don't have yet direct flight to CDO, so our we go for Palawan.



Known as the "Last Frontier of the Philippines", Palawan has lot to offer. We arrived at Puerto Princesa Airport about lunch time. We just placed are baggage at the pension house where we stayed and right after we had our lunch. Then afterwards, we started our tour.



UntitledWe had our city tour just by ourselves. We tought we could save a lot as compared to having a travel guide. So our first stop was the Butterfly Garden. What else should you expect for, of course, butterflies and lots of butterflies. Next stop, Baker's Hill. We tasted their Ube Hopia, Ham & Cheese Pandesal and Pianono. Among the three, my favorite is Ube Hopia. Then we go to the closest Rancho for site seeing. And our final stop for the city tour, the famous Crocodile Farm. You'll find different sizes of crocodile. And to end the day we had our dinner to one of the famous restaurant in the city, Ka Lui Restaurant.



UntitledOn the second day, we had our underground river cruise on Puerto Princesa Palawan Subterranean River. It's an almost 8 KM navigable underground river, but only around 1-2 KM is open to public. Don't know, may be i was not listening when the guide was explaining. Lots of stalactites and stalagmites formation you can see inside the cave. Then we end the day by having our dinner at Kinabuchs Restaurant. I tried their tamilok (woodworm), but I was not able to eat all.



On our third day, we went island hopping at Honda Bay. Our first stop, Pandan Island. We had snorkeling on the island. Then we went to Snake Island, named after its shape "S". We had our lunch their and, the usual, snorkel again and fed the fish. Our final stop was the Starfish Island, named after because they say this island has lots of starfish, but amazingly, i found few. On our way back to the wharf, we passed by to Lu-Li Island short for Lulubog-Lilitaw.



It is very exciting to go to different places. My next stop. I don't know where, but for sure I will post it here.