5.10.07

expat me

ni hao!
I am living and working in this big and scintillatingChinese city named called Shanghai. I have been here for fourteen days now and really there's a really a lot to learn and I am getting to like it here. I roamed some of city's esplanades and parks, did see many of its infamous and remarkable landmarks and architecture and tasted and scented shanghainese dishes.
It must be the humid weather that I can describe it like as Makati's CBD actually but with rows of maple trees along thouroughfares (lu) and multitudes of high storey edifices for office and residential utilization. Seemingly, the colorful lightings make Shanghai alive and breath.
Construction cranes taht hover on the site, with red flag on top, are a familiar site of the cityscape. Indeed, a proof that that this city is fastly growing and continually reviving its form.

18.9.07

last week


please please enjoy this dusk from my office window taken from my cellphone cam last august as my last week in my firm unfolds. a cup of tea and a jazz music background would be nice whilst viewing.

17.9.07

behind enemy lines

Really, i was not into guns, i hate the cruelty behind the invention, but something inside me urged me to buy an airsoft assault rifle. Perhaps my childhood exposure, blame Carlito, watching Tour of Duty and Combat series in my lolo's b/w tv made me decide to acquired one. Perhaps my peers powerful influence or shall I say sale talk on the "toys".

The contraband arrived in my hands late August. By night time, the office metamorphs into a warzone, with architects turning like soldiers test firing their new toys.
Last Sunday was a history. I found myself in a defunct theme park now an airsoft battle ground with officemates militarily geared. My samaritan friends Santi and Rico lended me gogles, vest and jackets transforming me into a killer machine.
The experience was fearful and fun at the same time. (Jaime captured the scene in awe you might want to take a look of her multiply.)



You know you scared with the thought that a tiny sphere plastic bullets might hit part of your unprotected flesh. But then your childhood fantasies excites you that for a day you suddenly become a soldier or a revolutionary you see on films ready to strike at will.
The game is simple. Two teams on two opposite posts.Hit as many opponents until one team emerge victorious. All these with time constraints of course.
Really I enjoyed it. In this game, you learn yourself well. You learn how far will you go to take the risk decisively and immediately. Trying this actitity, you can measure your bravery. There is a learning also on how forceful you are to conquer a scene or how patient you are to wait to win. Your mind might ponder on the lives of soldiers that have walked the earth, died and survive in the war for peace and ideas.
In conclusion, I see no harm (the bullets mark will heal yes)in parcticing this sport, unless of course your into gunless-societyism I shall respect you on that. This is inviting game perhaps because the players here experience immortality at its best. When you get hit, you learn your mistakes and promise to be startegic next time and that's how we became soldier in our so called life. I guess everybody has its own soldier.

"Wars come and go, but my soldiers stay eternal." -
-- Tupac Shakur

8.9.07

going abroad

Me almost complete with the processing of documents and if things go as plan several days from now I'll be overseas. Yes I'll be abroad to work in a international firm based in Shanghai. My work there would be site planning and development.
I don't want to divulge things for now, let's just all hope that my interview with the chinese consul on monday would be ok and they would give me visa next week.
With Ed help I am attaching my next office (in red, yellow is the possible home)grabbed from GoogleEarth.

22.5.07

happy b-day to me!

any minute now and i'll be 31. cheers to the coming year! cheers to life!

note!

any minute now and be 31! cheers to the coming years!!! amen!

27.4.07

Elegy to Julia Campbell

We saw Julia. She was one of the many passengers waiting for Lizardo bus to Sagada in Dangwa Bus station in Baguio. You’d noticed her because she had this very nice native Ifugao shoulder bag embracing her and she beamed friendly smiles while talking with the locals. In Sagada, we saw her again alone sitting on a rock near the market on a holy Thursday afternoon.

And then her pictures appeared on tv along with sad and tragic news of his death in the hills of Batad. A place I once traveled and I found peaceful and sacred. From the news I figure out her name and what she does. Shocked hearing the incident, I immediately phoned my girlfriend to share the story. Today I learned how many lives she touched working as volunteer in the Philippines.

With that incident, I realized how life is really full of surprises and irony. You traveled to a place to offer a hand and enjoy the view without any knowledge that it would be the end of you. Sigh!

I hope justice will soon be served for Ms.Julia Campbell.

20.4.07

notes on election 2007

3 years ago i was very much involved with this undertaking. I remember that I went to Baguio, Nueva Ecija and Bulakan with my fellow liberal comrades during the campaign. That was very fun experience.... tiring but very very fun.
That was then....but with my present work status that is so impossible. Likewise, my political and social awareness have decline lately and I blame HK for that. I read the news only when i eat stuff in MiniStop and when i arrived home, tired from work, I just sleep. If i happen to turn on the tv to watch late news chances are the anchorman is saying his goodbye and goodmorning already.
But anyway i would like you to hear my 2 thoughts about this year election and all it blah blah.

1. I hate it when i see posters of the canditate with another politcal character. The utilization of Roces or Erap or any other character is foolish. That undermines Filipino voters because it only says Vote-me-because-i-am-identified-with-this-politician. We go back with popularity issue and those candidates are willing to use that again. Voters should not be decive with flashy advertisement or posters. They should inverstigate and be very critical in choosing the leaders of this country.
2. I love the political tv ads of candidates. Kasi, this is the only time that they will get into their knees to please their costumers. Parang nagmamakaawa after spending millions for their tv air time. When the El Shaddai had a rally di ba many senatoriables attended and stayed overnight? But Brother Mike did no endorsement evrything is laughing in me. Ewan ko pero natutuwa ako dun. Let me be ha.

I only have 3 weeks to think who are my bet. Yes, i will vote. I will do my right to vote. I still believe in the democratic process of election that someday every Filipino identify and weed out the evil among the few good political men.

reklamo na naman

lately i am bored and unhappy with my work. lately i have this thinking that the only thing to make myself refresh and renew is to get out of my office and have a long nice sleep and watch dvd all day long.
when your work seems to kill and end your love to adventures and life you start hating it.
i hope that someday and somewhere a good corporate life is coming.

1.4.07

sagada here i come

im off to sagada come wednesday night with nang. i will be there to read books, to eat yogurt, to rest, and see the view, and to forget my corporate hell life even just for awhile.

25.3.07

baguio on a sunday

i'm in the city of pines. it's misty out here and the sun rarely shows up. with its cool weather baguio is truly a nice substitute to my stressful life in manila. today's my second shortest stay here, I was here a year ago just dropped off to ride the bus to manila. my girlfriend and i attended her brother julius graduation.
Anyway even for a shortest time, i enjoyed my stay here. Riding a boat with your girlfriend on Burham lake was fun. I hope Baguio would offer more or something new next I visit this northern realm.
Out!

25.2.07

IMAHENASYON

Work stressed me last Saturday (it always do) and left the office leaving behind stupid instructions undone from demanding and lately cautious superior.
I took the MRT and headed south to Galleria and wait for my lovely date Dupz. We watched "IMAHENASYON" an independent released film stars Ping Medina with 20 stories and 20 directors collaborated to mold this movie. Thanks to the the Gokongwei for the Indiesine by the way. Finally the independent filmmakers have found themselves a home to show their arts to the Filipino moviegoers who wished for real quality local movies.

Maybe I am novice in seeing this kind of film yes it’s very different and creatively done though some scenes or “series” are annoying and disturbing. Lav Diaz’s contribution bored me but if it’s his to his intention he’s very good at it. If my review seemed uncultured to you well my apology…. Maiinipin kasi ako.

The b/w “Tsinelas” and the funny Action Star are “friendly” to watch. They are my favorites as well as this film where escaping Medina lamented his misfortunes to the taxi driver. I like the way it ended. The shots of the cams were very natural. In their unique form of presentation be it abstract, graphical or poetic or just usual format, the 20 films attempted to relate their stories to Edsa, the life after and before it.

To me IMAHENASYON is just ok. It could have been better.

21.2.07

regular

i am a regular employee to my current work who makes my life irregular! very irregular!