Mabuti Ang Panginoon

There is truth in the saying that good deeds do not go unnoticed.

The other day, a high school friend (who is also working somewhere in the Middle East) talked to me about someone I liked from my past. She recounted how this certain someone joked about loving me before. (The actual words were: minahal ko rin yun eh).

It's a sick joke, indeed; but, jokes, as I was trained to believe, contains a half-truth. Let me rephrase that: even if it was a joke, I told my high school friend, it's partially true. An unrequited like (or love, whichever one you choose) telling me that, though not directly, is one of the things I prayed for before. This wish of mine, in essence, was partially fulfilled. And all this happened because I helped out with my brother's education. It was uncanny because the help and the revelation transpired in just one night. It makes me think tuloy that because something valuable was taken away from me that God wanted to give me something of the same value.

Just yesterday, as I stood by the lobby of our building looking at my empty wallet and contemplating of braving the searing heat outside because I have to walk again from work to our home, an office mate passed me by and offered me a ride home. A free ride. My eyes were immediately filled with tears so I donned by sunglasses to hide how happy I was of the blessing I received.

I've also received, within this month of August, a much awaited praise and appreciation from my boss. Plus, a former mentor of mine reminded me how great I was as a colleague in the industry and, most importantly, as a friend.

I'm also grateful that my maternal grandmother, Inang Maria, returned to the pink of health when my mom went back home to help take care of her alongside her siblings. I'm also very grateful for the strong support given by friends through their intercessory prayers. She's my only grandparent left in this world and I'd do anything to help her so she could see all of her apo be successful.

Napakabuti ng ating Panginoon. Naririnig niya ang ating mga saloobin lalung-lalo na yung mga bagay na hindi natin direktong masabi o mailabas. He searches the depths of our hearts for those unuttered prayers. We just have to trust Him in whatever path He'll choose for us. Let patience be our virtue.

I'll be doing this Tenchu (that's my baby talk for 'thank you') posts at the end of every month to chronicle the things I am grateful for. Count those blessings! ;)

Crack Eggs with One Hand

A very sisiw thing to master if you always play Cooking Mama. (^_~)

I think I'm quitting Facebook

Facebook Exodus by Virginia Heffernan in NY Times.

Things fall apart; the center cannot hold. Facebook, the online social grid, could not command loyalty forever. If you ask around, as I did, you’ll find quitters. One person shut down her account because she disliked how nosy it made her. Another thought the scene had turned desperate. A third feared stalkers. A fourth believed his privacy was compromised. A fifth disappeared without a word.

“The more dependent we allow ourselves to become to something like Facebook — and Facebook does everything in its power to make you more dependent — the more Facebook can and does abuse us,” Harmsen explained by indignant e-mail. “It is not ‘your’ Facebook profile. It is Facebook’s profile about you.”

I've been thinking of quitting Facebook (or FB, as my friends call it) for weeks now. I'm having thoughts about its functionality and what I can get from it. I'm pretty sure I'm a little paranoid over the thought of sharing photos of me, my family, and my friends. Their mine and for personal consumption alone. I don't have that much photos in my profile, I'm happy to say; though the ones posted there were those which I use as my main profile pictures and those uploaded by friends and which I was tagged.

I also don't use the applications because they annoy me. Speaking of annoyance, what's the deal with those quizzes anyway?  Can I say: too much info? I have to admit, though, that I'm curious with the games played by friends over at FB. I don't want to get hooked on it so I never once tried one. Call me a purist, but I like playing games on my portable gaming console.

More so, looking at status messages make me feel like a stalker. Reading those status messages also gives me the urge to censor what I say especially now that employers use that site to check out applicants. Privacy, people, privacy. *cringe*

The only thing I probably use most of the time in Facebook is its chat feature so I can talk to friends who migrated from Friendster (the then ruling social networking site in the Philippines) because they're too lazy to log in to their IM clients.

Writing this made me reach a dreadful conclusion. I'm still at lost whether to delete my account on that online "social" *snicker* networking site or not.

Daiso Loot

After my parents and I hurriedly (and easily) registered for the Overseas Absentee Voting at the International Philippine School in Al-Khobar, we went to do some grocery shopping.

I let my dad accompany my mom inside HyperPanda and went on my way to Daiso, a Japanese value store. I actually spend a lot of time browsing through these value stores--I find the stores amusing and the interiors homey despite the aisles and aisles of useful and very cute thingamajigs that are almost priced the same.

Most of the items at Daiso are tagged at 6 SAR (Php 78). It’s just a little bit cheaper than the usual price of items in the value stores in Manila which I think is 88 pesos. Well, ten pesos (10 Php) is still ten pesos, right?

It is actually my second time to visit the store. During the first visit, I purchased a handy ash tray which (I'm happy to note) always gets used in the office. I sometimes call it the "ash tray whore".

My loot for the afternoon, however, can be seen below.

Tada! The first one is a pack of two A4-sized clear book with 10 leaves each. I’ll be using one of those to organize my résumés, cover letters, and everything related to job hunting. I'm still not sure what to make of the other one though; maybe for some travel documents. The second purchase is a box filled with tiny wood pinchers. No wait, it's actually 36 pieces. I’m thinking of using them to showcase pictures or artworks in a single line of nylon thread. I have to take note not to hang wet artwork though because the box came with a warning that I have to keep the pincher away from water to avoid colour bleeding. I wouldn't want red lines on my artwork now, do we?

The third one is a mini pair of scissors which I’ll keep inside my office bag. It also comes with a safety cover so it doesn't cut anything while inside the bag pockets. The last one is a black mobile phone strap which is kinda like a spring on the regular handset of a residential/office phone. I'm still deciding whether I'll use it on my office mobile or my Akazukin Cha-Cha (Treo 680).

I'm actually happy with my loot today and I'm definitely going to save up so I can buy more on my next visit. I'll also make a mental note to bring a decent cameraphone so I can document my "exploration" of the store.

Retro USB Hub for Cassette Tape Junkies

I'm in dire need of a USB Hub. My netbook only has two USB ports and, with all the gadgets that I'm using for my freelance work, I have to get one asap.

Of course, I don't want something too generic or blah. Then I found this here.

It's so old school, no?

I'm so adding this to my wishlist!

Hotel Perking - Milan Suites, Dhahran

It was right under my nose all this time.

Did I forget to mention that people here pronounce the word suites as "suits" as opposed to "sweets"?

Come to the Banquet of God

Right now, I'm so digging this new entrance hymn magnificently composed by Fr. Arnel Aquino SJ's for Himig Heswita. It's so (sorry for the lack of term) welcome-y! Well, that is what entrance hymns are all about: you exuberantly invite your brothers and sisters in Faith to join in the celebration -- the Eucharistic celebration.



The song, as far as my memory goes, was first sung yata in the concert "Fullness of Life: A Healing Concert" for the aging and infirm Jesuits.

I'm still looking for the score (and even the lyrics) though for my beloved choir, Koinonia. Help, please? ;-)

Why I Believe I'm 24 Going 12

~ Pablo Picasso

Point A to Point A.5

Filipinos Lament How Far They Haven't Come by Seth Mydans in NY Times

The Philippines, with a population of 92 million, is one of the most vibrant nations in Asia, with a flamboyantly free press and a creative, assertive body of independent organizations and interest groups.

But it has not managed to tame its Communist and Muslim insurgencies or its restive military, which seems constantly to be plotting coups. Human rights groups say abuses by the military have returned to the levels of the Marcos years.

And the political arena sometimes seems more like a form of mass entertainment than a place of governance.

Everyone wishes for someone to really start pulling our act together as a nation. This is the biggest problem with us, Filipinos. No politician is bound to save us. Little steps are incremental to the big changes we want, people. Let's ultimately start these changes within. Only then we can start saving ourselves.

Pasalubong: Pulburon, Tsitsirya, & Pugad Baboy 21

My mom took a month and a half vacay to the Philippines to tend to her sick mom, my maternal granny. Inang Maria, fortunately, is now okay. To all my friends who offered prayers for the speedy recovery of our Inang--from the bottom of my heart--maraming, maraming salamat po.

When my mom finally returned to the Kingdom, she has loads of pasalubong for me. They're mostly comprised of my favorite tsitsirya and polvorón. She also brought along the gadgets I wanted to bring back here because I absentmindedly left them in my flat in Manila.

My sweet siblings, with whom I share a passion of collecting comic books and graphic novels, gave me the latest from the Pugad Baboy series: the Pugad Baboy 21.

Back Cover

Front Cover

I finished it after a week and it was über funny. Pol Medina Junior still has the gift!

It was nice to note too that over the years collecting the compilation of the strips, I always look out for Brosia's parts first before reading the other parts of the comic book. She's undeniably one of the wittiest characters ever drawn in the Pugad Baboy-verse. Too bad her pages in the comic book are dwindling down in number over the years.

Guess the Number of M&Ms in a Jar

An excellent trick, no? Who would've known there's such a thing as "packing friction"? Uh, yes, that's me.

Them packing science people! ;-P

[spotted]

Panalo, Conrado, panalo.

Ang kagila-gilalas na kuru-kuro ni Conrado de Quiros na sumasalamin sa saloobin ng lahat ng Pilipino patukoy sa kahindik-hindik na ginawa ni Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at ng kanyang mga alipores habang nasa Estados Unidos. Buti na lang at ito ay kanyang isinulat sa wikang Tagalog para maintindihan ng mga mangmang na nilalang sa ating gobyerno.

May araw din kayo by Conrado de Quiros in Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Di sapat ang Inggles para iparamdam sa inyo ang suklam na nararamdaman namin sa inyo. Di sapat ang Inggles para ipakita sa inyo ang pagkamuhi na nararamdaman namin sa inyo. Di maarok ng Inggles ang lalim ng poot na nararamdaman namin sa inyo.

Isinusuka na kayo ng taumbayan, mahirap man sumuka ang gutom.

Panalo, Conrado, panalo.

Make the Language Bar Disappear Forever

The language bar is an ideal shortcut for switching languages between users in a PC. The problem is that I do not necessarily need it because I do not share my PC with other people, much less have them touch it. What annoys me more is that not only does it eat up space on the visual style that I use, it keeps on showing up every time I restart my computer. I'm always at my wit's end with this.

So, if you're sick and tired of that language bar, you can do the following in your XP:

1. Click Start, then go to Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Regional and Language Options.
3. On the Languages tab, under Text services and input languages, click on the Details button.
4. Under Preferences, click on the Language Bar button.
5. Deselect the Show the Language bar on the desktop check box.

Now, the language bar won't show up even if you restart your PC over and over and over.

Ponyo!

I heart animations made by Hayao Miyazaki. Ponyo, Studio Ghibli's new offering, is dubbed by various actors and released by Disney. See, I go ga-ga over everything Disney. ;-P



My cousins back home torrented this movie already, though subbed, they watched it for like a million times. I envy them because they've watched it already. I hope it'll be released on DVD soon.

There's also an interesting review by the NY Times. Nice read.

Sprite Commercial from Germany

A very NSFW (and funny!) advert for Sprite.



[via]

Why Being an Eternal Optimist is Helpful

Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.

~ Albert Einstein

Note: I'm not sure if it was Albert Einstein who really said this.

Folding Dress Shirts

I never fold my dress shirts when transporting them. I just don't like the idea of folding. I use cloth bags instead to cover my dress shirts and hang them in the car if I need be.

Just in case I need to fold a dress shirt like, for example, returning it to the store because it was a size larger than the usual, or I need one for a trip abroad, the video below from Real Simple is a nifty how-to for this problem.



There is also an easy step-by-step photo tutorial of the video that can serve as an alternative. Still, I'd rather have you watch the video.

Bibliophiles are never alone.

The truth formed by the various crossed stitches put a much needed smile across my lonely face.

[via]

Heaven's Rewards Points

There was once a story told to me by a friend during a restless night filled with erupting fits of jealousy.

He told me that the reason we do not get what we want (read: not need) is because up there, in the heavens, is a limited number of "reward points" sent out daily throughout the world.

"If," he said, "our wish were not granted today, it means your 'rewards point' was given to another brother or sister to make them happy as well."

Patience was the key for our prayers to be answered: this is what I thought of at the end of the story. There was nothing to do but to put your trust in the system.

Recalling this memory makes me smile, stare into nothingness, and wait for things to fall into place.

3,604 Cups of Latte = Mona Lisa

What do you do with 3,604 cups of coffee shaded by various amounts of cream?

Make a giant pixelated Mona Lisa, of course! This digital print-out is set up in Sydney.

[via]

Part of Your World (Male Version)

Disney's The Little Mermaid is a huge part of my childhood. It was the only animated movie that I watch over and over because it was the only child-safe Betamax tape that I can borrow from my neighbor.

I didn't care if VHS was all the rage then. My own little world consists of the television in the master's bedroom, the Betamax tape player, and The Little Mermaid tape. I always locked the door when I watch the tape because I did not like the idea of someone coming inside when I'm in the middle of the songs. You can say it was like watching porn. Heck! Disney is porn for children.

Due to the self-inflicted conditioning to anything "Ariel" back then, Part of Your World was (and still is) the bestest song Alan Menken and Howard Ashman has ever done in my opinion. Singing it in the male voice, on the other hand, would probably be a violation for me.



But, it was kinda nicely done, Gabe Bondoc.

Snow Leopard Wallpapers

I was wondering when this would surface and now the Mac OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Desktop Wallpapers are finally available for download here.

The wallpapers from this new Mac OS is filled with more nature-related hi-resolution photos and some famous artworks.

Every colleague who walks past my screen is green with envy. (Yes, I'm bragging.)

Why I Believe in Monogamous Relationships

We are, each of us, angels with only one wing; and we can only fly by embracing one another. 

~ Luciano de Crescenzo

World Map Made of Stamps

Marc Alcock's Stamp Map: After finding a collection of world stamps on Ebay for a fiver, A map of the world was created where each country is represented by its own native stamp.

This stamp map reminded me that I was a budding philatelist during my elementary days, until I discovered my knack of being diligent at my studies.

I remember my nanay cutting out the stamps from the postcards and letters my tatay sent us. She taught me to gingerly brush some water on the back of the stamp to help loosen the fibers of the paper of the envelope/postcard so I can take it off easily without harming the stamp.

Afterwards, my mom and I will carefully place it on an empty page of a photo book--the ones with the sticky plastic covering on its individual pages.

I think that photo book is somewhere in the living room between the storage spaces for the betamax and cassette tapes.

Farewell, Mrs. Yellow Ribbon

“What on earth do I know about being president?” Mrs. Aquino said in an interview in December 1985, after a rally opening her election campaign.

But that was beside the point. For many Filipinos, she embodied a hope of becoming a better nation and a prouder people.

“The only thing I can really offer the Filipino people is my sincerity,” she said in the interview.

[From NYT]

Tita Cory (1933-2009)
(Photo from NYT Slideshow and credited to Aaron Favila/Associated Press)

My heart was heavy when I woke up today. When I turned on my phone to check the news, my heart sank even more as I read the headlines and the status messages of my friends over at Facebook, Twitter, and Plurk. Our Tita Cory passed away.

I was already born during her reign as the 11th President of the Philippines. I think I was like a year and half when she was in power. When I was a child, all I knew was that she's the yellow-clad lady in the Palace, the widow of the person printed in the 500 peso bill, and the mother of my then imaginary best friend, Kris Aquino. (Just ask my family, they have an anecdote on how Kris became my best friend.)

From what I could remember, there were tons of blackouts all over the metro during her presidency and I never knew why. It was almost a fact of life for me that the Philippines did not have that much power due to her yellow dresses. My childhood friends and I believe just making one dress eats up a lot of electricity because she was the president; for us, fortunately, that means we can play hide-and-seek underneath the moonlit sky. At the toddler age, everything you and your friends make of your world is bound to be the truth.

To the world-renowned advocate of democracy, and to the tita everyone had--farewell, Mrs. Yellow Ribbon. Your memories will stay with your countrymen forever.