coming up with a list of new year's resolutions has never been my thing. i've always thought it's so corny and academic.
but this year, as i moved up, as i dealt with more people, as i took care of more responsibilities, as i experienced more stress and frustration, i inevitably learned more about myself and i realized more of my shortcomings.
and with all the blessings and the goodness i've received, i feel it's but appropriate to make things much better - make myself a better person - in 2006.
i don't have a long list. there's just three things i'm hoping i can make better:
patience, patience and more patience
patience is not my virtue. most of you know that this is one of my biggest fault. i easily get frustrated, agitated and distracted. i'm very short tempered especially with people who are "high maintenance" or those i don't see eye-to-eye with.
goodbye okray, less hostile
a friend once said, "nakakatakot to be on your bad side"; and recently another one commented, "itong si mark matindi pa man din ito mamintas". and yes, pang-ookray and being a bitch is a favorite past time of mine. and i do have an acid tongue that sometimes gets really acidic to the point of causing unintentional pain to some people. sometimes even, i become hostile and really make patol and fight with people.
wonder if the awful state of my love life is a direct consequence of this? bad karma maybe (think 'my name is earl').
carefree confidence!
yesterday, a bunch of friends (i sensed) wanted to kill me for insisting on thinking of having a liposuction. they were dissuading me - adamantly. i guess, my insistence stems from the fact that i've always wanting to be "perfect". so whenever i realize i have an imperfection (usually with my looks), i don't feel good about myself. and as a consequence, i can't muster enough confidence to go out and meet people (read, potential partners).
so in 2006, i will just try my very best to work on these three things: to stretch my patience and be more understanding of people; to be less of a bitch, stop making patol, and be more nice to people; and, to be feel better about myself, find that confidence in me, and let it show.
i know it'll be an uphill battle to achieve these compeletely, but i hope i can at least take a few little steps towards the right direction.
it's been a wonderful, fruitful yet tiring 2005. endless thanks to everyone for everything. and hope 2006 will be a better year for everyone!
new year's resolution
highlights
the other day, i was just supposed to have a simple haircut. but felt kinda playful, so i decided to get some highlights.
after a lengthy discussion with my stylist, we finally agreed to do portion highlights instead of simple streaks; and to have it in golden blonde instead of salt and pepper.
keeping your mouth shut
to say that i'm disappointed may be an understatement. i'm pissed.
word got to me that a comment i made about a colleague from another location - a comment made out of sheer frustration - actually made it to the person concerned and has distressed the person. although i feel sorry for "object of my comment", i'm not pissed about my comment getting to this colleague.
this is why i'm pissed.
in the hk office, since the atmosphere is free-wheeling and open and professional, we at times make negative comments about some colleagues. and our choice of words may not be the most polite. we are frustrated, we are stressed, so we inadvertently make awful comments.
but we don't make a big deal out of it. all's well at the end of the day. because we recognize it's all in a day's work. period.
so it pisses me off when some people can't keep their mouth shut and create a whole fuss about comments made out of frustration. add a chismis tone when "relaying" the comment, and voila! you've successfully created unhealthy office tension.
we usually bitch. i usually bitch. i won't be marky if i don't bitch. and i can really be mean when i make comments. but people who know me well just take it in stride. they just keep comments to themselves because they know i just needed to bitch. the buck stops there.
in the same way that when they make comments out of professional frustration, i just smile and keep the comments to myself. nothing goes out. i don't chismis about it.
the frustrating part about it is that we, in the hk office, always have to handle confidential stuff. senior managers openly disclose "sensitive" matters because they trust us to keep comments or strategies to ourselves or within the office. it's all in the name of professionalism.
how can you now trust people who make chismis about your comments? how can you trust them to keep sensitive information in strict confidence? i don't know. i guess, i'll always keep myself in check from this point on and choose the people i bitch to.
all i know is that i don't think i'll trust this person - ever again. once nasira ka na sa akin, sira ka na forever. and that's the bad thing about me!
cable
flying back to manila later this week means officially heading back to the dark ages.
received a "shocking" news today. my parents had our cable cut. NO MORE CABLE TV!!!
no more cnn to preoccupy me at the wee hours of the morning and bring me to sleep (yes, i put it on timer). no more etc to preoccupy me at daytime. I'M STUCK WITH STUPID, SENSELESS ABS-CBN AND GMA PROGRAMMING DURING MY THREE-WEEK STAY IN MANILA!!!
i can't imagine life without cable tv. to make things worse, our compo's busted and my parents won't even bother to have it fixed since they don't use it anyway. so there's no raido either. i'm doomed.
gotta stock up on downloads. gotta figure out a way of patching my computer to the tv. gotta figure out a way of bringing my trusty dvd player and dvds down to manila - without being harassed by customs officials. DARN!
chaos
the expected, but nonetheless feared, rioting has landed on the streets of wanchai. testing the relative inexperience of the hongkong police, throwing the entire city center into chaos, and causing widespread inconvenience. (read news reports from cnn, reuters, afp, and hk information services)
and being the pasaway that i am, i didn't cancel any of my saturday night plans in central. don't get me wrong, i was paranoid most of the afternoon about the chaos. at the gym, i closely monitored the tv coverage - while running the treadmill. but my logical mind (plus an itch to gimmick) got the best of me.
the area where the protests are is, i reckon, about 2-3 kms (maybe 5, i don't know) away from central. and it seems chaos is isolated in the area around the convention center. so i felt that i'll just be safe - as long as i don't venture anywhere near (read, within 1km) "ground zero".
so after gym, i headed to the designated meeting point with my friend. he called me and asked if we're going ahead with dinner plans. i said yes. we were supposed to meet at 730pm, he said he'll be late by 15mins. i said reservation's at 730pm so i'll head to the resto first and meet him there instead.
he calls me up at 8pm saying he'd been waiting for the cross-harbor bus to central for about half an hour already. there seems to be none. then i realized - most likely the police blocked traffic and bus routes have been canceled as a result. and i was right, news reports said that the cross-harbor tunnel, which is the major artery to and from hk island from kowloon has been shut down.
(on a separate incident, a couple of colleagues headed for causeway bay in the afternoon - totally oblivious to the risks - and got stuck there when bus services were halted. they called me up for help and i gave them directions. i got worried, not about them not being able to go home, but more about their immediate safety since the assembly point for protesters and most of the protest routes are in causeway bay.)
i asked my friend to take the subway instead since it was still operational. and to cut the long story short, he got to the resto an hour later past 830pm.
i was initially planning to stay out late. but his ordeal made me realize that the only way home for me from central after close of train services - the night bus - won't be available due to chaos in the streets. and i didn't want to get stuck in central for the night, under a 12 degree chill. so we called it a night by 1230am.
now here i am, kinda frustrated that the night didn't turn out the way i planned. (sumakit sana ang mga tyan at balls ng mga lintik na radikal na korean farmers na yan!) but at least i'm home safe.
painful reminder
sometimes, somehow, painful realities just have their way of creeping back into your consciousness ... no matter how much you've managed to keep them at bay.
para akong nabuhusan ng ubod ng lamig na tubig na may yelo
sales people
trust your instincts. never listen to sales people.
it's one of the things i learned this past month.
when i got myself a new pair of rubber shoes early last month, i initially got a size 9. fitting the shoes, i realized it was a bit tight, so i asked for a 9 1/2 instead.
when i fitted the latter pair, the length was just right. but because i have a bunion (this bone right next the big toe that sticks out), my foot felt a bit compressed. it was just right, but quite uncomfortable.
i asked for a size 10. but the sales lady told me that 9 1/2 is just right - especially because the shoes will loosen up eventually. makes sense. (plus, i did have a problem before where i initially got a pair half-size bigger, only to become looser after a few weeks' use.)
so i obliged. and i realized, it was the wrong decision. because my foot is kinda compressed, my bunion hurts terribly everytime i run the treadmill. the side of my second toe also developed blisters due to friction from the big toe's nail. it's a hard (more like painful) lesson to learn, but at least i now know i should settle for rubber shoes smaller than a size 10.
then mid last month, i was so excited to get this 3/4 coat from zara. i first tried on a medium - my usual size. it fit me just right. but i thought, i'll be wearing sweaters during winter so i might have to get a large instead.
i tried on the large, and it felt kinda big. but the medium felt just sakto that i might end up looking like a suman when i wear thick sweaters. since i was shopping alone, i checked with the sales lady if the large seemed too big on me. she said, it's just right because i'll be wearing sweaters anyway. makes sense again.
so i ended up getting the large one instead of medium. but i just felt uneasy about that purchase. i told a friend about my dilemma and asked his opinion. he recommended that i return the large coat and get the medium instead. however, when i called, they've run out of stock.
that's the problem with zara, their shipments consists of only a few pieces per item.
i didn't want to get a coat with a different design since i absolutely love the cut and style of the one i got. so i grudgingly decided to just use it since chilly weather was already setting in. and after a week's use, i really feel it's the wrong size.
i feel like swimming in this coat. i wanted to wear the coat, stay warm - and look stylish as well. but i'm friggin' swimming in this coat. i was planning to have it altered in manila, but since it's an expensive purchase, i wanted to make sure the alteration doesn't go wrong. the only way to ensure this is to have the alteration done by zara.
so i went back tonight to check if they do alterations on the width. the manager told me that they don't and they recommend not altering the width in order not to lose the form. hell thank you for telling me that! i'm not the one who encouraged me to get large instead of medium!
so now i'm stuck with a dilemma whether or not to alter the coat. deep inside i really want to but i'm also paranoid that such a nice coat will go to waste if it didn't go well.
i'm crossing my fingers it will, but if it doesn't, there's always a new style and cut waiting for me winter next year!
christmas chaos
whoever thought of country-fying christmas carols should be shot, killed and burned at the stakes. and i really mean it!
i had to endure an hour-long dinner over a horrible, tasteless cd of classic christmas carols - sung country style. it sounded more like something fit for holy week or halloween - a pasyon, maybe - rather than something that would make you feel christmas-y. it was just awful!
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on a different - and much better - note, can't wait to get hold of bo bice's debut album. saw him perform "the real thing" on leno, and i must say, he really sounded good.
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finally, hong kong's bracing for chaos. i'm bracing myself for chaos.
hong kong's hosting the wto ministerial conference next week. and wherever it's held, riots are bound to erupt.
unfortunately, since i live on the other side of the territory, and the office is right at the opposite side - at the butt-end of nowhere - i'm destined to transit via ground zero.
i've got a battle plan in place, taking a totally different - and much much longer - route home should chaos erupt or should traffic just screw up big time. hopefully, this'll take me home safe and sound at least for the next five working days.
(oh wait! the conference will end on sunday, does this mean, i might not get a last hurrah for gimmick before christmas on saturday?! - hope not)
heater
winter, it's finally here.
so while it's around 23 degrees right at this very moment, it'll be a good 12-14 degrees in my area when i wake up tomorrow morning. it's time to put on those leather jackets, woolen sweaters ... and that lovely trenchcoat i got from zara three weeks ago.
i'm bracing myself for the cold. for some weird reason, my flat usually feels like a freezer during winter - much cooler than outside even. so i got myself a heater - finally.
it's my first time to use an oil radiator heater, so i don't know how effective it is in heating up the room - at least to a comfortable level. but it's still worth a try.
brownout
it was a little past 530pm. just a normal afternoon at the office. phone calls, meetings, reviews, sign-offs. we were all finishing off the day's pending tasks. then the lights suddenly went out. brownout - the first i've experience in my three years in hk.
but it seems like it's confined to our building. outside, the others had electricity. the caltex station right across the street had lights on. within view, the jumbo restaurant had just turned on its neon signage.
something went wrong at one of the maintenance rooms in the building. heard that the police and fire department were called in.
we were allowed to leave since we can't work anyway. besides, it was almost 545pm (how we wished this happened much earlier in the afternoon). the other side of the building was shut, and everyone had to pass through our side to exit. we walked down 20 floors through semi-lit staircases.
i wanted to stay a little while to take advantage of the opportunity to finally clean-up my desk. but it was getting dark and everyone's leaving. i didn't want to get caught in the dark, alone - in vita tower. so i obliged and left with one of the last groups to leave our floor.
but before i left, i did grab the opportunity to "account" for the chaos, that is my workstation. see for yourself what's driving my oc-ness to hell!
multitasking
if there's one thing i really - as in really - need to learn at work, it will definitely be multitasking.
let's face it. while the company i'm working for has given me good opportunities, it still is a darn greedy and stingy one that continues to drown itself in its so-called greatness. very much hollow, if i may add.
anyways, a greedy and stingy company means it'll squeeze the heck out of each and every employee - all in the guise of "maximizing resources". and that's what's happening to me and my entire team.
we're all just maxed out. i personally feel like we're being squeezed and constricted by a dozen pythons. having to manage three or four minor projects, five or six major ones, and prep for a couple more projects - all simultaneously.
when we were still young, we were taught to sing "i have two hands, the left and the right...". i guess, once you get to the very top, you forget all about it and imagine everyone's schizophrenic.
so here i am, struggling - badly - to manage ten thousand things at the same time. as if i'm this buddhist god with hundreds of hands.
and with an attention span shorter than my boss' hair - if any - i absolutely can't afford to be distracted. once i get pulled into a different direction, then whatever project i got pulled away from is bound to forever rest in peace.
unfortunately, i am being pulled towards different directions. and it's utterly frustrating
i guess, a "can-do" attitude does take you somewhere, but reality keeps you in check. i'm only human, of flesh and blood i'm made... geesh, i need a break!
all that i am
santana's back with a brand-new album, once again filled with collaborations with interesting artists. and he's again banking on michelle branch to help attract interest and sell millions of albums.
but unlike 'game of love' which debuted and stayed on number one on the billboard hot 100s for a long time, 'i'm feeling you' is nowhere within the top-50. (by the way, it's refreshing to see billboard.com getting a makeover!)
i guess, 'i'm feeling you' is not as sticky as 'game of love'. it's not even the strongest song in the bunch. for me, 'baby cry' featuring joss stone and sean paul is one of the best, if not the strongest, songs in the album.
the other strong track being 'brown skin girl' featuring bo bice (yipee!).
two other tracks that I find sticky, but not as sticky as the two i mentioned above, are the one featuring steven tyler, and the one with mary j. blige. the titles just evade me at this moment.
overall, 'all that i am' is a relatively good listen ... you just have to contend with 4 or 5 "purely santana" tracks, which i personally just couldn't appreciate.
pasko na
38 days to go...
as i entered my apartment building's lobby tonight, i immediately noticed snowflakes etched on the glass, christmas balls hanging from the ceiling, trimmings around the guard's desk, and a christmas tree.
pasko na nga!
bleach and vinegar
learned something new today...
those of you who had experienced using chlorine bleach (or clorox) to wash or soak clothes - without using rubber gloves - would know that the bleach leaves an irritating smell and a weird slimy feel to your hands.
that's what exactly happened to me earlier. so i tried to wash and wash and wash the smell and slime off my hands using soap, but to no avail. but alas, i found a quick solution right out of the kitchen cabinet! vinegar.
just rinse your hand with vinegar and - at the very least - the slimy feeling is gone!
apparently, bleach is alkaline and vinegar is acid. so they're supposed to cancel each other out... it does work... you just have to contend with the stinking smell of vinegar on your hands, though only for a brief moment.
tickets
wala na 'tong atrasan. finally bought tickets for rent.
all of the center seats at the first floor have been taken so we settled for the frontmost and center seats of balcony 1. crossing my fingers that they're still good seats - they should for the amount we paid for the tickets.
can't wait for dec. 21st.
plakda
had a good time with some peeps from work last night. marion is in town. after a nice vietnamese dinner at nha trang, we dediced to have a round of drinks (actually it was two rounds since it's still happy hour). brought the guys to 2m bar.
for some weird reason, after two rounds of my usual lychee martini, my allergy started acting up. my nose started to clog, my left eye started to feel puffy, and i suddenly felt super sleepy.
marion and i got back to the flat past midnight. we sat on the sofa resting, watching tv just before get changed. and there i was, cuddling my pillow, off to snoozeville i went, and i woke up this morning - on the couch - still wearing the same clothes i wore last night.
txt joke
had a good laugh when i read this text joke from edu:
1nyt Mark walks alone n Balete Dr wen he herd "MARK! MARK!" Lumingon sya wlng tao! "MARK! MARK!" 2mkbo sya! Pgdtng s kanto, he saw a sign: "BEWARE: NGONGONG ASO!"
hehehe!
webcast
...a little over an hour more and i'm off to attend my second odd-hour webcast in less than a month. i'm now dead tired, been up for over 18 hours now, my eyes are getting heavier by the minute, and i still have to endure a freakin' 75 minute session! i'm soooooo damn hoping this will be the last non-asia webcast i have to attend...
now, let me get some cup noodles, my tummy's growling...
dasal
there's one thing i've been praying for these past few days. and no, it's not a rescue package for my distressed love life.
i hope and pray that i won't change. that i'll remain true and grounded despite the good that has happend to me recently. that i won't turn into an ugly a**hole as some people who's had some success had become (i'm satisfied with being a bitch).
and although i may splurge on pricier clothes or go out for gimmicks regularly, i sincerely hope and pray that i'll continue to be the mark who feels insecure most of the time, who dances without music to beat stress, who prefers to eat at cheap chinese food at the canteen or cha-chan-tings (chinese carinderia), or get $8 socks at baleno, or head home to manila than travel anywhere else in the world.
fact is, whatever success i've been having won't be possible without the one up there and the people around me. and i owe it to everyone to remain who i am.
19 degrees
woke up this morning with a chill! no wonder it was freakin' 21 degrees!
yesterday afternoon, the hong kong observatory had forecasted temperatures today to drop to just 23 degrees. by the time i got home late last night (read, 230am), it became 22 degress. and when i woke up this morning it was down to 21 degrees...
...which meant it'll be around a couple of degrees lower at my area - 19+ degrees. add to that strong winds and living on a high 27th floor. and you've got a perfect formula for a nice chilly morning.
don't get me wrong. hangover aside, i love the cool weather - it would have been better if there was someone i could cuddle up in bed with...
news
receive an unexpected news today. really. i wasn't expecting it. i'm perfectly fine even if it didn't come. but it did. while i'm thrilled and happy about it, i'm also scared and paranoid. anyways, how it exactly affects me remains to be seen...
autumn
yes, autumn is really here! the hong kong observatory is forecasting temperatures to range between 23 to 27 degrees towards the end of this week. and most likely in about 6 weeks' time, temperatures will suddenly plummet to the early 10s to signal the start of winter.
so over the past few weeks, i've been stocking up on fall/winter fashions - and my obsession with scarves is getting the better of me. i mean, the weather hasn't even become cool - not even mild - but i've managed to get myself 3 new scarves in the past two weeks... and my next "project", a trench coat!
hay, for my own good (and the "health" of my pocket), i guess, i better stay away from zara and mexx.
*and speaking of zara, heard that it's flagship store in manila opened at the powerplant over the weekend. according to a friend, the store managed to generate a million pesos on its opening day. well, checking the store out is something that'll definitely be on my to-do list when i fly home this christmas.
rent
jonathan larson's hit musical celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with a feature film starring taye diggs and rosario dawson, and a world tour which includes hk.
rave reviews about rent's manila production years ago has made me curious and wanting to watch it here in hk - it'll run for a limited season (2 weeks only) in mid-december. but there's a catch: it'll star karen mok as mimi. yes, "you ugly, you under arrest" has invaded "broadway".
but a friend told me that she's actually a good singer and has had training in theater. in fact, in one of her interviews, she says she trained for the london production of miss saigon, but she opted to join local showbiz than pursue it (good for her as she is now a top endorser raking in moolah ala sharon cuneta).
ticket sales commenced today, but i'm still iffy whether or not to watch it. maybe i shouldn't let the k-mok factor get to me. oh well, better decide soon before good seats run out.
bummer
i've just typed up a long entry - just random thoughts from this past week - and when i hit publish post, something didn't go right and publishing failed. so i lost everything. what a bummer!
free fall
"no matter how hard you fight it, you fall. and it's scary as hell. except there's an upside to free-falling. it's the chance you give your friends to catch you."
responsibility
…it's almost two hours into the workday and I find myself simply staring at the monitor, trying to figure out how I can get myself started at work. Heck, I have to get my brain to start functioning first!
It's been as such the past week. After all the "adrenaline rush" from August's product launch, September's sales launch, and last week's catch up on long overdue promo materials, I now find myself loafing. I now lack any sense of urgency - no matter how much there is still backlog work screaming for my immediate attention.
If this was a circuit party… not that I've been in one… although I would really want to attend one… it's just that I don't have the confidence *more like, the body* to be in the midst of a sea of sexy, well-toned men. Oh, if I may add, mostly shirtless… but I'm digressing…
As I was saying, if this was a circuit, this would be the "recovery" party - less thubthumping music and more of a chillout vibe...
But the problem is that I'm handling marketing for two flagship products, and as "manager", the buck now stops with me. I now command a big chunk of responsibility, and no one will be there to "rescue" me should shit hit the fan (as my direct superior and our big boss would usually say).
I'm now mostly on my own. Case in point: over the past month or so, I've had less "contact" with my direct superior. Whereas before he would usually drop by my cube to follow-up on stuff and check how things are going, he now checks with me only when someone complains (about the lack or late delivery of sales materials). Maybe, he's confident that I'm 100% on the case with our marketing plan (patay!). Or maybe he is letting me get used to taking responsibility.
In any case, this is what I "wanted". I wanted to earn more so I had to rise up the ranks. Ginusto ko 'to, so paninindigan ko na lang - for now, that is.
boss
ladies and gentlemen, meet my boss...
...authoritative...
...dignified...
...respectable...
...and sane...
...don't you just love working for this guy.
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and this is me watching someone make a fool of himself while singing karaoke.
woes
woe #1
caught up with my old trainer at the gym earlier today (or yesterday). it seems i've lost some weight, he noted. i've been doing high intensity cardio these past two weeks, i explained.
while the words "you look thinner" and/or "you've lost some weight" are very much music to my ears, my mom and grandmother will surely cringe when they see me like this. for them, chubby means healthy, and being lean means frailty.
it's always been a vicious cycle. i'll workout hard and try to get rid of the fat around my belly. i'll successfully lose some weight. but whenever i head home, i've got to put some weight back intentionally so my mom and grandmother won't see me thin (not stick thin though, if i may clarify) and they won't worry.
in the end, my dream of being a hunky hot papa remains a dream - just a figment of my imagination - and i end up being forever tigang. hay...
woe #2
while i was still on personal training, my trainer would always notice that whenever we do back exercises, my back isn't straight - that i tend to curve towards one side.
recently, someone also noticed the same problem. it seems like my back is curving to the right like a letter s.
is this scoliosis? i think i should get myself checked when i head home this christmas. i just don't know which doctor i should visit though.
woe #3
seems like i've been dropping a lot of balls at work lately. the reason? it's either i've got to much to do or i've just been too stressed out that i would rather loaf.
besides, things have been pretty chaotic with the recent product launch and more product launches at the end of the year. and being the o.c. me, i really need time to pause, sit down and think about my battle plan. unfortunately, my company doesn't recognize this need since the bosses want a whole damn lot of things to happen instantly, simultaneously.
queasy
it's day 3 and counting... my tummy is still not in tip-top shape.
suddenly had upset tummy friday afternoon. maybe it's our dimsum lunch. but i'm not sure - i'm the only one in the group that's having a tummy problem, i think.
apart from a few toilet trips i made that afternoon, i was just fine. no stomachache, no fever, just a queasy feeling that can easily pass as hyperacidity. but since i'm kinda stubborn, my tummy problem didn't stop me from enjoying a friday night out.
had a japanese dinner with three other colleagues friday at dozo!, where right at one corner of the bar sat a guy that really really looked like david spade. downed a lot of raw salmon. i think 90% of what i ate that night was raw salmon.
the group was supposed to be bigger, but two had an emergency, and one decided to just head home and not make habol. well, the latter was my fault because this taklesa told her that there wasn't any seat for her at the bar where we were. funny thing is, a minute after she hang up, we got transferred to a table with enough room for two or three more. oh well!
after dinner, one had to leave, leaving only three of us going for drinks. and yes, the japanese shochu cocktail i had over dinner wasn't enough. we checked out chocolux at peel st. where i sampled a fab mochatini (mocha martini). then to cap the night, we moved to a middle-eastern themed lounge where i tried out a maraquesh (i hope i spelled it correctly).
told you i was really fine.
right at this moment, my tummy is still queasy. but i've stopped heading to the loo after taking some chinese herbal medicine yesterday afternoon.
and now, although i'm just fine, i hope my tummy will get better soon.
manila
got a call last night from my local friend. he told me that he and his friends are planning to go on holiday in a couple of weeks (we have a long weekend on the 17th). and since they prefer not to travel far, they are looking at flying down to manila.
of course, his first instinct was to ask me what's there to see in manila. and i was stumped. really. i didn't know what to recommend. and it's not because there's so much to see in manila. it's more like "you wouldn't want to go down there - seriously".
i actually kept on directing him to just fly down to cebu which personally i think has more character and charm. or head for boracay to check out what many have told me is the best beach in the world (i can't vouch for that since i haven't been there yet).
but definitely not manila. come to think of it, what's there to see or do in manila?
shopping? we've got malls and relatively cheap stuff so that's possible.
museums, culture and history? ayala museum's one that comes to mind. there's fort santiago and intramuros. rizal park, maybe? or even binondo's horse-shit-laden streets.
food tripping? well pinoys love to eat so we should know what good food is. let's show them how good balut, isaw, betamax and tukneneng are. adidas doesn't count because they love chicken feet here.
adventure sports? does crossing edsa during rush hour count? oh wait, that's not even a sport, it's a mere stroll since traffic's on standstill anyway.
theatre and the arts? hmmm, well we've got something seen nowhere else. only in the philippines... the impeachment political circus. now showing at the batasang pambansa plenary.
books
this is one of the super rare occasions i'll be writing something about books or reading - as i've mentioned before, i'm not really a book person - so this'll be short and sweet.
just want to share some books that caught my fancy while browsing at page one earlier this evening.
the broker by john grisham
it's grisham, what else is there to say, but it's the only author i've really read. plus, this book is not his usual courtroom drama piece so it's something worth checking out.
you're hired: how to succeed in business and life by bill rancic
of the three winners of the apprentice, bill seems to be the most promising. so it's no surprise he landed a book deal. i read through the first few pages and his approach to this self-help business book seemed light, interesting and compelling.
a long way down by nick hornby
i enjoyed his writing style when i read about a boy, so i'm hoping his latest book will be an enjoyable read and won't be a disappointment. it's simple as that.
there, three books that caught my fancy. three books that i'm contemplating on buying. now, question is where - in manila where they're cheaper or here in hk?
antibiotics
i guess, stress is getting to me badly.
dropped by the doctor's clinic earlier and the diagnosis: pharyngitis. had it midweek last week; went away over the weekend; resurfaced again yesterday - this time with something extra.
although my tonsils aren't inflammed, the doc saw some white discs on it indicating some form of infection. so the prescription: a number of pills and a 5-day dose of antibiotics.
don't know why, but the sound of being prescribed antibiotics got me all excited. finally, some potent drugs!
you see, hk doctors usually give out otc sort of drugs that merely relieve symptoms. a real bummer for someone who's so used to popping antibiotics at the first sign of throat problems.
can't blame me. whenever i nurse a throat infection, i get a fever that shoots up way past 39 or 40 degrees. and it's not the best situation to be in. so now that i'm living alone 700 miles away from home, the absence of antibiotics gets me all paranoid everytime my throat acts up.
so on my way to the doc's clinic, i was really crossing my fingers that this time, he'll give me antibiotics because i have a weird gut feel about my throat problem this time around. and gladly, he did.
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on other matters, after trying to ignore it since it premiered, i gave in and watched rockstar: inxs last week. i wasn't fully disappointed and was blown away by mig's heartfelt performance, which i kept on replaying on msn. his encore performance was so well deserved.
jordis also caught my attention. unfortunately, she was a big disappointment this week. her (awful) performance just left me cold. but i still hope she'll stay in the competition.
in contrast, ty taylor is super dooper getting to my nerves. pardon me for saying this, but he's an overly conceited black bitch! enough said.
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and finally, reading my post from monday, i couldn't help but think that i'm such a drama queen. i guess, i was just very stressed and emotional when i wrote that entry. after giving it some thought, things don't seem to be really that bad. yes, i may be very frustrated about my love life (or lack of it). but for me to make a dramatic deal about it seems a little overboard.
single
it's one of those (all too familiar) days again. i feel dreadful emotionally. i'm again feeling depressed about how pathetic my personal life is.
maybe it's lack of sleep. maybe it's the ultra-dreary weather this past week. maybe it's too much stress at work. maybe it's because my throat is still acting up. maybe it's learning that in spite of practically killing myself working out at the gym, i still got 3kg of excess fat (unchanged or even more compared to early this year, if i may add). maybe it's a combination of all these.
weird, ang jologs, but it all started while i was having my weekly marathon of the week's episodes of homeboy. i was watching this episode with alma moreno, raffy chan and pia moran na mega flashback to the 80s - body dancer, rico mambo, body language. i was reminiscing and having a very good laugh.
then it suddenly hit me - i was alone, there was no one i can share my laughter with. hindi ba mas masayang tumawa pag may kasabay kang tumawa.
yes, i've got good friends and people around me who keep me company and whom i can have a good time with. but i guess, it's really different if you have an emotional connection with someone special.
i thought i was fine being single, that i'm happy and content being around friends, and that i've moved past that point of depression and desperation. well, obviously, i was wrong.
i've managed to mask it, even rationalize it that maybe i'm single because i'm not yet ready, that things will just fall into place when i'm ready. but i guess, you can only supress things and rationalize for so long.
all i've wanted is to live a good life, to be financially stable so i can support my parents as they grow old, to be a trusted close friend for some, and to be with someone i can grow old with.
so far, i think i've met 3 of my four life goals. it pains me and frustrates me. all i wish for now is to find that one last piece to make my existence complete. all i'm wishing for now is a life-long partner whom i can share life's quirks no matter how weird they can get.
i'll surely be content with my life by then.
belt
in my rush to get to the office by 645am, i forgot to wear a belt today... shet, feeling ko hubad ako!!!
qaf
Queer As Folk says goodbye
that's it. no more episode 84 to look forward to.
i'm speechless... while i'm just about to start watching season 4, i really really feel sad that the series has now come to an end.
it's the end of the road for all the characters i've come to identify with (some closely).
goodbye to brian, justin, emmett, ted, lindsay, melanie, debbie, ben, and especialy michael. thanks for the laughter and the tears...
ngarag
in less than a week, the major project we have been working on - agonizingly - for the past month will finally be made public. but unfortunately, that's not the end of our pain and misery... we're just a quarter through the project.
the problem with product launches is that you have to build everything from scratch - flyers, presentations, templates and designs, etc. and the problem with my freakin' company is that you have to do all of these within an unjustly short timeframe without any additional resources - without reducing your existing workload.
i now feel so bogged down trying to work on my tasks for this new project that i could barely keep track of related tasks that are happening simultaneously. good thing we got a consultant to help us out, so he's the one trying to make sure all parts are moving smoothly.
unfortunately, i could barely attend to the other vertical i'm now supposed to manage. it's good that my colleague is supporting me with some critical projects. but it's not enough to keep sales guys from bugging me like puppies eager for a meal.
and things are getting crazier!
the other week, we had to stay in the office until 1230am just to prepare the materials for an 830am meeting the next day. on friday, i may need to be in the office at 630am to get ready for a webcast rehearsal at 7am.
and on thursday next week, we have to sit-in on the US webcast, which meant staying in the office 'til around 3am. the only saving grace here is that the publisher will be with us - which means he also has to stay up until past 3am.
there's still some justice in this world!
comment
...to hear it come from my boss was totally unexpected, but it didn't come as a surprise either...
"this guy?! (referring to me, obviously) quiet and concise?! you must be kidding!"
...indeed, i am a man of few words - NOT!
sick and tired
i am sick.
had another bout with allergies today. it's the second within a week. been sneezing and blowing nose and sneezing again the entire day... all because of lots of stress and lack of sleep.
i am tired.
for the past week or so, leaving the office 830pm-ish has become the norm rather than the exception. the next two weekends are to be spent in the office as well. and this is just the beginning, august looks worse, and there's no end in sight.
i am lost.
gotta take care of product a. gotta take care of product b. have to be involved with project c. have to be involved with project d... what should i do first? where should i start? will this ever end?
i am pissed.
need to clean-up after colleague e's mess. need to clean-up after colleage f's bigger mess... why do i always have to fix the blunders of other people? why do i always have to help save their asses? why do i always have to do other people's job just because they are so dumb to do it themselves?
i wanna do gym and stay on track with my workout plan, but i just feel sick to even bother.
i wanna shop, watch a movie or have a drink, but i am way too tired to even make a side trip to the grocery.
i wanna put some direction and sense into my work (and life), and help colleagues who really need my help, but i am lost somewhere beneath truckloads of work and poop.
i wanna stay positive, optimistic and patient amidst all this, but i am sooo pissed that i just couldn't.
hay...
questionnaire para sa mga atenista
...stolen from lhasyus, na originally nanggaling kay tiborce... pambuwelo muna for a long day at work...
----------------------
1. ano'ng student number mo?
- 960300
2. nakapasa ka ba or waitlisted?
- pasado
3. pa'no mo nalaman ang acet result?
- via our guidance counselors sa high school. tinago nila yung letters until the very last day of school para hindi daw makaapekto sa final exams
4. first choice mo ba ang ateneo?
- yes, courtesy of all my older cousins who graduated from or were still studying at ateneo
5. alam mo ba ang acet score mo?
- very good ata sa lahat except for english na satisfactory
6. ano ang first choice mo na course?
- ab communication
7. second choice?
- bs management ata or ab psychology
8. chinito/chinita ka ba?
- chinito big time!
9. taga-ateneo high?
- nope
10. nag-enjoy ka ba sa orsem?
- hindi ko na maalala yung orsem - ibig sabihin ba nito i didn't enjoy it?!
11. saang gate ka pumasok nung first day?
- most likely gate 3
12. nakapag-dorm ka ba?
- nope, but nakiki-crash ako sa dorm ng cousins ko
13. nagka-f ka ba?
- muntik na. super late ko ng sinubmit yung 4 papers sa gen psych (read, past deadline na), so hindi na tinanggap ni ebrada. buti na lang at d ang naging final grade ko kasi i won't be able to stand another sem of gen psych.
14. nagka-a?
- math!!!
15. highest grade?
- a
16. lowest?
- d
17. worst experience sa admu:
- experiences... anything that had to do with these people with initials jt and ot.
18. lagi ka bang uma-attend ng klase?
- nung first year at second year, oo. pero third and fourth year, pasaway na big time. kung kaya inuubos ko ang cuts ko. biggest casualty is gen psych na minsanan ko lang inattend kasi it's at 9am at hindi nagche-check ng attendance.
19. may scholarship ka ba?
- wala
20. nangarap na mag-"laude?"
- oo
21. kelan ka gumradweyt?
- march 2000
22. fave teacher?
- dr. garcia, philo 101 and 102. bobby guev who has a certain vibe na mahihiya ka not to do good in his class. dax manacsa for his ep-fi moments. mommy (doreen) dahil super nanay sya sa klase. same with patty domingo. fr. nick and his childlike laughter. and of course, sir tony.
23. worst teacher?
- ebrada and ibana dahil tulog ako lagi sa klase nila, and my professor in physics that i couldn't remember kasi he's so forgettable
24. fave subject?
- philo of man (philo 101 and 102), experimental psych,
25. worst subject?
- gen psych and english/literature subjects
26. favorite landmark in admu?
- wala e... does comm dept count?
27. building?
- of course, the comm dept!
28. fave kainan?
- hands down, manang's. inihaw na liempo, pork chop at giniling!
29. estudyante ba ang binabayad mo sa jeep?
- deadma.
30. lagi ka ba sa rizal lib?
- nung first year tambay lib ako - until i joined guidon and ran for the edboard.
31. nagpunta ka ba sa infirmary nung minsang nagkasakit ka?
- once lang para humingi ng caladryl kasi na-higad ako.
32. may crush ka ba sa campus?
- most likely meron, pero hindi ko na maalala
34. may balak ka bang mag-ma or -phd?
- definitely wala
35. anu-ano ang mga pe mo?
- pe 101, weight training, table tennis at arnis
36. kamusta naman ang block n'yo?
- our quest for world domination continues!!!
37. nakapanood ka ba ng graduation?
- does my grad count?
38. memorized mo ba ang "song for mary?"
- pag may kasabay ako
39. memorized mo ba ang "fabilioh?"
- cheer yun di ba?!
40. e ang "halikinu?"
- cheer rin ito di ba?!
41. e ang "blue eagle spelling?"
- hanggang spelling lang
42. member ka ba ng team ateneo?
- mukha bang athletic mga bilbil ko?!
43. sino paborito mong uaap basketball player?
- not a basketball fan. not a sports fan - period. besides, lagi namang talo ang eagles e. pero naalala ko itong certain tonichi something. kaklase ko ata sa experimenta psych at ang bano nya maglalaro. kaklase ko practically buong basketball team sa philo 101.
44. naka-perfect ka na ba ng exam?
- oo ata - sa math. yung midterms ng math muntik na, i just missed this reverse matrix question. pero don't ask me to do any math now.
45. ano ayaw mo sa hell week?
- studying?! (read, going through all the readings!!!)
46. dito ka ba natuto uminom o manigarilyo?
- hindi. super good boy ako e.
47. ano ang gusto mo sa school natin?
- yung pagka well-rounded ng approach to education at idealistic
48. ano ayaw mo?
- laging talo sa uaap
49. bumili ka ba sa a-shop?
- do phone cards and exam booklets count?!
50. maganda ba id pic mo?
- ok lang sya
51. may ginawa ka na bang illegal sa loob ng campus?
- *secret* hehehe... super good boy nga ako e, so i really doubt it
52. nakabili ka ba ng gamit sa national katips?
- marami... in one instance, earl ignacio and tintin bersola (nung sila pa - retro!) were queing behind me at the cashier
53. nag-starbucks ka ba sa katips?
- oo... at inabutan pa ng lindol dun
54. gusto mo ba'ng mag-aral ulit?
- nope. definitely not a fan of classroom learning
hale
late friday night (it was more like early saturday morning), over nightcap with friends, we had a brief chat on how opm is flourishing these days.
we are no longer stuck with side a, martin nievera, gary v, zsa zsa padilla or regine velasquez. there's now nina, nyoy volante, kitchie nadal, kyla, artstrong, and a whole bunch of up-and-coming, and, i must say, very talented "alternative" bands and indie groups.
i now hear groups such as orange and lemons, cueshe (named after their usual merienda - bananacue), and soapdish... and there's hale. i recently downloaded their album and i wasn't disappointed.
for the uninitiated, hale is the group who sang "the day you said goodnight" (na i understand ay kasalukuyang nilalapastangan ng mga kapamilya by making it the theme of this koreanovela green rose - gaya ng paglapastangan nila sa kaganda-gandang "huwag na huwag mong sasabihin" na ginawang theme ng lovers in paris).
i couldn't exactly make recommendations on which songs to check out in the album since most of them really sound great. i would simply recommend everyone to get a copy. my personal favorites are, unfortunately, the day you said goodnight, broken sonnet and bent down.
pahabol lang, for those who enjoyed and preferred bo bice's live performance of the american idol single "inside your heaven", you won't be disappointed with the album version. it's miles better than carrie's interpretation (well, she didn't do good one during the live performance in the first place). bo's version has got more soul, depth and flavor than carrie's. definitely a must-hear/must-buy.
PALpak
...it never fails. at least they're consistent - consistently late, that is.
during my three-year stint here in hk, 13 out of my 15 flights to and from manila were via pal. my first two round-trip flights were very much on schedule that i began to wonder what the fuss over "plane always late" was all about. i was even telling people that i've so far got no problems with pal. then reality kicked-in.
while all my four flights into manila during the past two years were right on time, four of my five flights out of manila weren't.
january 2004, flight out of manila delayed by 2 hours... july 2004, departed a little behind schedule... january 2005, at least 45 minutes delayed - in fact, it was already departure time yet we, and truckloads of other people, haven't been checked-in... and last night, almost 2 hours delayed.
traffic to the airport was very light, so i got there earlier than expected. there was considerably less people at the airport. no queue at the main entrance for the first security inspection. checked-in and got through immigration within 10mins of arriving. spent another 10mins or so queueing for the second security check because they only have one freaking xray machine working!
by around 410pm, i was already waiting for boarding time - scheduled for 520pm at gate 5. at around 515 i heard the ground staff page some passengers from my flight, but i noticed that there wasn't any ground staff positioned at gate 5. then i saw security personnel cordoning off gate 5's waiting area - which they only do for u.s.-bound flights.
then i saw another passenger look pissed then walked away, followed by a few more passengers. apparently they moved my flight to gate 2 without any announcement. so i moved and waited again, and by 550, i was already wondering why we haven't even started boarding. then i checked the screen at the gate. flight time: 7pm. we are now officially delayed by 1hour - and no one bothered to make the announcement.
boarding time came, i gave a sigh of relief. but no, the horror didn't end there. we waited for another 45mins inside the plane for passengers from a connecting flight that got delayed. f**kin' hell! by around 740, we took off - finally.
saying that i was dead pissed off was an understatement. right at that very moment, i wanted to launch a signature campaign calling for a boycott of pal. i was also already plotting how to ensure that pal loses business big time so it will collapse under the weight of mismanagement and inefficiency. for pal, schedules are mere suggestions, not something that should be strictly followed. something similar to the state of philippine tv today (don't even get me started!).
but i'll be a hypocrite if i say that i won't ride pal anymore, ever. i prefer pal because i prefer to get stuck at terminal 2 because i get claustrophobic at terminal 1. i also prefer pal's flight schedules. 9pm departure from hk and 6pm departure from manila (sans delays) are just right - sakto!
truth is, while i may have second thoughts about riding pal when i fly home, i don't think i can totally eliminate it from my options altogether. oh well!
iffy
it's past midnight. in around 18 hours, i shall be heading back to hk. although i've been flying in and out of manila regularly for the past two years, for some weird reason, i'm having butterflies right at this moment. and there's only one clear explanation for feeling this way - WORK.
i'm getting stressed just feeling anxious about all the urgent projects vying for my attention over the next two to four weeks. i don't know how i can attend to all of them when i get back.
in fact, i've just spent the past two days organizing the results of our community survey. i still have to figure how to do the tabulations and analysis. and tomorrow, while waiting for my flight, i plan to type up some overdue meeting notes (similar to what i did in april on my way back from shanghai to hk).
...then there are powerpoint presentations, media kit updates, new media kits, house ads, sales flyers, and a major new product launch - all to be rolled out by early august. AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!
shopping spree
...someone please stop me. over the past four days of my stay here in manila, i've managed to charge over hk$1,500 to my credit card. i just realized that i'm uncontrollable when it comes to shopping. i love shopping, period.
stuff that i bought - so far:
1. a pair of levi's jeans
2. three bottles of body shop "slick" hair cream
3. one bottle of body shop "define and no frizz" hair cream
4. eight music cds
5. one haircut at kerastase salon (yes, i finally located my old stylist from david's)
6. toiletries and facial wash from watson's
7. three shirts from oxygen (i only wanted to get one, but thanks to joya, i ended up with three)
...and i'm just halfway through my stay here in manila. i dread the next few days. maybe i should just stay home to prevent me from spending any further...
sin
cardinal sin has passed away. his death marks an end of an era in religion and politics.
while he is a noble man who championed human rights and freedom, i don't exactly have the same amount of respect for this man as i would have for pope john paul ii.
as i look at the current state of the philippines, i can't help but hold him partly responsible for all the brouhaha and chaos that are bringing the nation further down. this man is a media-savvy political animal that has turned the catholic church into a political party that seems to be hallucinating rather than thinking.
so as a result:
political controversies blown out of proportion by claims that the circumstances behind them are "against the teaching of the lord".
leaders who lack political will because going against what the catholic church wants spells doom to one's political career.
priests meddling into political controversies, imposing their personal opinion on to the people and subtly hinting some spiritual consequence if the "flock" doesn't agree with them.
selfish politicians capitalizing on controversies and gaining more political power because they have the backing of the catholic church.
i can enumerate a lot more, but the one big thing that really irks me about the church's transformation into a political party is that they meddle in legislation that would otherwise benefit the country in the long term.
two things immediately come to mind: population control and constitutional development.
anyways, before i rant any further, let me again say, cardinal sin as a man is a remarkable being. he has a good heart and good intentions. but in my opinion, his goodness and advocacy was a little bit over the top that it did more bad than good for the country.
pride
the only thing left outstanding is my boss' signature on my leave form and i'm all set. i'll be flying home on friday night for a weeklong break from the chaos that is work.
as with last year, part of my agenda is to enjoy people-watching at the pride party in malate on saturday. joya has been bugging me for the longest time to try and fly home for pride because she enjoys going there with me and our other common friend.
while my very first pride party in 2002 turned out to be a depressing experience. yes, i was so depressed na sinabayan ko pa si kris aquino sa pag-iyak nung umamin sya sa affair nila ni joey marquez (remember that sunday joya?). at ang clincher, nangyayari ang lahat ng ito't humahagulgol ako while editing the china white paper! (ang pathetic!)
my experience at pride last year was much better - although the party itself was a bore (malamang dahil sponsored ng studio 23 so dapat wholesome). got to see jaya perform - even if it's just one number. chix and delle were there to host the one-hour show. and i wasn't out "on a hunt". walang pressure so i was able to just experience pride, period.
it may seem weird, but watching hundreds of gays converge in one place mostly para maka-quota is so aliw! plus ang sarap mang-okray.
and that's my exact plan this year - to just be there to have a couple of drinks and to experience pride manila again no matter how boring or subdued again it may be.
i actually want to post some photos on my return but i seriously doubt if this'll happen since i don't own a digicam in the first place. it's so sayang!
anyways, see you guys next week!
bold steps
i don't want to be
anything other than what i've been trying to be lately
all i have to do
is think of me and i have peace of mind
i'm tired of looking 'round rooms
wondering what i've got to do
or who i'm supposed to be
i don't want to be anything other than me
if there's one song that could describe my current frame of mind, it would definitely be gavin de graw's "i don't want to be". i think i've reached that point in my life where i'm tired of working my life around what other people think of me.
all i want is to do things because i want to and it makes me feel content, and not because it's what society dictates as prim and proper or something like that. i want to be someone na "what you see is what you get". i want to speak my mind, no matter how blunt things may come off. i want to stop being so calculating and be more spontaneous. i want to be care-free.
pagod na akong kakaisip. pagod na akong kakatantsa. pagod na akong maging praning!
being less calculating and taking risks enable you to move forward. you've gotta take big bold steps to get somewhere - and so i did.
about an hour after writing my earlier post, i took a bold step of jumping into the email conversation and said, "E, set me up na rin kaya" - pushing a "deep, dark secret" out into the open to people i hardly knew on a personal level.
at that moment, i just threw out all my cares. i really didn't care. kebs with what they will think. i overcame my fears and took the plunge.
with no questions asked, E invited me to join them for dinner and drinks saturday night (last night). and to cut the long story short, i had a blast last night. i was able to let loose and overcome my insecurity with meeting new people.
there were 8 of us who met up. but there were only 4 of us left when we capped the night (more like morning). i was able to meet the friend of E, and he seems to be a nice guy. one thing i'm proud of myself this time is that when i confirmed to E that i'll be joining them for drinks and to meet her friend, i successfully managed to have no expectations whatsoever. it made the whole experience much more enjoyable and not frustrating.
i simply want to enjoy the "moment". i don't want to expect anything or think of where this initial meeting will lead - kung may kahahantungan man sya.
and in this whole process, i had a couple of realizations. i realized that in order to live life to the full, you've got to take bold steps to move forward and exprience more of what life has to offer. i know that i've always had a desire to make gimmick and have a freakin' fun time. but i've been holding myself back and deprived myself of this by striving to be so goody-two-shoes or by simply staying on the safe side.
and most importantly, i've realized that it really feels good (and liberating) to just throw all your cares away and stay true to who you really are, dahil sa mundong ito, marami ang mga taong rumerespeto, bukas ang isipan at hindi nagkukubli sa mapagpanggap at mapaglinlang na mundo ng relihyon at tradisyon.
as what i've expressed in a previous post, to all of you who've always let me be me, sa lahat ng mga rumerespeto sa aking pakatao and who embraced me for who i am, salamat po.
------------------------------------
...you may be wondering why it's past 1am and i'm online. i can't sleep just yet. why? there's this moth that flew into my flat earlier. i didn't see it for a few hours after that so i thought it was already gone. apparently, it was stuck to my ceiling. i must admit, anything that flies or crawls freak me out. so hinabol ko sya ng insect spray until it barely flew. then i smashed it with a newspaper. so now, my flat wreaks the smell of insecticide. i've got to air it out muna...
slow
napipikon ako sa sarili ko. had lunch today with three other colleagues. one's a teammate, si Z. while the other two were from a different department, let's call them E and H.
lunch became a pseudo-confessions session. it started out casually H talking about her holiday plans after resigning. then we were caught off-guard when in one anecdote she told us she's bi. we thought she was just kidding. si H ata ay taong mahirap seryosohin because earlier she told the waitress that she's part-thai - and we thought she was just joking. apparently, it's true.
the conversation then moved into talking about H's pinoy gay friend. then E asked H if she wants to set him up with her pinoy gay friend who's recently been single. H said she'll check if her friend wants to be setup.
at first, deadma ako. nung nagsink-in yung usapan, parang a part of me wanted to raise my hand and say, "ako, i-fix nyo ako!". but i held back. see, i'm not exactly cozy-close with Z, E and H kaya parang feeling ko ang awkward. and now, i'm regretting it.
ang open na ng atmosphere. hayan na't may nagbubukas na ng opportunity to meet someone, pero wala, sinara ko pa ang pinto. and now, based on emails about plans to meet up in the future, they're really seriously planning to fix the two guys. gusto kong i-untog ulo ko. tangina ang bagal mo mark!
this brings to mind cessy's advice months ago (when i was so depressed about lacking a love life). "wag mong kareerin ang paghahanap ng papa," she said. actually, this is the primary reason why i have to "search consciously". if i don't do it consciously, then i don't simply fall under the radar, i totally disappear from the radar. slow 'tong lola nyo - big time - and it's frustrating!
p.s. to those who want to play "miss match" (or "mr. match"), i'm very much willing *hint*
rascal flatts
...before anything else, shouts out to y_slaybelle. i soooooooooooo envy your queer eye day! i would have loved to see thom and kyan (and sige na nga, daphne's outfit that could launch a thousand pillowcases!)...
anyways, blame it on american idol, but i just found myself so much into rascal flatts. i've been listening to their latest album "feels like today" over and over and over again. "feels like today" is an album i would highly recommend to anyone who are into country music (or can at the very least appreciate country).
check out the following tracks: 1-where you are, 2-bless the broken road, 5-fast cars and freedom, 10-holes, 12-skin
"skin" is a sad but well-written song about hope, strength and love. it talks about a teenage girl who found out she had lukemia (if i understood it correctly). she's scared but the doctor assured her it was going to be ok. she just had to undergo treatment.
and she was scared again - that no one would bring a bald girl to the prom. and what happened next brings tears to my eyes. i'd rather post the exact lyrics than dilute the beauty of it:
It's quarter to seven, that boy's at the door
And her daddy ushers him in
And when he takes off his cap
They all start to cry
Cause this morning where his hair had all been
Softly she touches just skin
And they go dancing, around and around
Without any cares
And her very first true love is holding her close
And for a moment she isn't scared
and just indulge this hopeless romantic guy here. let me share the entire lyrics of "bless the broken road". and i do hope that someday somehow... you know what i mean!...
I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true
Now I’m just rollin’ home into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you
hip-hop
i had a blast tonight. it was my second attempt to attend a hip-hop class at the gym, and i'm glad it turned out great.
my first attempt was way back two years ago, and it sucked. the instructor was more concerned about you getting each and every step right rather than making people enjoy. as if we are professional dancers!
but this time around, the instructor told us upfront, "i don't mind if you suck or if you couldn't get the steps right, all i want is for everyone to have fun". and that spelled the difference!
the tune was "my style" from black eyed peas' new album. the steps were complicated at times; no one could get the fourth set of steps right cause the beat was damn too fast. but nobody cared, we were laughing and having fun the entire hour.
oh well, looks like i found myself a new dig every tuesday night...
salamat
na sa ngayo'y wala pang katiyakang
hatid nito'y panibagong pintong magbubukas
dala sa aki'y magagandang oportunidad
new and big opportunities are on deck. things have been looking up for me these past few years. and just tonight, i received a letter from my landlord saying they prefer sign me up for another 2 years - without any rent increase - even though rents in my area are up by 10-15%.
but now, i'm scared. ano kayang "kapalit" ang naghihintay sa aking kapalaran? ayokong isipin pero the law of gravity says, "what goes up must come down". it's scaring the shits out of me - seriously.
but at the height of my paranoia, something dawned on me. i'm so blessed and i have to be thankful. god has blessed me so much and i have to be thankful to him.
funny how He has continued to bless me, in spite of what i've been and what i've become. maybe heto nga yung "unconditional love" that they've been talking about. mapa-sino ka man, mapa-ano ka man, anuman ang iyong nagawa sa buhay, He does love us unconditionally.
hindi ako madasaling tao. heck, i'm not religious, period (contrary to what some may have thought). i have very personal reasons for this, but tonight, i'm putting them aside, because i know i owe a lot to Him and the "world" in general.
hayaan nyo akong magpaabot ng isang mataimtim na pasasalamat sa nasa Itaas.
thank you...
...for all the blessings you've continued to shower upon me
...for all the doors of opportunity that continue to open for me
...for all the challenges that have made me smarter and wiser (hopefully)
...for all the frustrations that have made me stronger and tougher
...for all the experiences that have made this life richer
...for the smiles, tears and fears that break the monotony of life
...for the optimism that ensures i get to always "hang on"
...for the pragmatism that keeps me always grounded
...for the safe and peaceful environment that i now live in
...for the music, the talk and the shows that add color to my living
...(i just have to have this in filipino) para sa sining ng pamilmilosopiya na nagbibigay ng kahulugan sa bawat karanasan ng buhay
...for the opportunity to share my life with, and maybe inspire, people around me
...for the opportunity to help others and give back whatever i've received
...for being able to live a meaningful and fruitful life
...for a wonderful set of parents that love me more than i can understand
...for people who have allowed me to enter their lives as a friend or acquaintance
...for people who trust me with their problems and secrets, and look up to me for advice (i am not worthy!!!)
...for people who have believed in me and continue to believe in me, even though i don't believe in myself 98% of the time (let's leave the 2% for pride)
...for the people who just lets me be me, whoever and whatever i may be
...for the people that remain civil to me no matter how much they hate me
...for the people who have "rejected" me or doubted me in one way or another that have subsequently have made me tougher (and bitchier)
...for the people who intimidate me that have forced me to learn to deal with my insecurities
...for the people who bear with my complexity, bitchiness, craziness and "attitude"
...for friends that continue to love you and make you feel loved no matter how many thousand miles away you may be.
isang gabi'y lubhang di sapat
upang lahat ng ito ay maisulat
itong pagbati'y taos-puso't at di lamang pabalat
sa Kanya sa itaas at sa inyong lahat
maraming maraming maraming salamat
(shet ang drama ko!)
breakfast
everyday, on my way to work, i pick-up breakfast from maxim's cake shop. it's one of the more popular bakeshops here in hk ala goldilocks or red ribbon.
on monday, a new bread/roll (whatever!) immediately caught my fancy. you see, i usually take two pieces everyday, and when you do that for five days a week, you simply don't have a lot of choices. so a new "flavor" definitely gets me all curious.
"blueberry and cream cheese" one sign read. hmmm, sounds good. i got it. and i later found out that it was, um, a blueberry cheesecake stuffed inside a bread.
"italian beef" another sign read. hmmm, maybe it's ground beef in tomato sauce ala calzone. but no, as you can see it was a double dose of carbo...
...yes, that's right. it's fusili in tomato meat sauce stuffed inside a bread! i'm very much willing to share. anyone interested?!
idol
it's super tempting but i'm resisting the urge - successfully, so far...
it's almost 4pm, here i am, in the office, trying my darnest best not to surf the net to find out who won american idol... i'm not surfing, period, lest i might come across some news item that mentions the winner - and spoil the suspense... sino kaya yung nanalo? bo or carrie? sana si bo, pero baka si carrie, hindi, dapat si bo ang manalo...
why am i doing this to myself? i don't know, masokista lang talaga ata ako...
4 more hours to go before i'll get to watch the finale... bakit ba kasi ang tagal mag-8pm!!!
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okay, murphy's law at work. with the idol telecast starting at 8pm, i planned to leave the office past 630pm. giving me enough time to commute, buy dinner and still catch the start of the show.
however, things didn't go as planned. i had to help the associate publisher finalize the presentation of his revenue projections for the board meeting tomorrow. it wasn't a complicated spreadsheet, though, he just couldn't get his head around explaining the logic behind the numbers he asked us to churn out for him. weird and frustrating, but that's our associate publisher, he panics and can't think well when under stress.
i finally left the office at 730pm and got home past 830pm. i missed the opening of the show, but got a treat seeing season 3 finalists doing some remote-hosting chores for the finale. matt rogers seems so natural and engaging as a host (i agree with simon that he can have a regular hosting stint on idol next season). la toya really seemed to be loaded with booze!
the main part of the finale formally opens with a clip of idol reject leandra jackson singing star-mangled, i mean, star-spangled banner. and she ended the song live onstage. that must have been an overwhelming experience for her.
bo and carrie (or as some fan sites call them, borrie) do a number together. these two really have great chemistry. they sounded well. to my surprise, carrie seemed relaxed and she sounded good!
then the producers took a swipe at abc and corey clark by spoofing the "fallen idol" expose. it was hilarious, yet blunt about abc's "bad judgement" - that's what the segment was called.
this year's finale's highlight, apart from the results, is the idol finalists with the all-star idols set. it was amazing. although i'm rooting for bo, carrie is starting to grow on me. her voice registered well and she just came through during her performance with the rascal flatts.
then, anwar, anthony, and, um, kenny g?! next was by the rock set with constantine, jessica and nadia - all personal favorites of mine. it was explosive! i was floored! then a lackluster performance from george benson, although nikko sounded great... oh, and scott was singing as well.
and magical baby v! i miss her perform! she really shines! some pitchy spots, but she successfully manages her shortcomings through showmanship.
lindsey and mikalah with babyface. at least fran drescher, i mean, mikalah, can really project. although she went overboard and seemed to be upstaging lindsey and even babyface. lindsey really has a lovely voice, but she still looked awkward.
and finally, bo, bo, bo, with lynrd skynrd and sweet home alabama. what else can i say? bo owned the stage!
and now the results... and the american idol is (*fingers crossed... bo, bo, bo*)... carrie.
felt bad bo lost, but he'll be ok. he doesn't even seem bothered and sad at all (flashback diana degarmo kaplastikan moment last year). even if bo didn't win, i think he will be a big star.
season 4 seems to be the greatest season idol has ever had. it had the most talented and deserving set of finalists (well personally save for mikalah and scott). it was a nice experience following it for the past 5 months. the finale was less pretentious and super fun. and i look forward to another great season next year.
naive
can i just say? ...they say wisdom comes with age - but not for everyone. i still can't get my head around why someone at least 8 years older than i can still be so naive... or am i just more pragmatic, maybe more experienced (and jaded at the same time)?
go baby v!
she has a very slim chance of winning - considering how much the producers are trying to shove carrie down everyone's throats - but i'm dead hoping that some miracle will happen and see vonzell crowned american idol.
vonzell's versatile, she's sweet and adorable, and she can sing. she's got that destiny's-child-meets-gloria-gaynor vibe that makes me enjoy watching her perform. i echo the sentiments written in one american idol fan site (i forgot which one exactly) vonzell is the only finalist i'll pay to see in a concert.
on the flipside, carrie, though she has a good recording voice, looks absolutely mechanical and boring. and bo, he's good - but not versatile - besides, he's got nothing to lose anyway.
so come wednesday, i look forward to watching baby v deliver another stellar performance. and on thursday, i'll keep my fingers crossed and hope that she'll be through to the finals.
goodbye btefnet
it was good while it lasted. after two fabulous fall seasons and over 70gb worth of shows downloaded, i had to say goodbye to btefnet - permanently.
btefnet has shut down.
on thursday, the mpaa waged war against tv show trading sites by suing six popular torrent sites that specialize on tv shows; and among them was btefnet.
my initial reaction was "f*#k!" this couldn't have happened at a more critical time - two most critical weeks of the tv season when the season finales of the shows i follow are airing. this is a disaster.
for one, i haven't finished downloading the finale of amazing race. and it'll be pathetic for me to have watched all season 7 episodes - and miss the finale! (but gladly, people are still seeding it so my client are scraping from them. 2 hours to go!)
gladly i've finished downloading the finale of scrubs. but then there's still the 1-hour finale of joey, which i managed to find a live torrent to download this morning; two more episodes of will and grace including the 1-hour finale next week; finally, the finales of the apprentice and america's next top model - all next week; and 24!!! which ends on the last week of may. i'm glad they're showing idol on star world so I haven't been downloading it this season.
but i think people will find a way to share these remaining popular episodes, so i'm trying to stay positive that i'll still get to locate downloads over the next few weeks. in any case, at least the apprentice 3, antm cycle 4 and 24 day 4 are starting to air on the local english channel.
but after the shock and frustration - and panic - i felt sad.
for the past one-and-a-half years or so, these downloads are what kept me preoccupied. it got me hooked on ai, amazing race, scrubs, antm and queer eye. it introduced me to the daily show and joey. i got to see the finale of friends and satc way ahead of everyone. (will and grace is a given).
without these downloads, life in hk would have been a big bore. the demise of tv show swapping sites would mean that i have to shift back to vcds or regular daytime fare on the local english channels - which doesn't really excite me. oh yes, there's abs-cbn now. but nothing compares to the tv series i follow.
i'm trying to stay optimistic. while btefnet and other popular tv-swapping sites have been shut down, other sites will surely rise - to the delight of tv fans like me.
playlist 5.29.2005
y_slaybelle and aurie slayer's reading lists "inspired" (ching!) me to post my own list. since i'm definitely not a bookworm, or a book lover at the very least, i'll post something about - what else? - but music. here's are the songs currently on my playlist.
album: something to be
artist: rob thomas
check out these tracks: 2-lonely no more, 3-ever the same, 5-when the heartache ends, 8-problem girl
album: rebirth
artist: jennifer lopez
check out these tracks: 1-get right , 3-hold you down, 11-can't believe this is me
album: lifehouse
artist: lifehouse
check out these tracks: 1-come back down , 2-you & me
album: counting down the days
artist: natalie imbruglia
check out these tracks: 2-shiver, 6-slow down, 11-when you're sleeping
album: the emancipation of mimi
artist: mariah carey
check out these tracks: 1-it's like that, 2-we belong together, 7-get your number, 9-circles
album: in between dreams
artist: jack johnson
check out these tracks: 2-never know, 3-banana pancakes, 6-sitting waiting wishing
album: waiting for the siren's call
artist: new order
check out these tracks: 8-jetstream lover, 10-turn
new mtr system map
on my way home this evening, i couldn't help but notice the new system map of the mtr. it seems that the map on the train carriages was changed sometime during the day, because i don't recall noticing the new map this morning.
anyways, the update was in preparation for the opening of new attractions that the government hopes will draw more visitors into hk.
on the left-hand side of the map, you'll notice some highlighted notes. these are for the new stations that will open towards the end of this year and early next year.
opening real soon is the sunny bay station. what used to be an in-the-middle-of-nowhere, non-operational platform (ala pnr train stations) is now a futuristic station. although, i wonder why they're opening it this early, given that it won't serve its purpose as an interchange station for the hk disneyland line until the resort opens late summer. plus, there's absolutely nothing around it - no residential or commercial area, just the lantau highway and, ummm, sunny bay.
to open in september, the victorian-themed disneyland resort station is obviously your link to hk's disneyland theme park, which will open on september 12th.
later this year, the asiaworld-expo station extends the existing airport express line beyond the airport. this stop is not exactly for tourists. asiaworld-expo is hk's brand-new exhibition center, which is threatening the dominance of the overbooked hkcec. this is new expo center is where my company will stage the hk leg of its annual sourcing fair staring spring next year.
lastly, early next year, what used to be an hour-long butt-numbing bus ride will now become a scenic cable car ride lasting only a few minutes. prior to ngong ping 360's opening, ocean park is the only place in hk where you can enjoy a cable car ride. ngong ping 360 is set to bring visitors from the tung chung town center to the world's largest, outdoor seated buddha. oh, and when you reach the buddha, you shouldn't miss the tasty vegetarian resto of the buddhist monastery at its foot.
a f#@kin' idol shocker
in his first ever trip to the bottom three, constantine got eliminated.
to say that i'm shocked is an understatement. it's absolutely frustrating to see a good performer getting cut! what made this frustration worse is the fact that an average contestant (i refuse to consider him a singer or a performer) managing to survive and land in the top group! f#*k!
pardon the expletive, but i really feel so sh*#ty about the results.
constantine technically isn't the best singer in the competition. but i must give props to him for being a great performer. he knows his audience. he knows how to appeal to them. he knows how to make people enjoy watching him. hell, he pouts way much better than supermodels! he definitely has more "star quality" than carrie, who is a better singer and a favorite to win.
making comparisons between him and scott is pointless because scott is simply not in the same league as constantine. constantine has star written all over his performances, scott seems like he's just singing in the shower.
the shocking results remind me a lot about john stevens from last season. no matter how awful (and painful) his performances were, his fans just kept him going. george huff and latoya london got the boot before him, although george and latoya definitely gave better performances.
but compared to scott, john's better. at lease he has some "star quality" and charm - he's just not a pop-music material. scott has none. he's just an ordinary guy who happens to know how to sing. his being described as an average joe doing well in a competition speaks a lot his lack of star quality.
and if you're in a competition searching for the next american pop music superstar, then you've got to look and be a star. (in the first place, i wonder why he even made the cut to the final 24.)
it's like reuben studdard. he may have won season 2, but look where he is now. (where the hell is he now?!) kelly has done absolutely great. fantasia's album is still ranking high on the billboard charts. clay, the runner-up, is doing even better than reuben.
i won't say that because of this shocker, i'll boycott idol altogether, that's plain s*#t. but i do hope the season will end with a really deserving winner. whether it be bo or carrie, or even vonzell or anthony, i don't care, they're all deserving. they are good performers, and arguably good singers, but most importantly, they are american idols.
papa ratzi
actual cover of a british tabloid
just a short thought about the new pope: although he is known to be a conservative and a hardliner when it comes to enforcing church doctrines, i remain hopeful that benedict xvi will take a more moderate and pragmatic stance towards dealing with sex, birth control/contraception and homosexuality. the world is constantly evolving, times have changed and the church must keep up and make themselves more attuned to people's needs.
shanghai diary (part 2): a must read!!!
pagbigyan nyo na ako. i just had to squeeze out every single bit of juiciness from this "highlight" of my trip in shanghai. that's why i decided to break this out into a separate item.
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april 14: caught in the act
state of mind - bored and exhausted. pissed with my roommate - jj - because he "unilaterally" decided to stay on for an additional night, whereas based on the schedule, he should be flying out in the evening - and i should have the room all to myself that night.
i know that he's staying over because he wanted to spend more time with his girlfriend. but heck, without any prior notice to his superior nor the project manager, he simply decided that he will stay for an additional night. p***ng**a, kabago-bago feeling boss na sya!
if it's anyone else, i wouldn't mind. but it's jj, with a bloated ego and menopausal prissiness. all i wanted was a comfortable night without feeling like i'm walking on eggshells - and his decision to stay meant i wouldn't get any of that.
after several attempts of wiggling out of having him as a roommate for another night, and after his boss spoke to me and told me to just let jj stay so he can focus on work, i agreed - grudgingly.
that night, i joined the iic operations team along with friends from the manila office (tatlo sila, so let's collectively call them 'mel') for a nice and tasty shanghainese hotpot dinner. it was nice getting to know these people outside of work. masaya silang kasama.
knowing about jj and his "ulterior" motive for staying over, mel were teasing me "are you sure pwede ka ng bumalik sa hotel?" to which i said yes, thinking that jj and his girlfriend will be out on a bar, as what he hinted earlier that night.
but no, as i opened the door to our hotel room, i suddenly heard panicky voices. then a head popped out the corner. it was jj, naked, giving me a sign not to go in (you couldn't see the bed from the door). okay, so i get it. sige na, tapusin nyo na yan.
i left them alone, pero syempre being the chismoso me, i checked out their clothes hung over the hotel room's couch before finally closing the door. after the initial "shock" (more like, natawa ako sa katangahan nya), i felt pissed again. i was very tired from the week's activities and all i wanted was to be able to lie down and relax. of course, i couldn't do that because MY ROOMMATE'S FREAKIN' HAVING SEX IN MY HOTEL ROOM!!! ta***na!
so heto nagmukha akong tanga walking aimlessly around the vicinity of the hotel - carrying a watson's plastic bag containing packing tape (i forgot to leave it in the room) - at past 1030pm in china. i went back to the hotel about 1115pm na.
ang pathetic di ba!? at that time, feeling ko ang loser ko. pero come to think of it, jj's the real loser. una, kung hindi ka ba naman tanga't kalahati't to be caught in the act by an officemate. and secondly, if he ain't a loser, then i won't be here creating a separate post just to highlight the fact that jj is among men who think with their dicks rather than their brains!
i rest my case - evil bitch marky (mwahahahaha!)
shanghai diary (part 1 - updated)
after two back-to-back sales conferences and a technical event, i simply decided to stay home yesterday, open a pack of chips and just vegetate! let me share with you my week-long trip to shanghai - with as much detail as i can. day 1 is the most eventful so it'll most likely have the longest account. read on (some patience required)...
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april 9: always follow your instructions
took the 9am dragonair flight to shanghai. oh my, when dragonair says it's economy class, they really mean economy class. i barely have leg room. how do they expect me to put my laptop underneath the seat in front of me?
shanghai's new pudong airport is far different from hk's airport: getting from the airport and into the city is chaotic. it lacks (clear) signage within the airport, and there were too many people who are "nangongontrata".
in her pre-departure advisory, the sales conference's project manager advised us to take bus route c, which will bring us directly to the hotel's doorstep. i was with the project manager, along with sales guys from hk. these guys asked around and was told by a bus driver that his route will take us to central hotel. so we took bus route 6 - not route c, per the instructions. while in the bus, we had a hunch that we've been had. and yes we were.
the bus brought us to the city, but not to the hotel's doorstep. when the kunduktora informed us about our stop. we asked where the hotel is. she and the driver told us to take the cab to our hotel. freaks! masiraan sana kayo ng bus!
a further 15-minute cab ride took us to the hotel. while checking in, a colleague from japan arrived and was thanking the project manager for giving helpful directions. he explained he took bus route c, and was dropped off at the hotel. ouch! moral of the story, follow your own instructions.
i was roomed with our new sales manager - an american who used to live in taiwan. let's call him jj. from the outset, jj has been ranting about being in room shares. he was complaining about his shenzhen roommate's snoring. now he's complaining that the room-share arrangement will not allow him and his girlfriend, who's living in shanghai, to hang out together.
while unpacking, jj told me that his girlfriend is dropping by and politely asked me if he could spend some time alone with her. mabait naman akong tao, and i've got stuff to take care of anyway, so i obliged. jj's girlfriend arrived just when i finished unpacking, and i left them alone. i went out to hunt for a china mobile sim, bottled water and something to eat.
to my surprise, what used to be a very warm afternoon, suddenly became cold and damp. when we got to the hotel, it was about 26 degrees. about 3 hours later, it was only about 16 degrees. i wasn't prepared for the sudden cold that i went out of the hotel without a jacket wearing only short-sleeve shirt. and later that night, i think it was a mere 11 degrees.
had a pathetic curry dinner - it really sucked. at about 11pm, i headed to the conference hall for the setup. the "much-awaited" sales conference is set to begin the next day.
april 10: overtime and overeating
day 1 of the conference. i miscalculated the time when i told jj that a 730am wake-up call is fine. i forgot that that i had to be in the conference hall by 8am. good thing jj woke up earlier than 730am and was finished when i got up. after rushing to shower and get dressed, i made it to the hall a little past 8am. setup the projector, made sure everything is ok, then headed down to the coffee shop for a 5-minute breakfast.
the sales conference started promptly at 830am. everything went smoothly the whole day - save for timekeeping. all the day's presenters, except for one, took the agreed schedule as mere suggestion. no one followed their time allocation. good thing the almost 2-hour workshop served as buffer, so we ended the day overtime by only about 30 minutes.
group dinner was at jade garden restaurant. it served shanghainese cuisine. some western colleagues seem unable to have the palette for chinese food. it seemed like they were on a diet. dinner was great - but i was just too much. we were all stuffed to the brim.
april 11: oooops!
again, for the second day, breakfast was hurried. it was another 5-minuter. i'm starting to get sick and tired of not "appreciating" my breakfast. the sales conference was running smoothly without hitches. well, not until the "knowledge quiz" portion. i don't know what happened, but my powerpoint answer key had the wrong answer and it caused some commotion among the participants. all that time, i thought i had the correct ones. it was really an "oooops!" moment for me.
later that afternoon, jj and i shared a cab and headed to the tech event venue for some pre-event walkthrough and last-minute checks on promos. the doorman hailed us a taxi. i gave him the address where we are heading to. he advised the cab driver and we were off to intex - or so we thought.
after about 20 minutes, i noticed that the road signs were pointing to the pudong airport on shanghai's eastern side, while the show venue was closer to hongchiao on the western side of town. i got alarmed, checked with the cab driver in chinese, and found out that the doorman gave him wrong directions. apparently, there is more than one international exhibition centers in shanghai, and the one in pudong is not the one we were supposed to be heading for.
so we made a u-turn, travelled from the eastern side of town all the way to the west. it seemed like a day tour of shanghai of sorts, but it was frustrating. what was supposed to be a RMB30 max. cab ride ended up to be RMB90.
it was my first time to witness moving-in day for a show. and it was totally chaotic. but i was amazed at how fast they were able to put the booths and all. that afternoon, i also met up with friends from manila who were part of the show management.
april 12: promos gone pear-shaped - almost
sales conference over, it's now time for iic-china. the opening ceremony was spectacular. loved the theatrical treatment (don't know why my boss really hated it).
my main mission for the show's first day was to make sure all our china white paper promotions are in place. especially for the latest white paper - communications - which is not selling well. after making sure everything is in place at intex, i headed down about 75 meters across the road to shanghai mart, where the company's other show - china sourcing fair - is being held simultaneously.
there, 6 mini-booths were suppposed to promote the company's market intelligence reports, including our china white papers. but not a single booth had a copy of the communications white paper nor copies of our order form - f***ing s**t!
so i hunted down the show's key operations guy to claim our order forms, which were shipped to them two weeks earlier. got enough forms for all booths. handed them to the officers-in-charge and headed back to intex to get copies of the white paper for display. got 6 copies of the white paper, and trekked back to shanghai mart to handover to the oics.
by the time everything got sorted out, i was dead exhausted. and i headed back to intex - again - in search of something to eat. geesh, it's kfc.
april 13: and the award goes to...
had the chance to have a slow morning. didn't have to be at the show venue anyway. i just had to be at the sheraton after lunch to help setup for the night's cocktail party. for the first time during my stay in shanghai, i was able to enjoy breakfast - without hurrying.
as always, i was tasked to clean-up the powerpoint for the cocktail party. dropped by the show before lunch to get the boss' sign-off. but guess what, he didn't like it. he wanted me to ditch the corporate template and make the powerpoint look more like the oscars. so with only an hour to go before the 1pm "call time", it was a mad scramble to overhaul the presentation.
lunch was once again a hot and spicy kfc zinger (any moment, baka tumilaok ako!). 1pm na, deadma. 2pm, finally done! headed for sherton, which was just about 25 meters away from intex. ...briefing, briefing... uy! video and audio switchers! feels just like comm class!... dry-run, dry-run... showtime... party's over, let's grab dinner - where else in shanghai? but at (drum roll, please) pizza hut!
capped the night with a walk towards the bund - only to realize that lights are turned off at 10pm. it's past 1030pm when we got there. anyhow, we did go up to the rooftop of the historic peace hotel - which hosted the final pitstop of amazing race's season 6. nice view from there (photo still in rt's camera, i'll post it once available).