what's on my mind...

Driving to the Airport

2011-02-18T12:56:00.000+08:00

Today is Friday! Everybody, well almost everybody, loves Friday! I'm fine with Fridays, I worked at contact center in a BPO industry for 8 years, as such we have different schedules, so I don't really look forward Fridays anymore, But still... Fridays are good now that I am currently unemployed (I quit since I don't want to be in a group that'll I regret).

I went to the airport earlier just to get some stuff from my brother, so it was a roughly around 23km back and forth, it took me around more than 2 hours to go back and forth. Looking at it, it was not that bad. Annoyingly enough, people just don't follow traffic lights. I don't even think that those traffic lights are well coordinated. Also, there are unnecessary traffic lights in unusual places. I think in less than a kilometer road, there is roughly 4 or 5 traffic lights, and you wonder why there is traffic. Of course other than the fact that public transportations are as undisciplined as ever. So it made me thinking, even if we have a president that has good intentions, no corruption, and aims to progress the country... would it made a difference?

I remember my taxi to the airport from Singapore 2 days ago, I was talking to the taxi cab driver. We were talking a bit about Singapore as one of the country that really made a dramatic change in 40 years. From a not known country, to a now well known country. He indicated that people in their government are young ones, full of ideas and new one I might add. It struck me that the Philippines governing bodies are all "elite" or "experienced" or whatever you may call them, I call them oldies. If not "elite" people, they are sons or daughters from this elite group of people. No new people, means no new ideas. No new ideas, means the same direction that the country is going for the past years.

Philippines used to be one of the country that Singapore admired 40 years ago, but now it's the other way around. Even if we have the Lee Kwan Yew of the 40 years ago as the now president, with the current government officials, I don't think it will work. We do have a democratic country, but with democracy there should also be responsibility. I don't think the people are ready for that responsibility yet...

Anyway, I'm still glad it is a Friday. I have a long day tomorrow... I have plans, I just hope it will result to something that I am hoping for. Happy Friday everyone!

Random Word of the Day: Mic

Home

2011-02-17T13:50:00.000+08:00

It's been 5 months since I went home, and there has been little changes. Things that you hate are still there and you are still hoping deep down that there will be changes. So far, none has change. Gasoline prices are high, my room is a mess (my little brother is using it while I'm out), corruption is still there, people are still undisciplined. But hey, it's only 5 months, so I don't see any miracle happening anytime soon.

But what's different is that... I can't see any difference right now. I guess it's too early to tell. I'll probably see some changes over the weekend.

Let me start with something unusual. See, I need an NBI Clearance for a Visa to travel abroad. I have my old NBI Clearance, all I need is to renew it. The process is fast, a big improvement over the years. You only need to do 2 step, Step 1: Pay, Step 2: Take a Picture and They'll print it for you. This holds true, if you have no same name with whom they/you have a criminal record. So, the way I see it is already an improvement. But if you will ask me, they can make all of this automated. All you need is like a photo-booth-type of setup and it will be much faster, sad thing about this is they don't really see improvements like that, they rather give you the hassle than a hassle free experience. So, everything sounds good if your name is unique enough and no other person share the same name and if there is he/she doesn't have any criminal records. Now, in case you do, you have to visit the Branch in Victory Mall in Monumento. Funny thing about this is, previously they were located in Carriedo, now they moved to Monumento. One observation is that they are located in the most high crime area in the metro. Carriedo is known for snatchers, holdup-ers, any bad element you might think of. Monumento, on the other hand has the same impression. It is at the last stop of the LRT station (convenient you might say, but going there through LRT is such a ride. Be careful of your things or as might as well say good bye to them) and it is one of the busiest place in the area. So if you have a vehicle, it will be hard to park anywhere other than the fact that place is swarmed by cops (whose job by the way is not to catch criminals, nor direct traffic but catch cars that swerve or driving in the wrong lane). I wonder why do they move to such places? Why not go to a place wherein people would at least feel safe? We have a long way to go if we want to see our country progress.

My first meal is from Goldilocks, I'm used to the food of Singapore where everything is spicy. Now eating at Goldilocks made me feel that their food is tasteless, full of MSG (as I'm so thirsty right now, probably due to the high content of MSG) and the siomai smells funny (I hope I'm wrong on this one). I should've eaten at Jollibee instead...

Anyway, this is it for now. I have some things to plan, and stuff to do.

Random Word of the Day: Speaker

Hump Day

2011-02-16T09:05:00.000+08:00

It's Wednesday, and it's what we called hump day! nothing much happening, and everybody is wishing that it's already a Friday. :P

Well, I'll start off by saying that I'm packing. I'm going back home, and there is a lot to pack. I think the baggage limit is around 20kg per person (Non budget airplanes), and I say one of my bag already weighs 14kg, and I have more to pack! Let's hope that I would be able to use my Elite member to give me additional 10kg, or else they would charge me around usd10.00/kg.

After bumming around for 5 months in Singapore, It's time to go back to work. I'm banking all my cards to this one opportunity, and I hope it pays off. If not, find another again. :)

Random Word of the Day: Miracle

Too excited...

2011-02-15T10:31:00.003+08:00

So... If I'm so excited over something I tend to dream about it the night before. We usually remember the latter part of our dream, when we are about to be awaken or when we are about to wake up. And during that time, lucid dreaming, is the best time. At some point (or others may say) you can actually control the situation to your liking. I often get this type of dreams, especially when I'm excited over something.

Last night, I dream of having my own copy of Marvel vs Capcom 3 Collector's Edition. It's a bit hard to find a store in Singapore who will tell you that they will have the collector's edition. Oddly enough they seems to not know if they will have one, or is just waiting for the supplier to give them one. Well, today is the day that it will be released. I signed up my name 2 days ago (yes, I know it's late) to receive a copy of the game, and hopefully they have a copy for me in stock.

Better yet, I'll just go there and see if I can already pick it up (rather wait for them to call). I need to go out and do some stuff anyway.

Random word of the day: Antidiarrhoeal*

*yeah, it's kinda weird... but it's something I came across while reading a wiki article.

Update: So I decided to call... lo and behold... It will be available by Thursday. Arrggghh! Not a happy camper...

Update: Wooohooo! Lucky! I was able to find a copy in Funan, better yet... it's Special Edition (or Collector's Edition)

Waiting is such a drag...

2011-02-14T12:41:00.001+08:00

I'm waiting for my passport from DHL, and it's taking such a long time for them to deliver! Singapore is a small Island, and it's been 4 hours since the status changed to with Delivery Courier, I've been waiting since this morning and still nothing. I have plans for the rest of the day, and there is a place I need to go before it hits 5pm. I just hope DHL arrives before 3pm, or I will be one unhappy customer.

And Finally! after roughly 5 hours, it arrived! I timing is just fine, not great. But it will do... now off to my next thing in my agenda!

First blood...

2011-02-14T10:53:00.001+08:00

I've been meaning to blog for quite sometime now, but never really started. Why? simply because there are far too many blog sites out there, and I don't know where to start. I just want a simple blog, that is less work and more typing. (God, I hope that there will be a time wherein my thoughts can be transform into words... no more typing...) Good thing one of my good friends, which will be left unnamed and is also the only follower of my blog as of writing, recommended/forced this site to me.

At first blood, I should right something meaningful... but not really, it's more on what's on my mind (or what was on my mind...). I'm looking for a Taiwan mochi over the weekend. They were selling it during CNY (Chinese New Year) in Chinatown for $1.50 per 100g (oddly enough a minimum of 1kg, and there is no writing or mentioning of minimum weight). I bought 1kg and send it back home. I got feedback it was good. So I would like to buy some more and bring it back home. Over the weekend a trip to Chinatown to buy some more, oddly enough all the stalls that were selling Taiwan mochi just vanished! We (my brother and I) were walking back and forth across Chinatown were I bought it and it's not there, We tried to look for it in malls but to no success. My brother is telling me that it's one of those things that only appears during CNY. I'm sure that there is a store that sells it way cheaper than it is priced during CNY, now the only problem is finding it... and the search continues...

That's it for now, I have some stuff that I need to do!

Things to learn from blogging:
1. How to upload pictures
2. Test email to blog feature (COOOLLL!!! If it works how I exactly Im imagining it)
3. Widgets

Random word of the day: Popcorn