Asian Tour Day 6: City Tour by Hippo, May 23

My day actually started early. While my family were still resting, I took the opportunity and took the MRT from Somerset to Redhill station to check out the Honda showroom in Alexandra Road. The plan was to canvas a 2002 Civic EX emblem (which they didn’t have) and 2007 CRV 18in mag wheels (which cost an arm and a leg at P114,000 for 4 pieces and excluding shipping). In the showroom, I saw their version of the Civic, CRV and Accord and models not offered in the Phils like the Stream, Oddessey and ultra sporty Civic Type R. Along the way I saw Euro Cars showrooms of Peugeot, Volkswagen, Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati, Citroen and Jap Cars showrooms of Toyota, Mitsubishi, Honda, Subaru and Nissan.

Around lunchtime, we took the City Tour which cost SG$23 per person but it was well worth it and valid for 2 days. The guided tour took us to more than 20 stops with different points of interest. We rode on a double decker and it had an open top. We had late lunch at Suntec City, which was actually the tour company’s main base and considered the second largest mall in SG. In the afternoon, we took the river boat ride on an authentic bum boat and this tour gave a great view of Boat Quay, Clark Quay, Esplanade and the landmark Merlion fountain. Rain was a kill joy but lo and behold, it was only isolated rain showers as there was not a spec of rain in lower part of Orchard Road. We capped our day by splurging in Bossini’s close out sale where we spent more than P10K.

Asian Tour Day 5: Let there be Lloyd’s Inn, May 22

The internet reviews says the hotel personnel were rude. James was not rude. Nor was Peter. I won’t hesitate a bit to go back to that place. The hotac was at Lloyd’s Inn located in #2 Lloyd road within the vicinity of Orchard road and very near Somerset MRT. And yes, it was not a pretty hotel - the inn was almost 4 decades old, the bed sheets were not white as I wished them to be or the carpet needed cleaning pronto but we only paid P3,600 a night for the almost perfect location. A perfect location cost in the neighborhood of P9,000 a night and that’s something we’re not ready to embrace.

The plan today was to explore Sentosa Island. Getting there was a cinch- hello MRT! We took the MRT from Somerset to Harbourfront station. The MRT station was linked to VivoCity, the largest mall in SG. Then we took the cable car in Harbourfront. I was not actually enthusiastic about the cable car ride being acrophobic but I know the kids will enjoy it (just like in Hong Kong) that’s why we didn’t miss it. In Sentosa, first up was a skyride by JML and B5, then more pix taken in Images of SG, B5 checked out SG through a telescope, then B5 and I entered the Merlion and watched a short film, had merienda at Delifrance (Trixie a Filipina as one of the staff), walked all the way to the beach front, rode the eastbound and westbound trams and capped the day by watching the Songs of the Sea fireworks and lights display. Going back to the mainland, we rode the Sentosa Express then took the convenient MRT back to Somerset. Lunch and Dinner was in the same carinderia along Killeney Road near Lloyd’s inn.

Asian Tour Day 4: Meeting of Two Rivers, May 21

Our best decision in MY was probably the half day city tour. Everybody in the family enjoyed it. Our ten year old boy had a grand time during the tour. Our personal tour guide Did Din provided the entertainment. Riding a BUS PERISAN which actually means tourist bus we toured around the city from 9AM to 12NN and taking us to the following points of interest: another view of the Petronas Twin Towers, showed the location of the Phil and US Embassy, the new tunnel whose construction was featured in Discovery Channel, passed by Merdeka Square and the actual location of the two rivers, the King’s Palace, the parliament, the old train station, the Freedom Park, a tour of a batik factory, a souvenir shop and a locally made chocolate shop.

INFO DUMP
This is just pure information dumping. Things that we learned during the trip:
Kuala Lumpur actually means meeting of two rivers.
Malaysia’s killer natural disastrous elements are water and earth (soil). They have frequent floods and landslides but through the years, the government has implemented measures to minimize this such as an efficient flood protection system and land management system.
Recently, they bore four big tunnels within the city limits, 2 used for vehicles and 2 for flood waters. Traffic is bad in KL especially during rush hours. It’s like a virtual parking lot similar to EDSA between 7 to 9AM during weekdays.
Putra Jaya is a newly created city less than an hour from the CBD (Central Biz District) whose zoning is idea. It’s a new age wonder hence a must see in the next visit.

NEXT TIME
We’ve realized that 1 full day in Malaysia is simply not enough. In KL alone, we missed going to Bintang Walk, KL Tower and other points of interest. Putra Jaya will be part of our itinerary in future visits. I was told we need half a day to explore it. Then there’s Sepang where you’ll find the only international formula one racing circuit in Asia. Genting highland is also a must see as it’s a Tagaytay with Enchanted Kingdom type park and up the ante a few notches higher.

AEROLINE BUS
Here’s a great way to fly…ride the bus! Our 28 hour trip to MY was capped by a 5 hour bus ride from MY to SG via Aeroline Bus. It’s a no brainer that taking the bus is a lot cheaper compared to an airplane. To be more precise, it’s 50% cheaper. An airplane trip would cost us P12,000 while the bus trip only amounted to P6,000. And I’d say the experience was even better. Imagine riding a double deck bus and getting seats 1A and 1B – the best view in the house. You are right on top of the driver!

The quote for the day comes from my lovely wife JML “ Nalungkot ako para sa Pilipinas.” In our 4 day old trip which brought us to Jakarta & Kuala Lumpur, we’ve realized that Makati City was behind in a lot of things. This comment comes from a family whose been living in Makati Central Business District officially for nearly 4 years now.

Asian Tour Day 3: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 20

Our flight from ID to MY via Air Asia was at 8AM. Time was not on our side during this trip so that ends our 32 hour visit in this city that is officially a few scales better than Makati. We rode an LCC or Low Cost Carrier in the guise of Air Asia but it actually didn’t mean a thing. Included in the Malaysia package was an airport to hotel transfer and that’s when we met our eventual tour guide Din Din. He was of Malaysia and Chinese decent and was the perfect tour guide, knows the country like the palm of his hand, mixes touristy stuff with business and economics. The hotac was provided by Corus Hotel whose location was simply the best – a stone’s throw away from Petronas Twin Towers. As mentioned earlier, the hotel was a bit pricey but the package included breakfast, land transfer, a city tour so that justifies the cost. The target itinerary for the day was to explore and take precious pictures of the 4th tallest building in the world. Lunch was at Nando’s resto whose specialty was chicken. Pork is not actually a star in this side of the globe. They had a 5 point spice meter but I was only good for entry level. My wife JML could have passed level 3 if she wanted to but I’m no spice boy. Dinner was chicken rice at Suria Mall’s foodcourt. Aside from taking tons of pictures of the twin towers, we explored the depths of the mall and was not actually successful at keeping expenses in check. Our learning point during these international escapades- avoid going to the malls.

Asian Tour Day 2: Jakarta, Indonesia, May 19

PLAZA SENAYAN
Our day started a bit late as we had to recover from the late night travel. Our official tour guides for the day were SLS’ pretty wife Eve and their li’l boy Joshua. First up was at a foreign exchange center called Dua Sisi in Plaza Senayan. The exchange rate was about US$ 100 for IDR 900,000+. There’s not much coins in this side of the globe, mostly paper money. Lunch was at an Indonesian resto called Waroeng Kita (which means our small store). Their specialty was ox’s tail cooked fried and with soup and nasi goreng or lemak which was actually their variant of fried rice.

PACIFIC PLACE
Next we went to Pacific Place where Kidzania was located. I will not be able to give justice to the Kidzania experience just by telling you a story but every parent should have their children experience this totally different concept. It’s one of a kind, at least from my punto de vista. It’s like a small community, to name a few establishment- a gas station, an automobile dealers, a race track, a hospital, an electric company all in a small scale just right for kids. They have practically everything covered. The kids get paid salary for the experience and whatever they earn, they can use for some rides and buy stuff. If only I had the resources and time, I’d copy the concept and bring to Pinas. Dinner was in Y&Y resto with SLS and family. Imagine having dinner on a sailboat placed inside the mall. It was a totally different experience for the touristas.

SENAYAN CITY, ET. AL
All visitors from Jakarta have great things to say about J.CO Donuts so it was my time to try it and they were so right. The donut literally melts in your mouth. The donut show was led by J.Co in ID with Mister Donut, Dunkin’ Donut relegated as supporting casts. After some donuts and coffee at 11PM, we had a couple of drinks at Pure Resto and Bar. The bar’s name sounds pretty mundane but it offers a commanding view of the Jakarta skyline at night and revolves in certain times during the day hence giving you a 360 degree view of the city.

Asian Tour Day 1: S-I-M “Asian” Tour, May 18

Finally after a year of preparation, the whole family went on an Asian tour which covered Indonesia (ID), Malaysia (MY) and Singapore (SG). My friend went to SG recently and spent exactly the same amount (about P120,000) for the same number of people. Our tour covered 3 key cities in Asia for the same cost but we had to sacrifice on some expenses. I may have used the term sacrifice but a more apt term is adventure. In ID, accommodation was through a very, very good friend SLS. In MY, the accommodation killed our budget BUT the package included land transfers, breakfast and a city tour so that sort of off set it. In SG, our hotac was a measly P3600 a night at Lloyd’s Inn, ate meals at carinderia’s, rode the MRT a lot and walked a lot.

Our airline of choice was PAL (Phil Airlines). It was not exactly a maiden flight but the Manila to Jakarta route was just 20 days old. The lone flight was scheduled at 9PM and we arrived in Jakarta a few minutes past midnight. We were picked up at the airport by my friend SLS. The airport wasn’t as impressive as the relatively new NAIA but the “not so nice” perception about ID practically ended there. Day 2 is a totally different picture of Jakarta.

Animal Kingdom

If we consider the natural environment as a basis for quality of life, my vote would go to the US. There's nothing like living in unison with nature. During my 2 week trip to the US, I had the chance to see the following animals which we would only see at the zoo in Pinas:

1. TURTLE - The turtle was crossing a county road so I had to stop lest I be fined for crushing the poor thing. He was moving from one lake to another and it so happen that the street separated the two lakes.
2. SQUIRRELS - These cute little creatures were everywhere - mall parking lots, in my aunt's front yard at the hospital waiting area. It was actually my first time to see a squirrel. Don't think there are squirrels in Pinas, only squeallers.
3. WILD DUCKS - This is odd. I saw brown and black colored wild ducks in a public park. They were basking in the sun. Lucky ducks! In Pinas, they would have been served for lunch or dinner. Roast duck rice topping. Yum! Yum!
4. SNAKE - Ok, so I am not fond of snakes and this goes for 80% of the human race. When I saw a black 2 feet snake in my parent's front yard, I wanted to call 911. But the broomstick did the trick so I got it out of my sight.
5. PELICAN - Imagine a bird the size of a goose but glides like an eagle. The first time I saw a pelican was in Sea World and had to pay US$20 for the entrance fee. Had I known I could see one in my aunt's front yard, then I would have skipped Sea World.
6. DEER - It was 5am and we were cruising about 60 MPH and had to slow down because Santa's deer where gazing. It was a bit too late for a midnight snack and too early for breakfast. No wonder there was a "Deer Crossing, Slow Down" sign.

Seven Airports in Three Weeks

Seven Airports in 3 weeks is definitely a rare personal feat. I doubt if I can repeat that in my lifetime. It was not done by design and it’s not something that an average Joe (or Juan de la Cruz) can do. I’m not saying I’m an extraordinary person but more like the events in the life the past 2 month qualifies for beyond the usual daily event in our life and not something that you pray for. Here’s the list of airports that I’ve experienced from April 18 to May 10, 2008:

1. Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Manila, Philippines) - MNL
2. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (Jakarta, Indonesia) - CGK
3. Low Cost Carrier Terminal (Selangor, Malaysia) - LCCT
4. Changi International Airport (Singapore) - SIN
5. Central Japan International Airport - Nagoya, Japan - NGO
6. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport - (Detriot, Michigan, USA) - DTW
7. Orlando International Airport - (Orlando, Florida, USA) - MCO

I can’t really judge what’s the best or what’s the worst airport as I really did not have time to assess. The short assessment of the airports that I’ll write in this entry is purely based on perception and no scientific basis.

1. MNL – “Pwede na rin” compared to our Asia counterparts. It is better than CGK and LCCT but not even close to SIN. Let’s not even attempt to compare it to USA or Japan airports.
2. CGK – Of the seven airports, I’d say this is one of the “not so okay” because of its cleanliness. But on the other hand, it is organized and has a cultural theme to its airport design.
3. LCCT – This is Malaysia’s budget airport. Their REAL airport is located 20 kilometers away. Though it’s a budget airport with clearly budget facilities, the place is clean. I’d say even cleaner than MNL.
4. SIN – This is voted as the best airport in the world. I didn’t get the chance to explore it though because of unforeseen circumstance but it is spanking clean, very organized and security is comparable to US airports.
5. NGO – Here’s another clean airport, probably the cleanest among the bunch. It has a wide selection of duty free products but like most duty free shops, they are a bit pricey.
6. DTW – My vote goes to this airport as the best of the seven airports. It’s like a shopping mall masquerading as an airport. The message in that airport is “Shop till you drop and by the way, please don’t forget your flight.”
7. MCO – My father used to tell me that MCO airport is this and that. They’re actually true, saw them with my own eyes however the place needs sprucing up.

What’s a Hospice?

Definition: A hospice is a health-care facility for the terminally ill that emphasizes pain control and emotional support for the patient and family, typically refraining from taking extraordinary measures to prolong life.

At first, the thought of hospice care bothered me. I disagreed on the plan to transfer my father from the Intensive Care Unit to the Hospice Care Center. The word hospice was alien to me and I thought he won’t be given dignity if he was transferred to that facility. When he was eventually transferred, the experience totally changed my view. My father stayed there for only 6 hours but the experience was enough to tell good stories.

The role of a hospital is to make sure a patient lives even if you signed a waiver form. A hospice care on the other hand will ensure that the terminally ill patient expires comfortably.

http://www.halifaxhealth.org/hovf/index.html

BoyLac Wins : A Happy Competition

Since I’ve started making my own money more than a decade ago, I’ve viewed life as a competition with my father. I changed cars more often than him, my own house almost earlier than him, a better phone, dress better and higher monthly income.

CARS
My father had 5 car changes in 37 years and had the chance to own only 1 brand new car while I’ve had only 4 changes in 13 years with 2 of them brand new.

HOUSE
My father transferred to his “own home” at age 32 while I could have owned our own place earlier at age 27 but due to circumstances, had to forgo plans for our “dream house.”

PHONE
I practically replace phone once every 2 years. My primary phone is a high end Nokia and secondary phone is a Black Berry. The entry level phone that I use in the US is actually the same phone as my father’s primary phone.

CLOTHES
I’m into buying branded clothes but mostly on sale. My father is not particular about brands as long as he’s comfortable. He would rather buy clothes for his children and grandchildren than his own.

MONTHLY INCOME
I am an employee who has a stable income. The income is just right. My father on the other hand is a businessman with an erratic income. I’d kid him before that he’s a one day millionaire. And if he wins the lotto, we’d be poor after a day because he’s give everybody he meets a balato (tip).

It was a competition I was conscious about. I didn’t tell anybody about it though until his last days when I told my mother about my crazy practice. I’d like to believe that I’m leading in the material aspect of the game but at the end of it all, it was still my father who won the competition. His last few days as a mortal showed that he won in all fronts as there was a throng of family and friends who prayed, sympathized and supported the family. He was a better father, husband, brother, uncle, son, cousin, nephew, friend, neighbor and workmate than me. And the final score card showed that BoyLac leads by at least two decades.

EULOGY for my Father

EULOGY for my Papa, Jose P. L., Jr.
May 9, 2008
DeLand, Florida

May 22, 2008
Tarlac City, Tarlac

LIFE SUMMARY
My father, Jose L., Jr. was born on November 27, 1946 in Tarlac City, Philippines. His proud parents were Jose L. Sr and Gloria P. He was the 3rd in the family and his siblings were Aida, Pong, Suet, Dan and Reggie.

He married his high school sweetheart Charity in 1971 and they had two children, Dylan and Karen. He had 3 grandchildren who he adored so much - Kobe, Chloe and Karryna.

Most of his 61 year life was spent in Tarlac City. In 2005, they made one of the biggest decisions in their life and migrated to the US with the future of their children in mind.

While in the US, he told us tons of stories about work (Winn Dixie), travels, escapades, family, friends, neighbors, practically good stories about anybody and everybody because my father loved telling stories.

LAST DAYS
My father had a stroke last April 24, 2008. He had massive bleeding in head and the family was praying for a miracle so he'd recover and go back to normal life. After 9 days in the hospital, the doctor spoke to the family and delivered the sad news - that there was no hope for recovery and that we had to make the tough decision to remove the life support system. The next 3 days after the life support was removed was in fact more difficult for the family as we've already accepted the fact that he will be joining our creator soon but at the same time you see your loved one still suffering. Finally on May 5 at around 615PM, my father breathed his last breath with his wife and children by his side and holding his hands.

SORRY & THANK YOU
To Papa Boy, let me say my list of 'Sorry' and 'Thank You' for the last time.

1- I'm sorry that I sported a long hair when I was a teenager. I know you hated it.
2- I'm sorry for disrespecting you on occasions. I know I broke your heart and that you didn't deserve it.
3- I'm sorry for always being too busy.
4- I'm sorry that I did not give you enough time to talk to my kids, your grandchildren Kobe and Chloe. I know you adored them so much.
5- I'm sorry for not saying "I Love You" more than you want me to.

1- Thank you for holding my hands a lot when I was young.
2- Thank you for teaching me how to play basketball and watching me play games.
3- Thank you for teaching me how to drive, for telling me that doing 120 per hour alone in the car is ok but a no no if done with family members.
4- Thank you for taking me to car shows because you know how I love cars.
5- Thank you for always checking my whereabouts, to know if I arrived home safely.
6- Thank you for teaching me to respect every individual regardless of their social class.
7- Thank you for always being there when we need you, to listen to our problems and give advices.
8- Thank you for taking time out to bond with my children, for practically spoiling them.
9- Thank you for loving my mother and being faithful until the end.
10 - Thank you for being a very good son, brother, brother in law, husband, father, grandfather, cousin, uncle, friend, classmate. For generally being a very good person.

You exceeded our expectation. We will miss you. And we all love you.

To conclude this message, my father taught us that in life, it's not the amount of money that a person amasses in his lifetime that matters but the quality of life - the time that you spent with your family and the number of people whose lives you touched.

Thank you.

Jose P. L., Jr a.k.a. BoyLac

We LOVE you so much, Papa Boy!

- Dylan, Judy, Kobe, Chloe, Mama Nette, Boopie, Mark & Kimi

Nosebleed to the Max

That I received a 4.0 rating in English1 in college is not an indicator that I speak English well. I must admit that I still have difficulty speaking the language and find writing the language much easier. Last week was a tough one for me as I had to battle through activities that required me to speak in straight English.

E Western Union mo!
There was a meeting around mid this week with the people from Western Union based in the US. It was a conference call with 2 executives from our partner about customer service and naturally speaking in Tagalog or Taglish was unacceptable. Boy, do I hate these types of meeting! But, a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do hence I had to fire away. I believe I did well. Confidence was definitely there while competence (in speaking the language) was just there for the ride. My point for improvement: loose the UHM and AH.

Now for the Global News
During the latter part of the week, we had to fly to Cebu for a conference and I had to deliver updates on the department’s participation on the Global Business. That too had to be delivered in English so more nosebleeds. I believe I gave justice to the presentation as I injected in the last minute a presentation approach which I termed “Around the world in under 5 minutes.” My point for improvement: KISS – Keep it Short and Simple.

Malaysia, Truly Asia
Last weekend, I spoke to a fellow parent whose son also studies in DB. He was a Chinese-Malaysian therefore conversation in English was the only alternative. He spoke little Tagalog while I spoke very, very little Mandarin. I got tons of tips from him about traveling in his motherland and neighbor Singapore. The tips will come in handy during our upcoming trip.

Mother of All Nosebleeds
Now here’s the mother of all nosebleed – my 4 year old daughter whose prime language is English. She speaks little Tagalog. This is actually a matter of choice by her parents as we wanted her to be exposed to the language at an early age. Aside from that, it’s also a form of practice for the parents. My mother once said that the best way to converse is to think in English, then speak it in English. What we normally (or at least what I normally do) is think in Tagalog and translate it in English.

The top 3 widely spoken languages worldwide includes English, Chinese (Mandarin) and Spanish. Good bye! Zaijian! Adios!

My Son, the Entreprenuer

Last April 3, my son officially (or unofficially) joined the entrepreneur bandwagon through his ice candy for sale business.

His idea, through the assistance and encouragement of his mother, they bought packs of Frostee Ice Candy at the local grocery, printed a colorful ICE CANDY FOR SALE @ P5.00 only banner and properly kept track of the earnings.

Since the start of his operation, he averages 21 pieces sold per day and at the rate things are going, he may end up earning between P1,000 to P1,500 a month this summer.

At 10 years old, I guess he qualifies as one of the youngest businessman in the country. Move over Bill Gates.

A Happy Problem

What is a Happy Problem? A Happy Problem for me is receiving an email from Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Miles informing me that I can avail of a free trip to any of the following countries:

1- Macau (7,500 miles)

2- Hong Kong (7,500 miles)

3- Taipei (7,500 miles)

4- Bangkok (10,000 miles)

5- Beijing (10,000 miles)

6- Shanghai (10,000 miles)

7- Guam (10,000 miles)

8- Nagoya (10,000 miles)

10- Osaka (10,000 miles)

11- Tokyo (10,000 miles)

I've accumulated over 19,000 miles hence I'm qualified to travel for free to any of the countries listed above. Actually, the list contains 16 cities but I've narrowed down my list to 11. I've no idea yet what country to visit for free but one thing's definite, I have to book not later than April 30 lest I lose my privilege.

Of the countries listed above, I've already visited Macau and HongKong but don't really mind visiting them again. Taipei or Bangkok sounds good in fact they are strong candidates. Beijing and Shanghai are also good options but quite pricey. Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo maybe economical options as we have friends and relatives living in these cities.

We have to decide immediately after our S-I-M trip next week. We will see.

GG by BG

Everybody was talking about it so I just had to surf the friendly web and read about the drama in real life. I'm talking about the Gucci Gang and the now famous (or infamous depending on whose side you're on) Brian Gorrell. Anyway, I don't intend to comment on what I read but instead will use this entry to use it as my laundry list of new words discovered while reading his blogsite.

1- grifter - a swindler, dishonest gambler, or the like.
2- despicable - deserving to be despised
3- hideous - distressing; appalling
4- caustic - severely critical or sarcastic
5- carbuncle - deep-red cabochon garnet cut without facets
6- haiku - A poem written in this form
7- vapid - without liveliness or spirit
8- quagmire - a situation from which extrication is very difficult
9- gaudy - cheaply showy in a tasteless way; flashy
10- aberration - deviation from truth or moral rectitude
11- pudgy - short and fat or thick
12- fluff - to make a mistake in
13- natty - neatly or trimly smart in dress or appearance; spruce
14- grubby - dirty; slovenly
15- vile - foul; filthy
16- wonky - stupid; boring; unattractive
17- WTF – What the F___!

For this blog's reader, the words may not be alien to you but it is to me so please pardon my ignorance.

The Early Bird Does Not Always Catch the Worm

On a regular weekend, Saturday means waking up at 9AM and laze around the house the whole morning. Last weekend, the plan was to bring the second car at Honda Cars Makati for servicing. I arrived at 645am last Saturday in HCM with only 3 cars ahead of me. Lo and Behold, it was already 830AM and I have not yet been attended to. For almost 2 hours, I've kept myself busy by watching NBA highlights, reading flyers, brochures & posters and scrutinizing the cars on display. When my patience meter was near full, that's when I spoke to a service advisor. Her name was Viena and she was nice and helpful. She actually didn't deserve my shabby treatment BUT I also didn't deserve to wait for almost 2 hours when 4 out of the 8 counters were operational. My first sarcastic remark was that I asked if there was any chance they'd call my number before 9AM. She offered an Express Check In procedure which I could have opted as soon as I arrived at HCM. The next and last sarcastic remark was that the Express Check In option could have been offered 2 hours earlier. Yes she was nice and I was rude only because I should have been back to my bed if their process was much more efficient.

PacMan scores an offset

That’s right folks, PacMan scored an OFFSET not an UPSET. Our pambansang kamao Manny Pacquiao won via a hairline against the reigning WBA and IBF Super Featherweight Champion Juan Manuel Marquez last March 16 in Mandala Bay Las Vegas.

MELEE NUMBER 1
In May 8, 2004, a then boxing newbie PacMan knocked out slugger Marquez thrice in the first round alone. The intelligent boxer Marquez recovered to score a questionable draw. Boxing analyst says that the win should have been Pacmans. Apparently, politics is prevalent in the boxing world.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
In their second encounter, PacMan KOd Marquez in the 3rd round which left him stunned and attempted to share the corner with his opponent. As in the first meeting Marquez, recovered in the later rounds to give PacMan a good fight. Personally, I thought the fight went to Marquez.

And the new Super Featherweight Champion is Manny Pacquiao! The Pinoys went wild. Half thought it was divine intervention at work. The other half thought it was the boxing official’s way of giving the victory to the real champ. It just took 24 rounds and 46 months to settle the score.

Moody Thursday

We expected traffic to be bad last Maundy Thursday but we didn't expect it to be THAT BAD! The average travel time from Makati to Tarlac is about 2 hours but this a special day so the travel time reached 5 hours.

CHOKE POINTS
The expected choke points for the 125 kilometer journey includes EDSA, NLEX approach, Mabalacat intersection and McArthur Hway in San Miguel, Tarlac. We passed by Nagtahan to avoid the EDSA traffic and that gamble paid off. The next chokepoint was NLEX approach in Valenzuela but good thing the ever reliable EC tag got us off the hook.

UN-EXPRESSWAY.
The gas stations northbound were filled to the hilt. Good for business, not so good for those who regularly use the expressway as it means abnormally heavy vehicle volume. This is when the nightmare began: traffic started in Sta Rita Bulacan until Angeles City Pampanga. That's right folks, what normally takes 20 minutes took almost 3 hours.

MAYOR AT 22.
After exiting NLEX via Angeles, traffic was light. It was a path least likely to take by a normal northbound traveler because it means almost 20 km additional road to travel. I'm the type of driver who will take the road less traveled but traffic free than a shorter traffic filled ride. En route to Tarlac, we passed by Ninoy Aquino's hometown. The guy who is a threat to Jose Rizal's throne became mayor of this small town when he was 22 years old.

We reached Tarlac City just a little past 1PM. That is officially the second longest travel time from Manila to Tarlac.

FN: The longest was in the 90s when we traveled from 6PM to 2AM during All Saint’s Day holiday break.

Ni Hao Mandarin

Yi. Er. San. Si. Wu! Countdown 10 days before my Mandarin classes start at Luke and Wendy’s Language School in Legaspi Village, Makati. Since Y2004 after my life changing thyroidectomy, I’ve wanted to learn to speak Chinese. I bought a Learn Chinese PC CD but I actually haven’t touched it yet so it’s just a waste of resource.

Life changing.
The thyroidectomy was life changing literally and figuratively. When I learned that after the surgery, I would be on medication for the rest of my life, I was extremely sad and in fact was very emotional. Imagine a person like me who hates taking meds and now I have to take it daily forever is a tough pill to swallow. The doctor who took care of me during the operation was Dr. Ang of St. Luke’s. Obviously he was Chinese, spoke to me in Chinese and said that I should learn to speak Chinese so here I am.

Awni Na.
I’ve been shopping around Makati for a good and reasonable school and I’ve learned of Berlitz which charges P7,500 and Speak and Write which charges P4,800. Finally, I saw an ad for Luke and Wendy’s Language school for P3,500 for 30 units. Classes is during Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:00 to 8:00PM and a 20 minute walk from our office. The class size is 6 students and one of the students is a fellow Kapampangan, good friend and officemate. That makes it more interesting as I get to practice the language with him. By the way, Awni Na is “here goes” in Kapampangan.

Three more words.
It’s Ni Hao (Hello) to Mandarin class on March 24, Zai-Jian (good bye) to this blog entry but not before I say Sheng-r Kuai le (Happy Birthday) to myself!

Top Ten Digital Camera Tips

Even though I have progressed to an entry level SLR digital camera, the point and shoot digital cam that we own still comes in handy. It still serves certain purposes because of its size and un-still camera features like the short movie. Some of the techniques that I use when taking shots with my latest toy, the Nikon D40 are holdovers from our first digicam, a Sony Cybershot T1. Here are my top ten tips:

1. Clean as you go. The top tip is to “clean the frame” before shooting. This means removing obstructions or objects that won’t look pretty on picture like a trash bin on a portrait shot or twigs on a landscape shot. Of course, this excludes not so pretty people J
2. Red Dot. This phenomenon seems to be irreversible on earlier compact digicams but I read that there are models which reduce red eye without any need to remove it using a software. You may use MS Office picture manager to fix the red dot.
3. Let there be light. Natural light is still the best. When shooting outdoors, it’s best to harness the power of sunlight hence avoid using the flash. Just a word of caution: there may be occasions when you still need to use a flash even when outdoors. This is done to highlight the foreground.
4. Set it up. A typical camera has prefix settings like landscape, portrait, sports mode, etc. Landscape’s almost universal symbol is the 2 uneven mountains; portrait is that of 2 to 3 uneven face silhouettes and sport is signified by 1 to 2 persons in running position. Use the mode that is applicable for the shot however when all else fail, stick to the trusty AUTO mode.
5. Angle's galore. Shoot the same subject from different angles. From the top, bottom, left, right, diagonal, horizontal, vertical. You’ll be surprised of the outcome!
6. Lens is your friend however... A lens is extremely helpful if you want to take a closer shot of the subject without moving an inch from your current position. But try taking the same shot this time move nearer the subject. You will not immediately notice it until you download the picture or print it out. Using the zoom lens uses less kilobytes therefore more chances your picture will be noisy when printed out. Remember, the heavier is the file size, the clearer it will be.
7. No cleaning after the shot policy. This does not conflict with the first item. A natural shot is still the best. If you have all the time in the world to take the shot and you have gigabytes of storage space, take multiple shots with different settings and scenarios. A cleaning agent in photography includes MS Office Picture Manager, Adobe Photoshop and a dozen of other software which can be found in the net.
8. No crop policy. Similar to number 7. For “not so photo buffs,” cropping means cutting the sides, top or bottom for “dirty” objects. My personal philosophy is that you should crop only if time in not on your side.
9. Different Strokes. A picture from a digicam’s viewfinder may seem the same compared to a PC monitor output but there are subtle differences. At most the digicam’s viewfinder is 2.5 to 3 inches while a PC monitor normally ranges from 14 to 21 inches. The difference is magnified tenfold. Pls. take careful notice of the little things.
10. Practice makes perfect. I’m sure you’ve heard about this adage and it applies to taking pictures as well. Practice taking shots of different subjects with different scenarios so when game time comes, you’ll know what is the best shot for a particular situation.

The beauty of the digital cam is that it is cost effective as long as you don’t regularly print pictures so go practice and take thousands of pictures. As the saying goes “A picture paints a thousand words.”

KENAN INSIDE

If you work in a telecommunications company, the biggest adjustment that one has to make is the dynamism of the industry. Telco people have to put up with fast turnaround of cellular phones, new promos released almost every week, services launched every so often and software entries, exits and modifications.

ICMS’ demise
The Integrated Customer Management System (ICMS) was introduced in 1999 in congruent with the entry of the GSM service of Smart. It is a database that primarily manages the postpaid subscribers. Originally designed for wired service (landline), it has evolved to accommodate wireless service (cellular phones). Almost a decade old, it has served its purpose hence time to retire this aging system.

Kenan’s entry
Comverse (http://www.comverse.com/) is a software company based in Wakefield, Massachusetts, USA that offers a billing solutions software called Kenan. It was created as a convergent software for wired and wireless service and this seems like the software database that can handle the challenges of the postpaid service of both Smart and PLDT. In the worldwide setting, Kenan users include VOXmobile (Luxemburg), China Telecom (China), GCI (Alaska, USA) and Euskaltel (Spain). Smart purchased its backend system and intends to use the homegrown Customer Solutions Platform as its front end tool.

CRM’s match
The Customer Solutions Platform was renamed to One Customer Relation Management to give it a holistic theme. Currently, the CSP is being used as a front end tool for the prepaid service. You can’t find CSP in the internet as this is purely a home grown system. Credit should go to our IT guys; if they can’t find a software solution in the market to meet the company’s requirement, they’ll create one for you. The software was borne out of a need which was specific to the Filipino subscriber, the ultimate texter.

The CRM – Kenan system tandem is expected to be in place next year. The fact that it will integrate numerous systems translates to operational efficiency. For the users of this software system, you may see a familiar screen in the guise of CSP however at the back end, Kenan is doing all the dirty work. It is analogous to a personal computer CPU where the computing part is done by Intel (remember the Intel inside branding). In this case, the computing will be done by Kenan hence the branding - Kenan Inside.

Small Sedan Surprise

The new Toyota Corolla 9th generation is out. I checked it today at the showroom in Bel Air. It's the typical utilitarian Corolla, nothing spectacular. Looks more like an oversized Vios than an undersized Camry. I still like the exterior styling of the Honda Civic 8th generation or the soon to be released 8th gen Mitsubishi Lancer better. Then again I am sure the Corolla will still sell like hotcakes, kelan ba naman hindi? Just a quick survey conducted at a nearby parking area, 4 out of 10 vehicles is a Corolla, just 1 Civic.

Surprise! Surprise! It's not the Corolla nor the Civic and not even the Lancer who won Consumer Reviews Best Car 2008 (small sedan class), it's the Hyundai Elantra.

Corporate RPG: Lessons from a Greenhorn

I got a valuable advice from a new kid on the block during our weekend in Dakak. He said that in basketball, you should play your role, stick to it and give it your best.

IN THE GAME
During the last BBall tourney that I joined, I was a complete failure. That is my personal assessment. I never bothered to ask my teammates or the coach their thoughts. If they invite me again this season, that's probably a clear sign I met their expectation. In that tournament, I set a goal of contributing 10 points per game (ppg) and 5 assist per game (apg). The actual performance was probably 2 ppg and 2 apg. In the next season, I'd like to target a more realistic 4 ppg and 4 apg. The bigger contribution would most likely be in defense more than offense. That will be my role to the team if invited again.

CORPORATE LIFE
After proving that I can compete with the best managers in our org through 3 consecutive model region awards, I was tapped to fill in an unfamiliar role. Initially, handing a project team then eventually handling a small team with a big responsibility. It’s basically a support team so I’m still feeling my way as I’m not used to playing a supporting role. When you’re in the front lines, you’re touted to be a SUPERSTAR. Total control is within your hands and as Spidey said “With great power comes great responsibility.” On the other hand, being in support is BIG CHALLENGE. Just suggesting to replace a step in dusty process flow will take meetings and meetings of debates and you will surely collect more foes than friends.

ROLE PLAYING GAME
The in thing for the net generation is RPG or Role Playing Games. The most famous all time RPG is Dungeons and Dragons. If you’re a net gen guy, you probably don’t know this. And if you’re a gen Xer, you probably thought I meant Commando arcade game. Anyway, my current personal professional vision is to be a role player. I can’t be a star in my current role but can definitely contribute to make our organization a star. I’ll do this by playing my role, sticking to it and give it my best. Thank you, greenhorn Glenmarc.

Boston versus Lakers dynasty part 3?

The two NBA’s winningest team include Boston Celtics from the eastern division and LA Lakers from the western division.

BOSTON CELTICS
Boston has 16 world champ rings, the most by any NBA ball club. They accumulated this mostly in the 50s through the 60s during the Bill Russell era. The Larry Bird era of the 80s added more rings for the franchise. The Paul Pierce lead team was not enough to give Boston a title but the recent addition of Ray Allen from Seattle and superstar Kevin Garnett from Minnesota increases their odds of winning the Larry O’Brien trophy this year. This is best proven by the 47 – 12 win loss standing which is the best record in the NBA this season.

LA LAKERS
Breathing down Boston’s neck is arch rival LA Lakers with 14 world champ rings. They earned this during the Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaq O’ Neal or Kobe Bryant led eras. KB is the new his airness, scoring at will and bringing his team to victory every night. His Scottie Pippen is in the guise of Lamar Odom but with the recent addition of Pau Gasol from Memphis, they just acquired a third superstar. They own the best record in the west and the second best record in the NBA with a 45 – 18 win loss standing.

They are at it again. Boston won the two games they played but that was pre- Pau Gasol trade. While I’m rooting for LA Lakers, my assessment is that this is Boston’s year.

Titanic: Who is Jack Phillips?

I just finished reading a book for children called Titanic written by Will and Mary Pope Osborne from NY, USA. It was relatively a short story but fact filled. It was enough to get my undivided attention last Sunday for at least an hour.

Now about Jack Phillips- the book says he was the wireless man or in layman's term, was responsible for the telegraph. On the night the SS Titanic sank, he received several warnings about icebergs in the ship's path but he choose to set aside the vital communication info, did not escalate to the bridge of the captain and instead focused on sending telegrams for passengers. You may argue that he was just doing his job and doing this effective however he may have a priority disorder. In the weigh in between saving more than a thousand lives and bragging about being in the maiden voyage of a luxury liner, I guess it's a no brainer.

NB: To the family of JP, I'm not portraying his role in the disaster negatively. Read the book and see for yourself. I'm just taking off from the author’s message.

MY HERO

Here's a few Jose Rizal trivia that I learned during my recent trip to Zamboanga del Norte. They sound like trivia to me probably because I wasn't listening during JOSERIZ class back in college. Here goes:
(1) The chickboy of a hero had 9 girlfriends!
Side Comment: He had 9 GFs in 35 years. My 5 pales in comparison.

(2) He had a Japanese girlfriend whose name is Sei-Kiyo-San.
Side comment: I also had a GF who is a quarter Japanese and her name is Judy Mineko.

(3) He had a love child with Joseph Bracken whose name was Francisco.
Side Comment: The love child Francisco was stillborn. I had a sister who was stillborn too. Her name is Charo.

(4) His forefathers were Chinese.
Side Comment: My maternal grandmother is a full blooded Chinese. Check out my eyes, it’s a give away!

(5) He lived in ZamNorte for almost 3 years.
Side Comment: I lived a stone’s throw away from Dapitan for 3 days!

DV8 IN DAKAK

In the afternoon, I deviated from the usual swimming, billiards and sing along that my peers indulged in. I opted pursue my 3 interests: photography, walking and basketball.

PHOTOGRAPHY. On day one, I was preoccupied taking portrait pictures as the un-official TCP photographer that I missed some nice landscape shots. I went to the resort's dock, reception area, garden and chapel.

WALK-A-THON. Going around the places that I mentioned was a blast. I must have walked nearly 2 kilometers of rolling terrain while taking pictures. There was this sign "to the repeater" which tempted me but decided not to because it seemed unsafe.

BASKETBALL. I love this game but nowadays the feeling is not mutual. We played ball with college students from Ateneo de Zamboanga University. One of the opposing team’s player was a varsity so he led his team to victory. We were led by an officemate who similarly was a varsity player during his college days. My role during that game was to bring the ball down, dish out assist and grab rebounds.

RIZAL DAY BUMMING.

Our escapade today was threatened by an early morning rain. Good thing it stopped just around 8 o'clock right after breakfast. The call time was 9:30am so I had time to walk around the resort and take my precious pictures. Then we were off to Rizal Memorial in Dapitan. I have to hand it to JR, he knows how to pick a location. In Dapitan, he lives by the sea. His compound in Zambo is at least a hectare nestled in a forest with a water fall, a pond and his own version of Willy's rock.

Next up was the pasalubong buying part. There was just time for one stop so we went to Montano's famed bottled sardines. Majority of my teammates bought half a dozen to a dozen sardines at p60 per bottle. I figured, a sardines is a sardines is a sardines. Nothing special so opted not to buy.

To tame our 'growling' stomachs, we had eat all you can at Kamayan ni Manay. It was a resto near the beach and halfway between the airport and the resort. Parking was packed so that suggests that they were racking in money that day. For P250 per person, you had overflowing iced tea, sesame seed peppered fried chicken, crabs swimming in coconut (or was it the other way around), tempting talaba, cholesterol friendly lechon cebu and nilasing na hipon para busugin ang customer.

DOCUMENTING DAKAK

I almost backed out of the Dakak, Zamboanga del Norte trip with 1/8th of the customer care team. I lined up my things to do for this coming week and figure there was no way I can complete them on time. Then again I already shelled out P3,500 for this trip so I better make my money's worth, leave work behind, have fun with my teammates and take tons of pictures.

DAY 1 AM : MORE MILES.
The airline of choice was Philippine Airlines hence more points added to my PAL Mabuhay Miles. The flight time from Manila to Dipolog was about one hour and a half. No we did not have a "smooth landing" so that suggests that the pilot was a newbie. From the airport, there's another hour of land travel to Dakak Beach Resort. The resort is located at a cove north west of Zamboanga del Norte. It's owned by the family of infamous ex-congressman Romeo Jalosjos.

DAY 1 PM : WE COMPETE.
The trip was not purely junket as we had parlor games in the afternoon. The first game was a relay where you had to fill up a 2 liter pail with water using a sponge. The blue team (that's us) won. The second game was the age old get-the-coin-from-the-bottom-of-swimming-pool. It was a tough one. It seemed so easy when I was younger. The red team won that one. In the evening, we had a sumptuous meal for dinner (a great recovery from the lunch meal that failed our expectation) and a big bonus was a show featuring regional dances.

DH from Orlando

Dwight Howard from Orlando Magic wins the 2008 NBA all star slam dunk contest. Howard, a 6'11" all star center from the second NBA team from Florida won a sweet victory over Gerald Green of Minesota Timberwolves. Green won the dunk contest in 2007.

GREEN OWNS '07
Green, a 6'8" power forward from the T-wolves won last year's dunk contest at the expense of Howard. The only Howard dunk that stood out was an ultra high leap dunk where he placed a sticker of his face on the backboard. I reckon more than half of the NBA players can easily do that dunk.

HOWARD SWEEPS '08
This year though, Howard owned the dunk contest starting from the first round. The first dunk was an off the "rear" backboard throwdown. Actually, I'm not giving justice to the dunk so you'd have to watch the contest on check out this link http://dwight-howard.com/. He got a perfect 10 score from the 5 judges for the first dunk.

SUPERMAN VS. BDAY CAKE
For the second round, Green blew a candle from a small cake placed on top of the ring support before dunking the ball. For his part, Howard wore a superman jersey, jumped from the free throw line and dunked the ball. Frankly, the dunk wasn't as impressive as the first one but enough to put him in the finals.

NO CONTEST SHOWDOWN
The finals was a face off between the defending champ Green and high leaping Howard. Green's dunks were so lousy that I couldn't remember what they were. On the other hand, Howard had 2 creative dunks that's never been seen. The first was a bounce pass, then ball bounced to the backboard using the left hand before throwing it down with the right hand. The second was just icing on the cake: using a small ring as a 'tee' he jumped to the ball, double pump before the throw down. Again, the first dunk was more impressive.

While I didn't get to see the awarding ceremony, there was no doubt it was Dwight Howard who won the contest. It was sealed as early as his first round dunk.

MTB: Decisions, Decisions

It's so sad to belong to someone else when the right one comes along... A nice song indeed but I'm trying to relate it to a decision that I have to make now that I'm officially back to my second love - mountain biking! It goes without saying that my first love is my family.

GIANT NRS
It's like this: I'm currently using a 2003 Giant NRS mtb. It's almost a 5 yr. old bike which I got via a frame swap deal. It still serves it purpose but I'm exploring the idea of upgrading the frame to a newer model. I maybe able to sell my current frame for a reasonable price of P20,000 ($500). The plan is to look into cross country frames like Giant Anthem or Santa Cruz Superlight.

GIANT ANTHEM
I love my NRS frame. It's an award winning frame which is a dream frame for entry level mtbikers. The ANTHEM is the next generation NRS however, my take is that the ANTHEM doesn't come close to NRS' performance. But the price is right. An ANTHEM retails for P30,000 ($750) therefore my cash out will be in the range of P10,000 ($250). If I upgrade to an ANTHEM, it's analogous to upgrading from a Toyota Revo to a Toyota Innova. It's your trusty Toyota for the mass market.

SANTA CRUZ SUPERLIGHT
This maybe a long shot and might cost an arm and a leg pero astig na option ito! Kung milyonaryo lang ako, wala ng isip isip pa, mag Santa Cruz Superlight na ako! I've always been fixated with the SC Heckler, the Superlight's older and mightier brother. It retails for $1,200 (P48,000) for the frame only at http://www.rbikes.com/, a US based web based bike store. In our lovely Pinas, it sells for a whopping P60,000 ($1,500). Owning a SC Superlight mt bike is like driving a brand new 3rd generation Honda CRV. It has a wow appeal and deserve a second look.

The biggest question is if I can justify the $700 (P28,000) expense to myself then to my family. We'll see in the coming months...

Kalulu

Menakit ku kalulu nandin.

Melunus ku rugu.

Marinat ya ampo lupang maranup.

Ligpasan ku ne uling mamalagwa ku.

Belikan ke rin, ali ku ayatim.

Dininan keng singkwenta.

E man pepasalamat.

Pero alang problema ita.

Meka saup naku man.

Kasanting ku pakiramdam.

Blog it!

It's been nearly 3 weeks since I last posted a blog entry. I've been swamped with THINGS TO DO. In previous entries, I mention about predicting a 2 notebook year this 2008 but it looks more like a 3 notebook year. The current notebook that I'm using is already 40% fill up and we're only on the second month. I'm happy that I'm busy because I feel useful at work and deserve the pay that I'm getting. On the other hand I'm also a little bit sad because there is less 'petiks' time like searching the web for just about anything. Surfing the net at home is taking a back seat because it's eating precious family time. Fact is, I wasn't able to view my friendster account for the whole month of January!

ST & LT Goal

Goal setting should be an eternal exercise. When I was in college, I dreamed of owning a Daihatsu Feroza by age 20. I didn't meet the Feroza goal and got my own ride which we bought out of our own blood sweat and tears around age 26. I'm turning 36 this year and since our first car, we've had 4 car replacements, two of which are brand new. That's an average of a new ride (not necessary brand new) every 2.5 years. While I didn't actually meet my Feroza goal, critical to the experience was the goal setting and planning factor.

ST
ST may mean a dozen things, for generations 90s movie buff ST means Sex Trip, for presidential aspirant Manny Villar, ST means Sipag at Tiyaga but for this blog entry, it actually means Short Term goal. My short term goal is to Learn Chinese (Mandarin). Why? Aside from actually being 1/4 Chinese and having strong Chinese features, learning the language is a critical tool for business. I actually got a 50% discount from my full blooded Chinese surgeon just for saying that "I'm Chinese, don't speak the language, but plan to do so." I reckon he would have given me a 75% discount if I spoke the language or even operated on me for free.

LT
Hearing the acronym LT, only one thing comes to mind - Lorna Tolentino. She's the Filipina actress married to DaBoy, Filipino action star Rudy Fernandez. For this entry, LT means Long Term and for me my LT goal is to retire comfortably in Tarlac City at age 55. To quantify it further, we should be earning in the neighborhood of p200th per month in passive income from various sources. That covers the financial aspect. For the mental aspect, I should be teaching any management course at least 2 times a week at the local university. For the social aspect, I should have my own foundation which focuses on granting college scholarships to qualified students interested in an entrepreneurial course. Lastly for the spiritual aspect, I should be a lay minister.

How's that for goal setting? I'm nowhere near my LT goals but what's important is I start laying the groundwork for my 20 year timeline. As to my ST goal, enrollment is within the next 2 months. Zai - Jian!

Ayala Land @ Fifteen!

“You keep dreaming, Ayala Land keeps building. Fifteen years later, our vision remains clear: We want to build only good things for Filipinos. Thus, we keep innovating by building not just houses but communities and homes for every life stage. Not just malls but entire lifestyles. Not just offices but real estate solutions for corporations. As long as people continue dreaming, we’ll continue building.”

Six months after purchasing on installment a condo unit in Avida Makati West, three months after the Glorietta 2 'bomb blast' incident and one month after some passengers got stuck at The Columns Ayala Avenue (TCAA) elevator, the BIG QUESTION is if Ayala Land Incorporated (ALI) has learned from their recent experiences. In an earlier blog entry, I mentioned that ALI is in a lose - lose situation regardless of the G2 investigation result; if it’s a terrorist attack, then how come they were able pass through G2s “tough” security? If it’s a faulty sewage system, then that’s reflective of their property management (or mismanagement). And the most recent TCAA resident ordeal which I think is NOT an act of terrorism, have our fingers pointing to property (mis) management once again.

A financial magazine says that the property boom is in play and will continue until Y2010. Furthermore, it said that some of the players include Ayala Land Inc., Megaworld Properties and Robinson’s Land Inc. with ALI leading the pack. The Avida Makati West project’s expected turnover is fourth quarter of Y2010. There’s ample time to react and get your act together. Small time investors like us don’t want to deal with problems with security, elevators conking out and a stinky sewage system. That’s the prime reason why we choose to invest in Ayala Land Inc.

GMAs Burj Al Arab adventure

Hear ye! Hear ye! Our President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is staying in Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai. She's in Dubai to say HI to our OFWs.

GMA TRIP
GMA is in Dubai for a business trip. Officially, she's looking for investors and unofficially she just wants to know how our bagong bayani (OFWs) are doing. She's also there to grace the launching of LandBank's remit business in which SMT is a critical partner.

BURJ AL ARAB
Burj Al Arab hotel is in Jumeirah beach, Dubai. It stands on an artificial island in the eastern part of the city. It is a world famed 7 star hotel which is ranked 10th most expensive in the world. It is considered the world’s tallest hotel at 1,053 feet. Their flagship royal suite cost $28,000 a night. I hope that already includes breakfast else that would be a rip off!

Report says she flew there from Switzerland with a battalion of cabinet members, lawmakers and local government officials in tow. My estimate is that if she has a party of 20 people, easily she'll be spending P10 million at the hotel. At P10 million, I guess that qualifies as the most expensive HI.

Watch NBA or Bust!

When I was in the US in '06, one of the goals that I set was to watch an NBA game. The trip was in May so it was actually post-season.

.

STAPLES CENTER, LA

That time, the LA Lakers were in the playoff lording it over the Phoenix Suns until they ran out of gas and missed the conference finals. My schedule in SOCAL was just too tight as I only had 5 days to check out the dozen of touristy places I set out to see and meet families and friends. The consolation was I saw the Staples Center and took pictures while on mobile.

.

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NY

New York Knicks had a bum team that year (and they still do) reason why they didn't make it to the playoffs. While in their homecourt, I found time to check out the historic Madison Square Garden. Actually, everytime I see the Garden, it reminds me of the Matthew Broderick movie Godzilla because he used the arena as a nesting place. That's one BIG nest.

.

TD WATERHOUSE CENTER, ORL

On my list of places to see was the homecourt of the Orlando Magic. While in Florida, Miami Heat was battling it out with Dallas Mavs for the 2006 NBA World Champ trophy with the heat emerging as winner. If the Magic opted NOT to trade Shaq in 96, maybe, just maybe they might be slugging it out with the Mavs instead.

.

Unfortunately, I was not able to watch an NBA game for 2 valid reasons: 1- Orlando to Miami is about 300 miles or a 4 hour drive and 2- an NBA finals ticket cost $800. Heck, that's almost 1/2 the cost of my airfare from Manila to LA! Cable TV was free so that did the job and I watched Miami Heat win their first NBA crown. Maybe watching the NBA during my first visit to the US wasn't meant to be. At any rate, I have a 5 year multiple entry tourist visa so I hope to watch an NBA game within that timeframe.

The Beauty and the Book

What's the advantage of the internet over a book? Convenience and Cost.

.

I read a magazine article once that if you're the type of person who buys second hand items, a book is first on the list of OK TO BUY AS SECOND HAND. The last on the list is clothes and needless to say, undergarments. I bought a book called Lonely Planet - Los Angeles yesterday at Buy-the-Book in our fave mall Waltermart. It cost merely P149 compared to the P1000 price tag if bought in Powerbooks. That's a power price indeed. It's practically the same stuff except that the book is no longer a virgin and it's 1/6th of the price. The REAL downside of it is that the cook is copyrighted Y2001. Though half a decade has passed, I reckon the data would not have changed significantly except probably the admission fees.

.

CONVENIENCE

The power of the internet is: information at your fingertips. It goes without saying that there is no information about Florida in the LA book. Nor the location of the branches of Ripley's Believe it or Not across the US. That's where the net comes in handy. Throw in the ease and quickness of updating the website data, assuming the organization is as responsible as they should be, then you have a potent information tool. While on mobile, internet browsing is easy as 1-2-3 on selected internet capable handsets. The internet is really God's gift to our generation and future generations. The problem now is the plan b or a dozen "what ifs" which the infallible book like the Lonely Planet can fill in. It has things to see & do, places to stay, places to eat, entertainment and shopping guides and Dora's favorite, the map! And you it doesn't need a signal or a battery to give you the information you need.

.

COST

The book that I bought cost P149. I opted to buy it over merienda - a roll of beef shawarma, a can of coke light and my fave toblerone flavor ice cream. Yum yum! In less than 24 hours, I've practically completed reading it but I'm pretty sure it will be used a hundred times more by me and even my children. The 360 page book contains unquantifiable information at the fraction of the cost to access the internet. I'm paying P500 per month on our unlimited braodband connection on our desktop PC however can't bring the information in our car. While mobile, I can access the net using my phone for P20 per hour. After under 8 hours, I would have attained Return on Investment on my old new book compared to mobile internet.

.

Back in college, I used to be a book worm devouring books like fiction, inspirational and sports. As a professional, I've progressed to management, health and autobiographies. I still have the urge to buy books that delight my palate. I guess once a bookworm, you'll forever be one.

Infamous Wowowilly and his 430

The Wowowee superstar Willie Revillame is in the limelight again, this time due to his passion. No, I'm talking about women, that was 2 controversies ago when he split up with his model wife. I'm also not referring to his TV show entitled Wowowee which is most definitely not co-hosted by Joey de Leon. I'm talking about our common passion - cars.

Last time I heard, he was driving a Range Rover and a Porsche 911. I'm pretty sure he changes cars as often as he changes partner or even faster. Talks from the grapevine says he co-owns an imported car dealership along Wilson St. in Greenhills. He was news material once again this week for driving a Jaguar and Ferrari F430.

The Jag is plateless so it might have been purchased from his namesake Willy Soong's dealership. Willie knows his cars so he definitely won't get an X-type. The news didn't specify the model but I surmise that would be at least an S-type and I won't be surprised if it's an XK.

The red hot Italian sports car a Ferrari F430 is as controversial as the driver. The F430 is said to have mis-declared custom taxes. Imagine paying only P1 million tax on a P20 million peso car. And what's dubious is the fact that the car was registered in Cebu. In case you see it on the streets of Metro Manila, you won't miss it because the plate number is 430.

Tsk! Tsk! Some guys have all the luck, bad luck that is.

Love ko Busko

December 30, 2007 is just an ordinary day for every Juan de la Cruz but for the graduates of Don Bosco Technical Institute of Tarlac Batch 1989, it was a special day because it was our annual mini reunion. It started in Y2004 when the only Salesian priest in our batch Father Joel Camaya had this idea of celebrating New Year’s day mass at his hometown in Don Bosco Tarlac. At first, there were only a handful of attendees, not more than 7 if I recall right and through the years the number has grown. This year, the figure jumped to 33 boys and 5 girls from our counterpart school College of the Holy Spirit.

Intermarriage
My third year high school prom date Ada Maida C. is now married to my batchmate Rico B., who used to be the boyfriend of my good friend Rachel F. Another batchmate Edgar S. is married to Pinky P. (CHS batch 1989) who used to be my wife’s officemate in PLDT. There’s another one in the pipeline, I have to further mask their identities, as I’m not privy to the status of their relationship. Another batch mate and friend ex-Brother Malutu is seeing Doktora O.B. Gyne. Doctora attended to my wife when she had her executive check up in a hospital in Ortigas. This is the law of connection at work for you.

Professionals
These naughty boys are now grown ups! During the reunion, the spotlight was tuned to the professionals who were raking big bucks such as OFWs, migrants, doctors, politicians and stars (or at least married to stars). I reckon half of our batch mates are based abroad or at least 40%. Like most Filipino migrants, they are either in North America (Canada or USA), Middle East countries (Bahrian, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, et al.) and progressive Asian countries like Japan and Singapore. As of last count, we have 6 doctor batchmates. Their specialization escapes my mind right now. Rounding up the batch of big shots is a City Councilor and the better half of GMA 7 star Ruby Rodriguez - Aquino.

Prexy Says
The current Don Bosco Tarlac batch president is Tikyo. On my timepiece (which I rarely wear), we’ve had 3 batch presidents but Tikyo’s the only visionary among the crop. His grand plan includes: preparation for 20th batch reunion in Y2009, funding for batch activities (in Y2009 and Y2014), batch communication and harmony. These may sound like BIG PLANS but like any plan, it should start from somewhere.

In the last four years that the mini reunion has been conducted, what’s noticeable is the compounding number of attendees. What started with 7 attendees has grown to 33 which accounts for 28% of the whole graduating batch of 1989. The expectation is we will hit 40% this Y2008. This will be a good preamble for the Y2009 planned batch reunion where the target is 60% attendance. Social status aside, it is good to see you guys again.

PBB season 18 : Pusoy Bonding ng mga Boys

The Celebrity PBB season 2 big four has been identified in its show last night. In the list are Racer Gaby, Wide bodied Will, Red hot Riza and Rural boy Ruben. The big night is this coming Saturday. My forecast is the leader of the bugoy squad Ruben will emerge as no. 1, followed by Riza, then Will and last will be Gaby.

A different PBB unfolded last December 30 and it's been an annual affair for the last 18 years. The Pusoy Bonding with the Boys with main characters mountain biker Dylac, globe trotter Tikyo, family man John and I.T. EL. These quadro bunch shares a common passion and that is playing poker. Thank God they're not playing strip poker as that would have been gross. Just poker with a few bets on the side to keep it interesting.

It started in 1990 a year after graduating from high school at Don Bosco Tarlac. These four friends had a number of things in common: playing basketball, drinking to death, enchanting women (at least most of them), alaskahan to name a few things but gambling 'with a cause' was what kept them together through these years.

In the almost 2 decades of playing poker usually during christmas season break, beyond normal scenarios occurred such as playing poker until the wee hours in the morning (as in 7AM the ff. day) and getting drunk a number of times. Once, we played poker while attending a friend's relative’s wake. In all occasions, the big winner IS ALWAYS globe trotter Tikyo.

Although there were years when we missed playing poker as a group because one of the members went on AWOL and went on a soul searching mode, we easily got back together and renewed our bonding. In the game of Russian Poker, having a "four of a kind" is considered luck and with this quadro bunch of friends where I belong, I consider myself lucky.

DYK: In Russian Poker, the maximum number of players in this game is 4. There are no wild cards. Deal 13 cards to each player. Each player makes 3 poker hands, a bottom, a middle, and a top. The top hand is made with 3 cards, and the other 2 hands have 5 cards. The bottom hand should be the strongest hand.

My TV

Just like a car that you have to change ideally every 5 years, I decided to upgrade my trusty phone from a Nokia N70 to a Nokia N77. It was actually planned because my N70 will be celebrating its 2nd year on February.

The requirements are crystal clear: data connectivity for internet, group texting and acceptable resolution (2 megapixel) camera. My celfone hunting produced a number of Nokia models but what stood out was the N77. It met ALL my requirements BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE...aside from getting it on installment through our company's employee benefit (12 months to pay at zero interest) the phone was DBV-H ready. In layman's term, it had a myTV service. Still Greek sounding? You can watch TV on it. There, I think I got the message across. So the N77 is a phone cum digital camera cum TV.

And what's next on the technology roadmap? A phone with a digicam, TV, microwave and aircon?

1-1-08 : An alternative way to usher in the New Year!

Time flies especially while you are having extreme fun while living life. The Y2007 was relatively a busy year for me in general and my marker is the 2 notebooks that I fully consumed. In Y2006, I only used one and it was only half filled. This year look like a 3 notebook year for me.

The date 1-1-8 is significant because it is my son B5's 'birthdate' in a sense. He was born January 18 so expressed in numeral, that would read 1-1-8. That's the main reason why we made sure to get 1-1-8 as our car's plate number. He'll be turning 10 years old on his birthday.

While the son is turning a decade old, his old man is turning 36 years. The second reason why Y2008 is significant is because it is the Year of the Rat which is considered my lucky year. How lucky is lucky? Do I set luck targets or standards or just leave it to fate? A former big boss once shared that "Luck comes to the prepared mind."

So how did WE usher in the New Year? We slept at 8p and woke up at 8a. A sign of a sleepy year you say? I view it as greeting the new year well rested so we can survive the grueling 365 days and come up a better person. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!