My Fourth Dream about Papa

That I miss my father is an understatement to the infinite power. I dreamt about him again last night. It was the usual dream - I was talking to him and he was flashing his winning smile, the difference this time is that I got to hug him REAL TIGHT! He's always happy in all my dreams which makes me wonder if this is a sign that he's in heaven. I guess he is. I know he is. I pray that he is. I love you, Papa.

Ilocano 101

Ti ayat ti masya nga baro

Ken balasang nataina

Uray man uray man uray man

Haan unay nga nadonya

The lyrics came from the Eraserheads hit song titled Toyang. One paragraph of the song is in Ilocano and not sure what it exactly means. Here are some of the Ilocano words that I learned:

Greetings

Naimbag nga malen - Good Morning

Naimbag na adlaw - Good Afternoon

Naimbag nga rabii - Good Evening

Courtesy

Agngina ak la unay - Maraming Salamat

Intayon mangan - Halika na kumain

Pasensya kayon apo - Pasensya na po

Basic Questions

Anya iti nagan mo? - What is your name?

Manu iti tawen mon? - How old are you?

Paggigyan nam? - Where do you live?

Directions

Idiay - Doon

Ditoy - Dito

Dita - Diyan

It would be good to learn a new dialect aside from Tagalog and Kapampangan. Learning Ilocano completes the three dialects that the province of Tarlac uses. This would be a good preparation for my ambition in life - to join Tarlac's political foray.

Month of Subscription

They say that impulse buying is not good and I completely agree. When I was single and even until my early years in marriage, I was a self confessed impulse buyer. I bought a sub compact handgun that I actually didn't need almost a decade ago. If I opted to save the amount, placed it in mutual funds, the figure would have at least doubled. In my recent international trip, the impulse buying spree became active again and bought some stuff which I actually haven't used like a bluetooth handsfree kit, a camera cleaner, bike jersey (my 6th jersey), bike gloves (my 3rd pair) and a Honda Civic EX emblem. Sayang pero nag enjoy ako nung binili ko. Reality struck when we were paying the credit card bills.

MONEY SENSE

This month, we subscribed to2 magazines on impulse - Money Sense and Reader's Digest. For Money Sense, we just renewed our subscription. Early this month, I was wondering why they haven't sent the July-August issue and when I checked, I learned that my subscription has already ended. I sent an email to the publisher and this kind man in the person of Mr. Nonoy Torrijos called me and told me that my subscription had expired. He went to my office to give the July-Aug issue and collected almost P700 for the renewal. That's what I call personalized service.

READER'S DIGEST

When we were growing up, we had an RD subscription at home. We had a bookshelf filled to the brim with RD magazines. I used to read All in a day's work, Campus Comedy, Points to Ponder, Drama in Real Life and challenge myself in the vocabulary. I recently learned that my wife belongs to an RD family as well so it didn't take a lot of convincing for us to shell out almost P1600 for an annual subscription. It comes with an alarm clock and a chance to win a Volvo S40.

I wonder how much I'd be able to sell the Volvo S40 so I can get a BMW 320i, on impulse!

Retirement: 20 / 20 Rule

Finance gurus say that the retirement rule is 20 - 20. This means that 20 years before your target retirement date, you should be saving for THE DAY.
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TARGET DATE
My target age for retirement is 55 years old and that's 19 years from now. We've started saving last year and have various "small" sources. Most are forced savings therefore we can't touch them until a certain period. By the time I retire, the kids would have graduated from college and would be on their own. My last day at work should be December 31, 2027.
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TARGET AMOUNT
When I was in college, during my finaman or financial management subject, I computed that I need P10 million to retire comfortably. I guess I made a mistake in computing as I didn't foresee that inflation would hit 14%. Besides, back then, I didn't give a hoot about inflation. Inflation for me then was a term used to fix a basketball that needed some air. :) My new target is to have P40 million in liquid assets or a monthly income of P200 thousand from various sources by 2027.
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It's a huge amount indeed and I actually haven't even scratched the surface. Add to that is the fact that our family is just starting so there are tons of bills to pay, insurance, children's education, the list goes on. Will I meet the goal? Only time can tell.

Arriva Avida!

Avida Land is making headway with their Makati West project. Located between Yakal and Mayapis street and covering one block, tower one's foundation is complete and they've already started with the ground floor.
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When we purchased our units via pre-selling mid last year, we were told that the 300 something unit tower one is 70% sold out. It was initially offered to Ayala Corp employees. Lucky them! We got a 10th floor unit with a Manila Bay view. It was not an ideal floor for us (currently living on the 18th floor of a condo in Salcedo Village) but what we got is acceptable.
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Our loan in BPI should kick in this month. Seems like they're a bit delayed. Not sure if it's the sales agent's fault or the bank. How much does this delay cost? I was recently told that the annual interest increased from 10.99% to 11.75%. Somebody didn't do their job properly and we were charged additional 0.76%. Only in the Philippines. And the messenger of the bad news even had the gall to lecture me about inflation reason why the interest went up. Anyway, I knew that the situation was similar to a hostage taking (since Avida Land and BPI both belong to the Ayala Corp) and there was no recourse but to pay the ransom.
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The turnover is Y2010. That's 2 full years from now. We're excited to move to our own home. As for now, home sweet home will be at a rented condo in Salcedo Village.

Will this be my next UV project?

Last Sunday on the way to the farm, I chanced upon an 80s Toyota Mini Cruiser at a vehicle lot. It's called a mini cruiser because it's big brother is the mighty late 70s Toyota Land Cruiser (first generation). Based on my assessment, the vehicle used to be a Philippine Army service vehicle hence that the utility vehicle (UV) is used is an understatement.

My novice analysis on cars tells me that I'll be spending in the the neighborhood of P70,000 to make the vehicle serviceable. Here's the list of possible expenses:
1. New Toyota 12R engine = P15,000
2. New set of all terrain tires = P15,000
3. Body works & painting = P15,000
4. Seat upholstery & canvas top = P 6,000
5. Registration = P 6,000
6. Miscellaneous expenses = P10,000
TOTAL EXPENSES = P67,000

I called the owner through his celfone and he said he'd sell the junk jeep to me for P50,000. Therefore the project would cost about P120,000 without airconditioning and unforeseen expenses which only a real mechanic can tell. I therefore conclude that it is not a wise project. A better option would be to get a 90s Suzuki Samurai or a 90s Mitsubishi Pajero which would cost in the neighborhood of P130,000.

Meet Tatang Carlos

Carlos Bautista is a second generation farmer in Barangay Balanti. He and his children plant corn, tomato, eggplant and other vegetables in our farm. Our landowner-tenant relationship started more than 5 years ago. I like our relationship because his accounting of income and expenses, though not scientific, is clear and accurate. He values integrity and one of the few tenants who takes care of the expenses. Normally, the landowner pays in advance the expenses - seeds and fertilizer.

Today, he told me that he's going to retire from farming and endorsed his children - Dado, Dhod and Nick to deal with the family. I just hope that the children are as trust worthy as the old man. Tatang Carlos turned 73 years old this year.

Meet Cong Cenon

Cenon Mendiola is a 61 year old male from Barangay Balanti, Tarlac City. He is happily married with 12 children (or more) and 36 grand children. He is a boatman in Brgy. Tibag which is an adjacent barangay from where he lives. Everyday, he ferries people across a 400 meter wide river and the passengers pay P5 per person. His boat can carry up to 6 passengers and the ride will take about 2 minutes. On a good day he earns P200 but on the average only earns P100.

I've known him since my teenage years because he used to drive our jeep and does alot of errands for my parents. He together with his ka-barrio attended my father's wake in May. Everytime I see him, I'd give him pang merienda as advised by my father. Last Sunday, I gave him more than pang merienda so he'd have a hearty meal with his family that day. I told him not to use the money to buy alcohol to which he obliged. He told me that my old man knows him better than I do because he doesn't drink.

This is my small way of giving back to the less fortunate. The next time I see him, I'll give him pang merienda and some clothes.

FN: Cong is a Kapampangan word for an older brother. It is used as a sign of respect.

Death Becomes Him

Everybody is saying how year 2008 is a very lucky year. Olympics opened 8-8-08 and in the Chinese way of life, eight is a lucky number. Months in advance, event sites are booked because everybody wants a piece of triple 8.

While there are four and a half months before the lucky year 2008 ends and a lot of things may still happen, I've already concluded that it is a sad year for me. The untimely demise of my father due to a natural cause is a big blow to a closely knit family like ours. We relatively live a simple life, just enough monetary resource but overwhelming with love. I pray that the love strengthens with the loss of a pillar.

Long Time No Post

It's been almost 2 weeks since I last posted an entry in my blog. I'm at a challenging phase in my life were I have to sacrifice certain things that I enjoy doing for a greater good or at least that's how I view it. Mountain biking has to take a back seat. My blog entry is suffering in consistency. Web surfing is limited and no time to practice taking my precious pictures. Practically all my sources of anti stress are taking a breather. As a result, the stress level is at an all time high. Admittedly, I am outside my comfy zone right now and just surviving on a day-to-day basis. I hope months down the road, I can look back at this day at this blog entry and say that - I SURVIVED!!!

Addicted to Cars!

As the song goes "Might as well admit it, I'm addicted to love." In my case, I admit that I'm addicted to cars. Imagine going to Singapore, walk for 10 mins. from the hotel to the train station, travel 5 stops, walk almost 1 kilometer just to see Honda Cars in Alexandra Road. That was one lang walk under the heat of the sun. I did all of that this year to check out this mags...

In His Time

In His time (2x)

He makes all things beautiful;

In His time.

Lord, please show me every day

As You're teaching me Your way,

That You do just what You say;

In Your time.

(In Your time;) (2x)
You make all things beautiful;
In Your time.
Lord, my life to You I bring
May each song I have to sing,
Be to You a lovely thing;
In Your time

Bridge Over Troubled Water

When you're weary, feelin' small
When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all.
I'm on your side, Oh, when times get rough
And friends just can't be found.
Like a bridge over troubled waters
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled waters
I will lay me down.
When you're down and out, when you're on the street
When evening falls so hard, I will comfort you.
I'll take your part, Oh when darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled waters
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled waters
I will lay me down.
Sail on children, sail on by
Your time has come to shine, all their dreams are on their way
See how they shine, Oh when you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled waters
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled waters,
I will ease your mind.I'll ease your mind.

2012 SMT Car Plan?

Our 2007 Honda CRV is celebrating her first year anniversary this month. Being a true blue car buff, days after getting our first real SUV, I've been dreaming what car to get next. My next car pla is scheduled in 2012 and I'd be 40 years old by then. They say that life begins at 40 so what ride should I get while I approach mid life?

By 2012, the plan is to keep the Vee ('07 Honda CRV), sell the '02 H. Civic and get a new vehicle. Currently, there are 4 candidates:

(1) Toyota RAV 4. I like the design of the 1st gen and the 2nd gen cute-ute. The 3rd gen looks like a very slight modification of the 2nd gen hence it didn't appeal to me that much. Add to that is the fact that the base model cost P1,4M which was out of our budget and was not worth it. But it bears a Toyota badge and it's always worth considering.

(2) Toyota Prius. One of my life targets is to THINK GREEN and one big way is to get a hybrid car. In a nutshell, a hybrid car uses 2 engines, a gasoline and an electric motor. From 0 to 45 kph, it uses the electric motor and any speed over that uses the gas engine. Currently, the 1st gen Prius retails at P1,7M and grapevine talks say that it might be reduced to P1,3M once an environment act is passed into law.

(3) Honda CRV. Not again! That we're driving 2 Hondas is just a coincidence, it is not by design. To drive another one in 2012 is just loyalty to the max. Then again, if the price is right and Honda offers a 4th gen CRV which has a hybrid engine priced at P1,3M, we would go for it.

(4) Subaru Forester. This is an odd choice. The choice is: do you want to be a face in the crowd or do you want to deviate? In 2007, we choose the former. The 2nd gen Forester was an option in 2007 but a 3rd one. I like the design of this cute-ute but the timing is just not right. They introduced the 3rd gen just this year so by 2012, the body & chassis will be practically the same.

I have a full 4 years to assess. A lot of things might change, for better or for worse, hopefully for better. At any rate, there's no charge for dreaming.

Would you like a Cherry Tiggo?

Would you like a Cherry Tiggo? The car sounds like an upsell by a McDonald's crew. It looks like a rebirth of a 2nd generation Toyota RAV 4. The engine sounds like a 1.6 liter sedan undergoing extreme punishment.

Chinese Invasion

This pretty much sums up my comments on the 2008 Cherry Tiggo. Cherry is a Chinese car manufacturer who recently set up a distributor in the Philippines. They're pretty aggressive - a sales outlet in Tarlac City at a prime location, sales blitzes in metro manila malls. They really mean business and their message is that they want to slug it out with the big boys.

Cheapest SUV
Priced at under P800,000 I'd say it is the cheapest SUV in the market. At under a million, you get dual airbags, anti lock braking system, roll bars and a 1.6 liter engine! Well you can't have everthing. Another model, QQ is the cheapest hatchback in the market. In the early 90s Kia Pride CD5 was introduced at around P350th. Fast forward to almost 2 decades, the Cherry QQ is offered at P318th. It goes without saying that the company's differentiator is the price.

So would I get a Cherry Tiggo? It depends, if it is given for free or at least sold with a 50% discount, I'll definitely grab the offer.

One Seventy in my Vee!

We tested the all new Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway last Saturday Dau, Pampanga to Luisita, Tarlac leg. That portion opened midnight of July 25. On the way, there were only 3 cars northbound hence ideal for high speed driving.

The car of choice that weekend was our '07 CRV which will be celebrating it's 1st birthday in 3 weeks time. Our Vee is equipped with a 2.0 liter gasoline engine producing 150 horsepower. The speedometer allots 220 kilometer per hour but my target then was just to bring it to 180 kph. The speed rush in me pushed the vehicle to 170 kph. I could have brought it up to 180 kph but I remembered my Papa's advice - speed drive only when alone and don't do it with your family.

Drive safely.

Our Ayala Museum Adventure

July 19, 2008 - The plan this weekend was to see the National Museum in Manila. It was not meant to be as we learned that the museum is undergoing renovation. The back up plan was to go to Ayala Museum which was just 5 minutes from our place. Funny, we've been living in Makati for the past 4 years but we haven't seen the "new" museum. One of the perks of being a Makati resident is a big discount in museum entrances. We only had to pay P150 for adults and P75 for children. Museums in the Phils are relatively cheap as museums abroad cost in the neighborhood of P500 to P1000.

T'was my second time to see Ayala Museum. The last time was over 2 decades ago during a school field trip in my elementary days. While the building is new, the location and the concept are the same. It's located at the corner of Dela Rosa St. and Makati Ave. The concept - dioramas depicting the history of the Philippines, miniature galleons and paintings from famous Filipinos.

The difference lies withe the company - my wife, my 10 year old son and my 4 year old daughter. My wife was amazed, it was learning filled for my son and my daughter saw it as space freedom (compared to our 65 sq.m. condo). In all, it was mega bonding time for the four of us.

Not Short on Leadership

Carlos P. Romulo - 5'1"
Jose P. Rizal - 5'2"
Emilio Aguinaldo - 5'3"
Andres Bonifacio - 5'4"

Philippine history declares that in the late 19th century to the early 20th century, these were the people that we look up to. These people fought eye to eye with towering Spaniards, Brits and Americans who stood at 5'10".

This is what I learned or relearned during our 2 hour field trip with my family in Ayala Museum last Saturday.

Budget Four Wheel Drive

We are based in Central Business District, Makati City. Sounds cool, huh? Well, not entirely true! For a simple provincial lad like me, the magnet of a cosmopolitan city is not that strong. I'm only here for thefinancial benefits, the future of my children and preparation for retirement.

As soon as I retire from the hustle and bustle of the corporate world, the first thing I'm going to do is get myself a four wheel drive vehicle. ATV? UV (pick up)? SUV? The acronym doesn't matter as long as all four wheels engage on demand.

If retirement were today, budget would be in the range of P150,000 to P200,000. For that budget, candidates would be early 90s Suzuki Samurai SJ10 or early 90s Mitsubishi Pajero 1st gen. It's just a utility vehicle, just needs to get the job done, no flares, no fanfare. My ideal set up includes- clean (red) paint, stock all terrain tires, decent sound system, cool air conditioning and well maintained.

And where will I use it? The most logical answer would be an agricultural farm. The family currently has agri farms in Tarlac City and Bamban, Tarlac. I also dream of purchasing my own farm in Tarlac. It should be an integrated farm with a lake or a pond, rice pods, corn field, some eggplants and tomato and lots of trees, preferrably mango so they would be income earning.

So when is retirement? It's 20 years from now when our children have graduated from college and should be working by that time.

Bisita Iglesia, SG

When I was a newbie manager handling Central Luzon region, one of my religious commitments was to visit a town's cathedral and say a little pray. I did that consistently while assigned in Central Luzon and continued the commitment when I handled South Luzon region.

I am now based in Metro Manila handling a newly formed group. Recently, the company sent me to SG to attend a telco convention and I just had to continue my pledge and visited St. Andrew's Cathedral.

That visit felt good.

Happy Father's Day

Hi Papa,

I was in SG during the 3rd week of June, just a week after Father's day. This adage used as a window ad in Suntec City Mall caught my attention. It reads "My father taught me about life not with words but by how he lived his."

I wish I could say Happy Father's Day directly to you but I know you're in another universe right now. I hope they have internet in heaven and that you're reading this web log. I read in your diary that you consistently read my blog entries.

I miss you and I love you. Happy Father's day!

Your son, DyLac

A Bad Dream

When I was a teenager, I had a bad dream that my father passed away. I was bothered by that dream and the first thing that I did after waking up was call him. I was in college then in Manila and he was in Tarlac so I had to make a long distance call. While on the line, he said that it was just a bad dream, he was okay and that I should pray and everthing will be fine.

Fast forward to April 24, 2008, I received a text from Mama that Papa was in ICU because he had a stroke. After 12 days in the hospital, my almost 2 decade old dream became a very sad reality. I'll still hold on to Papa's bilin - that he's okay, I should pray and everything will be fine.

BoyLac's Stampita : A Perfect Match

While searching through a dozen choices for Papa's stampita, we chanced upon this very apt content. For me it was almost perfect. As if it was created specially for Papa and the situation.

Thank you God for lending to us my father BoyLac. We sorely miss him but we know he is in good hands.

**********

In Loving Memory Of Jose "BoyLac" Pasion Lacsamana, Jr.
November 27, 1946 - May 5, 2008

God saw you were getting tired,
And a cure was not to be.
So He put His arms around you
And whispered, "Come to Me."

With tearful eyes we watched you,
And saw you pass away.
Although we loved you dearly,
We could not make you stay.

Your golden heart stopped beating,
Your hard working hands at rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us,
He only takes the best.

DeLand, Florida, USA

Asian Tour Day 7: The Orchard Road, May 24

Our City Tour was still in effect but we opted not to use it anymore and instead decided to explore Orchard Road. I acted as the “advance party” as I decided to leave the hotel early to do some chores such as – mailed postcards to my parents, my in laws and my superior (Funny, it was a Malaysian postcard mailed in Singapore.), buy some groceries, transfer pix from my camera to another memory card, check out Smart Pinoy Center in Lucky Plaza and look for Takashimaya S.C. (Shopping Center). It was raining cats and dogs in the morning and it was just right that I went ahead and checked out where we can pass without getting wet.

Afterwards, I went back to the hotel, checked out then my family and I were off to SG’s most prominent street – Orchard Road. Lunch was at the Takashimaya foodcourt while dinner was at McDo. More shopping today for clothes particularly Bossini since the prices where rock bottom compared to Pinas. Not much pictures taken today as I’ve already taken almost 2000 pictures during our 7 day trip. BTW, 2000 is not an exaggeration as I consumed 2 full 2 GB cards using my SLR digicam. Taking pictures is the cheapest form of tourist memento hence I’m investing on it. My motto: any figure close to zero without loosing the quality is always the best option. I have everything planned in my mind – landscape pix using flickrs.com, portrait pix using friendster.com and combo pix and stories using blogger.com.

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.