We LOVE you so much, Papa Boy!
- Dylan, Judy, Kobe, Chloe, Mama Nette, Boopie, Mark & Kimi
Friday, May 02, 2008
Jose P. L., Jr a.k.a. BoyLac
We LOVE you so much, Papa Boy!
- Dylan, Judy, Kobe, Chloe, Mama Nette, Boopie, Mark & Kimi
Friday, April 18, 2008
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!
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!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
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.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
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.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
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.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
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.
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.
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.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
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!
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.”
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.
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.
Monday, March 10, 2008
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
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!
(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.
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
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.
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.
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