8 Things That Made My '08

I was reading a feature from a broadsheet about several lists of things that happened in 2008 and I thought I'll have my own. These are not really listed in order of significance. It's just a random list.

1. Blogging
Finally, I took it seriously. I blogged before out of boredom but now I'm doing it like I need to take a bath. For years, I haven't been writing for the sheer joy of writing and this is a revival. One of the good things that happened was I became aware and involved again. I mean, because before, I have been keeping my opinions to myself (especially about current events) but now, I get to write about them.

2. Mango supply chain project research, done!
One of the relieving and rewarding parts of being a researcher to see his research project finally completed. Finishing our mango research is precious to me because it was my first professional research study and I worked my butt out for almost three years. Perks included during the study includes travels to different part of the country like Davao, Guimaras, Iloilo, Pangasinan and Abra... and of course, a trip to Hong Kong!

3. PowerPoint presentations
This year, I made my boss an awful lot of PowerPoint presentations for all her lectures overseas -- Pakistan, China, Thailand and Cambodia. My highest record is four in a day. In several instances, friends from our church who are assigned to speak for our Tuesday youth fellowship also asked help from me in presenting their messages, digitally. Each slide has been a piece of canvass and to say that I am fascinated by it is an understatement.

4. Chris Tomlin Concert
This one is a major event. The work this guy is doing is really a blessing. His music is heartfelt and true worship. I volunteered for the Passion Conference Manila last August and the experience was awesome. I have been an usher for a night and seeing the crowd of almost 7000 who came together to worship God is just wonderful.

5. Ate Madel and Daph
These two officemates has been a big support for me, professionally and financially. The shared meals and the money they lent me for those times that my job contract was being processed were a huge help. Imagine no pay for more than a month... these ladies has helped me get through. Not to mention how they helped me not to screw in the lab with my clumsy little hands.

6. Online Shopping
This one is a sweet find. So far, I shopped replica watches, shirts, shemaghs and a bag through multiply.com. Lately, I have been eyeing Pepe Tees. Who knows what else are there to find in the www.

7. Ate Weng and Kuya A's Wedding
It was a pool wedding and it was beautiful. They were my former training apartment housemates and I get to reprise my perennial wedding role -- emcee. It was also a chance to get together with Ate Ritchi's family (the bride's sister) who is one of my mothers in faith. I got to spend time with her kids (her eldest was my godson) and I enjoyed it so much and I got to be a child again.

8. YM chit-chats and chat-fights
Letters are sweet and cards are good but getting in touch everyday with good friends through online instant messaging is the best, and cheap. There's my ever interesting conversations with a good good friend who migrated in the US where, in not so frequent times, end up in "mature" fights (hehe... she's a bully... oops, i hope she's not reading this). But really, thanks to online chatting, I was able to get in touch again with high school and college friends whom I never heard of for years. YM Status are sometimes enough to start a really good conversation (many times I got in trouble because of these "YM Status")
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Kids

Yesterday, I had a wonderful opportunity together with four other kins in faith, in celebrating Christmas with kids from one of our church's community outreaches. More and more I understand why they say that Christmas is for children.

The "little party" was in an improvised basketball court in one of the impoverished areas of the town. The court is about 30 square meters, surrounded by tiny houses inhabited by, I guess a family of five to six. It's on flat part of the hill so we needed to climb a good 100m of 30-40 degrees sloping terrain. We were also carrying the food and drinks that we prepared as we went up. It was a bit difficult and we had to catch our breaths as we trudge. When we got there, the kids were waiting and they were excited. I think there were about 60 of them, with age ranging from 2 to 14, who came.

My part of the program (I was actually forced to do it) was to tell the Christmas story. I refused to do it at first because I am terrible at telling stories. More than that, it's hard to tell stories to kids (I realized later that you just have to keep it simple. That's one thing grown-ups forget -- to keep things simple). But then, off I went. Thanks to the big book with pictures. I just have to nail down one point. That Christmas is about Jesus.

The kids had games after that then they ate. The ladies in our group prepared the food. They had spaghetti, sandwich and cake. The challenge is to have everyone fed, including some parents who were on the side watching. The food was just enough and I think the kids were most delighted with the cake.

It was such a joy watching the the big smiles from the kids when they got their little presents, which is not so much actually. The girls in our group put biscuits, curls and candies in tiny little white pouches sealed by a red ribbon. In all honesty, when I was on their age, I wouldn't really appreciate that, I mean the content of those pouches. But those kids, oh... I saw the kids beamed in joy as soon as they opened it. It was golden. Very heartwarming in my part.

The experience just reminded me to be thankful. Sometimes I have much, sometimes I have little or have nothing at all, but just the same be thankful. It's an issue for me because I'm a whiner. Those kids, they were happy. I was playing one of the kid's toy gun and another kid approached me. He's a bald little 3-year old boy wearing a red shirt and a red shorts. He wanted to play with the toy gun and I let him. He was very happy. It broke my heart when I need to get the toy and return it to the other kid who owned it. But the little kid was still all smiles. He may have been delighted to just being able to play with the it for a few minutes because he haven't got a toy gun ever. I don't know but he was still happy.

It's an afternoon well-spent...
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Movie Overload

So basically, for four days now, I am doing nothing but watch movies all day. It's Christmas day and I woke up late because I slept late. And I slept late because... you guessed it right, I was watching a movie (I didn't finish it actually because I got sleepy... it was almost 1:00 AM).

Eating is at irregular time (which reminds me that I ran out of food in the fridge) and taking a bath is in the late afternoon. So basically, my break from watching movies is eating and taking a bath. Yesterday I had eight movies. As I'm writing this blog, I finished four. The other day I also had four I guess, and three the other day before that.

I just noticed that of the most of the movies I watched were memoirs or based on true stories (Into the Wild, The Assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, And When Did You Last See Your Father, Luther) and that was not intentional. I also got some romcom (Amor, Knocked Up and The Ex) and a musical (Hairspray... I'm ashamed that one is included in the list. Haha!), I'm doing The Godfather but while I'm in the middle of part II, the DVD just froze on me. So I'm thinking of watching part III tonight without finishing part II. I liked the movie. It is well crafted and I'm no longer curious why everybody who has watched it are all praises to it. It's truly a classic.

I also watched some weird ones like Charlie Bartlett, Hanna Takes the Stairs, La Mala Education and Kubrador. They are all indie movies and you shouldn't take them at face value. The best that I watched so far is The Shawshank Redemption. There's a lot in that movie. I remember one line of that talks about hope. That hope is a good thing and that "good things never die." It's very inspiring and you don't have to experience prison or be a convicted felon to be able to relate to it. It am thinking if the storyline of Prison Break (which is my favorite TV series) is based on it.

So there you go and there are more on queue. I just realized how potent this kind of media is in sending message to this generation and how this generation should be cautious on what messages to take. To look beyond art and to hold fast to our values. Yeah, they maybe showing the reality... and our present reality is a sad one -- with all the perversions and dangerous philosophies and how loose our morals have gone and how God is easily dismissed and His Name blashphemed.

I better take a bath and have a decent dinner. Merry Christmas everyone!
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My Sabbatical

This year, I decided that I'll be spending Christmas alone. It's not a new thing to me. In fact this is going to be my second all-by-myself-Christmas. The first one was during my call center days. No, I'm not happy about it but I'm not sad either. Solitude has been a good friend lately. I think I need it.

I was alone in the house since Saturday with my housemates all went home to their respective families for the Christmas break. Me, I sent my gifts to my parents and my sister in the province through my cousins. I have personal reasons for not going home and I explained it to them. I promised to spend time with them sometime next year.

I already bought foodies for my long sabbatical. I got myself some pork which I marinated (one thing that I do best) so I'll just fry them when I get hungry. I don't plan to follow the breakfast-lunch-dinner routine. I'll eat when I need to. I also bought chocolates (I consumed a 250g pack of kisses for just a night!), junk foods, fruits (canned and fresh) and biscuits. Most importantly, I bought DVDs to keep me sane (I will be blogging about them in a few days). I just hope the wifi connection near our place will be OK in time so that I' will not have to go out for my blogging.

I plan to shut myself for a few days from people. I'll turn off my cellphone for two days and I'll keep myself locked up in my room. I'll also try sleeping for 24 hours straight since this is one of the things that I was deprived with this year, looong sleep. A friend jokingly told me that I'm scripting my life. Scripted it is. Just for the holidays. Hehe.

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- - - - - - mas Season

In four days it's gonna be Christmas Day. Malls are the most crowded place on earth. Christmas parties are everywhere. Then there's Christmas bonus, exchange gifts, caroling and Santa Claus. Everyone is thrilled about the long Christmas break.

So what's with all the merry-making? What's with Christmas anyways? Many are missing the first six letters of the word Christmas. Many are missing the Person behind Christmas. Where's Christ in Christmas?

I was offended when I heard someone said that Christmas is a pagan practice because as far as I know, pagan is someone who doesn't acknowledge God. Another definition takes it further by saying that a pagan is a hedonist. One who is motivated by desires for sensual pleasures. Sadly, how Christmas is celebrated nowadays has become like it. A pagan practice. It has become a mere economic stimulus.

Though December 25 is not the exact date when Christ was born, it has become the date when we remember that sometime in the history of mankind there came a Messiah. A Savior promised by God and this is the very essence of Christmas. Christ.

I read about the story about a a kid who asked a pastor why Jesus was born in a stable in the company of farm animals. "Because animals will welcome Jesus, but people, generally like the innkeeper, will reject Him," the pastor replied.

"God must be very sad," the boy said.

"Then," said the pastor, "if you want to celebrate Christmas, cast aside the meaningless trinkets and trimmings you see around, and just say a little prayer in your heart, thanking and praising the Father for giving us His beloved Son to restore our broken relationship with Him, and to regain the paradise that we lost. I'm sure you'll brighten up God's face and there'll be shouts of joy in the heaven -- that out of the millions who have forgotten, there are still a few people like you who remember the real and only reason for the season."

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

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The Great Mekong Find

Imagine a place where you will discover two new creatures a week. Well there is such place -- the Greater Mekong.

A total of 1068 species in the period of one decade (1997 to 2007) were newly identified by science in Greater Mekong, a region composed of the six countries through which the Mekong River flows including Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the southern Chinese province of Yunnan.

According to World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), the new species discovered include 519 plants, 279 fish, 88 frogs, 88 spiders, 46 lizards, 22 snakes, 15 mammals, 4 birds, 4 turtles, 2 salamanders and a toad. Whew! That's a long list! Scientists say that these discoveries only attest to Great Mekong's reputation as a biological treasure trove.

Among the new finds is the world’s largest huntsman spider with a foot-long leg span. Mammal discoveries is a rarity in modern science yet several new mamals were found including an Annamite Striped Rabbit.

The surprises doesn't only come from the number of species discovered but also on how they were found. Most were discovered in unexplored jungles and wetlands but some showed up in strange places like a local food market such as the Laotian rock rat. In another instance, Siamese Peninsula pit viper was found slithering through the rafters of a restaurant in Khao Yai National Park in Thailand.

This reminds me the verses in Genesis. When God created everything. For sure there are still a lot of creatures out there that humans are still unaware, but God knows all of them. He created them.

And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1: 20-25

All images courtesy of World Wildlife Foundation

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Survival of the Fittest

I was stunned when I stumbled on this picture. It sent shiver to my spine. The vividness of the shot is amazing. This is one of those pictures that stir up so much emotions. A thousand words it paints. Indeed.



Photo credits goes to David Maitland Click Here to Read More..

Nekkid

The University of the Philippines, which I am an alumnus, has one little tradition every 16th of December -- the oblation run. At the sound of siren at 12 noon, you'll see some men run around the campus with a red rose... naked. Actually it's an annual tradition of one of the most prominent fraternities of the university, the Alpha Phi Omega (APO).

So where did the idea of men running in their naked glory come from?

The Oblation is a sculpture and the iconic symbol of the University of the Philippines -- a "completely nude figure of a young man with outstretched arms and open hands, with tilted head, closed eyes and parted lips murmuring a prayer, with breast forward in the act of offering himself", as described by its sculptor Guilermo Tolentino. It symbolizes selfless offering of one's self to his country. Others say that it also represents truth -- that truth is naked.

The bronze-colored concrete sculpture is 3.5 meters in height, symbolizing the 350 years of Spanish rule in the Philippines. A leaf called siempreviva (always living) and locally known as kataka-taka (literally means "startling") covers the oblation's genitals. Kataka-taka has a characteristic of starting shoots from its very leaf. The sculptor, said that the leaf symbolizes "the deep-rooted patriotism in the heart of our heroes". The rocky base represents the rugged Philippine archipelago.

There are inscriptions on all four sides of the statue's pedestal. On the front panel is an excerpt from Jose Rizal's "El Filibusterismo," a passage from Padre Florentino, asking where are the youth ready to offer their lives and their aspirations for the country?

At the back of the statue is one stanza from Rizal's "Mi Ultimo Adios," again referring to the giving of one's life, "in combat or in martyrdom." Still another stanza from that poem appears on the right side of the statue, again talking about offering one's life, "without doubts, without sorrow."

On the other hand, APO's oblation run started in 1977 to protest the banning of the movie, “Hubad na Bayani,” which depicted human rights abuses in the martial law era.Today, it became and expression of protest to the current political or economic situation of the country.

I was able to witness the oblation run when I was a freshman and it was my first and last. I just think it's not a pleasing sight and an exhibitionism rationalized. The symbol of the Oblation, though, is something that every UP alumni should be pondering upon.
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Make My Day!

Guys, this is massive!! It's this blog's third week and I'm so excited to tell you that THIS BLOG is nominated as Filipino Blog of the Week! Awesome, awesome!

Now, I'll be needing your help in this. If you are convinced that my blog is worthy of accolade, cast your vote at http://salaswildthoughts.blogspot.com/.

Scroll down the page and on the the right side bar, you'll see the poll. Click on the check box before typicalpinoyuppie (that's this blog) and you are off to make my Christmas merry and bright. ;-)

I appreciate your votes! Thanks so much! Click Here to Read More..

Promdi*

Internet? Are you kidding me?

It was only in my second year in college (I was 18 at that time) when I learned to surf the internet. I entered college with zero knowledge on how to use a computer. I mean ZERO knowledge. Yeah, I'm Tarzan who just had his taste of the city.

I grew up in one of the poorest (they actually say it's the poorest) provinces of the Philippines. My eyes grew in wonder like an awed caveman when I first saw the bright light of an electric bulb when I was 7 years old. I watched my first television show when I was 9. Life was so simple back then. We are way behind the latest technology but we are blessed with natural riches -- fresh clean air, beaches, seafood, and there's a gold mine in our little town

I passed the entrance exam of one of the universities (the BEST they say) in the country so I got to see a more civilized world. Then I have to confront myself of the reality that computer is going to be an important part of my college life. You could imagine the frustration! I didn't even know how to turn it on and off. I used to spend hours and hours of typing just a page of an essay because I didn't know about choosing and adjusting font, doing the margins... you know, those stuff a grade-schooler can chew like a bubble gum. In many instances, I lost my files and start all over again because I didn't know that you actually save them. Yeah, you can call me Tarzan now. Thanks to my kind friends from the small fellowship I was attending that time who taught me how to use Microsoft Office.

Then the internet. I used to just watch my friends do stuff with the computer. Internet is quite a popular word but I'm a complete dumb about it. Then one night, I was quite depressed and I got nothing to talk to. I mustered my strength, gathered all my courage and went off to a computer cafe near the university. Internet here I come... It was just the "e" I thought. That's what my friends usually click! Good thing I can read and I just followed what the screen told me after the clicking the "e". The rest was history.

So yeah, it's a long journey until I learned this blog thing. It's always good to take a pause and look back and see how far you've been. Makes you continue with the journey with a fresh wide eyed anticipation of life's next treats.

By the way, there is still no internet access in our little town. But since the last time I visited, network games (through LAN) like DOTA is becoming the kids' new addiction.



*Promdi is a Filipino slang for people "from the" province.
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So Far So Good

It's barely three weeks after I started my personal blog and I'm happy, thrilled and excited with my progress so far. My sincere appreciation to my visitors and readers. Thanks thanks!

So what's up with the bar graph? (I feel like I'm writing one of those technical reports in my research. Hehe) Alright, that's my Sitemeter statistics from November 28 (when I started this blog) up to December 9. In the recent summary sent to me by Sitemeter, it says that I have an average of 46 readers and an average of 105 page views per day from Nov. 8 up to today. Not bad for a newbie.

So that I'll get noticed, what I did was subscribe to social networks like Blog Catalog, My Bloglog, Twitter, Google Friend Connect and Rejaw (for which I just registered today). For those who wants to add me, my username in all these communities is mand3rd. I also (agressively) promote my blog to my friends in Multiply, Friendster and Facebook.

This blog is also earning pretty well. Just a few dollars (or cents) per day but it's ok. Better than nothing. Hopefully, by January I'll be able to reach Adsense's quota. This is actually my fund raising effort for our church's national conference this coming April.

Don't you think I deserve a pat on the back?
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Happy Birthday Meg

It's my good friend's birthday today and I thought of giving her a little tribute.

That's Meg. I first met her in our church's little old red car. Our "cell" group (that's how we call our small group fellowships in the church) and theirs joined for a little pool party. She was so shy and frail that she almost shrunk when she was introduced to the people inside the car. She hardly talked but she always wear that shy smile.

It took a while before we became "really" friends. Of course it was always me who initiates a greeting every time we would see each other on the street. I would call her "Tipay" then. That's the nick she used in one game that we played during the party.

Nine years after, here we are, really good friends! And her shyness has already "shyed away". She was one of my college crush (or maybe more than that... hahaha!), which she knew. I was so embarrassed when I knew that she knew and I couldn't look at her in the eye (yaiyks! talk about being cheesy)! But we went past that and our friendship now is one that is bound by God's love and "with absolute purity" as said in 1 Timothy 5:2. It's just a blessing, looking back, how God nurtured such a beautiful friendship.

One thing that exudes in Meg, more than the pretty face, is her love for God. She faithfully serves God as a tamborinee in our church and she does it with grace and utmost worship. It was just lately that I discovered how tough a woman she is. Amazing how God changed her from a frail little girl that she was. She has a gargantuan appetite, by the way. She loves to eat and to cook. She loves the camera and the camera likes her, too. Fortunately.

Relationships, like friendship, are among the wonderful things in the world. It's God's gift. In many ways, God shows His love to us by friends who care, laugh, cry and rebukes us.

Dear readers, in case it crosses your minds, she's not my girlfriend. Just pure love for a sister in Christ.



By the way, we have a huge huge collection of pictures together as both of us likes the camera's flash and shutter. It's in here.

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Portable OS?

I'm not a techie person, though I have an adequate (I hope) knowledge about computer and stuff after working as tech support in a call center, but this article caught my attention. An operating system that you can carry around? Awesome! The good thing about this is 1GB flash drive would be enough.

Click this link to guide you through. Screen shots were provided.

Thanks sriraminhell of BlogCatalog. Click Here to Read More..

8 Rounds

Pacman won yet again! Dela Hoya conceded after 8 rounds. I vowed to watch the replay if Pacman losses. I never watched any Pacman fight. See, it's the best time to travel since the city streets are clear of traffic. Besides, I don't have a cable TV to watch it live and watching it on the local TV is frustrating because of long, and I mean SUUUUUUPER LOOOOOOONG commercial breaks. Not to mention spoilers from those who were able to watch the fight in real time.

Filipinos are again "united", well, temporarily. I hate to be antagonistic about this victory but it's just sad how desperate Filipinos are in looking for hope in these trying times. As soon as Pacquiao comes home, I'm sure it's gonna be an endless motorcade with traditional politicians shamelessly taking the opportunity to join Manny and get noticed. Now, that's gonna be traffic!

It's not that I don't want Pacman to win. It's just that I hate all the shebangs that the people puts into it. Can't we just be proud and do away with politicking? Can't we just enjoy the victory without the TV networks fighting over who gets the exclusive coverage of what? Can we just unitedly share in this mighty feat of our fellow Filipino for the sheer joy of just being happy as a nation. I'm done with fleeting unity.

Filipinos should not be overwhelmed with this victory like being high with some drugs. When we wake up the next day, there are important issues that we should be vigilant of. The disappearing funds, political killings, politicking, lies and many lies. Let's face the real issues. Let's face it as a nation.



Whew! I hate it when I rant like that!
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Death Note

I don't wanna die at an old age. Sixty would be okay for me. I have several reasons, yeah, selfish reasons. Watching the local indie movie "100" made me think again about death and dying. Like they always say, there are only two realities in this life -- death and paying taxes.

The movie was about a woman who, in the prime of her life and career, was diagnosed of cancer and has three months left to live. Instead of being sorry, she planned how to spend the last days of her life by making a list of what she (and her loved ones) wants to do -- from resigning in her job, to settling her credits and throwing his credit cards, to breaking up a wrong relationship, to Hong Kong travel, to skinny dipping under the bright moonlight... oopps, too much spoilers. It was poignant as it was funny and you can't help but be drawn to the story. You'll laugh and then you'll cry.

The movie capitalized on good storyline and brilliant casting. The cinematography wasn't flattering but it won't bother you. The acting was superb. Mylene Dizon, the lead actress who played the role of Joyce seemed not to be acting at all. She was so natural. Other casts were as great like Joyce's bestfriend (Eugene Domigo) and her mother (Tessie Tomas).

One line in the movie that I remember was, "If everyone wants to go to heaven, why is everyone afraid to die?". This one is actually true. Many are afraid of dying in the same way that they are not sure if they are going to heaven. While many dismiss heaven and hell, there is an unexplainable longing for every human being that he wants to fill. In the Bible it says that God has put eternity in the heart of every man. That is why man longs for happiness, looks out for goodness and desires contentment. There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man that only God can fill. He can't find it in anywhere else -- science, relationships, material possessions. Only God can fill it. The sad thing is, man dismisses it because of sin and unbelief. Because believing in God entails that man should let go of his selfishness.

Everyone will soon confront death. And life after death will soon confront the soul of every man. In one part of the movie, Joyce asked her friend, "What if there is no life after death?". Her friend replied, "Well, you won't know anyway. Because if that is true, there's nothing else to know."

I believe that there is life after death and there is a God whom I will be facing when I die. This is faith -- being sure of what I hope for and being certain of what I do not see... and even if others don't believe. One thing I know is God fulfills his promises and His love is ever abundant. Click Here to Read More..

(Still) Mad About Survivor

I first learned about the show in their Amazon season (I'm a late bloomer, I know!), fell in love with it, and never let go ever since. It's their Gabon season and it has never been as exciting!

The latest episode is all about paranoia. This is one of the things I like about survivor. How the people cope with trying situations. This game epitomizes the line I heard, "Situations don't make or break you, they reveal who you truly are" (been reiterating this line for quite several times lately).

I remember changing my lab class schedule way back in college just so I could watch the show. I always dreamed of playing the game and when it had its franchise here in the Philippines, I planned of going to the audition but retreated for several reasons. First, I thought that it's just gonna be one of those talent search/reality show they make and I don't like it because I wanna play the game as what it is, "survival". Second, I doubted about my being fit to play the game. I have been gaining weight lately and I easily get tired. It would cause my early demise, if ever. Lastly, I was on an official trip on the scheduled audition date.

Nevertheless, I still hope that one day... maybe one day, I'll be a castaway. Click Here to Read More..

Templates

I need to make 14 PowerPoint presentations for my boss. She will be a resource person for an APO (Asian Productivity Organization) training to be held in Cambodia next week. This is one of my favorite things to do (I mean doing PowerPoint presentations), especially the part I design the backgrounds myself. Digital editing fascinates me so much. In fact, the day I learned to Photoshop was one of my happiest (I still have a lot to learn though). My Photoshop know-how are very basic and self-taught. I plan to take a short course on multimedia graphics in the future. Later, I will be posting some of my digitally-created/edited artworks. In the mean time, take a look at some of the powerpoint backgrounds I made. I'm open for comments and suggestions.


And I have to take turns doing that and my labwork. Not to mention blogging on the side. Talk about multi-tasking! Click Here to Read More..

Truman Burbank

"This is big! Somebody's filming me 24/7 and my life is being shown in a reality TV show!"

Crazy. A friend told me about Truman Syndrome. It's a psychological disorder where a patient thinks that his life is being played in reality TV.

CNN once reported about a man showing up at a federal building, asking for release from the reality show he was sure was being made of his life. Another patient believed that everything -- the news, his psychiatrists, the drugs they prescribed -- was part of a phony, stage-set world with him as the involuntary star. Yeah, like Jim Carrey's film, The Truman Show.

The syndrome's manifestations are extremes. Few patients take pride in their imagined celebrity, while many are deeply upset at the invasion of their privacy. A postman was profiled in the British Journal of Psychiatry who thought that "he was the eponymous hero in a film". Another patient planned to commit suicide if he couldn't leave his supposed reality show. What is alarming about this syndrome is that it involves not just the patient's circle of influence but the society at large.

This is pop culture has gone out of proportions. Today is a generation of actors. There's YouTube, personal advertisement through social network sites like Facebook, online photo albums (oops, author guilty as charged) and diaries that are open to the public, Big Brother, the list goes on. Everyone wants to be noticed. I can hear Pussy Cat Doll's "when I grow up, I wanna be a star, I wanna be famous..."

Made me think, it'sactually true that our lives are indeed being "filmed". There is not a minute in our lives that God didn't see. We actually have a 24/7 viewer who doesn't only watch us but who also knows what we think and what we feel. It's said in 2 Corinthians 5:10 that everyone will soon appear before the judgment seat Christ where we will receive what is due for all the things we did.

God knows everything. More than the people around us, it should be Him that we should please. He deserves it because He is our God and it is but proper to show our gratefulness to Him whose love for us is so great and unfathomable. Click Here to Read More..

God told me to SMILE

How could I've missed it!

I was browsing my Multiply account and I bumped into one of my friends' blog about what she saw last night. She said that she saw God smiling!

What she saw was similar to the picture above. It's as if God has sent an emoticon to his creations. The bright yellow light on the left is Venus and the blue one on the right is Jupiter and the moon crescent below.

Even if I didn't see it, the picture brought me so much encouragement, especially as I deliver the message about the Second Commandment tonight. The Lord commands His people not to bow down and worship "anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below". Yet He uses His creations to amaze us and tell us that He is ever present and His love and grace is eternally abundant.

When I consider your heavens,the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars,which you have set in place. -Psalm 8:3

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IQ Test, anyone?

IQ or intelligence quotient is an assessment of a person's ability to think and reason (sometimes two of the most arduous task for me). If you wanna know how well you fare, take the test.

Take the test here.

This IQ test is made by PhDs and is scientifically accurate. IQ score will be presented with your intelligence ranking on four unique levels. Click Here to Read More..