vicoi's

2009-09-12T09:41:00.000+08:00

It just occured to me, I think I use only about 40% of my computer keyboard at any given time... hmmm...

2009-09-09T16:39:00.002+08:00

On the other hand, this is a welcome development. I wonder how I can help in his campaign:

Noynoy Aquino to run for president in 2010

2009-09-06T08:10:00.002+08:00

2009-09-06T08:09:00.000+08:00

Some more Iloilo views shot from my hotel room

2009-09-06T08:01:00.002+08:00

My ride back to Manila

2009-09-06T07:59:00.002+08:00

Iloilo, view from my hotel room

2009-09-06T07:57:00.002+08:00

View from my seat... went to Iloilo last Thursday...

2009-08-30T21:02:00.003+08:00

The MB SL65 AMG Black Series has a whopping starting tag of US$301,750.00. It packs 6.0L V-12 bi-turbo engine for a full 670 hp under the hood, achieving 62 MPH in just 3.9 seconds!

2009-08-30T18:32:00.002+08:00

2009-08-30T17:49:00.001+08:00

2009-08-30T16:36:00.003+08:00

One of the better tech sites in the Philippines, do visit: Yuga Tech

2009-08-30T11:44:00.003+08:00

I've been using GOOGLE CHROME browser with my Lenovo X61T and Vista OS for about a month now, and so far I'm very, very happy with it! It loads very fast, bookmarking is easy and simple, most visited sites are thumbnailed for easier access by just one click, I still have to explore other features I might have missed, though. I wonder if a Chrome version for Mac is available or if not, in the offing... hmmm, will try to find out.

2009-08-30T11:35:00.000+08:00

I worked in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2003-2004. This is a picture of the driver's license issued to me there...

2009-08-29T22:54:00.000+08:00

I was just reviewing some of my older posts, when I came across this one. It just occured to me that the date of posting is the wedding anniversary of my late parents. Another sign? For what?:

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2006

A rainbow at the end of the day...

During certain times in my life, when I am burdened with so much problems, a rainbow appears and a little while later, my problems seem lighter and I am able to think straight to solve them. This does not happen often, but only on occasions when the situation seems helpless.And I take this as a sign that God is looking over me and sends these signs to tell me all will be well!

Well today is such a day. A rainbow appeared amid the dusky sky on my way home from work. I'm now sure that certain decisions I made these past few days were right and that I am well on my way to better situations! You see, the past few weeks have been very trying for me, what with both personal and work pressure bearing down on me. And I have to make some difficult choices.

Why should it appear at dusk? The colors would be muted as it vainly tries to overcome the creeping darkness, making it difficult to find the colors. But that's precisely it! Amidst all the troubles in life, one just have to look around to find that there's redemption from these troubles after all!

I am not superstitious, mind you, but during my life's journey I have felt God's hand touching my life and making sure that I am able to solve the problems that beset me. And He sends a sign to prove it! ;-)

2009-08-29T17:36:00.001+08:00

Top three websites I browse regularly:

1) Bit Rebels

2) Mashable

3) Tech Crunch

2009-08-29T17:31:00.000+08:00

The MacBook Touch

2009-08-29T17:12:00.000+08:00

20 Pictures of Nature's Fury

2009-08-29T17:01:00.002+08:00

The lights of Eastwood Mall.

2009-08-29T16:58:00.002+08:00

I was facsinated by the lights so took a picture a couple of months ago at Eastwood Mall. If you're a haunt of the place, you'll know where this spot is...

2009-08-29T09:33:00.000+08:00

I'm part of the team behind this campaign... YEY!

2009-08-29T09:30:00.000+08:00

Another shot from yesterday's rainy afternoon using my phone cam.

2009-08-29T09:24:00.001+08:00

It was one rainy Friday afternoon yesterday.

2009-04-25T18:27:00.006+08:00

Weather:
We've been experiencing rain the past week despite it being the Summer Season in the Philippines. Weird phenomenon, however, this should be treated with concern by everyone... On the other hand, this is somehow a welcome respite from the almost unbearable heat we've been having just before the rains came. I'm actually expecting our electric bill at home to shoot up because we had the a/c unit on during hottest times of the day and the whole evening! Well...

Technology:
I'm now using a Lenovo X61T Tablet laptop:

It's pretty good and with my increasing Vista competence, I'm very happy with it! Also, the battery lasts longer and doesn't have the heat that Macs are known for. What's funny is that I always thought Macs were better than any of the new generation laptops. But the X61T proved me wrong. I find handling of the Vista in the X61T at par, if not better, than my Mac experience. I think the only advantage Macs have over PCs is the much vaunted security of Macs. But I read recently in one article that there's a new anti virus program designed for Macs... weird!

I also like the tablet and am currently learning how to use it properly:

WiFi Router Security:

I also installed a new WiFi router at home. During the first week, the router was unsecured and my neighbor would get free Internet access, which was fine with me. But, since he could also get into the control panel of the router, he manipulated it I on several occassions actually blocked me. Which pissed me off. I was planning to go back to the shop from where I bought the router to have a password installed. But, thanks God for Twitter, one of the people I follow twitted a link to her blog Compfixer.net which was giving tips on WiFi router security. I followed the instructions in the blog and presto, my router is now secured... YEY!

2009-04-24T22:25:00.003+08:00

Lemme see now, how do I start updating you blog... many interesting things happened since my last post in November.

Well, decided to come up with 8 events that happned to me, and in no particular order:

1) Got a new responsibility at work- Strategic Imperative Team Head. The team's supposed to generate revenuer from Long Distance Service;
2) Using a new laptop- Lenovo X61T (Tablet) and getting used to Vista OS;
3) Caught the Facebook, Twit and Plurk bug, in that order. Later, my officemate, Rox, introduced me to TweetDeck, so I got hooked even further!
4) Though Social Networking is real time and gets more audience for one's creativity, blogging is still better since one has the luxury of writing longer stuff and it can be for personal consumption if one wants it to be;
5) I had lunch with 3 girls today... and two other gals joined us for coffee later! hmmm, I should do it more often! LOL!
6) Installed a wifi router at home and I'm happy about it!
7) I'm eating less rice in the evenings;
8) I have to be more serious with Photography...

That's all for now! :-D

2009-04-24T07:49:00.002+08:00

Blog: Hello stranger!
Me: Hello (with a sheepish grin)...
Blog: Been a long time!
Me: Yup, 'twas kinda crazy the past months, so many things happened...
Blog: Is that so (in a suspicious tone)?!?!?!
Me: Yes, really (have difficulty keeping a straight face).
Blog: Really?!?!?!
Me: Ahhh, honestly? I caught the FB bug! :-)
Blog: And you abandoned me (in a jealous tone)?!?!?!?
Me: Not really... well that's why I'm back! Tah dah! :-D
Blog: Well, that's for me to find out! Haha!
Me: Anyways, I still feel that with all the things I can do on FB, Twitter, Plurk and what not, I still need you, my beloved blog. Because through you, I can transcribe my innermost feelings...
Blog: We'll see about that! Haha!
Me: Well, for starters, I am now transcribing my thoughts, not random, mind you! ;-)
Blog: Okay, I'm starting to believe you, but this is getting weird. You're talking to yourself!

2008-11-14T20:15:00.002+08:00

Hello blog. It's been a month since my last post. Well, aside from the intermittent connection of my DSL at home, been busy with work. I went to Iloilo to check on the Sales Team there and I think somehow my visit had an effect, their numbers are up at the moment, YEHEY!

I also had been busy with my dentist visits during weekends, I hardly had time browsing you. I promised myself to devote you some time, so here goes!

US Elections:

The recent US Elections was a quickie, less than 24 hours after polling stations were closed, McCain conceded to Obama. Man, that was one campaign by THE MAN, well planned, but more importantly, well executed. By all standards, it was excellence all the way! My hats off to you Mr. President-elect. Now, let's sit back, blog, and see how things turn out Stateside. People have so much expectations, my apprehension is that this might just be too high when compared to what Obama can really deliver. So much for that!

McBook:

I finally decided to keep my Black McBook. Went to several Apple stores here in Manila and they are one in saying that my Blackie is better than the new version that recently came out. And that mine is limited production, it will become a rarity shortly. Besides, I'm getting to learn new things with it everyday, why change now? It's packed with all the utilities, the OS is updated to Leopard and what with the updates Apple provides, no need to look at how green is the grass on the other side of the...

"Friends":

Why are there people who abuse one's kindness and generosity? I have a "friend" who comes to me ever so often, for evey problem this friend has. But if there's no need to, this friend takes me for granted... why are there people like this? I'll never know the mysteries of this life.

My Volvo:

It's in the shop, I had the suspension done, good thing our bonus has been given if not I have to dip deeep into my pocket. Looking forward to getting it tomorrow!

Christmas is just around the corner, I wonder what it will bring me this time around...

2008-10-16T20:28:00.005+08:00

The NEW MacBook's out!

*photo courtesy of www.apple.com

Follow this link and see what it's all about:

New MacBook

My quandary: I got my current MacBook Black in August 2007 (and upgraded to Leopard, iLife '08, etc...) and I'm now agonizing on either to give up my Mac and get the new one or stay with my current one and salivate... Well, it's a happy problem! :-)

2008-10-12T09:13:00.004+08:00

It was a successful extraction of my three teeth yesterday. I was under sedation and didn't feel a thing. It took less than a minute for the sedative to take effect. I could sense what was going on in the room and could hear the dentist and the anesthesiologist talk, but that was all. After about an hour, the extraction was done and my new dentures fitted. My wholehearted thanks to Drs. Gary & Apple of the Tooth Doctor, which is found on the third floor of Robinson's Galleria along EDSA in Quezon City.

I took some pictures from the dentist chair:

X-ray of my mouth:

View of EDSA from the dentist office:

The last image I saw before I went under sedation:

2008-10-11T09:36:00.001+08:00

I have a 1:00 PM dentist appointment for the extraction of 3 teeth... hence I have been fasting since 5:00 this morning. :-(

2008-10-06T09:32:00.002+08:00

I am on extended leave from work for about 15 days and will have so much time in my hands. This gives me the chance to upgrade my blog using the many tools and enhancements now made available by blogger.com!

Furthermore, this is made possible because somehow my broadband connection at home is going great, I just hope this keeps up. :-)

2008-10-05T16:51:00.002+08:00

The service crew from Globe came this morning and fixed the problem... which I hope will be the last one.

2008-10-04T08:23:00.004+08:00

A couple of days after the DSL line was restored by Globelines' (there, I've named them!) the line went down again. Ironies of ironies is that another service crew came to check if the line was indeed restored. 10 minutes after they left, the line was out... :-(

This is the worse service I've experienced, and from Globe at that. Our attempts have been futile so far in having Globe's service crew visit our house to repair the DSL.

Good thing is that I have an alternative Internet connection and though it's slow at the moment, it serves it's purpose.

2008-09-27T16:33:00.002+08:00

My latest adventure with my broadband provider... the link went down again for about two weeks and was restored just before lunch today... I won't name the said provider here as a matter of protocol since I do work for a telco myself and I don't want my company trashed. Suffice to say that I threatened to have the service disconnected and they hauled ass! ;-)

2008-09-12T19:06:00.003+08:00

Ayayay! After about a month of following up with my provider's customer care, I finally got my DSL connection restored... So much for customer care! I'm now also able to use my beloved MacBook. Updated all software {thanks Steve Jobs! :-)} and I hope can now fulfill my promise to be updated with my blogging...

2008-08-12T20:16:00.001+08:00

I just got my broadband connection at home and this will give me more opportunities to update my blog... see you soon! :-)

2008-07-01T08:09:00.002+08:00

I'm finally settled in my job here in Manila. So busy though, I can only afford putting down a few words. Hopefully, if and when I get to have my DSL at home I will be able to update this blog... till then! :-)

2008-02-25T16:40:00.002+08:00

Short note: I'm being assigned to Manila effective March 1, 2008. This will be my 2nd transfer in a year's time...

2007-12-09T06:27:00.001+08:00

Beach front of Tambuli. Again, I used the phone cam...

2007-12-09T06:21:00.000+08:00

I caught the sunrise on our last morning of our planning session at Tambuli Beach Club in Lapulapu City, Cebu. I tried to capture as the sun slowly came up the horizon using my phone cam. I also tried to emphasize the twin cloud formation... the phone cam had limited capabilities and my apologies to the more serious photography buffs. :-)

2007-12-09T05:54:00.000+08:00

I'm back!

How fast time flies... it's been more than a year since my last post and so much have changed in my life. I am now settled in Cagayan de Oro, leading the sales campaign for BAYAN Wireless Landline (used to be called SPAN)... been a good year despite the many challenges me & my team had to hurdle. Some of these challenges we were able to overcome, some still to be resolved. But all of which have become valuable for me.

2006-11-13T18:18:00.000+08:00

Nowadays, you'll see me bonkers... I'm in the middle of launch season for SPAN, our latest offering. It's a CDMA based mobile technology, but we used landline based rates instead. This will alow you to make calls to landlines and within the SPAN network, unmetered. Better than a cellular phone wherein you're charged for every call you make, whether this be to a landline or another cellular phone. Brought to you by... BayanTel! =)

And from all indications so far, this is acceptable to the market. But we have to see how it performs in the long term...

That's why I am unable to keep up with my blog. I hope things will ease up soon...

2006-10-02T19:33:00.000+08:00

Of brown outs, strong winds and rains...

I woke up this morning to a brownout here in Butuan City. Although brown outs are a common thing here, it was the first time for me to experience one so early in the morning. When I got to the office, I learned that strong winds toppled some electric poles, thus rendering some parts of the city without any electricity. And all the while I was feeling kinda lucky to be relocated to Butuan and escaped the wrath of Milenyo and power outages and no water, etc...

No way Jose! =(

Towards late afternoon, the wind grew even stronger, you can actually hear it blow all over, reminds me of the sound effects of the movie "Twister". But this one's for real! Oh, oh! Then the rains came and everything's drenched! When I got out of our office building to go home, the security guards told me that the wind blew off the glass panels, lucky no one got hurt.

Well, so much for Nature's fury...

Power's back on now and on a lighter note! =)

I was able to assemble the new flip up sights for my airsoft gun:

Full view, notice I removed the red dot sight:

Front flip up sight:

Rear flip up sight:

2006-09-30T21:53:00.000+08:00

Hello Blog!

It's been a month since I sat down to write you. Been a crazy, busy September for me. Sorry, I took you for granted and didn't even try to sneak a few lines!

Went up the Masao River a few weeks ago to play airsoft, and boy, we had fun!

I made full use of my A2 and had good hits. But this picture will be your last view of the tubed barrel because I just had the look revised and this is how it is now:

I changed the front end to a fiber carbon quad rail, borrowed a foregrip and this is how it looks now. I'm doing away with the red dot sight too and will replace this with a pair of flip up sights. I will also replace the foregrip with a fodable one. I'll publish the picture of the finished product soon.

2006-08-31T04:28:00.000+08:00

NOW LET'S TACKLE THE ROOT CAUSE- A campaign for PEACE

Hello blog,

I've reproduced a self-explanatory letter from the campaign for Ceasefire in the Middle East. Sign up if you want PEACE!

============================

Subject: Now let's tackle the root cause

Dear Friends,

Two weeks ago, over 300,000 of us from 150 countries came together to stop the war in Lebanon. Since we helped to achieve a fragile ceasefire there, we’ve received hundreds of emails from you suggesting that we continue our campaign by focusing on a root cause of problems in Lebanon and the region -- Israel/Palestine. Over a hundred civilians have been killed in this conflict over the last month, and strikes by both sides have residents caught in a desperate situation.

Images of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict have haunted our televisions for decades. Experts agree that the occupation of the Palestinian territories is a root cause of the war in Lebanon, has promoted tensions between Israel and the Arab world, and been a rallying cry for Islamic radicals who commit terrorist attacks on the US and other countries. And yet for years there has been no concerted effort or leadership to restart the peace process, despite some hopeful signs and opportunities. Please click below to call upon the UN Security Council, the Israeli Prime Minister, and the Palestinian President and Prime Minister to immediately implement a ceasefire in Israel/Palestine and re-launch a new and comprehensive peace process:

www.CeasefireCampaign.org

This is a moment of opportunity in the Middle East. The entire world’s attention is focused on the region, and world leaders like UK Prime Minister Blair and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will be visiting in the coming days. In September, almost every world leader will be gathering in New York for a United Nations summit. US President Bush has moved quickly to focus all this attention on his agenda of a wider confrontation with Syria and Iran. We need to act quickly before this moment passes to direct attention towards the right objectives, and ensure that leaders at the UN Summit call for an immediate ceasefire and a new peace effort in Israel/Palestine. Please click below to sign our call to action and send your personalized message directly to key decision makers:

www.CeasefireCampaign.org

In calling for peace, we stand with ordinary citizens in both Israel and Palestine. Polling consistently shows that a majority of citizens in both places want peace based on a viable “two state” solution that would give Palestine independence and both countries security.If enough pressure is created, we could help to achieve a ceasefire in Israel/Palestine within days. Restarting the peace process will take more time, but we can take a first step by helping to get this issue higher on the international agenda…

With hope,

Ricken, Priscila, Tom, Alicia, and the rest of the Ceasefire Campaign Team.

2006-08-06T20:54:00.000+08:00

The past three weeks have been a blur to me, barely had time to keep up with updating my blog, etc... However, despite the fast paced life I lead, I managed to squeeze in some interesting moments:

1) Ostrich Meat - I finally was able to eat, not taste mind you, eat ostrich meat. Grilled to well done, it tasted sooooo delicious! It has that beefy taste, but without any fat in it.

2) Three books in three days- Greatest Salesman In the World by Og Mandino, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, and Tuesdays with Morrie, again by Mitch Albom. Since I'm not a critic, I won't pretend to give an intelligent insight , but as a bookworm I GUARANTEE you won't regret reading them! Get your copies now!

3) Gawad Kalinga - I just came from a weekend of fun, building a house for some poor family as part of my company's outreach pragram. YES! we had fun and I don't mind going back again to build another one.

That's all folks!

2006-08-02T19:56:00.000+08:00

Just one of some pictures that are truly amazing... click here for some more!

2006-07-23T20:35:00.000+08:00

We won!

Yesssirrreee, the Sales Team that I manage was awarded a plaque for outstanding sales performance for the 2nd quarter of the year. We surpassed our sales target and achieved a whopping 158% vs the target set in terms of sales volume for DSL!

2006-07-13T21:35:00.000+08:00

Manila I keep coming back to Manila...

I'm bound for Manila tomorrow for our First Half Sales Performance Report and Planning Session. This will be four days straight (starting Monday) and I will be away from my beloved blog. :-(

The good thing is that I'm up for some serious (hey Patty, note: SERIOUS) malling, hehe! After which I hope to catch Johnny Depp's Pirates, preferably at Gateway, with the free pop corn and stuff. :-)

Since I will be gone for a long stretch, you may visit this site and be entertained, until I come back... ENJOY! ;-)

2006-07-11T12:54:00.000+08:00

Of Blog visitors and the joy I get from your visits...

It's really flattering to note that my blog has been visited by people from various parts of the Philpines, France, Canada, the United States, Australia, etc. Thank you my friends and may you come visit again! :-)

2006-07-09T20:01:00.000+08:00

This is my airsoft team and the second guy from the rigth is our team leader, my gun smith and a deadly player. :-)

This was taken a couple of weeks ago when we played the jungles of Bonbon, an outskirt of Butuan.

2006-07-06T19:27:00.000+08:00

My Rants, or should I say "si Patty ang may kasalanan"? Hehehe!

A few days ago, I commented on Patty's Blog on her topic "Come Rant With Me". And my rant was simply the lack of malls in Butuan, where I am now stationed. Seems pretty trivial for you urbanites, what with all the malls in your place. But not for me when I first arrived here.

I have therefore decided to expound on the advantages & disadvantages of living in a mid-level city like Butuan:

Advantages:
1) No Traffic- YEHEY!
2) Fresh Air
3) 10 to 15 minutes away from the beach - pero I seldom find time to go... :-(
4) Seafoods galore!
5) Cabgan Island -please check my previous post on this
6) Low standard of living- I get to economize
7) Rustic settings- pretty much like the Davao City I left 20 years ago
8) Swearing - I can swear in Cebuano all I want and people can actually understand me... Hehehe, when I was in Manila I get that "duh" look whenever I swear in my native tongue, if that's good or bad, beats me!
9) History - this place smacks of it: the Balanghay, etc...
10) Margie's Food for the Gods (if you know someone from Butaun, make sure you get this one as pasalubong, the taste is HEAVENLY, pun intended!) And also their: Banana Bread, Chocolate Chips, Oatmeal Chips, etc...

Disadvantages (ang babaw no?):
1) Inadequate malling opportunities
2) Last full show too early
3) Limited choice of flights (only in the morning, one of PAL & the other Cebu Pacific). And the two are both Manila bound.

That's it, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Living in Butuan is not that bad after all... come visit us!

2006-07-06T18:15:00.000+08:00

My Sleep Pose is:

And it's described as:

Seatbelt Traits and Tendencies
After a long night of The Seatbelt pose (and Seatbelts do sleep close to ten hours a night, quite a bit longer than the typical seven and a half), couples wake feeling warm, safe, and uniquely free of doubt. Regular doses of the pose can elevate Seatbelters to a new level of personal confidence, which buoys them to great heights in love and at the gym and can lead to plum promotions and camera time.

Comfort Zone
The Seatbelt pose is in the Sun Sleeper family. Related Sun poses to try: The Heimlich and Classic Spoons.

Health Note
For some couples (about one in every fifteen), extended periods of The Seatbelt's patented "coziness" can lead to feelings of drugged complacency. If this happens to you, try switching to the Flying Bobs pose for as many nights as it takes to get the blood flowing again.

2006-06-26T21:48:00.000+08:00

AND...

tah dah!

The world's

smallest website!

2006-06-26T21:31:00.000+08:00

Have you ever had the experience of searching for websites on the Internet and end up with an error page (Error 404 -- Document not found.)?

Well, CLICK HERE for some fun!

2006-06-26T21:09:00.000+08:00

HEY GUYS! I got a new site clock! :-)

Thanks to:

Free Hosted Scripts

2006-06-26T18:18:00.000+08:00

Tid bits...

1) Napping cat- I chanced upon this napping cat and I couldn't resist taking a picture... interesting how it curled it's body....

2) Monday's done- Seems like only an hour ago that I woke up, and it's now quarter past 6 pm. And now that Monday's gone, it'll just be a matter of time (pun intended, haha!) before it's weekend already! :-)

3) Short Magazine- The short magazine for my A2 arrived today, good fit and makes my rifle easier to carry...

4) Site meters- I have three site meters: Cluster Map (which let's you see in a map the sites from where you blog is being viewed; Stat Counter (makes you see even the IP adresses of your site visitors); and Hit Counter (onsite counters which keeps you updated on the number of hits you get in your site). Talk about vanity!

2006-06-24T10:27:00.000+08:00

This is the City Dog Pound's van, as you can see it's full of "stray dogs". I chanced upon it on my way to work last week. The dogs are caught using G.I. wires and I can't stand the pitiful moan of the dogs as they are dragged ino the van.

I can't fault the City Government in trying to keep this city clean, but I also pity the owners of these dogs for the time and effort they put into raising their pets... in the end, it's still a responsibility in keeping and having pets.

2006-06-23T12:03:00.000+08:00

Have a laugh!

Weird Online Auctions

2006-06-20T19:27:00.000+08:00

View from the red dot sight... note the red light in the middle of the scope. You don't need to align front and rear sight anymore...

2006-06-20T19:20:00.000+08:00

The final set up, front sight removed... sleek!

Left side view, note mounting of the red dot sight

2006-06-19T21:21:00.000+08:00

I will never get tired of Paul Simon's live version of:

(just click on the green arrow)

Still Crazy After All These Years

2006-06-19T20:09:00.000+08:00

Top Ten What Struck Me Most in Riyadh:

I had a one year stint in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Yessiree! I did! I really did! And My Top Ten What Struck Me Most (not necessarily in that order) in Riyadh were:

1) Beso-beso time: The males there, whether they be Saudis, Lebanese, Jordanian, Egyptians or even the Indians, Pakistani, etc... would make beso (emphasis please!) with each other everyime they meet!

2) Public display of affection: Indians, Pakistanis, etc... had this habit of holdings hands while walking in public... male to male!

3) Luxury cars gone mad: It's not rare to see a Benz toploading a sheep... sayang ang oto, C class na Benz pa naman. :-(

4) 1 Riyal shawarmas: Yup, for 1 Riyal (or approx. Php14) you get a shawarma the size of a Frankfurter. And if you feel a little rich, try the 5 Riyal special and you'll have a feast! :-)

5) Cab drivers: In Riyadh, they're very honest. There was one time, I got lost in the maze of brick & mud buildings near Batha (a public place where Pinoys meet) but eventually after so much hand signs, shouting and cursing in Arabic (mok mafi! -ang bobo mo !) etc... I finally arrived at my destination, the cab driver actually returned part of my fare! HONEST! He really gave me back 10 Riyals! Must be the weather or something! :-)

6) Insha-Allah: God willing. Everyone there says that... Insha-Allah this, insha-Allah that. It's so abused that the dishonest ones commit or promise everything like paying debts, etc. Insha-Allah... and since they have already committed to God, we'll never know when they will actually pay! :-(

7) Broasted chicken: This is their equivalent to KFC... they do have KFCs there in Riyadh, but many people (including yours truly dahil kuripot ako!) would prefer the broasted chicken in the corner diner... yummy!

8) Indian Restos: Man, oh, Man! for 1 Riyal you get to have a couple of Mesalas (bread) and FREE fish curry sauce, busog ka na. And for 1 Riyal more, you get bottled water. A full meal may cost you about 3 Riyals (FOREX then was Php14 to 1 Riyal). You should try out the fish curry, grabe sa anghang!

9) Batha: It's shoppers paradise, you'll find everything in that place INCLUDING the fake items! Levi's, perfumes, Ray Bans, name it, it's there!

10) Water: It's true, water cost more expensive than gasoline... a liter of gasoline is about 90 halala, while a regular sized bottled water (less than 1 liter) is about 1 Riyal or more depending on the brand...

2006-06-18T21:22:00.000+08:00

Had fun at airsoft the whole weekend! Pistol fight in a close quarter battle scenario on Saturday and back to the good old junkyard this afternoon... made good use of my A2 and maneuvered at lot. But most importantly, I learned more on team work, strategies and most of all, PATIENCE! :-)

2006-06-18T09:13:00.000+08:00

You want to have a few laughs? Click on this link:

King Features Comics Online

Have FUN! :-)

2006-06-17T15:55:00.000+08:00

The scope's in... YEHEY! See how sleek it's becoming? We'll remove the front sight tomorrow and everything's done!

2006-06-16T22:06:00.000+08:00

Musings...

The Historian
Last March I visited Fully Booked's branch at The Gateway in Araneta Center and picked up The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Sadly, even though I am a voracious reader, I couldn't go beyond the first few chapters... but I'll try though to catch up on the reading, if and when! :-(

New Rifle set up
We've started to revise the external set up of my A2 rifle, had a bull barrel installed, but had to put back in the front sight and the carry handle until after my red dot sight arrives! Then it will all be flat, except for the scope, giving it a sleek look:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

And it will eventually look like this:

(how I wish!)

2006-06-15T06:46:00.000+08:00

Ironic...

2006-06-14T18:23:00.000+08:00

2006-06-14T12:49:00.000+08:00

A year ago, I wrote this poem during an emotional difficulty, pardon me if you find the prose poor:

Untitled
240505

I walk the lonesome road,
Leaving behind the mem’ries of our happy moments,
Haunted by your mirth that always eased my troubles;

I walk its twist & turns, this lonesome road,
Trying to unease my loneliness in dark places,
Only to fail, again & again, happiness never served there;

I trudge on, with nary a’soul in my midst,
The by-ways deserted, no laughter can I hear,
No love thus shared;

Yet I have to carry on with this forlorn journey,
Seems there’s nothing to go back to,
And there’re only our memories too painful to recall;

Yet, if I come upon a fork, I will choose neither side,
Nor will I continue the journey,
‘til I am sure that I am forgiven of that which caused me to be forsaken;

Forgiveness gained, happiness sustained,
Lonesome never will the road be,
And the sun will shine this way again.

I am truly sorry…

2006-06-12T11:47:00.000+08:00

With the advent of technology being a superhero becomes rather difficult!
Comic courtesy of:

King Features Syndicate

2006-06-12T09:48:00.001+08:00

You've got to see...

50 Dumbest Rock-Star Extravagances

2006-06-12T06:22:00.000+08:00

Today is the Philippines' Independence Day, all 108 years of them!

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

So, what have we as a country accomplished in 108 years?

Also today, my siblings and I observe our mother's 20th death anniversary. Ironic, she departed on Independence Day, finally free from all of this world's worries and troubles. I know you're praying for us Ma... thank you!

Ah, independence! During my College years, I always wished for an "independent life"... so here I am now, independent and single and ... so much for independence!

2006-06-10T09:32:00.000+08:00

Why I like Jason Mraz:

Sleep All Day

2006-06-05T21:13:00.000+08:00

Which would you rather use?

2006-06-04T20:56:00.000+08:00

Remember my M15A2? Well, we upgraded its internals the other week: spring (to PDI190), cylinder (teflon) and completely sealed the air nozzle ( so that the air pressure will push the pellets farther and stronger)... :-)

I made my first verified kill last Sunday, but today I put the gun into good use and I did five hits, emptying five magazines (300 pellets per mag), and had fun the whole afternoon! :-)

2006-05-30T18:51:00.000+08:00

I lifted this from Patty Laurel's blog... so if you see that menu on the upper right hand corner of the blog's page that says: "NEXT BLOG >>" click on it right away, you'll never where it will lead you! Me? I ended up in this pretty gal's blog and saw the following:

www.chucknorrisfacts.com

Ten Facts About Chuck Norris:

Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried. Ever.
Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.
Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs. The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.
If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can't see Chuck Norris, you may be only seconds away from death.
Chuck Norris has counted to infinity. Twice.
Chuck Norris does not hunt because the word hunting implies the probability of failure. Chuck Norris goes killing.
Chuck Norris' blood type is AK+. Ass-Kicking Positive. It is compatible only with heavy construction equipment, tanks, and fighter jets.
Chuck Norris is 1/8th Cherokee. This has nothing to do with ancestry, the man ate a fucking Indian.
In fine print on the last page of the Guinness Book of World Records it notes that all world records are held by Chuck Norris, and those listed in the book are simply the closest anyone else has ever gotten.
There is no chin behind Chuck Norris' beard. There is only another fist.

2006-05-29T06:07:00.000+08:00

I like the creativity (can I use this term?) of the last one, hehehe!

2006-05-27T21:44:00.000+08:00

An inspiring prose about the Dawn...

An angel, robed in spotless white, bent down and kissed the sleeping Night, Night woke to blush; the sprite was gone, Men saw the blush and called it Dawn.
-Paul Laurence Dunbar

2006-05-27T12:59:00.000+08:00

This, my friends, is how my rifle will look like!

2006-05-22T19:23:00.000+08:00

I am gaga over Airsoft. This particular picture was taken on the morning I first used my M15A2 (the one I'm holding in the picture). And boy, oh, boy! I had fun, for two straight days!

2006-05-22T19:03:00.000+08:00

This is Cabgan Island, which is located off Surigao Sur. It is practically uninhabited, save for a couple of families trying to ekk out a living tending to the coconuts there for copra. I visited the place back in Feb. '05 and haven't had the chance to return. Compared with the commercialism that is Boracay, this place is where you can really get away from it all. So bring your backpack, with the waves pounding the beach to lull you to sleep, and the stars overhead to give you a spectacular show!

*** To get there your take off is the Municipality of Barobo in Surigao Sur, where you can rent a pumpboat for about P500.00 roundtrip (you have to check though if the bankeros will stay overnight). By the way, Barobo is near San Francisco, Agusan Sur, where an overnight stay in an inn will cost you less than a thousand bucks. The city nearest San Francisco is Butuan City, where they have two daily rountrip flights, one via PAL and the other Cebu Pacific.

2006-05-19T17:22:00.000+08:00

For you my love these words:

If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand.

I do not regret that we met only now, instead I rejoice because I have been given the chance to express my love. And if I were to live life again, I will hasten to the moment that I first met you... and celebrate! Because no matter what the situation might be at that moment I will love you!