Friday, August 28, 2009

MY OWN SPACE



I'm a bit surprised to see myself blogging than the usual me for the past few days. haha.
What could have triggered this vice again?



I know it's Friday and it's not the usual Friday that makes sooooooooooooo weak and extremely longing for attention.



Maybe it's just a matter of putting myself where i should really belong :)


HERE.



In my personal space.

http://kerstinne25.blogspot.com
http://kerstinne25.multiply.com

LOLA TECHIE

HAHAHA. ANG KULIT NI LOLA TECHIE =))

TARANTULA BY YIGEL MESIKA - The Tarantula Journey

Finally, the long wait is over!

The Tarantula Magic by Yigel Mesika finally landed on Mark's bare hands.



It was quite a long wait... waiting and waiting to a thing that has no assurance of getting delivered to desert-laden land. I did placed the order last August 4 and Ellusionist had it shipped on the 6th:

*************

We are pleased to inform you that your Ellusionist.com order has been
shipped.

Shipping ID: XXXX99
Order Date: Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Ship Date: 8/6/2009

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Qty Product Code - Product Name Status
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1 TARANTULA - Tarantula by Yigal Mesika shipped
Carrier: USPS
LJ237012767US
1 SPIDSPL2 - Spider Spooler 2 pack by Yigal Mesika shipped
Carrier: USPS
LJ237012767US
1 MAUWAX - Michael Ammar Utility Wax shipped
Carrier: USPS
LJ237012767US
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Ship To:
XXX

Based on the shipping method and tracking number above you can use the
following links to see tracking info for your shipment (if available).

USPS (United States Postal Service)
UPS (United Parcel Service)

In addition to your ORDER ID #XXXXXXXXXyou now have a
SHIPPING ID #XXXXXX - both are used internally within Ellusionist to track
your order.

For typical delivery times visit the shipping page on our site
Ellusionist.com

Please save your Shipping ID and Order ID for future
reference.

If you have any concerns about the status of your order, please do not
hesitate to contact us by submitting a ticket to our eSupport system for a
quick, friendly response.

eSupport site: http://esupport.ellusionist.com/

Just click on "Send us an email" and we'll get a reply to you within 24
hours at the very longest.

We encourage you to take full advantage of your Ellusionist Membership and
visit the incredible ellusionist discussion forums:

http://forums.ellusionist.com/

Thank you for your order!

**********

Had been waiting for weeks but its so depressing that we cannot even track where the package is. Tracking has been disabled for this delivery and there are times that we almost accepted the fate that our moolah has gone to nowhere.

Well, yesterday's news was indeed a surprise :) I'm even happier than Mark. Haha.

I had been walking hand-in-hand with Mark in doing some magic stuffs and the walk seems to be winding to a great, nurturing, enjoyable, fun-filled friendship. His journey through card magics has brought us some real life magics, some in the form of creatures on two-legs (haha, sugz you're the best!) and some in its most intangible forms.

Now, let the magic begin.

NUMBER ONE

Would just like to share an email from mabutingbalita.net :

Jun Asis took this picture because he found it quite curious.

God 01
Then it dawned on him that it was asking him something.

He believes it is asking the same thing to you.

Who or What is Number 1 in your life now?

Something to think about over the long weekend.




Thursday, August 27, 2009

machine design

I am just a bit hyped up with this wire rope and beam design that i do not know where to start. Frankly, the thought of knocking to Engr. SJ's doors had crossed my mind and man did i chuckle at the thought. At some point in my life, i indeed admire his prowess over machine design.

REDUNDANCY

I just checked my friendster account minutes ago and i wasn't surprised that for the nth time, i got another request from meanne. Seems like she had been soooooooooooo persevering adding me as her buddies in their friendster account. Her ulterior motive: to show their daughter to me. I care less if they have been married or not, if they got children or pets, i don't give a damn. The doors have been closed and they can't force me to open it for some reconciliations. I have been living my life on my own miles away from them and why is it that they still want to pester their lives with some thoughts of me?

Well, yep, congratulations to both of you for that cute little angel. Angels brought here on earth deserve to be celebrated. Never mind the aches and pains of yesterday. The wounds shall heal itself, only time can tell.

Let's not rush things. No one can ever tell when's the right time. Only God knows.

sadness

I'm just uber sad right now.

:(

:(

:(

:(

:(

Hurts like hell

:(

I knew it.

Monday, August 24, 2009

The Quarter-Life Crisis

The Quarter Life Crisis
by unknown

It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are a lot of things about yourself that you didn't know and may or may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you do not realize is that they are realizing that too and are not really cold or catty or mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.

You look at your job. It is not even close to what you thought you would be doing or maybe you are looking for one and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and are scared.

You miss the comforts of college, of groups, of socializing with the same people on a constant basis. But then you realize that maybe they weren't so great after all.

You are beginning to understand yourself and what you want and do not want. Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging a bit more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and add things to your list of what is acceptable and what is not. You are insecure and then secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you or you lay in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough to get to know better. You love someone but maybe love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you are not a bad person.

One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap and getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision.

You worry about loans and money and the future and making a life for yourself and while wining the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!

What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out.

from: The Quarter-Life Crisis

Sunday, August 23, 2009

U-TURN

Sunday. 630pm.

I was a bit disoriented from where i would exit from the Alabang Town Center Parking Area. I took the exit near the Starbucks and head off the road perpendicular to Madrigal Business Avenue. Took me a couple of minutes to discern that i still would have to take a trip round the ATC turning right to Madrigal Business Avenue then right to Alabang Zapote Road then right to ATC again then right to the exit road passing the parking area in front of the Makati Supermarket then left to Ayala Alabang Road which would then lead to Filinvest. Whew.

My mind was suddenly boggled and acting as an instant reflex, i took a u-turn in the nearest intersection. But my "pawis-steering" car didn't allow me to push the deed smoothly, my failed u-curve which turned out to be just an L-curve got me almost collided with the orange plastic barrier that they intentionally placed in the middle of the opposite road. Whew. Without second thought, i took a slight reverse which elicited a stream of beeps and honks of the passing vehicles behind me. Exerting all my efforts and straining all but my arm muscles, i did manage to get off from that pivot and head off the road that i was supposed to.

I saw no signs that a u-turn isn't allowed on that area, nor did i see any traffic enforcer in that intersection. I didn't know, but really, i must have sweat a gallon.


Bawal ba mag u-turn dito?

Friday, August 21, 2009

NUVALI

Heads up for a nice holiday before reporting to work. A shutterbugs' session at Nuvali at 6 in the morning.









Thursday, August 20, 2009

My pc crashed last night

My pc crashed last night.

The past few weeks i could feel it runnin' slower than it could have ran. Most of the times, the screen would just freeze, and the only thing that was left for me to do is to push the reset button. The reference memory could not be read, or something like that, and some error messages keep popping in the screen but couldn't convince me well enough to replace the jurassic machine. Not now, i'd say to myself.

I was playing Farmville last night when the screen suddenly froze and in the blink of my beautiful eyes (haha), the lavishness of my green farm has turned into a dangerous blue screen with white colored text that i could only interpret and shorten in layman's term as REPLACE ME PLEASE. I could have answered with a loud screaming NOTTTTT NNNNOOOWWWWWWWWWW PLEASEEEEEEE, but i just hit the reset button and the machine got it's life back.

Returning from where ive left, i went back to my farm due to the springing excitement with my new tractor. Wahaha. 30,000 coins for my new tractor. Nice and smooth. Was about to plow a parcel when the farm suddenly turned up blue again, and testified to my world in collision.

The next thing i did was to reboot the pc, enter CMOS and check anything i could.
DDR266 256MB
Sempron2400
Lite-On DVDRW

Where's my harddrive?

My HDD wasn't detected.

I pulled the 40gb HDD and inserted the spare 120gb but to my dismay, could be detected but would not run as well.

I returned the 40gb HDD and the PC had been resurrected. But the files were all gone, and needed to be reformatted to be fully satiated.

WARNING: FORMATTING WILL ERASE ALL THE DATA. Y or N?

All that is left for me to do is to accept the fact that they will all be gone with a single stroke of a key.

I reformatted my PC and lost all the virtual evidence of my virtual sanity in the last three years of my life.

The reality is that all those token of bits and bytes of my virtual existence had vanished in an instant.

Dismay overran my face like the hordes of Atilla, as the clock begins to toll out the hour of reformatting.

Dire extremity mutates into new reality altogether.

After an hour of going the whole hog of reformatting, the pc was brought back to life. But yes, to a new and refreshed one, running faster than it had been.

I logged to my messenger and felt a dart of sadness,i saw nothing on the archives. For quite some time, i had been stumbling every now and then at my archives to somehow take a trip down the memory lane where the conversations i had with the special people in my life would make my heart swell with extreme schmaltz.

And there was none now.

I grope for some feelings in my heart and wonder if i had them all in my master harddrive, memories all stuck together here in the pumping center of my being.

:)

Saturday, August 15, 2009

uuurrrrgggghhhhh



Friday, August 14, 2009

MEGAWOOSH



megawoosh. whoah. fake is it!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Self-inflicted torments of the heroine

There seems to be an outward damnation for me drawn from my deliberate thoughts about death.

Though it sometimes scares the hell out of me, i really can't help but think of how my hours would begin to toll out.

Most of the times, it feels like my clock has been ticking twice as fast than before.

Self-inflicted torments of the heroine.

Sigh.

Monday, August 10, 2009

FARMING

I've been too busy with Facebook's Farmville that i almost forgot the existence of my very own space here. Oohhh... really really sorry my blog.

Other things that kept me so busy?
M-O-H.

MATTERS OF THE HEART.

haha.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

emote

I am happy and contented to what life has been bringing me. Good friends, treasured memories, nurturing relationships, blessings, sweet moments, what more could i ever ask for.

I thank God each day for the life He has given me. Should He decides to take away this very life, i am very much grateful for the boundless opportunities He has given me.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

HIBERNATION

I have spent some time in dormant state and as of the moment, i still do not know when the season would end.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Some random thoughts about about love.

Some random thoughts about love.

* Show your love for one another. Let your feelings be known.

* When your partner's mood is agitated, just be still and calm down, give him/her time to cool down, then respond later.

* Love is letting your partner be what he/she wants to be, and not being what you want him/her to be instead.

* You may not always marry the person you love. Love, in its true sense, is being there for the person you love, willing to help, to listen, to be there with all your might and main, without expecting anything in return.

* Worry not about someone's past, because all there is that matters is today.

* Love is helping your partner overcome his/her weaknesses, and leveraging his/her strengths.

* TO love and be loved is the greatest joy in the world.

* It pays to momentarily ignore your partner. It gives some sense of aggresiveness.

* Know when to put the phone down.

* Jealousy is such a waste of energy, money and time.

* Inspite of whatever you may do, or how busy you are at the moment, every woman wants to hear the golden words: I LOVE YOU.

* Two persons, even after the fiercest of fights, can be at peace with each other, all because LOVE moves in mysterious ways.

* Most women talk a lot, they would highly appreciate if their partners are good listeners :)

* Silence is a more effective way of expressing disagreement or anger than raising one's voice.

* Love isn't all about togetherness. It's also about distance and space.

* The first step to a lasting relationship is trusting one another.

* Women would always loved to be pursued, wooed with chocolates and flowers even if they are a decade or more together.

* Love is a two-way street.

* Sharing and caring is LOVE.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

with all my heart

I may seem a little insane or stupid at most times.
But you know what, when i say i do love someone, i really do... with all my heart.
Whatever it takes.

I may sometimes stumble at love itself.

I do.

I really do.

I did.

But then, love is love.

And I'm loving with all my heart.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

SCOTT KELBY'S 2ND WORLDWIDE PHOTOWALK

These are my 2 entries for the Scott Kelby's 2nd Worldwide Photowalk.
Frankly, in my humble judgment, these aren't of visual superiority but then... this is my art... and Art, according to Picasso, is the lie by which we know the truth. Hehehe.

***************


HONING



The man refines the edges of his knife sharp enough to cut the animal flesh that he sells for a living. He does so with full vigor, a trait that enables a Filipino to wind through life's challenges through diligence and priceless smiles.

*********


CHOPMAN


What does it take for a man to succeed? It is the cutting edge trait of diligence that enables him to be at the top of his game. To give his full heart in everything he does, not only for his outright needs, but also for the sheer love of it.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Damsel found herself in a faraway desert country.

Damsel found herself in a faraway desert country.

She was leisurely walking alongside the busy streets and found him with his friends casually chatting over coffee and croissant while surfing the net via laptops placed on the table. He was wearing a red shirt paired with a plain six-pocket khaki underpants. When he caught a glimpse of damsel, he immediately stood and hugged her tight, so tight she could no longer breath. He must have hugged her for hours! she doesn't even know, she even can't explain.

She always has the habit of loosing some pertinent details in a dream the moment she wakes up. Maybe she should dream in RAW format, so she wouldn't loose the intricate details and could still recover and adjust to the correct exposure during post processing. hehehe. She couldn't recall what happened after that hugging scene, maybe they took a walk, laughed out the loudest, bantered continuously, ate at Hardees, etc, she doesn't know, the details seemed to be lost in a haze of half asleep-half awaken moment.

The parting time did etched in her memory. He placed his right arm in her right shoulder and walked past his friends to the nearest ticketing station. He asked her to stay and just sit on the nearest waiting area perpendicular to the booth. She could see him flash the sweetest smile as he sauntered back to her with a piece of paper on his left hand. He sat beside her, filled up the blank sheet with information about her, and seemed to know every single bit of info about her. He groped for his pocket and went back to the booth to pay for her ticket.

When we went back to her, no sweetest smile could be traced in his face, but only the expression of solitude that almost made her feel being doused with tears. Parting time.

They hugged each other again (for hours again maybe :)). At that very moment, she never wished to be free from his arms again. Tears freely flowed from her eyes, but she couldn't utter any single word.. she just hugged him even tighter.

They walked to the departure area. Her eyes were still welling up with tears, and she couldn't release her arms from his grips. Parting time was indeed necessary. He hugged her for the last time, and whispered words to her ears. "I'll be home the soonest. Take care always."

At four in the morning, she had awaken from this reverie. She was .. well.. crying when she woke up.. her pillows seemed to have absorbed the tears that flowed.

But to her, such was the greatest dream of all.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

click click click





click click click

5 things

Nakikipagkulitan lang sa facebook this morning
:D


i love my 6630!
5 Cell phones I had since my first one by Lois

1. Nokia Ringo
2. Nokia 3210
3. Nokia 8210
4. Nokia 3100
5. Nokia 6630


time space warp.. ngaun din!!!!
Favorite cartoons when I was younger by Lois

1. sailormoon
2. Mickey Mouse and Friends
3. Bioman
4. Shaider
5. maskman

Random things starting with the same letter as my name by Lois

1. My love.
2. Jennifer Lopez
3. Lois's House
4. Lois Lane
5. live laugh love

THINGS I WANT RIGHT NOW!

1. ipod touch
2. laptop
3. Nikkor Lenses
4. HTC Diamond
5. Crumpler Backpack

Monday, July 20, 2009

God bless them both.

Can't sleep. thinking of the ironies of life. an old person at a deathbed being revived by doctors, wanting just at least a fraction of her life to be extended. a young girl loved and cared by someone across the miles not wanting to wake up tomorrow. God bless them both.

Friday, July 17, 2009

God’s Rest

God’s rest
by Fr. Joel O. Jason

Two men were in a contest. The goal: who among them can chop the most number of wood in an hour’s time. There was a mandatory rest of two minutes after every 10 minutes. So they began chopping wood. Carlo and Frank were neck to neck in the contest, almost simultaneous in chopping. Both also took the mandatory two-minute rest.

After an hour, the pieces of wood were counted. Carlo cut more pieces of wood than Frank. Puzzled, Frank asked, “How come? We were almost simultaneous in chopping. We both took two-minute rests. What’s your secret?” Carlo replied, “Whenever I rested, I sharpened my ax.”

Whenever we hear the word rest, we think of inactivity, of doing nothing, of pigging out. Today, Jesus in the Gospel ran once more into controversy with the Pharisees over the Sabbath rest. Seen picking grains, the apostles were accused of violating the Sabbath rest. Sabbath is a day of rest for the Jews and holiness dictates that no semblance of work be done on a Sabbath.
The Sabbath took its origin from the Genesis account, “and God rested on the seventh day” (Genesis 2:2). Later on this will be codified in the Mosaic law as the third commandment, “Thou shall keep holy the Sabbath” (Exodus 20:8). But why did God rest on the seventh day? Did He grow tired? NO. Rest symbolized a day of communion between Creator and creature. After God created man and woman on the sixth day, He made hallow the seventh day, not necessarily a day of doing nothing but as a day of communion — of celebrating God’s love for man and man’s inherent connectedness with God. And that is more than simply doing nothing.

Jesus understood Sabbath not as doing nothing. Rather it means doing what needs to be done. He understood it as an intensification of one’s communion with God. Sabbath is not a day of laziness. Sabbath is a day of celebrating the God and man, man and God relationship.

Reflection Question:

How do you spend your Sunday? Your holy days of obligation? Do you look at Sunday simply as a day of pursuing meaningless and trivial pursuits?

Lord, may I always give You the worship You deserve, for the glory of Your name and for the good of Your people. Amen.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

PASSION FOR TEACHING

Caught a glimpse at facebook last night and Badz' was checking her students' papers. She was teaching at an institute.

I do miss classroom teaching.

When i quit teaching last year, i didn't really give up my passion. It was indeed because of health concerns that i have to prioritize things in order for me to live my life to the fullest. Of course, i certainly do miss the classroom discussions, the rants and raves of the students, and the thoughtful things they did during my stay.

Teaching has always been my passion, my determination to turn vision into a reality amidst the roadblocks, endless stress and frustrations through constant parting of knowledge. To be extraordinary as to share by the essence of who i am as a person. To rise above the mundane and make a mark resonating from my best intentions and aspirations. Sounds a tad sweeter. hihi.

Well, who knows, i might be able to dig again in this stint.

For the mean time, i'll just concentrate on my 74 pupils in the arena.

oH, To HAVE BEAuTIful fEET!

oH, To HAVE BEAuTIful fEET!
by Cynthia Santiago

“For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.” – Matthew 11:30

I got tired shopping for Christmas gifts for my friends, so I sat on a bench at the mall while I waited for my husband who checked out a photo exhibit.

As I sat there, I looked at the feet of passersby, especially those who were wearing fancy flip-flops that were so in fashion that season. Everyone had smooth feet.
I couldn’t help but sulk because, for the longest time, I’ve suffered from psoriasis and I have sores on my feet. They’re so ugly so I don’t dare wear flip-flops. In my mind, I kind of talked to the Lord, saying, “Lord, I am the only one with ugly feet. Would it spoil Your Grand Eternal Plan if I had beautiful feet?”

After the holidays, a friend told me that her relative who suffered diabetes had an amputation. Although she now has only one leg, she has well recovered and seems to have accepted her situation.

When I went home that day, I looked at the sores on my feet and they didn’t seem as ugly as I thought they were.
Be it psoriasis or diabetes, our burden will ultimately be light, because the Lord promises so in today’s Gospel.

REFLECTION:
By His wounds, we are healed.

Lord, I lay down all my burdens at Your feet today.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

God's Message For You Today, July 15, 2009

HE SuRRouNDS you
by Nova Arias

“…for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned, you have revealed them to the childlike.” – Matthew 11:25
While driving to the grocery one Christmas season, I asked my then six-year-old nephew if he was excited to see Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. He replied with a firm “no.”
“There’s no Santa here,” he added.
“Huh?” I replied, “Why is there no Santa here?”
“Because there’s no snow.”
I had a good laugh. A simple observation from a little boy. His innocence made him speak with a lot of sense.
God chose to reveal the fulfilment of His plans to the childlike because their ignorance made them see with eyes of faith. When you are losing faith because of the troubles that you face, notice the constant signs around you that tell you of God’s presence in your life — the unexpected phone call from a friend who offered you a job when you felt hopeless about finding one, the comforting hug from a child after a tiring day at work, the contagious laughter of a workmate that got you laughing hard when you badly wanted to cry because of a pressing problem at home. That’s God at work.
Like little children, let us trust in our Father’s ways. Nova Arias

REFLECTION:
“The root of all difficulties is a lack of the sense of the Presence of God.” (Emmett Fox)

Father, strengthen my faith in You. Make me feel and see You every day.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

God hears my sighs and cries

Am at work now and the day seems to be a bit brighter than yesterday. I never imagined i still would be able to feel and experience the bright rays of the sun straining my very own puffy eyes.

I was praying hard last night, (apart from crying harder). I know God hears my sighs and cries. I asked for repentance for all the hurts i have caused others. I thanked Him for continually showering me with the wonders of goodness and random acts of kindness from others. My life, i owe it to Him.

The night had wound down in between my sighs and cries. Felt better when the morning came. Where else would i be without him.

God hears my prayers.

Monday, July 13, 2009

I HATE MYSELF I WANT TO DIE

Masochism

I'm feelin' very low today. I didn't sleep the whole night. Haven't had dinner last night and breakfast this morning. I still can't force myself to have a bite this lunch. Feels like i still could go on till tomorrow without anything in my stomach.

Masochism.

I had my worst last night. Aside from getting shut from my very world, i entered another world of frustrations and pain. It was as if to inflict more pain to the shattered me.

Masochism. Masochism.

I had an encounter with my worst enemy, my sickness. Funny thing, my worst enemy is my everyday companion. Doesn't ever leave me even if i hell wish it would. I have been avoiding anything about it since we painted our world red. The cheers and jeers of our everyday ragged lives had me almost forgot the cross that i am bearing.

Though at most times, this ailment had bridge souls from across deserts and oceans and anywhere around the globe, and with that, i know what it feels to be the happiest girl on earth.

Admittedly, i knew where i am going... all to the shallow tunnel of heartaches, disappointments and frustrations.

While immersing myself to the same struggles of those who have the same fate as mine, i couldn't help but think of ending my life in an instant. My tears welled up upon being stricken by those who says that being on medication is almost a life imprisonment because there's no other way escaping around. The moment i stop my meds is the moment i am doomed for a more serious state. Finding my salary too paltry to lead this kind of life, i really don't know where this would lead me. I looked through my headboard and found the remaining tablets... Four more days and i'm dead.

Welcome aboard.

But why would i wait until the 4th day to welcome death?

I promise myself that death wouldn't catch me until i had all my goals completed, some of which are:

> to spend a simple but memorable vacation with the tarantula.
> to attend a photography class.
> to read ALL my books
> to splurge on a pail of Haagen-dazs
> to learn more and get well-versed on 3D modelling
> to pursue the tshirt printing business with my very dear business partner
> to perform well with card magics
> etc etc etc

I have gazillion of things-to-do running in my mind and so i realized that God must have read all these things so He keeps on prolonging my life even if i am damn asking Him every night to take it away.

A world has been shut.

A world has been shut.

Sleep never had the chance to thrust itself in the realms of my suffering. I closed my eyes wanting to rest my shattered being but i could only feel fear and pain.

Extreme pain.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

It's my fault

OK.
It's my fault.
Those little devils inside me that keep those negative thoughts in extreme frenzy.

My sincerest apologies.

I know i'm crap.
Then please don't be one also.
Coz you aren't.

You are great.
Have always been great.
Will always be great.

...

Saturday, July 11, 2009

MY FRIENDS ARE BACK

Never shall i travel alone again.

Align Center


Friday, July 10, 2009

PILL TRIP

Who says my med's a drag?

Haha.

I've sheared it creatively last night.

Cheers to my happy and hopeful side!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

in the sky of infinity

In The Sky Of Infinity

by Sri Chinmoy
from: Supreme, Teach me how to cry Bengali Songbook

O bird, you fly in the sky of Infinity.
Tell me, is flying your only game?
Tell me, how do you fly in the infinite blue welkin?
My soulful eyes look at you with all admiration.
My heart pines to fly like you.
O bird, you fly in the sky of Infinity.

******

Snapped a shot of these birds in front of Ronnie and Malyn's home


613pm


633pm


Friday, July 3, 2009

YASHICA GSN ELECTRO 35

I finally found our very own first SLR:
YASHICA GSN ELECTRO 35











**********
http://www.kenrockwell.com/yashica/electro-35.htm

The Yashica Electro 35 was one of the most popular consumer 35mm cameras of the 1960s and 1970s.

The Yashica Electro 35 was very advanced, being electronic, when it came out in 1966. It was made though 1977, and sold at close-out until stocks ran out about 1980. Please note the space-age atomic symbol on the front. The Yashica Electro is the Apollo of Japanese consumer 35mm cameras. (Of course I'm kidding; Japanese cameras have nothing to do with the Apollo program. The official cameras are Hasselblad and Zeiss, while the Kodak Instamatic 104 was the official camera of the American people of that era.)

The Yashica Electro 35 is a solid metal camera. It has a big, clear viewfinder and rangefinder. It has a much clearer finder than the Nikon manual rangefinders of the 1950s that fetch astronomical prices from geriatric collectors.

The Yashica Electro 35 was designed for consumers, but the great news for serious photographers is that the advanced features it had in 1966 are just what we need, and it doesn't have any of today's junk features that just get in the way.

The Yashica Electro 35 is an aperture-priority camera. Pick your aperture, and the Yashica Electro 35 selects the shutter speed, from 1/500 up to thirty seconds or more!

It has a silent electronic leaf shutter. It's quieter and and has less vibration than any of the clumsier focal-plane shutters of Leica and Nikon rangefinders, and no flipping mirrors like every DSLR.

The only gotchas are that the Electro 35 has no auto-exposure lock and it's an almost all-auto camera. It only has three manual shutter speeds, and that's stretching it. It is designed for a no-longer available mercury battery, however modern alkaline replacements work fine.

This Yashica a solid metal camera. It is a joy to carry around compared to my hulking Nikon D3, but still has to be carried over-the-shoulder.

The Electro 35 has always been inexpensive. In 1977 they sold new for $100, which is $350 corrected for inflation in 2008. In 2008, they sell used for $5 to $20 at garage sales. A dealer will ask more.

It's solid and well-made, but not as precise or as fine as a Leica, or even as nice as the less-useful Nikon rangefinders of the 1950s.

Since you're not looking through the lens, these cameras are especially useful for black-and-white and infra-red photography. This is because even with a dark filter on the lens, the finder remains clear.

Lens: 45mm f/1.7. It's identical to an SLR lens. Yashica brands it as YASHINON. "COLOR-YASHINON" was added in 1968 for marketing, since color film was just starting to become barely affordable to amateurs. It's the same lens. "COLOR" was a buzzword of the day as "Digital" is today. Think this is silly? How many of you pay extra for "Digital" filters?

Optics: 6 elements in 4 groups, just like almost every SLR lens. Single-coated in amber.

Diaphragm: 5 blades stopping down to f/16.

Filter Thread: 55mm. (Optional 57mm slip-on hood.)

Close Focus: 2.6 feet (0.8m)

Finder: Always-bright framelines lit through a separate window. Auto corrects for parallax.

Meter: CdS cell above lens, not TTL. You must compensate filters by setting the ASA dial accordingly. Red OVER light means you're at 1/500 second or more. Yellow SLOW light means you're at 1/30 or slower; hold still or use a tripod.

ASA Range (ISO): 1966-1973: 12~500. 1973-1977: 25~1,000.

Shutter: 1/500 - about 30 seconds. Stepless electronic leaf shutter. The slowest speed will vary with aperture: it can go longer than a minute at smaller apertures but only 3 seconds at f/1.7.

Maximum Speed with Flash (sync): 1/500. X-sync at all speeds, better than SLRs.

Power: One PX32, E164, V164PX, TR 164, HM-4N, 4NR52 or 1404M 5.6 Volt mercury battery. Works with today's alkaline replacements. My Electro 35 has a 4LR52, EN164A, A32, PC164, TR164A, 1404A alkaline in it. These are made with four stacked LR52 or 640A-P cells in series.

The specifications for today's alkaline battery are 335 mAH, 25.5g, 17.1mm diameter, 44.9mm height.

You can use a more common, smaller (170 mAH lithium, 150 mAh alkaline) PX28 if you jam in an extra spring and wrap the smaller battery in something to keep it centered in the Electro 35's larger battery hole.

The correct PX32 costs only $9.99 and lasts twice as long as the wrong $8 PX28 that doesn't fit without a kludge, so order two PX32s and keep the spare handy so you won't have to pay $15 for a PX28 at retail if your battery dies.

Battery Check Light: Yes, also illuminates frame counter and can work as a small flashlight!

Current Drain: 60mA while shutter is pressed and lights are lit or shutter is open. Less than 0.1 uA when idle.

Size: 6 x 3-5/8 x 3 " (152 x 92 x 76mm) WHD, measured, including protrusions, excluding cap or case.

Weight: My Electro 35 GSN, made in Hong Kong, measures 25.692 oz (728.4 g) with full-size alkaline battery, but no case, filters, caps or strap. Yashica specifies 26.4 oz (750 G) without battery, which is heavier than mine.

Made in: Japan, or later, Hong Kong. The lenses always say "Lens Made in Japan" even if the camera is made in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is discretely stamped on the bottom.

Monday, June 29, 2009

TAMING THE THOUGHTS OF TROUBLE

Ok.

I needed to be sure what really happened last Saturday afternoon. Although me and my car were safely home the very same day it suddenly went off, (was it the same day or the next morning?haha) the trouble seemed to float around in my head. Looking for other particles of thought to put a halt to this thinking, i decided to bring the car to Mang Crispin the mechanic to run a check for other possible causes of trouble.
So here's what he found out:

1. Ignition rotor is broken.



>>>> REPLACED

2. Fuel Filter needs to be replaced



>>> REPLACED

3. Front left wheel is out of concentricity.

>>> Wheel rotation. Front wheels to the rear and vice-versa.

-- FOR TEST DRIVE --

Sunday, June 28, 2009

FIRST TIME: DEAD ENGINE AT SLEX

Trouble does not travel in singularities.

When my scarred, dented and fuel-sucking corolla 92 clawed its way to Alabang one
Saturday afternoon, i thought it to be just another weekend of feel-good moments with my everdearest friends. We were off to barge in a horde of autobots and decepticons masquerading as humans all lined-up up for the Transformers 2 (Revenge of the Fallen) movie tickets.

My car always seem to have a slight nervous breakdown as i suspect an alien residing inside the monster. The alien forces inside are enough to tick the idiot trouble signals at the instrument panel. I've been accustomed to this on and off red light at the panel as i always blurt it out to a low idle rpm. The light usually goes off at the slightest engine rev, characterized by a growling sound from my muffler.


So clawing my way to intermittent traffic along SLEX, i didn't mind the flashing idiot light at my panel.

Accelerate.. stop.. red light on.. accelerate.. red light off..stop .. Accelerate.. stop.. red light on.. accelerate.. red light off..stop.. Until everything suddenly came to a halt.

The engine was dead.

Stepping on the brake pedal, I turned the key off the ignition. turned on the hazard lights.. pulled up the handbreak lever.. double-checked the stick-shift to neutral, and turned on the key iginition. The engine choked up, but i could sense any signs for the countinuous life of the engine. I turned on the key to ignition again while pumping the fuel, but to my utter dismay (and also to those at the vehicles at my back), the engine didn't come to life. I was sweating heavily, but told myself not to panic because there's nothing i could do. I was thinking of getting towed if the engine wouldn't really kick off but the Ninoy peso-bill in my wallet wouldn't even be enough to pay for the service.

My officemate Mike passed through me at the right side of the lane. Realizing it was me, (yep, it was really your kumare.hehe) he immediately called up to check what happened. "Na-overheat ba? May kuryente ba? Merong gas? Meron oil?.. and the question and answer went off for quite a minute until he said he can't pull off because he was also in the inner lane. While he was advising me of calling the PNCC for a tow service to which the contact numbers are stored inside his low-batt phone, three bleeps immediately sounded out and he went off. Empty batt.

I was sweating to death because it was the first time my car stood me off. Not that i am blaming the monster, of course, i am the owner, the controller, the driver and everything that should be in total control. I have forged a good relationship with my car and for as long as i can remember, i have taken the utmost care and concern for my everyday road companion. SO i have resolved, at that urgent moment, to blame the aliens who have clandestinely settled their troops inside my sweetie.

As minutes passed, another vehicle of acquaintance chanced to spot my vehicle bolted on the ground, flashing its yellow hazard lights. The Makati service van found its way to be still in front of my vehicle, and Jeff, the driver, got off to extend any help he could. At that moment, the engine seemed to have waken up from a slumber, and as i turned on the ignition key, it seemed to be tickled a bit. I gave way to Jeff at the driver's seat, he revved the engine back to life, revved harder and harder, reassuring the mechanism had commenced good enough for me to reach my destination.

The wheels rolled and the monster made its own way to Filinvest exit. I was driving with extreme nervousness as the idiot lights are again flashing on and off. I was crawling my way to the nearest mechanic i could get, and chanced upon the Total Gas Station at the West Gate. Stopped there and asked a gasoline boy for an available mechanic, who immediately responded as i parked in front of the service area.

I know i could have turn the knob to increase my idle rpm. But to let an automotive mechanic do it for me would shove away the nervousness i had. As i opened the hood and say hello to the engine, the mechanic laid his hands on my idle control knob. Too bad for me to support the nation of aliens inside. Tsk tsk.

The engine ran smoothly as i got off from the Gas station. (Of course, i paid the mechanic not only for doing something i could have done in less time, but also for springing some confidence that my engine would run smoothly and i could go home with no hazard. Thought i should have consulted a mental therapist also huh.)

I was able to reach ATC with no engine hazards in less than 5 minutes but got my car parked after 3 quarters of an hour. The autobots and decepticons had all the parking fully occupied.

Anyways, here are some things that i learned from the experience:
1. Store that f%$!^%#!#*! PNCC number in your phonebook. You'll never know when it'll come handy.
2. Don't travel empty-headed. I mean empty-handed. (Ehe :D) At least fill your pockets enough for the towing service just in case.
3. The idiot lights are there for their own reasons.
4. Trust yourself. If you know what to do just in case the engine goes off, just do it. For all you know, you may be .. well .. right. If you bang it off, it's your car anyway.
5. Relax. Never mind sweating to death. At least you're not in panic.

Mike called up again to check on my situation. He said he was the one in panic for me. He went his way to Filinvest exit instead of Sucat looking for some kind of help for me. So nice of you my kumpare.

Again, thanks a bunch Mike and Jeff.

And the aliens?

Oh, prepare your troops. I'll wipe your clan in no less time.

*big evil laugh*

BWAHAHAHAHA

Friday, June 26, 2009

if someone you loved disappeared from your life


I dunno when and where my dear sister friend Jellie gave me this note, but for the most years, (more or less a decade), it was posted on the right side wall of my bookshelf.

I know the answer to this very well. She knows too.

Miss you sis.




Wednesday, June 24, 2009

AFC LABOR DISPUTE

Whew.

What a week.

We've been on the verge of a labor dispute here in our company. With the impending strike mobilization, we all here are left hanging as to how we would be able to carry out the situation. For almost half a year, we've been fed by bitter complaints and recriminations between the rank and file union and the admin.

Videos of their mobilization had also been uploaded to the You Tube which stoked the fire of wrath of the admin. Hehe. Really, it's getting a bit scary day by day, as hundreds of security guards flock the ANI Road.. To date, there are 150 :D

Tension of opposites.

The admin gets more strict with the implementation of the rules and regulations and work procedures. The union members get hard-headed and refuse to work accordingly as each day passes.

Both sides waiting for the labor decision.

And while they are both waiting for each other to pounce on every opportunity, we are all left with the tremors and frights that at one point in time, we will get caught halfway between the two opposing camps.

And how hard could it be being locked-up inside the company for days? Or how difficult could it get inside with the Union's organized protest in the entrance gate itself?

So much worries here by now.

Hearsays, anytime from Saturday night till Monday at dawn, they would fire a strike. So by Monday, we all have to get ourselves ready for whatever situation would head start our week. Whew.

Back in my college days, I used to be very proactive in scrutinizing any management that are responsible for the mobilization of any union labor group. I was a very principled writer back then, and i always feel for those hungered workers that are being deprived of their rights. I joined rallies and cooperated with different labor groups as we share our common belief that there exist tyranny in our country, as reflected in the way our labor sectors run. But back then, i knew very little about labor, as my expenses were being subsidized by my uncle and father.

Now that i am employed, i do have at least a fraction of knowledge about labor laws added to my existing database. A union member myself, (we were all left with no choice as to join the staff/supervisory union or stand independent to the management) i have at least knew and experienced the advantages of being a member. But to say all unions have parallel way of thinking is a fallacy. Because we also act and think for logical ways where both sides could mutually benefit the existence of each other. We need work, they need staff, so we work hand-in-hand (if not most of the times agreeing to each others demands).

But then maybe, since i haven't got any idea what's going on with the minds of our rank and file union, they all deserve to exercise their rights. Since the labor dispute has been with the DOLE, let's just hope that should a rampage arise, all employees should be in the safest situation possible.

Oh God please help us.

PBA094p37prr

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

CERTIFIED COFFEE ADDICT


capacity: 16 fl oz / 473ml
effect: super hyper ultra electro active coffee addict

062209
Kimi and Kers got themselves their own starbucks tumbler while buying one for Eliwood. Hahaha. Mga impulsives! Adik na adik sa kape.


1. Ang takip ay hindi pwede itakip sa kaldero.
2. Mag ingat kapag mainit ang ilalagay Para mas maganda, ilayo ang mga bata.
3. Linisin ng nakabukas. Hugasan pagkasabon.
4. Siguruhin ang takip bagi inuman.
5. :nosebleed:
6. Huwag i-microwave. Hugasan ng kamay. Huwag patigasin.
7. Huwag lagyan ng sobra. Hindi ito lalagyan ng pepsi / coke.
8.Kung tumagas, pasensya. Nagkakamali din. Tao lamang. paumanhin. Sorry.





Sunday, June 21, 2009

WHITE FLOWERS



LOVELY DAY

June 21, 2009

Friday, June 19, 2009

SWEET MORNING





from Mr. Fukaya. 061909.

delicious!




Thursday, June 18, 2009

The grass is not, in fact, always greener on the other side of the fence

WANTED: ENGINEERS
LOCATION: MIDDLE EAST
GENDER: MALE

Why do the Arab countries only hire MALE ENGINEERS? Why do these gender-biased region limits the potential of social, political and economic growth with their negative impact on women's opportunities for economic advancement?

The scant employment opportunities for women have long stemmed from the patriarchal interpretations of the religious rulings and ideological concept of Islam that women should remain "jural minors" with their roles as wives, daughters, and mothers. The autonomous public life for a woman was outside the norm and was often perceived as a threat to their family's honor and reputation. Hmmmnnn... guys.. does this sound scary?


Well.. arguably, the girl power have come out in the open and the gender imbalance had been addressed, if not reduced. Though not in the Arab regions, increased rates of literacy and employment have changed attitudes and perceptions toward women. Society has moved toward egalitarian ideas and the reconstruction of modern life.

***********

Actually, it just really piss me off that most of my job listings in Jobstreet have always been like this.

I wish they had a gender filter or something, so i wouldn't get a face overran by dismay having received those job offers that require MALE engineers. But tell you, i could act and look just as they wished, a male engineer, just promise not to peek under those undies so as to see the real gender. haha.

Ooooppss... i know what runs in your cranky head

Don't blame me for insisting to thrive in this male-dominated world of mechanical engineering. My profession, i wear it proudly like a medal, but humbly like a reminder. Enough said.

But then again again again, who says the grass is greener in the Arab countries?

Definitely not Robert Fulghum.

"The grass is not, in fact, always greener on the other side of the fence. Fences have nothing to do with it. The grass is greenest where it is watered. When crossing over fences, carry water with you and tend the grass wherever you may be."
o
Robert Fulghum . It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It (1988)


Hehe. Ala lang. Just ranting and raving.

stuck in a bog

Sometimes i do believe in my capacity to make an astonishing mountain out of a molehill. haha. Or could it be the other way around? A molehill out of a mountain?

It depends on how you see me as a person.. as your friend.. as your.. special someone

Well, to tell you honestly, i do get cranky at the slightest provocations. Sometimes. If not most of the times. As if i always get myself stuck in a bog, as if premature senility had consumed the better of me. Uurrghhh. I do often suppressed an expletive before i groaned. hehe.

Well, the thing is, i sometimes can't understand the way things are goin' beyond my control. Or rather, i do not want to understand things as they are.


Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.

I love you as the plant that never blooms but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers



I love you as the plant that never blooms but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.
- Pablo Neruda

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

TRUE LOVE

Sobrang ganda nito.

Hays.

Pag-ibig nga naman.

**********



"In his third book, Uh-Oh, Fulghum shared some short and unconventional love stories from his own experience and casually suggested that if readers had their own tales to tell, he would love to hear them. True Love is the result of the incredible response he received. The stories, chosen by Fulghum to reflect the many faces of love, are amusing, sentimental and sometimes gritty. Fulghum’s proceeds from this book were donated to Habitat for Humanity, a love story in itself." Published 1997

*********

Where the hell can i get a copy of this?

I just listened to the audiobook posted by porpol on our symbianize. Whew. Sobrang ganda talaga. Gotta have mah own copy.


Tuesday, June 16, 2009

It's hard to pick where i left.

It's hard to pick where i left.

After that cute pink steering wheel, for the nth time, i didn't know where i had been.

Flipping through the pages of my organizer, i did have some ups and downs for the past few days. I've relished relationships and cried over some irreverent barbs.

Well, ganun talaga ang buhay.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

STEER ME PINK



love mah own pink steering wheel


center of attraction

I was a bit (yep, a bit ) hyped-up with my new baby that i almost forgot the existence of my other dinguses.

I haven't cleaned my sweetie car for the past two weeks due to the unpredictable weather condition shifts. I haven't patched those leaking windshield seals that brought discomfort to my rainy road trips. Never got my tire pressure checked for the past weeks also.

Haven't even had any set with my psp scrabble game. Haven't flipped through the next page of my Kinsella and Bob Ong books. Haven't even performed any tuning or defragmented my pc drives, nor have deleted unwanted files in my portable drives. Haven't charged the battery of my Sony Cybershot DSC w130.

Have i cleaned my room? Well, a bit.

It's like my world had revolved solely on that baby with a feeling of combination of relief and adrenaline sweeping through me.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

OUR BABY