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First Weekend Since...

I cannot remember. I haven't had a real weekend where I would just rest and relax -- I finally caught up with some movies, did some shopping, and got the chance to actually rest. I spent the long weekend which I was able to enjoy for the first time in a long time with family, friends, and alone sometimes. It's all good and I definitely look forward to having more of these weekends. Friday, I had lunch with the top 2 of the new company, and was enlightened as to how things came about. I got to get to know them a bit better and establish an open line of communication with them -- which is always a good thing. I also watched Casino Royale which is a definite must-watch for Bond fanatics and the uninitiated. Casino Royale and Daniel Craig actually made James Bond look like he's really human -- compared to all the other James Bond movies that have come out in the past. Saturday saw Brian Ross (my cousin's son) getting baptized in the catholic church. I am now Godfather Dean

Starting Anew

After a few months of going full-time with Orange and Bronze Software Labs, Ltd. Co. I've learned a lot of lessons I wouldn't otherwise have learned hadn't I jumped into O&B's mix. The people there are great, and I cannot ask for a more productive team to work with there. I certainly will miss these people as I work with another company now with whom I also share a vision and mission with. It's day 1 for me here at this new company (I will not mention which company this is until they get the website up and running) and I'm enjoying myself very much. The people are very nice, and the environment is very professional. This is a new environment for me and I definitely hope I can grow and learn more as I go along. If day 1 is an indication of anything, it's that there's a lot of work to get done, and exciting times ahead. I'm definitely looking forward to adventures and challenges that I know I will be facing in this new world I'm moving into, an

As simple as...

I've recently felt really distracted and out of the rhythm in work, in life, in sleep... However, I've just recently confirmed that it's as simple as turning the damned TV off. Now I'll get some sleep. CHill! I'll write more about the spending thingy, but I'd just like to summarize it with: what a disaster. More on this later.

Spending 101

It's really hard to stop spending. When you get started, it's like a disease. You don't stop until it hurts. It starts with a couple of books, then you go on to make bigger and bigger purchases, and you don't stop until it really hurts. And only when we've been burnt that we learn -- you don't know what hurts until you feel it. Now I mark the last day I keep spending. Starting tomorrow, I will track my spending and make sure I don't spend more than 100 pesos a day. That means I'll do my groceries during the start of the week and keep the food I eat per day under 100 pesos, stop eating the junk food, and start saving more money each month to put into an equity fund I already have money in. I vow to put in Php 1000 pesos a month to the equity fund. Starting Monday next week, I will only drink water, will take my daily vitamins, and eat at most 70 pesos per day (that's 20 pesos a meal plus 10 pesos for merienda). I'll put in 30 pesos a day for other

Non-Conformance Agreement

“ Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is —- his good, pleasing and perfect will. -- Romans 12:2 (New International Version) It's not easy not conforming to the pattern of the world. After all, we live in it. But making a commitment to try and follow God's will is -- and listening to Him everyday -- is definitely a challenge Christians face as long as we have faith. Nobody said walking with the Lord is easy. CHill!

Ark

Yesterday, dad and I went to service together at Victory Christian Fellowship in Fort Bonifacio and the pastor (I forgot his name) talked about Noah and the Ark which Noah was instructed to build. It said a lot about Noah, in his obedience to God whom he had faith in. I remember a time in my life where I was pretty much asked by the Lord to obey -- and when I did, I found out how the blessings abound. I used to listen to God by reading the word intently back then, but now I fell out of that habit. I want to change and get back into the groove and again walk with Him. I should get my schedules straightened out, spend my days in pursuit of His will and not mine, and to listen intently and obey what he asks me to do. I've missed listening to Him (you might be asking how I listen, and the answer is by reading his Word -- the Bible -- as a devotional, and it just makes sense as if He was speaking to me and telling me what to do). I miss the comfort in knowing that what I do is all for

Faith

(Heb 11:6) Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who diligently search for him. -- International Standard Version That's something for me to remember. CHill!

Commodity Computing

I have been mulling around with this idea: what if people didn't have to buy powerful computers but instead just buy a computer good enough that connects to a powerful time sharing system which can pretty much be located somewhere else in the world? Will the concept fly? What changes will it bring to the PC consumer industry? What will it mean to software vendors who target the end-user market? First off, let's consider the proposition: what if you can have your data hosted in a data center which has all the failover and redundancy technology you can only dream about, with bandwidth that you can only wish you could have, and with the most powerful computers you can only wish will fit in your pocket. Now what if you can do that for a recurring cost like how you pay for your electricity, water, bandwidth? Personal computers are getting cheaper and cheaper, and it would certainly be very easy for some well-off companies/individuals to set up a cluster of computers from these perso

Full Circle

It's been a wild an wacky ride. I've gone through a lot, but now I think I'm a bit wiser than I was a couple of years ago. I realize now that what brought be to where I am now is the same stuff that took me out from where I once was: Faith. I have been very negligent lately, I haven't been able to fulfill a part of my life which was once so fruitful and so full. I have neglected a root which had started to grow in me and I fear that I have slid back to my old habits -- abandoning the path I once held so close to heart. I've pretty much forgot that if He willed it then it shall be -- and that I'm just a small part of the world he has made for everyone. I know I will be playing a part in this grand scheme of things but at the same time I'm reminded how insignificant I am alone . Without acknowledging He who has created me -- and who conceived me before I even existed -- I am reminded that I alone cannot accomplish what I want to accomplish. I'm going back

Remembering

(Pro 3:5) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (Pro 3:6) In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Two of my favorite verses. CHill...

Domain

After a conversation with Clair , I came to think about getting my own domain name for my other blog which is very centered on a simple topic: C++. I thought, if I will get a domain name and hosting services, I'd like to be able to make money out of it too somehow. Clair and I bounced some ideas around, and we came up with the following Sell some sort of service -- perhaps a newsletter, with content specifically targeted for C++ hobbyists, programmers, and user submitted content. Mugs! Soup Bowls! -- Great Idea Clair! Pens Shirts Recipes? Code snippets, articles, techniques, etc. Now to get people on board to actually help me out on this is another thing. I'm not a web design guru, and I don't pretend to be one. But I think investing time into blogging makes me want to write _and_ make money out of it somehow. I don't expect it to make me loads and loads of money, just enough to help me pay for the domain and hosting -- and maybe to help me have incredibly expensive co

Money

This PCIJ article about the Philippines no longer being a "Third World Country" and is now a "Second World Country" according to the President is indeed interesting. I know the economy is steadily growing and that income per capita is higher than three years go. However, I don't see how that makes the Philippines "Second World" or better yet "better than before". We all know that in the Philppines, there is the top 10% (or even less) which makes in insane amount of money. Much like in other capitalist countries (and some socialist like Singapore). The majority of the middle class (comprising around 30-40%) pay the most taxes yet don't get the decent government services that they (_we_) deserve. The rest though, are living below the "acceptable level of living" or what they want to call the "poverty line". Let's do a little math: 10% -- Higher Class :: The Taipans, Tycoons, Moguls, and Big Boss Men/Women 40% -- Mid

Ordeal

In my whole life, I've only gone through 2 major catastrophies here in the Philippines. One is the Mt. Pinatubo Explosion, the other is Super Typhoon Rosing. The first catastrophy led to the death and loss of thousands, the next the devastation of even more. I experienced having to take in the fact that ash had fallen in Laguna, easily 400 kilometers away from the volcano and seeing the trees sway real hard due to the insane rain and winds of Rosing. I felt how hard it was in the provinces, because basically everything was under the mercy of the elements there -- not too many big buildings to get into, the houses were all small and looked flimsy. Even if our ancestral house there was commendable for being sturdy, everything else around seemed at the mercy of mother nature. Now however, the latest Super Typhoon to hit the Philippines hit hard while I'm safe and under the protection of a huge building. Sure, electricity service went out, but I didn't feel as vulnerable as I f

Zome

I was bored to wit's end, and nothing was good on Cable TV so I Googled around for videos to watch and I stumbled opon this . Let me quote the description for everyone's amuzement: Paul Hildebrandt founded Zometool Inc. with co-inventor Marc Pelletier in 1985. He organized the Zome ... all » team, raised capital and coordinated research and development of prototype tooling, production systems, packaging and collateral material, and continues as president and board chairman. [...] Nearly 60 years after the first electronic digital computer was designed at the Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), companies like Google are demonstrating the power of a world built from 1s and 0s. Zome is a system that models the world built from the numbers 2, 3 and 5. We will explore how these numbers are knotted together to form the structure of space, from the subatomic framework of the atom, to the geometry of life, to a recently proposed “shape” of the universe! Cool stuff! CHill!

IP-Theft?

The Cambrian House is an Intellectual Property Theft organization. Or what you call someone who leverages over someone else's idea and runs away with it. This seems like a cool concept, until you run into issues like Big Company A, B, and C creating stuff that was picked up from an idea someone else (not necessarily in their employ) posted on a public site. Maybe this will help the Open Source movement a lot, but then it might open the door for opportunistic monetization of non-original ideas. This also opens the door for casual Non-Disclosure Agreement breaking disclosures with the anonymity of the web. At any rate, it's a good idea nonetheless. I'm not even sure if it's going to fly, but it might be something to look out for in the near future. CHill...

Expectation

How do you gauge a person's expectations of you? Do you ask them out loud or can you deduce that from the way they treat you? When you meet someone's expectations is that a good thing or a bad thing? Is it a good thing because you can meet someone's expectations so that the person can keep expecting that much or even more from you? Or is it a bad thing that you can't perform up to someone else's standards? It's just so frustrating that when you do whatever is required of you and you deliver -- on time, within budget, and within scope -- and then your efforts become 'played down' because of external factors you cannot control. I'm not after the appreciation or anything even related to that -- I'm just after the "justice" of it all. It's like building the bridge well and get blamed because the truck broke down. I think I just need to sleep. A lot. CHill...

PayPal

R&R

My nephew turned 1 September 10th 2006. I am starting to love kids again, and hope I can be more of an influence to them as they grow older. Come to think of it, I want to be able to have my own kids too: seeing how fulfilled my cousins and sister are having to care for their children. I've gotten the chance again (for the second straight weekend) to rest and relax in Laguna. I've had a lot of stories to share with family, that it really feels good to be around them. I never thought how important family time really is, until I get to spend less and less time with them. Here I come week, I'm now armed with Solmux and Sinutab to fight off the sniffles and the cough for the next three days. Oh, and I want to go back to swimming again: maybe 2 kilometer swims at Makati Sports Club everyday? That should get me in shape quick... CHill!

Relapse

I have the sniffles again. The bad thing about feeling better, is that you get reminded how bad it feels when it happens again . So now I can't talk right without sounding like I'm in a barrel. Anyway, it's 2:45 am here at the office and I feel like I want to go home in a while -- but won't yet because I need to do something still for the project we're currently working on: so that I have something to show to the team as a reference later today. I feel as though I would like to work in an environment where the distractions are very little, but I want to work with the team around me. This might be an impossible situation at the moment, especially since the new office isn't ready yet and everybody still works and meets in the office. I'm not complaining, but I'd like to be able to work continuously on something while the distractions are compartmentalized somewhere. After all, I have sworn to just require the team 8 hours worth of productive work in a day.

Cool

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8563384677838829514&sourceid=docidfeed&hl=en That is about Cold Energy. It's a bit long, and I don't think this is a hoax... I sure hope it's not... So this is "The Free Energy Secrets of Cold Electricity by Peter A. Lindeman". From te Google Video writeup: In the 1970's, inventor Edwin Gray developed an electric automobile engine that produced 80 horsepower and recharged its own batteries. It ... all » ran on what he called "cold electricity." This amazing technology remained shrouded in mystery until September 2000. This 3 part video is the complete technical lecture given by Dr. Lindemann at that time. In it, he explains exactly how Ed Gray's system works, how he produced "cold electricity" and how that relates to Nikola Tesla's earlier discovery of "Radiant Energy". Using 50 slides of articles, patents, photos, and circuit diagrams, Dr. Lindemann documents his research

Booze

Please remind me to not drink too much Scotch again. The effects are similar to sticking in the "truth solution" into my veins, and I start talking until I can't do anything about it. Then I throw up, the world starts spinning, and usually the stories right after the ordeal just become distant bleeps of history that I have a hard time remembering. Of course, the great part is having fun and getting drunk with friends -- the same friends that I hung out at the Red Box with on my birthday. It's such a great birthday bash that Cedric threw that I'm not going to forget that anytime soon. If you're reading this man, happy birthday! I also got to meet a friend's boyfriend who is so cool, I would be honored to call him "pare" when they ger married and have children in the future. Cheers to Deo, and congratulations doc, you got me drunk -- anybody who can do that is certainly worth my time. Overall, I had a great weekend. And the sniffles are gone, so I

World Domination?

This is a bit dated article, but this highlights one of the two things I'm really interested in: innovation and challenges. Jingle uses the same Jabber protocol between clients for voice that it does for IM. With Jingle, the actual content of the call, the media stream , travels directly between GoogleTalk end points. The signaling used to setup and control the call travels across the Jabber infrastructure. So as those Jabber servers federate with Google for IM, they implicitly create a federated framework for carrying VoIP calls as well. I've been mulling around the idea of writing an XMPP application server talking with Butch about the possibilities. One thing that came up is voice, and I can definitely see Voice and IM converging with Google 's Jingle . Looking forward to actually getting that server to work... CHill...

LinkedIn

http://www.linkedin.com/ I got this link from Sacha Chua 's blog, where she compared OpenBC and this particular tool. I like this one better, but I might just get an OpenBC account too soon. Right now, I'm still woozy with a headache, an empty stomach, and a couple of other things that's weighing me down. I hope I can blog about a major disappointment, but I guess I just need to keep that to myself. Link me up! Click here . CHill...

Drugs

Last night, I really had a bad headache and a bad case of swollen sinuses. Yes, you can feel that -- after having to deal with this phenomenon for the past 10 years of my life, I now distinctly know how a swollen sinus feels. So there are prescribed medications that can be bought over the counter in your local pharmacy and it just so happened I have a stock of Sinutab Extra Strength. So last night, after a hearty meal delivered right at my doorstep, I decided to take one capsule of the stuff. Then after a while I felt woozy and I think I fell asleep. Waking up with a bad headache again, I took another capsule. Bad Idea . I was so drugged up after the second capsule took effect that when I took myself straight to bed I didn't wake up for another 10 hours. Now I'm awake, well rested and all, but my sinuses are swollen again. Good thing there's only 1 capsule left. CHill...

Flames

Why do I almost always get into flame wars? Or why do I have this "affinity" towards arguing with someone who doesn't make sense, or makes sense but has an attitude? It must say a lot about my personality, and I hope I can understand myself more. Perhaps I can control this, but everytime I try, there's flamebait waiting for me to bite into. And almost always, I get into an email exchange on a public list arguing about technical issues (and not so technical issues) while keeping myself amused and on-topic. Perhaps I never really got over the debating days in high school... CHill! (yeah, I should...)

Beta!

I don't think I'm the first one to notice, but I'm looking at Blogger Beta and it's oh so sweet. Imagine the ease of using Google Pages integrated with Blogger's user interface, and you get something cool. As a lot of my friends know I've put up Mikhail Online 2.0 in Multiply , now I'm thinking of getting 2.x out in CoreBlog (or something similar, like Wordpress ) -- but I'm seeing Blogger Beta and I've already tried out Mikhail Online 3.0 there. Can't wait!!! CHill!

Moment

Just when you thought you felt better about things, you get disappointed. I thought I was getting better from the sniffles, but unfortunately it feels worse today. I woke up with my head hurting and my sinuses swollen. I now need to take my meds. Often we feel like there are moments where things feel right and that things are just the way we want them. However sometimes there are moments when everything falls apart, your plans get ruined, and you end up with a feeling of despair. I often find myself in moments where I am not at my best, but need to perform -- and in these moments, oddly enough I deliver still (even though I don't feel 100%). Oh well, I just have to be thankful that He is looking out for everyone. CHill...

Remedies

Do you remember the usual household remedies that your parents used to recommend when you had the sniffles, or the cough, or even a slight fever? They sometimes work not because they really do, but because you just think that they will work and your mind takes over. I've recently tried an experiment where I didn't do anything (well, didn't go out of my condo unit and didn't do anything aside from go online and maybe play a few hours of Neverwinter Nights both offline and online) and just let the sniffles pass. They said rest does wonders to one's body, and I suppose it's true -- or I made it true because I wanted it to be true. So there, mind over body. The sniffles are still there, but I feel a lot better now. CHill...

Sniffles

The rain is catching up with me. And it's just in time really, when all the work that needs to get done is already done, I can afford myself to get the sniffles. I can't breathe right through my nose right now, and sleeping the whole day is alright with me. Thank goodness all the work that needs to get done has already been done. I know I should take some rest, but now I can do that. Of course, I still have a few things to take care of (like laundry, the bills, etc.) but I can do them within the week. Today, I want to rest and that's what I will do -- lest someone requires me to be somewhere and do something, then the sniffles would have to take a back seat. CHill...

Play

I've given in to the urge of actually playing games on my laptop. I've been postponing it for a while already, and finally when my cousin asked me to buy him a game from DataBlitz, I couldn't say no. Now I've installed Neverwinter Nights (NWN) the original campaign, the two expansions, and the special modules for hours upon hours of gameplay. I think this is the only game that was ever worth my money -- every other game out there doesn't really make me want to get up and actually play more than a couple of hours. What can I say, I'm a sucker for Role Playing Games. CHill...

Hot

Okay, so this is the second post of the day. I might just like doing this a lot more than the once a day thing, and I plan on doing more of this. I've jost noticed something about my lady friends: they're all genuinely hot. Acquiantance, friend from college, friend from high school, friend from elementary, friend of a friend... And yet I am alone, single, and generally witty. Why do I attract hot friends and not have a hot girlfriend? Is there something wrong with me? Or is it just because I'm just a better friend than a boyfriend? I think about it another way: I have a better standard now that I have a lot of hot lady friends -- so the next girlfriend should generally be hotter than the hot lady friends I have. Sounds twisted? I know... I just can't help but think why the hot ladies like me as a friend -- not that I mind -- but not as a boyfriend. Maybe I should get "hot" and in shape too. What do you think? CHill...

New Look

I am posting at 12:37 am here at my rented condo unit here in Makati, and I've just changed the look of this blog. I've been contemplating on cleaning it up, and removing the bells and whistles and focusing on the content that I put on this blog. I've gone through many phases, but now I think I should be more focused about what's really important to me -- which is being the best person I can be for myself, my family, my friends, and my community. I feel that I have so much more to offer than just a neat looking blog, but that I can contribute a lot more by creating quality content. So I start fresh -- a new look, and removing all the non-essential stuff for delivering the content that I want my friends and other readers to be able to focus on. But the tag line doesn't change. CHill...

Picking It Up Again

I am resolving to make this blogging thing a daily affair again -- and I'm looking forward to a revamp of the look and feel. I am starting to also contemplate on actually maintaining a separate blog for the professional endeavors, and my life. I would like to think that is a wise choice, and so I am starting by writing a blog entry about one particular thing everyday. I find that I can be a lot productive early in the day, say around 8/9 am in the morning when I wake up and feel fresh (unless I had a hard time sleeping) -- and now it's 2 PM on a friday here in the Philippines and I've yet to do anything work related (aside from answering the business related email and the phone calls that go through every other day). At any rate, I'm going to begin documenting my life more and my insights and start picking up the habit again which has helped me a lot the past few years. I certainly hope to start writing about me here, and baring the more interesting things I like to wri

The Pool

The pool. After a great evening with a handfull of friends and family, with lots and lots of booze and songs, I just can't help but post the pic of what the people who couldn't join missed... Somehow I think, getting older seems better.  CHill!

Outside the Red Box

How much luckier can I get? Three of them, one of me? I just love my friends -- they make me look good even if I don't deserve it sometimes. ;)  CHill!
Cake! 

+1 For Me

I am 1 year older today -- and I must say, it's been a long ways away from where I was last year. Last year I was living with my cousin and a couple of housemates -- now I'm alone in a rented unit here in Makati. Last year I was having issues with being lost, now I'm enjoying the fact that I've seen the light -- and try to do my best and live a Christian life. Issues I was dealing with last year were different but there's one recurring issue that I see myself dealing with for the next few years: a lifelong partner. See, I never really thought about it, but now I miss being cared for and caring for someone. I've had my fun yes, and a great relationship with someone I can relate to recently -- but I don't want to spend my days alone and not be able to feel how my father felt when I was born and while I continue growing and getting older. I want to feel what it feels like to stand in front of a crowd and profess my undying love for someone too. Yeah yeah, here&

Yahoo! VoIP

It's been a while, and I've been busy calling up relatives and friends in the US using Yahoo!'s amazing _cheap_ VoIP offering -- you can get your own from http://voice.yahoo.com/ and no, they didn't pay me (yet) to tell everyone about their latest offering. If Google gave me that option, I would have taken that route instead... But I guess Yahoo! has a lot more connections in different industries to make these things happen quicker and cheaper. You wanna be phone pals and you're in the US? Email me so that we can exchange numbers. CHill!

Why PLDT Should Think...

Warning: If you're a PLDT fan, I suggest you stop reading now . The Philippine Long Distance Telephone company which provides mediocre fixed line services fails horribly in customer relations and customer friendliness. Here's why: Day 1 -- I call and ask about my DSL installation schedule. A week had already passed, and they had given me a week to get DSL installed in the unit I am renting. Aside from the fact that it took quite a while for them to process my fixed line application (for voice service), I had to ask them what was going on with the DSL application. I get the standard line: "Sir, we can't commit a date but please expect it during the week..." -- so I say okay, let's give them another week. Day 2 -- I call them up again ( dialed 141 - 4 - 4 ) to follow up, and get the same response. Same old sh*t I say, but remain patient on the line with the customer support agent. Day 3 -- I call them up again, but this time I'm asking them to please exp

Dialup at Home

Here's something new: after having fun with WiFi and broadband at the offices, I am now giving this new notebook a try on dialup. Oh, the new notebook is an Acer TravelMate 3280 -- and I'm absolutely having fun with it. Not really too much of a head turner, but it has a dual core Intel processor, and I'm having a ball with it. Now, I just got myself a prepaid internet card (and it's pretty cheap, considering that it's worth P100 for 20 hours) and this provider (ISP Bonanza) doesn't allow me to directly send email using SMTP -- but it does allow me to access my mail via IMAP, so that should be enough. And now, I'm having fun watching Discovery Travel & Living, in my air conditioned living room, and blogging on Dialup. Ah, the life... CHill!

Starbucks Anyone?

I just wanted to try it, and it sure is fun blogging from Starbucks PeopleSupport center here in Makati. It really is something else, this WiFi thing, I never thought it would be as liberating as this. Looking at the people chit-chatting, and sipping my Venti Mocha Frapuccino, blogging and then wondering where have I been the past few years when this craze started happening? Now t's just really... different. Computing in the middle of a crowd, without having to worry about wires and stuff... I need to get used to this. :) CHill!

Update

I didn't think people still went to my site, granted that I haven't been updating that often. It's been a couple of months though I've been actively updating (relatively) my technology blog ( http://3w-agility.blogspot.com/ ). I'm currently working a lot (actually too much) during both the day and the night. Please keep coming back for updates, and keep dropping lines on the quickie box. CHill...

Moving

I've just settled (somewhat) into my new home here in the city of Makati. Moved everything (well almost) from Alabang, to here... And now I need to get a routine going, which will allow me to grow and be my own self in this imposing and wicked city. Though I've always wanted to know how it is to live in this city, a couple hours here gives me the feeling that I will like living in this place. Not because of everything else, but because here I can start over (which I've been doing a lot) and do it better this time. I'm in a computer shop at the foot of this building I live in now, where I have a place -- to where I have to ride an elevator to reach. It feels so different from what I've been used to, and I couldn't really feel too cozy yet in my new home -- but I know I'll find a way, just like I've found a way in other places I've lived in. Of course, this is with God's grace, and his guidance, I shall be the person He molded me to be. CHill...

Fame

What do you do when you meet someone famous? Or what do you say when you actually get into an extended conversation over dinner with one? Well, I didn't know but I can tell you that Butch and I met the "world famous" Filipino Boost C++ Library active contributor by the name of Joel de Guzman -- he's part of the prestigious Boost Consulting Group with no less than Dave Abrahams . If you're into C++, you should know Boost -- and when you get to know Boost, you're going to have to know these people. I never thought talking about C++ (higher level stuff at that, template metaprogramming, library development, compile time voodoo) along with politics, life, and writing (and whether we should leave the Philippines or stay) was even possible. Hopping from topic to topic from his projects in the Boost C++ Library to GMA to possible collaborations really made my day yesterday. Of course, aside from all the other stuff that made my half day in Makati a great, exciting

Bored

I am alone here at Netopia in Alabang Town Center, and I don't have anything better to do between now and 10:45 pm -- which is when the movie I'm about to watch is going to start. I'm waiting for time, and trying to kill it off as I listen to launchcast, and post on my blog. I am wishing I had something better to do with someone, but right now I don't mind spending some alone time. For one, I am able to post on my blog in a public place. I like the anonymity, and I cherish these moments that I am anonymous, where I can be the person that I am. I want to be in a place where nobody knows my name, and where people don't mind me minding my own business. That is, only once in a while. My Y!M contact list is almost never empty, and I'd very much like a conversation right now as I kill time. I might try playing a game before I go grab some dinner. Or hook up with some friends from the area, or just go home watch TV until 10:45. It's getting a little more boring by

Thesis

I am currently in the middle of downloading and printing resources which I will later be reading and citing for my thesis manuscript. For some reason I felt a sudden spark of motivation to actually work on and finish this manuscript tonight, or early morning tomorrow so that I can print it and submit the draft to my adviser. It feels so right, and now I don't feel encumbered by a lot of things happening around me (yet). I just hope this feeling and drive lasts me until the day breaks. CHill...

Lack & Abundance

When do you know you've had enough? When do you know when you haven't had enough? How much is enough anyway? Are you willing to settle for enough? And when you've had enough, what do you do? I think I want to do more, but I don't know what else to do aside from the following: 1) Love the Lord and serve him by doing the best I can do whenever, wherever, whatever. 2) Be a blessing to others by blessing them with whatever I can give. 3) Working on things that I really want to work on, with the people I want to work with, and with the tools I currently have. 4) Learn more so that I can be a better blessing to others though the knowledge I gain and the knowledge I share. Maybe I've been doing too much but I still feel that I can still do some more. Maybe the Lord is just grooming me for bigger and better things to come, but I certainly am thankful for whatever I have and do have now. I want to be able to play a bigger part of something -- something that the Lord has will

Wishlist

I now have a new list of "wanna haves" -- purely items that would make my life a wee bit better to live. Not that I need a lot more than I already do, but like I said, these are "wanna haves". Would be great if some others could 1) point me to where I can get them (in the Philippines) 2) give me one of these or 3) give me ALL of these ;) Here goes the (short) list: 1) Leather bound NIV Bible Study Guide 2) Relient K's Mmhmm 3) Tree86's Answer to the Question 4) Treo 650 5) A G2000 GC worth at least one blazer ;) There are other things that are catching my attention right now, and all this (non)sleeping is sometimes already getting to me. Do you know the feeling of digging down deep and tapping already into your "super sayan" reserves? That happens when you're enjoying yourself working on a pet project for more than 24 hours -- then sleeping the whole day after. Thanks to my officemates (Pabz and Crisitan) for keeping up with the code (and bug)

Whole Story

When people don't know the whole story, they assume. They take the side that they heard, which is almost always not the whole story -- or just assume that they know one side, and just stick with it. One minute you're cordial with a person, the next (when they think they know what happened) that person's a total (judging) stranger. Perhaps we cannot take away the judging nature of people we really do not know as friends. Even if they're our friends, we can't stop them from judging you for who they think you are. And when strangers start looking at you and judging you for who they perceive you to be, then you've got yourself something hard to lose -- a reputation. It's not easy reinventing yourself -- and even if you become successful in doing so, it's harder to shed a reputation than your clothes while you're on stage delivering a speech. When people think you're a bad person, it's hard convincing them that you're not even if you try reall

Single

I am. Yup, I am single. Not taken, not engaged, not married, and certainly available. But that's not the point of this post. The point of this post is my commitment to staying single until the Lord gives me the spouse He meant for me. And until that time, I shall be patient and do whatever the Lord asks me to do, be thankful for everything that's gone my way, and everything that's still going to come my way. I'd like to thank everyone who's been supportive in this time of transition, and especially to Yannie for understanding. I hope everything goes well in her life, and that she will remember me as the person who tried to get her started with her walk with the Lord. I'm actually just sneaking this in, and the schedule and deadlines aren't moving farther, so I better get to working. CHill...