Jameson

It was about 3 months ago when good buddy Edesel made his annual announcement of gathering the gang for his August birthday party/jamming. To be honest, I am always stressed by this as it requires us to study a number of songs to play in time for August.

Now this should be easy to do ---if I had the time. It was difficult to juggle this between family, work, and run/bike training so I had to fit it during the only free time I had left: lunch breaks and late nights.

I prepared for the inevitable list of Beatles/Metallica/Megadeth songs (Paul McCartney was a bad ass in his bass playing, mind you) but I was surprised/glad that Edesel toned it down this year with Eraserheads, Nirvana, and a TheCure song ("Just Like Heaven") which eased me up a bit (a couple of Beatles songs were still in the mix so that's still a challenge).

I concentrated on the EHeads and Nirvana songs during my free time with the hope that the Beatles songs won't be played (it would depend on John, another member of the band who loves Beatles songs, if he will be able to come. The Beatles set list will be scrapped if he didn't).

I relied heavily on ultimate-guitar.com (good thing we have this these days vs tablature printouts of old), and a mini-amp I bought from Lazada.com to spice up the practicing.

By the time we jammed a week before the party, I was ready ---except for the Beatles songs which I HAVEN'T started any of it yet. 😆

We played well at the studio in BF, thanks to a bottle of Jameson which Marlon, one of our drummers, brought in much to the (drunken) delight of Pedro, our other drummer. Hahaha...


D- DAY

To cap it all off, last night was a success for everyone. I only felt a tinge of nervousness as it was only a small crowd (roughly 30-40) attending the party but they applauded our music playing nonetheless.

Adding to the confidence was that John (unfortunate for him but fortunate for me) was MIA, which meant no Beatles songs for that night. Whew!

I enjoyed playing live tbh and I hope to do it again ---but not anytime soon as I would like to have my free time back. 😆


HANDOVER

As a post note to this, Lucas my eldest, now 12, decided with his friends who attended the party to play Mundo by IV of Spades then and there. He got my bass guitar and was able to play the 2-chord song (he said it was only 2 chords so it was supposed to be a synch until the latter part when he discovered there were more chords there hahaha) along with his friends ---not perfectly but with confidence of a real band. Hehehe...

I guess this would be a good time to teach him to play the bass, as this'll be a good time to pass him the torch for future parties and jammings to come.

Missing Japan

Spending my lunch break in solitude is one I long for the most. Yes I would also go out with officemates but I am not the type of person who longs for lunch companions in the office as a priority. Don't worry, I am COMPLETELY alright with the peace and quiet.

I get to choose where I want to eat ---except when the missus requires that I bring packed diet food for lunch (which is almost everyday). She has lost a lot of weight with a good combo of gym zumba and body combat classes, and a healthy dose of delivery diet food.

The packed lunch is a double whammy to me since (1) I don't get to eat what I want, and (2) I am forced to eat brown rice with fish (it is rare that I get pork or beef or chicken since the missus has first dibs the night before when the food gets delivered. I may have to do some ninja moves one time so that I get to switch packed meals to my favor. Even so, it's still with brown rice. #sadface).

Still, I get to walk around busy Ayala for a Starbucks fix. I have trained myself to take coffee without sugar thanks to their Cold Brew offering. Of course, I order it with a dark macadamia cookie on the side ---warmed--- to complete my post (brown rice) lunch compensator.

So I was having my Starbucks fix sitted in a comfy 4 chair low cushioned chair with a small square center table that is typical Starbucks when 4 Japanese (I assumed they were Japanese due to small Niponggo-like phrases) businessmen with one of their Filipino counterpart in suits entered the cafe. The place was full so finding a seat was a problem.

I tried not to look, but then I just automatically rose up and offered them my table. I was on my lonesome anyway so the stools by the window is ok for me, I thought. The Japanese men, as I quietly predicted, bowed and repeatedly thanked this wannabe millenial for the gesture.

It is their continous gratitude to me that made me thank myself in return. You see, long before this encounter, I have sorely missed Japan since our last trip in 2016. The kindness and discipline of the people there just left a mark on me that cannot be removed. Even when the missus insists that we try other countries for our family trip, I would still vote for Japan which of course does not win with the missus. Korea first, she said, to add to the list of countries in our passport (as if these were Starbucks stamps for the ever awaited planner).

Sigh, I guess the longing for kindness (and gratitude!) itself in the everyday hussle and bustle in Manila has reached a tipping point for me.

And only going back to Japan can bring it back to its proper balance.

Upgraded from an iPhone 6 to a Samsung S8 Plus

photo grabbed from assets.mspcdn.net

I've had my trusty iPhone 6 for almost 2 years now and it has served me well. Unfortunately, the GPS (and WiFi) has been acting up very frequently ever since I upgraded my iOS to 11.2.

The GPS specifically, has stopped working entirely in my Waze app ---which I use almost every day when I drive from/to work. I have somehow lost the advantage that Waze gives me for a shorter trip from/to work because of this. I have confirmed that the GPS is not working at all even when I switched to Google Maps.

The phone's WiFi radio(?) seems to have taken a hit as well. Our home router is just at the next room and the phone is attaching erratically to the WiFi signal. Hence, a very bad internet experience just before I sleep, wanting to catch up on my social media feeds before the day ends.

I browsed the net and even went to my friendly mobile-phone repairman but it seems that only a factory reset is a (possible) solution. However, I just found the issue to be a good chance for me to upgrade to a new phone.

And so, I bought a Samsung S8 Plus. (grin)

photo grabbed from cnet.com

I didn't consider an iPhone 8 or iPhone X as I got too traumatized by the iOS 11.2 upgrade. Maybe the GPS/WiFi issue I encountered could be inherited by those higher models, I feared. Plus, the S8+ was a cheaper option that I found online by about 30%.

So, almost two days onto using my new S8+ and it's world's apart from my iPhone 6. Ideally, it would be best to compare the S8+ with the iPhone 8 or 8+ which should be a better match up. But I'm coming from an iPhone 6 so what follows below is based entirely on MY personal experience between the two phones:

The S8+ trumped the iPhone 6 big time although I am missing the Apple podcast app dearly. Except for that, the S8+ looks to be a phone that I could be using for quite a long while. I highly recommend it. :)

But then, the Samsung S9 is coming 2018 Q1.

(wink)

Ball Is Life

I still find it surreal that I'm playing real basketball with Lucas, my eldest son turning 11 this month, at our small makeshift half court at home. Matteo, now 8, also plays but not as intense and as dedicated as Lucas (he plays hours in the afternoon and waits for me in the evenings to play 1on1).

At the missus' friend's house a few weeks ago. Our court at home doesn't look better, hehe.

The missus and I bought a standard sized hoopset (with matching NBA logo) at one of the sports stores in Robinsons Magnolia last Christmas. It was our gift for them then, in the hopes that maybe they could be the next Teng brothers sensation in La Salle in the future. ;-) I set the height of the ring as standard as possible ---maybe a difference of 6 or so inches from the standard height. But it serves it's purpose as the boys make full use of it, especially Lucas.

Last night's 1on1 game against Lucas was typical as in any other night we played. It was preceded by a 2vs1 game wherein Matteo and I teamed up, beating him handsomely (as usual).

Onto the 1on1 game, it was as competitive as before, with me trying my best to emulate Kobe's turnaround shot and step back jumpers. I may have slightly went overboard on the taunts as the shots went in ("swoosh!") but Lucas didn't seem to mind....

...until he was getting crushed on the score line.

The game ended at 10-5 or 10-7 I think, with me winning the game. By the time I went off to rest, I saw Lucas about to cry but, like a man, tried his best to keep it to himself as he practiced his shots.

I challenged him to a recovery game of 21 which he obliged. He whispered to me "[Give me] no pity."

Again, I beat him (21-17). He grabbed the ball and was dribbling and shooting to recover. But this time the disappointment of his 3 game loss was more obvious, with Lucas almost about to pour his eyes out with matching hikbi.

I talked to him on how he should approach this setback, that he should man up, that it's just a game, and that there'll be a winner and loser in every game. I forgot the other phrases that I said, but I hope he got what I was driving at. The missus talked to him for a few minutes too when I left.

As a parent it is automatic that we should give all the best that our children should have. They are our most precious blessings and as such, we want to make sure they get everything ---including winning. But in basketball, I will NOT go easy on him for this is the only way he'll learn and improve. In basketball and in life, nothing is fair. He must learn to accept that. If I always set myself to lose, he won't be able to cope out there when the going gets really tough.

Just like how Michael Jordan's brother would beat him in their backyard games, I will take that role (with a heavy heart) of beating Lucas in basketball for this'll be the only way that he will try to find a way to beat me.....and perhaps become one of the best basketball players EVER to carry the Punsalan name on his jersey.

Lucas, if you find this post later on, know that I want you and Matteo to be the best that you can be ---whatever you want to pursue in life. Don't give a damn on what other people say ---especially if you lose. Just pick yourself up, get back into the game, and do your hardest (and smartest) to win!

Hell Week

Feb 13-19, 2017 will go down in my book as one of the worst weeks that will ever happen in my life.

Monday

Driving to work, I hit another car as I was turning left from Gil Puyat to Tordesillas. The opposing driver immediately called to my attention that I was on the 3rd lane trying to make a left. I quickly proposed to settle it without the need of going to the traffic bureau as his car only had a minor scratch on the front bumper. Paid the amount of P2,500.00 the next day.

Wednesday

Dad suffered a mild stroke after hours of driving between Paranaque and Ortigas. He was slurring heavily on the other end of the call and started making his usual habilins so I decided to drive from my Makati office to their house in Paranaque. He would normally resist invitations to take him to the hospital since he regularly encounters such episodes but this time he felt that this was different. He had loss of balance, his right arm felt numb, aside from the slurring thus we rushed immediately to Makati Med.

The ER tests confirmed what we suspected: acute stroke. There was a clot in his brain, detected by the MRI which, fortunately, can be treated thru medicine. He was released from the hospital last Sunday ---not after daily sermons from his cardiologist to change his obese lifestyle.

Thursday

After visiting Dad with the missus, we were hit from behind by a Grab driver who quickly admitted that he was not focused on the car in front which was me. The car in front of me made a stop so I did the same. Unfortunately, Mr. Grab driver didn't and slightly crumpled the back of our Mazda.

Body repair costs P7,000.00 which he was able to pay last Sunday but will take 2-3 days to repair. This'll mean Uber rides for me to and from the office for the mean time.

Friday

After parking the missus' car in the gym to get the vital parking space due to high-demand of Zumba Titas for popular (and fortunately gay) instructors, I did my usual run around the neighborhood. After about 3+ kms of running, I realized that my shorts' back pocket had a hole and that my LTO license was missing. I ran an extra 2kms on my usual 6k run to trace my steps but couldn't find it. I went home and grabbed my road bike to do another sweep. Fortunately, with the help of our newspaper boy slash weekend roadbike warrior, it was found in a wet spot in the corner where he and his boy were resting after a day's delivery of newspapers.


If you look into all the mishaps that happened, you can see that there was always a happy ending to it. The two car accidents were settled amicably, my LTO license was found, and most importantly, Dad is all well and hopefully back to full recovery. Often the initial reaction to such incidents are shock, disbelief, and anger ---all of which are understandable at first. But once these things figure themselves out after some time, you just have to be amazed at how blessed you are to get things moving normally again.

Maybe a reminder from God that we need to be more thankful (AND more careful!) of what we have.

My Dad and Mr Ito

On our way to Tokyo after Christmas last month, I was able to watch the Japanese film "My Dad and Mr. Ito" via the Japan Airlines entertainment facilities. We were flying Economy but the good people of Japan Airlines made it a point to make the passengers in our class comfortable with in-flight entertainment and a good (complete) meal.

The movie was in Japanese but fortunately English subtitles were available. I enjoyed the film since it played out as how I expected it to be: a soft/quiet story of a young woman, her father, and her boyfriend, and how they go about living their lives under one roof.

I love to watch these types of soft films, devoid of the usual loud drama dialogues or action-packed scenes that most (major) productions employ. It is probably ones' longing for peace and quiet amidst the everyday hustle and bustle of life, the need to make the mind and soul relaxed and rejuvenated that watching these sort of films makes it enjoyable......like yoga.

Back

Years passed and I find this blog again. Clicking on past posts that were read by recent visitors, it has somehow awakened the sleeping (wannabe) writer in me....again.

Opting to spend the remains of my lunch hour in my office cube and playing relaxdaily music on YouTube, my fingers could not wait to receive thoughts from my head that I wanted to type here, on my old blog which I originally considered to be my sacred place.

A place where I can write freely (and hopefully, wonderfully) whatever it may be. It can be about my family which I love so dearly, or whatever topic/experience for the day that I would like to write.

Maybe it's too much of watching Erwan Heusaff's Overnight travel series on YouTube that somehow wanted me to reconnect to blogging again. The random thoughts that I've collected all these years may have reached a tipping point, with a need to spill somewhere....like this blog.

But maybe, just maybe, I could write with a little more effect or pizzazz so to speak. That would be great.

I cannot guarantee that I'll be writing most of the time, but I will be more conscious that this blog exists, and it's blank pages need to be filled. In doing so I get a chance for my future self to look back and see how I have been during those years and, hopefully, end up with a contented smile on my face.

Epictetus once said, "If you wish to be a writer, write." I guess it's not gonna be any more simpler than that.

And so, I write.

Again.

My Osaka Tips

Just arrived in Manila after a 6-day, 5-night holiday vacation in Osaka with my family. It was a pleasant trip that I strongly recommend you to take. However, there were lessons learned that needs to be blogged so that next time (yes, we hope to go there again soon) we'll take good note of it. Hope these tips of mine help you as well.

1. Change your currency to Yen at the Kansai Airport. Upon arrival there's a money changer just before heading out onto the terminal exit doors. I highly suggest that you change your money there as there are limited spots for some currencies, like Philippine Pesos. Further, the exchange rate there is better (2.05JPY to 1.00PHP) versus that in Namba Walk (1.83 to 1.00). There is the usual 10,000 (USD?) limit that you may need to abide to as mentioned by the highly courteous staff.
2. Buy round trip tickets if you're using the airport bus express. Cheaper by about 200-300JPY per person.
3. If you can't live without WiFi, there's a pocket-wifi rental store at the airport, just across the money changer I mentioned in #1 above. The rate is cheaper per day by about 40-50% versus my Philippine network's daily roam-surf rate. I find that going online is especially helpful when roaming around, especially if you know how to use Google Maps.
4. Get a subway map upon reaching your hotel, and study it. This will be very useful when you go around (and outside) Osaka.
5. Sheraton Osaka Hotel, where we stayed in, has a serious WiFi problem. I suspect that they limit the number of IPs connecting to their network which causes some of the phones/tablets not to connect at certain times.
6. Alternatively to #3, free WiFi is abundant at the subway stations and around Osaka. You just need to sign in with your email and allow the network to get your FB basic info which I assume is for their stats monitoring. However, note that these Free WiFi spots are not available in all areas, so I still recommend that you take #3.
7. Muji and Uniqlo sells cheaper in Osaka (or probably the whole Japan) vs the Philippines.
8. On subway escalators, stay on the right side as the left side is for people who are in a hurry (express lane).
9. Select "child" on the ticket terminals if you have young children with you. It's 50% cheaper.
10. Go to Nara from Osaka on a day trip. Highly recommended.
11. Go to Kyoto. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
12. One should go to Dotomburi for a food trip experience there. Namba and Nippombashi stations are nearest going there.
13. Try the Family Mart Matcha Latte there, especially with a Minneken(?) waffle that you can also buy in some of the subway stations there.
14. Lastly, forget about work or other things that stress you. You're on a holiday so enjoy every minute of Osaka while you're there.

Any tips you recommend as well? Do post it on the comments section. :)

To my 21 year old self

I am trying to remember how you were. Celebrating your 21st birthday while on 5th year college, going about your way trying to pass quizzes and exams, and eventually graduating on the March target date. Reviewing for your ECE Board Exam WHILE starting your 1st job in Alcatel with Carlo and Ferdie, your college batchmates. Eventually passing the board in Oct (or was it Nov?) of 1995. Salary was pretty above average for a first job compared to your other batchmates and you were quietly proud about it. Work was just a 10minute jeepney ride away and you got to go around the country installing switches. I think the only thing you got stressed about was STILL not having a girlfriend at 21.

If by some cosmic chance you, my 21 year old self, get to read this, I would like to say that you will face a LOT of challenges along the way as you reach me, your 42 year old self.

Don't fret too much about how your neighborhood childhood crush preferred going out with that motorbike-riding cool dude over you, a jeepney-commuting 95-lb dark skinned torpe. Don't worry about not having to meet ANY (and I mean ANY) girl of your type in Alcatel. Through a major decision that you'll make in 2 years' time, you will eventually meet her. And then, her. :)

Don't worry about being single for so long as you will later on get married and have 2 handsome and loving kids along with a very patient and loving wife. They will become your daily source of love, happiness, and comfort.

Don't worry about being in what seems to be a dead-end contractual job as that will just mark your career path for greater things to come. Through your courage and God's grace, your career will flourish and you'll play a very important role in a big company in years to come.

Believe it or not, you WILL struggle to lose weight later on. Yes, that very fit 95-lb body will eventually balloon and will need to go thru a lifestyle change, exercise-wise, as you'll discover running and cycling.....and doing both in races, or duathlons as they call it.

What you're going through now? Well, that's peanuts compared to future situations that you'll be in.

Never cease praying. For God will continually bless You and guide You especially in the toughest of times that lie ahead.

Keep your chin up, kid.

---Your 42 year old self

P.S. Get a passport. You will use later on, more often than you think. ;-)

Roelle Football Version 39

I am typing this post with aches and pains all over my body. Yesterday I played in the inter-company 7-a-side football tournament. 5 games under extreme conditions. We didn't reach the semis since we finished 5th.  Still, not bad for a team that had just met 2 months prior to the tournament.

As I mentioned in my previous post, age is really starting to show. By the 3rd game onwards, I couldn't get myself to run or kick the ball hard. It was like km32 of the marathon wherein I've bonked and resorted to walking to the finish line.

Still, not bad for a football comeback as I was able to score two goals.

Yup, I'll still play the beautiful game by age 40 onwards.

That's me with the ball. Really! :-)

Feeling It

At age 39, I have come to confirm/realize that my body is not the way it used to be. As an athletic person who's into running, cycling, basketball, and recently, a resurrected football "career," my body is showing signs that is telling me to slow down or, worse, retire from contact sports.

Two and a half weeks ago I had a bad mid air collision with a team mate, nonetheless, during a pick-up basketball game with our department team. I got hit in the ribs so hard that it took me forever to recover from it. Today, there's still about 20-30% of the pain there, especially when I wake up in the morning. If this happened to me 10 or 15 years ago, I would probably shrug it off as just a minor injury. But I guess Father Time had other plans. I guess I will have to quit the basketball entirely, and limit myself to just watching it from the tube.

Over eating, another one of my favorite "sports," has started to take a backseat since 2012 as I have been (very) conscious of my weight. Started at 175lbs in 2009, I'm now at 157lbs, even reached 155lbs during my marathon training last year, although I'm still 10lbs away from the upper normal BMI limit. The battle has been tough, especially with KFC, Dairy Queen, and Burger King just a few minutes' walk from my office.

I accidentally(?) went on an eating binge last Wed night with my officemates and ex-officemates at Yabu, a hit Japanese resto located at a mall near my house. The unli rice and salad was very inviting and I mixed all the possible salad sauces (all three!) and loved (loved!) their signature Tonkatsu 90g. The unli Iced Tea was there to push everything into my 39 year old digestive system as well.

The result? Since Thursday morning up to today (Monday), I've not been well. I have now become well versed when it comes to the use of Diatabs and Imodium, and the importance of rehydration.

Yes, I am now LeBroM James.

Now, just the thought of the Yabu food I (over) ate makes me want to vomit.

I hope the situation improves before Wednesday since that is my first executive checkup. I hate to see myself running around the hospital looking for toilets once in a while as this may make the whole checkup thing longer. Stool samples will be a challenge as well. I think they won't allow liquid stool samples. Ugh, just the thought of it makes me puke.

After this whole LeBroM situation improves, I hope my mind finally gets it that my body is not its 18 year old football playin' extra-rice-eatin' self anymore. I have to adjust my expectation towards sports and food so that I can have a healthier body.

Besides, I'm more of a Kobe fan.

Singapore: My One True Love

It has been years since I arrived in Changi Airport. The smell of the Singapore air, soothing with a hint of flavour, is all around as I stepped out of the airport onto the awaiting bus transport.

Unlike 2001, this particular visit was not by my lonesome. After 11 years, I'm back in Singapore with the missus and my two boys, Lucas and Matteo, for a brief 4 day, 3 night stay for a Christmas vacation and to reminisce on what would've been my life as an OFW in Singapore.

FOOD

Despite the progress of new buildings and new MRT lines, Singapore has remained the same with it's people, and most especially, its food. Our "merienda" upon arrival at the Raffles City food court was mee goreng for the missus and roasted chicken rice for me. The boys are not familiar with the taste so they had to content themselves with the ever reliable tempura.

An hour or so later, we found ourselves in Takashimaya, Orchard, where the missus had been patiently waiting for her feet to take her to the muachi stand, serving that peanut flavored taffy-like dessert that she so always loved and craved for.

Dinner had to be light so I ordered "take away" roti prata, kopi, and kaya toast to cap the evening.

By some unfortunate chain of events, the missus ended up eating only mee goreng for the whole trip, except of course of the daily hotel breakfast and the dinner with my ex-roommate Alan.

We were on a roll, food wise.


PLACES

The next day was our planned trip to Universal Studios. This theme park has really put Singapore on the map (in Asia particularly) as this is a must for tourists. The place is great, filled with rides and all sorts of amusements that my kids absolutely loved it there.

On the third day, we brought the kids to the Singapore Zoo which they loved as well.

For the two places above, my only complain is the long queue for rides (Zoo has the Elephant ride) which, when a parent carries a 35lb 3 year old, can be very exhausting if lined up for 30 or so minutes.


AMBIENCE

I stood outside the hotel room balcony on our last night and just looked over the Singapore landscape. "I used to 'own' this!" I said to myself. The feeling of having reunited with my beloved Singapore can be likened to one finding his/her one true love. I worked here for 4.5 months and if I could bring back the time, I would've stayed for more. 4.5 months is not enough for a stay with such a lovely (but expensive) place such as Singapore.

Singapore was my one true love but had only lasted as a fling.

I guess Singapore 2001 came in the right time as it was not only my first stint abroad, but it was also my first time to detach from my parents. In Singapore, I lived independently and with no care for anyone for curfews. I had friends, hobbies (played football for the company team and played guitar for a band) ---my life was about to take shape.

Sadly, the limitations of having a contractual job and my longing for my girlfriend then (which turned out to be my missus) had to stop all that. Of course, everything turned out well after getting work in Malaysia, getting married, working back in Manila, and having two kids.

I guess I needed this Singapore trip to remind me again on how blessed I am throughout these past 11 years.

And yes, I will be coming back again to Singapore to savour her food, places, and ambience. To reignite my love for her even just for a "quickie."

For there will always be time for chicken rice and mee goreng.

AVP

Yup, after 6+ years in this Company, I've been (finally) promoted to Assistant Vice President 1.

AVP.

Wow.

It's a humbling achievement to be given such a title. It really gives that "umph!" to the meaning of executive level. I'm really feeling good right now.

Thank you, Lord Jesus!

Rattleheads 2012: Still Alive and Kicking

August 30, 2012 was a good day. Relieving myself from another 9.6 hours of stressful work in the office, I accepted the invitation of college friend Edesel to spend 6 hours of jamming at Cherry Studios, Paranaque City. The place was equipped with Marshall and Laney amps and Tama Drums. For P150.00 an hour, it was definitely a bargain. Along with Alex, Pedro, and Edesel's student, Ian, we jammed heavy/trash metal to our heart's content.

It was a beautiful distraction from the everyday stress at work. Work has been a lot of pressure lately, much to the point that I wanted to quit. Unfortunately finding an alternative source of income has been difficult so I've no choice but be stuck in this cubicle/pressure-cooker that I'm in. Then again, that's for another blog post.

The band practiced several Metallica and Megadeth songs. We were amazed at how Ian was so skillful in playing the riffs and lead parts of the songs ---cleanly. This was where I realized how amazing Metallica's "Holier Than Thou" is (before, I would usually skip it when listening to the Black album).

No more! The crap rolls out your mouth again

Haven't changed, your brain is still gelatin

Little whispers circle around your head

Why don't you worry about yourself instead

Of course, us late-30 somethings were pretty rusty in the other departments so Ian was a ray of sunshine amidst our bass-drum-guitar mess. My bass-playing, in particular, was all over the place, a product of trying to cram several songs in a few days before the jam date. Yup, such would make Ellefson and Newstead cover their ears in disappointment.

I need more practice.

Even when Pop, Alternative, OPM, and even Dance music revolves around my mp3 playlist, I definitely (definitely!) still have plenty of space for Heavy/Trash Metal.

Hello me... It's me again

You can subdue, but never tame me

  I really hope that that jam session wasn't the last one. Those few hours of musical enchantment of Hetfield and Mustaine genius must be regularized in our busy, hectic, almost-age-40 lives.

Megadeth In Manila

"This is our first time in Manila... I can tell you I'm very impressed...The thing about coming to the Philippines is, it's been long overdue. We should have come here a long time ago." - Dave Mustaine

I was fortunate to witness the one night performance of Megadeth in Manila last Sunday night. To top it off, I was able to watch it together with old bandmates that have a similar liking to listening and playing to Megadeth's music. Needless to say, I've been a Megadeth music fan since post college.

We waited for about 3-4 hours before the show started. The fans' long wait was well worth it when the band came in a little past 8:30pm to begin their set. Aside from playing songs from their latest album ("13"), they ran through their best hits. Below is what I was able to recall:

- Hangar 18

- A Tout Le Monde

- Peace Sells

- Angry Again

- Sweating Bullets

- Symphony of Destruction
- Trust
- In My Darkest Hour

- Dawn Patrol



And, of course, with Dave's backdrop story of the bad happening all around ("The Chinese. The Russians. All bullshit."), he enters the ever familiar intro to the song that launched their place in rock history:

- Holy Wars...The Punishment Due



Swaying to the Symphony...



For one and a half hour, I started out jumpin' and headbangin'. There was a mosh pit 1 or 2 feet from me and I was REALLY tempted to jump in. Unfortunately, my 38-year old self had to pull back my teenage version from possibly getting hurt from the (enjoyable) carnage. Still, as I looked for an empty space to catch my breath, I headbanged away as Megadeth's music brought me back to my past when I was, in my humble standards, a sure shoo-in for Dave Ellefson's bass playing.



Megalights!



The whole concert experience was what I wanted it to be. I have this DVD/CD set of Rude Awakening that I bought over E-Bay years ago and the sound was as darn beautiful as I hoped it would be. As this was a standing-only event, I could only scan Dave and his compatriots by tip-toeing from time to time. But I was ably content: even if my eyes couldn't see, my ears heard and experienced Megadeth...LIVE!

It was a surreal experience seeing Megadeth playing live. I wished they played more songs that night, their objective of leaving the audience wanting for more was met. But still, we all had a darn good time. The ticket price of 2,930 pesos was well worth it. Damn it, if I knew the 5,000 peso ticket would be THAT close, I would've bought that one! I was glad that I made that gamble of buying the ticket and watch my rock heroes play live, even after running a full marathon that morning.

And yeah, I (finally) bought myself my first Megadeth shirt ---with the Manila/Asian tour written at the back. That shirt will be with me for years to come!

To borrow a line from Peace Sells, "If there's a new [Megadeth concert], I'll be the first in line!"

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Annie Alejo of Manila Bulletin has a more exemplary review of this concert. You can read it here.

From Thomas to Optimus Prime

Time flies so fast. Last Saturday, Lucas turned 6. It seems only yesterday that he just came out from the missus' womb and I was cradling this tiny miracle in my arms.

I still remember that Friday 6 years ago. I was still working in Malaysia and the missus had to go back to Manila to give birth via scheduled C-section so that I can go home in time for the birth of my first born.

It was wonderful to experience welcoming Lucas to the world, even when I had to go back to Malaysia in tears since he had to be left in the hospital for a few more days due to an infection (which he later recovered from to our relief).

Two weeks later, I started working in Manila again and Lucas was a bundle of joy that I was honored to have witnessed growing up each day, each month, and each year.

His love for toys had matured from Barney, to Thomas the Train, and now Spongebob and The Transformers. He has mastered the art of drawing which the missus and I are always amazed as to what new he has drawn in his etch-a-sketch toy or in the scratch paper using pencil or pen.

He's very well behaved and can be very independent. I try to pray with him every night with his composed prayer:

Bless Mommy,
Bless Daddy,
Bless Lucas,
Bless Matteo
.
.
.


.
.
.
Bless God
Bless Jesus
Bless Mama Mary
.
.
.
Please don't let me have bad dreams
Take care of us
Please don't let me have bad dreams

Amen.


Lucas, if you're able to read this years from now, your Mom and I want you to know that we're very very proud of you. We are very blessed to have you with us, experiencing your creativity, your laugh, and your love for us and your brother each and every day.
 

Happy 6th birthday!

Beautiful Bohol

AMORITA RESORT

My family and I stayed at this beautiful resort in Bohol last May 2012 for 3 days, 2 nights. The place was very relaxing. The room with its splash pool was so great that my boys preferred it over the main swimming pool next to the resort's restaurant (which came with a cool view).

The price of the food inside the resort is rather steep (as in most hotels) but you have the chance of eating elsewhere, particularly the long queue of restaurants along the shoreline which can be accessed from the Amorita's path to the beach.

The beach is clear and the sand is white which the family and I found to be quite ok.

I in particular had a great time roaming around the roads via the mountain bike free rental that the resort provided.

THINGS TO DO IN BOHOL

Bohol is quite organized in terms of its tourism. We were able to go to the following sights:

1. Chocolate Hills

2. Loboc River Cruise

3. Tarsier sighting

4. Man-made forest

 

Yup, going to Bohol is something that I'd highly recommend.

Champagne Room, Manila Hotel

The missus and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary last Tuesday at the Manila Hotel Champagne Room. Man, 8 years na kami, and still going strong!

The Champagne Room boasts of a classy European setup which the missus and I liked. The price of the food is almost the same as that of Cafe Ysabel's. An exception is the price of a glass of champagne which costs around P900.00 each (and I ordered two. Yikes!).

I guess we should be eating more regularly at fine-dining places since our stomachs, in particular, needs to get more used to the food. Hehehe. Nevertheless, the food was quite ok.

We'll definitely come back to this place again. Hopefully, when I get a job promotion. :)

 

Flambe right next to your table

Shrimp Flambe



US grilled steak



Banana flambe for dessert (yummy!)

Cheers for 8 years (and counting)!



Weight Loss Update: Lipid

As of this post I've lost a total of 7 lbs via calorie-counting my food intake using the myfitnesspal app (yey!). It has still been a challenge to control eating, especially last week when I HAD to give in to the delicious spread of food when I had to work in Davao. Yellow Fin is definitely the place to eat when you're in Davao City.



That 3 day eating binge caused me to gain 3lbs, which I had fortunately erased since yesterday after going all out with my running and less eating last weekend.

The best part of this weight loss journey was made just today, when I had to claim my lipid profile test results from my HMO provider. At first, I was beside myself when I checked that I still had high cholesterol, LDL, and HDL readings. I was so disappointed that I had to see one of the doctors in the HMO office to assess what needs to be done to normalize all of this. She told me that I have 3 weeks to have a low fat diet. Otherwise, she will have to recommend me to take cholesterol-lowering drugs which is unnatural and could be costly. This means eating only fish, fruits, and veggies. Anything fried should be the last food that I should be eating. This will be a challenge for me since the only veggies and fruits that I eat are coleslaw (on the side of a KFC 2pc chicken meal) and fruit shakes (which is very seldom).

At this point I would have to say that I am jealous of the missus, who has been lazy to tie up her shoes to run the treadmill and eats as much sweet desserts, has spectacularly normal blood test results! Here I am running 3-4 times a week, having run 3 full marathons and countless half-marathons with high cholesterol and she gets to lie down on bed on weekday afternoons with normal lipid/sugar levels year after year. Man, talk about life being unfair, right?!

But as I got back to the office, my disappointment turned to (slight) joy. Good thing that I have this Excel file monitoring my lipid test results. Comparing my recent blood test results with my Oct 2011 tests, it seems that (except for my HDL) the readings have improved dramatically! Take a look at the table below:



Now the readings are still way above my target so I need to keep this up (calorie-counting), especially now that I've 3 weeks to normalize these readings. Hopefully by then, I've lost more weight and have a better lipid profile result.

Wish me luck!

My Bosses

This post has been long overdue. I started working immediately after college last 1995 and have gone thru 5 companies since then. It's time for me to share with you my different bosses that I've been under. Here they are in chronological order:

1. Lucas (1995-1998). Belgian, white curly hair, tall but stout, he could've been the inspiration for Angry Birds. He's very adept with computer programming and handling of switching systems but he can be happy one minute and then bursting with anger in the next. I recall one time (or was it several times?) when he threw his cellphone (the then top-of-the-line Motorola Microtac) against the wall out of disgust simply because he couldn’t get a clear signal.



He loves ordering the Jollibee Aloha Burger when we would work in Talisay, Batangas. He lived in Ayala Alabang, where his driver gets the day off upon reaching the village entrance. Be wary when he drives for he seemed to exceed village speed limits with gusto.

2. Dennis/Ghie/Lila/Yap (1998-2001). My experience working for company #2 could be summarized as 90% great, 10% disastrous. The bosses have been very kind throughout my stay there and, most of them being Filipinos, there was a sync in terms of sense of humor and communication. Unfortunately, my last month proved disappointing as I didn’t get the support and trust that I expected from them.

3. Ilari (2001-2002). As I was only a contract employee here, my boss at company #3 entrusted me to work at my own “diskarte” and it went well. We really didn’t have much time to interact since I only stayed here for 4.5 months, but I could say that working under him was quite ok.

4. Hong/Venka/Lee (2002-2006). Working for different bosses in different eras while in company #4 was a learning experience. One didn’t know where to put me, the other would occasionally chat with me on almost all things aside from work, while the third really put me into the grind of things so to speak (in a good, learning way). With the exception of Lucas, a foreigner boss does not include personality issues (although Malaysians seem to like my shallow sense of joke-telling, hehehe).



You may be wondering where are the bosses in my current company. Well, I’m sorry since I cannot tell much about them right now since I’m still here.

Maybe if I venture into another company (which could be unlikely), I’d be able to post about them.

Btw, is it true that the number one reason why people resign from a company is because of their boss?