LTO Transfer of Ownership

 I wanted to have this done but for over a year it got parked due to work and other commitments. At any rate, I was able to finish this task yesterday and wanted to share with you how I got this done. Either way, you may also refer to this link from LTO explaining the step by steps.

Day 1 (Friday)

Went to the PNP HPG office at Camp Caringal, QC to get the clearance. I was told by one guy there who does the sketching that my CR was registered at LTO Batangas so it needed to be confirmed first, either by LTO Main at East Ave, QC (they will just send an email to LTO Batangas) or go directly to LTO Batangas.

I couldn't believe this so I went to another PNP HPG office at Mirasol St., QC. The policeman there told the same thing, unfortunately, so had to drove to LTO East Ave to get the confirmation. They got all my photocopied documents (Deed Of Sale, Secretary's Signature, OR/CR copy, etc.) and told me it'll take 3-5 business days to process. 

Day 6 (Wednesday)

Received an email from LTO East Ave requesting LTO Batangas for confirmation. 

Day 10 (Sunday)

I sent a follow-up email on that evening to both LTO offices via that thread. 

Day 11 (Monday)

LTO Batangas replied on that morning saying this is being processed. By that afternoon, they sent out the confirmation with the PDF required.

Day 12 (Tuesday) 

Went to the PNP HPG office in Mirasol St. QC in the morning to have my clearance processed. This took about 2-3hrs to complete which included going to Landbank to pay the required fee, photocopying documents, submitting to that office, sketching of engine and body frame, waiting for my name to be called for releasing of clearance, etc.). 

Around 3pm, went to LTO East Ave. Guard asked what was my intended business and he told me I had to have my insurance and smoke emission done first. Had it processed and then went back to LTO. The receptionist there said I had to go to the next building for motor-vehicle inspection. This took about an hour from payment to inspection to release of documents.

Went back to the LTO East Ave main building where the receptionist took my docs and told me to wait at the cashier. Waited for about 30-45mins before I paid and the CR was subsequently released. 😊

It was still a bothersome task to do all of the above. I wished LTO and PNP-HPG could just be hooked online for faster turn around time but it's definitely better than shelling out 5k or 9k pesos to have someone process it on my behalf which is still some work on your part as they'll ask you to file the PNP HPG clearance and motor vehicle inspection ---which is almost half the work.

🤷‍♂️

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.