vietnam jackfruit chips

ok. wait. the picture above should be all about the blue package. whoever that guy is, thank you for the picture (and thank you for the free pose) hehehe

my friend set came from vietnam and invited to me for a dinner for two. i know this is just his decoy to hide his original agenda.. to grill me on things that happened in the past. hehe anyway, i happily gave in to the grilling and never ending questions.. afterall, the dinner is great and the pasalubong is even greater.

thats why, i made this blog, i love those jackfruit chips!! if not for the crisp, it is as if you are eating the real thing!! its super delicious minus the fruit sap!! its really great. how i wish we have them here in the philippines. :)

try them when you go to vietnam guys!!

My Favorite blogs!!

as part of my teaching work, this semester im handling a course on the introduction to internet.

so this will be a course where we make the students aware of the tools available for them on the internet. we will explore, surf and have fun discovering things on the net while meeting the requirements of the course.

So, my first assignment to my students is to enumerate the top 3 blog sites they love. of course, our topic will be about blogging and the stuffs.

So, i also have to do my own listings. here goes:

1. Market Manila - http://www.marketmanila.com/
2. Bryan Boy - http://www.bryanboy.com/
3. Howie Severino's Sidetrip - http://blogs.gmanews.tv/sidetrip/blog/
4. Mushy Love Bug - http://mushylovebug.com/
5. Lessons from the school of inattentions - http://oggsmoggs.blogspot.com/
6. Victorina - http://donavictorina.blogspot.com/
7. Gibbs Cadiz - http://gibbscadiz.blogspot.com/
8. Adventures of the Coconuter - http://coconuter.blogspot.com/
9. Out of the Mouth of Dave - http://outofthemouthofdave.blogspot.com/
10. Report from Planet Stas - http://planetstas.blogspot.com/

plus a lot lot more! :) so, watch out for more updates!

weeeeh!

COUNT!!! hahaha

Aspiring photographers in UPLB

Calling all aspiring photographers in UPLB, we need your help!!

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) will be holding its CAS Sports Tournament as part of the CAS Foundation Celebration.

Schedule of the games and details are posted here.

So how can you help?

we need people documenting the event with their cameras!!

here is the deal:

attend the events and take pictures. select the best pictures and edit them and PUT YOUR WATERMARK and submit them to me.

in return, we will be posting your pictures here, and in my multiply site and we will include your pictures in the formal documentation to be submitted to the CAS execom. (that means, your work, if selected, will be part of the CAS history!!!)

im sorry for we cannot afford monetary compensation. all we can do is to post your best shots together with your name in it. (blogspot, multiply, CAS report and bulletin boards) you help us document the event, we help you in return by promoting your photography and your name.

if you have question, you can post your comment here and ill get back to you. :)

thank you very much!!

Richard Gutierrez on Emperador

have you noticed?

the way to UPLB is full of Emperador's posters featuring Richard Gutierrez.

at first i was not bothered by the posters at all, i mean, our students are of legal age to drink and they are mature enough to be responsible drinkers. ( i hope so) But then again, after much consideration, isn't richard gutierrez's packaging is for the youths and the teens??

in the previous years, i remembered people doing and imitating what robin padilla was doing, kind of iconic for the guys back then. and now, i think its richard's turn to be idolize and look up to by these teens.

and i don't think richard's endorsing emperador is good for the younger part of the society. im not neglecting the fact the youngsters nowadays are smart, but then i just thought that seeing him on those posters will actually encourage youngsters to try the brand. i don't think mr. gutierrez would love being idolized in that manner.

what's my point? i just hope that celebrities/famous people should start getting some social responsibility for the benefit of their countymen they are benefiting from.

to be honest, i admire those international stars who are way beyond their acting infront of the cameras and going out of their ways to promote humanitarian causes. i hope local stars look up to them and see things beyond themselves.

PS. lets leave the endorsing of those adult brands to adults. can we do that?


there. done. moving on.

Choconanaz in LB

is there something wrong with this poster or is it just me????

This is a new stall in vega center. its basically chocolate coated banana. what you think about the poster eh? hahaha

PS. Bons, do you think people from hongkong would love these???

there. done. moving on.

Starbucks barista and store manager

yesterday, i was at starbucks megamall. i was observing the baristas and store managers. does anyone know how much a starbucks barista and store managers earn a month here in the philippines?? just asking. answers will be much appreciated. thanks!

February

i fear you...

Bolante on Senate Hearing...

at first i was impressed with the way he is handling questions of the senators until...


Estrada: You said in your earlier testimony that you only knew one person in malacañang and that is the first gentleman. is that true?

Bolante: yes, your honor.

Estrada: do you think he has something to do with your appointment as DA undersecretary?

Bolante: none, your honor.

Estrada: any idea who might recommend you to the president for the position?

Bolante: i absolutely don't have any idea, your honor. i don't know who recommended me for the position.

Estrada: its not the first gentleman?

Bolante: no, your honor.

===========

JAYPEE: Hello!! is your logic working??? you have no idea who recommended you to the position but you are as certain as hell when you answered that its not the first gentleman???? goodness!!

UPLB Centennial Christmas

UPLB CENTENNIAL CHRISTMAS

ano nga ba ang paskong nanghihintay para kay Juan???

new establishments in LB

there were some changes rather addition to the collection of establishments in los banos.
here are some of them.

these stalls were recently built after they renovated
the place infront of LB square, adjacent to Bonitos.

there's a siomai haus, bbq haus, fruit stand and a fried noodle stand.

this is the new location of DAIRYMOOR, a coffee haus based in batangas city.
located at LB Square, adjacent to ISIS Bar.

This Potato Corner and a stall selling Takoyaki (japanese balls)
These two store are owned by YESU. (i met him yesterday)
and according to him, he will be setting up an authentic Japanese Food Resto at the top
of the new ANKERS bldg. something to look forward in lb.

the most recent addition to the coffee shops in lb. The BOSTON CAFE,
located at the newly built ANKERS building. (this is the second location of
this coffee shop, the first one is located at Robinson's mall)

Forbes Philippines' top 40 Riches

was reading one of my favorite blogsite : http://coconuter.blogspot.com/ and he was talking about the recently released Forbes Philippines' top 40 Riches. you can check the list at this site.

i have nothing against these people getting rich. what bothered me after reading the blog are the comments provided by the reader of the blogs. and i will take the liberty of copying and pasting them here:

JUAN DELA CRUZ, MAGBASA KA AT MAKINIG!!!


Comment 1 - Submitted by Anonymous

You know, its really sickening that Henry Sy has made it up there. Yes, the SMC Corporation is one of the best known and necessary institutions in the Philippines, BUT, he's only wealthy due to the hard work and exploitation of his employees.

They get paid pittance (about P300 a day!), and their contracts only last 6 months (have you heard of the film Endo? http://oggsmoggs.blogspot.com/2007/07/endo-2007.html )that way the company doesn't have to provide any health benefits etc etc,

Do you know why the women have to wear open toe shoes? Apparently thats to prevent them from stuffing any goods in their shoes! Damn, how their feet must ache after their 12 hours shift.
I've also been told that the stalls in the mall, not only pay fixed monthly rent, but also a fixed percentage of their (the stalls) profit- so the more they earn, the bigger cut that SM gets- I think this is called corruption.

Would it really hurt Grand Sy's fortune to increase the salary of his employees by say P100 a day- he would still have his mountain of a fortune, and such a small increment would make such a big difference for everyday people who work to make ends meet. I guess people have no choice to be exploited when they need to work to live, so everyone gets caught in the cycle, the only winner is the corporation.

Comment 2 - Submitted by Noi Ramirez (http://genkuro.blogspot.com/)

Funny you mentioned about SM's policy on those who rentin stalls.
I couldn't agree with you more.

The company that I used to work for bought one of their e-business citing that our company will be the owner of the business while they handle the management side. It was decided that my former company will initially operate a call center and it will be housed in the 5th Floor of SM Manila and we pay rent for the place. All went smoothly. Except aside from the rent, portion of the income was still given to them. So what you were said was true. We found this to our disadvantage and we met with Baby Boy (Henry Sy, Jr).

Then one day, one of our signatories skipped signing a check for the monthly rental. To our shock. SM sent a platoon of security guards and blocked the entrance to our call center. They also sent their accountants demanding payment or else the barricade will not be removed.

You can just imagine the anger my bosses felt for SM's act. Considering we were not just ordinary tenants but their partner in their e-business. And to make matters more complicated, they were the ones handling the management aspect of the business and OUR COMPANY WAS PAYING THEM for their management services. No matter how much talk, they insist our group talk to SM Prime. SM Prime is the group responsible for all properties of SM. And they insist on paying the rent within the day or else the barricades will not be removed and interest imposed per day of delayed payment. Without any recourse, and our signatories are all out of town. I was sent to the nearest authorized signatory to have the check signed. The nearest signatory was in CEBU. I flew to CEBU to meet up with the signatory at the airport, he signed the check and I flew back to Manila. That was the shortest visit to CEBU that I had in my life and it took all of 30 minutes. The plane ride going to and coming back was longer.

You can just imagine what happened when the next Board Meeting was held. The Board gave them a piece of their mind. The management of SM in our call center was clipped of its administrative powers.

Impressive as their malls might be. There is underlying horror that lies within. And one more thing, all businesses within SM are required to place their CASA (Check and Savings Account) with Banco de Oro (BDO) also owned by SM. And don't get me going, there was an incident when BDO refused to honor a check we paid to one of our equipment suppliers. But that is another story.

Comment 3 - Submitted by Anonymous

nagwork me dati sa SM ... seasonal pa, ini exploit talaga nila mga Filipino, tapos un pinirmahan namin contract 5 months tapos hanggang 2 months lang kami sapilitan kami pinag resign on the spot pinagawa kami ng resignation letter totoo po,yun mga katrabaho namin unti-unti nawawala, tawag namin na weekest link"gudbye" wala naman ako magagawa nun kaya hinayaan ko nalang pero dapat talaga malaman ng mga tao yan ginagawa ng mga instik na yan!


BUKSAN MO ANG MGA MATA MO JUAN.

game for programmers (updated)

a friend showed me this very cool game.

http://www.kongregate.com/games/Coolio_Niato/light-bot


try this one guys!! especially computer programmers!
you will have a great time doing this! :)
the game is up to level 12.

this is level 11. finish.


this is level 12. finish.


your turn guys. :)

christmas gift idea

let the christmas season begin!!

i will be expanding this list as i scout for great unique gift ideas for the season.

Gift Ideas:

1. OI the One Retro Styled LED BInary Based Wrist Watch


more coming up.





there. done. moving on.

007 - quantum of solace

from my personal point of view...

this bond film SUCKS!!


was disappointed with the outcome.
i was expecting much from daniel craig because he is actually my favorite bond agent with all those antics he did with his first film.
he delivered in this film but i think the story is the one thats crap.
I believe the writer wanted to point a soft spot on the bond character in this episode,
but hellooooooo!! this is high espionage and this is 007.
and people watch pay and go to the movie house,
to watch his new gadgets and latest action extravaganza.
but nothing like that. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT.
they should have left those heroes drama on batman and spiderman films.

i hate plurk

as a person, i love talking. im very talkative, really talkative.

in chat, in text, in emails, in person, in blogs, I TALK A LOT!

when i was blogging at multiply, im happy with it because i have my own site, i can do my own thing and most important thing is i can design and edit my site theme in a way that would best describe me at the moment. so if you are a follower of my multiply site, you noticed that i change theme from time to time depending on my mood.

my point is, i love multiply because i dont lose my personality, my individuality, even if its in the world wide web. I am still ME.

when i was introduced to plurk, my initial reaction was.."my eyes are aching!" and later on as i observe and evaluate it, i begun to dislike it.

why???

because at PLURK, there is no ME. or YOU. YOUR IDENTITY AS A PERSON IS NOT EXISTING. all you have there is your name. nothing else. and i hate it.

in the world of cyberspace, presence is little by little vanishing. identity are getting lost and invisibility promoted. plurk is a great example. there is no way to track whats happening with the people. there is no way to understand a person deeper. there is no way to know a person intimately.

don't get me wrong. plurk is good for people who are into very dynamic lifestyle. but its not for me. i don't like it. and i don't promote it.

im happy with my blogspot and multiply. here, you can know me better.


there. done. moving on.

love of reading

i love reading!

for me, reading is one powerful activity we all can indulge with and be amazed with the benefits that goes with it.

when i was young, i would read textbooks from cover to cover. i started reading comics when i was about 6 or 7 years old. I have a collection of funny comics and bata-batuta then. when i went to elementary, i started reading tagalog pocketbooks. it will take me one day during those times to finish a 50-page filipino romance novel. but as i continue reading, i found myself reading faster and eventually finished those novels within one seating! (approximately 45 mins)

that was the time i read those thicker one. They have about 130 pages for each novel. I can now read those novels for one hour and move to the next one. It was during those times that pocketbook series were introduced and i would sit down and read one story after another.

when i tell my friends that i used to read those corny tagalog romance novels, they would cringe at the idea of reading those nonsense love story. BUt then again, i give them credits for teaching me to read faster and understanding and enriching my tagalog vocabulary.

when i was in high school, my favorite reading materials are the nancy drew and hardy boys classics. I never read mills and boons coz they bore me to death. I also started reading sweet valley high during those times because my bestfriend was telling me about the novel. With the english novels that contain around 250 pages, it will take me 2-3 days during those times to read and finish them. oh well, people during those days are not so fond of talking in english and i attended a public school, so what do you expect?

my first encounter with those thick english novels was during college days. I was doing nothing during mu summer orientation program when i went to book sale and saw John Grisham's novel THE FIRM. That was the first thick english novel i read from cover to cover. It took me a week of sleepless nights (because i have to attend whole day classes) before i was able to finish the novel. That's why i fell in love with Grisham. Then i started reading Mary Higgins Clark, Cook, Crichton, Albom, Brown, etc..

the latest novel i read is The Kite Runner that made me cry everytime i read it. Now im starting Marquez.

I also love reading magazines. Im a regular reader of entrepreneur, men's health and yummy mags. When i go to coffeeshops, i flip pages of magazines hunting for interesting articles.

there was also a time i invested time in reading leadership books and some other spiritual books.

lately, im addicted to blogs.

im a person who loves to chat to people about life and things around us. A lot of times it will end up in nonsense chat but hey, its still conversation and one way or another im learning about the person im talking to. and with the blogs, i learn a lot!!

i was once a multiply addict. but then again i transfered to blogspot because multiply had evolved to photo blogs. i want to read real stories of people. i want to listen to their thoughts on life and on things around them. and more importantly, i want to learn from their experiences.

with blogs, i can explore the world while just sitting infront of my laptop.

some personal benefits i get from reading:
-- i learn a lot of things from simple to complicated.
-- i get inspiration from my readings
-- i get to relate to more people because of the things i read from the past
-- i meet intresting people through reading
-- i develop skills from reading like faster grasping of the thoughts, wide vocabulary, continous improvement of grammar and spelling, etc.. (i put there continous improvement because i know my grammar sucks and my words are often misspelled.)
-- and most importantly, im having fun. :)

so you guys out there.. READ!!!



there. done. moving on.

Registration going on!!

welcome back to the students!!

at the assisted computerized registration

pasalubong!! :)

there. done. moving on.

resignation halted!

i talked to my very very kind and understanding boss at the project im planning to let go, he asked me to stay... and i can't say NO!

this is what kind people get, kindness and favor in return!

this guy is someone i look up to. he's the one who showed me the beauty of geographic information systems. Two months ago, i have zero knowledge with regards to this field, now, i know a lot. (well, technically i know a lot, but still a small proportion as to what my boss know)

anyway, i went there to asked about my appeal to resign from the project and he just sat me down and discuss to me things, specifically the things i need to deliver. i could not say no. i don't have the guts to just leave him there hanging in the air with the project halting with my resignation. so i said ok. i will continue. sigh.

i just want to share to you guys that when employees are in the crossroads of their life, the boss should be the one that inspire them to move on and get things going. not scold and punish and sucntion and make the feel worse and more miserable.

i must admit that i panicked with the idea of finishing the thesis and having lots of work aside from my current job, i started eliminating things i thought would hinder me from obtaining my masters degree. and the project is one of those things.

i love the job. i love the project and im learning new things a lot. but then again i was weighing the importance of it and the impact it will make in my life, and the masters degree simply overshadowed everything.

thesis now or never.

i guess i need to do good with planning and time management.





there. done. moving on.

sparks hope

Obama won.

i won't post anything about the political issues and current news about him. i will let other people do that.

what concerns me most is that, this thing that happened today mark the biggest and boldest statement in the world... CHANGE.

we all know about the issues of racism in america and we know that its not a small thing to ignore. but today, everything changed!

i hope the events that transpired today will inspire other people who are already losing hope on somethings. don't give up. fight. we all have our share of misery in this world. if you won't fight, then no one will fight your battles for you. stand up and be recognize. pursue your dreams and aspirations. just go and fulfill those dreams of yours.. no matter what.

afterall, CHANGE is possible.


there. done. moving on.

(photo credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/benkimball1/3000653559/)

something to think about..

The saddest thing in the world, is loving someone who used to love you.



there. done. moving on.

movies i watched during the weekend

there. done. moving on.

thoughts on candle lighting during november 1

In the store, whenever someone would buy a candle to light for their beloved who are now resting inside the cemetery, my dad would always tell them "you don't have to do that, they won't know it anyway."

this statement made me think about taking care of people.

its been a tradition to us filipinos to visit our beloved friends and family members who are now resting on cemeteries and we offer them prayers, flowers and lighted candles.

In the old tradition, family members will go there with the intentions to continuously pray for the souls of the dead. that god would forgive them of their sins and allow them to rest eternally in heaven.

but nowadays, its been more of a family reunion and a fun time. (i am not generalizing, im just saying what i observed) For about 13 years now, my parents has been running the store near the old cemetery. so every year, i get to witness the way people would celebrate all saints day. year after year, these are the things i observed:

• first of all, the people visiting their dead loved ones are getting less and less year after year. of course this is more of a visual approximation.
  
• there are less people selling candles and flowers nowadays (this may indicate less number of people going to cemeteries or its because candles and flowers are very expensive nowadays that people tend not to buy expensive flowers and candles.)
• the occasion has been one hell of a fashion show. people going to the cemeteries are wearing their best dress even if its muddy and raining!! (i wonder if there are data from the big mall like sm and robinsons that will support this claim, that people buy new clothes to wear for the all saints day event)
• more and more people are riding motorcyles lately.
• and lastly, as i observed, people are eating, chatting, playing, singing, some are even drinking alcoholic beverages BUT NOT PRAYING. hmmm...

last saturday, i heard a customer related to us the news that there was someone who fainted inside the cemetery apparently because she was crying and hysterical.

and he went on saying..

"when the person was still alive, she was not even there to watch and spend time with him. she was not even going home or providing anything to the family, even at the last hour, she failed to show up... now, what is the use of wailing and crying for him? she should have shown her love and affection to him when he was still alive.."


as i was thinking about it, i think that person had a point.. we should show our love and affection to the people that we care about while they are still alive... not when they are dead already.


there. done. moving on.

im back!!

went to the province for a short vacation!! yeah!

i don't consider it a vacation actually, coz in my province i have to man the store and sell the things my parents are selling.

the store is actually near the old cemetery so we expect that there will be a lot of people visiting the their deceased family members and therefore more customers!

so all i did is to sell candles and soda. :)


i think there were around 300+ pcs. of those candles i sold that day alone. and lots of soda. hehe

sayang walang kupit!! hahaha

i had a conversation with mom about getting money from the cash registry without their knowledge. and the conversation went like this..

SON: when i was a little boy, i used to get money from the cash registry.
MOM: oh i know dat. and its ok. in the end, those money are still yours.
SON: hmmm ok. just letting you know.
MOM: its fine. you are just getting small amount to buy food. just dont waste the money.
SON: uh.. mom, i take one hundred pesos. (that was around early nineties)
MOM: WHAT??!!! ONE HUNDRED??!!!
SON: i don't get small amount! im not cheap!! hahaha


there. done. moving on.