it was only my second time to visit quiapo. my first time was two years ago when i accompanied my mom to shop for bead-making paraphernalia for my sisters. despite the sweltering summer heat, we braved quiapo and it was worth it.
globe lumpia house - for sixteen pesos, you get to taste probably the best fresh lumpia in manila. i think the secret to this great-tasting lumpia is the sauce. you have to try it out for yourself to find out why.
r.ma mon luk - a lot have been written about this restaurant. but one of the stories that struck me was the fact that the restaurant was born out of love. the founder of ma mon luk came all the way from mainland china to try his luck in manila. basically, he went to the philippines to earn money and be someone so he can marry the woman he loves. what a story right? at one point, there were at least six branches in manila. unfortunately, there are only two remaining right now - the quiapo and the quezon ave branch. there's really nothing special about the mami, but the siopao is really really really good. i have yet to try their siomai.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
partners and marriage
i received this forwarded email again for the nth time from one of my college friends. i'm sure many of us have already read this since this has been going around for quite awhile. anyway, i'm posting the article since it is something worth rereading.
Eduardo Calasanz was a student at the Ateneo Manila University, Philippines, where he had Father Ferriols as professor. Father Ferriols, at that time, was the Philosophy department head. Currently he still teaches Philosophy for graduating college students in Ateneo.
Father Ferriols has been very popular for his mind opening and enriching classes but was also notorious for the grades he gives. Still people took his classes for the learning and deep insight they take home with them every day (if only they could do something about the grades...)
Anyway, come grade giving time, (Ateneo has letter grading systems, the highest being an A, lowest at D, with F for flunk), Fr Ferriols had this long discussion with the registrar people because he wanted to give Calasanz an A+. Either that or he doesn't teach at all...Calasanz got his A+. Read the paper below to find out why.
------------------------------------------------------------------
PARTNERS AND MARRIAGE
By Eduardo Jose E. Calasanz
I have never met a man who didn't want to be loved. But I have seldom met a man who didn't fear marriage. Something about the closure seems constricting, not enabling. Marriage seems easier to understand for what it cuts out of our lives than for what it makes possible within our lives.
When I was younger this fear immobilized me. I did not want to make a mistake. I saw my friends get married for reasons of social acceptability, or sexual fever, or just because they thought it was the logical thing to do. Then I watched, as they and their partners became embittered and petty in their dealings with each other. I looked at older couples and saw, at best, mutual toleration of each other. I imagined a lifetime of loveless nights and bickering and could not imagine subjecting myself or someone else to such a fate.
And yet, on rare occasions, I would see old couples who somehow seemed to glow in each other's presence. They seemed really in love, not just dependent upon each other and tolerant of each other's foibles. It was an astounding sight, and it seemed impossible. How, I asked myself, can they have survived so many years of sameness, so much irritation at the other's habits? What keeps love alive in them, when most of us seem unable to
even stay together, much less love each other?
The central secret seems to be in choosing well. There is something to the claim of fundamental compatibility. Good people can create a bad relationship, even though they both dearly want the relationship to succeed. It is important to find someone with whom you can create a good relationship from the outset. Unfortunately, it is hard to see clearly
in the early stages.
Sexual hunger draws you to each other and colors the way you see yourselves together. It blinds you to the thousands of little things by which relationships eventually survive or fail. You need to find a way to see beyond this initial overwhelming sexual fascination. Some people choose to involve themselves sexually and ride out the most heated period
of sexual attraction in order to see what is on the other side.
This can work, but it can also leave a trail of wounded hearts. Others deny the sexual side altogether in an attempt to get to know each other apart from their sexuality. But they cannot see clearly, because the presence of unfulfilled sexual desire looms so large that it keeps them from having any normal perception of what life would be like together.
The truly lucky people are the ones who manage to become long-time friends before they realize they are attracted to each other. They get to know each other's laughs, passions, sadness, and fears. They see each other at their worst and at their best. They share time together before they get swept into the entangling intimacy of their sexuality.
This is the ideal, but not often possible. If you fall under the spell of your sexual attraction immediately, you need to look beyond it for other keys to compatibility. One of these is laughter. Laughter tells you how much you will enjoy each other's company over the long term.
If your laughter together is good and healthy, and not at the expense of others, then you have a healthy relationship to the world. Laughter is the child of surprise. If you can make each other laugh, you can always surprise each other. And if you can always surprise each other, you can always keep the world around you new.
Beware of a relationship in which there is no laughter. Even the most intimate relationships based only on seriousness have a tendency to turn sour. Over time, sharing a common serious viewpoint on the world tends to turn you against those who do not share the same viewpoint, and your relationship can become based on being critical together.
After laughter, look for a partner who deals with the world in a way you respect. When two people first get together, they tend to see their relationship as existing only in the space between the two of them. They find each other endlessly fascinating, and the overwhelming power of the emotions they are sharing obscures the outside world. As the relationship ages and grows, the outside world becomes important again. If your partner treats people or circumstances in a way you can't accept, you will inevitably come to grief. Look at the way she cares for others and deals with the daily affairs of life. If that makes you love her more, your love will grow. If it does not, be careful. If you do not respect the way you each deal with the world around you, eventually the two of you will not respect each other.
Look also at how your partner confronts the mysteries of life. We live on the cusp of poetry and practicality, and the real life of the heart resides in the poetic. If one of you is deeply affected by the mystery of the unseen in life and relationships, while the other is drawn only to the literal and the practical, you must take care that the distance doesn't become an unbridgeable gap that leaves you each feeling isolated and misunderstood.
There are many other keys, but you must find them by yourself. We all have unchangeable parts of our hearts that we will not betray and private commitments to a vision of life that we will not deny. If you fall in love with someone who cannot nourish those inviolable parts of you, or if you cannot nourish them in her, you will find yourselves growing further apart until you live in separate worlds where you share the business of life, but never touch each other where the heart lives and dreams. From there it is only a small leap to the cataloging of petty hurts and daily failures that leaves so many couples bitter and unsatisfied with their mates.
So choose carefully and well. If you do, you will have chosen a partner with whom you can grow, and then the real miracle of marriage can take place in your hearts. I pick my words carefully when I speak of a miracle. But I think it is not too strong a word. There is a miracle in marriage. It is called transformation. Transformation is one of the most common events of nature. The seed becomes the flower. The cocoon becomes the butterfly. Winter becomes spring and love becomes a child. We never question these, because we see them around us every day. To us they are not miracles, though if we did not know them they would be impossible to believe.
Marriage is a transformation we choose to make. Our love is planted like a seed, and in time it begins to flower. We cannot know the flower that will blossom, but we can be sure that a bloom will come.
If you have chosen carefully and wisely, the bloom will be good. If you have chosen poorly or for the wrong reason, the bloom will be flawed. We are quite willing to accept the reality of negative transformation in a marriage. It was negative transformation that always had me terrified of the bitter marriages that I feared when I was younger. It never occurred to me to question the dark miracle that transformed love into harshness and bitterness. Yet I was unable to accept the possibility that the first heat of love could be transformed into something positive that was actually deeper and more meaningful than the heat of fresh passion. All I could believe in was the power of this passion and the fear that when it cooled I would be left with something lesser and bitter.
But there is positive transformation as well. Like negative transformation, it results from a slow accretion of little things. But instead of death by a thousand blows, it is growth by a thousand touches of love. Two histories intermingle. Two separate beings, two separate presence, two separate consciousnesses come together and share a view of life that passes before them. They remain separate, but they also become one. There is an expansion of awareness, not a closure and a constriction, as I had once feared. This is not to say that there is not tension and there are not traps. Tension and traps are part of every choice of life, from celibate to monogamous to having multiple lovers. Each choice contains within it the lingering doubt that the road not taken somehow more fruitful and exciting, and each becomes dulled to the richness that it alone contains.
But only marriage allows life to deepen and expand and be leavened by the knowledge that two have chosen, against all odds, to become one. Those who live together without marriage can know the pleasure of shared company, but there is a specific gravity in the marriage commitment that deepens that experience into something richer and more complex.
So do not fear marriage, just as you should not rush into it for the wrong reasons. It is an act of faith and it contains within it the power of transformation. If you believe in your heart that you have found someone with whom you are able to grow, if you have sufficient faith that you can resist the endless attraction of the road not taken and the partner not chosen, if you have the strength of heart to embrace the cycles and seasons that your love will experience, then you may be ready to seek the miracle that marriage offers. If not, then wait. The easy grace of a marriage well made is worth your patience. When the time comes, a thousand flowers will bloom...endlessly.
one of biggest regrets in college was not being able to enroll in a Ferriols or Calasanz class. i was too lazy to wake up early for registration. i wouldn't really mind getting a lower grade as long as I learn a lot. Ferriols and Calasanz are legends.
Eduardo Calasanz was a student at the Ateneo Manila University, Philippines, where he had Father Ferriols as professor. Father Ferriols, at that time, was the Philosophy department head. Currently he still teaches Philosophy for graduating college students in Ateneo.
Father Ferriols has been very popular for his mind opening and enriching classes but was also notorious for the grades he gives. Still people took his classes for the learning and deep insight they take home with them every day (if only they could do something about the grades...)
Anyway, come grade giving time, (Ateneo has letter grading systems, the highest being an A, lowest at D, with F for flunk), Fr Ferriols had this long discussion with the registrar people because he wanted to give Calasanz an A+. Either that or he doesn't teach at all...Calasanz got his A+. Read the paper below to find out why.
------------------------------------------------------------------
PARTNERS AND MARRIAGE
By Eduardo Jose E. Calasanz
I have never met a man who didn't want to be loved. But I have seldom met a man who didn't fear marriage. Something about the closure seems constricting, not enabling. Marriage seems easier to understand for what it cuts out of our lives than for what it makes possible within our lives.
When I was younger this fear immobilized me. I did not want to make a mistake. I saw my friends get married for reasons of social acceptability, or sexual fever, or just because they thought it was the logical thing to do. Then I watched, as they and their partners became embittered and petty in their dealings with each other. I looked at older couples and saw, at best, mutual toleration of each other. I imagined a lifetime of loveless nights and bickering and could not imagine subjecting myself or someone else to such a fate.
And yet, on rare occasions, I would see old couples who somehow seemed to glow in each other's presence. They seemed really in love, not just dependent upon each other and tolerant of each other's foibles. It was an astounding sight, and it seemed impossible. How, I asked myself, can they have survived so many years of sameness, so much irritation at the other's habits? What keeps love alive in them, when most of us seem unable to
even stay together, much less love each other?
The central secret seems to be in choosing well. There is something to the claim of fundamental compatibility. Good people can create a bad relationship, even though they both dearly want the relationship to succeed. It is important to find someone with whom you can create a good relationship from the outset. Unfortunately, it is hard to see clearly
in the early stages.
Sexual hunger draws you to each other and colors the way you see yourselves together. It blinds you to the thousands of little things by which relationships eventually survive or fail. You need to find a way to see beyond this initial overwhelming sexual fascination. Some people choose to involve themselves sexually and ride out the most heated period
of sexual attraction in order to see what is on the other side.
This can work, but it can also leave a trail of wounded hearts. Others deny the sexual side altogether in an attempt to get to know each other apart from their sexuality. But they cannot see clearly, because the presence of unfulfilled sexual desire looms so large that it keeps them from having any normal perception of what life would be like together.
The truly lucky people are the ones who manage to become long-time friends before they realize they are attracted to each other. They get to know each other's laughs, passions, sadness, and fears. They see each other at their worst and at their best. They share time together before they get swept into the entangling intimacy of their sexuality.
This is the ideal, but not often possible. If you fall under the spell of your sexual attraction immediately, you need to look beyond it for other keys to compatibility. One of these is laughter. Laughter tells you how much you will enjoy each other's company over the long term.
If your laughter together is good and healthy, and not at the expense of others, then you have a healthy relationship to the world. Laughter is the child of surprise. If you can make each other laugh, you can always surprise each other. And if you can always surprise each other, you can always keep the world around you new.
Beware of a relationship in which there is no laughter. Even the most intimate relationships based only on seriousness have a tendency to turn sour. Over time, sharing a common serious viewpoint on the world tends to turn you against those who do not share the same viewpoint, and your relationship can become based on being critical together.
After laughter, look for a partner who deals with the world in a way you respect. When two people first get together, they tend to see their relationship as existing only in the space between the two of them. They find each other endlessly fascinating, and the overwhelming power of the emotions they are sharing obscures the outside world. As the relationship ages and grows, the outside world becomes important again. If your partner treats people or circumstances in a way you can't accept, you will inevitably come to grief. Look at the way she cares for others and deals with the daily affairs of life. If that makes you love her more, your love will grow. If it does not, be careful. If you do not respect the way you each deal with the world around you, eventually the two of you will not respect each other.
Look also at how your partner confronts the mysteries of life. We live on the cusp of poetry and practicality, and the real life of the heart resides in the poetic. If one of you is deeply affected by the mystery of the unseen in life and relationships, while the other is drawn only to the literal and the practical, you must take care that the distance doesn't become an unbridgeable gap that leaves you each feeling isolated and misunderstood.
There are many other keys, but you must find them by yourself. We all have unchangeable parts of our hearts that we will not betray and private commitments to a vision of life that we will not deny. If you fall in love with someone who cannot nourish those inviolable parts of you, or if you cannot nourish them in her, you will find yourselves growing further apart until you live in separate worlds where you share the business of life, but never touch each other where the heart lives and dreams. From there it is only a small leap to the cataloging of petty hurts and daily failures that leaves so many couples bitter and unsatisfied with their mates.
So choose carefully and well. If you do, you will have chosen a partner with whom you can grow, and then the real miracle of marriage can take place in your hearts. I pick my words carefully when I speak of a miracle. But I think it is not too strong a word. There is a miracle in marriage. It is called transformation. Transformation is one of the most common events of nature. The seed becomes the flower. The cocoon becomes the butterfly. Winter becomes spring and love becomes a child. We never question these, because we see them around us every day. To us they are not miracles, though if we did not know them they would be impossible to believe.
Marriage is a transformation we choose to make. Our love is planted like a seed, and in time it begins to flower. We cannot know the flower that will blossom, but we can be sure that a bloom will come.
If you have chosen carefully and wisely, the bloom will be good. If you have chosen poorly or for the wrong reason, the bloom will be flawed. We are quite willing to accept the reality of negative transformation in a marriage. It was negative transformation that always had me terrified of the bitter marriages that I feared when I was younger. It never occurred to me to question the dark miracle that transformed love into harshness and bitterness. Yet I was unable to accept the possibility that the first heat of love could be transformed into something positive that was actually deeper and more meaningful than the heat of fresh passion. All I could believe in was the power of this passion and the fear that when it cooled I would be left with something lesser and bitter.
But there is positive transformation as well. Like negative transformation, it results from a slow accretion of little things. But instead of death by a thousand blows, it is growth by a thousand touches of love. Two histories intermingle. Two separate beings, two separate presence, two separate consciousnesses come together and share a view of life that passes before them. They remain separate, but they also become one. There is an expansion of awareness, not a closure and a constriction, as I had once feared. This is not to say that there is not tension and there are not traps. Tension and traps are part of every choice of life, from celibate to monogamous to having multiple lovers. Each choice contains within it the lingering doubt that the road not taken somehow more fruitful and exciting, and each becomes dulled to the richness that it alone contains.
But only marriage allows life to deepen and expand and be leavened by the knowledge that two have chosen, against all odds, to become one. Those who live together without marriage can know the pleasure of shared company, but there is a specific gravity in the marriage commitment that deepens that experience into something richer and more complex.
So do not fear marriage, just as you should not rush into it for the wrong reasons. It is an act of faith and it contains within it the power of transformation. If you believe in your heart that you have found someone with whom you are able to grow, if you have sufficient faith that you can resist the endless attraction of the road not taken and the partner not chosen, if you have the strength of heart to embrace the cycles and seasons that your love will experience, then you may be ready to seek the miracle that marriage offers. If not, then wait. The easy grace of a marriage well made is worth your patience. When the time comes, a thousand flowers will bloom...endlessly.
one of biggest regrets in college was not being able to enroll in a Ferriols or Calasanz class. i was too lazy to wake up early for registration. i wouldn't really mind getting a lower grade as long as I learn a lot. Ferriols and Calasanz are legends.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
notes from last last weekend
note: forgot to post it last week. updated the title from "notes from last weekend" to "notes from last last weekend". hehe.
- for two years, i stayed away from salcedo market. mainly becoz i didn’t want to bump into my ex. haha. so last saturday, i had the chance to check out the place again. i was overwhelmed... lots of food... so naturally, i binged. the goreng and tinapa fried rice were impressive (too lazy to think of any other adjective). i’m glad to see my fav iced tea shop still there (pascals?, forgot the name).
- i had to go to la pinas to do a favor for a friend. oh my... i got to experience the traffic first hand. crazy. note to myself, try to avoid the south until the construction’s completed (2 years? haha).
- the food at chicker’s wedding was superb. i should definitely ask her who catered for them.
- singapore laksa at secret recipe’s is something i will be craving again soon
- i binged again sunday night becoz of my good friend’s cooking... sinigang na baboy and itlog na maalat salad. i haven’t eaten that much since my college days. haha.
- if i’m to summarize what I did last weekend, i would be able to do so in one word. EAT.
- for two years, i stayed away from salcedo market. mainly becoz i didn’t want to bump into my ex. haha. so last saturday, i had the chance to check out the place again. i was overwhelmed... lots of food... so naturally, i binged. the goreng and tinapa fried rice were impressive (too lazy to think of any other adjective). i’m glad to see my fav iced tea shop still there (pascals?, forgot the name).
- i had to go to la pinas to do a favor for a friend. oh my... i got to experience the traffic first hand. crazy. note to myself, try to avoid the south until the construction’s completed (2 years? haha).
- the food at chicker’s wedding was superb. i should definitely ask her who catered for them.
- singapore laksa at secret recipe’s is something i will be craving again soon
- i binged again sunday night becoz of my good friend’s cooking... sinigang na baboy and itlog na maalat salad. i haven’t eaten that much since my college days. haha.
- if i’m to summarize what I did last weekend, i would be able to do so in one word. EAT.
the bro code
presenting...
the bro code - the online collaborative bro code site.
http://brocode.com
the bro code - the online collaborative bro code site.
http://brocode.com
Saturday, March 28, 2009
me and my guitar
this morning... i was kinda bored... my bro was using this pc. and nothing was worth watching on cable. so i just picked up my guitar and started playing random stuff. then suddenly, i just remembered this amusing/odd song that i wrote when i was in second year high school with this crazy classmate of mine from la salle zobel gs. this song was supposedly to be our entry to our high school's anti-drug campaign song writing contest. if i remember it correctly, we wrote it during our filipino class, and the two of us got reprimanded for being too noisy. haha.
unfortunately, this song didn't get accepted as valid entry. hmmmm. bakit kaya. haha.
Troubled times in my life
Wars within and pain inside
Seems the world is crumbling down
And my knees are falling apart
Now death runs in my veins
There’s hope in dope
Searching through Kurt’s(my) closet
A dose of pain
Someone… something to cling on
So here I am,
Burning in pain
Too late to turn back
I didn’t know that a gram
Could destroy one’s being
Say yes to drugs if you wanna get dizzy
Say yes to drugs if you wanna get high
Say yes to drugs if you wanna get sleazy
Crazy enough to make ur momma (loveone) cry
fun times. like i said, this song didn’t make it to the contest. but we’re kinda proud, and at the same time embarrassed of it (i know it's amateurish). we were a crazy bunch. cheers to the good old times!
by the way, i think this is entitled kurt's song. go figure.
crap. it's raining outside. not on a weekend!!!
unfortunately, this song didn't get accepted as valid entry. hmmmm. bakit kaya. haha.
Troubled times in my life
Wars within and pain inside
Seems the world is crumbling down
And my knees are falling apart
Now death runs in my veins
There’s hope in dope
Searching through Kurt’s(my) closet
A dose of pain
Someone… something to cling on
So here I am,
Burning in pain
Too late to turn back
I didn’t know that a gram
Could destroy one’s being
Say yes to drugs if you wanna get dizzy
Say yes to drugs if you wanna get high
Say yes to drugs if you wanna get sleazy
Crazy enough to make ur momma (loveone) cry
fun times. like i said, this song didn’t make it to the contest. but we’re kinda proud, and at the same time embarrassed of it (i know it's amateurish). we were a crazy bunch. cheers to the good old times!
by the way, i think this is entitled kurt's song. go figure.
crap. it's raining outside. not on a weekend!!!
Friday, March 27, 2009
earth hour
VOTE EARTH!!! YOUR LIGHT SWITCH IS YOUR VOTE.
THIS SATURDAY 28 MARCH AT 8.30PM
YOU CAN VOTE EARTH BY SWITCHING OFF YOUR LIGHTS FOR ONE HOUR - EARTH HOUR.
for more information, visit http://www.earthhour.org/home/
let's be accountable in taking care of planet earth. help out in saving it for the next generation.
THIS SATURDAY 28 MARCH AT 8.30PM
YOU CAN VOTE EARTH BY SWITCHING OFF YOUR LIGHTS FOR ONE HOUR - EARTH HOUR.
for more information, visit http://www.earthhour.org/home/
let's be accountable in taking care of planet earth. help out in saving it for the next generation.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
boom
one minute with the wrong person is a minute away from the right one.
note: got this from a friend. one of the best advice i've received in recent memory. haha.
note: got this from a friend. one of the best advice i've received in recent memory. haha.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
what's in a name?
“Calvin is named after John Calvin (1509-1564), a leader of the Reformation. John Calvin was well-known for expressing his opinions in a most lucid, logical and convincing manner. Six-year old Calvin is similarly eloquent in the expression of his opinions and attitudes, though his opinions differ greatly. Although Calvin is a six-year old, his contemplations and observations of the world around him are often extremely insightful. Calvin's curiosity and imagination often get him into trouble. He's not really a brat, just an interesting mixture of immaturity and innate wisdom. Hobbes is named after Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), a philosopher who had a low opinion of human nature. Hobbes, Calvin's tiger friend, is a bit more upbeat but seems to possess an opinion of humans similar to his namesake. It seems that one of the only things Hobbes does which bother Calvin (beside frequent pouncings) is the enjoyment he derives from gloating about being a tiger. Bill Watterson on Hobbes' "split personality": "The so-called gimmick of my strip - the two versions of Hobbes - is sometimes misunderstood. I don't think of Hobbes as a doll that miraculously comes to life when Calvin's around. Neither do I think of Hobbes as the product of Calvin's imagination. The nature of Hobbes's reality doesn't interest me, and each story goes out of its way to avoid resolving the issue. Calvin sees Hobbes one way, and everyone else sees Hobbes another way. I show two versions of reality and each make complete sense to the participant who sees it. I think that's how life works."
Bill Watterson (1958 - )
Source: Calvin and Hobbes
fascinating information... right? thank you bill. you've created a treasure, a freakin' masterpiece. you should be awarded with a nobel prize, or maybe a pulitzer. hehe. seriously.
Bill Watterson (1958 - )
Source: Calvin and Hobbes
fascinating information... right? thank you bill. you've created a treasure, a freakin' masterpiece. you should be awarded with a nobel prize, or maybe a pulitzer. hehe. seriously.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
football nostradamus
it's already out... presenting the round of eight match-ups...
villareal cf vs. arsenal fc
manchester united fc vs. fc porto
liverpool fc vs. chelsea fc
fc barcelona vs. fc bayern munchen
the games will be held on the following dates... so mark your calendars...
april 7/8
april 14/15
and my fearless forecast... three out of four will be english teams. the english domination continues.
arsenal fc
manchester united fc
chelsea fc
fc barcelona
some notes... feel free to disagree.
arsenal is desperate. desperation sometimes results to a win.
man u has played poorly in their last two games causing liverpool to catch up with them in the premiere league. but i think they will eventually return to form since they have the experience and all the talent that money could buy.
liverpool has been playing really well lately. it seems that they are peaking at the right time. but i have faith for the blues. chelsea will win by a goal.
barca vs bayern is an interesting match-up. my fav la liga team vs my fav bundesliga team. however, with the way things are going for barca, i’d say they would be kicking bayern’s ass.
villareal cf vs. arsenal fc
manchester united fc vs. fc porto
liverpool fc vs. chelsea fc
fc barcelona vs. fc bayern munchen
the games will be held on the following dates... so mark your calendars...
april 7/8
april 14/15
and my fearless forecast... three out of four will be english teams. the english domination continues.
arsenal fc
manchester united fc
chelsea fc
fc barcelona
some notes... feel free to disagree.
arsenal is desperate. desperation sometimes results to a win.
man u has played poorly in their last two games causing liverpool to catch up with them in the premiere league. but i think they will eventually return to form since they have the experience and all the talent that money could buy.
liverpool has been playing really well lately. it seems that they are peaking at the right time. but i have faith for the blues. chelsea will win by a goal.
barca vs bayern is an interesting match-up. my fav la liga team vs my fav bundesliga team. however, with the way things are going for barca, i’d say they would be kicking bayern’s ass.
Monday, March 23, 2009
gone to soon
a nice article by joey conception... forwarded to me by my mom. i think this was published last week in The Philippines Star. it's good to be constantly reminded of the brevity of life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gone so soon
by Joey Concepcion
We were in Sydney last week to attend the wedding of my wife’s cousin. At first, I was hesitant to join her as we just finished the Go Negosyo Women Summit. There were so many requests for me to speak in different events. I also wanted to attend the 50th birthday of Jaza and personally welcome him to the “half century club”. But, priorities had to be set, so I joined my wife’s family reunion in Sydney.
While in Sydney, I got an SMS from a good friend, Dito Borromeo. Our common friend, Franco Delgado, passed away in the medical plane as he was heading home from Houston.
I got to know Franco eight years ago. We met in their beautiful island of Hermana Mayor. Some say that I got to know Franco at a time in his life when he was more tamed. I did not bother to probe what they meant. In the Eulogy of his sister Isabel, she described Franco as naughty during his childhood days. He also smoked at a very early age. I remember Franco even telling me how naughty he was in school that his father had to ship him out to boarding school.
We did not have much in common, since I neither like fast cars nor motorcycling. What I found in Franco was his zest for life. He enjoyed it. He loved the beach and the beauty of the Philippines. He would go around the country, biking with his friends. He loved the Philippines and believed that we have what it takes to be a great nation. He used to share with me his business ideas. I saw how optimistic he was.
Whenever we got together, he would always tell me how much he loved his wife, Ros Ros, and his children. He knew he wasn't a perfect husband, but he loved his wife for always being there for him. In fact, what his brother Mayee said about him being cariñoso was true. He would spontaneously call his siblings and would not hesitate to say “mahal kita”. In one of his last text messages to me, when I was trying to get him into Vitamin C therapy, he mentioned “Pare, mahal kita”.
The last time I saw him was when he hosted dinner for us - Mike Tan, Lance Gokongwei, Kevin Belmonte and our wives. He actually cooks one of the best Sukiyakis and serves Patron Tequila as our dessert. He shared with us how lucky he has been with the many accidents and near death experiences he had. I told him that he had nine lives. He also said that maybe he is still not wanted up there. About two weeks after that night, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
With the encouragement of his family and friends, he gave a good four-month battle against the big C. I admire his courage in facing death. He gave his best in the fight. But, when he knew it was over, he wanted to die at home and see the rest of his family. Despite the odds in making it through the flight, he took the risk. I was told that he passed away, holding his son’s hand in the plane.
I share this story because life is, indeed, very short. We never really know when our time is up. As entrepreneurs or professional managers, we tend to keep ourselves busy and full of things to do. Being busy makes us feel important. But, there will come a time when we would realize that many important things in life have already slipped us by. Our children have grown. And, even sometimes, our relationship with our wife, parents and siblings has already been taken for granted.
Franco Delgado’s journey on earth has touched his family and friends in many ways. His life reminded me to give time to enjoy life and to make sure that time with family is not taken for granted. God has given each of us an opportunity in this life on earth. The journey for each of us will be different. The people we meet are not only by accident. For me, they are predestined to guide us. We just need to have our antennas up and be sensitive to these things in life around us. Family and friends are our mentors and inspiration.
Franco was to turn 59 this year. His father, Don Paco, is 92 years old. We wonder why he has gone too soon. Life is, indeed, a journey. It is GOD who only knows the reason behind every journey. In the end, it is not how much wealth and power a person amasses. It is how he has touched the lives of people he met during his journey on earth. From what I saw at the funeral mass, Franco has touched so many people in different ways.
Franco, we will surely miss you. God has opened his doors to you… Take care my friend.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gone so soon
by Joey Concepcion
We were in Sydney last week to attend the wedding of my wife’s cousin. At first, I was hesitant to join her as we just finished the Go Negosyo Women Summit. There were so many requests for me to speak in different events. I also wanted to attend the 50th birthday of Jaza and personally welcome him to the “half century club”. But, priorities had to be set, so I joined my wife’s family reunion in Sydney.
While in Sydney, I got an SMS from a good friend, Dito Borromeo. Our common friend, Franco Delgado, passed away in the medical plane as he was heading home from Houston.
I got to know Franco eight years ago. We met in their beautiful island of Hermana Mayor. Some say that I got to know Franco at a time in his life when he was more tamed. I did not bother to probe what they meant. In the Eulogy of his sister Isabel, she described Franco as naughty during his childhood days. He also smoked at a very early age. I remember Franco even telling me how naughty he was in school that his father had to ship him out to boarding school.
We did not have much in common, since I neither like fast cars nor motorcycling. What I found in Franco was his zest for life. He enjoyed it. He loved the beach and the beauty of the Philippines. He would go around the country, biking with his friends. He loved the Philippines and believed that we have what it takes to be a great nation. He used to share with me his business ideas. I saw how optimistic he was.
Whenever we got together, he would always tell me how much he loved his wife, Ros Ros, and his children. He knew he wasn't a perfect husband, but he loved his wife for always being there for him. In fact, what his brother Mayee said about him being cariñoso was true. He would spontaneously call his siblings and would not hesitate to say “mahal kita”. In one of his last text messages to me, when I was trying to get him into Vitamin C therapy, he mentioned “Pare, mahal kita”.
The last time I saw him was when he hosted dinner for us - Mike Tan, Lance Gokongwei, Kevin Belmonte and our wives. He actually cooks one of the best Sukiyakis and serves Patron Tequila as our dessert. He shared with us how lucky he has been with the many accidents and near death experiences he had. I told him that he had nine lives. He also said that maybe he is still not wanted up there. About two weeks after that night, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
With the encouragement of his family and friends, he gave a good four-month battle against the big C. I admire his courage in facing death. He gave his best in the fight. But, when he knew it was over, he wanted to die at home and see the rest of his family. Despite the odds in making it through the flight, he took the risk. I was told that he passed away, holding his son’s hand in the plane.
I share this story because life is, indeed, very short. We never really know when our time is up. As entrepreneurs or professional managers, we tend to keep ourselves busy and full of things to do. Being busy makes us feel important. But, there will come a time when we would realize that many important things in life have already slipped us by. Our children have grown. And, even sometimes, our relationship with our wife, parents and siblings has already been taken for granted.
Franco Delgado’s journey on earth has touched his family and friends in many ways. His life reminded me to give time to enjoy life and to make sure that time with family is not taken for granted. God has given each of us an opportunity in this life on earth. The journey for each of us will be different. The people we meet are not only by accident. For me, they are predestined to guide us. We just need to have our antennas up and be sensitive to these things in life around us. Family and friends are our mentors and inspiration.
Franco was to turn 59 this year. His father, Don Paco, is 92 years old. We wonder why he has gone too soon. Life is, indeed, a journey. It is GOD who only knows the reason behind every journey. In the end, it is not how much wealth and power a person amasses. It is how he has touched the lives of people he met during his journey on earth. From what I saw at the funeral mass, Franco has touched so many people in different ways.
Franco, we will surely miss you. God has opened his doors to you… Take care my friend.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
the distillery
if you're beer-thirsty, check out The Distillery at fort rizal drive, forbeswood heights, fort bonifacio. this bar/liquor shop is usually fully stocked with imported craft beers. they have a pretty good selection, and priced a lot cheaper than beer paradise (only 90 - 200 pesos per bottle). swing by this weekend and satisfy your beer craving.
i'm listing below the stuff that i tried last night.
titje - fruity, easy to drink, has a nice subtle bitter finish, perfect for summer, fans of hoegaarden should also like this
oranjeboom - smooth, best served really cold, actually reminds me of becks
konig ludwig - a bavarian beer, safe choice for hefeweizen, strong banana flavor, full-bodied, complex taste
i'm listing below the stuff that i tried last night.
titje - fruity, easy to drink, has a nice subtle bitter finish, perfect for summer, fans of hoegaarden should also like this
oranjeboom - smooth, best served really cold, actually reminds me of becks
konig ludwig - a bavarian beer, safe choice for hefeweizen, strong banana flavor, full-bodied, complex taste
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
trees and tigers
hey hey hey… some exciting stuff to do while in subic…
http://www.treetopadventure.com.ph/
http://zoobic.com.ph/
you should allot one whole day if you’re going to do both activities - tree top adventure and zoobic safari (half-day each).
tree top adventure was fun but i don’t recommend it to people with fear of heights for obvious reasons of course). one of my friends actually freaked out. it was funny to see a twenty-something individual shaking and sweating profusely the entire time we were there. peace dude. okay lang yan.
zoobic safari should awaken the child in each one of us. free your mind and just try to have a good time.
ooohhh…. i almost forgot… here are some dining suggestions.
Meat Plus Subic – they have pretty good steaks. it would cost you around 180 – 350 depending on the cut. you should also try the apple pie. one of the best i’ve tasted…
http://theislandexplorer.blogspot.com/2008/04/meat-plus-subic.html
Extremely Expresso – nice place to hang-out in subic for kill time. the 22-inch pizza is a must try. just thinking about it now makes me hungry.
http://theislandexplorer.blogspot.com/2008/04/extremely-expresso-subic.html
what a weekend… but it should have been more fun if someone didn’t bail out. you know who you are. you were missed.
note: since traffic is pretty bad in the south these days because of the skyway expansion construction, subic could be my new tagaytay.
http://www.treetopadventure.com.ph/
http://zoobic.com.ph/
you should allot one whole day if you’re going to do both activities - tree top adventure and zoobic safari (half-day each).
tree top adventure was fun but i don’t recommend it to people with fear of heights for obvious reasons of course). one of my friends actually freaked out. it was funny to see a twenty-something individual shaking and sweating profusely the entire time we were there. peace dude. okay lang yan.
zoobic safari should awaken the child in each one of us. free your mind and just try to have a good time.
ooohhh…. i almost forgot… here are some dining suggestions.
Meat Plus Subic – they have pretty good steaks. it would cost you around 180 – 350 depending on the cut. you should also try the apple pie. one of the best i’ve tasted…
http://theislandexplorer.blogspot.com/2008/04/meat-plus-subic.html
Extremely Expresso – nice place to hang-out in subic for kill time. the 22-inch pizza is a must try. just thinking about it now makes me hungry.
http://theislandexplorer.blogspot.com/2008/04/extremely-expresso-subic.html
what a weekend… but it should have been more fun if someone didn’t bail out. you know who you are. you were missed.
note: since traffic is pretty bad in the south these days because of the skyway expansion construction, subic could be my new tagaytay.
Monday, March 16, 2009
the big eight
presenting the uefa champions league round of eight....
FC Barcelona
Villarreal CF
FC Porto
FC Bayern Munchen
Manchester United FC
Chelsea FC
Liverpool FC
Arsenal FC
chelsea and barcelona are in!!! i'm happy. haha. for chelsea, if the premiere league championship seems out of the reach, at least this one is still within grasp. so they better not fail. for barcelona, it has been a fantastic season so far. obviously, they are one of the favorites to get this one. so i also wish them luck.
again, the english teams have dominated. four out of eight. definitely a wake up call for the italians and spaniards.
FC Barcelona
Villarreal CF
FC Porto
FC Bayern Munchen
Manchester United FC
Chelsea FC
Liverpool FC
Arsenal FC
chelsea and barcelona are in!!! i'm happy. haha. for chelsea, if the premiere league championship seems out of the reach, at least this one is still within grasp. so they better not fail. for barcelona, it has been a fantastic season so far. obviously, they are one of the favorites to get this one. so i also wish them luck.
again, the english teams have dominated. four out of eight. definitely a wake up call for the italians and spaniards.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
buoy deployment - march 8
it was my first time to participate in a buoy deployment activity. this activity was sponsored by the company dive club at the mayumi resort in anilao batangas two sundays ago.
the underwater current was pretty strong but i managed to survive. buti nalang. haha. highlights of my dive trip were the buoy deployment itself at mayumi house reef, and spotting huge yellow-tail barracudas at mainit site. it was awesome (as barney would call it).
i'm now seriously thinking of taking the advance dive course anytime soon... ofcourse, if i have time (and money, whew)... haha...
the underwater current was pretty strong but i managed to survive. buti nalang. haha. highlights of my dive trip were the buoy deployment itself at mayumi house reef, and spotting huge yellow-tail barracudas at mainit site. it was awesome (as barney would call it).
i'm now seriously thinking of taking the advance dive course anytime soon... ofcourse, if i have time (and money, whew)... haha...
Sunday, March 8, 2009
the final set
it was worth it!!!
5K well spent.
my highlights. poor man's grave, waiting for the bus, alcohol, spolarium, fine time, the unplugged set ofcourse, and alapaap.
I hope we could spend more time together
A few hours is better than never
If we could only make it longer
A whole week would be fine
A whole month would be fine
A whole year would be fine
A decade would fine
A century would be fine
Fine, fine time
Forever would be fine...
why do all good things come to an end? o well, that's life.
5K well spent.
my highlights. poor man's grave, waiting for the bus, alcohol, spolarium, fine time, the unplugged set ofcourse, and alapaap.
I hope we could spend more time together
A few hours is better than never
If we could only make it longer
A whole week would be fine
A whole month would be fine
A whole year would be fine
A decade would fine
A century would be fine
Fine, fine time
Forever would be fine...
why do all good things come to an end? o well, that's life.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
five more days
ilang tulog nalang, eheads na naman.
can't wait for the final set.
by the way, there's a rumor going around that ely signed a contract indicating that the march 7 concert would be their last performance in the philippines as the eraserheads for the next 10 years.
i'm giddy for saturday.
can't wait for the final set.
by the way, there's a rumor going around that ely signed a contract indicating that the march 7 concert would be their last performance in the philippines as the eraserheads for the next 10 years.
i'm giddy for saturday.
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