J.TEST B1

Whew!

Our company is Japanese-owned. So you guessed it, we need to study the language.

There are certain merits in having a high proficiency in it.

You get to speak your mind in their tongue.

The responsibilities are greater.

The 'respect' is higher. (Meron ba?!)

And the allowance is bigger. Yup, we have an allowance. Our company has these tiers or rather levels in determining our proficiency. Before, it was pass or fail 4 certain levels of examinations as administered by the Japan Foundation (The Japanese Language Proficiency Test or JLPT). Now, we have sublevels. You may not have passed the exam, but if you attain this certain score, you have reached so and so level. Yup, it was like that.

Then we had another proficiency-administering body, coz the freakin' JLPT just comes out once a year! Which is ok, come to think of it.

Now, I reached this certain level which I have to redo, coz my friggin' allowance period's almost up! Help me! I don't want to get the lower level's allowance! I'm quite happy with my allowance now, thank you very much!

So study study study for little ol' me.
No more blog blog blog for the meantime...

Dekiru ka naa?!

Bye bye Veronica!

Frak! Can't seem to get over Veronica Mars. It's been a week since the last episode aired. I kinda miss it. Today, being a Wednesday, should have been a Veronica Mars night. I thought another channel will pick it up, but so far, no news... Arrgh!

For a while, it has been one of the more intelligent shows on the boob tube. I think the writing is so smart that the average joe didn't seem to understand it, therefore, would not be able to appreciate it.

The show stars Kristen Bell as the title character: a student, progressing from high school to college during the series, who moonlights as a private investigator under the wing of her detective father. Said to be "a little bit Buffy (Joss Whedon said so!) and a little bit Bogart", the show balances murder mystery, high school and college drama, and social commentary with sarcasm and off-beat humor.

I especially like the writing of the show, the witty banter between characters is like a doubles tennis game - you really have to focus to be able to see the ball. The story arcs are also quite good wherein each one is long enough to keep you wanting for more but short enough that you won't lose interest (Lost, anyone?). You want to be there when Veronica finally solves the case.

The theme song doesn't hurt the show either. The Dandy Warhols' "We Used To Be Friends" is another song that's been in my iPod forever! Whenever I want to lash out at somebody, or ponder the current state of friendships, I just listen to this. It has been right on in this one particular friend of mine. "A long time ago, We used to be friends, and I haven't thought of you lately at all, If ever again, A greeting is sent to you, Short and sweet to the soul I intend"

Folks, give Veronica Mars a try. Help bring her back to the small screen. Sign all online petitions! C'mon!

New song I like - Maroon 5's Makes Me Wonder

I like Maroon 5's new song. It's so funky and fresh... When they performed it live in American Idol, I didn't mind it but after a few playbacks, it started to grow on me. It's on my iPod now.

I'd like to imagine I'm saying this to a certain someone.

Anyway, check it out!
Here's the video or (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrF8vxLRDNE)

and the lyrics:

[Verse]
I wake up with blood-shot eyes
Struggled to memorize
The way it felt between your thighs
Pleasure that made you cry
Feels so good to be bad
Not worth the aftermath, after that
After that
Try to get you back

[Bridge]
I still don't have the reason
And you don't have the time
And it really makes me wonder
If I ever gave a f**k about you

[Chorus]
Give me something to believe in
Cause I don't believe in you
Anymore, Anymore
I wonder if it even makes a difference to try
(Yeah)So this is goodbye

[Verse]
God damn, my spinning head
Decisions that made my bed
Now I must lay in it
And deal with things I left unsaid
I want to dive into you
Forget what you're going through
I get behind, make your move
Forget about the truth

[Bridge]
I still don't have the reason
And you don't have the time
And it really makes me wonder
If I ever gave a f**k about you

[Chorus 1 + 2]
Give me something to believe in
Cause I don't believe in you
Anymore, Anymore
I wonder if it even makes a difference,
It even makes a difference to try (yeah)
And you told me how you're feeling
But I don't believe it's true
Anymore, Anymore
I wonder if it even makes a difference to cry
(Oh no)
So this is goodbye

[Breakdown]
I've been here before
One day a week
And it won't hurt anymore
You caught me in a lie
I have no alibi
The words you say don't have a meaning
Cause..

[Bridge]
I still don't have the reason
And you don't have the time
And it really makes me wonder
If I ever gave a f**k about you and I...
and so this is goodbye

[Chorus 1 + 2]
Give me something to believe in
Cause I don't believe in you,
Anymore, Anymore
I wonder if it even makes a difference,
It even makes a difference to try
And you told me how you're feeling
But I don't believe it's true
Anymore Anymore
I wonder if it even makes a difference to cry
(Oh no)
So this is goodbye
So this is goodbye, yeah (x 3)
(Oh no)

Wii!

I bought a Wii last April.

Sadly, only the Japanese version is readily available here. I wanted to buy one before my family went home last Feb, but every time I'd visit a store, it was always sold out.

Then in the first week of April, I accompanied W to Ito Yokado store coz he'll buy another Wii remote. Lo and behold, stacks and stacks of Wiis!!!

I knew I didnt have enough yen with me (it costs 25,000yen) so I thought of charging it to my credit card. Thoughts of my wife killing me were playing in my head, hehehe. But I finally gave in! Sige, bili pa!

I, for one, am not really a game purist. I dont mind that the game doesnt have the end of the line graphics technology. I like the fun aspect of it, and I'm sure my family will enjoy it. I could already imagine my kids swatting away while playing baseball/tennis or punching each other in Boxing (I bought Wii Sports)

I thought that the games are just for fun. But if you really put your body into it, you can have a workout as well. Most of the time, I dont stretch before playing, and I end up with sore muscles after.

Tip to those who want to buy:

Have lots of space

Buy only 1 extra nunchuks. You only need 2 at a time

You can have up to 4 remotes. It's fun when playing tennis.

A bigger TV helps

Stretch before every game

I'm waiting for the Spider-man game to come out here. It looks like a lot of fun in the trailer, dangling through NYC. Dragonball also seems cool, especially when you're doing the power moves (can anyone say "ka-me-ha-me-HA"?)

My Macbook

I was supposed to buy a Macbook right about now. I have been saving for it, and I sold my old Sony Vaio to add to my funds. The initial press release for Mac OS X Leopard hinted of a Spring 2007 availability, so I thought I could buy one by salary day May.

More than a month ago, I found out that Apple got a part of the Mac OS X Leopard team to work on the iPhone, so that it can be released by June 2007. This move pushed back Leopard a few months to Oct. Since I did not have another PC (once I sold my laptop), I felt I had no choice but to buy one even with the current Mac OS X Tiger. Good thing J "won" the right to purchase 1 of the Dell desktop PCs used by our clients and he lent me this instead. So I figured, I could buy my Mac in the fall.

My other friend J was assigned here in Japan about a month ago, and he was also planning to buy a MacBook. Since he did not have a computer yet, he had to buy already - a white MacBook with Core Duo 2.0, 1GB memory, 80GB hard disk one. (I personally would have preferred the 120GB model since I also plan to run XP on it). It was sweet! I was with him when he bought it and I also helped him in getting an Internet plan. This plan further slashed 30,000 yen off his purchase price - not bad!

A few days ago, Apple released a faster variety of the MacBook, increasing the processor and storage a bit. The processor is now 2.16, while the HD is 120GB. I was tempted to buy one then and there! Good thing I didn't have the money yet, I would've circled it until I finally bought it.

But is Leopard really worth the wait? There are a number of specific changes and enhancements announced. Some notable features include support for writing 64-bit graphical user interface applications, an automated backup utility called Time Machine, support for Spotlight searches across multiple machines, and large revisions to most core operating system components. Leopard is also expected to include a software assistant known as Boot Camp, which assists the installation of Windows XP or Windows Vista to a separate partition (or separate internal drive) on Intel-based Macs. Hmmm...

After going home and stewing about it for a while, I think I'm gonna hold out for the newer OS. I still have J's desktop anyway!

Reminiscing: JPI 3rd Batch 4th Anniversary (Aug 1999)

By Agdie

Four. Four years have passed since we first met each other. It's like graduating from high school or college (with a 4-year course). But since all of us took JPI 101, we still have 2 more years before graduation.

In those four years, we've seen a lot of changes. We underwent a lot of experiences. We had spent a lot of time together. But also, there came a time when we started to go on our own businesses. And until now, we have never been complete. Nonetheless, the sense of companionship and loyalty to the batch are still there. But what did change during the past four years...

Sir Mon - ang pinaka-mature sa batch (it goes with the experiences kasi...), dating kasa-kasama sa training, substitute sa mga nihongo instructors na absent, our ever-reliable help pagdating sa mga assignments sa nihongo or during reviews, our 'yayo' pagdating sa paggagala sa japan (kaya marami-rami ring napuntahan at hindi nag-aalala sa pagsakay-sakay or pag-order-order), ngayon ay maipagmamalaki na ng batch dahil sa paggiging leader, hindi lang ng isa kundi dalawang teams pa! talagang sanay humawak ng tao, bukod doon, trainer pa ng mga pumapasok na bagong batches, takbuhan pa rin pagdating sa nihongo (nung wala pa si yoshi...), mas malaki na ang responsibilidad sa kumpanya (kahit maliit pa rin siya...), malapit na sigurong ikasal (?)...

Butch - ang enteng ng batch, payat pa rin hanggang ngayon, pinakamagaling sa batch pagdating sa unix at iba pang os, ngayon eh magaling na rin pagdating sa web programming, magaling mag-gitara at nagtuturo pa (dahil gusto niya ngayon siya na ang kakanta...), na-link kay sylvia at vitz, pati na rin kay abba-sensei, pero si shaolin kid pa rin ang nagpatibok ng puso...

Wewet - ang instik na napagkakamalang haponesa, payat pa rin kung titingnan pero tumaba na raw siya (according to her...), magaling pa rin sa nihongo, andun pa rin yung malalantik at mahahabang daliri, dati ay palaisipan kung nilalang nga siya or hindi - ikaw ba naman ang magluto ng 4:00 am, matutulog lang ng konting oras pero buhay na buhay pa rin kahit sa office, hindi giniginaw kahit winter, walang effort sa pag-akyat ng mt. fuji with matching pa-kanta kanta pa, etc. - ngayon eh palaisipan pa rin yata, mahilig pa ring mag-overseas call pero hindi na tulad ng dati na parang investor ng telephone co., ang dating pagtawag niya ng kuya eh nawala na (ano na kaya...babes, labs, sugar, popcorn...), favorite pa rin ang carpenters pero ngayon eh kinakanta na rin ang birdie...(hindi kaya eto ang theme song nila?)...

Bong - isa sa mga naunang pumunta sa japan, dati ay nangangapa lang pagdating sa computers, pero ngayon eh oracle dba pa, pakonti nang pakonti ang buhok...sa ulo (sa taas...), unang naging dcs, pero nalipat sa mst, naging mas 'girl' ngayon, naging model ng 'her bench', nabulag si sylvia (wala pa bang wedding plans?)

Sylvia - ang 'sandra bullock' ng jpi (tuwang-tuwa...), suki ng japan, walang formal training sa nihongo pero kayang-kayang mabuhay sa japan, at nahilig na rin sa pagkaing hapon, from dcs napunta sa mst (sinusundan si bong?), maputi pa rin, parang naging mas mataray? (siguro nahawa kay bong...)

Dong - isa sa maipagmamalaki sa batch dahil sa pagiging asst. leader niya ngayon (eh halos kasi lahat ng training/seminar eh sinamahan..), dati ay payat, ngayon eh medyo tumataba na siya (marami nga ang nakapansin...), andun pa rin ang kanyang asset...ang kanyang boses, kaya kahit maraming bagong magaling kumanta eh wala pa ring tatalo sa original songer (o sige na nga, nandoon pa rin yung isa pa niyang asset, pero marami na'ng kakumpitensiya...), dating tinutukso kay vitz at hindi niya ito ma-take, pero ngayon eh take-na-take na niya...and going strong pa di ba?

Aimee - ang pinakaunang nagka-pamilya sa batch, from nomad naging oracle d2000 forms and reports expert at access na rin, malaki na ang itinaba compared nung trainee (pero hindi tumaba after manganak?), lalo (daw) lumaki ang balakang, mas straight na ang buhok ngayon, shopping queen noon, pero super mom na ngayon (stage mother naman kay 'mre)...

Jayvee - lalo siyang tumaba ngayon, dating taga-dcs pero ngayon eh napunta na sa itpst, ang walang kupas na dayanara torres ng jpi, pinakamayaman sa batch (kaya mo bang mag-tour sa hongkong at singapore?), lumala ang ingrown kaya nagpa-thank u doc...ng kuko,

Ruther - dati ay payat siya, pero ngayon eh nabibilang na rin sa mga malulusog sa batch, dati ay nagpo-program lang siya, ngayon pati hardware and maintenance eh ginagawa niya, paiba-iba ang ayos ng buhok - from kulot, naging unat, naging wavy..., paiba-iba rin ang cellphone (at ang kulay nito ay kulay din ng suot...), marami na ring napuntahang bansa tulad ng qatar at singapore bukod pa sa japan, at malapit na ring maging saudi boy...

Agdie - Magaling pa rin sumayaw. Noon ay taga-CMS project pero nagpalipat dahil hindi niya raw type ang work (swerte mo!). Dating MS ACCESS programmer ngayon ay oracle na ang hawak. Mataba pa rin hanggang ngayon.

Kenx - ang henyo ng batch, dati ay programmer lang, pero ngayon eh kayang-kaya nang ring mag-design ng system (pati pix nila ni wife eh nagawan ng program...), mahilig mag-chat dati at dahil dito ay natagpuan ang kanyang wife, honey, etc..., dati ay happy-go-lucky, pero ngayon eh family man na and soon-to-be father pa,

Emil - ang nagbibigay buhay dati sa batch lang, pero ngayon sa buong kumpanya na, dati payat siya, tapos tumaba (dahil sa mga experiment cooking...), pero ngayon eh sexy na daw, dati itim ang buhok pero ngayon eh paiba-iba na ang kulay, maraming nali-link sa kanya noon at magpahanggang ngayon, mapa-local or international, dati ay konti lang ang alam pagdating sa computers, pero ngayon mapa-software or hardware eh kayang-kaya na, dati ay programmer lang, pero ngayon eh key person pa, dati ay simple lang ang kanyang buhay, pero ngayon ay sosyal na siya (o pa-sosyal), dumadami ang papa at jun-jun, maraming na ring mga pagdapa ang naranasan, pero ala-Miriam Quiambao, taas-noo pa ring tumatayo at ipapakita ang napakamahal na ngiti na kulay blue...orange...red...violet...ang walang kupas na ms universe...ang inay ng jpi...

Noel - ang pinakamatangkad and pinakamalaki sa batch, na lalong pang lumaki ngayon...ang katawan, maitim pa rin (dahil sa tagal sa qatar...), expert sa powerpoint noon, pero ngayon pati na rin sa windows nt, nakabuo ng guwapong bata (buti na lang mana kay misis...)

Vitz - noon eh sakitin ang dating niya - madaling mag-chill at malma na ang pag-ubo na parang pati baga eh lalabas na, pero ngayon eh malusog na siya, at hindi na rin maawat ang paglaki ng...bilbil at puson, dati ay maitim ang dating niya, pero ngayon eh fair complexion na(salamat sa chin-chun-zu) at kinaiinggitan ang kanyang magandang buhok (gastusan ba naman ng katakut-takot...), dati ay malikot ang kanyang kamay at maraming mannerisms na kakaiba, pero ngayon eh wala na ito, kay dong na lang niya nagagamit ang pagka-likot ng kamay (come to think of it...dito yata niya nakuha si dong...)

There are a lot of changes that happened - either physical, personality-wise, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual. A lot of experiences have passed our way - happy or sad. A lot of moments we've shared - in victories or defeats. But in those four years, the companionship, the care for one another, the laughter and tears remained the same.


Changes may have taken its course in our batch, but I still believe that these changes, whether bad or good, helped us into what and where we are right now, a more responsible, more intelligent, God-fearing, and better individuals striving for the best!



HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
GOD BLESS US ALL!

Sige, Bowling pa!

 

Another addiction I'm having recently is with Bowling.

I don't think I can ever be an expert in this game, but going through it and developing my body's tactile memory to it is fun.

Since February, I think we bowled 6 times already.  i know that's not a lot, but I used to bowl like once a year only, during our company's tournament.  6 times since Feb is like every other weekend. 

I have a beef with bowling, a score to settle if you will.  My Jap friends and I bowled last August and I ended up getting the lowest score not only from our team but out of everybody.  There was a time I only got 70! and my highest was only 100!!!

Why did I get those scores?  For one thing, I don't have a constant throw.  Secondly, my ball always curves to the left and not at a constant rate.  Sometimes, it curves near the kingpin, sometimes halfway down the lane.  Lastly, I just don't know how!  I only bowl on instinct. 

Now, I know how to fix this.  I switched to a heavier ball (13pounds) to counteract the early curve of the ball.  I am now throwing the ball the same way as much as possible.  I also let go of the mentality of aiming for strikes only; because downing spares can improve my accuracy a lot quicker than just hitting the 1&3 pins and praying for a strike.  With constant practice and an increasing love of the game, I am currently averaging 126.  I had 2 150+ games the other time.  I really hope to master this in time for our tournament on April 21!

Gambatteru!

 

 

 

 

Roppongi in the Daytime

 

A few days ago, I went to Roppongi to renew my passport.  Our embassy (and most other countries') is located there, so off we trekked.

We found the embassy with little difficulty.  During the walk, I noticed the usual places I passed in the few times I've been there.  But all these other times were at night, as we went to Roppongi to sample the night life.  These places looked oh so normal.  It was still vibrant, but not as lively at night.  Maybe it's because it's their downtime, I don't know.  The Tokyo Tower still slices the sky, but without the illumination, it just seemed so...  clinical...  devoid of exuberance. 

Anyway, we spent almost an hour inside the embassy.  We still had to cut our photos...  We needed to affix our thumbmarks...  And we had to line up to the 'express lane' which wasn't that speedy at all!  But it was still loads better than queueing in the actual DFA office in Libertad.  So come to think of it, it wasn't that bad.  We could have claimed our new passports yesterday, but we couldn't afford to go back there and be absent again.  So we just paid the additional delivery fee of so that they'll deliver our passports at home.  Hopefully, it'll be at home by April 5th.

Back to the Roppongi scene.  As we were making our way back to the Hibiya line, we passed by the usual places...  TGIF, Hard Rock...  It was lunchtime then, but it wasn't that bustling.  We easily found seats at TGIFriday's. 

Am I just expecting too much?  Or is this just how Roppongi looks like in the daytime?  Maybe not.  Or maybe all the cool people are just asleep.

 

 

What a busy day!

Hello friends!

Just had quite a busy day today. I woke up early to play badminton, coz I'll meet my friend M who will be coming to Kozukue Chiku Center. But I had to wait for A, so we arrived around 30 mins late. Hehe...

We played from 9:45 to 12:15, with just a 30 min break because someone else reserved from 11:15-11:45. While waiting for them to finish, we played hoops.

After playing, we went directly to Yokohama station coz we agreed to bowl. We went to Round1 to reserve, and they told us we had to wait for 1.5 - 2 hours. Which was ok, coz we still had to eat lunch. You know where? Of course at Yoshimura-ya! I had my usual tonkotsu chashumen, which is ramen with pork slices, seaweed, spinach, garlic in meat broth. Yum yum! The last time I ate there was Feb 27. Hisashiburi deshita!

After eating, the number at the bowling place was still at 40. Ours was 48, so we still waited around 30 mins. Had to sneak off to Starbucks for my daily caramel macchiato fix. =)

Finally, at around 4, we were able to get 2 lanes!!! 5 games will take 5 hours I think!
The matchings were:
E vs. W
R vs. J
A vs. T
K vs. V
M vs. A

J, my 'rival' and I had a close matchup! We even finished the last game at 153 points apiece! The guys told us that they will look forward to next month's company bowling tournament! =)

They even had these games at 45-min intervals (I think) where they turn off the lights and just turn on the red lights at the side of the lane. If you get a strike (9 pins for girls), they give you a prize. Today's prize is like a Bowling ball rack photo frame. It was really cute! I was the last to get one!

We finished at around 9pm. Grabe! Now, as I write this. I can feel the exhaustion on my right arm... By tomorrow, ok na to!

All in all, even though it was tiring, we still had a lot of fun!

There's no rushing forgiveness

A careless remark of mine hurt a close friend recently. I can really be that tactless sometimes.

Now I'm sorry, and I'm hoping that remark wouldn't affect our friendship.

But I guess time is really everybody's healer. All I can do right now is wait and still be sorry.


Still sorry...

Time of the Season

Ahoy, mateys!

American Idol theme nights usually help me remember songs from yesteryear. Eliott Yamin did it a few times last year, so I got to revisit 'Moody's Mood for Love', 'I Believe to My Soul', 'Teach Me Tonight', 'What You Won't Do For Love', 'A Song for You' and 'Knocks Me Off My Feet', to name a few. These are all still in my iPod! =)

A couple of days ago, I saw Blake Lewis perform "Time of the Season" by the Zombies in American Idol, and boy did that bring back memories (Not of that time ha? coz I wasn't even born yet! Mostly of the times when I first listened to those kinds of songs - when I was in college with my barkada). I generally like songs from the British Invasion, and this was one of my favorites. It was jazzy and even pimpy because of the lyrics. Blake put a modern twist to it by putting his usual beatbox routine and his strut dance moves. It was a great performance!

To those who don't know the song, maybe you've encountered it already. It's on the episode of Friends, TOW the Flasback. It's the song that played on the Jukebox in Rachel's dream sequence when she was fantasizing about Chandler.

This song was also played in the background in an episode of The Simpsons, more specifically episode "D'oh-in In the Wind" in which Homer briefly becomes a hippie.

The term, 'Who's Your Daddy?' arguably traces its roots from this song.


Here are the lyrics:

It's the time of the season
When the love runs high
In this time, give it to me easy
And let me try
With pleasured hands

To take you and the sun to
Promised lands
To show you every one
It's the time of the season for loving

What's your name?
(What's your name?)
Who's your daddy?
(Who's your daddy? He rich?)
Is he rich like me?

Has he taken
(Has he taken)
Any time
(Any time to show)
To show you what you need to live?
Tell it to me slowly
Tell you what?
I really want to know
It's the time of the season for loving

What's your name?
(What's your name?)
Who's your daddy?
(Who's your daddy? He rich?)
Is he rich like me?

Has he taken
(Has he taken)
Any time
(Any time to show)
To show you what you need to live?
Tell it to me slowly
Tell you what?
I really want to know
It's the time of the season for loving

LaLaport Yokohama now open!

A new mall opened last March 15 near Kamoi station, Lalaport Yokohama.

http://yokohama.lalaport.jp/ (Sorry, Japanese page only!)


It has 13 screens, dozens of stores, boutiques and restaurants, 2 department stores, 3 supermarkets and a Starbucks.

Here are some things I already did there:
- Ate at CPK on the opening night
- Bought my Wii at ItoYokado
- Watched Spider-man 3 there last May 1
- Purchased many clothes at Uniqlo - the ones on sale, of course!
- Purchased my Fossil watch there
- Bought my black and white Adidas SS 2 PTS at Ito Yokado
- Enjoyed the many comfortable couches while watching many kawaii oneechans pass by
- Bought I don't know how many cups of coffee at Starbucks

As long as there's a Starbucks, the mall's ok with me. ;)

Maritess vs. the Superfriends

I really like the comedy of Rex Navarette.

He's the kind of guy that makes you go, "Oo nga ano, ganon pala tayong mga Pinoy!"

I've watched his DVD "efforts", and listened to his 3 audio CDs. Laughed my head off, man!

One of his best bits is this one: http://www.fractalcow.com/rex/
(choose either Low or High quality, depending on your internet connection speed)

Still makes me laugh, after all this time. =D

Another swf file of note, SBC Packers. "If you pack with us, we'll pack with you"
Find it here

Happy Times are Here Again!

Tomorrow's Allowance Day!

Yes! I can finally start saving again. Felt drained the past couple of months. Happy, yet drained.

Oops, I forgot. I still have to buy my MacBook!

Kahit Pa

Muling lalapit
Ang liwanag sa paligid
At ang tinig
Na sa akin nagsasabing

Hindi mapipigil ng mundo
Papatunayan ang pangako

Dahil kailangan ka
Kailangang pakita natin tayo’y iba
At kahit pa
Hindi papipigil sa mundo
At sa umagang darating
Lahat ay aking kakayanin
At kahit pa ikaw lang at ako

Huwag mong iisipin
Ang mga harang sa atin
At ang ihip ng hangin ay darating

Bigla lang titigil ang mundo
At ang lahat ay maglalaho

Hindi ko man hawak ang panahon
Maging ang ikot ng buhay
Basta’t ikaw at ikaw pa rin
Ikaw at ikaw pa rin

Broken Sonnet

And now I concede on the night of this fifteenth song
Of melancholy, of melancholy
And now I will admit in this fourth line
That I love you I love you
I don’t care what they say
I don’t care what they do

‘Cause tonight I leave my fears behind
‘Cause tonight I’ll be right at your side

The clock on the TV says 8:39pm
It’s the same it’s the same
And in this next line I’ll say it all over again
That I love you I love you

Lie down right next to me
And I will never let you go
But still I see the tears from your eyes
Maybe I’m just not the one for you

Caramel Macchiato

After trying all of Starbuck's coffees, I came to like Caramel Macchiato the best. This March, I think I had it 20 times already. That's like once a day. Am I this addicted already? Y-y-y-yes, I think so!

Maybe there's a cheaper alternative. After all, it costs me 410Yen a pop for a Tall Hot cup. To those who want to make their own cup, here's the recipe I think tastes the nearest to the original:

Caramel Macchiato
The average coffee mug is probably equivalent to a Tall (12-oz/355 mL). I am not following precise Starbucks standards, though if you must know it's properly one shot of espresso, about .75 oz syrup (.25 oz per 4 oz liquid capacity).
milk
espresso
vanilla syrup
your favorite caramel sauce
In a regular-sized coffee mug, add vanilla syrup and steamed milk. Top with milk foam and add freshly brewed espresso through the foam. Drizzle with caramel sauce.

Voila! You now have your own steaming cup of your favorite liquid poison!

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to JB & Ciara!

Their party was a little different from what we usually do. They prepared a barbecue feast for us, at the banks of the Tsurumi-gawa near Kamoi station. I liked the chicken, pork roast and beef slices! Yum yum! The usual Starbucks dosage at mid-afternoon complemented the feast!

Dinner & Drinks followed in JB's room. We had beer and white tequila. But aside from that, the usual 'kwentuhan' was the best part of all!

Today was the best! Thanks, everybody!




P.S. Happy birthday also to some of my other friends, Bebe, Ate Wewet, and Art!

Notting Hill

I love this movie! and yes, I'm a guy.

In the 8 years since it has been released (watched it in '99), I have watched it countless times, even bringing my VCD, then avi, then DVD copy, whenever I'm assigned abroad.

I still can't pinpoint what I like about it.

Is it a commoner hooking up with a famous actess?

Is it the songs, which draws you into the story? I mean, who wouldn't get drawn when Hugh Grant's character William is literally aching and Al Green's rendition of 'How can you mend a broken heart' is playing? Or when William walks the streets with the changing seasons while 'Ain't no Sunshine' tearfully invents itself?

Is it the oh-so-syruppy ending, when William non-chalantly tells Anna that he is a 'daft prick' and if she would mind taking him back?

Is it at the whoopsidaisies scene and we are shown how sweet and innocent a garden is? (Nice shot with the camera swooping up at the end of that scene)

Maybe it's just the magic of falling in love.
Yeah, maybe that's it! =)

I'm Back! after more than a year!

It's me! I'm sorry for not being able to update my file. I know I wasn't that busy, I guess I was just too lazy to update. What happened the past year, you ask?

1. Am a year older
2. 2nd straight year in Japan
3. Watched shows get cancelled - Arrested Development, The OC, Veronica Mars, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (?)
4. Brought my family here in Japan to stay with me for 6 months
5. Met new friends and bonded with them
6. Went home to Manila for 4 friggin' days last January!
7. Watched UAAP limp around without La Salle
8. Ginebra won the last conference
9. Ate around 50 bowls of Ramen at Yoshimura-ya in the past year
10. Went to Universal Studios Japan, Disneyland, Disneysea, Sea Paradise and even Sanrio Puroland!
11. Was promoted (kinda)
12. My assignment was extended to Sep 2007

What else can I say? I'll expound more on some items in the following days. I'll be selling my computer so I'm using a temporary one. I'll be buying a MacBook soon, just after they start selling the Mac OS X Leopard. They say, it'll be out this spring, and what do you know, today is Vernal Equinox Day!

Peace!