iPhone-5 shy

Twas the night before Apple's event, when all through the 'net
Not a blogger was snoozing, not even Henry Blodget.
All the cameras were placed on tripods with care,
In hopes that a new iPhone would soon be there.

Everyone kept clutching at the vaguest rumor threads,
While visions of real product leaks danced through their heads.
And the editors in their offices and the interns in their homes,
Still hoped to be the next geeky Sherlock Holmes.

When out on the Twitter there arose such a clatter,
And everyone clicked to see what was the matter.
To Tweetie and HootSuite they all flew like a flash,
Hoping for a headline that would make a splash.

They watched the trending topics with eager eyes,
While trying to suppress all their weary sighs.
When, what to their wondering eyes should appear,
But a video of man they all held so very dear.

In the turtleneck they thought took its leave,
There stood their beloved darling Steve.
And more rapid than eagles the tech bloggers came,
As if someone had whistled and called them by name!

"Now Scoble! Now Gruber! Now Siegler and Kirkpatrick!
On Topolsky! On Swisher! On, on Fried and Malik!
To the top of Techmeme! No time for a conference call!
Now write away! Write away! Write away all!"

As they had so often done on such a night,
They all put their hands on keyboards with delight.
And into WordPress they logged their names,
Without worrying about the commenters' flames.

And then, after a refresh, they'd see on the RSS,
That the news had already gotten press.
They'd spare an instant to glare at the screens,
Before focusing on what this all means.

Catching a glimpse of Mr. Steve Jobs,
Had turned them all into curious mobs.
Was he coming back?
Would Cook leave the pack?

His eyes--how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow!
And the stubble on his chin was as dark as dirty snow.

The box of a gadget he held tight in his hand,
And the shine from it was more than most could stand.
He had a narrow face and a little flat belly.
That didn't shake when he laughed, not like jelly.

He wasn't chubby or plump, but slender like a majestic elf,
And everyone laughed at the sight, in spite of her or himself.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave all know that there was nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And prepared the presentation, then turned with a jerk.
And laying a finger before his lips, 
He silenced all demands for tips.

He sprang to his feet, to the bloggers gave a whistle,
And into the articles and posts they all flew like a missile.
But he was heard exclaiming, 'ere he disappeared from sight,
"Happy Keynote to all, and to all a good night!"


*This is a repost from Rosa Golijan of msnbc.com.

You say I'm like the weather

You say I'm like the weather.

I'm too unpredictable.

I can be bright & warm like the sun.

I can be gloomy like it's about to rain.

I can also be as terrible as the storms come - surprisingly bringing you down.

You say I'm like the weather.
I'm too unpredictable.
But even if it's raining, you know the sun is always somewhere hidden beyond the clouds.
The heart always burns out brighter after the rain.

Stay unpredictable.

chiclois

The angry bird that makes everyone smile

World, meet Angry Bird!

Name: Seth Nathaniel Revil Pasco
B-date: 28 August 2011
Residence: V Rama St, Cebu City

wall of ice

I tried to reach out to you today, in multiple ways. But you only brushed me off because you're busy or something else... This scene looks like a replay, trying to look back on the other times this happened.

I may be reading too much into it, but I think that you are mad at me. I wasn't sure so I asked. But you are cold and detached. 

Then when you left without even talking to me, I knew then that something's not right between us.

I wanted to go after you so we can talk. But I held back for I was afraid I'd get rejected again. 

Rejection really cuts you inside. No matter how high you hold your chin up or how wide your smile could go, the eyes won't lie. They'll tell you I'm hurting.

You might say I'm overreacting. That this may really be nothing, but I know it isn't. You usually tell me why. Now, you didn't. So what's different? What's wrong?

Tell me so I can fix it. If I can't, at least I can try. Please don't put up this wall of ice. I don't have enough warmth in me to melt it down.

Make me your radio,
Turn me up when you feel low,
This melody was meant for you,
So sing-a-long to my stereo

can you be my cotton?

I'd like to believe I'm an absorbent cotton. I'd rather read and ingest all the ideas the author is trying to message whether indirectly or not; than sharing what I've gathered. Hmm. No, I don't think so... Really! I'm quite the opposite.

Sometimes when I get excited, I tell the next person what it is about or how I think about it. Ha ha! I can get annoying like that, but my friends tell me I'm just being adorable. But mind you, these friends love me too much to care my idiosyncrasies.

Enough of that. Let me get to my point now. One of the blogger/author that I have kept in my reading list is and has been Jessica Zafra. The latest post that I've read from her blog just hit close to home. Why? Allow me to list them. But before you go any further, please read up on the post so you and I will be on the same page. Don't worry, I will wait for you here... Go!!!

Auntie Janey's Agony

...

...

...

So, I assume you HAVE already read the post, right? Here you go...

BPO industry. This has been my home for 6 years now; and I'm happy. We all know it gives good pay and a lot of room for growth faster than other companies, mainly because they focus more on the performance and not just tenure. So young people can get promoted and reach the same rung in the ladder that other people of age may have worked for, for so long. For me, it's not actual promotion but the opportunities I am given to develop the skills that I need for my job is way better.

This kind of work demands flexibility. You have to be flexible enough to work during the nights but sometimes you can be called to report during the days. I am a big fan of working at night. I'm not necessarily nocturnal. I just hate the traffic and heat in the morning.
 

 

I have always admired people who value the same principle as I do. Which is basically, "Mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." In one word - indifference. This really does get to the other person - the hater. It is the best revenge, after all.

My final message is this: Be happy. If you already are, don't stick with people who pull you down. If they are getting to you; then say your piece. Don't be afraid to speak your mind. They may act superior than you, but really, it just came from a source of inferiority within them. They may just be plain jealous of you.

my dream wedding

I have just been recently engaged, and it's the greatest thing! My boyfriend was the sweetest --- he bought me a beautiful engagement ring. And the proposal? Well, we were both in tears. We were both so giddy about the next chapter of our lives.

Now, for the mean time, I want to share what I want for my wedding.

Well, I haven't really been dreaming about the actual wedding. Rather, I have my own wish for the reception. It's actually simple. I don't want the traditional reception of a Filipino church wedding that I have usually attended. It's not that I have something against tradition. But I just want to have fun! 

What I really want to do is just eat AND listen to this guy sing. That's it. I want a mini concert on my wedding. Is that too much to ask? I hope not.

scribble

finding needles

I quote Steve Jobs as to the difficulty in finding the right applicant to fill the vacancy whether it's a new position or as a back-fill for someone who left the company. This is what he said:

Recruiting is hard. It’s just finding the needles in the haystack. You can’t know enough in a one-hour interview.So, in the end, it’s ultimately based on your gut. How do I feel about this person? What are they like when they’re challenged? I ask everybody that: ‘Why are you here?’ The answers themselves are not what you’re looking for. It’s the meta-data.

I couldn't have said it any better. I mean, I've had successful recruits but sometimes you just get surprised. Your expectations weren't met and so you ask yourself about how the interview went. You just can't recall anything that would have told you about what will happen to the recruit, and to the team.


This week, we will be welcoming 2 or 3 more recruits to the team. Let's all hope for the best!




Cheers,
Team Lead with the lion heart

Brand New Day

Some kind of magic
happens late at night
when the moon smiles at me
and bathes me in its light


It's a brand new day
The sun is shining
It's a brand new day
For the first time in such a long, long time
I know I'll be OK




-Joshua Radin-








xoxo
Sent from my iPhone

and when it's time...

It's inevitable. I'm going away... away from the family that I have known to love for the last two and a half years. The team who has taught me a lot of things; one of which was how to be strong to face the challenges ahead. I can try to show to them how they mean to me, individually and as a whole group. But I don't wanna cry every time. 


Inasmuch as I want to say that I've been proud to watch them grow because I had been part of all of it; but I know that they have made me strong and fragile at the same time. These days, I love to look at our photos to reminisce while I am still here with them. It's my way of coping when I know that I will hit the lowest and feel loneliest without my team. 


There have already been changes as a team usually goes through in any company. I already have 7 members who are no longer part of the team, and we are also expecting 3 more soon. Just like in life --- You win some, and you lose some. Although I do not believe I lost any of them, we always try to communicate to those 7 outside so they still know what's going on in the team. I guess we can never really learn to let go. And I wouldn't want to, anyway. 

This is a glass parade

A fragile state

And I am trying not to break 

And the stars are shining

The moon is right

And I would kill to be with you tonight 

Wish you told me all the truth

So afraid to face an absolute

All the fights you had to lose

All the fear was put upon you

I found you when you were broken

Too many cracks of deceit

I will give you all I have

Just look up, break down and believe

roll with the punches

Someone told me about her version of the old adage that goes:
"Huwag mong gawin sa iba kung ayaw mong gawain nila sa yo."


and her version goes like this:
"Huwag mong gawin sa iba kung ayaw mong gawain nila sa anak mo."




In English, it means "Don't do unto others what you do not want them to do to your kids."


It got me thinking and I agree with her on this, that sometimes you can take crap from other people because you know in one way you deserved it as you may have done it to some other people too. Now, what if it happens to your kids? It's a different story, right? 


Case in point: If other people bully you, it's OK. It can be annoying but it's OK. If people lie to and steal from you, it's not really OK but you can move on. So what if your own kids get those kinds of crap? Hmm. Some people would say they'd rather be hurt or pained; than seeing their own children suffer. It's just like that. Crappy, ain't it?

I have been missing my sister so much these days. I know she's going through a lot that may be too much for some, but she's a strong and willful woman. So I try to be there for her in spite of, that's what sisters are for. 
I hope she knows how much I love her and support her. All of us in the family do.


That's her in the photo and I can try to come up with a list of what she might be thinking about at this exact moment that this picture was taken. Although I'd rather not share it here... She might read this and may not like it if I did. 
But I can share this --- she could be thinking of her two beautiful kids; Angel Fredelle Mishka and Mikhail Kendric, what the future holds for them. She is a wonderful mother to them; which isn't really surprising as she has shown me her motherly instincts even when we were just kids ourselves. And to think that she's my younger sister, if you didn't know that I'm the eldest child in the family. What did surprise me was that she has turned around her life to try to make it better for them. She never gave up, no matter how hard life pushes her. And I really admire her for that. I don't think I can be half as good as a mother as she is; but she will be my inspiration. That's for sure.




sending my love to you
ster ♥

8-21-18-22-5

A friend once shared to me that he is estranged to his father, or rather his father is estranged to him. I'm not quite sure. He goes on that it's been 3 years now since he last saw or even spoke with his father. That he may or may not see his father when his father may or may not come home.
A shiver went up my spine. I can't imagine what he must be feeling. Is it longingness? Or does he feel resentment?
He doesn't really share his feelings. He barely even shares stories about him to others. He hardly trusts people enough to share his past or innermost thoughts, that he'd rather stay quiet and mull over his thoughts with a smile tugging on the side. There are layers and layers of him that no one can really be too sure.
To some, he can be a bit mysterious. To me, he's also just sad.
I wonder now, as I look back, if he only felt resignation, as if in defeat of an unnamed war. A war that will probably never end; as other faceless, nameless children would also have to fight in their battles to try to fit their lives into their fathers'.
Once a father, he will always try to be what his father never was to him - a dad who is going to be there for his son, a dad who teaches him the values and beliefs he needs to survive in this life, and a dad who showed all his love and care enough for the son to grow.
Maybe in time, he can say that he is a better father to his son than his father ever was to him.
That is one wish I have for my friend.
xoxo
Sent from my iPhone

Day 1

The only person who really knows me, who cares about me and loves me is now hurting because of me. I lied to him yesterday. I was scared to let him know where I was and who I was with because we might fight again. I didn't want us to fight. But he found out. I could never really lie to him, he knows. He always knows me. Now, he wants to end our more than 7-year relationship.
And now I am scared. I'm really scared because I don't know what to do now. He has always been my shoulder to cry on, my strong arm to carry me through a difficult day, my bestfriend who never lets me down. I know there's no way to take back what I did, but I wish I can! I wish I never lied! It was so stupid to think he won't know about it.
I know he's had enough of me now. He wants to move on without me.
How painful his words are to me now! I've never been so hurt by him, but he is in so much pain he because of me. He said he loves me still, but it's not enough anymore as his trust for me has gone completely. How can we move forward together when that basic requirement is now lost?
I cannot stand the pain of losing him. But more than that, I can't stand the pain of knowing he is hurting because of me.
Guilt. Regret. Sadness.
They are my companions today.
I told him that I'll always be here for him but he replies that I am making it harder for both of us. He really just wants nothing to do with me anymore. How can I change things???
Please Lord, tell me what to do.




Day 1 now ends...

I am a Filipino.

Warm tears keep trekking down my face once it started. I tried in vain to stop them from falling. It was the first time I felt a sense of awareness or enlightenment; but instead of feeling pride from the wisdom I felt, I can only feel pain. It hurts me to realize that I have been a lukewarm Filipino my whole life. I cannot blame this from my environment --- always being exposed to western brands of clothing or eating habits or paradigms, movies, songs and a lot of other things --- because I know I always have a choice. A choice to be Filipino and to show to others that I'm proud to be one.

Never was there a day was I ever guilty of choosing something American over something Filipino-made. I remember I had an argument with my sister a long time ago, about what was better to snack on --- potato chips over puto kutsinta (or was it palitaw?). I felt good I won that fight, but now I feel ashamed thinking back.

I used to think that just because US and all the other 1st world countries are progressive because they are better, and that my own nation sucks because we are still underdeveloped. So many people from all over the world has been proud of what the country had to offer --- abundant natural resources, hospitable and God-fearing people and a government that opens its arms to all kinds of trade. The same reasons which have been abused by Filipinos and by other people. And that made me feel tired, exhausted. I thought that there is no hope for my country from the graft and corruption of the government, poverty and illiteracy for a big chunk of my country men, and from people like me who are lukewarm. The same people who stand back and do nothing but talk back and complain about the situation of the Philippines, thinking that they could only help by discussing the problems and dissecting the causes and babbling about grand ideas without even taking a step to really helping the country. I am one of them.

But I do not want to be anymore. I want say that --- I was one of them --- in the future. So I can share what my mistakes were and show to the others how and what I learned. Though I still need direction and guidance as I don't know where to even start... But I just want to be a better Filipino than I was for the most part of my life.

Forgive me if I'm also writing in English as I am more eloquent than in Filipino. It's not an excuse, but still I need to learn how to write (and speak) better Filipino language.

So, you might wonder when and where this all happened? This was last Sunday at Bread of Life service. I was already crying since the start of the praise & worship (first song, chorus). I can't even understand why. It was a miracle for me. No one touched me. No one was even really talking in front, but a group of musically inclined youths who shared their talents to lead the songs in the service. I cannot even say that what I felt was also universally felt by everyone in the congregation that time for both my seat mates were neither crying nor sobbing, like I was. I just couldn't describe the overwhelming feeling I had, the sense of enlightenment and feeling of burden all at the same time. The hunger I felt to hear more of the music and the sense of purpose.

Yet, I am scared. I am scared that I might fail. Oh dear Lord, please help me.

The Adjustment Bureau

"I'm coming with you."

A simple line but it struck me the most.

The movie talks to me about faith, love and trust.

Faith, because of the underlying theme of The Chairman. The One who writes the path or what we might call destiny. Though there's always Chance - this is what's variable in life - yet most people don't do something about it.

Love. All movies, all songs everywhere always has an underlying theme of love. As they say, it makes the world go round. Cliche? Yes. But it is the core reason everyone gets up in the morning and gets going through the day - its' always love. In any form or in any way, we all have this and we never want to stop sharing about it. I guess what I want to say is, whether it's the love between lovers or friends or family: whether it's the start or the end of the line, it is always part of any story or music. It's all intercomnected because of love. We are all connected because of love.

Last but not at all the least among the three - TRUST.
Trust makes you vulnerable because you open up yourself to rejection, to possible pain, and to emptiness.
On the other hand, if that trust is reciprocated, then you become happy because all the risks is all worth it.

This movie is really talking to me about these 3 things, but more so, about trust. I broke one's trust. The only one whose trust I care about. Slowly, I'm still paying the price. It's not going to be easy, but I know it's all worth it.

"I'm coming with you."

And that is a promise...

where the love is in a cup of frozen dairy sweets

If you should know, somewhere in this mess of a blog, I posted my love of KFC krushers. It was the caramel crunch variety that I loved first, but sad to say, it did not last long like the other flavors. Oh well.

Then last year, I was sent here to Pasig for training. It was then, that I was brought to a frozen delightful corner that introduced me to and I fell in love at first sip with Caramel Moolatte. Yes, it's Dairy Queen! It's creamy-sweet and sinful just the way I like it. And I enjoyed at least one cup every day for the next week after that. It was baaad! Ha Ha Ha.

Now, that love story was short-lived. :( I had to go back home to Cebu, where Dairy Queen has not conquered yet. I hope to see DQ in my hometown soon. And I've been missing my caramelly chilled love-joy ever since.

Two days ago, I came back to Manila and was of course excited to try Dairy Queen again. I heard they had some new flavors. I've been swamped with things to do that it was only today, I got the time to hunt for the nearest Dairy Queen station.

Happiness. In. A. Cup. sip sip sip... and I let the flavor play around my mouth. Oooh bliss!

As I was going back to my hotel, I dropped by Podium to stroll and window-shop. One stall caught my eye and I knew that I got to try it. I almost didn't believe that the tubs on the freezer contained ice cream. They looked like the stuff you use as toppings on a soft ice cream. Hmm interesting. The girl at the counter gave me a free taste and so tried different flavors. Wow, it really is a fun way to eat ice cream. I purchased and enjoyed the orange & coffee cheesecake combo in a regular cup. I also realized that orange flavored ice cream is promising. Yey! So I've found a new love. Oh, and by the way, did I saythat it's Dippin' Dots?

You should try it. And if you have, tell me if bubble gum taste good coz I'm planning to get another cup tomorrow. ;-)

It's summer and it's really warmer than usual. But I can beat the sun's heat as long as I can enjoy my cup of frozen dairy sweets. So should you.

later,

chiclois ♥

mint

Life is good.

Sometimes, it isn't but TODAY it is.

That's enough for me.

May the endorphins lull me to sleep now.

broken glass

I miss you.

I know that I have been truant for about a year now, and I know it's inexcusable. But let me try to rationalize why I haven't been to see you for such a long time.

I've been busy. Yeah, that's right. After my last post, I was so preoccupied with work that I got too focused or distracted (however you want to see it) that every time I reach home, I get so tired and I can't even come up with random words to say to you.

I was too sad. Depressed? Maybe. My last post was about my disappointment at a friend who actually was the one who inspired me to start you, my dear blogger. So you understand that I don't really want to be reminded of that hurt.

I almost forgot you existed. This may sound harsh, but I just want to come clean to you. Because I ended up avoiding other blogs after the harsh EOF (that means End Of Friendship for you) that was all in my mind; for a time I forgot about you. I'm really to sorry to say that I did.

Now that I have listed the reasons above, I can see that they're not worth telling them. For they actually hurt much more than if I just shut up. Well, it's a good thing, then, that you don't have any feelings. Thanks for letting me air this all out. So now I want to let you know that I'm back and I'm gonna keep you.

There is also one other fairly new friend who inspired me to write again. She awaken in me the desire to write and express myself like I do when in front of my friends. She once said, that she is better with printed words than the spoken ones; while I, on the other hand, do not have the knack to write. As you well know, I am a little more than the usual talk-active girl in a group, and can be overbearing when I speak. I really enjoy talking, sometimes even more than listening --- which I should change. By writing more about what I really think and what I want to talk about, I can probably learn to be a more active listener.

Her name is Oena, by the way. And she just barely started her blog, which you may find uncanny for me. I only read one post, and she got me sobbing for dear life. But that's the way it is. Life sometimes throws you lessons in extra-ordinary people or circumstances. Thanks, Oen!

xoxo

chiclois ♥