What I like about Bangkok

It's colorful.

It's creative.

Size matters.

Detail does too.

It's modern.

It's old.

It's quite and meditative ...

But fun and noisy at the same time.

Ahhhhh This is what I needed!

If you're good, I believe God will grant your prayers. If you are extra good, he will give you what you need. I love my vacation. I'm having fun. I'm losing weight - although that hasn't been confirmed yet. And I love love love the people I'm with. I promise I will make it a priority to save up for vacations like these. Next time, I wish the whole family would go together. What a blast that would be.

Will post pics soon. For now, I just want the world to know what a great idea this was despite the possibility of a protest, the untimeliness of the situation and the lack of funds.

Stop Trying So Hard

There will be bad hair days and just really bad days.

Yesterday, on the way home, I took the wrong jeepney. Then after realizing this and how late I was, I got into a cab that couldn't take me home because the driver needed to pick up another passenger. So he got me into another cab who had to drop off another passenger at SM City before he could drive me home. So finally got home late and started to change gear for my boardwalk run. I called my friend that I was ready and then realized that I had locked myself out of my bedroom. My keys, my money and my cellphone were inside. And I couldn't get it to open. So I borrowed money from my sister and headed off to Boardwalk. Halfway there, my sister texted my friend (since I didn't have my phone) to let me know that my Dad just sawed off my bedroom window so that he could try to open the door from the inside. Only it wouldn't open from the inside because the lock was jammed (probably because I kicked the door several times). So my Dad took his hammer and broke the doorknob from the outside. And that leaves me with an open window and a broken bedroom door.

On the bright side ... I ran 2.4 km, walked 4.8km and had fun with my friends that night even with bad hair :)
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Was reading through my favorite blogs and found this note from John Mayer on his blog:

I'm living out of a duffel bag and a messenger bag. I'm taking photos and taking cabs and taking chances on restaurants that might be the equivalent of a Spagos or a Shoney's. I'm re-using socks. (once over.) I'm sweating on a treadmill. I'm taking cat naps while in motion. I'm you, only with a guitar and some songs that people can sing along to.

La lang. I'm just happy to  know  that he is re-using his socks once over. Haha.

Motivation

Started going to the gym yesterday with my yahyah buddies. It helps to do it as a group because we all keep encouraging one another to keep up. It's much more fun to get through the routines with a bit of laughter in-between. Not attending the scheduled work-outs means you stood up your friends which we don't want to do to each other. And having Cid Lucero as bodyguard helps a lot too.

Anyway, my friend Super Mama started a trend while we were gritting our teeth through crunches yesterday which prompted me to make a motiovational list while doing all our circuit training exercises. For beginners there are 15-20 counts through each repetition with usually 3 reps for each exercise. There are about 20 exercise for the workout program so it gets harder as you go along. I thought that instead of counting the number of times we grunt our way through a leg raise or a bicep pull, we should recite motivational words to get us through a repetition. They must be recited in order because as the exercises get harder, the stronger the motivation needed. So here's my list: :)

1. long gown
2. skinny jeans
3. tuck-in
4. pantsuits
5. mini-skirts
6. pencil cuts
7. sleevless
8. halter tops
9. spaghetti
10. strapless
11. sarong
12. tube
13. belly-ring
14. see-through
15. backless
16. tangga
17. swimsuit
18. two-piece
19. topless
20. nude :)

Feel free to adapt it in your own workout. If this doesn't work, I don't know what will. Haha.

Season of Good Rain

My friends know I'm a sucker for acoustic guitar music and great movies and great conversations. Combine those, add bamboos, rain and a cute cross-cultural love story - ahhhhh love it! The Director of the film was also the Director of the movie April Snow = love that one too. Anyway, reminds me of Before Sunrise and After Sunset. The actors had to switch from Korean to Chinese but the conversations were mostly English. It is better to get the movie with subs because there are words you they pronounce thats better read :) Likey very much.


This is my third Jung Woo Sung movie. The first one was devine but heart breaking called A Moment To Remember. 

The second one was a re-make of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly but was called "The Good, The Bad and the Weird" of which he won an award as Best Supporting Actor. I did think he wasn't bad at all considering that he had to be compared to Charles Bronson and Dirty Harry : )

Must watch.

Bored - walk

I haven't been blogging much. Sometimes I get caught up with work that I can't remember to post anything. Other times, I find myself having a very slow week with nothing to do and so end up with no topics to post. I remembering that there was a time when I forced myself to write even if I had nothing to write. It's a writing exercise that once you get started, you will soon get to a topic and it will begin a chain of thought that ends up on you blabbering yourself away to kingdom come. Which is why I'm posting today. I've been neglecting this blog far too long.

So what have I been up to? I've been walking in Boardwalk. If you live in Iloilo, you would have heard about the bike lane in Boardwalk.

It's a 1+ kilometer of concrete road alongside the Iloilo River - sort of like the sidewalk in Manila Bay. It begins perpendicular to the Marcos highway and ends on the smaller Tabucan Road. It started as a bike lane. But in the afternoons up to late into the night, it has become a hotspot for healthbuffs and hangout enthusiasts. After office hours, it gets populated with bicycles, street vendors, joggers, motorcycles at controlled speed, strollers, skateboarderss, waveboarderss, skaters, taebo and belly dancing groups right in the middle of the road. It's colorful. Not exactly an ideal place to jog if you are a serious jogger. But it's free and conveniently located right in the center of the hub. Walking distance to Smallville, UP, the real Boardwalk establishments and a short ride to SM City - the one stop shop.

My friends and I have started joining the taebo class - if schedule permits it - at sevenish or 6:30ish in the evening. To support the program, you can drop any amount in the basket they pass around to pay for the trainor and the sound system. Good business if you ask me. It's also a sight to see because people of all ages and all walks of life converge into a dance routine together. I find it enjoyable to watch. There are several older people there who memorized the routine way better than the trainor does which is funny. There are kids jumping up and down together with their moms. And there's us who just wants any excuse to dance and sweat off. My friends and I have started walking at least 3 times a week. While the guys jog, the girls walk back and forth along the road while updating ourselves with the latest gossip and talk about what's happening in our lives. The talk is just as much therapy as the exercise. So by the time we finish, we had a bit of exercise and a bit of fun for two hours.

Hmmm, the post is longer than I expected. I have to go now. Next time, I'll talk about murder - hehehe. I butchered another pig. Will tell you about that later. Or maybe tomorrow. I'm off.

Beauty

I've spent the whole afternoon editing pictures of a beautiful girl to make her picture perfect. As I was doing it, I started to reflect on the body's imperfections and started to love every wrinkle in my face - LOL. I know I would like to be younger, more healthy. more fit and YES, have the body of an image model - or at least her height. But I also realize that every wrinkle in my face represents the bit of wisdom I've acquired through the years. And every scar is a token of somethings survived or a reminder of a past mistake I promised not to do again (but end up doing again anyway LOL). I'm glad this model needed a make-over. Her wrinkles, though I had to hide them, revealed what she had gone through and survived. Makes her more human that way. Makes her more like me - well, maybe a hundred pounds lighter LOL.

While doing this job, I argued with myself a lot. It goes with the territory if you're working alone freelancing. I wanted her to be beautiful. But I also wanted her to be real. A smudge can make so much difference in Photoshop. But do I really want to smudge it there? I know people like looking good. I just wonder if people ever thought that being real is so much better? I follow a lady photographer's blog, and the pictures I really like are the ones where it doesn't hide the person's flaws but it's the flaws themselves that adds beauty to the picture. That's why I really like portrait photography and like to draw people. There's a story behind every line.

Speaking of stories, had client meetings during the week. Talked to a new client, a black British businessman. I usually talk to foreign clients over email and IM or Skype. Most of the time, I just meet up with my local clients to talk of projects or make a pitch. This guy was here for business so I got to talk to him without having to type my words. Which was weird.  I realized I was less nervous speaking to foreigners than I was speaking to my local clients. And I was not intimidated at all. Which was also weird because I always tell my friends that foreign clients tend to give me more stress than my local clients. Maybe because they demand so much? Not true really. Maybe I just give more pressure to myself with foreign clients than with local ones. Is it because they pay more? That's not true either. Maybe in my mind, there are more opportunities with them when it comes to service? One thing I know, this business is broadening my horizons quite a bit. And I like having a better view of the world from where I'm at.

I should blog more. But I've been busy. That's not really an excuse but can't help it. I have very little to say nowadays. Well, that's not really true. I have plenty to say. I just don't say it here quite as often as I should. I'm currently trying to give my life more balance. It's a struggle but it might result to less time with the computer and more time with reality. ; )

Fall In Love 18 Times

I know I post a lot of movies, books and TV series in this blog. But when I do, it's because it's totally worth a post. Paris Je T'aime is a movie of a series of short movies from various artistic directors all different locations of Paris, France and with an impressive cast that describes Paris and love in a very entertaining and creative way. Love the scripts. All of them just ... leaves you thinking, a lot of them ironic but quite lovely. Think "Love Actually" only three times better.

The Americans made their own version with "New York I Love You ". Saw that one too and liked it too but it pales in comparison to Paris Je T'aime. This is a good way to end the weekend.

I started the weekend by watching "Lovely Bones" which was a bad idea because the power keeps going out and kept me in suspense for several hours. Just when you get to the best part, the power goes off and then had to wait until I see the rest of the movie. Because I haven't reached the redemption part of the movie, the scenes kept appearing in my dreams and I would wake up sweating and disturbed. That is why I don't watch horror movies at night. And if I do watch suspense thrillers, I have to see the villain dead or the victim avenged, otherwise - my mind won't give me peace until justice was served ... even if it was just a movie. So after a disturbing Saturday, Paris was a refreshing change.

Anyway, worked all day and rewarded myself with Paris. Perfect ending to a slow weekend.

I LOVE THIS SHIT! Je sentir vivante!

Year of the Tiger is Eye of the Tiger?

It wasn't much of a day-off but I managed to stay away from the PC and just watched TV and relaxed a bit. I had another frantic month and after finishing a website, an annual and a talk with just a 3-day preparation, I finally got a day off yesterday. I spent it doing another passion of mine ... movies ... very good movies ... very disturbing but poignant movies :)

One particular movie that's been circling my mind hours after the credits were over is this Agentinian film that won Best Foreign Language Film in the Oscar's recently: The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos). MUST WATCH! Left quite an impression on me. One line which strikes me (translated of course to English) goes: "Men cannot change one thing about them. They can change how they look, where they live, but they cannot change their passions." The line just resonates :) I kinda like the idea that there is a bit of predictability in people. I'm not a person for surprises; although I do love the good-natured pranks once in a while. But one reason I love to make programs is because they can be predictable or solved or structured. People are not like that - in a good way. I like that humans have choices and sometimes make those choices, without thought, without plans, with just the expression of the self. Ok enough. Dalum na. Just watch the movie. Love it love it love it!

I have trouble looking people in the eye. It's a habit I formed after being shouted at by a very gay professor back in college in front of faculty - long story LOL. Traumatic experience that left me with a shattered ego and an inability to look at my superiors in the eye. It has become a habit. Just last year, I observed how a mentor would look us in the eye to get a point through. He said that you have to look people in the eye when you toast because if you don't, you will have 100 years of bad sex. LOL. I don't believe that but hey, that made me look at people in the eye when I toast. And just a few weeks ago, it was Anthony Pangilinan who taught us a trick of connecting with people - look them in the eye when you talk. Connect-shift, Connect, shift.It takes practice he said. I haven't made a conscious effort but I want to re-learn that. I want to be able to look people in the eye. Connect. I've been looking at computer monitors far too long. I don't want to live with my shattered ego hehe. I think I have managed to prove to myself that I'm not useless after all. I should add that to my To Do List. LOOK PEOPLE IN THE EYES.

To end, here's a list of Oscar movies you must must must see. I saw them and they were all good.

Avatar (best art direction, cinematography among others)
The Blind Side (Sandra Bullock, best actress in a leading role)
Coraline (nominated, animated feature film)
An Education (love it, nominated for best adapted screenplay)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (well f=of course, nominated for cinematography)
The Hurt Locker (hot actor in a leading role - haha. Worthy of best direction Oscar)
Inglorious Basterds (worthy of best supporting actor Oscar, funny but disturbing plot, great director)
Invictus (love the story, love Nelson Mandela)
Julie and Julia (not quite impressed with the story but Meryl Streep is impressive as Julia Fairchild - she really gets it!)
The Messenger (worthy to be nominated for best original screenplay; great story)
Precious (Mo'nique is ... wow!)
The Secret in Their Eyes (Love the beard?! Hahaha! Great!)
A Serious Man (Hmmm, disturbing, don't quite get it though)
Sherlock Holmes (Best Sherlock Holmes movie ever!!!!)
Up (two thumbs up)
Up In The Air (if you can look beyond the lovely George Clooney, a lot more is to be appreciated and loved)
The White Ribbon - (disturbing. both love it and hate it)
The Young Victoria (worthy of best costume design)
Bright Star (The John Keats movie)

And here are some more non-Oscar films you also must watch:
Memento (great disturbing movie)
New York I Love You
Sin Nombre
Valentine's Day (what?! I love corny romantic flicks sometimes too)
Daybreakers (Very Hancock but with a twist)

I think I have two or three more but I can't remember the titles. I will post those later.

Oh, and if you get the chance to watch the latest episodes of House, the Office and the Criminal Minds :0 - you will forget that you need a social life too. :)

Will have events to go next week. This weekend, I intend to stay home and just chill.

This is Jim Checking In

I've been busy. No, actually I've been living in an insanely chaotic frenzy. Yup, that's the best way to describe it. I feel so tired and a bout of asthma just attacked me today while I was in the middle of giving a training. I was coughing my way to kingdom come between words and drowned the cough with water to silence it. So, I hope thing will get better tomorrow. Sigh.

I wanted to blog about the books lining up in my bedside waiting for me to read but they remain untouched since December. I wanted to blog about the books my friends sent that I haven't even picked up because ... as I said, I'm in chaos.

I wanted to blog about Anthony Pangilinan (blink blink blink) whose training on Knockout Presentations I attended last Saturday and whose inputs I sooooo highly value. I wanted to tell the world how lovely and entertaining he was and how great his topics were. I wanted to blog that he will give the same talk in Kalibo this Saturday at Sampaguita Gardens and want to convince everyone in Kalibo to attend his talk because it is soooooo worth it.

I wanted to blog about my poet-friend's digital artshow and how cool it was. And that you can still catch it at the new art gallery in the Old Provincial Capitol.

I wanted to blog about the termites attacking my home and that I'm waiting for my house to fall down on my head any time now.

I wanted to kick my dad's ass - I still do - and I wanted to blog about that too, but I do love my Dad no matter how much I want to kick his ass; But GRRRRRRRR, let me just say that.

I wanted to blog about power problems we had at the office (for three weeks) and how it affected work productivity. I mean we never realized how important air-conditioning was until we lost it. And that dang heat immobolized us as effectively as a stun gun would.

I wanted to blog about how stressed I am at work because I'm the only female and the lonesome Admin Support- although I do forget that I'm female most of the time. I wanted to talk about how my best friend wanted to stop my co-workers from calling me, "Parts!" (short for partner) because it's a guy's buddy term. How I pointedly answered that I can't exactly ask them to call me "Girl!" or they would sound gayer than Dinagyang flaglettes.

I wanted to write about the wonderful movies I watched while resting on my back. To name a few: Hurt Locker, It's Complicated, An Education, Invictus, The Messenger among others.

I wanted to write about my new website project which I really like and that I'm working with two cool guys where I can say anything that comes into my head and they can roll with it and that they have the courage to disagree with me - hehe.

I wanted to bitch about the heat, and the lack of funds and the need to get more sleep. I want to bitch about not having enough time to work on my own new website design which I hope to get online by tomorrow.

I wanted to blog about ... hahaha - the highlight of my year but I will keep that one between me and my best friend  :) (blink blink blink)

I've been neglecting this blog far too long and I just wanted to check in so my friends will know I'm still alive. Anyway, while thinking of a title I remembered a quote in this story in my younger years that goes:

I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM CHECKING IN."

That's how I pray everyday.

I'm tired. But beautiful - HAHAHA! So this is me checking in. :)

Death by chocolate again

There are days when being the primary bread winner in the family is so much like carrying an anvil in a backpack while trekking through ice in Antartica. I'm having one of those days. A quick death would be relief. Life is giving me a major headache right now. It shouldn't be this hard and burdensome. I shouldn't be feeling this tired. I should have more fun.

A friend of mine and I were talking about death the other day. How we are soooo ready for it. I told her that feeling like this might not be a healthy thing psychologically. It's like we have a death wish and we're daring it to happen. At this point, I really don't care. I have done things I wanted to do. My goals in life are simple. My wishes that haven't been achieved will happen when they happen. I don't want to depend my happiness on them happening because I'm not very good with disappointment. If I should die today, what happens after that will not be my problem. They can just burn my body in a big can and scatter my ashes in the front yard. I have left an unsophisticated written will somewhere in my dairy because Neil Gaiman says it's important to do so. I don't have much so there's nothing much to give away. I also have left instructions on how to deal with whatever things I may left hanging. I'm good to go. So is there's really something seriously wrong with me if I do this?

My friend and I agreed that we will both be very good this year on the premise that good people die young (smirk).  We will try to be good. We will be sooo good that sana kunin na kami ni Lord. I know. It's depressing and morbid. But so was Catcher in the Rye by the late J.D. Salinger but everyone loved it.

Do I care if I go to hell or heaven? Hell, yeah! But I also believe in a forgiving God. And I haven't done anything remotely sinful since I stopped attending mass. Okay, let me rephrase that - nothing on the list of the ten commandments. Okay - that's not necessarily true either - LOL. Let's just say that with the things I've done, God will send me to where I truly deserve to be. I believe in a just God at the very least.

This depressing post is brought yo you by the movies Hurt Locker, It's Complicated, The Blind Side and Up In The Air - very good movies by the way. And by Hershey kisses too.This is something chocolate can cure. Sigh. Mom said there will be days like this.