Ilonggo Graphic Designers

Calling all freelancing graphic designers in the Province and City of Iloilo willing to work for a foreign company for outsourcing. Job includes photo retouching, illustration, CGI and design. Please send resume and samples of work to ilongga70@gmail.com or call 0917-2430417.

Proust Q&A

The objective is to have a glimpse of ourselves.

What is your idea of perfect happiness? sustained free-will coupled with a wide variety of choices

What is your greatest fear? Regret

Which living person do you most admire? hmmm ... Simon Cowell - just because he's not afraid to say what he really thinks.

What is the trait you most deplore in others? greed

What is your greatest extravagance? coffee and taxi cab rides

What is your favorite journey? The one I'm having now

On what occasion do you lie? To protect people, and on occasions, to protect myself :)

Which living person do you most despise? I could name one now but you don't name them people in your blogs, mate!

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Sorry and ... why?

What is your greatest regret? Not finishing school

Where and when were you the happiest? :) wherever and whenever I find myself in the early part of falling in-love. then i wake up to reality - bwahahaha

What is your current state of mind? I've always been neurotic. It helps me to know that.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I wish I was taller. or maybe smalller boobs. or maybe be more of a people-person. or have a set mind. Okay, maybe the last one.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? having the courage to follow a dream

If you were to die and comeback as a person or a thing, what would it be? I'm not sure I want to come back. Kinda like this life already. Mababaw nga eh.

What is your most treasured possession? David (my computer) and his geek friends. Because I earned them hook, line and sinker.

What do regard as the lowest depth of misery? Having no direction, no purpose, or worse, no emotion

Where would like to live? Passatani, Italy - the scenes from the movie 'Only You' was breath-taking

What is your favorite occupation? Food Taster

What is your most marked characteristic? Practical

What is the quality you like most in a man? Sense of humor

What is the quality you like most in a woman? a strong sense of self

Who are your favorite writers? Marami. Harper Lee, JK Rowling, JR Tolkien, JD Salinger, Isabelle Allende among others

Who is your favorite hero of fiction? Atticus Finch, of course

Who are your heroes in real life? My siblings

What is that you most dislike? Broken promises

How would you like to die? Quickly

What is your motto? Follow your dream and the world will conspire with you to get it :)

screenshot and brief description of their current desktop —

Drew this for a client and liked it so much, it stayed there.

Went shopping today!

Went to Sm City today to spend the harvest of my hard earned labor.

Bought yourself a blouse, did you?
No! Got a decent UPS for my computer.

And ... jewelry?
No! Got myself new speakers so I can work late nights and stay awake.

A new bag at least?
No! Got myself a 120Gb External Hard drive I can carry around!

And, let me guess, a few more geek things?
No! Got myself new sandals! And they're on sale!
I am not a total nerd, you know.
Not yet anyway :P

Ten things to be thankful for while in Boracay

1, License to drink from the boss


2. White sandy UNCROWDED long beaches


3. friends of the same wavelength


4. men who can cook, sing/recite videoke and solve hardware and software problems :)


5. Php100 ice cream crepes


6. Pristine blue waters


7. free R&B music with ambiance


8. Free and great accomodations (Thanks to Nirvana and Tawhay Boracay Condos)


9. One huge family halohalo shared by eight


10. Celebrating simple celebrations with an omelet :)

Respite

res·pite [réspit]
(plural res·pites)
noun
1. brief interval of rest: a brief period of rest and recovery between periods of exertion or after something disagreeable

Microsoft® Encarta® 2006. © 1993-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Finally, some breathing space. After arriving from Boracay two weeks ago, work has been not stop - both at home and at work. It's like eating a full meal and being asked to run the 800 meter dash. That's what it feels like. I'm soooooo tired today, I think I'm going to sleep until noon tomorrow. TGIF.

Yeah, I forgot to tell you. I went to Boracay with co-workers for a four day official travel. There were 15 of us. It was after a very demanding, stressful training with very little sleep. The timing was good because after what we went through, we needed rest - essential, critical even, REST.

But you see, when in Boracay, you really forget all your cares and problems. It's the magic of the unseen line between sky and water. Boracay is really lovely this time of year - (as long as there are no storms!). Off season. Not too much tourists. Not too warm nights. Inexpensive housing. No advertising events on the beach front. No lumot or jellyfish. Just a whole lot of space of white and blue. Ahhhhh, bliss! This is what God had in mind when He created heaven. I'm so sure of it. Our timing was perfect. Plus I was in the company of my few favorite people. If I had to be stranded on an island like the people in LOST, I would have picked out a huge percent of this company. For one sole reason, this people can help me survive. They are that good :)

I really loved it there and was so sorry to leave. Ah, pics to come.

Aja!

My new battle cry for the moment.

In one of my comfort trips to my friends house, after the usual feed-the-down-trodden ritual (a great cheese sandwich roll cooked right there for me, ice cream and Oreos), we sat down for several hours to mourn, laugh and burn out all the usual libak-the-fafalicious of the world.

I had a special treat that day. My friend sent me home with a San Francisco t-shirt and a whole pile of Korean Telenovelas with good english sub-titles.

I hate watching telenovelas on tv. I can't stand not knowing what happens next. After Criminal Minds decided to blow up one of the agent's black cars without us knowing which agent got killed was uurrrrgggghhhhhh ... just eeeeeevil! Good thing we forgot the suspense by watching Danny Crane! Sigh. Not having cable tv is not so bad as long as you get a steady stream of tv series on dvds - hehehe.

Anyway, back to Korean telenovelas. Finished watching Lovers in Paris (Aja!)

and My Girl.


Can't help but love both. Takes you back to Pride and Prejudice - Korean style. Because I couldn't stop watching it, I went around work floating. I didn't get much sleep just watching both series. It was almost torture not being able to watch it. It was that addicting. My sisters and I all went to bed hesitantly at 2am. We had to peel ourselves off the sofa so we could work the next morning or force ourselves to turn off the dvd player. I wouldn't recommend them on busy days. But sigh, I love them.

Aja!

Bansai!

me: Hey, I just got a log distance call from the US, another possible website employer asked when I'll be free. As in he called my phone to make sure I respond to his email. Naks. Kudog my heart. Be careful what you wish for all over again?

friend: Hahahaha.. Ay sinabi.. Be careful what you wish for gid eh.. I'm very happy for you missy.. As in!

me: I'm very afraid for me hahaha. As in I'm terrified I just might succeed or someone might discover what a fake I am.

friend: Talaga ito. Why do you say that? It's not like you're pretending to be somebody you're not

me: Not being a college graduate does that to you. Ruins your self-confidence when placed on a race with nitwits bearing diplomas.

friend: Duh! My brother also do not have a college diploma but he is now a service engineer in New York. He knows all of the insides of their machines that's why he was now tasked to do the company's operations manual. Output ang important not degrees.

me: Sigh. I know. Thanks friend. Just needed to get that one out before I panic. Will keep that in mind.

friend: Talaga ito. Dami mo na nga clients and super satisfied lahat. Talaga ito. Bansai lang bala!

me: Bansai!

Did I tell you how great my friends are?

Be careful what you ask for?

I sometimes fall into a bad habit of feeling sorry for myself. I try to snap out of it when I can. I know that it doesn't lead to any good and it contradicts my philosophy about the laws of attraction.

First, I was physically sick and had to be absent again from work - asthma, coughing, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fever. I had to take medicines with side effects of the same. Second to that, I have never received so much job orders all in one week. Eight all at once. I had to turn down some of them. Third, there is added stress of the state of the house after the flood. It is literally falling apart. Having no bedroom door is no joke at all. And fifth, we had an alumni homecoming taking place that weekend. So it was no surprise that after that week, I got pretty stressed out and could not hold anything down. The two good things that came out of it, was I was forced to get tests and lost some weight without much effort.

I'm back at work now and feeling much better. My first foreign job ended the week I was sick - quite short and I'm ashamed of not being able to do it right. But my body couldn't take it anymore. I'm currently finishing 3/4 of my second foreign job. And this one I'm quite proud of. Have two pending website jobs awaiting data (which reminds me, I have to redo my contracts), another one coming in and two more print jobs. To say I'm busy is an understatement. But I've learned to force myself to relax. I don't do any work if I feel bad about something. I am never productive or inspired when I'm stressed. And I did say that my own business is supposed to be enjoyable because I have passion for it. I promised myself I will stop when it stops being fun. And my last two weeks was no fun at all. But I am meeting deadlines and schedules of present jobs which is a good sign.

I've been trying not to turn down jobs. With the state of the house, I really need a large amount to fix it. But if it would end to me getting sick again, I will gladly turn it down. I'm going to put health first because being sick is definitely not enjoyable.

I started out feeling good about the jobs I'm getting. But I got so stressed, I wonder if this is God mocking me. Be careful what you wish for?

At the very least, I now have proof that the law of attraction works. Hahaha. And yes, I will be more careful what I ask for next time :)

Insufferable

My cousin loaned me a copy of BBC's Pride and Prejudice on DVD starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth ... the TV movie which was mentioned in the book Bridget Jone's Diary. Watched in with my sisters and a friend of ours who got hooked into it. He ended up staying until 10pm just to see the end of the movie. The problem was it was an old copy and some parts were not as clear as it should be. We missed the part where Colin Firth is suppose to jump into the water exposing a bit of ass - Sayang. Every time the video konks out, my sister would say, "Insufferable!" It was. But we didn't stop watching until we reached the end.

I've read the book once and loved it. I also loved every movie which mentions it in part or base a whole plot from it. To name a few: You've Got Mail (Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan), Bridget Jones Diary (Colin Firth), Pride and Prejudice (Keira Knightly) among others. And I've just read in Wikipedia that the Japanese manga Hana Yori Dango by Yoko Kamio, was loosely based on Pride and Prejudice. Hana Yori Dango was also the basis for Meteor Garden.

Hay, I just love, love, love, love ... Jane Austen and her books.

Next to Atticus Finch, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy would come as a close second. :)

Love Machine

In an effort to escape the desolate state of the flood-victimized house, my friend and I decided to disappear into the cinema. The criteria for a good escape movie: (1) it must not make you think, (2) it must have lots of hunky men, (3) it must be fun and minimum drama. And the last one, (4) it must have a kick-ass soundtrack. So we went to watch Mama Mia. :)

The thing is, I hate cheesy movies. No, I extremely detest them. But the mission was escape and surely, Mama Mia will transport me to another time. And that is just what it did. We found ourselves singing with the Abba movie. As In. WE ARE THAT OLD? We grew up with these songs. I remember singing to "Hasta Maniana" and "Fernando" even if I didn't know what I was talking about. And hey, I'm sure everyone cannot deny that they had danced to "Dancing Queen" and "Money, Money, Money" at least once in their lives.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself - hehehe. And yes, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth are effing love machines even in glittering bell-bottoms.

To see how much we enjoyed ourselves, my friend and I downloaded the song "Honey, Honey". Read the lyrics. To think that we sang these when we were six? I would prefer the soundtrack to the old Abba version though. The ah-hah sound is so much different in the new version. Giggle. Smirk.

Honey Honey
Honey honey, how you thrill me, ah-hah, honey honey
Honey honey, nearly kill me, ah-hah, honey honey
I'd heard about you before
I wanted to know some more
And now I know what they mean, you're a love machine
Oh, you make me dizzy

Honey honey, let me feel it, ah-hah, honey honey
Honey honey, don't conceal it, ah-hah, honey honey
The way that you kiss goodnight (The way that you kiss me goodnight)
The way that you hold me tight (The way that you're holding me tight)
I feel like I wanna sing when you do your thing

I don't wanna hurt you, baby, I don't wanna see you cry
So stay on the ground, girl, you better not get too high
But I'm gonna stick to you, boy, you'll never get rid of me
There's no other place in this world where I rather would be

Honey honey, touch me, baby, ah-hah, honey honey
Honey honey, hold me, baby, ah-hah, honey honey
You look like a movie star (You look like a movie star)
But I know just who you are (I know just who you are)
And, honey, to say the least, you're a dog-gone beast

So stay on the ground, girl, you better not get too high
There's no other place in this world where I rather would be

Honey honey, how you thrill me, ah-hah, honey honey
Honey honey, nearly kill me, ah-hah, honey honey
I heard about you before
I wanted to know some more
And now I know what they mean, you're a love machine

Flash Flood Drama Final Episode

June 22 - Sunday

6am. Braced ourselves for the catastrophe that is our home. Mud covered every inch of the lot and the insides of the house as well. Furniture and appliances scattered everywhere, some ransacked and covered with mud. Some walls and doors have been destroyed and will need to be replaced. All beds wet. Hardly recognized my room. Winced when I saw all my books and notes ruined. All my clothes covered in mud. Yet felt so grateful to have survived it. Immediately started shoveling mud out of the house after cups of coffee and a can of sardines.

8am. Called everyone we know affected by the flood. Everyone ok. Just happy with that thought.

8pm. Had our first bath in two days at the neighbor's house. Cousins sent money, dry clothes and food. We bought drinking water. We had to borrow each other's dry underwear. Tired and desolate. Still had difficulty sleeping.

June 23 - Monday

Brother-priest arrived and helped out. He bought us supplies and groceries. Cleaned backyard and maid's room first. Cousins kept bringing us cooked food. They are such angels. Hired someone to clean water well and fill-up water tanks. Semi-cleaned toilets first, kitchen and living room second. Bedrooms will have to wait. Was so happy to see white floor again.

June 24 - Tuesday

Cleaned my room and ny older sister's room. Discovered all my manual cameras soaked and muddy. Threw away all my journals, loveletters and other mementos. No time to grieve for them just yet. Younger sister started to get blisters on her feet from being exposed to wet mud. We started wearing garbage bag boots on our feet and gloves on hands. Also started drinking meds for leptospyrosis. Water pump broken. Moved back home. My sisters and nephew all shared a bedroom.

June 25 - Wednesday
Cleaned last bedroom but it will not be liveable until walls and floors are fixed. Bought washing machine because old washing machine unusable.

It took us a week to get all the mud out. Another week to take care of laundry, and clean up the stuff we had salvaged. Maybe another month to grieve for the lost photo albums, teddy bears, documents and things we couldn't let go of but have to. And probably another year to get rid of the trauma and fight the panic every time it starts to rain. House still in shambles but it has gained back it's homey glory. Will need to replace a lot of cabinets, doors, walls and furniture. Will need to treat it for termites and molds to prevent sickness. We will need a lot. We will try not think of the expenses for now and just play it by ear.

On the bright side, we have less mess to deal with, more space in all the rooms, more stories and jokes to tell our folks. We are grateful for all the people who helped us through. Our cousins and Titas who made sure we wouldn't lose too much weight. Our maternal relatives who sent monetary help. Classmates, officemates, online-friends, priest-friends, relatives - all overwhelmingly generous with encouragement, prayers and support. Even the Bishop popped up for a visit to check on us. We are oh so so soooo grateful. As I keep saying, we are truly blest and we are the luckiest people in the world to have so many people look after us. Hikbi hikbi hikbi. :)

To all of you God-sent folks, thank you!