Try to guess the songs playing in my ear...

This post is actually from Jae's blog. Sorry I can't make the hyperlink, super tinatamad akong mag blog... Anyway, it's going to change soon'coz by tomorrow I'll be a proud owner of a... hmmm suspense muna (as if you guys didn't know...)

A peek into my shuffle playlist...
A testament to my weird taste in music...

Song meme

Step 1: Put your MP3 player or whatever music player you have on random.
Step 2: Post a line from the first 20 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing the song. (Oh goodness! akala ko thirty songs!! Oh, btw, I took the liberty of putting in another line or two so the song would somehow make sense)
Step 3: Post and let everyone you know guess what song and artist the lines come from.
Step 4: Strike out the songs when someone guesses correctly. (Commas represent another line in the song, depending on how it was sang...)
Step 5: No cheating


1. Come on my friend and leave your caution to the wind
2. baby, baby I know baby I love you so
3. I don’t care what they say, I don’t care what they do
4. Tommys got his six string in hock
5. You make me feel like I am whole again
6. And love so distant and obscure remains the cure
7. I'd love to go out fishing on a river or on a creek
8. you gave me a reason for my being
9. I was a commuter on the 804, Work for a computer on the 19th floor and...
10. I've never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance
11. Can you take me higher? To a place where blind men see
12. If this world makes you crazy, and you've taken all you can bear
13. But maybe someday when my ship comes in, She'll understand what kind of guy I've been
14. When you kiss me, I close my eyes,I want you by my side
15. You would think my love was really something good
16. There's a room where the light won't find you
17. You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
18. Will I ever find a lover, Maybe she has found another
19. People always told me be careful of what you do, And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts
20. Whatever I do, I try to think about you. I seek the sympathy and I can't lie.
21. Every minute, every second of the day, i dream of you in the most special ways
22. You call me baby and I, just shrug my shoulders because there's, something important on my mind
23. Twice on the pipe, means you ain't gonna show.
24. I've had you so many times but somehow, I want more
25. A wounded heart you gave, My soul you took away
26. Slowly we begin to move, Every breath i'm deeper into you
27. I would die for you, Climb the highest mountain
28. I know the things that I am afraid of, I'm not afraid to tell
29. I know you're afraid of what you feel, You still need time to heal
30. Why must we hide emotions? Why must we never break down and cry?

and in true teacher fashion, a bonus!

31. I never thought through love we'd be, Making one as lovely as she

Commitment-Phobia

Over the past few days and weeks, I've had the displeasure of hearing an earfull of the phrase "Mahirap mag-commit." In fact, I even threatened one of those who said this phrase that I will forward his message to his girlfriend (and see how she'll react). What's so hard with commitment anyway?

I will try to classify various types of commitment phobia (in no particular order)...

First, there's the type who can't commit even for something that's going to happen this weekend. Imagine, what's a few days going to do? Are people so busy nowadays that they can't commit a few hours in the weekend? Of course, if people were indeed busy, it would be understandable to get a negative reply. But how come even a "no" reply is so hard to come by?

And what's with being not sure if you're sure ("Baka hindi ako makapunta" or "I don't think I'll be able to go"). C'mon guys, if you're not going or nor free, just have enough balls and say it. Di ba ang labo nun? One thing I learned: "I will try" means "NO"

A different type of commitment phobia is when you don't want to commit to something even though you don't have anything better to do or you just think that something will come up. This one is really malabo... I mean you don't have anything to do (yet), you're offered something, and then you refuse just because you think you'll have something to do by then or you want to be free by then so that when something more interesting comes up, you're available. Of course, there's also the fact that you might not be interested at all, in which case, I will refer you to the previous paragraph.

Another thing I learned from organizing trips (local or out of town) is that people are really concerned on who's going, just as much as where. So when you ask "Punta tayo (somewhere)" they will ask "Cnong pnta?"... If everybody asked that question, then I would have to text them at least twice. WORSE, if everybody is asking if anybody or if somebody is going (or they're concered that nobody's going), then it will end up with nobody going. (I'm sure you've seen the poster with a similar tone). It's a vicious cycle.

While I'm at it, I guess I should also lash out at people who can't commit to a job. Whether its a small job (sending e-mails) or a job at a multinational, there are just some people who can't commit, ready to jump on the next good offer that comes by (even if the current one isn't that bad anyway).

Of course, there are a few exceptional instances where commitment is an expensive commodity, like when you're expecting both a kid and a change of career, or maybe when you expect to be out of a job for the next X months (where X is a random variable). Lack of commitment in these cases is completely acceptable. Otherwise, it's not.

Happy New Year

*I realized that this is going to be my first post for the year of the Dog so I might as well write the appropriate title.

*Today is February 12, otherwise known as Lovapalooza Day. Now on my 26th consecutive "cold" Valentine's Day, wouldn't it be nice to watch all those couples kiss to break (yet again!) the world record...

*Ok, enough about that...

*Things are turning out in a mixed fashion this 2006. Some may say (after hearing the facts and happenings) that this will be a good year for me, while others may want to play devil's advocate and say otherwise. A couple of nice projects are in the offing this year, yet the it seems the price to pay for that would be another delay in my thesis. It will be almost one school year since I (would supposed to have) started my thesis, yet I've got nothing to show for it except for an expired library card...

*I read Alekos' blog on the Baguio trip and somehow also long for an elem reunion with my chinky eyed friends. I managed to stay close to a few but still I'd like to see how they are turning out (hopefully not as washed out as me). I heard some of them are filthy rich now (from their own businesses), some got married, some joined the band scene, while some are hardworking members of the Philippine labor force... I'd bet some of them turned out really pretty :) (love them chinky-eyed chicks)

*On the long book list, I realized I read either "girly" classics (like Pride and Prejudice) or just classics (like Les Mis). In my defense, these books were mostly the ones my much older sisters read. One was required (Kill a Mockingbird, are there others ba?). I read only a few of the more contemporary (like Alchemist and 100 years) but none of the Robert Jordan and JRR Tolkien stuff... How come no John Grisham book made the list? What about "Applied Probability and Statistics for Engineers" by Montgomery :D

Food Haven

Iloilo City - The second stop of our consultations for a UP System-wide initiative brought us to this beautiful city in Western Visayas. Home to the UP in the Visayas, the province of Iloilo and its capital Iloilo City is the gateway to the entire region. A 15-minute outrigger boat ride brings you to the fabulous island of Guimaras, where the mangoes abound and where the beaches are fabulous. About 2-3 hours away is the province of Capiz and Roxas City, the seafood capital of the country. About a few hours away also is the province of Aklan and the pristine beaches of Boracay Island. Iloilo is the place to go for some of my most favorite gastronomical delights. A trip to Iloilo is never complete without the usual trip to Ted's Old Timer for their Extra Super Special (yes, it's that superlative) batchoy, complete with all the toppings (some of which are better eaten than described). Another place to go is the Biscocho House in Jaro, home of my super-ever all-time favorite butterscotch. The molo soup also originated in this wonderful place. Yummy! And how about Tatoy's, the place where beachside dining is at its finest. Atchara pa lang, ulam na! There was also a time that I ate enough talaba to last a lifetime.

Recently, Jonas informed me of his most recent venture (no, not his sleeping pills, though I'm desperate for some), The Mango Tree. I discovered that, at the time of my visit two weeks ago, The Mango Tree was in the 3rd week of its operations. With some expectations on the food (courtesy of taste-tested sisig while playing DoTA) and ambiance ("It's the most romantic date place in Iloilo City" boasts my friend), I invited Prof. Manegdeg of the ME Department to have dinner at The Mango Tree. Dr. Ricarte Nunez of WIT (I'm not so sure of this) joined us for dinner.



True enough, the ambiance at the entrance is impressive especially by the standards set by other restos in the city. Music was provided by a component system that I vaguely recognize from the Gonzales home in Capitol Homes. The restaurant had space to seat about 50 people but it can easily accomodate double or triple that. Upon entry, a huge MANGO TREE (thus the name) welcomes the casual diner (note to visitors: slippers and sando/sleeveless shirts aren't allowed, though I saw a group of teens wearing flip flops when we were about to leave).

Prof. Manegdeg, Dr. Nunez, and Mr. Po after dinner


The menu was printed on copy paper, cut into three. Hardly impressive, I thought, but maybe they're still developing the menu. I was remembering the instructions... try the sisig, don't forget the bulalo steak... I immediately asked for those, and then ordered some spicy gambas. I don't remember if they had mango shake but I do remember some kind of food with mango dressing or sauce. I may want to try that next time. Prof. Manegdeg ordered some molo soup, which arrived first. The molo actually tasted very ordinary, especially when compared to the ones from Molo (duh?!) but was heartily tasty nonetheless. The sisig was a tremedous improvement from what I tasted and I am now a bit more sure of backing Jonas' claim that it's the best sisig (the one from Razon's could compare but it's not fair to compare them because I ate the sisig with halohalo). It was very tasty, just a teeny bit spicy and the calamansi added a nice touch to the flavor. The spicy gambas was, well, spicy. But the shrimps were very fresh (dapat lang!) as they came right out of the shell. It was a perfect complement to the beer (oops, did I say beer??). The servings were paltry though as we had to order another plate. And, for the coup de grace, the bulalo steak was amazing (just don't think of heart disease). It was very tender and the grazy was smothering the steak in all the right places. I told Jason later that night that the bulalo steak looked very much like the one in the picture (a tarp outside). Few restos can boast of that.

**

Food Quality: 4 burps (I can make better adobong mani than that!)
Value for Money: 4 burps (considering its Iloilo, where the minimum wage is much lower)
Ambiance: 4 and a half burps (the music mix was quite ecletic; may nahahalong music na wala sa mood; the mango tree lighting was very well made)
Rest Room: 4 and a half burps (walang mirror! paano na pag magpapapogi yung nakikipagdate?! but the rest room itself was designed well and may soap)
Overall: 4 burps (may room for improvement pa)

I'm not dead

Ok, so it's been almost two months since my last post. A lot has been happening lately. Consider yourself lucky you're reading this...

The main highlight for the month of has got to be the wedding of the decade. Pat and Chico's wedding was a successful bash (If I say so myself). The Best Man did a great job... oops ako pala ito. Well, all I really did was arrive very early at the bride's house (since the groom was busy confessing whatever) and then later on that day spoke of some funny, skewy, detailed anecdotes about my long affair with the bride and groom. I must admit a part of that speech was googled (gasp!) but the greater part of that speech came from the heart and I know the couple is very well aware of that. Of course, what would a wedding be without a wild bachelor's party?? Well, it wasn't exactly wild (Happened the week before the big day). We just drank a few beers and and shared funny/gross stories.

October 15, Oliver invited us to his newly built swank place smack right beside their old house. Of course, visions of Oli growing old with his brood of kids beside his parents' house is a mighty sight to behold. Overall a nice place, so nice it's gonna be the venue of our annual Christmas party. I remember the last one, conversations till the wee hours of the morning... without any alcohol. Of course, this year promises to be different with everything we've planned.

October also marks the frenzy of 1st sem grade submission. This is without a doubt my most pasaway sem, submitting grades a day late (gasp! again!). A funny anecdote could be told about our Chairman receiving a memo for late grades. She snickered at me, to which a replied with a wry smile. Shock overcame her upon reading HER name on the memo, and not mine.

Novermber (and late October) gave me a time for a short breather. However, unlike in previous terms, I didn't find the sembreak to be quite relaxing. I didn't actually have to go to a spa.

The start of classes have been a regular November thing for me (since I was a student in UP). Its quite different when you're on the other side of the fence. Teachers have to prepare more at the start (and the trend of preparation reverses significantly come finals time).

A whole lot is scheduled and slated for the coming weeks. Today marks the start of the 23rd SEA Games. Two good friends are competing for the country and from what I hear (and read), they're shoo-ins for the gold. Mickey (fencing, team foil and team epee, I think) and Sandra (triathlon), good luck and go for the gold (so cliche). In other matters, the usual end of the year signals the start of planning for next year. Being in some position (not necessarily of authority) I'm doing some planning myself. It's on top of teaching kids what happens when we reject the hypothesis and it turns out to be true.

Come December, it will be fast and furious. By Friday, I'll finally have a taste of The Mango Tree, Jonas' latest baby. With a sisig that's to die for (no pun intended, I hope), I can't wait to stretch my taste buds in Iloilo. Less than two weeks of classes, then the break. IE Club will be gunning for its 6th consecutive EWOC. Its likely they'll repeat. Balita ko ang pogi and charming nung adviser nila. Eng'g faculty and staff will also enjoy their own version of Eng'g Week albeit capped by a feast that's enough to feed half of the acad oval.

A couple of Christmas parties with friends are also scheduled. Regi should take care of us from IEC '98/'03. I'm looking forward to a reunion with some PIQC friends. Oh yeah, my only godchild's birthday is on December 19. Lucky ninong.

My thesis docket has been empty for quite some time. High time to get rolling on it.

No pics of my throat getting slashed or me hitching a ride in the wonderful roads of Oahu for now. Just a short update, much like CNN's breaking news. Nothing sensational.

A Best Man's Tale

This should not come as a surprise to many of us, most especially me. However, when I got this bit of great news I will admit that I was indeed shocked to hear it. I will not go into the details of my reaction (though the bride will give you a vivid account upon request) but more importantly, we should look at how our lives are changing. Jonas predicted that in the next 2-4 years, we'll be going to about 4-10 weddings (lower number for me, higher for him). We were also discussing "sinong mauuna?" The guess was correct. Timing? Way off!!


She announced this with a dagger in-hand. Future husband took photo.





As their best man, I dedicate this blog post to my very good friends Chico and Pat! Best wishes!


The downside is that we won't be able to ask them to play dota a lot now, since they'd now have "bills" to pay... nyay!!

Looking at the bright side, at least they'll get an income tax exemption... :D

Productivity Lows

I think I may be suffering my worst streak of low productivity... although a part of me thinks it's due to an immense workload never before seen in my two and a half year career.

***

After I finished printing my exam for today, I burned my time reading other people's blogs and following links everywhere. Got this from Jae... (this is probably more than two years old now!!)