November 9, 2008
2:57 AM
I’ve been meaning to write a post about Mr. Dongwon Ha. And I think this moment right now is perfect. It just started raining, thundering actually, and I’m still up sipping on the remnants of my caramel frapp. Actually, let me light a cigarette to pay tribute to the guy.
I remember almost exactly how I met Don. He was sitting down at his desk when HR was introducing me to the people in the office. I don’t exactly remember what he said, but I remember the accent - there as pronanouce and definite identifiable twang... I was like this guy’s Korean, but he’s American – YES, THANK GOD! We had lunch together with our team and after lunch, I pulled out my pack of Marlboro menthol lights and I saw his face light up! Hahaha! Yup. Nothing better than a ciggy for dessert!
Basically, that’s how it all started – over a stick of menthols. We were two tourists in a foreign land with time on their hands. Then it was a trip to the botanic gardens, Robertson Quay, Clarke Quay, Butter Factory (twice), Dempsey Hill, St. James Power Station, and of course Bugis! Fast forward 2 months later, and Don’s leaving for Korea. Sigh. Don, among others, because a significant part of my social circle here, and it was sad to see him go. I’m used to friends leaving or me leaving friends. For god’s sake, I just left a whole life of people!
But it’s never easier.
This is going to sound arrogant, but I'm still gonna write it down. On 2 or 3 occasions, Don thanked me for re-awakening something in him. Drive. He said he had lost it a while back and he didn’t even notice. But here I come, strolling into the RI Singapore office... Jovial, overly enthused Jacques! I never really thought about it then… But it’s really flattering – that someone noticed. Humbling at the same time, too. Makes me really happy actually, that I was able to have a positive effect on someone, specially a good friend.
So ya. Don, you are welcome. But to tell you the truth, I should be the one saying thanks. Not only did you save me from boredom and pathetic social isolation. You reminded me that passion and drive count for so much more than what people give them credit for. And you know what, right now passion and drive are all I’m running on. I have no back up plans, no safety nets, no options to fail. All I have are passion and drive. That’s about it.
So on this stormy night, as I ready myself for bed and a day of nomadic behavior (I move house tomorrow), I send you my gratitude and wish you the very best, Mr. Ha, Dongwon. You more than deserve it. In the mean time, I look forward to successful futures in French cuff shirts! We will laugh away the night when we meet again…
Ok, I have a confession, I didn’t really smoke as much before Don. But whatever. It was worth it.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Something Funky
October 14, 2008
11:19pm
I left work early today. And by early I mean 5:50pm (that’s Asia + Jacques’ over enthusiasm for you!). I left early coz I was feeling under the weather. At about 3-ish today, I started to feel weird. It was an awkward combination of fatigue, food comma, and digestive stress. I thought I was just tired. I was in the office till 10:00pm last night and then I went to have a drink with a friend. I didn’t really think much of it; I come from a family of stomach sensitive people so I’m quite used to the digestive gurgling of an upset tummy.
The next part is kinda gross so skip it if you’re sensitive to poop.
I get home, pass out for a good two hours only to be awaken by a twisting pain in my abdomen. I run to the toilet and unleash. It was like a faucet – a faucet that spewed out semi-chunky mud water. And it wasn’t a constant run of mud water, there were pockets of air through out. So the splatter-value was definitely at a high.
I ate something funky.
I feel like shit right out. The culprit: Magic Work Thai restaurant on Stamford and Victoria. I had eaten there once before and felt fine. But this time was different. A few of my co-workers and I went there for lunch today, and as I skimmed through the menu I saw something oddly familiar. Boneless chicken in orange Thai sauce. I had the waitress describe it to me and she said something to the effect of, “boneless pieces of chicken fried in a crispy batter then sautéed in an orange glaze.” Heaven I thought. Panda Express was sending me a sign from across the pacific. So I ordered it. It was disappointing, edible yet disappointing. But come on really, anything else will pale in comparison to the original.
So now I’m here in bed, rolled into fetal position, listening to some classic Matchbox 20, and typing on my blog. I am refraining from farting in fear of sharting. And I’m losing electrolytes pretty quickly.
But hark, I am trying to fight it! I walked to the 7-11 and bought a few bottles of Yakult! Lacotusilus Shirota Strain!!! I’m downing them like Mel in Malibu to allow the good bacteria to fight the evil fake orange chicken that has taken hostage of my poor tummy. Go little Shirota soldiers! I also bought a competitor brand just coz I thought it was cool!
Anyways wish my little digestive bacteria well. Hopefully, I’ll be better tomorrow.
11:19pm
I left work early today. And by early I mean 5:50pm (that’s Asia + Jacques’ over enthusiasm for you!). I left early coz I was feeling under the weather. At about 3-ish today, I started to feel weird. It was an awkward combination of fatigue, food comma, and digestive stress. I thought I was just tired. I was in the office till 10:00pm last night and then I went to have a drink with a friend. I didn’t really think much of it; I come from a family of stomach sensitive people so I’m quite used to the digestive gurgling of an upset tummy.
The next part is kinda gross so skip it if you’re sensitive to poop.
I get home, pass out for a good two hours only to be awaken by a twisting pain in my abdomen. I run to the toilet and unleash. It was like a faucet – a faucet that spewed out semi-chunky mud water. And it wasn’t a constant run of mud water, there were pockets of air through out. So the splatter-value was definitely at a high.
I ate something funky.
I feel like shit right out. The culprit: Magic Work Thai restaurant on Stamford and Victoria. I had eaten there once before and felt fine. But this time was different. A few of my co-workers and I went there for lunch today, and as I skimmed through the menu I saw something oddly familiar. Boneless chicken in orange Thai sauce. I had the waitress describe it to me and she said something to the effect of, “boneless pieces of chicken fried in a crispy batter then sautéed in an orange glaze.” Heaven I thought. Panda Express was sending me a sign from across the pacific. So I ordered it. It was disappointing, edible yet disappointing. But come on really, anything else will pale in comparison to the original.
So now I’m here in bed, rolled into fetal position, listening to some classic Matchbox 20, and typing on my blog. I am refraining from farting in fear of sharting. And I’m losing electrolytes pretty quickly.
But hark, I am trying to fight it! I walked to the 7-11 and bought a few bottles of Yakult! Lacotusilus Shirota Strain!!! I’m downing them like Mel in Malibu to allow the good bacteria to fight the evil fake orange chicken that has taken hostage of my poor tummy. Go little Shirota soldiers! I also bought a competitor brand just coz I thought it was cool!
Anyways wish my little digestive bacteria well. Hopefully, I’ll be better tomorrow.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Ten Daze
September 10, 2008
9:33pm
Day 10. Ten days in Singapore. It’s weird to think about it that way, actually. Like I’m dreaming, but not. Haha. Sigh… So I’m sitting in my hotel room (which I have for another 4 days), on this huge bed that’s longer AND wider than I am tall. I have Filipino music lullabying out of itunes and somewhere in the background, the tube’s turned on to a past season of America’s got talent. From where I’m seated, I can see the Singapore Flyer through the window – it’s the HUGE ferry’s wheel by the Singapore harbor. It’s weird. I’m in Singapore.
Just now, from the other side of the room, I can hear two black dudes on TV. They’re New Orleans Katrina survivor. “It’s surreal,” one of them says. “One day everything’s normal, and then BAM. It’s like your whole life is changed; in a blink so much of it is gone. And there’s nothing you can do about it.” Bro, my thoughts exactly. Ok, so it a little selfish of me to compare my being kicked out of America to losing house, home and loved ones to a disastrous hurricane. But, hey… give a guy a break. I can’t help it.
I miss the life I had 6 months ago. Dammit. I miss my job.
It’s funny. Wait, no, rewind, rephrase. It’s sad. I love LRW and the people that worked there. I really do. They were aggressively (but not abrasively) action oriented, intellectually unmatched, and fucking passionate. Katie, Eric, Robin, Rick, Anu, Jess, Carly, Matt, Vino, Kevin, everyone… They all were unbelievably smart, were sharply driven by logic, and thought so far and out of the box that the box was a dot in the distance. They were so giving and open about the job, the responsibilities, and their own lives; I learn so much about the business and business in general from them. Every single person I worked with helped me grow leaps and bounds. Good to fucking great. They pushed me to become the best Marketer, Researcher, and Business-person I could have possibly been in a span of just over of a year.
And now here I am – in the real world realizing how spoiled I was… Research International is arguably one of the best in the world. Certainly in the top 3 in Asia! Great brand equity! Mention RI to any fortune 500 brand manager or consumer insights rep, and they will nod and smile, “Ahh. Yes. Research International.” The company has massive global reach and an extremely impressive list of clients that would make even Dave Sackman (CEO of LRW) wet his pants. But my praises stop there. What I find far from impressive are the procedures, processes, and products that come out of the Singapore Office. Man… Talk about dated inefficiency. The RI process takes longer to do, is unnecessarily harder to accomplish, and produces “insights” that aren’t as insightful as they could actually be. To top it off, the process is soaked in Asian-style hierarchal bureaucracy (This means layers and layers of red tape, silent disapproval, passive aggression, and unquestioning acceptance… all served with a smile, a bow and a gracious thank you in your pick of 3 different languages!) Ridiculous! Ridiculous, I say! 10 days in Singapore and 8 days of working for RI Singapore, and this is what have to say. Does not bode well now, does it.
Sigh.
But alas, I do have a plan. The plan still in conception and proposal stage, and I don’t even know if the higher ups will buy into it. But hey, I just can’t sit on my ass now can I? So what’s the plan, you ask? A revolution! I’ll start small. Plant a seed here. Plant a seed there… I need to show people (that matter) that there are better ways to do things. Better ways to say things. Better ways to think about things. Better ways in general! I’m a fucking rockstar, and I need to show people that I can rock their socks off! I just need to find the opportunities! That’s where God’ll come in and help out. Faith man. Faith. Gotta have faith faith faith.
PS – I’m sleepy now (its 100AM). I was distracted there for bit. I was typing and saw my toenails. Damn I really needed to cut them. While I was at it, I cut my nails nails too (the nails on my hands), coz they were getting long and I had the nail cutter out all ready. Man I have one of those cool nail cutters with the casing around it so that the nail debris doesn’t fly everywhere. SO COOL! While I was cutting my nail, CSI:NY came on, so I watched that first. Then House MD came on… So, I watched that too. Then I got back to this… and now I’m sleepy… I have a client meeting in at 830am (my boss is pitching a project to a big insurance and banking firm). I hope we win it. It’ll be part of the revolution! Viva la revoluthion (That’s saying it Spanish for you, baby)!
Peace out and much love!
9:33pm
Day 10. Ten days in Singapore. It’s weird to think about it that way, actually. Like I’m dreaming, but not. Haha. Sigh… So I’m sitting in my hotel room (which I have for another 4 days), on this huge bed that’s longer AND wider than I am tall. I have Filipino music lullabying out of itunes and somewhere in the background, the tube’s turned on to a past season of America’s got talent. From where I’m seated, I can see the Singapore Flyer through the window – it’s the HUGE ferry’s wheel by the Singapore harbor. It’s weird. I’m in Singapore.
Just now, from the other side of the room, I can hear two black dudes on TV. They’re New Orleans Katrina survivor. “It’s surreal,” one of them says. “One day everything’s normal, and then BAM. It’s like your whole life is changed; in a blink so much of it is gone. And there’s nothing you can do about it.” Bro, my thoughts exactly. Ok, so it a little selfish of me to compare my being kicked out of America to losing house, home and loved ones to a disastrous hurricane. But, hey… give a guy a break. I can’t help it.
I miss the life I had 6 months ago. Dammit. I miss my job.
It’s funny. Wait, no, rewind, rephrase. It’s sad. I love LRW and the people that worked there. I really do. They were aggressively (but not abrasively) action oriented, intellectually unmatched, and fucking passionate. Katie, Eric, Robin, Rick, Anu, Jess, Carly, Matt, Vino, Kevin, everyone… They all were unbelievably smart, were sharply driven by logic, and thought so far and out of the box that the box was a dot in the distance. They were so giving and open about the job, the responsibilities, and their own lives; I learn so much about the business and business in general from them. Every single person I worked with helped me grow leaps and bounds. Good to fucking great. They pushed me to become the best Marketer, Researcher, and Business-person I could have possibly been in a span of just over of a year.
And now here I am – in the real world realizing how spoiled I was… Research International is arguably one of the best in the world. Certainly in the top 3 in Asia! Great brand equity! Mention RI to any fortune 500 brand manager or consumer insights rep, and they will nod and smile, “Ahh. Yes. Research International.” The company has massive global reach and an extremely impressive list of clients that would make even Dave Sackman (CEO of LRW) wet his pants. But my praises stop there. What I find far from impressive are the procedures, processes, and products that come out of the Singapore Office. Man… Talk about dated inefficiency. The RI process takes longer to do, is unnecessarily harder to accomplish, and produces “insights” that aren’t as insightful as they could actually be. To top it off, the process is soaked in Asian-style hierarchal bureaucracy (This means layers and layers of red tape, silent disapproval, passive aggression, and unquestioning acceptance… all served with a smile, a bow and a gracious thank you in your pick of 3 different languages!) Ridiculous! Ridiculous, I say! 10 days in Singapore and 8 days of working for RI Singapore, and this is what have to say. Does not bode well now, does it.
Sigh.
But alas, I do have a plan. The plan still in conception and proposal stage, and I don’t even know if the higher ups will buy into it. But hey, I just can’t sit on my ass now can I? So what’s the plan, you ask? A revolution! I’ll start small. Plant a seed here. Plant a seed there… I need to show people (that matter) that there are better ways to do things. Better ways to say things. Better ways to think about things. Better ways in general! I’m a fucking rockstar, and I need to show people that I can rock their socks off! I just need to find the opportunities! That’s where God’ll come in and help out. Faith man. Faith. Gotta have faith faith faith.
PS – I’m sleepy now (its 100AM). I was distracted there for bit. I was typing and saw my toenails. Damn I really needed to cut them. While I was at it, I cut my nails nails too (the nails on my hands), coz they were getting long and I had the nail cutter out all ready. Man I have one of those cool nail cutters with the casing around it so that the nail debris doesn’t fly everywhere. SO COOL! While I was cutting my nail, CSI:NY came on, so I watched that first. Then House MD came on… So, I watched that too. Then I got back to this… and now I’m sleepy… I have a client meeting in at 830am (my boss is pitching a project to a big insurance and banking firm). I hope we win it. It’ll be part of the revolution! Viva la revoluthion (That’s saying it Spanish for you, baby)!
Peace out and much love!
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
NAIA Departure Terminal 2/PAL Airbus 450
August 31, 2008 - 7:02 AM
I leave for Singapore today. Now. I leave Singapore now. In about 45 minutes, I board a Philippine Airline Airbus 450 (I think) and journey off to a new job, a new life, a new adventure. Scurry!
It’s weird to embark on this new life when I feel like the one I left in America 6 weeks ago is still not completely over. It’s awkward to think about it. Feels like sneakers with wet socks. So I guess it’s about time I start dealing with this shit already, ya… And for some reason, writing it down and posting it up on this blog thing allots me that closure, or at least being the process. Hahaha.
I have this song on repeat on my Ipod. It’s called “My Time With You” by David Choi and Kina Grannis. (David Choi is this uber famous youtube music star with an endearingly raspy voice. Sexy Korean-Am from OC. Look him up folks.) Anyways, I’ve probably listened to it a gajillion times. I practically know the words by heart:
We’re going to the beach today
We’re gonna laugh and sing our cares away
The sun is shining on our face
We can take it in and let it out and say
La la la la la la la
I do enjoy my time with you
Making the best of everything we do
We're gonna try on something new
And we’ll make it ours before the day is through
La la la la la la la
And now the day has said good night
Just want to say I had a real good time
I think I really feel alright
And I don’t ever ever wanna say goodbye
La la la la la la la
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmetbTknAUk
The song’s just so bubbly. And when I listen to it and close my eyes, I see the faces of people I love so much but are an ocean away from me… Smiling with the sun on their face, their hair dancing in the California breeze. It’s the song they would play if this was all one big movie and this, me right now at the airport, was the last scene (Peppered with flashback images of course) before the credits. It’s my goodbye song, I guess. A personal, emotional goodbye, not really to the people (did that already), but to myself. Or the me that was and will never be again. Sunny California Jacques – accessories included. Ya, I know. Never be again seems so putridly negative, but it’s the truth. For better or worse (and hopefully for better), I will never be the same as I was in Los Angeles. It was time of such youthful freedom, courageous exploration, and refreshing discovery. I loved it. I tell you, it’ll be hard to top…
Thank you, Los Angeles. I had the time of my life. Until next time, ya…
Wanna know something stupid, my iPod and Laptop are still on LA time. Hahaha I know, sad right. I couldn’t even let go of that. I just couldn’t do it for some reason. But I think I’m going to do it right now… There. Done. Exhale. (Acceptance)…
August 31, 2008 - 7:02 AM
I leave for Singapore today. Now. I leave Singapore now. In about 45 minutes, I board a Philippine Airline Airbus 450 (I think) and journey off to a new job, a new life, a new adventure. Scurry!
It’s weird to embark on this new life when I feel like the one I left in America 6 weeks ago is still not completely over. It’s awkward to think about it. Feels like sneakers with wet socks. So I guess it’s about time I start dealing with this shit already, ya… And for some reason, writing it down and posting it up on this blog thing allots me that closure, or at least being the process. Hahaha.
I have this song on repeat on my Ipod. It’s called “My Time With You” by David Choi and Kina Grannis. (David Choi is this uber famous youtube music star with an endearingly raspy voice. Sexy Korean-Am from OC. Look him up folks.) Anyways, I’ve probably listened to it a gajillion times. I practically know the words by heart:
We’re going to the beach today
We’re gonna laugh and sing our cares away
The sun is shining on our face
We can take it in and let it out and say
La la la la la la la
I do enjoy my time with you
Making the best of everything we do
We're gonna try on something new
And we’ll make it ours before the day is through
La la la la la la la
And now the day has said good night
Just want to say I had a real good time
I think I really feel alright
And I don’t ever ever wanna say goodbye
La la la la la la la
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmetbTknAUk
The song’s just so bubbly. And when I listen to it and close my eyes, I see the faces of people I love so much but are an ocean away from me… Smiling with the sun on their face, their hair dancing in the California breeze. It’s the song they would play if this was all one big movie and this, me right now at the airport, was the last scene (Peppered with flashback images of course) before the credits. It’s my goodbye song, I guess. A personal, emotional goodbye, not really to the people (did that already), but to myself. Or the me that was and will never be again. Sunny California Jacques – accessories included. Ya, I know. Never be again seems so putridly negative, but it’s the truth. For better or worse (and hopefully for better), I will never be the same as I was in Los Angeles. It was time of such youthful freedom, courageous exploration, and refreshing discovery. I loved it. I tell you, it’ll be hard to top…
Thank you, Los Angeles. I had the time of my life. Until next time, ya…
Wanna know something stupid, my iPod and Laptop are still on LA time. Hahaha I know, sad right. I couldn’t even let go of that. I just couldn’t do it for some reason. But I think I’m going to do it right now… There. Done. Exhale. (Acceptance)…
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Look at all the Generals!!!!
August 12, 2008
So ya, my mom works with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, right... Police, Army, Navy, and (mostly) Air Force. That means generals. Guns. Military hot shots. People with power (well, relatively powerful... I mean come on, its the armed forces of the philippines not America). Anyways, so I've met a couple and my mom's been taking my picture with them... Here they are in order of rank (1-4 stars)
General Oscar Rabena - Wing Strike Commander of the Sangley Air Force and Naval Base (1 Star General). He was recently promoted. I had the chance to speak to the General and his wife for a bit, and he is really a great man. Both he and his wife, Tita Josie, are such genuine, good people. I was honestly impacted by their yearning to help others and their inegmatic personalities. It was definitely a honor.
General Rene Badilla - Vice Commander of the Philippine Air Force (2 Star General)
General Jovito Gammad- Chief of Air Staff of the Philippine Air Force (2 Star General)
And Lastly,
General Alex Yano - Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (4 Star General). General Yano is the only active (or is it living) 4 star general in all of the Philippines. He is also the 3rd most powerful man in the Philippine Armed Forces, superceded only by the President, and the Secretary of National Defense. So if a bomb's gonna be dropped or if the military's going to kick some MILF ass, its prolly coz General Yano said so... Pretty serious stuff here. You know what else is pretty serious - the General's handshake. I swear, he was going to rip my fingers out of their sockets. Definitely the strongest handshake I have ever encountered in my life. Ever! Damn.
If I get pulled over by a cop, Imma flash this photo (neatly stored in my phone), and call the general my Tito Alex! Boo ya!
So ya, my mom works with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, right... Police, Army, Navy, and (mostly) Air Force. That means generals. Guns. Military hot shots. People with power (well, relatively powerful... I mean come on, its the armed forces of the philippines not America). Anyways, so I've met a couple and my mom's been taking my picture with them... Here they are in order of rank (1-4 stars)
General Oscar Rabena - Wing Strike Commander of the Sangley Air Force and Naval Base (1 Star General). He was recently promoted. I had the chance to speak to the General and his wife for a bit, and he is really a great man. Both he and his wife, Tita Josie, are such genuine, good people. I was honestly impacted by their yearning to help others and their inegmatic personalities. It was definitely a honor.
General Rene Badilla - Vice Commander of the Philippine Air Force (2 Star General)
General Jovito Gammad- Chief of Air Staff of the Philippine Air Force (2 Star General)
And Lastly,
General Alex Yano - Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (4 Star General). General Yano is the only active (or is it living) 4 star general in all of the Philippines. He is also the 3rd most powerful man in the Philippine Armed Forces, superceded only by the President, and the Secretary of National Defense. So if a bomb's gonna be dropped or if the military's going to kick some MILF ass, its prolly coz General Yano said so... Pretty serious stuff here. You know what else is pretty serious - the General's handshake. I swear, he was going to rip my fingers out of their sockets. Definitely the strongest handshake I have ever encountered in my life. Ever! Damn.
If I get pulled over by a cop, Imma flash this photo (neatly stored in my phone), and call the general my Tito Alex! Boo ya!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Wassup
I haven't updated in a while. Hmm... So this is more of a photo blog entry...
Anyways, been spending a lot of time with my mom. Kinda neglected her the last couple months so this is good. Am actually in a coffee shop right now while she's doing her physical therapy for her disjointed spinal disk (Ya... I don't know... something like that...)
So I got back from Baguio a few days ago, its this mountain city 6-7 hours north of manila. all in all, it was a really good trip. It was raining pretty hard, but it was still fun. We were walking down session road, when I found this restaurant!
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HODORI!!!! Korean and Japanese Restaurant. It prolly has nothing to do with the on on Vermont and Olympic, but it made me happy nonetheless. And you know what, there are soooooooo many Koreans in the Philippines. Its an invasion. Seriously! But it's not a bad thing... Go Jumee and her people!
While in Baguio we went to the Philippine Military Academy. My Uncle used to go there and my Mom and him now do a lot of work with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. When we were there, we saw the cadets march to Mess Hall it was pretty cool. Lots of bustling young testostorone-driven military men in uniform. Yummy Got me a little flustered, I have to say... so I took a few snaps.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Yummy!
On the way home, we stopped on the road in Bulacan to buy vinegar and fish sauce. When we're my mom was paying for all that stuff, I found this dog.
.jpg)
It was such a sad looking dog. She was severely malnourished; you could her ribs pressed against her skin. Her right leg was broken and flies circled over her like vultures. I don't even like animals, but I felt really bad for this one...
So that's that for now. Job hunt's going... its going. keep you posted. Much Love from the islands!
Anyways, been spending a lot of time with my mom. Kinda neglected her the last couple months so this is good. Am actually in a coffee shop right now while she's doing her physical therapy for her disjointed spinal disk (Ya... I don't know... something like that...)
So I got back from Baguio a few days ago, its this mountain city 6-7 hours north of manila. all in all, it was a really good trip. It was raining pretty hard, but it was still fun. We were walking down session road, when I found this restaurant!
.jpg)
HODORI!!!! Korean and Japanese Restaurant. It prolly has nothing to do with the on on Vermont and Olympic, but it made me happy nonetheless. And you know what, there are soooooooo many Koreans in the Philippines. Its an invasion. Seriously! But it's not a bad thing... Go Jumee and her people!
While in Baguio we went to the Philippine Military Academy. My Uncle used to go there and my Mom and him now do a lot of work with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. When we were there, we saw the cadets march to Mess Hall it was pretty cool. Lots of bustling young testostorone-driven military men in uniform. Yummy Got me a little flustered, I have to say... so I took a few snaps.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Yummy!
On the way home, we stopped on the road in Bulacan to buy vinegar and fish sauce. When we're my mom was paying for all that stuff, I found this dog.
.jpg)
It was such a sad looking dog. She was severely malnourished; you could her ribs pressed against her skin. Her right leg was broken and flies circled over her like vultures. I don't even like animals, but I felt really bad for this one...
So that's that for now. Job hunt's going... its going. keep you posted. Much Love from the islands!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Bigger and Better
July 26, 2008
12:46pm
Its been a little over a week. And I still don’t know what to make of all this. This move. This distressing, drastic, dramatic change in lifestyle. But I guess it’s high time I start dealing, ya?
Well, here’s some good news for ya… Interviews are going well. Just finished a series of Interviews with AC Nielsen Manila and Research International Singapore (Two very good market research companies). Both companies have expressed moving forward and offering me a package. I should be hearing back about details next week. I’m still in the process of interviewing with Ipsos and Milward Brown (Two other really good market research companies). I actually have an in-person interview with Ipsos Monday morning, so wish me luck.
I guess the positive progress of my interviews make this all a little easier. I don’t feel like such a big loser. Still feel like a loser, but not a gigantic crack-whore’s loose asshole of a loser… Big sigh. Spending literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in the US, then getting kicked out. Making a life, a great fulfilling life, for myself, then having it all taken away by some faceless institution! Fuck. Whatevs man.
If I was a korean campus cruiser, this is where I would quote some parable about windows and doors and technicolored coats. But I’m no cruiser, so this is what I have to say:
Fuck you America. Fuck you and your Mini-malls, your filthy ignorance, and your 200lbs. Supersized McFatBurger-filled 10 year olds. You’re gonna regret breaking up with me. When you see me next I’m going to be so hot, so fierce, so effing feroc(ious)! I’m gonna be so out of your league, it ain’t even gonna be funny. And you're gonna ask me back, bring me flowers and chocolates and shit. But I’m gonna make you work for it. I’m gonna make you crawl on your knees in your matching juicy couture top and sweats begging for me to come back. And you know what, I might just let you eat it and fall flat on your botox injected face. Boo Ya! I am giving you the finger right now. For real.
Peace out Biatch! Bigger and better, I say… Good to Great, that’s right.
12:46pm
Its been a little over a week. And I still don’t know what to make of all this. This move. This distressing, drastic, dramatic change in lifestyle. But I guess it’s high time I start dealing, ya?
Well, here’s some good news for ya… Interviews are going well. Just finished a series of Interviews with AC Nielsen Manila and Research International Singapore (Two very good market research companies). Both companies have expressed moving forward and offering me a package. I should be hearing back about details next week. I’m still in the process of interviewing with Ipsos and Milward Brown (Two other really good market research companies). I actually have an in-person interview with Ipsos Monday morning, so wish me luck.
I guess the positive progress of my interviews make this all a little easier. I don’t feel like such a big loser. Still feel like a loser, but not a gigantic crack-whore’s loose asshole of a loser… Big sigh. Spending literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in the US, then getting kicked out. Making a life, a great fulfilling life, for myself, then having it all taken away by some faceless institution! Fuck. Whatevs man.
If I was a korean campus cruiser, this is where I would quote some parable about windows and doors and technicolored coats. But I’m no cruiser, so this is what I have to say:
Fuck you America. Fuck you and your Mini-malls, your filthy ignorance, and your 200lbs. Supersized McFatBurger-filled 10 year olds. You’re gonna regret breaking up with me. When you see me next I’m going to be so hot, so fierce, so effing feroc(ious)! I’m gonna be so out of your league, it ain’t even gonna be funny. And you're gonna ask me back, bring me flowers and chocolates and shit. But I’m gonna make you work for it. I’m gonna make you crawl on your knees in your matching juicy couture top and sweats begging for me to come back. And you know what, I might just let you eat it and fall flat on your botox injected face. Boo Ya! I am giving you the finger right now. For real.
Peace out Biatch! Bigger and better, I say… Good to Great, that’s right.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Off the ground
Korean Air 747
Wednesday July 16 - 2:01am
They just turned off the fasten seatbelt sign. We’re flying somewhere over Santa Barbara or something… It Cuh-razy!!!! You don’t even know.
Six fucking years.
It took forever for us to take off. But I guess that happens on all flights. When the plane finally started to pick up speed on that runway, I had the weirdest butterflies in my stomach. I don’t think I’ve ever had this species of butterfly before. And I don’t think I’m going to try to self analyze right now and try to figure out what these little peptic creepy crawlies really mean…
The plane sped up. The friction of the wheels on the pavement cause the plane to shake. All I saw were the orange airport lights framed in my window, quickly jetting passed. Then you feel yourself unconsciously lean back - the front wheels have just left the ground. And before you know it, that jittery shaking is gone. The plane is in the air and I have officially left Los Angeles.
Six year. How do you leave that? How do you say goodbye to that?
Fuck. Oh god.
I have so much to say… and so many people to say it to. The feelings are over-flowing. I don’t know where to start. I don’t even know if I can start or what will happen when I finally deal with all this crap. Right now, all the feelings are packed in a big black box, duct taped shut, placed on the top shelf in the deep darkest part of my crazy head. I’ll deal with what this all means tomorrow. Or the next day. I’ll deal with it eventually…
Wednesday July 16 - 2:01am
They just turned off the fasten seatbelt sign. We’re flying somewhere over Santa Barbara or something… It Cuh-razy!!!! You don’t even know.
Six fucking years.
It took forever for us to take off. But I guess that happens on all flights. When the plane finally started to pick up speed on that runway, I had the weirdest butterflies in my stomach. I don’t think I’ve ever had this species of butterfly before. And I don’t think I’m going to try to self analyze right now and try to figure out what these little peptic creepy crawlies really mean…
The plane sped up. The friction of the wheels on the pavement cause the plane to shake. All I saw were the orange airport lights framed in my window, quickly jetting passed. Then you feel yourself unconsciously lean back - the front wheels have just left the ground. And before you know it, that jittery shaking is gone. The plane is in the air and I have officially left Los Angeles.
Six year. How do you leave that? How do you say goodbye to that?
Fuck. Oh god.
I have so much to say… and so many people to say it to. The feelings are over-flowing. I don’t know where to start. I don’t even know if I can start or what will happen when I finally deal with all this crap. Right now, all the feelings are packed in a big black box, duct taped shut, placed on the top shelf in the deep darkest part of my crazy head. I’ll deal with what this all means tomorrow. Or the next day. I’ll deal with it eventually…
Friday, June 27, 2008
My Room's a fucking mess...
Its a fucking ugly mess of memories and life... pictures on the floor, papers everywhere, six years running rampant in a closet-sized room. Even with the mess, my sister and I found some progress. I'm managed to pack most of my crap into 2 fairly sized boxes (each one about the size of my boss' office refridgerator). I've thrown away a lot of crap. Still need to throw away a lot of crap. But makes me feel a little sad that the last 6 years of my life fit neatly into 2 balikbayan boxes...
My last day in my century city room is the 30th of June. The end of the month. Monday. Then I move to my sis' house in Valencia before the trip back to Manila. Its becoming more and more real. I guess this is it. And you know what, packing sucks; sucks like a bird shit on your car after a car wash. It sucks more than that - like bird shit on your head after a shower. Packing sucks so much. I keep uncovering bits and pieces of my life. knick knacks that tell part of a story. Reciepts from a restaurants, tickets from a show, a paper plate lion from stepho. Then I have to decide, whether its truly worth it to keep that seemingly insignificant momento. Is it important enough to keep and ship 3000 miles? Who's to say... I don't even fucking know. I found a drawing my ex-boyfriend drew of me for me 3 years ago. I looked at it, smiled, then threw it away. I don't know if I'm going to regret that a year from now.
I've been going through the motions, you know. Packing. Trashing. Cleaning. But I try not to internalize too much. I think I'd go insane. What a fucking melodramatic bitch I am! Can't help it; it kinda comes with the territory.
Side note:
I like semi-colons. I think I use them properly. My English 101 professor Tiller taught me how to use them... No one uses them though. I think most people don't know how to so they just don't use 'em. I like semi-colons a lot. I'm going to use them more!
6 years; it goes by in a blink.
My last day in my century city room is the 30th of June. The end of the month. Monday. Then I move to my sis' house in Valencia before the trip back to Manila. Its becoming more and more real. I guess this is it. And you know what, packing sucks; sucks like a bird shit on your car after a car wash. It sucks more than that - like bird shit on your head after a shower. Packing sucks so much. I keep uncovering bits and pieces of my life. knick knacks that tell part of a story. Reciepts from a restaurants, tickets from a show, a paper plate lion from stepho. Then I have to decide, whether its truly worth it to keep that seemingly insignificant momento. Is it important enough to keep and ship 3000 miles? Who's to say... I don't even fucking know. I found a drawing my ex-boyfriend drew of me for me 3 years ago. I looked at it, smiled, then threw it away. I don't know if I'm going to regret that a year from now.
I've been going through the motions, you know. Packing. Trashing. Cleaning. But I try not to internalize too much. I think I'd go insane. What a fucking melodramatic bitch I am! Can't help it; it kinda comes with the territory.
Side note:
I like semi-colons. I think I use them properly. My English 101 professor Tiller taught me how to use them... No one uses them though. I think most people don't know how to so they just don't use 'em. I like semi-colons a lot. I'm going to use them more!
6 years; it goes by in a blink.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
List Update
OK. alright... So its wednesday night. I figure, I should update this thing, now that I have it. I should really tell people I have it too. Will do that later, ya.
So I wanted to tell you about how I've been doing on my employment Haitus list. Here's what I've checked off so far...
13. Do something naked
14. Swim in AOS fountains
18. Eat at a C rated restaurant
Yes, Yes, I swam naked in the Ave. of the Stars fountain. No. 13 and No. 14 - Check. Pretty ridic'ulous, I know. Thanks to Jumee for coming and taking the pictures at the AOS and for Lewey for being naked with me!
As for No. 18. Eating at a C rated restaurant was super easy. I totally forgot that Daikokuya in Little Tokyo was rated a C.... Kinda gross but I love that place. The ramen is soooooooo good. But its rated a C and I'll probably get the runs for a day or two. But it was worth it. It was worth it to check something off the list!
So I wanted to tell you about how I've been doing on my employment Haitus list. Here's what I've checked off so far...
13. Do something naked
14. Swim in AOS fountains
18. Eat at a C rated restaurant
Yes, Yes, I swam naked in the Ave. of the Stars fountain. No. 13 and No. 14 - Check. Pretty ridic'ulous, I know. Thanks to Jumee for coming and taking the pictures at the AOS and for Lewey for being naked with me!
As for No. 18. Eating at a C rated restaurant was super easy. I totally forgot that Daikokuya in Little Tokyo was rated a C.... Kinda gross but I love that place. The ramen is soooooooo good. But its rated a C and I'll probably get the runs for a day or two. But it was worth it. It was worth it to check something off the list!
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