Run for the Whale Sharks, Run!

Yeah, the second run is indeed going to happen.

Colleague/friend/runner idol Arlyn gave me my running pack yesterday for the upcoming COndura Run for the Whale Sharks. Cool shirt design I have to say. Woohoo! Arlyn and sister Ryse are super health/fitness bunnies who I'm really thankful to have as friends because they inspire and constantly remind me and the office gang to be fit. Hehe!

Uhm, two weeks ago, the usual suspects here at the office got an email from the Samaniego sisters about the Condura Run. After checking out the site, I got excited over it. Tey, on the other hand I think, agreed partially thanks to the powers of peer pressure. Haha! It didn't take long before the other girls followed suit and signed up for the race.

The first run I had was the UNDP Stand Up Take Action last year. I did a 5K, though I wasn't that serious about it. This one should be more exciting because I'll be running with friends. Aside from the office gang, college buddies Ella and Raymund are also joining. Then we're also trying to pressure John to run as well.

Wooohoo! The run is on Mar. 22. Right now, I'm not doing any serious preparation but I've added some time on the treadmill and hopefully that'll help me prep for the 5K run.

If you're interested to know more about the run, click here.

UP Boy has a new toy...

Finally, got my new toy last night. Woohooo! Haha!

For quite some time now, I've been thinking of getting this new toy just because. I've been delaying the purchase for the longest time, because I don't really need it.

What I really need and want is a digital camera. But when I started going to the gym, I thought of getting one so that I can listen to my own music while on the treadmill. Hehe!

So last night, I finally gave in. Together with colleague and fellow impulse buyer Reena, we went to the Mac store in Greenbelt.

Uhm, originally I only wanted the 16GB unit, but I ended up getting the one with 32GB. Power Mac only had 32GB. Avant only had 8GB. Bummer!

I know. I know. I could have gone to another store to get it at a much cheaper price, but I was in a dangerous want-it-now,must-get-it-now mood last night. Eeeep!!!

It's been awhile since I made a purchase within this price range, so I was in a state of shock for a couple of minutes. Haha! And then when I got back at the office and did the unboxing, that's when everything sank in. Haha! Woohoo!

I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun with this new toy. I'd finally get to watch all those vids from ModTV which I've downloaded and listen to some good podcasts. What I need to know though is where I can download free games. Tips please.

The choices last night were either this Apple gadget or a Kenneth Cole shirt I fell in love with and a Coke/Bench shirt. Haha! So I guess I chose right, right?

Angelo loves girls...

I love girls... who wear dresses. Hehe!

*in a deep pa-macho voice* I just think a woman's femininity really comes out when she's wearing an ultra-nice dress. Sure, a pantsuit could be sexy but there's really something about dresses that makes me adore women. Hehe!

Recently, I've been finding myself in dress-buying situations with my colleague Reena. One time, we looked for a dress for her for the Anvil Awards. Found really gorgeous ones at R.A.F. Plains & Prints in Eastwood. Before Reena, it was Bernice who I used to accompany when she would buy dresses. Her favorite was Mango. But she left for graduate studies abroad.

Anyway, most recently, I pushed Reena to buy two dresses from Adora in Greenbelt 5. Haha! She wasn't really planning to do some shopping but you'll find out in a bit why the purchases turned out to be good ones. The dresses were taken using my sucky phone, so that's why they don't look that nice. But those were the first "Reena, you gotta try this on" pieces that I saw while going through the clothes. (Monet, borrowed your Adora photo. Hehe!)

I've been to Adora a couple of times, and during this last shopping trip, I was happy to find out that the upscale store carries mid-range apparel as well. Initially, I thought all they had were the high-end labels with skyrocket prices. I checked out the menswear and womenswear labels and I found Etro, Missoni, D&G, Dior Homme and Jil Sander. The bags the store carries on the other hand include Lanvin and Chloe!!!

The prices are not for the faint of heart, I have to say. Plus, the interior design goes very well with the merchandise. It's rich. It's opulent. It doesn't feel like a department store.

But I was proven wrong. The dresses Reena bought were really cheap...ehrm, affordable... given that they're from Adora. They were also at reduced prices (Eeep! Don't kill me, Reena.) so that was a major, major plus for the store. Hehe!

When we left the store, I told Reena to wear the dress with the hearts this Friday. She looked me and said, "But what's the occasion?"

I replied, "Well, we'll just have to make one then." Hahaha!

Flatlined... Revived... Cardiac Arrest...

"Why God?
Show your hand
Why can't one guy understand?"
-- Chris, Miss Saigon

Recently, I had another Aha! moment. Just like the few other Aha! moments I’ve had, it came when it was least expected. While walking to work on an early weekday morning, I saw something (I can’t remember anymore what it was) when I was about to enter the glass doors of SMART Tower and that’s when I realized it.

Something told me that a person I recently met could be the one that I've been praying for. (Just to clarify "the one" is different from the "the one one has been praying for.")

Yeah, this may sound a bit absurd, but for quite some time now, I've been praying to the heavens to send someone my way. Because I believe that one should be detailed in his prayers, I told the Big Guy exactly what I wanted. Except that I forgot one small detail. Unfortunately, it wasn’t just any small detail that could be done away with. It was the proverbial single grain of rice that tipped the scale. That one detail changed how things were. That detail was one of the reasons that pushed me to do what I recently did.

It sucks big time because really, really, really I thought that the circumstances were great. I loved it when we hung out, whether it's for a movie or a simple quick meet. I loved when we talked and how we talked, because I learn a lot and the silences in between conversations weren’t the ones that felt uncomfortable. I loved it that we belonged to different career worlds, and that the world this person belonged to was something I was very much interested in. I loved it that we could share laughter over the simplest things. I loved that having that person around lessened the feeling of being alone. I loved knowing that that person is there (or used to be there). For that alone, I was already really grateful.

I've been a flatliner for the past couple of years ever since that horrible text message of March 2006. Really. And this is going to make the non-cheesy people throw up but I will write this because it’s true. When this person came along, it felt like getting the shock from an automated external defibrillator that I very much needed to get out of that emotional coma. The heart was beating again. And it felt good. It felt nice.

I should have known that it was too good to be true. Some crazy cosmic force out there just made sure that there was to be a glitch in the situation.

Tey told me it was the right thing to do. It was the fair thing to do. It was the mature thing to do. And for these, I should find some sense in what I did.

But I’m not finding any sense in it at the moment. I’ve never had a cardiac arrest, but if having one is similar to feeling like something inside your chest is being twisted and mangled, then lately I’ve been having some episodes of cardiac arrest. And pretty soon, I fear it’s going to flatline again. Hay.

So my question basically is this, if one is choosing to do the right thing, why the heck does there have to be an amount of hurt involved for choosing to do what is right and what is (or appears to be) fair?

It's just not right. It just isn’t.

Can't get enough of Bare...

Okay, I'm still not over Bare. I want the soundtrack. Really.

Anyway, as I've written in a previous entry, there were several songs that I liked from the musical. Uhm, but I guess one of my favorite favorite songs would be Bare. The two characters sing this just before a major emotional scene. The song itself is just oozing with emotion. Man, I've been listening to the song via Youtube all day long. Thank heavens for Youtube. Seriously.

Alright, sharing two of the relatively GP videos of the song Bare from Bare the Musical. Below are the lyrics of this beautiful, beautiful duet. Matt Doyle and James Snyder sing.

Do you remember the day that you met me?
I swear it was yesterday, I knew with a glance
That you were the question, and you were the answer
That the world would make sense again if I held your hand
Someday you'll look back, and I hope you'll remember
The moment of truth when I knew who I was
How did I learn the truth you gave to me?

I will always remember that first stolen moment
There you were kissing me, and time seemed to freeze
Now I stand at a crossroad and stare at a question
If prayer were the answer I'd fall on my knees
But forward is calling and I cannot stay here
A parting of souls as I try to move on
How do I forget the dream you shared with me?

I've never been this bare / I've never been so scared
I've never felt such honesty / Don't stop we'll never go away
A moment of such peace / Each of us standing bare
Knowing what you mean to me / Knowing who we have to be
Know as you hold my hand / I hope and pray
We're forever you and I / That you'll understand

I know you're here in my heart

Please understand that I tried

Try to see it's not good bye
The act is beginning, the audience waits

No, stay in this moment, where secrets reveal
Here in a world where there's safety in falsehood
I have discovered the one thing that's real
That I love you and I loved you from the start
And if you hold that close to you, we'll never be apart
Peter, please know I loved you...

God, I love you

From the start

The student is now...ehrm.. the teacher...err... old... haha!

I'm really getting old. Haha!

And surprisingly, I'm liking it. This year, I turn 30 and I am looking forward to the day I hit the big three-zero. Woohoo! I dunno. I guess I just have different thoughts about hitting that age.

Anyway, I just realized this whole thing when I got a message via Multiply from an OrCom undergrad requesting for an interview for their Organizational Communication 140 class. Whoa! I can still remember the days when I was the one in their shoes. Haha!

So this afternoon, I met up with Karen and Mina at Starbucks 6750 for the interview. OrCom 140 is introduction to Organizational Structure. It's basically about management styles.

For about the next hour and a half, they just asked me about my current job, my OrCom experience, my internship and tips for the OrCom kiddies. It was really great sharing with them how the ride has been so far. I'm excited for them.

I remember those days when we were still walking the halls of the Faura campus and we were all so eager to get out into the real world carrying the banner of the OrCom course. Hehehe! Good memories, really good memories.

Good luck to the OrCom kiddies. I hope you get a really good grade.

Ateneo is the happiest place on earth to go bare...

"All I ever want is there in your eyes."

Wonder when I would hear those words uttered to me. Forgive me, but that remark is a remnant of the really, really good Friday night I had at the home of the Blue Eagles.

Went there to catch the staging of Bare: The Musical by Blue Rep and it was just super.

Left the office at exactly five thirty because I know how horrible the traffic would be. Haha! So after an FX ride to Ortigas, a bus to Cubao, a train ride to Katipunan, a sweaty jeepney ride along Katipunan, and a couple of minutes of getting lost around the sprawling ADMU campus, I found my way to Gonzaga Hall.

Good thing that they haven't let people in yet so got to go in line before all the students hanging out decided to the same. Hehe!

The stage design was simple, but I like it that it was so close to the audience. An elevated runway was setup in the middle of the room and the seats were arranged in a U-shape around the stage. Kind of reminds one of a runway show. Hehehe!

A couple of minutes past eight, the lights were dimmed, the band started playing, and the cast led by Bibo Reyes and Amos Francia went onstage and wowed the audience for the next three house!

Though it was a Friday night, it was really great to see that it was a full house. And despite the poor venue ventilation and the somewhat faltering acoustics, I tremendously, tremendously enjoyed the show. You got to give the kids a lot of credit. For just 200 bucks a pop, you can't really expect the RCBC theater but you can expect a really great performance. That's what you're going there for anyway.

I loved, loved, loved several songs. There's "Best Kept Secret," "You and I," "Are You There," to name a few.

What I also liked about the whole thing was that there was an emotionally mature audience. When the lead characters declared their love for one other, there were no "eewwwss" or "owemgees" heard.

I'm not going to write anything more detailed than this, just in case any of you plan to go see the show. But this much I can say, you're going to leave Gonzaga Hall with a lot of emotions stirred up.

Part Juno, part High School Musical, part Trick, part Dawson's Creek, part Romeo and Juliet. Bare is worth the trip and is a show that shouldn't be missed.

The message is simple. "Love is love is love."

Bare was written by Jon Hartmere Jr. and Damon Intrabartolo. The Blue Rep staging was directed by Ana Abad Santos. Musical Direction by Felix Rivera. Stage Design by JJ Ignacio. Lights Design by Miyo Sta. Maria. Choreography by Reuben Uy. For tickets, get in touch with Alexa Yupangco at 09177220805.

SMART gets the first Green Mobile Award...

We did it! We won!

SMART received the first Green Mobile Award from the GSMA at the recent GSMA Global Mobile Awards. Our entry for the category is the alternative power (solar/wind) for cell sites program of the company.

Haven't had the chance to write about this because we've been busy preparing materials to share the good news. Hehe!

Photo above shows SMART Chief Wireless Advisor (and one of the pillars of SMART) Orlando Vea (second from left) and SMART Network Platforms and Services Division Head Mar Tamayo (fourth from left) receiving the award at the GSMA Global Mobile Awards dinner in Barcelona.

You can read about the news here.

Finally, the postcard from the Netherlands arrived...

When I got home last night, I saw the postcard above on my desk inside my room. I knew it was from Bernice. I knew it was from the Netherlands. I've been waiting for the postcard to arrive since forever, and I've almost given up hope that it will arrive. But then I remembered about the card from Japan and I still kept the faith. Hehe!

Guess what? The postcard was dated January 1, 2009. Wow! It took almost two months before it reached my doorstep. I wonder if there are still that many people using snail mail, or if the Philippine postal system really just sucks. Hehe! I'm guessing it's the latter, because when I mailed the Christmas postcards last year, the recipients got it days before Christmas. Hay. Still, it's better that it did arrive rather than not.

Bernice would be happy to hear that I finally got hold of the postcard, since she's been asking me about it forever. Hehe!

Pre V-Day Gimik...

Since V-Day was going to be quite uneventful, some colleagues and I decided to have a pre-V Day affair-cum-Friday nightout.

Started off with a dinner at Nihonbashi Tei, a nice Japanese restaurant along Pasay Road. We thought we'd have to wait awhile because of the several couples having dinner, but I guess Japanese wasn't a popular choice. Or maybe because technically, it still wasn't V-Day. Haha!

Anyway, service was quite good. The restaurant manager, a pleasant Japanese lady, made sure we got a table right away. Uhm, the price of the dishes vary but a good dinner would cost around 300-400 bucks. For that amount though, you'd be really stuffed already. I got the seafood ramen and when the bowl arrived, I could have swam in it. It was a LOT! Hahaha! And the food tasted well. Oishii desu ne!

From Makati, we headed to Malate for some dancing. Our usual haunt - Jill's - is still under renovation so until then, we're lost souls. Hehe! Anyway, we headed to Fluid. Since it was barely 11, the place has just opened. I hate to admit this but we were the ones who literally opened up the place. Hahaha! Why is it that Malate nightlife has to start way past midnight?!

Could age have something to do with it? If it were Jill's, I'm sure that the place would've been packed already. That and the crowd would be around our age range. In Fluid, we felt like we were chaperoning our kiddie brothers and sisters attending their first clubbing. Hehehe! Still, that didn't stop us from having a really good time.

Downed several bottles of SMLs. It was good to feel a good buzz. I thought SML doesn't work for me anymore (in Anilao, finished three bottles and not the slightest buzz) but apparently, I was wrong. Dead wrong. Haha!

Need a doctor for two "past loves..."

I don't know what to do with these two - a Jack Spade messenger bag and an Adidas bowling bag. Both are past favorites, although they were hardly used. Both are still in good condition.

The only problems with the Jack Spade are the discoloration and the broken zipper (which could still be fixed, and I still have the latch.) I had it dry cleaned one time and that didn't much help because I think the cleaners used a fabric conditioner so for awhile, the bag became quite slouchy. Anyway, as you can see, it's regained its structure again.

Meanwhile, the main problem of the Adidas is quite obvious. I wonder if it could still be treated. If it weren't for the peeled off lining, it's still very much usable. Zipper's working and the bag interior is still as immaculate as the day I got it several years ago. Uhm, the exterior has some discoloration probably because it's been stored in the closet.

Sigh. What to do? What to do? Should I throw them out? Or I wonder if someone would still be willing to buy these? (My only fear with selling is that the buyer knows a "bag doctor" who could restore the bags to really conditions. I would be kicking myself so hard.) Or does anyone know a really good "bag doctor" and how much treatment for these cases would cost?

Sayang, but I think I'm ready to let go of these two already.

Click on the images for larger image.

PBA champs in the house...

The boys were at the office yesterday.

A Thanksgiving Mass and a short program were held. Several of the big bosses were there. MVP, One of Smart’s pioneers Doy Vea, PLDT’s Ricky Vargas, among others. As expected, the employees had a really good time getting to mingle with the players. After the Mass and the short program, everyone just got up from their seats and approached the Tropang Texters. Hehe!

One of the perks of being in my department is that there would be another chance to meet the players. But in yesterday’s situation, I turned out to be one lucky boy because I was seated right next to the players thanks to Thea who got me a seat. So while the program was ongoing, I already managed to pass a TNT poster and have the boys all sign it. Haha! Well, all except Jayson Castro (who was resting because of the bad fall), Harvey Carey (who didn’t get to attend because I forget why), and another player who was just being his usual self. Oh, well. Haha!

Aside from the poster, I was also able to get some really good souvenir photos, but I’m kicking myself now because I forgot to approach Yousif both for the photo and to tell him about the Facebook fan page and the Multiply fan site that still needs content.

Anyway, congrats again to the Tropang Texters!

Trophy for the Tropa Boys.... Yeeehhhaaa!!!

TNT won!

The game was suspenseful, and we were all on the edge of our seats from the tension and excitement, but in the end, the boys took care of everything. Wooohooo!

It’s my first time to watch a PBA championship game, and I’m really glad that things turned out perfect for the team I’m rooting for. What made the whole thing really special was I watched the game with colleagues/friends Thea, AJ, Nova, Reena and Rhyz. We all had a grand time cheering for TNT and heckling (eeep!) the players of the other team. Hehehe!

It was really great that no fight broke out between the teams, although it was quite obvious that the players and coaches of each team are already getting in each other’s last nerve.

In my case, I was so close to getting annoyed with the people behind me who kept on asking me to take my seat whenever I would get up and cheer for the players. For the first three quarters, I put up with them. But during the last minute of the fourth quarter, I couldn’t help but look back at them and jokingly say, “Dude, this is already the last minute! Get off your seat already.” I’m like, “Duh, we’re not watching a musical here, so please stop asking me to sit down.” Hahaha!

Anyway, really, really thankful that the Tropang Texters won. The prayers last Tuesday worked. Haha! Sweet victory for the boys!

(Thanks to Kuya Manny for the photos!)