Animal Cruelty (..made me cried)

I was watching Kapuso Mo! Jessica Soho last Saturday night, and they presented a topic about Slaughtering Process of Animals here in the Philippines. The title of the segment goes like this: “Pagkatay sa mga hayop, maka-hayop nga ba?”.

At the start of the segment, they show a bunch of goats na kakatayin na. The voice over of Jessica Soho goes, “…tila alam na ng mga kambing na ito kung ano ang kanilang kahihinatnan, at wari’y nagpapa-alam na sila sa isa’t isa.” And true enough; you could really see the gestures of the goats on the last minutes of their lives. Then unang kinuha yung male goat, at pwersahan nilang pinainom ng isang bote ng suka yung kawawang kambing. I can hear the scream and shrill cry of the goat, and it was really heart-breaking!

I asked myself “why!? Why do they have to experience this cruelty!? They also have feelings… Wala bang ibang way na hindi sila mahihirapan ng ganun ka-grabe!?”… The animals are helpless… I really can feel their pain… Marami pa silang pinakitang examples ng very cruel na katayan, and my body really felt weak on the sight. I just noticed na tumutulo na yung mga luha ko. Yes, I really cried. It was really too much. Lalu pa nung may close-up shot sila sa mata ng kabayo na pinukpok sa ulo at humandusay sa lapag… you could see the pain in their eyes, maluha-luha sila sa sinapit nila… And my tears continued on creeping down on my face.

Then the segment went on, and they showed this butchering house of a big company. They introduced an instrument called “Electric Stunner” which they used in their animals na kakatayin. Para syang anesthesia, it’s like a big tong na idinidikit sa ulo ng mga hayop and they get stunned. Mas okay daw yung ganun, at least hindi na mararanasan pa nung mga hayop yung pain ng dahan dahang pagkamatay. At least with electric stunner, in a moment lang, tulog na yung hayop. It’s a good solution, however the price of an electric stunner is also stunning. 600,000 thousand pesos. Para sa maliliit na katayan, malaking pera yun. Pero naisip ko, hindi ba nila kayang gumawa ng improvised version nun? There are many ways, I suppose. We just have to stop these cruel treatments to animals.

The thoughts are really disturbing, and I just really hope that we will find an end to this harsh activities.

My First Starbucks Experience

Yesterday (07/22/2008 ) was my first time to drink a starbucks coffee.

Kaka-regular lang ng ka-team namin sa project na si Marvin. And our co-leagues persistently tease him na itreat nya ang buong team (composed of 12 persons, pero yung 3 nasa Japan right now). And ayun nga, sa tinagal-tagal ng pagpaparinig at pangungunsensya kay Marvs, wala na syang nagawa at inilabas na ang kanyang kayamanan ^_^

Simple lang naman yung request namin — Starbucks coffee. It was my first time, and yes, libre pa! They ordered a Mocha Frappuccino Light Blended Coffee for me.

Mocha Frap Light

It tasted sooo good. And it is extra delicious kasi it’s for free. So my heartfelt Thanks goes to Marvs, for accomplishing one of my goals for me. Yes, that’s one my goals right now, to drink a starbucks coffee, and the other one is to eat a donut from Krispy Kreme..

Yeah, yeah.. it might sounds like a joke to you, but I’m serious. I haven’t experienced eating a Krispy Kreme doughnut. Kaka-start ko lang sa work, and kaka-start ko lang mag-earn ng money. Kaya nga this is my chance to fulfill those goals. Wala lang akong time and effort right now para bumili. ^_^

Another thing, I wanna watch the Lifehouse concert this saturday! waaaahh.. magkano kaya ticket dun. Gusto ko nga itry yung mga pacontest sa radio, hindi ko lang magawa. Hmmm.. If ever hindi ako makapanood, basta I’ll add a goal na makapanood ng concert ng isang foreign act sa Big Dome this year.

Nakapanood na naman ako ng concert ng isang foreign artist eh, si Colby Callait, si Trinoma nga lang. But that’s okay. It was my first time so it’s a memorable one.

I made it to the Top!

The Morning Rush (Courtesy of dRu)

whootwoot.. Finally.. After almost 8 years of listening to The Morning Rush, i finally snatched the top spot of the The Morning Rush Top Ten.
I’ve been a silent rusher ever since I started listening to Chico and Delamar. I’m just merely out there, listening and laughing with everyone’s entries at the Top Ten. I never even dared to text them for greetings or request because i thought they might ignore it, sayang naman sa load.
Then I had the chance to meet them personally on my birthday last year. Then I had my own cell phone. I started texting them for greetings and requests, and there were only a few times that my messaged was read on-air. I also started joining the top ten, but not on a regular/daily basis. And my entries usually land at #8, #6, or #3 and I’m so delightful with it. The fact that my text message was included in the top ten and the fact that chico and delamar reacted on what I’ve texted is a big honor for me..
Chico and Delamar finally recognized my codename and they remembered me as one of the active rushers in the forum. They even greeted me during my birthday and during my graduation. They read my messages and play my requests. It’s a very blissful moment for me.
Enough with this long intro… All I want to say is that I made it to the top spot of the Top ten yesterday. The topic was “Top ten signs that nobody loves you”, and they picked my idea as the top entry on the last batch… it was really amazing… I never thought that I could be on that spot… It was really a dream come true.
Today, July 8, 2008, is actually the 12th year anniversary of the The Morning Rush with Chico and Delamar. This radio show has been a part of my mornings for almost 8 years I guess. They were always there to make me laugh and inspired, and listening to them is actually the best way to start my day. Chico and Delamar, and all of the rushers who also became very close to me, will forever leave a mark in my life. Life became much more beautiful with The Morning Rush.
I hope that Chico and Delle will continue their passion in this business, and hopefully there will be more years of joyful mornings with them.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MORNING RUSH!!!

Bowling Night!

Last friday Night (June 06, 2008), our company, TSPI, held a Bowling tournament at Conorado lanes, StarMall. It is an annual activity of the company where the associates are grouped into different teams and they’ll battle it out to received a special prize.

I was so excited with this event because it is my first time to play Bowling, and this sport is one of my biggest dreams, and finally it came true! We really enjoyed that night and our group made it to the Top 6 on first round..

On the final round, however, we lost our strengths and accumulated not enough points for the team.. Nevertheless, the experience was really precious and what matters most is that we enjoyed the game.

I even managed to throw a strike, 4 times!!

I’m so happy after that night.. and I’m looking forward again for this activity next year!

The IDOL is COOK!

Yesterday, I’m hurrying up to reach the house on time just to catch the start of American Idol 7 Finale. For the record, this is my first time ever to complete a season of American idol, from the very start of the audition until the final result show. And luckily, I made it to be at home just in time.

Before I start, let me just share my opinion regarding the final battle of the davids. For me, it was the most exciting final showdown of all time. Both finalists really deserve to be on that spot. The judges said that it was a knockout win in favor of David Archuleta (DA), but I must praise David Cook (DC) for he also delivered a very good battle that night. On the first round, Simon Cowell said DA won over DC. But in my opinion, I like DC’s song more, much livelier than DA’s song. On the second round, both sang two different unknown songs. Simon said Cook’s song is not a winning/finale song; it does not fit the event, and then gave the praise again to Archuleta. But again, my praise goes to Cook. Both of them sang an inspiring song, but I like the message of DC’s song more. Again, it’s a very lively song, and his performance was really stunning, he’s a star! And the third round, I get a little disappointed with Cook’s choice of song. But when he said that the whole thing is a “progression”, I admired him instantly. That’s the right attitude of a real artist, taking risks and does his best whatever happens.

Whew, so back to the finale. Actually, I already knew who won the title that night. And I’m happy that Cook won as the new American idol. I just want to see how the finale went on. The group performances of the final 12 were really good. My only beef with the finale last night is that most of the guests were old artist! You have Donna Summer, Bryan Adams, George Michael, and the performers along with David Cook and Brooke White (see? I even didn’t knew their names!). This is supposed to be a youthful show. But yeah, I see that they must balance everything so that they’ll cater to a much bigger scope of audience. Good thing that they also had Jonas Brothers, One Republic, Jordin Sparks, and Carrie Underwood!

Speaking of Carrie Underwood, she’s so beautiful!! Very stunning, she’s glowing and beaming! And her voice? Wow… she’s the best idol of all of them!

And finally, the new American idol was announced. And we saw a very emotional David Cook singing the winning song of the night. I’m almost teary-eyed last night, watching him emerging as the idol of the year. To tell you the truth, I really didn’t like him at the start. I even hoped before that he wouldn’t make it to the top 12 because he was so arrogant that time. But as weeks gone by, I saw the changes in his personality. He became a little humble, at least. And by and by, I saw his potential to be the winner of the competition because he really has a great voice and great talent. He really deserves to be the AMERICAN IDOL!

Post Happy Mother’s Day

This is a song that I intentionally wrote for my Mom.  This song shows how I am very inspired to fulfill my dreams which I really dedicate to my Mom.  Very timely because just last sunday it was Mother’s Day.

JUST 4 U

you feed me
you clothe me
you give me everything i need

you kissed me
you hugged me
enough for me to be complete

Ref:
there’s nothing i would wished for
no more to ask for
let me make now my own move
a chance for me to prove…

Chorus:
My love
You’re the one who build me up just right
never leave me on my darkest night
all the strengths and love i need
undoubtedly you gave to me
that’s why
im living just for you

you mold me
you lead me
succeeded on the paths we’ve take

protect me
and loved me
you’ve been my sunshine when i wake

(repeat Ref & chorus)

bridge:
my hardships in my life
are for dreams that i aspire
and yes, i wanna tell you now
my life is just for you..
for you..

(repeat Chorus)
date: may 31,2006/ 11:00pm
My mom really worked hard for us to finished our studies.  And I must say it all paid off.  So now, it is my time to do my part, and I must give her nothing but the best because she truly deserves it.

Newly Hired!

It’s been a week since I started going to work. I’m hired as a design engineer in TSPI (Tsukiden) at Philippine Stock Exchange Center in Ortigas, but for now we’re still undergoing some training that will last for 6 months. Hopefully, after that I’ll be a regular employee of the company.

This new stage of my life is really thrilling. I still don’t know what awaits for me in this new job, but I’ve been hearing some rumors that it will be difficult, so I’m bracing myself that much. I’m just happy with the fact that I never had the hard time in looking for a job. I really thought that my condition would hinder me to get a job. The competition nowadays is really intense. But then, after all, my hardships in school paid off. To graduate with flying colors had been my ticket to reach this point, so I’m very fulfilled with what I’ve done in school.

By the way, I haven’t graduated yet. But at least I’m assured now with my career. I’m also happy for my classmates. Almost all of us have a job already, and I’m glad that we have our own careers. I just hope that each one of us is taking the right path and that we’ll succeed someday in this course.

Cheers to us! Cheers to our future!

On My Way Home Yesterday

After my working hours, I walked alone along San Miguel Ave. under a dark-threatening sky. It was already late afternoon, and many employees are on their way home.

I took the MRT (south-bound) and made myself fit inside the train teeming with lots of people. To my surprise, I actually saw Mr. Howie Severino on that same train. In case you didn’t know, Howie Severino is the multi-awarded broadcast documentarist of GMA7 and is one of the hosts of the award-winning documentary show, I-Witness. It was an unforgettable experience. Though the people in the train are ignoring him, maybe out of courtesy or something. And even me, I never had the guts to say Hi or Hello to him.

Still, it was a very unforgettable ride.

SAYANG BA

one of the compositions i wrote… about secret love yung song.. wala pa nga lang melody or tono… i’m feeling mushy sometimes Just don’t ask me who’s my inspiration on this… hehehe

SAYANG BA?

lagi na lang akong nagmamasid
takaw tingin na ‘di mo lingid
di magawang maipagtapat
tila pag-ibig ko’y di sapat

sa tuwing ika’y nariyan na
biglang pagurong ng aking dila
akin bang itatago na lamang
ang damdamin kong mailalaan

chorus:
pa’no na nga kaya?
hanggang pangarap na lang ba
ika’y aking makakasama
kailan nga kaya?
walang kaganapan ba
na makita ka sa umaga
para san pa nga ba?
‘tong pag-ibig na nadarama
sayang ba? sayang ba?
oh.. sayang nga.

di ko nais ang gan’to na lang
na itoy pagkakaibigan lamang
ngunit kung aking aaminin
baka di mo ko dinggin

damdamin ko’y di masupil
kahit anong gawing pigil
nakatatak na sa king isipan
di na maalis pa kailanman

To whom much is given, much is expected

When I was in high school, I used to collect all the medals and awards in our school. Be it a quiz bee, on poster making contests, essay writing competitions, journalism contests, and academic excellence awards, I almost got it all. I also joined different organizations like math club, science club, art club, and I even ran and won in student council. High school has been very good for me. I managed to do well during those days, and it gave me the benefit of being known in the school. Yet, believe it or not, my feet remained fastened in the ground.

Yeah, yeah, honestly I really don’t want to brag about this thing. I just can’t think of any good and humble introduction right now. So before any worse things run through your mind, I’ll share a quote to you that goes:

Never explain; your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe you anyway.

Back to the topic. Then when I was about to graduate, I realized that everything would stop in here, that the fame and fortune will, probably, be over. College will be a very different environment. I thought that I have to start all over again. I thought that I’m going to stop in getting achievements. Fear really floated inside me because I’ll have to deal with new different people, all strangers, not even one familiar face. I really thought then that college would be very difficult for me…

But then… to my surprise… everything went okay for me. I entered a course which I really have no concrete idea what it is all about. I know how to use a computer, but the idea of programming, creating software, databases and applications are all foreign concepts to me. But as the years go by, I was able to absorb all the new knowledge quickly. I was able to balance all my abilities in all the major and minor subjects in our course. All things went well. And after the 4 years of consistent hard work, I received a recognition from our department which means a lot to me. I don’t want to be boastful about it, though, but I just want to share that I emerged as the top student in Bachelor of Science of Computer Science Batch 2004 - 2008.

To tell you honestly, I really didn’t expect this thing. I came from the lowest section in our course, though this sectioning in our college has no bearing to the abilities of the students in that section. As I was saying, I really never thought that I’ll rank first in the list. Simply because I believe that there are better computer science students than me. I’m not the best programming student in our batch. I admit it. Though the probable reason why I reached the top is because I was able to excel in all the subjects. I managed to be good in every minor and major subjects that we had, and this was the result of my hard works. But on the negative side of this thing, I’m a little worried on the expectations that it entails. As I said, I’m not the best programming student; perhaps I’m only on the average level of it. But given the fact that you’re on the top of the list, people will probably think that you’re the best. I’m very worried about it.

I’m just very happy that I reached the things that lie beyond my expectations. I’m proud for my self that even in college, I was still able to be good on my studies. I know that this is still not the end of the battle/adventure. It is just the beginning of a much bigger competition.