Introducing the Fab Five

I recently spent a 3-day weekend with my colleagues slash friends. I just realized how lucky I am to be surrounded by four wonderful people in my chaotic techie, techie world. I feel suddenly inspired to introduce them to you, my non-existent followers...


Meet Aja the achiever. This one is perhaps the nicest person in the group, well-liked and admired. When she's not in her workstation, Aja is probably... eating. This girl's one-of-a-kind in her sport (eating).
Some interesting stuff:
+Has only one original CD until we gave her another;
+Fainted during her first months at work
+Stayed at the office overnight and still worked the following day without taking a bath (truly hardworking)
+Would always make and update her "To Do" list
+is now a country manager
Claim to fame: Cheeseburger desserts
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Tina is our ate, period. Haha. I hate to point it out but she is perhaps the most mature in the group... in terms of her outlook in life (yun naman pala eh). We look up to her and heed her advice.
Some interesting facts:
+Owns the place we call our "hideaway" during summer
+Wealthy but very humble and down-to-earth
+Sells Ferraris and Porsches during their garage sale
+Would always go for late-afternoon convenient store breaks
+Loves listening to music on her radioblog and iPod
Claim to fame: Elephantitis

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Pam is our model with the office serving as her "runway." She's the tallest in terms of height and tallest in terms of cubicle content. Her cubicle is virtually a storage area for all the files related to her accounts.
Some interesting facts:
+Extremely nice and fun to be with
+Work hours = 12 hours
+Fashyown
+Ms. Photogenic (#1)
+Single and available
Claim to fame: Avril Laven


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Tara is the free-spirited one in the group. I remember taking her to Saguijo. It was her first time to rock that side of Makati and a drunk Tara made friends with this girl and instantly won us a table (to think the place was 90% standing room inside).
Some interesting facts:
+Media heartthrob
+Likes to be alone; would take "alone" walks in the beach during midnight; went to Hong Kong alone
+Not scared to take risks
+Good at not delivering punchlines
+Expatriate-magnet (something inherited from a colleague gone AWOL)
Claim to fame: "Why don't you do something!"
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And the fifth one is Me. There's not much to say when you write about yourself, only good things. Haha. I'd like to think I'm the clown in the group, always trying to make fun out of the most boring situations. I'd also like to think I'm the feisty one, always ready to put up a fight if something goes wrong or if a friend is harassed.
Some interesting facts:
+Music freak
+Movie freak
+Cab snatcher
+Something's always "masakit"; reklamador
+can't walk fast; can't walk far; can't walk under the sun
Claim to fame: nadapa on the street... quietly though.

So... which one of us is you? (feeling!)

At the end of the day...

I asked for it. I've been so busy lately I haven't had time for my taters bbq popcorn and sour cream double dip night out at the movies. A year ago I was damn bored, complaining a lot about my brain not working and all that. Now... I couldn't even make time to fix my hair in between the meetings and the requirements. And how about my brain? I feel so used it hurts already.

And the good thing is I think I'm enjoying it. After over a year of sticking it out in the office, I think I've found the drive, energy and reinforcement that I need to perform well at work. Nerdy, yes. But I actually like to be on my feet with a hectic sched like this. It's the feeling at the end of the day that keeps me going... but I will have to move on at some point.

Thanks to Gmail though, I'm in touch with the world. I have subscribed to several mailing lists to keep myself updated.

Meanwhile, let's Gizoogle.

Five on the Floor

Don't take it out on me
Don't take it out on me
Don't take it out on me
I'm not the enemy...

- From "Goodnight January"

This is my CD of the moment... for the past two months. Man, I'm such a fan! Just keeps getting better.

In the HOUSE!

I had my first trip to the House of Representatives a few days back. It was cool. I was like an elementary student on her field trip. It brought back memories when way back in college, I thought of being a lawyer and then a public servant. It was one of those Machiavellian moments when I thought I could change... err dominate the world, thanks to the wise (and sometimes gay) Lex Luthor of Smallville.

I just never found the courage to take the law school entrance test. My friends said they didn't see me as a lawyer - I am not capable of being really serious at times when I should be really serious (what happened to the "writing skills" I thought I had?). They said the career I have now perfectly suits me because I'm good at making bola, coming up with excuses and alibis for everything. Haha.. whut. Aren't lawyers making bola, coming up with alibis and making up stories just to HIDE everything in SEARCH for truth? They earn six figures for being such good liars.

But sometimes I realize that maybe what I'm doing now cannot give me the life I want. Man, I can barely survive! I feel like I'm running out of time. I'm 23 now. I wanna be a young achiever but the thing is, in a few years time, I'm not young anymore.

Anyway, back to the House. It's nice to see our congressmen exchange friendly banters even if they disagree on a lot of things. Sanay na sanay na ata silaeh. And it's good to hear that despite their busy schedules and all the things they have to think about for the country when they're not politicking, they still find the time to look after the growth of those who work for them. A computer lab was set up in their premises, with Internet connection, available to all their employees. All the 16 computers are equipped with Microsoft Windows and Office software. Yesss. May plugging! I just hope they get to maximize whatever resources they have to effect improved services and more efficient governance for the Filipino people. Yesssss. Here goes my nationalism again.

By the way, Cong. Remulla really looks good in person - a lot better than what we see on TV. I just hope that his ideals and principles don't get tainted through time. Oh the bright boys.

Last Minute

It's been a while since I last posted here. That's okay since wala namang nagbabasa! Hehe.
The past two months have been really busy and I've never written so much in my life than in the
past two weeks. Minsan I feel like automatic na sha eh...
Hi, I need a write up for the EA signing.
(Okay, when do you need it?)
Now na sana eh.
(Oh SUUUUURE. makukuha mo mga 8 pm!)
By the way, we need interviewers for a regional exec. he's coming to the country.
(ok. For when?)
Tomorrow na.
(Tomorrow na, by the way pa! Na-mention lang in passing?)
Tska gusto ko sana mag organize ng presscon.
(For what and for when?)
Gov't thingy. in Congress. Sa Wednesday.
(Monday na kaya!)

That's why I'm posting here again, para ma-break yung cycle ng news writing. Ayokong makalimutang sumulat ng ibang format!

You Tube
I'm addicted to you tube, especially the music videos and the backstreet boys stuff. Haha. Busy daw. I should begin taking my own videos and sharing it there.

Happy New Year!

New year na... pero SSDD!

Same shit, different day

Happy Birthday Wolfmann

Long time no post. Last month was hell. Deadlines, work...tons of it and uncooperative teammates... it couldn't get any better than this! :-)

The tribute gig for my cousin last Nov. 19 at Racks El Pueblo was a blast! The pinoy rock scene is so alive it gives me goosembumps. Well, yeah exagg naman yun! Anyway, it was great to get together again with the same crowd that filled the halls of the funeral parlor a few months back. This time in a better, livelier, albeit nostalgic atmosphere.

They were also celebrating the anniversary of Admit One that night and a lot of bands played. As expected, I enjoyed ALMOST all of them. Almost, I say, because surprisingly, the only lackluster set of the night was Hale's (more of this later).

Those who performed that night included SVC, Dice & K9, If Disco Is A Crime, Chicosci, Happy Meals, Drip, Pedicab, Sandwich, Imago, Cambio, Sugarfree, Twisted Halo, Hale, and of course, Wolfmann+.

My band of the moment is Pedicab. I just really enjoy the craziness and no-holds barred style of music. Yung tipong mapapasayaw ka kahit ayaw mo and once you start, you can't stop! Kawala ng poise, but liberating. For like 15 minutes, I wasn't myself - jumping, screaming, clapping... grabe parang hashish. It's worse when you know the songs (and I do) so kulang nalang tumalon din ako sa gitna with Diego and Raimund. Craziness.

My all time favorite, Sandwich, followed Pedicab and they did a great job of sustaining the momentum. Galing their new songs, can't wait for the new album. Marc Abaya's departure from the band wasn't actually a loss (others would say it was). Raimund Marasigan can handle it pretty well (is there something music-related the guy can't do?). The lost pogi points from Marc's leaving the band was compensated by Mong Alcaraz. I think Sandwich is getting better... Haha lumalabas na ata aking fan girl-ness.

Wolfmann+, my cousin's band, had a very heart-tugging set. The band sang three of his popular songs with a very emotional encore on Beer as vocalist Ebe Dancel did a sort of adlib that seemed like he was talking to Wilf. For a moment, I felt him there, listening, smiling and teary-eyed, feeling the love that brought us all together that night. Before that was a short video montage of him doing what he loves best - tweaking his electronica gadgets... making music...his friends paid tribute. His legacy lives on.

My take on the others:
Chicosci - wow... what a band. Binubuhat na ng bouncer yung vocalist nila. Mong Alcaraz. Yown.

If Disco is A Crime - aliw yung girl! I like her dance moves and her hair and her outfit.

Happy Meals, Drip - okay lang, not bad! not spectacular either. Maybe because excited nako for Pedicab and these two were playing before them.

Imago - such powerful music. band of the moment ko din sila. as in nadama ko

Cambio - enjoy! No doubt about it.

Sugarfree - they didn't sing kuarto, sayang! Pero okay parin yung set nila, parang ang dami nilang tumugtog dun!

Twisted Halo - this is the type of performance that you should just watch and feel the emotions... appreciate. hindi pang sing-along

Hale - ohmygod. I just really feel that they didn't make the most of that opportunity. Them being a fairly young band, it was time to show off at magpakitang gilas to their kuyas yet they sang the less popular songs, much to the dismay of some. That put them in a very uncomfortable position. Nobody's reacting while they were singing. They just didn't connect. I knew and liked their popular songs but their performance that night got me asking myself why I liked them in the first place. Good looks and vocal chords are not enough to make great musicians.

Nakakainis sila

Ganun ba talaga, dapat misinterpreted ka? I so hate it when people get the wrong impression. Ba't ba kasi ganito ako? C'mon! I may sound mad but I'm not mad... at all.

Bakit kahit sobrang nagpapakapuyat ka para matapos ang trabaho pero walang nakakapansin ng effort mo? Pero mapapansin nilang may isang "typo" ka.

Minsan hindi ka na naglu-lunch, mukha kang ngarag at ang pangit-pangit mo na pero hindi ka parin daw mukhang busy.

Bakit yung ibang tao, trying hard to please, sobrang back-biters, pretentious and everything pero well-loved sila? Ikaw na nagpapakatotoo lang misinterpreted ka pa.

Bakit may ibang taong grabe na ang inferiority complex? Kailangang i-compare nila ang sarili nila sayo - in your face? Mygoodness.

Bakit may taong super takot magmukhang tanga? Hindi mo naman inaano, maiinis sayo just because you brought up something that made them look stupid.

Bakit kailangan ang tao naghahanap ng kakampi? Kapag naiinis sila sayo, kailangang ikuwento sa iba para mainis din yung iba. Sa katapusan, ikaw hindi mo na nai-share yung side mo dahil naging sarado na ang utak ng majority?

Nakakainis sila. I hate this day.

Two Hours

My cousin, Andrew, passed away on August 22, 2005. He was 28 years old and was having the time of his life. Honestly, I still don't know why that had to happen. He's got so many things going for him. He had a good life. He was living out his passion for music, with the love of his life and his ever supportive family behind his back.


Andrew, Wolfmann to most, is a musician, a very passionate and nationalistic musician. He lived and breathed music. Even when we were young, Andrew was always the one who would provide the music when we wanted to sing. No onle else can do what he does. He was big in the industry and I never knew it until I witnessed the throngs of people coming to see him at his wake. Fans, musicians, old classmates, friends, family... I would have thought I was in a rock gig if not for the venue and if not for the sight of rockstars weeping. The night he collapsed, the last gig he saw was the Rockestra and he was elated, awestruck by it. He was reeling, raving and even excited to do his own version. A few hours later, he collapsed... and nobody ever got to talk to him.


His passing away pains me so much. Andrew was my F1 buddy. Ka-text ko yan every F1 Sunday. Favorite namin si Raikkonen. He even wrote me a testimonial on Friendster and it says that I'm his favorite cousin dahil favorite namin si Kimi Raikkonen. He was also my Wednesday morning buddy. Parehong coding yung mga cars kaya alam ko he's up early na and when I've got no one to chat with, I'd text him about whatever... NU countdowns, ano nang bagong songs, saan ang gigs...


Minsan nagkita kami sa Starbucks. Akala ko dati coincidence lang but now I know it happened for a reason. The time we spent at Starbucks Greenbelt that day were the most memorable two hours we spent together. Super dami naming napagkuwentuhan about our lives, family. I am so thankful to the Lord for giving me the chance to spend that precious morning with him. This happened 2 months before his death. My friends would attest that I am quite a forgetful person but I remember everything that was said between Andrew and I that Wednesday morning.


Ang daming revelations, plans for the future...manonood kami ng F1 live when we get richer... madami ring advices... he told me not to fight back my parents and to just keep the peace wherever I am. He also kept pushing me to do the things I want to do no matter what people around us would say. Sabi nga niya, buhay natin to eh. Live it the way you want it. And that's what he did - short and sweet.


I miss him terribly. Kimi Raikkonen won the Belgian Grand Prix the same day he passed away and I kept thinking, shet. Ang daya niya. He watched live without me... :(

I am in Google!

I tried Google-ing my name and it was really cool to find at least one valid entry that was actually me! Haha thanks to my cousin Coco who linked me to her blog. That's nice, at least we'd get to know each other really well. After the things that happened these past few weeks, I have realized that life is short and it is important to let the ones that you love feel that you love them.

I have a lot of things I want to write about, just don't have time for it. I'm a busy bee.