10.29.2004
PITCHER PERFECT
Finally after 86 years (that's about 3 generations), the Boston Red Sox won a World Series...via a sweep of the team with the best record in the Majors! I'm a confessed Red Sox fan and after years of seeing them lose to the Yankees every September, it was sweet. This was a team that was down 3-0 again this year in the ALCS and was always an out away from elimination, but they managed to claw back and win via superb pitching and hitting. The pitchers really spelled the difference in the World Series as it showcased the two best offensive teams in the Majors. It was Boston's starters Martinez, Schilling and Lowe along with their able backups in the bullpen who shut down the St.Louis offense while the Boston "Idiots'" bats were connecting. I could go on in detail but I think I'm the only baseball fan in the country.
Oh, and I got back my pictures from Palawan. The Vietnamese girl sent them at a whopping size of 1MB each. With my slow dial-up, it took forever to download. Thought I'd share these pictures here:
Finally after 86 years (that's about 3 generations), the Boston Red Sox won a World Series...via a sweep of the team with the best record in the Majors! I'm a confessed Red Sox fan and after years of seeing them lose to the Yankees every September, it was sweet. This was a team that was down 3-0 again this year in the ALCS and was always an out away from elimination, but they managed to claw back and win via superb pitching and hitting. The pitchers really spelled the difference in the World Series as it showcased the two best offensive teams in the Majors. It was Boston's starters Martinez, Schilling and Lowe along with their able backups in the bullpen who shut down the St.Louis offense while the Boston "Idiots'" bats were connecting. I could go on in detail but I think I'm the only baseball fan in the country.
Oh, and I got back my pictures from Palawan. The Vietnamese girl sent them at a whopping size of 1MB each. With my slow dial-up, it took forever to download. Thought I'd share these pictures here:
10.27.2004
SOUTHERN COMFORT
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of going on a whirlwind trip to Palawan that swept me away. Thanks to the generosity of a Vietnamese priest who's staying with us, I got to go to the Island paradise for the first time in my entire life. Those who know me well know that I am not one for travel. On road trips, I'm not good company because I always fall asleep and when I usually get to a place, I'm so tired from the trip that I sleep as well.
Fortunately, this was different.
We stayed in Viet Ville, a community run by the CBCP for Vietnamese refugees who have fled their homeland. They have succeeded in making a true cooperative community that is clean, homey and successful. A lot of their income comes from the Viet Ville restaurant that serves authentic Vietnamese food.
Side note, Pho Hoa doesn't hold a candle to this place. I know food and I know that this food was excellent and priced really cheap (59 bucks for a sweet and sour spareribs viand that was soooo good). Apparently, Pho is Vietnamese is pronounced "Fir" and is supposed to mean noodles. So Pho Hoa (which we've all been pronouncing like foe) actually means noodles of Hoa (the owner's name).
We stayed in the guest house of the community which was a modest little home but it was big enough to house an entire barkada (hint hint). Airconditioned rooms and the friendliest bunch of neighbors.
Ever been standing in two places at the same time? I was in palawan but I was also in Vietnam! I learned a lot about their culture and appreciated the small bits of history that I know about their country. They let me into their houses and plied me with their food (I hate crabs...but these crabs were worth all the work I put into opening them).
Due to the shortness of time, I got to visit just one Island...Happiness Island nearest Honda Bay. It got in a good 2 hours of beach fun in the clearest water I've ever seen.
I'm going back there...who's with me?
Signing off.
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of going on a whirlwind trip to Palawan that swept me away. Thanks to the generosity of a Vietnamese priest who's staying with us, I got to go to the Island paradise for the first time in my entire life. Those who know me well know that I am not one for travel. On road trips, I'm not good company because I always fall asleep and when I usually get to a place, I'm so tired from the trip that I sleep as well.
Fortunately, this was different.
We stayed in Viet Ville, a community run by the CBCP for Vietnamese refugees who have fled their homeland. They have succeeded in making a true cooperative community that is clean, homey and successful. A lot of their income comes from the Viet Ville restaurant that serves authentic Vietnamese food.
Side note, Pho Hoa doesn't hold a candle to this place. I know food and I know that this food was excellent and priced really cheap (59 bucks for a sweet and sour spareribs viand that was soooo good). Apparently, Pho is Vietnamese is pronounced "Fir" and is supposed to mean noodles. So Pho Hoa (which we've all been pronouncing like foe) actually means noodles of Hoa (the owner's name).
We stayed in the guest house of the community which was a modest little home but it was big enough to house an entire barkada (hint hint). Airconditioned rooms and the friendliest bunch of neighbors.
Ever been standing in two places at the same time? I was in palawan but I was also in Vietnam! I learned a lot about their culture and appreciated the small bits of history that I know about their country. They let me into their houses and plied me with their food (I hate crabs...but these crabs were worth all the work I put into opening them).
Due to the shortness of time, I got to visit just one Island...Happiness Island nearest Honda Bay. It got in a good 2 hours of beach fun in the clearest water I've ever seen.
I'm going back there...who's with me?
Signing off.
10.17.2004
WILL AND GRACE
For the religious sorts out there, what do you ask for when you pray? Do you ask for health? Good fortune? Love? I used to do the same. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an atheist.l When I do pray nowadays, I do something that my dear, dear friend Solvie taught me to do...I just pray for His will. I just close my eyes and pray that His will be done.
This could be misconstrued as me sitting back and letting God do the rest but it isn't. I still go about my day, doing my freelance projects while looking for full-time work but everything now is according to His plan. Things just do happen for a reason.
Take Copylandia for instance. I didn't pray for the job but I actively sought it out. All I asked for was His will be done. I got the job but God must have read the employee handbook with me and thought to Himself "What the fuck did I get Jay into?" and He got me out of it. This conscious decision to put myself in His hands has given me a sense of inner peace for the first time in a very long time.
I'm not religious mind you. I'm only excited to go to mass whenever it's at Gesu. Anywhere else and I'd rather sleep in or watch TV. This may come as a surprise to those who knew me in high school. I was a goodie-two-shoes back then and I even was a rector for Days With the Lord. A good example of this was when I went out a few weeks ago with my high school buddies and we found out one of them was doing something "naughty" to put it lightly. This friend of mine (I guess because of guilt) took one look at me and began to rant, telling me "Don't look at me with your judgmental eyes you Days with the Lord person!"
Hilarious but not necessarily true. I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of. I have my skeletons and darker sides hidden away so I don't really qualify as a saint. But if there's one thing I know, this exercise of asking just for His will has done me a lot of good and it's something I want to just pass on.
Signing off
For the religious sorts out there, what do you ask for when you pray? Do you ask for health? Good fortune? Love? I used to do the same. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an atheist.l When I do pray nowadays, I do something that my dear, dear friend Solvie taught me to do...I just pray for His will. I just close my eyes and pray that His will be done.
This could be misconstrued as me sitting back and letting God do the rest but it isn't. I still go about my day, doing my freelance projects while looking for full-time work but everything now is according to His plan. Things just do happen for a reason.
Take Copylandia for instance. I didn't pray for the job but I actively sought it out. All I asked for was His will be done. I got the job but God must have read the employee handbook with me and thought to Himself "What the fuck did I get Jay into?" and He got me out of it. This conscious decision to put myself in His hands has given me a sense of inner peace for the first time in a very long time.
I'm not religious mind you. I'm only excited to go to mass whenever it's at Gesu. Anywhere else and I'd rather sleep in or watch TV. This may come as a surprise to those who knew me in high school. I was a goodie-two-shoes back then and I even was a rector for Days With the Lord. A good example of this was when I went out a few weeks ago with my high school buddies and we found out one of them was doing something "naughty" to put it lightly. This friend of mine (I guess because of guilt) took one look at me and began to rant, telling me "Don't look at me with your judgmental eyes you Days with the Lord person!"
Hilarious but not necessarily true. I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of. I have my skeletons and darker sides hidden away so I don't really qualify as a saint. But if there's one thing I know, this exercise of asking just for His will has done me a lot of good and it's something I want to just pass on.
Signing off
10.12.2004
I'M BACK WHERE I STARTED
So much for my promising new, high-paying job at Copylandia. They were too afraid of my blood pressure so they reneged on the deal. The one thing that pisses me off about it is that I was up front with them about it sa interview and they were OK with it. They should have just told me then and there about their concern so that I wouldn't have had to run all over Manila, Makati and Quezon City collecting all their pre-employment requirements.
So, for one day, i was Jay Tan. Assistant to the President for Corporate Communications for Copylandia.
Today, I am Jay Tan...thoroughly pissed off about the entire situation.
Lemme tell you though, COPYLANDIA is the absolute worst office it has been my displeasure to have ever been a part of. They even devoted half their employee handbook to a table of offenses and penalties...from getting personal phone calls to loitering. I'm not sad that I'm not there...just pissed that they were so fickle...fickle enough to hire me then reconsider and let me go.
Mr.Juarez...I wish that you read this. You are not a gentleman. I wish you and your business a lot of ill will and misfortune.
Signing back on
So much for my promising new, high-paying job at Copylandia. They were too afraid of my blood pressure so they reneged on the deal. The one thing that pisses me off about it is that I was up front with them about it sa interview and they were OK with it. They should have just told me then and there about their concern so that I wouldn't have had to run all over Manila, Makati and Quezon City collecting all their pre-employment requirements.
So, for one day, i was Jay Tan. Assistant to the President for Corporate Communications for Copylandia.
Today, I am Jay Tan...thoroughly pissed off about the entire situation.
Lemme tell you though, COPYLANDIA is the absolute worst office it has been my displeasure to have ever been a part of. They even devoted half their employee handbook to a table of offenses and penalties...from getting personal phone calls to loitering. I'm not sad that I'm not there...just pissed that they were so fickle...fickle enough to hire me then reconsider and let me go.
Mr.Juarez...I wish that you read this. You are not a gentleman. I wish you and your business a lot of ill will and misfortune.
Signing back on
10.03.2004
SIMPLY AMAZING
My absolute, all-time favorite TV show is most definitely The Amazing Race. If there's any show I'd love to go on, it would be this one. My dream would be to have an Amazing Race All-Stars, much like the Survivor version where they assembled the most memorable characters srom past seasons. My line-up for this race around the world would be:
1. Colin and Christie - the runners-up from the latest season deserve to be here for another crack at the million. I was not particularly fond of Colin (he was a prick) but they really deserve another chance. No other team has been as competitive and controversial (or explosive).
2. Bill & Joe - The gay couple from the first season. They were the most conniving and dastardly team to run the race and it was sheer poetry to see them stuck in Alaska when Rob & Brennan won the race, a thousand miles away. They would be great for conflicts with other teams.
3. Kevin & Drew - The frat brothers from the first season. They cracked wise, fought hard, and were the arch-nemeses of Bill & Joe. It was such a hoot to see the conflict between these two rough-around-the-edges men's men and the two cultured, snooty gays.
4.John Vito & Jill - The sweetest couple to ever be on the show. It was heartbreaking to see them go when they finished last in Singapore as they fought forward using their love and the memory of the 9/11 death of Jill's brother to drive them forward.
5. Nancy & Emily - Mother and daughter from the first season. I want them in simply because Emily was the absolute cutest girl to ever go on the show.
6. Ken & Gerard - The Oh Brother team from the third season. They were a hoot to watch and they actually played the game well.
7. Jon & Al - The clowns from the 4th season. Same reason as Ken & Gerard.
8. Aaron & Arriane - The soulmates from season 3 were fun to watch as they went from scheming to actually playing the game well.
9. Teri & Ian - The gruff runners-up from season 3. At first, I hated Ian with a passion. But after the Vietnam leg and after seeing them fight on despite being the oldest team ever to run the race (at the time), they made for great moments and fights (both with other teams and with each other).
10. Danny & Oswald - The most flamboyant team to ever run the race. These two gay friends from season 2 even took time out from the race to shop in Hong Kong! they secreamed and fought hard and it would be fun to see them again.
11. Flo & Zach - The only time when I got the winner right. Yes, they've won the million but the nice guy and his bitchy best friend managed to blunder their way to the finish despite several last-place arrivals. Plus, I have a crush on Flo too.
What do you guys think? It would be the most Amazing Race...they'd better stop by the Philippines again. I wish we never see India again.
Signing off.
My absolute, all-time favorite TV show is most definitely The Amazing Race. If there's any show I'd love to go on, it would be this one. My dream would be to have an Amazing Race All-Stars, much like the Survivor version where they assembled the most memorable characters srom past seasons. My line-up for this race around the world would be:
1. Colin and Christie - the runners-up from the latest season deserve to be here for another crack at the million. I was not particularly fond of Colin (he was a prick) but they really deserve another chance. No other team has been as competitive and controversial (or explosive).
2. Bill & Joe - The gay couple from the first season. They were the most conniving and dastardly team to run the race and it was sheer poetry to see them stuck in Alaska when Rob & Brennan won the race, a thousand miles away. They would be great for conflicts with other teams.
3. Kevin & Drew - The frat brothers from the first season. They cracked wise, fought hard, and were the arch-nemeses of Bill & Joe. It was such a hoot to see the conflict between these two rough-around-the-edges men's men and the two cultured, snooty gays.
4.John Vito & Jill - The sweetest couple to ever be on the show. It was heartbreaking to see them go when they finished last in Singapore as they fought forward using their love and the memory of the 9/11 death of Jill's brother to drive them forward.
5. Nancy & Emily - Mother and daughter from the first season. I want them in simply because Emily was the absolute cutest girl to ever go on the show.
6. Ken & Gerard - The Oh Brother team from the third season. They were a hoot to watch and they actually played the game well.
7. Jon & Al - The clowns from the 4th season. Same reason as Ken & Gerard.
8. Aaron & Arriane - The soulmates from season 3 were fun to watch as they went from scheming to actually playing the game well.
9. Teri & Ian - The gruff runners-up from season 3. At first, I hated Ian with a passion. But after the Vietnam leg and after seeing them fight on despite being the oldest team ever to run the race (at the time), they made for great moments and fights (both with other teams and with each other).
10. Danny & Oswald - The most flamboyant team to ever run the race. These two gay friends from season 2 even took time out from the race to shop in Hong Kong! they secreamed and fought hard and it would be fun to see them again.
11. Flo & Zach - The only time when I got the winner right. Yes, they've won the million but the nice guy and his bitchy best friend managed to blunder their way to the finish despite several last-place arrivals. Plus, I have a crush on Flo too.
What do you guys think? It would be the most Amazing Race...they'd better stop by the Philippines again. I wish we never see India again.
Signing off.