club morocco march 2006 - company outing

view from our bus

entrance to club morocco resort, subic zambales

view from our room

inside our room with lester, me, and joey

lobby roof art

lobby area... just chillin out with joey =)

strike a pose for mah girlfriend (wish u were here!!!)

lunch time =)

saraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap!!!

dramatic view outside the hotel

a carribean getaway???

and another one?

2nd day, island hopping =)

in a boat, island hopping

survivor island?

love month activities

>went to our church in angeles to perform for their valentine's day party, played the guitar with marlon as the vocalist. had a great time jamming with the pampanguenio's =) in fairness, they all sing well!
>celebrated valentines day alone *huhuhu*
>went to jubilation, binan laguna with my brother. we checked out his "small place" in this planet =)
>busy as usual with work, mostly preparations for the BIG project.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

"basta lang..."

pilit nililibang ang sarili
upang panahon ay mapadali
ganunpaman sadyang mabagal
ewan ko ba, basta miss kita

bakit kahit saan pumunta
di lubusang maging masaya
kahit saang sulok mapadpad
ewan ko ba, basta kailangan kita

sa isang taon na pagsasama
ikaw ay mas nakilala
magkasama sa lungkot at saya
ewan ko ba, basta mahal kita

di man matugon mga sagot
sa mga katanungan ko
dito lang talaga ako sigurado
basta miss kita, kailangan kita, at mahal kita

birthday summary

it's my birthday today and here are some of the day's events:

- had lunch with my family, cake - courtesy of jona, ice cream - courtesy of my sis, rest of the food - courtesy of dadi di do du =)

- went to glorietta to have donna's digital pics developed, so i can bring them to her parent's house in cavite so they can get a glimpse of her winter experience in the netherlands

- talked to my bhe, exchanged sweet nothings over the phone

- prayed at oakwood park and thanked God for giving me another year to enjoy life



~*~*~*~

"...go in the strength you have..."
- Judges 6:14

morning scripture

got this one from ness...

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish..- PSALM 1:6...have a blessed day!!! merry christmas!!!!

"But God . . ."

[Joseph] left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. —Genesis 39:12

What if Joseph had succumbed to the advances of Potiphar's wife? (Genesis 39). Imagine how he could have justified his sin. "But God, You don't want me to be unhappy, and you know how lonely it is here. Besides, I think I really love her."

What if Abram had disobeyed when God told him to leave Ur and head for parts unknown? (Genesis 12). What if he had said, "But God, I'm established here. I can't afford to risk everything on an uncertain future. I've got to watch out for Sarai. I'm staying."

Praise God that Joseph and Abram did the right thing. Joseph fled temptation; he ran from sin. Abram left Ur; he journeyed in obedience.

In life, we face both of these kinds of choices. Sometimes temptation rises up in front of us. When it does, we can either run and reap God's rewards—or we can give in, reap the sad consequences, and then make sorry excuses. Sometimes we sense that God is leading us in a particular direction. We can choose either to follow Him and trust His omniscience—or we can offer flimsy excuses and live a life of disobedience.

The abundant life of godliness is far better than a life of excuses and despair. Let's live so that we won't give in to the desire to say, "But God . . ." —Dave Branon

God does not demand success—just obedience.

jeepney driver incident

i won't forget this one...
(on my way to the office)

driver: o yung mga wala pang bayad, magbayad na...
(mga tatlong beses nya inulit)

di kaagad ako nakapagbayad dahil masikip
sa loob ng jeep.
(magbabayad talaga ako at wala akong plano mag 123)

pagdating sa town center, nagbayad ako, pero...
(yung lesson na natutunan ko, akin na lang muna)

month end activities for november

went to carl's birthday celebration at robinsons
imus, cavite last saturday. dropped by at the 'fourth'
to meet some of bhe's folks. it was the first
time carl called me 'tito' =)

had a sport fest service last sunday.
joined in the sack race contest and our team won.
went to quezon city and helped my brother
setup thin client linux network using LTSP.

had a family group leader's retreat at antipolo last
monday(holiday). had a lesson titled: "can you drink
the cup". we went for a swim afterwards, ate, and
then ate again hehehe. had a deep talk with tyrone,
asked advices regarding relationships.

after the retreat, we went to a nearby carnival.
had fun target shooting and riding the horror train.
a hilarious train rather =) we laughed our hearts
out instead of getting spooked.

called up my bhe before the day ended. exchanged
sweet nothings over the phone. i miss her soooo
much and there's only 24 days left before
christmas, buti na lang di ko pa naririnig
yung 'pasko na sinta ko' pag nagkataon, patay!
*sigh*

on making decisions (the family man revisited)

my long time friend jess (back in campus days) sent
an instant message asking me how i'm doing...

jay: bro may last question ako... musta na kayo ni GF mo?
E: eto, medyo kelangan talaga namin mag trust kay God... nasa ibang bansa sya ngayon.. isang taon pa sya dun
E: eh medyo nakaka struggle na
E: ang hirap pala ng long distance relationship
E: nakaka pagod
jay: actually mahirap talaga yan
jay: pero thats the way for you both para ma test ang inyong relationship
jay: iba iba din kasi love story natin
E: eh bakit ba kasi kelangan pa dumaan sa test palaga? nakakapagod rin kasi
E: *palagi
jay: each relationships is unique
jay: oo nga, i understand exactly what you feel
jay: you decide both, baka naman pwede umuwi na sya for the sake of your relationship.
jay: parang katulad nung sa movie ni Family Man
jay: yung kay Nicolas Cage
jay: ganda nun, its all about faith and making decision
E: yeah, i've seen that movie
E: isa sa favorite ko actually yan
E: ako may decision, pero kulang sa faith
E: si gf may faith pero wala pang decision
E: gets mo?
jay: oo nga eh

~*~*~*~

i would just like to quote a line by Kate in the
movie "the family man" when jack wanted to
move his family from the only home they've
shared together to the city.

"When you got on that plane, I was sure it was over. I left the airport afraid I'd never see you again. And then you showed up the very next day. That was a good surprise. You know, I think about the decision you made... maybe I was being naive, but I believed that we would grow old together in this house. That we'd spend holidays here and have our grandchildren come visit us here. I had this image of us, all grey and wrinkly, and me working in the garden and you re-painting the deck. But things change. If you need this, Jack, if you really need this, I will take these kids from a life they love and I'll take myself from the only home we've ever shared together and I'll move wherever you need to go. I'll do that because I love you. I love you, and that's more important to me than our address. I choose us."

Difficult Days

my quiet time for today:

"Surely goodness and love will follow me
ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever."
-psalm 23:6

We buried my wife's father 2 days before Thanksgiving, and every year the holiday is tinged with the sorrow of losing him. No doubt your calendar contains some of these difficult days that roll around once a year, bringing fresh reminders of losses that still hurt and people you still miss. A Wall Street Journal article calls these dates "emotional land mines" and says they may be even more difficult to face when they coincide with national holidays or anniversaries of significant events.

Grief counselors point out that taking a positive step can help us deal with grief. One year we planted a tree to mark the anniversary of a parent's death and the birth of a grandson on the same day. A scholarship fund or a memorial gift can benefit others while honoring the memory of a loved one. But a deep healing of spirit is a gift from God.

You may know Psalm 23 by heart, but try reading it with new eyes today. This familiar passage of comfort proclaims: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life" (v.6). Not just some of the days—all the days.

When we traverse the emotional minefield of painful memories, the Good Shepherd is with us on every difficult day. —David McCasland

"The sweetest experience of God's love
can be found in times of sorrow."

distance is taking it's toll

i didn't have a good night sleep today...
i wish i could sleep and wake up on the day
where everything's back to normal.

why do i always have to go through this kind of
agony?

a lot of questions popped in my mind, my body
wanted to rest already, but it's the opposite
with my mind.

~*~*~*~

which is harder? not having a girlfriend and no
one to worry about, or have one but is in a distant
country???

detoxify your mind

break time muna... mapapalaban na naman ako sa overtime
tonight. it's 7:45pm right now, and i just thought of writing
a post in my blog for the following reasons:

1. it's my blog's birthday! (november 12)
2. i need a short break and detoxify my mind
3. curiosity about amsterdam's weather

wow! my blog reached a milestone... it's been a year since
i started posting here. i'm amused as i browsed through my
old posts. i'm glad that i had my memories immortalized here.
i just wouldn't remember all of them because of my
forgetfulness 8-) i'm looking forward to another year of
wonderful memories yey! happy birthday dear blog! =)

it's a good thing to have a blog, this is like one of my stress
relievers. i get to free my mind of worries for a while and
detoxify my brains of all the Java-related-technical-so-and
so-work-related-stuffs at work. here, i can express if not all,
most of the things that really matters to me. i'm just glad
i found a sanctuary for my mind, heart, and soul (ang drama!)

though it's a fast-paced world and constant change every
now and then, a positive note about being in the information
technology industry is that you get access to tons and tons of
information. be it about the ant's internal organs, keeping in
touch with the latest trends, and up to date live images of
places around the world. with this, i've found a site where
i can see live images of what's it like in Amsterdam. to see the
busy city life, trams, the people, and weather. below is a sample
screen shot i got from one website. as you can see it's winter
already, 6 degree celcius(sun's up though) and the people are
wearing their coats to protect themselves from the cold weather.



it's 8:15pm, i'm done with my break, back to work! whew! =)

november rain

If I could have just one wish,

I would wish to wake up everyday

to the sound of your breath on my neck,

the warmth of your lips on my cheek,

the touch of your fingers on my skin,

and the feel of your heart beating with mine...

Knowing that I could never find that feeling

with anyone other than you.

- Courtney Kuchta -

~*~*~*~

tag-ulan na naman *sigh*

when the going gets tough...

overtime, overtime, and overtime @ work

for the spirit:

Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.
-psalm 27:14

Watch and pray so that
you will not fall into
temptation. The spirit is
willing, but the body is weak.
-matthew 26:41

for the body:



been drinking this for the
past days... and somehow
it helps

Thank God It's Friday!?!?!?

i came in the office today late not because i woke
up late or left the house late. it wasn't because
of heavy traffic either. it's an irritating reason why
i was late today.

it's because the bus i rode caught the green
light of the traffic light near the bus stop i was to
step off. i ended up having to walk 15 minutes going
back to place where i was supposed to alight.
#$%#$$%$#% and top it off with a sunny sunny day
and hot weather.

i kept my cool, got my umbrella and went on my way.
and to make things brighter, i knew that jaywalking
is strictly prohibited here in alabang, i even saw
the signs "no jaywalking". i was already in a hurry
because of the bus-stop-problem, and so i saw
the people crossing the streets on the pedestrian
lane, the problem was it wasn't really visible already
so you wouldn't know or care less if you were inside
the boarders of the lane or not. i thought, well i'm
in the right area, and besides i'm crossing with
the other folks but just a bit away from me and i don't
want to be late and you know what happened???

yes, i was caught... @#$%@#$%#$% and to think that
i have just dealt with the bus-stop-problem, here
comes another one #$%#$%#$ crap!!! this is insane!!!
i complained right on the spot and told the officers
that i was on the right crossing area but they told
me that they wouldn't have me caught if i did the
right thing. frustrated, i thought there's no way of
convincing these folks to reconsider. i ened up
going to the barangay hall to either be fined P100
or to do community service for 2 hours.

*sigh* i'm already late because of the stupid bus-
stop-problem and this jaywalking-problem. what
could make things worse??? yes there's another
one. i bring my exact allowance enought to spend
for my whole day at work. i do this so i can
discipline myself and have my savings. anyway,
i can widthraw anytime from a nearby atm in case
of emergency.

and so i had to walk again to a nearby mall that has
an atm. it slashed another 20 minutes just to pay for
the fine that i wasn't supposed to be paying for in the
first place and to think that my company would
also have my salary deducted because of being late.
#$@%#$%#$% having sweat all over, i got in the office
at 9:03am which was supposed to be at 8:15am.
i went straight to the comfort room to freshen up
and have a breather. what a way to start you day!!!
nevertheless, i have a lot of lessons learned from what
happened earlier. i'm done venting, TGIF!!! i'll just
enjoy the rest of the day.. back to work NOW!!! =)

weekend events

had an online date with bhe last saturday, we chatted
for 3 hours. afterwards, i went to glorietta to buy gifts
and to pray at oakwoods park. interestingly, a stranger
(a boy)approached me and solicited for monetary support
that will be used to support scholarship for less fortunate
students. in return, i would get a calendar with an
image of Jesus and other saints. he sells it for P50.
i refused and told him that i have a different belief but
he offered a ballpen instead for the same amount. to cut
the long story short, i bought one and i asked him what
motivated him to do this kind of stuff. he said, though
it was hard for him at first, it was his desire to help
that urged him to do so. this boy has a good heart,
i ended up inviting him to our church.

then we celebrated minnie and mitch's birthday last
sunday, after our service at KFC greenbelt. i gave
hand-made soaps to both of them as gifts. the soaps
were made using strawberry and cucumber. i also gave
ethel a little "the dog" keychain as my post-bday gift
to her.

also, gary gave a treat for the birthday celebrants.
we had a sharing session for the two before the
celebration ended.

"on leave" events

had a busy day yesterday, i took a leave
from work to arrange my payments for
the monthly amortization of the lot i
acquired and monthly dues for my
retirement plan. funny because i bumped
into an old college friend while i was on
my way to ortigas.

afterwards, i went to glorietta and thought
of watching a movie because it's been
a long time, i think the last i've seen was
"must love dogs". i'd like to watch "land
of the dead" but i was too scared to watch
it alone. i can manage watching horror
movies as long as i have my girlfriend or at
least someone with me. since i'm alone i
just decided to watch a chinese action
movie (i forgot the title hehehe). i felt a bit
miserable because of watching a movie
alone, not like before where i have bhe
with me, and because the movie sucked.

senti

"my morning starts to shine with teardrops in my eyes
and here i am alone starting to realize..."

as i and my batchmates were having brunch at the canteen
in our office today, i heard a song having the lyrics above.

i heard this song played over the radio many times before,
it really didn't have an effect on me except for today.
it really struck my heart as if it wants to fall down my chest.

ewan ko, na s senti na naman siguro ako... *sigh*
buti naubos ko pa yung food na inorder ko, para kasing
wala akong gana kumain lately :(

worried and stressed out (outlet part 3)

shigoto ha mainichi, mainichi
taihen desuyou(it's so tiring everyday at work)!
i'm really feeling the idea of being a corporate
slave. i've been working overtime in the office
for two straight weeks, extending my work
hours up to 9pm and sometimes up to 10pm in
the evening.

i never dreamed of being a workaholic, really!
*sigh* i haven't finished working on my current
module and there's another one waiting in line.
bad trip! soreha totemo tsukaremashita (i'm so
tired of it)!

in my pursuit to find a motivation for all this
corporate crap, i just thought of the plans and
goals tha i've set in my life. one of which is
the lot i acquired last year. i'm done paying
the downpayment just this month, and so i have
a couple of extra bucks to save for future
investments. also, all of the loans that i have
will be over by the end of this year, yay!!!

one thing that's been bothering me lately
is that i haven't heard from my bhe since
yesterday.. and i'm starting to worry already.
i never thought that it would be so hard
being far away from the person you love so
dearly. i don't wanna worry about it too much
because it can affect my job, but it's so hard
not to be concerned of her.

please God help me to trust in you, that
you won't let something bad happen to bhe,
that you would always keep her safe,
and that you would help us to be strong for
each other and to trust in you always.

it's comforting to know that "you won't
let us be tempted beyond what we can
bear". i know you allowed this situation
in our lives because we can overcome.
help us to have faith and to trust in You.

quote

"If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it"