SWISS CHISMIS

Nothing To Look Forward To

2010-09-17T17:43:00.002+02:00

So it looks like we won't be coming home for Christmas. For the past two weeks, I have been losing sleep, poring over websites late into the night, looking for affordable plane fares to Manila. I always come up empty handed. If it's not a ticket that's sure to burn a deep hole in my pocket, then it's a flight that will make us take 10, or even 20 hour layovers in the airport. I don't want to say it's not worth it, whether money-, time-, or stress-wise, because going home for Christmas is definitely worth it, but there are limits. I mean, we can probably spend the holidays in London. I've checked the price of plane tickets and hotels in London, and we're bound to pay the same price as a two-week holiday in the UK as we would for a single plane fare to Manila. But then there's the nagging thought: Will it be as fun as spending Christmas in Manila, together with the rest of the family? My sister and her husband will be coming home for Christmas, so that would mean spending the holidays together as a unit, something which we haven't done for the previous three Chirstmases.

For now, I have to get that thought off my head. Even though it's barely end of September, I can already feel how lonely this Christmas is going to be.

CAMBRIDGE VILLAGE CONDOMINIUM FOR SALE: 80 SQM 3BR LOFT TYPE

2010-08-02T13:33:00.001+02:00

CAMBRIDGE VILLAGE CONDOMINIUM FOR SALE: 80 SQM 3BR LOFT TYPE

chipmaker75.sulit.com.ph - Monday, August 2, 2010

2010 © Sulit.com.ph

The Magnificent Bastard

2010-04-08T14:01:00.000+02:00

Spring is definitely here, with its fickle sunshine mornings and afternoond showers. Pretty soon, it's gonig to be summer. Time to look great, whether it's for a Sunday barbeque or just lounging about around the company coffee machine.

I've been looking for an alternative to GQ for tips on how to dress up, and came up with The Magnificent Bastard. Unlike GQ, which mostly gives advice on how to look polished, I go for the "slightly stressed" look. The Magnificent Bastard has a term for this: artful dishevelment. Cool, huh? This look involves small details as rolling up your sleeves above the elbows, which I haven't done for a very long time. Seems I've been stuck in that era where you just roll up your sleeves somewhere between elbow and wrist.

Now that I've got the sleeve-rolling business settled, time to learn how to tie a Windsor. Any suggestions which websites to visit?

Irresponsible, at the very least...

2010-02-19T15:34:00.003+01:00

Outright moronic would best describe what four call center agents from Philippines-based Sitel did to the customers of their client, Telecom, a cellular communications provider based in New Zealand. Five Telecom customers reported receiving obscene messages from their provider. Further investigations showed that the messages came from Telecom's outsourced customer service provider Sitel.

What were those four people thinking? Other than the fact that they will surely lose their jobs, apparently, even the Philippine police are now involved in the investigations given the serious nature of the offense. Apart from that, I can just imagine the backlash on the Philippine community in New Zealand. I have some friends who moved to New Zealand and I have yet to hear from them how this has affected the Filipinos there. I hope there won't be any serious Pinoy-bashing that will happen as a result of this.

By far, seven internet sites are already carrying the news item. For sure, more will pick up on this. For more information, here are the sites:
Radio New Zealand
The Southland Times
Earth Times
Computer World
Newstalk ZB Auckland
New Zealand Herald
The National Business Review

Pompom, February 9, 2010

2010-02-10T10:23:00.001+01:00

He would always be there, the first to greet me as I would come out of my car. He wasn't afraid to show how excited he was to see me, whether I was gone abroad for two and a half years, or I was just walking back from the sari-sari store. For some reason, he always wanted to follow everybody around the house, that is except when you go up the stairs. He was always afraid of heights, and never did learn how to properly walk down a flight of stairs. He would never get to learn that now, but that's alright. He's in a place now where he probably wouldn't want to get down from.

We love you Pom. Thank you for guarding us, thank you for guarding the house. Thank you for being the loyal friend and companion that anyone would love to have in a dog. We will really, really miss you.

If I Were A Rich Man

2009-10-05T09:31:00.003+02:00

Becca's challege for today is to name five things you would do, if money was not an object.

1. Charity, charity, charity - The Philippines has been hit hard by calamity recently. Two very strong typhoons had passed through the country, one almost right on top of the other. The first one, storm system Ketsana, dumped almost 400mm of rain in Metro Manila in 6 hours. This is almost one month of rainfall in half a day, and caused massive flooding in areas in Metro Manila which normally never gets flooded. Damage has been estimated to run into hundereds of millions, nearly 300 people are dead, and thousands are forced to abandon their homes and are now living in relocation centers. The second storm system, Parma, hit northern and north-eastern Philippines, also causing massive floods in my father's province, Ilocos Norte. Because of another storm system lingering in the Asian area, Parma is continuing to linger in the Philippines, still dumping rain and preventing waters from subsiding in alreay flooded areas. These storms have put a massive strain on the government and private organizations' ability to deliver relief goods to affected people. The resources and infrastructure are not there. If I had the money, I would provide funding to the various charity organizations to make sure that people are fed; that relief centers are maintained (in some relief centers, it was reported that there were only one portable toilet to serve 3000 people!); and that those severely affected are given resources to start their lives anew.

2. My own jet - With a pilot at my beck and call, of course, since I do not know how to fly. My wife and I love going on trips, and having one will allow us to go whereever we want, whenever we want. No more searching in Momondo.com for the cheapest fares. Best of all, we can take our friends Ryan; and Alma and Bob and their family, on holidays.

3. A holiday home in Ascona - We've only been to Ascona once, but we immediately fell in love with the place. It has mild weather year-round, it has a lake, and it's close to Lugano, which has it's own airport, so that means jetting in and out should be no problem. There are a lot of really nice areas in Ticino, like Lugano, Locarno, and Bellinzona, but Ascona strikes me as something like a Swiss version of the French Riviera.

4. A lifetime lease with Ferrari - Why drive anything less than the best?

5. Anything my family wants - especially my Mom. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to buy whaterver your family wants, and not worry about the credit card bill later?

Politics in the Time of Disaster

2009-09-29T22:39:00.002+02:00

First off, I would have to apologize to my English speaking readership. A lot of this post is written in Filipino, because this is a commentary on a friend's Multiply post. Just so to give you an idea what this is all about, this is a first-hand account of my friend who is a volunteer for the Philippine National Red Cross. He was in the middle of rescue and relief operations in one of the hardest hit areas affected by flooding from Typhoon Ondoy. Below is his narrative on what happened...

SHOW TIME

Ang lahat ay naghahanda na para tulungan ang lahat ng biktima na lalabas ng Vista Verde, mga alas dos ng madaling araw ng Lunes.
Kaming mga red cross volunteers, alam na namin ang gagawin namen.
Isulat ang pangalan, bigyan ng pagkain at stub at bigyan ng relief goods na may kasamang bigas, delata at tubig.
Ang daming ambulansya, militar, at media na nag-aabang sa labas, kasi halos bewang pa daw ang baha sa loob.

Mula sa loob ng subdivision, may papalabas na dalawang military trucks na puno daw ng tao.
Isa sa mga unang bumaba si Senador... video rolling... flash... flash... flash...
Buong akala namen na sobrang dami ng tao sa loob ng truck kasi malaking truck eto.
Pero mangilan-ngilan lang ang bumaba nito na biktima ng bagyong Ondoy.
Ang aking nakita lang ay ang isang lola at ina na may kargang baby na mga nasa isa or dalawang buwan pa lamang, na pinasok sa ambulansya para sa unang panlunas.
Pero pagkatapos ng mga ilang sandali bumaba din sila.
"Mag-ingat po kayo." ani ni Senador sabay tapik sa likod ng ina na may baby. flash... flash... flash...

ayun sa mga naririnig namen, tinipon daw muna lahat ng tao muna bago ilabas para kasabay si Senador paglabas! Ayun bidang-bida sya!

Sinabihan ako ng kasamahan ko na magbitbit daw ng relief goods at tinapay at isakay sa truck para ipasok sa loob.
Bitbit agad ako ng dalawang kahon ng tinapay.
Tinanong ako ni Senador, "Para san yan?"
"Ikarga po sa truck para sa loob." ang sagot ko sabay tungo si Senador.
Pagdating ko sa truck para iabot ang aking bitbit, tinanong ako ng militar kung para san eto.
Ang sabi ko para sa loob pero ang sabi sa akin, "Hindi na eto papasok sa loob".
Pano na ang ibang tao sa loob? May ibang tao pa na di pa makalabas ng bahay nila!
Binalik nalang namen ang dala namen sa sasakyan namen.
Utos pala eto ni Senador na ikarga ang relief goods sa truck pero hindi ipapasok sa loob. SUS!

Ilang sandali, umalis na rin si Senador kasabay ang lahat ng militar at ambulansya.
Naging tahimik ang labas ng Vista Verde, kaming mga Red Cross volunteers nalang ang naiwan kasama ang ibang tao na nakalabas sa subdivision.
Habang sumisikat na si haring araw, may mga ilang tao na ang lumalabas ng subdivision.
Ang ilan sa mga eto nangangailangan ng gamot at pang-unang lunas, lalo na ung amang may bitbit na anak na namumutla na.
Humihingi sa amen ng tulong, ngunit wala kaming maibigay dahil walang ambulansya na naka-antabay.
May isang lolo na gustong magpaBP, buti nalang isa sa kasamahan namen ay nurse at may dalang gamit, kaya nakuhanan eto ng BP.

Nasan na ang mga ambulansya na nag-aabang sa labas?

Ayun kasama ni Senador! Baket walang man lang naiwan para sa ibang tao?
Alam naman nilang madami pang stranded sa loob ng subdivision.
Hindi ba naisip ni Senador yun?

The senator was eventually identified as Richard Gordon, the Chairman of the Philippine Red Cross himself. Of course I couldn't confirm this myself, but if it came from someone who was personally there, and who had no reason to make a baseless accusation on the good Senator, then something smells. And it isn't the estero water that's still engulfing half of Metro Manila at the moment.

I just had to share this because a batchmate from Philippine Science High School posted an online call for volunteers on behalf of the Philippine Red Cross to help in the relief operations. Wag na lang, 'toy. I don't feel like making myself party to the hypocrisy of Philippine politics. In the face of disaster, some people are still putting their political ambitions ahead of providing help to those severely affected.

The Big Flood - Storm System Ondoy, Metro Manila

2009-09-28T13:23:00.001+02:00

Ondoy Aftermath
Originally uploaded by John Javellana

Last Saturday, September 26, 2009, storm system Ondoy hit Metro Manila in the morning. Raining continuously for six hours, the storm dumped 455mm of rain. Typhoon Katrina, which hit the United States in 2005, was a baby compared to Ondoy. By the time the storm was over, eighty percent of Metro Manila was submerged in water, with some areas reporting flooding that was higher than man-height. As of today, between 100-120 people are believed dead, and hundreds more missing. Needless to say, more casualties are to be reported as the water recedes. Damage to agriculture alone was pegged at PHP500 million. Damage to other properties are believed to more than double this number.

How and why this happend, we will never really know. There are a lot of factors. The continuous torrent of rain; the insufficient drainage of water from the Metro's streets and highways; the clogged esteros. In the end, this will be another disaster in the long list of disasters, man-made or otherwise, to hit the Philippines. And sad to say, there's not a single note-worthy solution in sight.

Interestingly, here's an exerpt from Gloria Macagal-Arroyo's State of the Nation Address last July:

“As a country in the path of typhoons and in the Pacific Rim of Fire, we must be prepared as the latest technology permits to anticipate natural calamities when that is possible; to extend immediate and effective relief when it is not; the mapping of flood-and-landslide-prone areas is almost complete. Early warning, forecasting and monitoring systems have been improved, with weather-tracking facilities in Subic, Tagaytay, Mactan, Mindanao, Pampanga.

“We have worked on flood control infrastructure like those for Pinatubo, Agno, Laoag, and Abucay, which will pump the run off waters from Quezon City and Tondo flooding Sampaloc. This will help relieve hundreds of hectares in this old city of its age-old woe.

“Patuloy naman yung sa CAMANAVA, dagdag sa Pinatubo, Iloilo, Pasig- Marikina, Bicol River Basin, at saka river basin ng Mindanao.”

Big words. And yet they remain just that. Words.

It is also maddening to know that since 2001, the Philippine Government has collected P56.5 billion from Road Taxes; but instead of channeling this money to improvement of road infrastructure, it has instead been allocated to other things, like funding for ASEAN summit in 2007. Once again, corrupt hands have been dipping at the cookie jar, funnelling away money for their own ends instead of pouring it into much needed better roads and highways.

Election time is around the corner, and for sure, this latest tragedy will be in everybody's minds as each candidate lays out his platform of government. I only hope that this time, the Filipino people will be wiser in choosing the right person to lead the country.

Five Favorite Drinks

2009-09-21T10:19:00.001+02:00

After a weekend of brazen drunkenness, I think I see it fit that I start Monday with a meme from Becca about five of my favorite drinks.

1. Espresso - I've always loved coffee, but I've been experiencing somewhat of an espresso renaissance for the past year or so. Personally, I think of espresso as the purest form of coffee. It's intense, the flavors are complex, and it always comes out differently, regardless if you use the same machine and same grounds. I usually use my Jura machine for my morning fix, but whenever I have the time, I would use my Mokka maker which I bought from a small shop in Venice.

2. 7&7 - There are several recipe's for this quintessentially male drink, but I like mine with one part Seagram's whisky, two parts 7-Up, and plenty of ice. This drink was introduced to me by a friend from Arizona and I liked it ever since. Seagram's is difficult to get in normal liquor stores here in Switzerland so I try to get a bottle whenever I fly out of Zurich Airport. Also costs cheaper if you buy it from a Duty Free Store.

3. Homemade Orange and Carrot Juice - Oranges and carrots are quite expensive in Manila, but since these two are so good for the body, we bought our own juicer so we can make our own, preservative-free. We kept this habit even after we've moved to Switzerland. And it's so much better because oranges and carrots are so cheap here! A three kilo bag of oranges are about CHF4, and a two kilo bag of carrots are CHF3 in our local Migros store. These will yield about two liters of juice.

4. Caipirinha - Plenty of lime crushed with some sugar, a healthy splash of cachasa (native Brazilian liquor), and some soda water is all you need for this refreshing drink. Very nice to sip during hot summer nights when you go out clubbing with friends. There's a nice story how I learned about this drink: I met this girl a few years ago in a popular bar in Eastwood. I was hanging out by the bar and she came up and ordered Caipirinha. The bartender didn't know what it was, and asked me. I didn't know it either. So she had to explain how to make one. Of course most bars in the Philippines don't stock up on cachasa, so we had to make do with gin and vodka. Technically, when you use vodka on Caipirinha, you don't call it Caipirinha anymore, but Caipirovska.

5. Water - everybody should drink at least 8 glasses everyday.

Ticket

2009-09-16T14:49:00.000+02:00

Are you the kind of person who gives names to inanimate things you own? Because we do. We give names to almost everything we have. By names, I mean REAL names. And the names would always be something that would best describe the moment when we bought or first saw the item. Take for example our SUV back in Manila. It was a black Kia Sportage that we bought back in 2007. The Sportage was just being reintroduced into the Philippine market at that time, so there weren't too much of it on the road back then. We named her "Inday". Why Inday, you ask? Because it was a colored black. And we had intended it to be a workhorse due to the fact that I'll be using it everyday to work from Quezon City to Paranaque. Pretty much like Inday the household help. At one time we had a standing coat hanger. This one, we called him Harry. For Harry Potter. This was because during the night, it's silhouette pretty much resembled a wizard wearing a flowing cape.

The practice continued even after we had moved to Switzerland. Our SUV was named Spidey, because when we first saw it in the showroom, we were accompanied by our friend Bob and his son Jordan. Jordan was wearing a Spiderman cap at that time. And when we bought our Lazyboy at a local secondhand shop, we named it 50/50 because when she asked me how much I liked the sofa, that's what I said.

Earlier this week, we had to pick up another single seater sofa that was being given away for free. The owner is also from our company, but he's giving away most of his furniture now because he's being relocated to our head office in Paris. So we signed up to get his Poang sofa, a really popular item in Ikea. I've been eyeing one for a long time already and getting this for free was really sweet. Anyway, we agreed to pick up the item in Ennetbaden, a small town about 20 minutes away from our place. I've only driven around Ennetbaden three or four times, and I've been warned about the narrow one-way streets and some "No Entry" areas. We were driving across a small bridge when suddenly we noticed something flash. We've been flashed! That means we entered a "No Entry" zone, and now we have to wait a week or so to find out how much we have to pay for the fine. We went on to get the sofa, which isn't going to be free anymore since I have to pay for the traffic violation. And what did we name the sofa? We named her "Ticket".

Food for Thought Friday

2009-09-11T15:45:00.000+02:00

Can't think of anything to write about so I'll just take a random meme from the web.

Breakfast
What do you like most about this time of the year?

Call me weird but during this time of the year, I like the way the temperature varies during the day. Here in Switzerland, or at least in suburban Zurich, it gets really cold in the late evenings and early mornings. Really cold, but not freezing cold. Cold enough that you have to swear a fairly thick jacket during the morning commute. Before lunchtime, you start to peel down to your shirt and pullovers. But in the afternoons, it gets hot that you break into a good sweat in the offices. Well, at least in our offices, because we tout ourselves to be a "green" company, and green companies do not have airconditiong installed. By the time you go home in the afternoon, you're down to your shirt. The only hassle is you have to carry all of your outerwear and office gear.

Lunch
What has been your favorite age so far?

Tough question, because I can't remember any point in time which I can say I really didn't like. But if I were to pick any single age, that would be 21. I was young, fresh out of college. I had just landed a good job in a company that within weeks of getting hired was sending me to the US for a long term assignment.

Dinner
What was the funnest thing or best memory you made this summer?

This summer was really good because my mom visited us here in Switzerland, and so did my sister and brother-in-law who are based in Beijing. We travelled to Germany and France together. It was too bad that my brother was not able to join us. I've always loved having roadtrips with family.

Midnight Snack
What is your favorite thing to make for dinner?

Anything that requires firing up the barbeque to do some grilling.

New Haircut

2009-09-09T13:47:00.001+02:00

After seven months, I finally got my self a haircut yesterday. I think that was the longest period I ever went without having a haircut. If you would notice from my fairly recent photos in Flickr, I had my hair down to my nape at the back, and close to covering all of my face when i put it out in front. Quite nice, I should say, because my hair, unlike most other guys, is actually like that of a girl's. Really soft, really straight, and really shiny. Siguro kung kukuha ang Pantene ng lalaking hair model, pwede akong magprisinta eh. But all that is gone now. In place, I have my normal hairstyle. Razor cut at the sides and back, and short in front and on top. I now have to make sure I prep my hair with gel or wax in the morning before I leave home kasi pag natuyo nang walang gel, magmumukha akong bondying.

Ba't nga ba inabot nang pagkatagal bago ko naisipang magpagupit? Two reasons I guess. First is the language issue. How can I properly expain how I want it cut? All of my haircut experiences here have been okay naman. I can tell them how I want it done: machinenschnitt (then point to the sides and back) und schnitt kurz (pointing to the top). So far, that hasn't gotten me in trouble. But sometimes, when I notice something is off, like some strands and tufts sticking out in odd places, I don't know how to handle this anymore. I end up just letting it go and fixing whatever it is that needs to be fixed when I get home.

The second issue is cost. Do you have any idea how expensive it is to have a haircut here? The cheapest, and best!, haircut I had so far cost me CHF25. And the most expensive? Tumataginting na CHF60! That's PHP2800. Okay, so maybe that's less than some of you may spend in those posh Makati salons, but for me, that is a lot of money spent on a haircut. Good for me, the wife was able to scout a coiffure that charges CHF29 for my haircut. Actually, it turned out a little more than that: CHF2 for the gel (hehe, maarte ako eh) and CHF2 for the tip. I would definitely go back to that place. Ganda naman yung tabas nila eh, tsaka di na masama yung price.

Think About It

2009-09-01T10:22:00.001+02:00

1. More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realise you're wrong.

3. Have you ever been walking down the street and realised that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

4. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

5. The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

6. Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?

7. Do you remember when you were a kid; playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in the world did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or faq's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

8. There is a great need for a sarcasm font.

9. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realise I had no idea what was going on when I first saw it.

10. I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.

11. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

12. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

13. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text

14. Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say"

15. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

16. Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

17. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

18. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a d1ck from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

19. Everytime I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

20. What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

21. While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

22. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

23. I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

24. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

25. Bad decisions make good stories.

26. Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB-gun that I always wanted.
546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

27. Is it just me or do high school girls get s1uttier & s1uttier every year?

28. Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

29. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

30. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

31. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

32. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

33. I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this.It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

34. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

35. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

36. I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my itunes.

37. Why is a school zone 40kph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

38. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

39. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

40. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

41. The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself.
There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat b@stard before dinner.

42. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

43. I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

44. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

'Nuff Said

2009-08-07T14:39:00.001+02:00

The picture says it all...

Rufa Mae, Kaw Ba Yan?

2009-05-28T15:23:00.001+02:00

I'm not going to talk about the Hayden Kho - Katrina Halili Sex Scandal issue anymore. It's been discussed to death by too many blogs already. But what I do want to know is if this is really Rufa Mae Quinto, one of Hayden's ex-girlfriends who also have a sex scandal video with him.

Rufa Mae, kaw nga ba talaga yan???

If you want the video, leave a comment and I'll send you the download link.

Go Barca!

2009-05-28T11:21:00.001+02:00

I rarely watched any football matches this season simply because I didn't have any chance to do so. When you have a wife who insists to watch cooking shows or movies, there's really no way to follow professional football. So coming into the Champions League finals last night, the only game I watched was the semifinal match between Chelsea and United. I was rooting for Chelsea in that match only because I don't like Ronaldo. He's like someone who God showered with everything. Good looks, awesome football talent, all the money he can ever be able to spend at such a young age. I'm not too sure if he's got anything between the ears, but if you can crash your Ferrari, walk away from it, and buy a new one a couple of days later, who needs brains, right?

So last night, I was rooting for United's opponent again. I have not seen any of Barcelona's games this season, but I was aware of the fact that they are being coached by Pep Guardiola, who happens to be a professional football rookie coach. I would say that was just outstanding. To be able to guide your team through the Champions League, and as well as La Liga and Copa Del Rey on your first year as coach is amazing!

Both teams played well last night, but it was apparent that Barcelona wanted it more than United. Barca was moving the ball well in the midfield, and came up with a lot of brilliant attacks. To me, it seemed that United was struggling throughout the 90 minutes to get their pace going. I would have loved to see more passing from United, but you can see that everybody wanted to take a stab at Barcelona's defense. To me they were just not playing as a team.

So congratulations to Barca. And to Pep Guardiola, PEP PEP HOORAY!!

Sweating Like A Pig

2009-05-14T13:34:00.001+02:00

I like spring. Spring is that time of the year when you get really fresh fruits and vegetables, and everywhere you go you see flowers all abloom. The mornings and evenings are comfortably cool, and during daytime, it doesn't really get that hot. But one thing I hate about spring is how it seems to be more humid than winter, and how it affects my sweat glands. While I rarely sweat during winter, during spring I feel like I'm always just walking out of a Szechuan restaurant. I sweat all over. My undershirt stickily clinging onto my skin. My skin feeling moist and sticky. And I get an impression like I'm beginning to smell like someone who hasn't taken a bath in days.

I checked Swiss Meteo and found that the current relative humidity in Birr is a mere 63%. That's not even anywhere near the high 90's typical of a Philippine summer! Whew... I can just imagine how gross I would look like when I come back to Manila in the middle of May.

Kinidnap ni Arroyo ang Libro ko

2009-05-04T13:54:00.001+02:00

aka The Great Book Blockade of 2009

The great book blockade of 2009
By Manuel L. Quezon IIIPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 04:15:00 05/04/2009
According to Malaysian blogger-turned-parliamentarian Jeff Ooi, if you buy books or computers, the government will allow you to deduct your purchase costs from your income tax. The Malaysian government seems to be of the opinion that buying books and computers are good things; that these good things should be encouraged; and that the benefits of personal purchases that improve knowledge and increase modern skills outweigh any potential loss of revenue to the government.

The policy of our government seems to be the exact opposite: to put the squeeze on citizens in order to add to government coffers depleted by electioneering expenses. Over at McSweeney’s is an entry by Robin Hemley, the director of the University of Iowa’s Nonfiction Writing Program who’s in the Philippines on a Guggenheim Fellowship. In “The Great Book Blockade of 2009,” he details the creativity of Filipino bureaucrats like Customs Undersecretary Espele Sales.

According to Hemley, the situation developed this way. Stephenie Meyer’s novel “Twilight” apparently did so well in the bookstores that the number of copies being imported attracted the attention of a Customs official. Examiner Rene Agulan decreed that duties be paid. It seems that the importer of the book reacted in a manner familiar to most book lovers in the country: to eliminate the hassle, the importer complied with the Customs levy on the title.

Hemley says surrendering to the authorities was a mistake because the Philippines, back in 1952, became a signatory to the Florence Agreement, a United Nations treaty that mandates the tax-free importation of books in order to facilitate the free flow of “educational, scientific, and cultural materials.” The importer’s submission to the whims of Customs whetted the Bureau’s appetite; they put a squeeze on all book importations by air. The result? For two months virtually no imported books entered the country.

Not least because it seems book sellers had the gumption to challenge the government. Enter Undersecretary Espele Sales whose PowerPoint presentation to booksellers Hemley describes as “Orwellian,” because of an essay in which Orwell examined how officials twist words to suit their purposes.

Take the official’s interpretation of the following sentence in RA 8047 (the Book Publishing Industry Development Act): “the tax and duty-free importation of books or raw materials to be used in book publishing.” According to Sales, this lacked a comma after the word “books,” which meant that what was tax and duty-free was only books used for book publishing.

People in the book industry were left scratching their heads, wondering what a “book used in book publishing” is. Customs went further and said it interpreted the Florence Agreement to mean only educational books are tax-free, with Customs deciding whether a title qualifies as being educational or not. Booksellers responded that this went against half a century’s common understanding of the treaty; did this mean everyone had been wrong and Customs suddenly right? Sales replied, “Yes.”

Their books sequestered in warehouses, booksellers trying to comply with red tape found the rules being changed every time they seemed on the verge of getting their documents in order: “Now they were told that all books would be taxed: 1 percent for educational books and 5 percent for non-educational books.” With Customs officials doing the sorting, manually, on a per-volume basis, it seems, tying up inventory as storage fees escalated.

This finally led many booksellers to comply (under protest) with the government’s levying of tariffs. Who says kidnap-for-ransom doesn’t pay?

For years now, Filipinos bringing in books have had to wrestle with Post Office and Customs officials trying to impose tariffs, hoping that citizens would meekly submit to paying duties and fees on books. But back in September 2008, there was an opinion of the Bureau of Internal Revenue that the importation of books for personal use is exempt from value-added tax as well as from the payment of import duties. A small handling fee, is, however, legitimate on the part of the Post Office.

While Republic Acts 8047 and 9337 put in place Value-Added Tax exemptions for imported books, the government seems intent on nullifying those privileges; and citizens and booksellers alike seem headed to being at the mercy of Customs officials pressured to remit to the national government even to the extent of defying international treaties. This is a government policy that has basically declared obtaining knowledge, in any form, as subordinate to fattening the national purse.

But of course this is simply yet another manifestation of a larger trend, which is to deemphasize government’s being in place to serve the citizenry, and instead fortify it’s existing in order to mulct the population: the rule of law being nothing more than systematized extortion, whether one talks of traffic enforcement or books.

As a writer and a partner in a modest book publishing concern, I have a bias for books. But then again, this is, to my mind, a healthy bias and one shared, for example, by countries like Malaysia. You’d think any reasonable government would encourage all forms of reading, as healthy and beneficial to the population. The teenager who reads “Twilight” might just go on to reading the classics or about science; however, at the rate officialdom’s going, it seems content to keep us starved for affordable reading materials. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king?

* * *
YOU can read Robin Hemley’s entry in full at http://www.mcsweeneys.net/links/manila/1dispatch6.html

Mabuhay Ang Short Time

2009-01-29T10:33:00.002+01:00

At a time when people are losing their jobs, factories are closing, and everybody is struggling to put food on the table, it's good to know where the Philippines' Supreme Court priorities are. Click on the post title to find out what it's all about.

Emergency Numbers in Switzerland

2009-01-19T10:56:00.002+01:00

My wife and I were eating some grapes last night and I contemplated on what will happen to me should I accidentally choke on one of them. I asked her if she knew how to perform the Heimlich maneuver, even though I already know the answer, which was no. She told me she will instead call 911. Of course, 911 is something which is used in the USA, but Switzerland also has equivalent emergency services. Unfortnately, more for me than for her, she also didn't know the emergency numbers in Switzerland. So I'm posting here some information on what to call in case something untoward happens. Note that this is the current known numbers, and that you should get in touch with your local Gemeinde if there are any specific contacts for your area. The Gemeinde also issues information mailed to your address either at the end or early of the year.

117 - Police
118 - Fire Department
144 - Ambulance
1414/1415 - Helicopter rescue (Rega)
145 - Poisoning emergencies
140 - Emergency roadside assistance
143 - The helping hand (I have absolutely no idea what this is about)
147 - Support for children and kids

There are also some miscellaneous services available. What I do not know is if dialing these numbers will incur you some additional cost on your landline bill.

161 - Talking clock
162 - Weather forecast
163 - Road conditions and traffic news
164 - Sports and lottery results
175 - Telephone fault assistance
187 - Avalanche reports
1600 - Regional/local information
0900 77 hh mm - Automated wake up call (Replace hh with hour and mm with minutes on what time you wish to be called)

Now that you have these numbers, there shouldn't be any reason why anyone has to die of choking by grape.

Untitled

2009-01-14T09:29:00.002+01:00

I was terribly disappointed at my office colleague yesterday. We were having a staff meeting and he was his usual self: laying blame on everyone but himself, making it appear to the boss that he's the only one working in our group, and basically, just showing how big an asshole he really is. I was really pissed at the fact that he makes it appear to everybody that he's the only one in the group who can accomplish anything. I wouldn't really make a big deal out of it, except that even outside of our group, he would usually push himself as "the man" who knows everything about our processes, and that he's the only one who can make things happen.

I have to admit, he gets things done. Unfortunately, his working style is only effective with one group of people. He tried, unsuccessfully if I may add, to use this kind of working attitude to two other groups and failed miserably. This was the reason why our manager decided to give the more challenging task to me. Unfortunately for me, success has been slow but I think we all believe the reason for this is that those two groups are really hard to push.

So after our staff meeting yesterday, I have decided to get out of my colleague's way. If he's really aiming for the top position in our group, he's welcome to have it. I have decided to get out of his way. I would rather move to another group, hopefully to one with no competitive jerks.

What would you do for fun if you had to give up tv, movies, electronic games and the internet?

2009-01-09T13:06:00.001+01:00

For the past couple of years, I feel like my life has revolved around exactly just that: internet, movies, and TV. I had taken up photography for the past three years, and I feel it has helped me get out of the house and do something not related to anything electronic, although I do have a digital camera, and that means sooner or later, I would have to use my laptop to download the pictures and upload them to my Flickr site. And that's the problem. No sooner than I had downloaded my pictures then I start browsing the internet for good ways to tweak my pictures and one thing leads to another then I find myself surfing for something totally unrelated to photography. Lack of discipline on my part, I guess.

So to answer the question, here are some things I would do this year that is not related to TV, movies, and the internet:

1. Pursue photography even more. But this time, I would remind myself not to get drawn to the internet whenever I start photoshopping my pictures and uploading them into Flickr.
2. Learn how to play a musical instrument. I still want to learn how to play the guitar; and there's this shop I found in Brugg which sells that drum-like thing which you sit on. Yes, the one you usually see when bands have their acoustic sessions.
3. Learn how to ski or snowboard. Fat chance this is going to happen soon, but my office colleagues are bent on teaching me.
4. Write more. This blog needs the much needed attention from me.
5. Read more. I know English books are expensive in Switzerland, but spring will come soon, and with it, flea markets. Or tap my friends in Couchsurfing to see who's trying to get rid of old books.
6. Spend more time with friends. Most of my friends are not into anything electronic. They just want to hang out, have a couple of drinks. Not really good for the beer belly, but at least I'll get a chance to travel more outside Brugg.

Activity Equals Accomplishment? NOT

2009-01-09T11:06:00.000+01:00

You see it time and again in the work place. People make side remarks on how you come late into the office, even though the company has a policy of self-time management. They comment on how you come in at nine o'clock and leave the office at five-thirty. On the other hand, you see other people who come in at six in the morning and leave at seven in the evening. Does that mean that people who spend ten, twelve hours in the office are more productive than people who don't?

Then there are those guys who send countless emails everyday. Most likely, they're the same guys who store tons of supposed work in the network drive. They're the guys who writes reports of whatever they do. Report this, report that, presentation this, presentation that.

In all of these cases, I talk about people who mistake action or activity as a form of accomplishment. While I don't really care much about how someone decides how to perform his or her work, I definitely take issue on people who say that they have accomplished something just because they sent an email, or created a file in the network drive, or, of all things, they spend twelve hours in the office. Accomplishment, for me, is a result that meets the group's end goal. Anything short of it is not. And what pisses me off more is when people tout they have "accomplished" something just because they spend more hours in the office than I do. And what pisses me off most is when these people get rewarded for it.

London

2009-01-08T14:02:00.003+01:00

Wifey and I spent our Christmas and New Year holiday in London. I guess you could now call me one of those guys who fell in love with that place. Understandably, being there during Chrismas holidays, the streets were just so packed with people. We only had the chance to ride empty trains in the mornings, when we would wake early enough to beat the crowds in the tourist places, and in the late evenings, coming back to the hotel late at night after watching a West End musical. Nevertheless, we felt so much in our environment: crowded places where you could shop the whole range from name brands all the way down to Baclaran-type nicknacks, and food from all over the world.

Unlike here in Switzerland, where everything seems to run perfectly, one of the reasons why I like London is because of its imperfections. It felt normal. Trains break down, you see people arguing heatedly, there are real traffic jams, those things. And coming into London, I heard about how some places are dangerous because of knife crimes. That made me a bit wary, especially when we were walking from the train station to our hotel, but at least it made me feel normal.

I can't even describe what we did, where we went to. All I know is that we had a good time watching the musicals, doing the tourist things, and even shopping. If it's any indication how good London shopping is, I managed to buy three pairs of shoes... and I don't even like buying shoes!

We missed our flight going out of London, so we had to buy a new set of return flights. So that means we will be going back. Sooner, hopefully rather than later.

Untitled

2008-10-13T13:34:00.003+02:00

I thought long and hard before I posted this entry, the reason for which will become obvious later on. I certainly did not want to offend anyone, especially those who are participating in activities I will mention below, and certainly not those people who I have only met for a relatively short period of time. But then again, this is my blog and I want to take this as a rant against something which probably also happened to you at one point in time.

Don't you just hate it when you feel you are forced to give money to a charity or a church fundraising? I'm not a big fan of giving money away, even though I know that it's fundamentally for a good cause. I just don't believe in giving money. Period. There's just something about giving money that turns me off. I feel that to support charity or support a fundraising by a church, people should be given an option on what kind of support they can give. It can be time, talent, doing chores, or some other thing. If some people choose to give money, then that's fine. It's their money anyway. But if someone makes me feel like I'm being forced to give money, then that's where the problem start. I will likely still end up giving money, like what happened to me recently, but I sure don't feel good about it. And in the end, I end up not liking that particular cause, charity, or church at all.

One day I was talking with a Filipino friend outside of our office. We were catching up on what's going on with each other's lives. Then another Filipino working in the same office approached us. She said that she's working on a fundraising for one of the Catholic organizations, and then she proceeded to hand us a newsletter produced by the organization. I took the newsletter, not knowing that a couple of minutes later, as I was about to leave for home, she said that the newsletter costs 10CHF and the money will go into a fund to buy a new laptop for the use of making the newsletter.

I still ended up giving her the money a couple of days later, but I really felt bad. I felt tricked. I felt like I was one of those guys seated in a bus going from Makati to Fairview, stuck on Cubao Ibabaw, and then one guy comes up to you asking, "Ilan kayo?" Then you answer, "Isa lang." And then this guy suddenly gets a Zesto from his bag, sticks a straw into it, hands it over to you and demands 10 pesos as payment. You, on the other hand, thought the guy was referring to the number of ticket you will pay for the fare. Of course at this point, there's no way you can refuse the Zesto knowing that he can easily call on the rest of his gang and intimidate you into paying.

I know that the comparison between the Zesto gang and the church fundraising is very much different from each other, but nevertheless, the feeling is still the same. I know I should've spoken up somehow, but that's not really how I am. I'm the kind of guy who would rather keep quiet about it. I feel like I was tricked into doing something I really don't want to do. And it's not a good feeling.

Are You One Of Them?

2008-10-01T08:29:00.003+02:00

Today is INTERNATIONAL DISTURBED PEOPLE'S DAY!

Please find time to send an encouraging message to your disturbed friends, such as this one that I wrote for you today.

I really don't care if you feel like you're always being chased by other people. Hang in there. You're so f***in' special!

Stock Market Crashes... So What?

2008-09-30T09:26:00.003+02:00

Last night, I sat in awe in front of the television. I was watching CNBC. They were showing two views: one was of the US Congress voting on the $700 billion bailout, and the other on the New York Stock Exchange. As it became clear that the bill wasn't going to pass, I saw all graphs of major stock indices plummet down. As trading on Wall Street came to a close, the US Markets lost more than $1 trillion. Wow.

Looking back at commentaries made last night on why the US Congress didn't pass the bailout legislation, it became clear to me how politics of one country can affect the rest of the countries in the planet. Everywhere you go, politicians are actually after the same thing. What will keep them seated in power. That scene played out in Washington seems strikingly familiar as in Batasan when they voted for (one of many) impeachment proceedings against President Arroyo.

Fast forward now to 12 hours after. How will it affect me? How will it affect all of us? Should we start rushing to the bank and getting all our money out? What will we do with it then? Hide it under our pillows? And should we now start looking for another job? Are our current employers secure?

There's too many things going on now. Too many uncertainties. I've heard stories about what happened to this company several years ago, when they were faced with so many problems and that the people wonder every morning if they still had a job by the end of the day. But in the end, what can we do about it? Everything seems beyond our control now.

At the rate the world economy is going, lahat tayo pupulutin na lang sa kangkungan.

Secret Life

2008-09-29T10:43:00.005+02:00

Last week, I stumbled into an interesting show on ITV. It's a television series called Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Basically, it's all about the life of, well, a call girl based in London. Billie the call girl finds herself in a variety of situations which I find familiar, but more of that later. She's doing tricks for an upscale clientele, she's acting as a mentor for a girl just starting into the business, she's best friends with a guy who knows about her job, and she's girlfriend to a doctor who doesn't know a clue about what she actually does for a living. I've only watched one episode so far, the one where she introduces her friend to her boyfriend, and her friend was acting like a real prick and was daring her to tell her boyfriend what her real job is.

Like I said, it's a really interesting show, not just because of what it's all about, but more so because I can relate to one character in the show. I'm not talking about the boyfriend. I'm not sure if that's something I can talk about here. Rather, I have find myself not unlike Billy's best friend. Yes, I count several "call girls" as part of my circle of friends. A couple of them have became some of my close friends back in Manila and I really miss them so much. Each one has their own reason for getting into this kind of "business", and I don't really want to talk about that. What I do want to talk about is that except for what they do, they're really such ordinary people. I remember spending hours with them in coffee shops, talking about nothing and everything. Sometimes, they would talk about their clients, but only if they feel like talking about them. More often than not, we don't.

Of all my call girl friends, I really miss Freya the most. She's sweet, charming, and easy to get along with. She's loves watching DVD's and whenever we would meet, we would go off looking for movies to watch. For some reason, she loves watching those Korean and Japanese horror flicks, even though she's scared witless by them. She's a big fan of thick, hot chocolate, using it like a dip for a couple of churros. Sometimes I would cook sisig for her, the one that comes out of a can, and she says that she thinks I'm trying to seduce her because I would add slightly cooked onions into the sisig, and that onions make her horny.

I really wonder what has happened to her now. Before I left Manila, she has started to seriously date someone already. She said she wanted to go back to school, get her life straight, and quit doing tricks. Maybe one day I'll get another of her text messages, asking me when I would cook sisig for her again.

A Year Ago

2008-09-23T10:11:00.003+02:00

Time flies so fast and in a couple of days, I will celebrate my first year here in Switzerland. I have indeed changed! Hopefully, I have changed for the better and not the other way around. But a questions begs to be answered....

Pogi pa rin ba ako?

2007

2008

O-hah!

We Want Wii

2008-09-22T09:00:00.003+02:00

Actually, my wife wants a Wii. Not me. I'd rather get a Playstation 3. But if I try to get a PS3 now, I'm quite sure we'll have this argument that about what happened to my PS2. Back when we were newly married, I really wanted to have a PS2. So on our anniversary, she allowed me to get one. It was put to good use for the first couple of months or so, but since I was the only one playing (she's not much of a gamer), I had soon gotted tired of it. By the time I left for Switzerland, the only time I turned it on was the time I found out that it was broken. I then gave it to my brother, unit and all 20 or so games. Haven't heard what happend to it since.

So I'm keeping my plans of getting a PS3 on the back seat for the meantime. I have to keep the wife happy, now that she's here. I think I found something which will surely be interesting for both of us: the Nintendo Wii Sports + Wii Fit + Yoga Mat bundle. Having had the chance to play the Wii when I was still in Manila, I know what Wii Sports is all about. But Wii Fit? And Yoga? People can actually practice Yoga with Wii? So I looked it up in Digg.com and saw this: Why every guy should buy his girlfriend a Wii Fit. One word. Wow.

Friday Magic Madness

2008-09-19T14:26:00.004+02:00

It has been a terrible week, work-wise, and I am just happy I survived all the way to Friday. Unlike in Manila, there's really nothing here to remind me it's a Friday. All the days are the same. I get up in the morning after a night of struggling to get some sleep. I try to shock my body into waking up with two cups of coffee, and if that doesn't work, then a cold shower. But getting cold showers now can be such a pain, figuratively and literally. Have you ever taken a cold shower in Baguio in January? Now try doing that here. It's now about 5 or 6C in the morning.

Back in Manila, there are a lot of ways to remind me what day it is. While preparing to go to work, I can watch Magandang Umaga Bayan, or I can listen to the radio while driving to the office. But here, there's really nothing to tell me what day it is. I usually watch Swiss Meteo, but only to remind me to bring an umbrella or wear a jacket. On the train or bus ride to the office, I listen to my Ipod. That's fine, but I really miss the feel good mood that you get when you listen to DWTM 89.9 Magic during Fridays. They play mostly 70's, 80's, and early 90's music. Songs that are great, lyrically and melodically. They really put you into a weekend mood. So I was really delighted when I found out that DWTM streams it's broadcast over the internet. Now I can listen to Friday music over DWTM!

DWTM is streaming music on a 31k music stream. It's not really topnotch quality, but over my laptop's speakers or earphones, it's fine. It brings memories of lazy Friday afternoons in the office in Manila, when everybody is just talking of nonsense, getting ready for Friday night, or weekend gimmicks. Sometimes, I really miss weekends back in Manila. But at least, now that I have Magic 89.9, I can just imagine I'm back home on a Friday afternoon.

Random Conversations: Jollibee And Big Brother

2008-09-16T10:23:00.005+02:00

After much prodding by my friend Ryan, and really, I don't want to see a good portion of Migros hackfleisch go to waste, I agreed to cook pasta bolognese for him last night. Jollibee style. Oh don't you just love that? For those who don't know, Jollibee style bolognese is simply spaghetti sauce with ground pork which tastes a little bit sweeter than what you would normally get in an Italian restaurant. Since it has started to get a little cold here in the evenings, I added some dried ground chili into the mix to heat things up a little. Ryan is currently on a diet and insisted we use pasta made out of corn flour. It actually doesn't taste differently from normal pasta except that you get this weird dark tan color. Needless to say, we ate well last night. Jollibee pasta, nacho chips, and a couple of bottles of Montepulciano.

I don't know how it happened, but we ended up talking about Big Brother conspiracy theories, about how everything we're doing and we're saying are monitored by someone. Just like in that movie Enemy of the State. I've read somewhere that there are supercomputers being run by USA's Defense Department that monitors all emails being sent all over the world, looking for trigger words such as Al Qaeda, terror plots, nuclear bomb, and other things. This is also true for all conversations transmitted electronically. Say something like "I had beer with Bin Laden" over your cellphone, then your call gets routed to some anti-terror group and you then get monitored and followed by secret agents everywhere you go. Hmm... Maybe I shouldn't be posting this here then? I really should stop now. Otherwise, Bin Laden might not buy me beer anymore.

What's Up?

2008-09-15T08:45:00.002+02:00

Is summer over? For the past couple of days, I've been struggling to keep warm at night. We have started to hit below 10C temperatures in the evenings and outside, some of the trees are beginning to have those telltale signs that their leaves are about start turning into wonderful shades of yellow, brown, and red. Wifey has started her long trek home, "home" now being officially here in Switzerland. Her residence visa has been issued, she now has a job here, and finally (hopefully!) life will start being normal again for the two of us.

Work has been terrible lately. I'm running several sourcing projects now, and sometimes, I feel like this is the most amount of work I've had, ever. It's still a struggle trying to juggle different cultures, and each of my project peers have their unique way of working. Nevertheless, I'm quite surprised that this has actually been a very fulfilling job. I can't believe I've survived my first year!

And even after a year here, I still can't believe how beautiful and diverse Europe is. Last weekend, I attended a wedding in Brno, Czech Republic, and spent a couple of days in Vienna. Quite an interesting opposites, those two cities. Brno amazes you with it's people, who I find to be surprisingly not different from Filipinos. They are open, so full of life, and so eager to share their culture with you. Vienna, on the other hand, is a typical West Europe city. It so full of history and there seems to be something happening at every corner.

So as I celebrate my first year in Switzerland, I begin to reflect. What is up? Or should I start thinking, What is next?

Weirdness

2008-06-04T23:33:00.000+02:00

1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was in grade school, I wanted to be a doctor. When I was in highschool, I wanted to be an airline pilot. When I was in college, I was taking up Metallurgical Engineering then, but at the back of my mind, I wanted to be an economist. Twelve years after graduating from college, I find myself wondering what if I pursued my dream of becoming a pilot.

2. Do you put ketchup on top of your french fries or on the side to dip in? If you don't use ketchup, what do you use? If you don't eat french fries, what's wrong with you?
I put ketchup on the side. I don't like my fries getting all soggy. I like them fried crispy on the outside, and somewhat moist on the inside.

3. When was the last time you had phone sex? If you've never done it, why?
I can't remember. Hahaha!

4. When was the last time you made someone cry? What did you do to make them cry?
I don't have any clue if I made someone cry lately.

5. How often do you sing in the shower?
Not as often now than before. I find myself waking up late the past couple of days, so I usually find myself rushing through my morning routine.

6. Have you ever cooked dinner or any other meal naked? If not, would you?
Sometimes. Hahaha!

New Stamps

2008-05-10T03:06:00.003+02:00

Will someone from Manila please send me a letter and use these stamps? I've been desperate for a reason to laugh.

Top 10 Sexually Suggestive Lines From The Original Star Wars Trilogy

2008-04-29T10:24:00.002+02:00

I haven't had time to get anything posted in this blog for some time now so I might as well get back with a bang. So this confirms what I've suspected all along. GEEK IS SEXY!

Star Wars / A New Hope
10. "Get in there you big furry oaf, I don't care what you smell!"
9. "Luke, at that speed do you think you'll be able to pull out in time?"
8. "Put that thing away before you get us all killed."
7. "You've got something jammed in here real good."
6. "Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?"
5. "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought."
4. "Sorry about the mess..."
3. "Look at the size of that thing!"
2. "Curse my metal body, I wasn't fast enough!"
1. "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid."

The Empire Strikes Back
10. "I thought that hairy beast would be the end of me."
9. "Size matters not. Judge me by my size, do you?"
8. "There's an awful lot of moisture in here."
7. "But now we must eat. Cum, good food, cumm..."
6. "That's okay, I'd like to keep it on manual control for a while."
5. "Hurry up, golden-rod..."
4. "I must've hit it pretty close to the mark to get her all riled up like that, huh kid?"
3. "Possible he came in through the south entrance."
2. "And I thought they smelled bad on the outside!"
1. "Control, control! You must learn control!"

Return of the Jedi
10. "Hey, point that thing someplace else."
9. "I look forward to completing your training. In time you will call me master."
8. "I never knew I had it in me."
7. "There is good in him, I've felt it."
6. "Grab me, Chewie. I'm slipping -- hold on. Grab it, almost... you almost got it. Gently now, all right, easy, easy, hold me Chewie."
5. "Hey, Luke, thanks for coming after me -- now I owe you one."
4. "Back door, huh? Good idea!"
3. "She's gonna blow!"
2. "I think you'll fit in nicely."
1. "Rise, my friend."

And speaking of movies, Iron Man the movie will be out in the kino's soon. Anyone who wants to go to the movies with me just let me know. I can travel all the way to Basel for a night of movies and clubbing!

Expectingly Unexpected

2008-03-03T09:56:00.001+01:00

We always get something bad on Mondays. It's almost like an unwritten law. It never fails. Whether it's a report that has to be handed in before lunchtime, or hot coffee spilling all over your lap in the drive-thru, it always happens on Monday. There's no point in trying to escape from it.

I got mine about an hour ago, and although I already know what it will mean for me in the next couple of months, it's only now that it's beginning to sink in. I'm thankful I still have some semblance of coherent thought in me to be able to talk about it in my blog.

So, as what I have been expecting for the past couple of weeks, my wife has finally told me that she's not yet ready to settle down in Switzerland. Not in a couple of weeks, at least; but I can safely surmise that I shouldn't be expecting her in the next half year. With so many things to take care of back in Manila, like selling some properties and tying some loose ends in our finances, it would be impossible for her to leave in a month's time when her residence permit arrives. And there's also the fact that right now, she's still happy with her job and couldn't think of a reason why she should leave it. Also, she hasn't received any good news yet on her job applications here in Switzerland. Well, she haven't really sent out a significant number of applications anyway, but that's another story.

So in a two-liner YM message, I was left hanging. I don't know whether I should feel happy or sad. Right now, I'm still numb. I'm hoping I won't get depressed, but I know it will come. What a crappy way to start the week.

Friday's Feast

2008-02-29T15:13:00.002+01:00

Appetizer

Who was the last person you hugged?

The last person I hugged is this Filipina friend I met recently. We went out clubbing last Saturday night and I think she had too much to drink. Actually, it was my fault because I wanted her to try Long Island Iced Tea. I guess it was her first time to try the bastard concoction. She ended up dazed when we got home and was struggling to keep coherent. She managed to make it to the toilet to throw up but then she called out to me because she was really feeling weak. At that point I hugged her and apologized for letting her drink too much that night.

Soup

Share a beauty or grooming trick or tip with us.

Whenever using gel or hair wax, always make sure to rub the stuff between your palms as briskly as you can, especially if it's a particularly cold day. The stuff that makes gel and hair wax work is heat activated, meaning it must be heated up first for it to work. Otherwise, when you just slather the stuff on your hair, it ends up just like that, slather on your hair. Rubbing it thoroughly between your palms also ensures consistent application on the hair.

Salad

What does the color yellow make you think of?

Uhm... People Power? Cory Aquino? LABAN? Di Ka Nag-Iisa? Sorry, I can't help but feel so "political" lately. I guess I can't understand why people have grown tired of people power. If the Filipino people was able to overthrow two corrupt regimes before, why can't we now, now when we need it more than ever?

Main Course

If you were to make your living as a photographer, what subject would your pictures revolve around?

Anything! I love photography so much and I can't think of anything I wouldn't photograph. Particular scenes that really strike me are those which I can render as old/sepia/monochrome photos for that "antique" look. I'm not exactly sure if there's a market for it but if were to have a different career and it happens to be photography, I would enjoy taking "old" photos. Here's a sample of a photo that I took when I acted as tour guide for some friends. We went to Lucerne.

Dessert

What was the longest book you ever read?

For casual reading, it's a toss up between James Clavell's Shogun and Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind. I haven't had the chance to put the two side by side and compare how thick they are, but I think they're pretty thick. For non-casual reading, even though we weren't required to read everything, I was able to read Reza Abbaschian's Physical Metallurgy Principles from cover to cover. I'm now glad that I did because my current job is now so much related to physical metallurgy, especially steelmaking manufacturing methods. If I weren't as interested at all at this subject, I would've probably acted like a complete idiot here in the office.

Terrorist Bomb Plot in Manila

2008-02-28T14:31:00.001+01:00

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, tell us, the Filipino people, how low can you go? Really? Why is it that whenever a sizeable political rally organized against you is scheduled, your people in the Armed Forces and Philippine National Police are falling over themselves in announcing supposed bomb threats all over the Metro? What are you so afraid of that you have to resort to lies just to keep people from expressing their views?

So please tell us... How low can you go?

Something New For 2008

2008-02-25T10:59:00.000+01:00

As a project manager, my job requires me to very good in planning. Good projects are ones that involved very thoughtful planning, so that when it's time to execute, you have everything considered, even the contingencies in case anything goes awry.

I cannot say the same for my personal life. I've stopped planning how I will live out my life the day I buried my father. My dad has this tendency to plan everything. He had everything laid out for us: how many kids he will have, where they will go to school, where the family will have vacations every year, at what age he will retire, where he will retire. All that. But he didn't plan on being told he had cancer and he had only four months to live. Hell, he didn't even know he had four months to live. He just sort of knew it would be coming soon from looking in our eyes everytime he can manage to stay coherent after bouts of chemotherapy. I don't want to go that path.

But somehow, being Switzerland means you have to do some sort of "planning". The whole country is obsessed by it! In a country where the trains arrive and leave on the dot, your daily life depends on good planning. Sometimes, it gets to a point where it is outrageous. We had sort of discussed over lunch about going out one Friday for after-work drinks. Before the day was over, the Swiss guy already had it all planned out: what time we will leave for the office, who's riding with who, where we will go, the bar's drinklist, who the designated drivers are, and the train schedule in case the designated driver forget that they're the designated driver.

So here's a list of something new that I want to do for 2008. I know I've already lost two months, but I think these are makeable, given that we have ten more months to go:

1. Learn a new sport - Switzerland = Swiss Alps = Snow. I have to learn either skiing or snowboarding. Everybody in the office tells me my European experience will not be complete without learning how to ski. Should I ask them if that will include getting the broken ankle as well?

2. A European car - When in Rome... And this may be the only chance I will ever afford a BMW or a Benz.

3. A new language - I have to learn High German. This is the universally accepted German language in this part of Europe. There's also such a thing as Swiss German, but the Germans tell me that even they would take years to be able to decipher it. Besides, it would be nice to go to a coiffure not worrying if I will end up looking like a poodle rather than Pitt.

4. Playstation 3 - Not really high on the list, considering that my wife and I plan to spend more time outside of the house and doing some travelling, rather than staying in for the weekend.

5. A baby - We'll see... Hahaha!

Friday's Feast

2008-02-22T09:58:00.000+01:00

Appetizer

Have you ever played a practical joke on anyone? If so, what did you do and who was your victim?

That would be a yes. There were four of us who were really good friends way back from highschool. Glenn is in Manila, working as a Project Manager for a top tech company; Oliver is a doctor who's now practicing in Australia; and Eusebio is also a doctor but he's now living in Chicago. Anyway, back when we were still studying in Pisay, we went to this Science Fair sponsored by the French Embassy. All four of us, for one reason or another, decided to go to the restroom together. Being the shy one (back then), Glenn used the cubicle instead of the urinals. The remaining three of us locked Glenn inside the cubicle and we pressed against the door preventing him from going out. We didn't know Glenn was claustrophobic! So he was really struggling to get out and finally he kicked the door and the hinges came off. We ended up running away from the restroom as fast as we could fearing if we got caught, we would have to pay for the damages and the school will find out and we'd all end up in trouble. Had we known Glenn was claustrophobic, we wouldn't have probably done that.

Soup

What do your salt and pepper shakers look like?

The salt shaker I have at home is the one I stole off from the temporary apartment I lived in two months ago. It looks suspiciously like the salt shaker we use in the company cafeteria. Hahaha... The pepper shaker, on the other hand, is the I buy from the supermarket everytime I run out of pepper. For some reason, the groceries here don't sell cracked pepper in pouches that you can use to refill the glass shakers. Sometimes, their concept of recycling and waste management here in Switzerland baffles me.

Salad

Where is the next place you plan to visit (on vacation or business)?

I will be travelling to Thionville, France next week. I'm joining a three day audit of one of our steel forging suppliers who's been having some quality issues lately. Thionville is right smack in that area of France where it borders Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium.

Main Course

What kind of lotion or cream do you use to keep your hands from getting too dry?

Actually I don't use lotion or cream to keep my skin from drying out. I really should, considering how easily the cold and dry winter air is making my skin so dry that I shed off skin. Eww....

Dessert

Make up a dessert, tell us its ingredients, and give it a name

Swiss Bora - a warm, rich chocolate cake with moist, almost runny, pure chocolate in the middle, generously topped with diced mango and swirled with cold mango puree/sauce all over.

Thirty Unfinished Sentences

2008-02-15T15:08:00.000+01:00

It's another boring Friday afternoon in the office and I'm just waiting until it's time to go home. Let's jumpstart the weekend by answering thirty nonsense questions...

1. Today is:
Friday.

2. I should be:
working.

3. The last text message I received
was from:
my mom.

4. And it said:
thank you for the Valentine flowers.

5. I am currently pissed off because:
my officemate is making unsolicited actions on my project.

6. My cellphone rings and the song that's playing is:
one of the those boring, system-installed ringtones.

7. I would love to see:
GMA thrown off from Malacanang.

8. If I could change my last name, it would be:
Gates.

9. After class, I love to:
smoke and get pissed.

10. My favorite subject is:
Chemistry.

11. I liked yesterday because:
it was Valentine's day.

12. But I still sort of didn't because:
I didn't have anyone to celebrate it with.

13. My favorite song/s right now would have to be:
Chemical Romance's I'm Not Okay.

14. I sometimes forget to:
zip my pants after peeing.

15. I currently have a crush on:
Katherine Heigl

16. My favorite number/s would have to be:
28

17. When I'm in a bad mood, it's better to just:
give me a pint of ice cream.

18. I really can't stand:
liars and backstabbers.

19. I'd break up with my boyfriend/girl friend right away if?
she's a liar and a backstabber.

20. If I were to get stuck in an elevator with someone, it would have to be:
Lindsay Lohan.

21. I'd really like to improve my grades on:
Skiing 101.

22 . The last thing that wasn't good that I bought with my own money is:
stinky cheese.

23. The name of the street where I live is:
Zimmermannstrasse.

24. I have never rode on:
a horse.

25. If I won the lottery, the first thing I would buy is/are:
a plane ticket back to Manila.

26. One bad habit of mine is:
smoking.

27. I go to school in:
Quezon City.

28. I study there because:
they felt I was good enough to get a full scholarship.

29. my friend/s who is/are not from my college/school is/are:
all of my friends are not from my school.

30. I am currently stressed because:
I had lousy sex last night.

France And Rants

2008-02-13T22:04:00.001+01:00

As it turned out, I didn't just go to France yesterday, but I was also in Germany! It's just too bad that I was inside a moving car all that time and that the total time spent in Germany amounts to a grand total of 30 minutes. Hahaha. I love the way the countries in Europe are connected to each other. In the scope of eight hours, I was able to go from one country to another and another, and back to my "home country" in time for dinner.

So I finally experienced first hand how driving in the German Autobahn is like. I didn't really drive, it was my manager driving, but I was seated in the back. The minute we entered Germany, he just pushed the throttle and we were gone. 180kph. Whew. I can't wait to get my driver's licence and start being a road maniac around Germany. We travelled through the Schwarzwalder (Black Forest) and went on to France using the highway that goes all the way from Belfort to France. That part of France we were in was beautiful, with its rolling hills and low hills. Belfort, as I had learned from a French colleague, gets its name from the fact that the city is surrounded by the walls of a fortress that was put up during one of the wars with Germany. The region is not really known for its cuisine, owning to the fact that its an industrial region by nature, but he did say something about the fine sausages that they have. I really should stay in Belfort for a couple of nights sometime soon, so I can get a taste of those sausages!

On another note, it was not a good day in the office. I'm pissed off at three people. First is a colleague from Poland. Instead of referring to me, he called my officemate to discuss some problems regarding a project I'm managing. We recently rolled out a new database in Lotus Notes and it so happens that it only works on Release 6 of Lotus Notes. Unfortunately for some officemates in Poland, they still haven't received the upgrades, so that means the database encounters some errors when they try to access it. So this guy in Poland decided to call my colleague to discuss the problem. Second person I'm pissed at is my officemate. He proposed to the Polish guy to just sit back on the problem for a while until the Lotus Notes upgrades get rolled out and until the office in Poland gets trained on the details of the new database. I know he means well but still, it's my project and I feel I should be the one making decisions. I don't know about you but it borders on being unprofessional when you dip into someone's work affairs, make decisions, and then tell the affected person about it after-the-fact. Lastly, I'm pissed off at myself. I suppose the base reason why the Polish guy talked to my officemate was that he's uncomfortable talking to me in English and he's better at using German. I really should get German lessons and at least try to have some German conversation skills. I hope things start to get better in the office tomorrow. I can feel burnout beginning to set in.

France, Here I Come

2008-02-11T21:30:00.000+01:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was finally able to receive my Schengen visa. Actually, this is my second one. For some unexplainable reason, the French Consulate in Zurich doesn't want to give me a long term visa. One that will last me until Switzerland joins the Schengen Treaty this coming October. This even after I have given them a letter from the HR Director from my company that I need a long term visa, not these one month visas that they keep giving me. And yes, I am complaining, because the lack of a proper Schengen visa is keeping me from doing my job properly.

Anyway, I will finally get to visit our factory in Belfort tomorrow. It's about 135 kilometers away from my apartment, a 1 hour and 30 minute drive by car. Fortunately, the whole group is coming with me and I will be riding with my manager. Unlike our factory in Switzerland, which only produces the rotor part of a generator, the factory in Belfort produces some of the biggest turbogenerators manufactured in the world, including those that goes into the biggest nuclear power plants. I can't wait. I actually want to see how these things really look like. Too bad I can't take pictures. Too bad as well that this is only going to be an in and out thing and that my first time in France will take a glorious ten hours in all.

Sinulog, Swiss Style

2008-01-27T21:41:00.000+01:00

I attended my first Sinulog celebration, most ironically, in Schiznach Dorf yesterday. Two friends from the office invited me. They are both members of the Zurich chapter of Couples for Christ. I also met a Filipina who got hired in the Big French Company last December, who also happens to be from the same University that I graduated from.

Sinulog is a Visayan version of the celebration of the Feast of the Sto. Nino. I'm not really too familiar with the details of how it came about, except that it is a very popular festival in Cebu. Back in the Philippines, folks from all over the country flock to Cebu to attend the Sinulog. There are street parties and celebrations and the city is cloaked in a festive spirit. It is supposed to be religious in nature, so I guess you have to squeeze in the mass celebrations honoring the Sto. Nino somewhere in between of all the street parties.

Anyway, after the guys picked me up in Bahnhof Brugg, we headed to a sleepy town about 10 minutes away called Schiznach Dorf. On this fateful Saturday, it seemed like the small Swiss village had been invaded by Filipinos. A lot of Filipinos from all over Switzerland came, mostly in groups of different chapters of Couple of Christ. There was even one big group, either from Basel or Berne, who chartered a bus to get there.

The celebration started by a parade (where I saw one of the people in my Friendster list), then a mass celebrated by a priest from the Catholic Mission to Switzerland, then a hearty Pinoy lunch. Afterwards there were dance presentations from the different groups then a tombola drawing, where the grand prize was a pilgrimage trip to Israel.

It was the first time that I had been in the presence of so many Filipinos in Switzerland for the first time. In fact, prior to yesterday, I rarely see any Filipinos around. My Pinoy officemates were telling me that there are supposed to be a lot of Filipinos in Brugg. Somehow, I never see them around, except for the one time when I dared say hi to this Filipina who was talking to her Eurasian son in Tagalog. Maybe this is a sign that I should go out of the house more often or start coming home early from work.

Yesterday was also the first time, after a very long time, that I had tasted lechon again. They had some problems chopping the pig up probably because by the time we were served lechon, it was already cold. Good thing it wasn't that greasy, but I enjoy lechon when it's warm, slathered with spicy sweet pork liver sauce, and the salty crispy skin crackling with every bite in my mouth. Nevertheless, it was good lechon that they served yesterday. There was something a bit off with it, though, because I noticed that the skin on the lechon wasn't as "thick" as the one I used to eat back home. And the fat layer was also thin, which is good in way. That made me wonder how they raise pigs here and how they make the layer of fat so thin. Is this genetically modified pig we're eating here?

Too bad, I wasn't able to bring my camera yesterday. There were a lot of great photo ops, including the kids of Pinays with their Swiss husbands. You'd really have to give it to the wonderful Filipino gene. Filipino gene + European gene = some of the most beautiful faces I have ever seen.

I also have to make a mental note to myself to stop procrastinating and do things that I've been putting off lately. Like cleaning the house, ironing some of my work clothes, and of course, updating this blog. I haven't been that busy lately. I just feel... lazy. Hahaha... I can't wait for summer soon. This winter weather is really getting into me.

More Of Vincent Bueno

2008-01-13T15:56:00.001+01:00

Apparently, Vincent has experienced performing in public before. Here he is, giving it up for a Vienna audience as front singer for Sarah Geronimo during her concert there.

I'm pretty sure talent managers in the Philippines are lining up to fly Vincent over to the Philippines for concerts and shows. So what do you think? Magiging Kapuso o Kapamilya si Vincent? Hahaha!

Creepy

2008-01-13T00:23:00.000+01:00

I don't believe in ghosts. I refuse to believe that spirits can wander on the physical plane and get their kicks in scaring people. But a really scaring thing happened to me tonight. I've had an usually large amount of iced tea tonight, therefore, I always felt like peeing tonight. So while I was watching this movie on TV, I felt an urge to go.

I walked over to the restroom, turned on the lights, then BHAM! There was a flash and then darkness throughout the house. The TV was still on, it was running fine, but because i was watching a suspense movie, and because I had to pee at a scary portion of the film, it wasn't really making much sound... just that damn music you hear whenever someone, or something, is sneaking up on the stupid guy who's about to get blown off.

Being the engineer that I am, I immediately thought that the circuit breaker must have tripped. No problem. You just switch it off then on again, and all you end up with is a busted lamp. So when I opened the circuit box, I was expecting everything to be in place, meaning everything is at ON position. It wasn't. The circuit breaker for the house lighting was turned off. You physically have to exert some effort to turn that switch off! How can that happen?! And mind you, this is all happening at 12 midnight!!

Okay, so things may be different here in Switzerland, but can someone please tell me this is so. Unless someone tells me otherwise, I'd really have a hard time relaxing here at the house.

Damn it. That's it. I'm going to church tomorrow.

Pinoy Wins Austria Singing Contest

2008-01-11T23:24:00.000+01:00

Vincent Bueno, a 22 year old son of Filipino immigrants in Austria, has just won Austria's premiere singing talent contest. Vincent competed against nine other contestants and in a very thrilling two hour show, came out triumphant after besting two other finalists.

The weekly show, called Musical: Die Show, is the Austrian version of USA's American Idol with a twist. Instead of normal pop music, the contestants are required to sing their favorite songs from Broadway musicals. Vincent's repertoire included songs from Mary Poppins, Singing in the Rain, Phantom of the Opera, and Miss Saigon.

In winning the contest, Vincent not only brings home with him €50000, but pride for the Philippines as well. Herzlichen Glückwunsch, Vincent!

Wishing For A Time That Was

2008-01-10T09:42:00.000+01:00

Si Nanay ay nasa bahay pag-uwi namin galing sa iskwela. Walang mga bakod at gate ang magkakapit-bahay. Kung meron, gumamela lang. Diyes sentimos lang ang baon — singko sa umaga, singko sa hapon.

Merong “free” ang mga stick ng ice drop, buko man o munggo. Mataas ang paggalang sa mga guro at ang tawag sa kanila ay maestro/a.

Di binibili ang tubig, pwedeng maki-inom sa di mo kakilala. Malaking bagay na ang pumunta sa ilog para mag-picnic, o kaya sa tumana.

Pwedeng iwan ang sasakyan at ibilin sa mga nasa tabing kalye — wala namang lock ang mga Willy’s jeep noon.

* * *

Simple lang ang pangarap noon — makatapos, makapag-asawa, mapagtapos ang mga anak.
Bago magkaroon ng Internet, computer at cellphone. Noong wala pang mga drugs at malls. Bago pa nauso ang Counter Strike at mga Game Boy.

Meron kaming mga laruan na gawa lang namin — trak-trakan (Rosebowl ang katawan at Darigold na maliit ang mga gulong), “sketeng” (scooter) na bearing na maingay ang mga gulong at de-sinkong pako para sa preno. Patining na pinitpit na tansan lang na may dalawang butas sa gitna para suotan ng sinulid (pwede pang makipag-lagutan); sumpak, pilatok, boca-boca, borador, atbp.

Maraming usong laro — laste, gagamba, turumpo, tatsing ng lata. Pera namin ay kaha ng Philip Morris, Marlboro, Champion (kahon-kahon yon!)

* * *

Natatandaan mo ba ang pagtatakip mo ng mata pero nakasilip sa pagitan ng mga daliri pag nanonood ng nakakatakot sa “Mga Aninong Gumagalaw”?

Karera sa takbuhan hanggang maubos ang hininga; pagtawa hanggang sumakit ang tiyan. Meron pa bang himbabao, kulitis at pongapong? O kaya ang lukaok, susuwi at espada? O harang taga o tumbang preso kapag maliwanag ang buwan?

May dagta ang dulo ng tinting na hawak mo para makahuli ng tutubi, nandadakma ka ng palakang tetot, pero ingat ka sa palakang saging dahil sa kulugo.

Butas na ang sakong ng Spartan mong tsinelas, suot mo pa rin. Namumugalgal ang pundiya ng karsonsilyo mo kasi nakasalampak ka sa lupa.

Pag-akyat natin sa mga puno; pagkakabit ng kulambo, lundagan sa kama. Pagtikwas o pagtitimba sa poso; pingga ang pang-igib ng lalake at may dikin naman ang ulo ng babae.

* * *

Sa modernong buhay at sa lahat ng kasaganaan sa high technology, di ba minsan nangarap ka na rin... mas masaya noong araw!

Takot tayo ngayon sa buhay. Kasi maraming napapatay, nakikidnap, maraming addict at masasamang loob.

Noon takot lang tayo sa ating mga magulang at mga lolo at lola. (Pero ngayon, alam na natin na mahal pala nila tayo kaya’t ayaw tayong mapahamak o mapariwara… na una silang nasasaktan pag pinapalo nila tayo.)

Nginig na tayo pag lumabas na ang yantok-mindoro o buntot-page. Naglagay ka ba ng karton sa pwet para hindi masakit ang tsinelas o sinturon?

Nakaranas ka rin ba ng pamimili ng bato sa bigas, tinda-tindahan na puro dahon naman, bahay-bahayan na puro kahon? Naglako ka ba ng ice candy o pandesal noong araw?

“Susmaryosep” ang nadidinig mo pag nagpapaligo ng bata, “Estigo santo” kapag nagmamano.

* * *

Grabe na ang kaso pag napatawag ka sa Principal’s Office. At malaking kahihiyan kapag bagsak ka sa exams.

Unahan tayong sumagot sa multiplication table na kabisado natin, kasi wala namang calculator.

Pag recess, mamimili ka sa garapon ng tinapay-alembong, taeng-kabayo o biscocho. Pwede ring ang sukli ay kending Vicks (meron pang libreng singsing) o kaya nougat o caramel. Kung gusto mo naman, pakumbo o kaya kariba, mas masaya kung inuyat.

Masarap ang kamatis na piniga sa kamay para sa sawsawan; ang palutong pag isawsaw sa sukang may siling labuyo; ang duhat kapag inalog sa asin; ang isa-isang isubo ang daliri kasi puno na ng kanin; halo-halo na yelo, asukal at gatas lang ang sahog.

Tuwang-tuwa kami pag tinalo ang tinale ni Itay kasi may tinola!

Purico ang mantika, at mauling na ang mukha at ubos na ang hininga mo sa ihip kasi mahirap magparikit ng apoy.

* * *

Sakang ang lakad mo at nakasaya ka kasi bagong tuli ka. O naghahanap ka ng chalk kasi tinagusan ang palda mo sa eskwelahan. Lipstick mo ay papel de hapon.

May program at flag-raising kapag Lunes sa paaralan. May pakiling kang dala kung Biyernes kasi magi-isis ka ng desk.

Presidente ng klase ay ang pinakamagaling, hindi ang pinakamayaman.

Yung crush mo — ano na kayang nangyari sa kanya?

Naglululon ka ng banig pagkagising; matigas sa almirol ang mga punda at kumot; madumi ang manggas ng damit mo kasi doon ka nagpapahid ng sipon… pwede rin sa laylayan.

Ang kanta: Penpen de serapen, de kutsilyo, de almasen, how how da carabao batuten....

* * *

MASAYA na tayo basta sama-sama kahit hati-hati sa kokonti. May oras tayo sa isa’t-isa.
Naaasar ka kapag marami kang sunog sa sungka, kapag buro ka sa pitik-bulag o matagal ka ng taya sa holen.

Yung matatandang kapatid ang pinaka-ayaw natin, pero sila ang tinatawag natin pag napapa-trouble tayo.

Di natutulog si Inay, nagbabantay pag may trangkaso tayo. Meron tayong Skyflakes at Royal sa tabi at pahihigupin ng mainit na Royco.

Di ba masaya? Wala nang sasaya at gaganda pa sa panahong yon. Masaya noon at masaya pa rin tayo ngayon habang ina-alaala iyong mga araw na may kapayapaan pa.

* * *

Taken from Philippine Star Editorial by Federico Pascual Jr. published January 10, 2008

Tagliatelle ala Emilliana

2007-11-26T23:31:00.000+01:00

Tonight, I cooked a pasta dish that was taught to me by a German officemate. The dish originated from Emilliana, part of Italy's northern region. It's actually a twist of its well known sister dish, the Carbonara.

Tagliatelle ala Emilliana

Ingredients:
2 pieces Wienerli

1 package Frischkäse (250 grams)

5 cloves garlic

1 onion

milk

salt

pepper

Tagliatelle pasta (good for two servings)

Steps:

1. Slice onion and garlic down to mince size.

2. Slice Wienerli to bite size pieces

3. Boil pasta until al dente. Drain, and divide the nooodles equally on two plates. Drizzle with olive oil then slightly toss the noodles with the oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.

4. Saute garlic and onion together in olive oil. You don't want the garlic to cook until brown as it will impart a slightly bitter taste.

5. Once the onion starts to become transparent, add the Wienerli. Cook until the Wienerli pieces start to brown.

6. Add Frischkäse and just enough milk to make the consistency you would want in your pasta. At this point, lower the heat to the lowest level possible. You don't want the heat to be high enough to boil the whole mixture. Boiling would cause a separation of the milk solids from the milk and Frischkäse mixture.

7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

8. Once the sauce is hot enough, remove from heat and spread on top of the noodles.

9. If you want, you can put grated parmigiano reggiano on top.

This is how Wienerli looks like. For some reason, it's also called Vienna sausage here.

Frischkäse is also known as cream cheese or Farmer's cheese.

Pinoy Cooking in Switzerland

2007-11-23T21:45:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow marks my second month here. While I admit that I'm beginning to miss homecooked food, every trip to Migros or Coop has managed me to land couple of items that allowed me to cook something very close to what I eat back in Manila.

Soy sauce: Migros is a local importer of Kikkoman, both for cooking and dipping. Chicken adobo turns out okay with it, although there's something different... I should try if it renders well with bistek.

Pork shanks: One of the best finds! Migros carries this regularly, and almost always an Aktion item as well. 2 pork shanks for roughly CHF3.50. It seems to be more tender than the one I usually buy in Manila and makes good paksiw. Boiled tender then mixed with some potatoes and cabbage, it makes a good soup on a cold winter night.

Knorr Soup Bouillon Cubes: Back in Manila, there's such a thing as Ginisa mix. Usually, you add this to sauteed garlic and onion prior to mixing whatever you want to add. There's none of that here. Instead, there are bouillon cubes, which I think does the job equally well. Just break it up in hot oil together with sauteed garlic and onion, then throw in your favorite veggies. I hope this gets me back on my diet.

Initially, I thought living in a small village is about the worst thing there is to happen to me. There's nothing to do here, especially after 7pm. It's like someone turns off the switch and everybody is back to their homes. But slowly, I'm beginning to appreciate it. Where else can you get fresh milk, virtually 24 hours a day? We have a local dairy quite close and I have tried their milk a couple of times. Quite good, but you have to consume it really fast because it goes bad after 2 days or so, even with the refridgerator set to the coldest.

We also have a local farmer who comes twice a day, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon, and sells his stock so cheap I couldn't imagine why I've been buying vegetables from the grocery all this time. Last Saturday I got five kilos of potatos and two kilos of carrots from him and it didn't even cost me CHF5.00 for everything. I guess this is what I'll miss when I move to a bigger town in December.

A Fair in Basel

2007-10-29T22:09:00.000+01:00

Basel Herbstmesse started last Saturday and I took the invitation from the Zurich Flickr Drinks group to take time out and join the festivities. It was great to finally go out of the house last weekend and visit another place in this beautiful country. Best of all, I got to know people outside of work and made more than a couple of new friends!

Here we are riding a ferry from one part of the town to another. Sorry, it was my first time in Basel and I was just going with the flow, so to speak.

And here we are doing the classic ZFD pose.

Basel is such a nice city! The streets are lined with all sorts of shops, from the usual fashion stores you'd find in most big cities, down to the specialty stores selling model trains and calligraphy items. I was almost tempted to buy a wax stamp, the one used in the old days to seal a letter with wax.

I was also amused with the Herbstmesse itself. It's very much like a perya back in Manila. There were rides, food stalls, and various other stalls selling things like homemade candies, regional cheeses, trinkets from all over the world, and winter wear. All that's missing are the "gambling" stalls and I can imagine myself back in Paoay during the summer fiesta.

More pics at my Flickr site. Just click on the widget at the right side of this page. Many thanks to Mark Howells-Mead for the pics on this post. He maintains a blog here and a Flickr page here.

One Month After

2007-10-21T22:51:00.000+02:00

A couple of days from now, I will be celebrating my first month anniversary since arriving here in Switzerland. So far, it has been great. I'm temporarily staying in a company owned apartment, but I'll be moving to my own apartment middle of December. I have already completed the basics, such as applying for my residence permit, getting a health insurance (mandatory in Switzerland, by the way), opening a bank account, and settling nicely into my job.

I'm now working for a very big French company, and our division is based in Switzerland. Every time you turn on your lights at home, 3 chances out of 4 that it's one of our power generators behind it. Life in the office is okay. Still starting to learn the ropes, but I'm confident that I'll be able to hurdle the three month testing period. One of the difficulties is getting the right contacts in getting the job done, and the fact that my German language skills are nonexistent is compounding the problem. But having said that, the people in the office are generally friendly and are willing to help you out. I don't detect any of that office politics going on, but then again, maybe all of that is happening in German.

I haven't had much chance to go beyond 20 kilometers from my apartment yet. But that's bound to change once my first paycheck is in the bank. I didn't bring a lot of cash with me here, and I've reserved what money I have for the apartment deposit and first month rent. However, I'm looking forward to my first road trip (or should I say, train trip) this coming weekend. There's an Herbstmesse in Basel on the 27th and my friends from ZuriFlickr invited me. At last, a chance to meet some people, do some travelling, and take some pictures. I can't wait!

Jacket Here, Jacket There

2007-09-05T10:28:00.000+02:00

Just how cold can it get in Zurich during wintertime? This seems to be a major discussion point between me and my wife lately. She just came back from California this morning, still feeling bugged why I kept nagging her to buy me more jackets.

Sure, Wikipedia can easily tell me that during the months of November through February, the temperature can dip as low as -1C. But what is -1C for an Asian? I've been through a couple of Phoenix, AZ winters, but I'm quite sure that the temperature in Phoenix during winter doesn't even come close to -1C.

I needed something to show to the wifey how cold a Zurich winter can be. And that's why we need to buy jackets NOW. So here's what a little searching in Flickr got me.

Effort paid off. I'm now a proud owner of three new jackets. And that's on top of the five others acquired throughout the years of doing business travels during wintertime to places like Seoul, Tokyo, and Boston. And yes, I'm bringing all of them to Switzerland with me!

(All photos are from Flickr.com. 1st, 3rd, and 4th photos are from Dreamer7112; 2nd photo from Toni V. Thanks to Flickr, Dreamer7112, and Toni V.)

Cerveza Negra

2007-09-03T11:07:00.000+02:00

Cerveza Negra is the taste of a robust spirit.

It is distinguished by the fullness of its flavor, the caramel tones that tease the palate, and the rich creaminess of its foam.

It is a dark lager unlike any other. Undeniably, Cerveza Negra is meant for you.

San Miguel Pale Pilsen is the Philippines' most famous beer. However, not a lot of people outside of the Philippines is aware of the fact that San Miguel also makes a fine dark lager called Cerveza Negra (Spanish for "Dark Beer"). I'm not a beer expert, but I have also tasted a more famous dark beer from Ireland named Guinness. I find both beers equally enjoyable. I usually order Cerveza Negra on night outs when I don't really want to get drunk but only to have that slight happy buzz. Guinness is harder to find in Manila, especially if you're looking for the tap version. Canned Guinness is usually found in most upscale delis and expat grocery sites such as Santi's in Festival Mall.

Cerveza Negra. Definitely one of the things I'll miss in Manila.

What Made Me Move To Switzerland

2007-08-24T18:55:00.000+02:00

"You take the chance and go and all you need is your passport in one pocket and enough money for a flight home in the other pocket and life will take care of the rest. If you don't go, you may forever regret it." - Anonymous

So simple, isn't it?

It's Here!!

2007-08-17T11:10:00.000+02:00

Finally, some great news from my Swiss employer. The Foreign Ministry in Berne has approved my residence permit application. They sent me a document entitled ERMACHTIGUNG ZUR VISUMERTEILUNG FUR DIE SCHWEIZER VERTRETUNG (EB). This is not exactly the residence permit. This is an authorization for the Swiss Embassy in Manila to issue my entry visa for the purpose of applying for a residence permit in Switzerland, canton Aargau. With this document, I can apply for a Swiss visa with nothing else in hand. No invitation letter, no proof of insurance, no proof of funding for my stay in Switzerland. Just my passport, an application form, and a passport picture. That said, I have already scheduled an appointment with them on Monday. Which is weird, considering that Monday has been declared a holiday in the Philippines.

So what else does the ERMACHTIGUNG ZUR VISUMERTEILUNG FUR DIE SCHWEIZER VERTRETUNG (EB) say? It notes down my name, my birthday, and Philippine residence. It also has my employer's name and address, and my job title. There are two main things to note in this document. First is the ZAR number. This is akin to an identification number for foreigners. This means that I once I have my residence permit, I will be a registered foreigner in Switzerland. All of my correspondences with the government must be identified together with my ZAR number.

The second thing to note is the Aufenthaltsdauer. This roughly means the type of permit I will be issued. Mine is Bewilligung B befristet (max. 36 Monate), meaning B permit for a maximum of 36 months. After three years, I will have to apply for a renewal of the B permit. I was told that there is another type of B permit, the long term B permit. Having the long term B permit means you have to renew the permit after every five years. What I'm not sure of is whether my B permit will eventually lead to an issuance of a C permit, which is a long term permanent resident, almost being a citizen of Switzerland. You can only get a C permit after staying in Switzerland for 10 years.

The next couple of weeks should be fun. Lot of things for me to do in the immediate future: resign from my current job and start my 30 day notice; start looking for flights; and come up with a "must bring list" to Switzerland. I also haven't told my mom yet. I still don't know how to break her this good/bad news.

Still No Residence Permit

2007-08-13T18:29:00.000+02:00

Actually, things are moving in the right person. The lady I was talking about, who was on vacation when I emailed her about the status of my residence permit, got back to me a couple of weeks ago and had great news. Canton Aargau has already approved the residence permit! Yay!! However, there's one more approval and that is from the Federal Government in Berne. The good news is, and I learned about this a couple of hours ago, Berne is usually just a rubberstamp. Meaning, my residence permit is as good as approved. But there are two bad news: (1) As it is summer in Switzerland right now, a lot of the people are on holiday. That means there's a backlog of permits that need to be approved. Usually, it takes about two to three weeks for the permit to be approved. With Switzerland's policy of allowing employees to take two weeks leave at a time, who knows how long that will take; and (2) after approval in Berne, the paperwork will have to be sent to the Swiss Embassy in Manila and they will issue the entry visa. If this is done electronically, then that's a lot faster than if done via post mail.

On a lighter side, it seems that the HR is going full steam ahead with my entry. They've already reserved an apartment for me which I'll be sharing with a guy from Germany. I hope that helps me learn the language a lot faster.

On the home front, I'm still deciding whether I should get my DSLR now or wait a couple of more weeks. I'm bent on getting a Canon 400D. However, with news of the Canon 40D being launched soon, I'm anticipating that the price of the 400D will go down. If that happens, I'm back to my decision tree on whether getting the 400D, the Canon 30D, or the Nikon D80. Aargh!! The great thing about this is that I know in the end, I'll end up having my coveted DSLR. It's great that technology and innovation is pushing the prices of these gadgets lower and lower. It makes it easier for the "common man" to engage in pursuits like photography, movies, and music.

Is Today the Big Day?

2007-07-30T04:16:00.001+02:00

Friday last week marks the fourth week since I sent in the requirements for my Swiss residence permit. According to the HR guy, residence permits are supposed to be approved in about three or four weeks time. I sent in a follow up letter about a week and a half ago but the person in the company working with the Swiss authorities is apparently on vacation. She gets back in the office today. So at around 2pm Manila time, she'll be back in the office. Hopefully, she has this nice letter from the Swiss authorities with an approval for my permit. The paperwork will then be sent to me, which I'll have to present to the Swiss Embassy for them to issue a nice stamp on my passport saying, "Welcome to Switzerland. Now start working your butt off."

In another note, I was finally able to give my sister a call to her hotel in Beijing. Apparently, they're doing well. She finds the food delicious, but apparently they've only been eating in hotels and the bigger restaurants. They've also started looking at shortlisted apartments and have set their sights on six likely choices. They will have to start making a decision soon because they only have until Wednesday to stay free in the hotel. The embassy is shouldering their hotel stay until Wednesday and after that, they'll have to shoulder the expenses. I'm pretty sure they'll be able to move in into their choice of apartment well before Wednesday.

Apparently they've also started to take advantage of China shopping. My brother in law got himself two Nike sneakers. But I asked him though, "Are you sure they got Nike spelled right?"

I Hate Goodbyes

2007-07-26T05:47:00.000+02:00

My sister and her husband left for Beijing this morning. I wanted to talk to her before she leaves but as usual, I wasn't able to wake up even with the alarm clock blaring at my ears. Nevertheless, I got an SMS message from her saying she's about to board the plane. She also reminded me to visit mom every so often and that mom was crying when they left home this morning.

With my sister away for the next six years, my mom has temporarily lost her movie companion, shopping buddy, and someone to talk to in the house. I feel so sorry for my mom. She's supposed to have been retired now but recently opted to continue working (she's a college professor) because she's getting bored in the house. While I was vehemently against the idea of her taking another teaching position, in retrospect this might actually be a good thing for her. At least it gets her mind off from the loneliness.

Our family house, I think, is bound to get lonely now that my sister have left. While my mom and I were talking last week, she mentioned that in the weeks leading up to my sister's departure, at night, my sister would stay with her in the bedroom and lie down with her. This would be the first time that my sister is staying away for an extended period of time. She has practically lived all of her life with my mom at her side. I can't even begin to think how my mom would terribly miss her.

I hope my sister enjoys her stay in Beijing. It's an unusual place, to say the least. A vibrant mix of Eastern and Western cultures. As a diplomat's wife, I'm pretty sure she'll be very busy entertaining the wives of government officials visiting China, especially with the Olympics coming up in 2008. I hope she enjoys all the shopping and travelling she can do while she's there. And most of all I hope she and her husband stay safe and healthy.

How Far Is It?

2007-07-18T21:15:00.000+02:00

I couldn't sleep last night. Just thinking about how far we'd be from our family and friends and the place where we grew up is making me terribly sad. In a few weeks time, I'd be so far away from the place I call home.

Just to put things into perspective, I researched how far Manila is from Zurich. 10434 km. 6484 miles. A whole day's flight, counting layovers in the middle of the desert, if you take Qatar Airlines.

In contrast, my sister, who's going to Beijing with her husband and will stay there for the next six years, will only be 2840 kilometers away from Manila. A half day's flight. Even less if she flew direct.

Although I'm excited at making this move overseas, I just couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the fact that I'll be so far from my mom. I can just imagine how she's feeling right now, when two of her children are about to leave the Philippines. So sad, isn't it?

Waiting for my Residence Permit

2007-07-16T19:12:00.000+02:00

It's been two weeks since I sent in the requirements for my residence/work permit. I haven't really told the public yet that we'll be moving to Switzerland soon and I'm not sure if word will leak now that I've put this blog up. At this point, I don't really care. I'm just excited that we'll be making the big leap soon.

This is how a Swiss B permit looks like. It allows one to live and work in Switzerland for an initial period of one year. After a year, you have it renewed and then it's valid for another five years. The B permit also gives you other rights like buying real estate, getting a railpass, opening a bank account, buying a car, among other things. This is applied for by your employer. Once approval has been given by the canton and the federal government, your employer sends you the approved application then you take that to your local embassy for them to issue you your entry visa into Switzerland. This is the process for non-EU countries. For citizens of EU countries, they have it easy since they can just come in to Switzerland as soon as they have an employment contract then the local canton issues them the permit.

Anyway, my employer filed for my B permit late last month. The HR guy told me it takes about three weeks to have it approved. This Friday is the end of the third week. I hope it comes through.