Stories

Those streets in Adamah district near "Seiko". Those streets where every morning we walked for about 15 minutes for our daily bus ride to work. Those streets where I first think every morning of what to do for the day. Those street and I will seldom walk on them now. I have transferred to a nearer place to the bus pick-up point to save time and energy and the very real reason is that I was left in the house since the 3 housemates I have go to the Philippines for good. Grover is staying in our country to start a new career and business. Ryan on the other hand has his luck in Japan. And Ayie got his job in Batangas again in Siemens. And I am the one being left here that still continuing to struggle despite the loneliness and the eagerness to go home also. But I guess I will spend more of my time here.

I have watched last night a boring film yet so good. The title of the movie is “The Girl In The Book”. It is not so good but somehow get my soul hooked and think for a while that I must have a good reflection of what has happened this year. And eventually what to look up for in the coming year. This year 2015 marks some of the major losses in my life. My sister died as well as my second grandfather. It has left a huge emptiness in our hearts and I really do not know what to do in those times of shock and grief. However through times I am beginning to accept the reality that death is one of the pre-requisite of being alive. Everyone will die eventually. And so for this next year I will do my best here in abroad to have a good future. I will indulge myself in work since I really need it as a source of income as well as therapy to pass the time of grief and sorrows. I will do my best to help others in order to fulfill my dreams as well as theirs too. I will try to...

This may serve as an update(s). Yesterday I was talking to Harry via FB messenger ( only yesterday that we knew it could be used as voice call hahahaha!) and he was so very happy and so excited for his one-month (or longer for life?) in the Big Apple on December. I have seen his facebook status about conquering the City That Never Sleeps but quietly believed it until I spoke to him for confirmation. And he was into it. He told me that he just applied for a tourist visa to US and everything fell into places as God planned for him. He was given a 10 or 15 year multiple visa. Lucky him!  A few months ago when I was still struggling to adjust here in Dammam I got some friends to look into that will make my homesick-ness bearable. One of them was Cesar. He was my elementary classmate in Ilijan back then and a very good friend of mine. He said before that he will go back to the Philippines and will settle there for some reason. To have a baby. However after several months of sta...

Last year or two years ago  if I am not mistaken we have our "vitalization" in Pagsanjan Falls with my previous company. I remember that I have mentioned in my blog post here about the "bangkero" or boatman who almost carry us literally in their boat all the way to the wonderful site of the Pagsanjan Fall. And we have known that one of our bangkero is doing the same job for 27 or 37 years! Imagine that! And last night  I encountered another old man here in Saudi with the same story. While waiting for the realty agent ( we are looking for a new flat) in Manila Shopping Center in Seiko District, an old man approached us and asked if we want balot. I bought two pieces for 4 Saudi Riyals each. The old man was about 60 I guess and we were right because we had about 5 or 10 minutes conversations with him. He was 62 this year and he was from Rosario Batangas, a kababayan indeed! And not to our surprise he is now on his 23rd year here in Saudi Arabia. He is a simple manan...

No smartphone? no laptop either? so you are stuck in a fastfood chain and you want to check yourself online..well Goto King has its answer..a new "space" is actually making its debut in every its every store..a cyberya..an internet rental computer which a stroke of a coin you can surf online..you can check yourself in every social media that you like..a convergence of cheap digital use and of course such not-so-expensive food at the Goto King..

Saturday and Sunday..my friend Richard (ins Singapore) is on a diet mode too..but he insisted on a day or two that he will eat as much as he can..he calls it "cheating day"..and I have my own version..Saturday in Bigg's Diner and Sunday in Goto King..such a relief after a five-day almost no-rice week..

My friend called me last night and said that Kepco is hiring. Our Makati office is hiring. Thanks to you and I have updated my jobsdb account and actually applied for a position in KSA. Hope to get it somehow some time this year. Qualifications: Licensed Electrical or Mechanical Engineer At least 5 years experience in Power Project Development Possesses industry knowledge of the mechanics in Power Project Development Established network in Philippine energy sector and its related agencies A team player who can also work independently and has a solution-oriented mindset Can easily adapt in a multinational environment Fluent in oral and written communication and must be computer literate Male or Female, not more than 45 years old Requirements: Resume with 2” x 2” picture Transcript of Records College Diploma Certificate of Licensure Certificates of Training, if any http://ph.jobsdb.com/PH/EN/Search/JobAdSingleDetail?jobsIdList=500003002071546&sr=1 Head...

Definitely the process of losing weight has its own downside since I really have to deprive myself of the amount of delicious food to take. Take note of the word amount. I am not on a diet or something but on taking minimal calories as I want to be. I am still on eating such "prohibited" foods but on a very low quantity. And guess what? I am feeling better and better each day. I thought the sun will not shine this morning. It is August month and I am expecting such heavy rains and storm but to my surprise the brightest object in the sky is radiating its heat that seems to invite me to go on a trip once again. But where? I have two in mind. Go east or go south though  north of me now. Sounds weird? It is not. I checked on my two nephews this morning and they are so busy doing some chores. Arvin is sick of seems to be chickungunya which translated into "tuko" in Tagalog language. Though similar to dengue it is not dengue and yes it is caused by mosquito too. And o...

At around 8 pm last night I was at SM-Batangas..just doing nothing but strolled around..then coffee at Starbucks..Seen my office mate - with her wife and children..nice family..then my cousin Jephren texted me..and we found ourselves at Euphoria just in front of SM..live bands..more beers, lots of chicks..more foods..beer again..talented bands but only played contemporary music..I have missed those intense and emotional bands of the 90's..most of the bands now are just "a copycat" and just played and no emotions or just nothing but played the music..I cannot get the connection..anyways but they brought the night down to our knees with their rendition of the most popular RNB and hiphop songs nowadays..

Yesterday I attended a christening of the lovely daughter of my college classmate Sally. I became ninong once again to Aaliyah Louise together with our other classmates Roselyn and Donnabel. Rico and Wend did not make it yesterday because they were in the government sector and they had this emergency case.

This is not about PLDT's convergence marketing ads way back in the 90's ( I actually remember it hahaha!!) but this is how this coffee shop converged us last Wednesday in one place in one time. I had no intention of going for a cup of coffee but then my cousin Jephren ( my coffee buddy) texted me and if we can go for a drink that night. And I said yes. Then my office mate Harry also is in need of a shot of coffee that night. So we decided we could go together. And along the way I had met Jose, my high school classmate, and I invited him to join us. And so we were four with different backgrounds and ideas converged into two hours of non-stop exchanging of ideas. And it felt good to learn from different individuals who have diverse knowledge since we all came out from different schools and work. And then we have seen on the next table, our other officemates, the C&PR department, doing their usual get-together or somewhat a bonding for the group. A convergence. Imag...

Thanks to Facebook that this like/dislike button was invented when you feel something is favoring your taste and dislike if you do not want such kind of thing posted on the net. A shortcut to the unsaid thoughts that by merely clicking the famous icons we can express fully what we wanted to say. There are also some people and events and places that simply annoy us. They are for some reason give the uncomfortable feeling inside us that eventually turns into something that is unpleasant. And the bottom-line  we do not want such specific instances. On the brighter side of the coin, there are entities and events that somehow lifted our spirit to a much higher level; a Nirvana. These are some partial likes and dislikes that I can conclude throughout the years of my existence: LIKES 1. The David Lettermen Show - though I seldom watch it since I do not have a cable, but thanks to Youtube. 2. Coffee/Coffee shops - this should be on the No.1 spot? these are not arrange ord...

 And our lunch is delighted by a delicious native chicken tinola courtesy of Sonny cooked by Japs.. And a couple of days ago I was the one who buy the chicken ( actually gave the money and Miel bought it) and we had enjoyed the hot delicious soup and the papaya and the whole tinola. And diet was shattered ( only that lunch) and my stomach was so full  I never had the chance to crave for the snack food.

And sometimes or most of the times Starbucks ( SB) become the meeting place. Be it just a meeting for some acquaintance or a serious talks with my best friends SB becomes the new norms. Though there are still more beautiful coffee shop available, SB still reigns among the caffeine lovers out there. And this was a few days ago when I have this long conversation with one of my best friend Nitoy. As usual we talked about almost everything be it personal, work-related and some of the blogs/social media techniques that we have seen for the past few years of our life. He is maintaining a blog site also in Wordpress and he focuses on the gospel of John The Baptist though  most of the time he talk about everyday living too. Sometimes I am meeting with my elementary classmates in SB and have that time of  just sitting there and pass the time though we are always occupied of stories of what's happening in and out of our acquaintance. We also talk about some pl...

I could put this in the literary folio in our college's student paper in which we were part of it. Or maybe not. But this one speaks of the way how we deal with some "escapism" version of our adults life. Be it vices or whatever that made us escape the reality of our existence. But this one talks first of the "takasan" that we had last weekends. I should not used the word but it is appropriate I guess. We attended last Saturday to our dear friend Tina in the barangay fiesta in her native abode in Paharang. Almost every year since college we tried to go their residence in that time of the year. We found ourselves together again with Rudolf and Tina and sometimes with Paulyn, Mercy, Rommel or Aque, our fellow writers back in college, in that festivies in Tina's home. But this year it was only the two of us with Rudolf that joined Tina in the annual festival. As usual endless conversations filled our time as we ate our lunch with different delicious menus ...

Thanks to this site in Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/pages/World-Art-Magazine/399209363443600) I can repost and see some of the greatest art ( drawings and sketches) that suits my weary eyes..love to look at those piece of arts which mirror the soul and the dedication of the artist to come with such nice and eye-popping canvass of life..

Or should I say we have allowed them to steal our time. It was an ordinary Friday evening that I have nothing to do when suddenly my cousin Jephren asked if I will not go to Starbucks ( our tambayan nowadays) and I said I was on my way that 7 o'clock in the evening. So I was there and waited for my cousin. As usual we ordered coffee ( oh he did not just some juice drink since he has this "acidic thing") and we settled outside the store. Thanks God there was no wind blowing and we can peacefully settle outside and do our endless conversations almost about everything and about nothing in particular. Just plain talks just passing the time. Then suddenly a not so elderly woman ( a decent one) from the adjacent table approached us and introduced about why they are in the city in the first place. And so the conversation went on and all of a sudden we were caught off-guarded and we were trapped in this marketing scheme. I was not worried because I have seen their announcement...

 Yesterday and I was staying at home with no plans of going out that suddenly my Ate Arlyn called me and asked if I want to go with them to Alabang that morning. Without thinking twice I said yes. First stop: lunch at Bonchon Chicken in Festival mall..I have noticed that beautifully painted wall..  Second stop: The Coffee Bean And Tea Leaf ( CBTL ) in Alabang Town Center..actually Ate Arlyn and Kuya Efren were left somewhere in ATC and were busy going around the mall when my coffee instinct strikes and I was with my nephews Andre and Limuel.. And lastly we had our snack which was more than a meal since we ate at CBTL minutes before Ate called us and asked our whereabouts and we headed to this California Pizza Kitchen where they are waiting for us..