#102 Watching a hilarious moment caught on camera

Twitter and Facebook were abuzzed by this video. Atty. Midas Marquez, which is the Supreme Court's spokesperson, is having a press conference regarding the latest brouhaha on the CGMA, Supreme Court and Department of Justice entanglement and other serious issues. Serious issues, I repeat. When... At around 14 seconds into the video, his left hand accidentally trips over one of the microphones and fell. Watch his reaction..

#101 Stumble upon great internet finds 1

Philippines now has a version of the famous TED Talks, TEDxDiliman. I was looking for videos of Lourd de Veyra when i come across their videos. Wow!  Riveting talks from remarkable and passionate Pinoys.

View other videos here.

#100 Happy Thanksgiving!

United States celebrates Thanksgiving Day November 24 (which is celebrated during the fourth Thursday of November). Unlike here in the Philippines, it’s considered there to be one of the most special holidays, even better than Christmas. Historically, it’s rooted in the early post-harvest celebrations between the indigenous inhabitants of North America and the Europeans that first landed in America, who took time from their hard work to give thanks for what they had accomplished together. Thanksgiving almost always includes bountiful feasts (often with a big turkey), but mostly, it’s about spending time with friends and family to celebrate that for which they are most thankful.

And since this blog takes its cue on being grateful which is almost synonymous to being thankful, this is a special day. Even though we don't commemorate it here in the country, maybe you can find some time today to take note of things you are grateful of.

What are you thankful for?

#99 Free gravy refill

Need to say more. The billboard above says it all, I myself am sometimes guilty of this using the gravy as sauce in the rice. Filipinos love fastfood, we love gravy and most of all when its free! =)

#98 Listening to an LP record

Even though how sophisticated our sound system nowadays with all the digital music, MP3s, etc. listening to an LP record over a phonograph or turn table is an experience. The sound of the needle hitting the record, and then the music with some noise due to some scratches on the LP. Wow! It was like a personal experience, it was like Paul, John, Ringo and George were in the room and you're in an alter dimension and sent to the 70's. =)

A sibling just bought a second hand turn table at a novelty shop. Good buy! I remember back then growing up seeing all those plaka from my lola's house. I remember songs such as May Pulis sa Ilalim ng Tulay, Lawiswis Kawayan, Di na Natuto and artists like Celeste Legaspi, Basil Valdez, Three Sullivan's, etc.

#97 When you are welcomed by your dog and really excited!

You're just putting the key in the keyhole of the doorlock, and you could already hear the dog pouncing on the door, and its wagging tail striking on the wood on the other side. And when you open, she comes jumping up and down, and the wagging tail and then running over there, then coming back and runs around and licks you. Being welcomed like you haven't seen each other for several years, really excited and glad you are back. One of the joys of having a dog. =)

#96 Eating junk foods you enjoyed as a child

1. Mik-Mik sweetened milk powder, I'd like to take the description of a friend of mine, "masasamid ka sa sarap, pasok pa sa ilong!" =)

2. Pompoms Flavored Cheese Curls, ang meryendang nagpabagsak sa mga cheese curls, kaagapay  habang nanonood ng Voltes V, Shaider, Bioman, Cedie, at Sarah ang munting Prinsesa.

3. Tootsie Roll, the chewy sticky chocolate candy

4. Iced Gem Biscuits, the biscuits with the icing, sarap!

5. Nips chocolate candy, the M&M's for the masa. I eat almost a pack a day. My mom gave me this as a  gift when I placed third honor during Grade 3 if I remember correctly, 12 sachets =)

6. Chocnut, the ever famous and delicious chocolate that can match Hershey's and Cadbury =)

7. Chocolate Adong, unfortunately I can't find any pictures in the net. This is my all-time favorite chocolate candy. During those times, with one peso I could buy a bag.

#95 Being engrossed in a good book

You know its a good book when the laundry dishes and laundry pile up, or when time stops literally or when its interfering with your sleep. Am not much of a book reader, i just read once in a while. I have one sister who is and would be able to finish an entire novel in one sitting. Wow! Its from her i get suggestions for books to read as she may have read thousands of books already. Just joking.

Books that have blown my mind are novels from Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, tragic stories which happened in Afghanistan, the former made to a movie. The God of Small things by Arundhati Roy, this one set in India, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig, this one a metaphysical philosophical novel.  The popular Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, which cleared a lot of things on the Catholic religion, Paolo Coelho's The Alchemist and Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull are also a favorite among others.

How about you, what have you read lately that have blown your mind? =)

#94 Finding a good book on booksale

The prices of paperback novels and books are staggering now. A Neil Gaiman book would cost around 1000 pesos in National Bookstore, Lord of the Rings set atleast 1,200 bucks, The New Earth by Eckhart Tolle at 549 pesos. For a person who is into books, and loves reading one, and barely getting by it would be hard to purchase new paperbacks. That is why second hand book shops and book sales are a treat! One of this is a specialty shop Book Sale  located in some malls and sells secondhand books. I just grab Power of Now hardbound by Tolle at only 200 pesos, and the Kite Runner novel for only 150 pesos! Awesome...

#93 Location, location, location

It's the real estate agent's mantra. But its so true, be it choosing a good business location, your house location, you need to select one that is perfect for you. This is the main advantage of condominiums, you could see them mushrooming in the metro. The price is really staggering  for a small space, get one with the same price in the provinces and you have a mansion. But at the end of the day, you'll  appreciate their proximity to a lot of basic services and establishments. 

It's a 5 minute jeepney ride and am off to the nearest mall and commercial area and my church. Beside our building is a wet market, Chowking, Jollibee, etc. A mere 10 minute taxi ride and am off to my office. =) less the hassle and stress of daily commute. 

#92 Spotting your house from above the airplane

Having taken residence in Taguig, our building is on the plane path. I could always hear airplane passing by and taking off. So during my last travel, during the descent I make it a point to look for our building cause I know it is there somewhere. Got an aerial view and spotted our building. Awesome!

#91 Having those cute and hot stewardess serve you

Need to say more? One of the perks of travelling maybe is being served by this awesomely beautiful and hot flight attendants.

Boring airplane safety spiels becomes interesting. Glued into it like a favorite show or movie. Coffee, tea or juice? No Miss, i want to be the one to serve you. =)

#90 The view above the clouds

I love riding the airplane. Ever since my first taste during my second job (which requires me to travel), I love sitting in the airplane tube, flipping magazines, eating airplane food, watching movies, listening to music, and feeling like a mayaman, and cared and pampered by those stewardess. But one of the cool things up there is going thru the clouds and seeing a breath taking view of the land.

When I was young I really thought that clouds are like cotton, having seen all that Carebears cartoons hehe. I thought that you could hold it in your hands and mold it much like a clay, or sit or lie down on it like a soft fluffy pillow =)

It turns out that clouds are like gas formation or air that just disintegrates or give way when airplane passes into it. But they do still looks like fluffy and delicious cotton candy. =) But the feeling up there above the clouds, majestic!

#89 The feeling after a good run or workout

After almost more than a year of not running, I muster enough willpower and cleared my schedule, and went out for a run today. Why? I got lots of messages and tweets that I am such a positive person. The last two weeks were so stressful that I wanted to curl up in bed and stay there, and there were moments when a tear is about to fall due to some financial concerns, coping up with lots or work and errands, and some uncontrollable personal problems. Well, I woke up feeling a little down today but instead of wallowing and simmering  in negativity and worrying about what-nots, I go out for a run. I walked/jog about 20 minutes to a park, and run/walk for about an hour. Wow, i haven't felt that feeling in a while. I used to jog everyday but the work schedule has prevented me and I have just transferred to a new home.

The runner's high. The feeling when you can go on anymore, and breathing is so heavy, and sweat is pouring out heavily but you still go on some more. I haven't perspired in a long time. Really. And the feeling afterwards felt great. Its like a dose of feel-good high drug been dosed into me. Tomorrow I'm gonna go for a run again.

Did you know that a exercise can decrease cortisol in the body and increases endorphins, which is the body's feel good chemicals. And also increases oxygen intake in the body. Awesome!

#88 Reading an actual newspaper

Did you know there was once called a  newspaper?.. Of course it was just an exaggeration to get my point across. But the reality is, it is becoming obsolete with the internet and with all the online content available. Well, I grew up with one in the house. My sisters (they were eight of them!) loves reading and buying them. Aside from the classified ads of the Manila Bulletin, when one sibling is looking for work,  newspaper is a regular in the house, most especially the Sunday paper. Well obviously, Philippine Daily Inquirer is favorite of the house. Content and quality nothing beats the Inquirer, maybe during that time. I got introduced to columnists Conrado de Quiros,  Ambeth Ocampo, and Recah Trinidad and followed their columns. The Youngblood column also became my favorite which features twenty something individuals and whatever that concerns them and sometimes an eye opener for me. But my favorite section obviously is sports, reading that standing in the NBA and PBA being a Ginebra fanatic that I am (and maybe eventually my influence why I became sports editor in college) And after the sports is the comics section, where we got entertained by Pol Medina's Pugad Baboy and A. Lipin by Jess Abrera.

Today I got a free newspaper by buying a breakfast meal from Jollibee. It still feels good to read from an actual paper. But there's no slowing  the free information in the internet. The rest should learn to evolve. =)

#87 Listening to Rebecca Black's Friday when its really a Friday

This entry was contributed by twitter user @katalinarosario

Here is the GLEE cover version of the song.

Thanks Kathleen! Enjoy your Friday! =)

#86 T.G.I.F!

After all the shoving both physically and metaphorically. The rush hour traffic, never ending meetings, deadlines, due dates, deliverables, office politics, target quotas, here comes Friday again. For those who did well in office, its time to reward ourselves and look forward to this. Well for those who petiks all week, or achieved nothing ehheeem, this goes for you as well hehe.

Another work week has passed by and in the coming next 48 hours we can live like "normal". As the Bible said, "there's a time for work, there's a time for rest". There's a time for everything, especially for a balanced person. Time to celebrate the temporary respite from the monotous cycle, well until the next Monday comes along again.

#85 Brod Pete and Ang Dating Doon is back

Basa...!

I remember even buying their album way back then. Ang Dating Doon started in a segment in the gag show "Bubble Gang" in 1998. It is a parody to the "Ang Dating Daan", a religous sect headed by Ely Soriano, where audience asks a question and Soriano answers them by reading from a bible verse. But in the spoof version, Brod Pete, takes in all questions and uses a song lyrics,or  a saying, or a Filipino kasabihan to answer. Comically, it uses the Voltes V opening theme as its opening song. It gets corny at times, but there are awesome moments and funny and witty answers.

Here are the three videos of their return. Warning! Prepare to laugh...

Alien???... Alien!!!

#84 Getting one more batch of brushing from an almost empty toothpaste tube

You thought its empty. And you're late for office and need to brush. Or you're officemates will drop dead while talking to you. You forgot in your last grocery to buy. Your sibling has already squeezed it and put it in the trash. No choice but to do another batch of squeezing... and... you've managed to get one more batch for brushing. Magic!

#83 Unexpected freebies

You are just for the product. That appliance, this sunglass, the washing machine, the DVD player, etc. Cause you basically need it. So you choose the right item, signals to the saleslady you are buying it. The staff prepares the item and when you are paying for the purchase, the sales crew mentions you have a free item. Sure! Of course! A shirt, laundry detergent and fabric conditioner, free DVD movie and poster, a baseball cap,  You're not expecting, and accept it anyway readily. Cool! =)

#82 Channel surfing and landing on your favorite show that's about to start

The are many channels in the cable. My cable company has a usable 50 channels, the rest those indian, chinese and foreign channels and other rubbish  channels. I usually start from lowest channel then scroll up channels one by one, checking for good show. And then, an episode of the Big Bang theory. or Ian Wright is on, or the Matrix movie is about to start on HBO, or an episode of Jeff Corwin on Animal Planet. Or a tennis match of Maria Sharapova just starting. Awesome!

#81 Watching a Pacquiao fight live in cinema

Place was jampacked. It was sure seating but i guess the cinema administration decided to let those who want to watch anyway. So it was standing room only, and many sitting down on the carpet aisle. Considering a stiff price of 500 pesos, a lot of Pinoys are still willing to shell out to watch dear Manny. In the mall where I watched, three theaters were opened.

Having paid 500 pesos, I was hoping it was like HBO pay-per-view broadcast, a straight forward boxing match coverage, no commercials, no ads. It was annoying to see those big commercial banners which occupies almost 1/4 of the screen. Well, Manny must sure be earning a lot from this. Business is really thriving and money will be pouring in. And those GMA TV show commercials Amaya, Pinoy Survivor, etc. in the beginning. Argh.

But as the undercard fight started, luckily there were no more interruption. And you get used to that big commercial ad logos in front of your face, (or I must have been focused already on the fights). It was great watching the fight with a crowd. The undercards were just starting, but the heckling, applause and laughter has already begun. It is cool to hear the collective ooohhhs and ahhhs. You feel more nervous for Manny than watching in your own homes.

The fight was a disappointing night for Manny though as he didn't solidly hurt his opponent. Marquez dominated Manny at different points in the game, but Pacman still won in two judges score cards. LOLs. I think maybe the fight should have been a draw. Anyway, in the end it was worth the 500 pesos, and I did not noticed the 6 hours pass by so quickly as I've enjoyed myself cheering and laughing with the crowd. Grateful to afford it and grateful to see the fight live and not on the delayed telecast of GMA channel 7 where you would be seeing commercials for like three hours. =)

#80 Wi-fi and those handy internet enabled devices

I paid my telephone bill the other day at the Globe office in the mall. There are lots of people ahead of me, I think was around the 10th person to be served, or something like that. Having nothing to do, i opened my iPhone and of course what else a geek would do, check for wi-fi access. In a matter of 15 to 20 minutes, I was able to check facebook, twitter feeds, answer important emails, and answer comments on this blog. Awesome! Productive time, I was able to squeeze all that in a few minutes.

Thank you wi-fi and thank you portable smart devices. Be it an iPad, smartphones, PDAs and the other tabs in the market! You can use them anywhere anytime.. =)

iPad on the left and Samsung Galaxy tab on the right

Blackberry Playbook

#79 Being positioned near the aircon or where it is cold

Well, who doesn't want cold temperature? As Philippines is a tropical country, it can get really hot sometimes. Compounded it with the pollution in the metro, it is HOT! Aircon now i guess is a basic commodity that a family needs to get, or else the kids suffer matuyuan ng pawis and catch that cold, or coughs, the flu and worst those complex sickness.

Anyway, we all wanted to go where there's aircon. Its comfortable and we want to stay there. Especially in the office, the fast food store you're eating, restaurant and coffee shops. It feels great to be positioned, whether your office table, or restaurant table near the aircon, not that too cold, just about that right cold comfortable temperature. =)

#78 Taking off your shoes from long day of work

During an average lifetime, the feet covers around 70, 000 miles. The equivalent of walking four times the earth. The feet literally carries us everywhere we go.

Riding that pedicab, walking towards the jeep terminal, riding the MRT, doing your tasks at work. Then going back. One hour of commute, plus eight hours at work, plus another one hour of commute back equals 10 hours of wearing shoes. I could say that for an average Pinoy worker. 10 hours of constriction and suffocation. Better if your wearing comfortable rubber shoes. What if you're wearing this? Ouch..

So sorry for the ladies who need to be in very uncomfortable shoes all day, five days a week. 

Anyway, so after a tiring long day at work, ease up, relax and remove that shoes, air them, and put them up. Wow..

#77 Longest Christmas season in the planet

So its sweldo day, finally headed myself to the mall to buy needed stuffs and supplies. First time to enter the mall in a long while and i must say Christmas marketing is full blast as the Halloween is finished. The longest Christmas season in the planet here now. Onli in da Pilipins.

Its about 44 days to Christmas. Let me be the first to greet you. Merry Christmas! Hope you have a wonderful time and not stressful holidays this coming December.

Music by Northpoint iBand using borrowed iPhones and iPads. =)

#76 Pinoy pickup lines

They occupy our email inbox from friend's forward message, facebook is bursting with it from shares, there's a twitter feed even dedicated to blasting it. But admit it, you smile at those tagalog pickup lines. They are cute, funny and others heart wrenching. Pinoys can be a hopeless romantic, feel good, joyous and funny bunch. Onli in da Pilipins.

 Sana posporo ka… at posporo din ako….  Para match tayo!!!

Hospital ka ba? ….  May heart complication kasi ako.. Either I C U or U C me ..

 “Sana exam mo nalang ako, para sagutin mo din ako.”

“Kung ibibigay ko ba sa yo ang manibela ng puso ko, ibabangga mo sa pader ng kabiguan?”

“Bastos ka rin no? Di ka man lang nagpapaalam tuloy-tuloy kang pumasok sa puso ko!”

Miss! langit na ba to? para ka kasing anghel.

Redhorse ka ba? ang lakas kasi ng tama ko sayo eh

Kung bola ka at ako ang player, masho-shoot ba kita? hindi! kasi lagi kitang namimiss

Uy! papicture naman tayo oh? para madevelop tayo sa isa't isa.

Surgeon ka ba? kasi ikaw lang ang nakapagbukas ng puso ko.

“Hindi ko alam ang katapusan ng universe, pero alam ko, ang simula, U N I.”

“Nakalimutan ko pangalan mo eh. Puwede bang tawagin nalang kitang AKIN?”

 “Nakalunok ka ba ng kuwitis? Kasi pag ngumiti ka…may spark!”

Ang buhay ko parang nakasakay sa seesaw… Kasi pag wala ka, Down ako! ..

Sana keyboard na lang ang buhay natin , para malapit si U AND I tapos malayo si X.

#75 The taste of first sweldo

Since were in the topic of sweldo, i couldn't think of better experience than getting your first ever payslip. This girl narrates getting her first sweldo like having first sex. President Noy is all smiles getting his first payslip.

I remember mine as well as high and exciting time in my entire life. Hehe. Thinking about that first gadget buy. Or buying that Nike shoes you've been dreaming about, or knowing you can give something to mom or dad, and feeling proud as if you're somebody. 

#74 When sweldo comes exactly when you really need it

Today is payroll day. Weeeeeee! I thought sweldo is not already coming over, it seems too long to come. Hehe. We only received it once unlike others who have the 15th and the 30th. Money left for me literally are coins after buying my midnight snacks as I have an unusually high spending this month. I would really be eating skyflakes and noodles. Sigh of relief. Grateful! =)

And this anonymous guy really loves his pay money.. hehe

#73 When a queue opens up and you get to be the first one

It was around lunch yesterday when I decided to do a take-out. Being lunch and all, one can  expect long queue lines as many decided to eat out at Jollibee. There were around 3 long lines, and as I was going to fall in line, a counter just opened up and the crew motions to me to come forward. Awesome!

It can also be in the grocery, I have heard stories, when a new cashier just opens up and they got to be the first, or they scoot right in front. Hehe =)