To John and Eloi

I wish you happiness.
I wish you joy.
I wish you comfort.
I wish you pleasure.

But I also wish you hardships so that your relationship will be tempered further.
I also wish you trials so that your bond will get stronger.

And for that, I will wish you steadfastness.
I will wish you faith.
I will wish you love.

And here I am to offer both of you, as always, my friendship not only to celebrate with you your joyous moments but also to support you in times of trials.

Congratulations and best wishes on your wedding!

Regards,
Stiff

writer's note: john was the author's classmate in college and his best source of what's new in the videogaming scene. eloi was john's girlfriend for over 4 years and now his happily married wife. eloi has agreed not to take away john's PS2 console, or prevent him from acquiring future game consoles. :D

Wish List

Folks have been asking me recently what I want as gifts for the coming Christmas. Sabi ko, 'spontaneity'. Most of them had puzzled looks, so I had to explain it further to them.

You don't need an occasion to give gifts to someone, nor are you required to give someone gifts just because there's a traditional occasion.

If people were more spontaneous, I think the world will be a happier place. :D

But anyway, here's my Christmas wish list:

+ book: The Dark Tower VII, The Dark Tower by Stephen King (largeprint edition)
+ cd: Chicane
+ clothes: medium-sized collared light-colored plain shirt, gym shorts (adidas), hooded sweater, clamdigger shorts, half-shorts with parachute cord drawstring at the legs (for wall-climbing/gym)
+ iPod: gum/rubber protective sleeve for iPod mini
+ airsoft: new kneepads (Milforce, blackhawk), sansei mask
+ sleepwear: M&S boxers, hanes undershirt
+ electronics: Xbox360! hehehehe... just kidding. a scientific calculator
+ household: dvd rack
+ sports: chalk ball for wall-climbing, shuttlecocks (RSL Official)
+ supplements: ON Whey Protein chocolate flavor, Centrum vitammin

:D

Now and Next

NOW:

Currently reading: "The Zahir", by Paolo Coelho.
Currently listening: "Why Don't You and I" by Santana.
Currently playing: "Romancing Saga" on the PS2, by Squaresoft Enix.
Currently toying: with my new JBL speakers for my iPod mini.
Currently dating: love life is on hold. puro phone calls in the meantime.
Currently saving: for my next furniture purchase.
Currently watching: Desperate Housewives. puro hot mama!
Currently bashing: hehehe... our 'favorite technologist'.
Currently admiring: hmmm... someone far away from me.
Currently wearing: close-gapped brown-hued corduroy jeans.
Currently studying: 3rd-overtone Spectrum Identification and Modelling for my benzene model.
Currently drawing: Calvin and Hobbes.

NEXT:

To read: "The Dark Tower, Dark Tower VII" by Stephen King.
To listen: Michael Buble 3 CD
To play: Indigo Prophecy on PS2
To toy: Dance Dance Revolution with Eyetoy for PS2
To date: not sure... but there's this wedding I'm attending two weeks from now. Weddings provide great opportunities to meet someone interesting.
To save: a new ride? *hopeful*
To watch: The Great Raid.
To bash: nobody in particular.
To admire: hehehe..
To wear: i'm developing this fondness for bold-striped patterns with blue on it.
To study: pass na muna. i don't want to overwork my brain cells.
To draw: Snoopy and friends.

+ Asaan Ka Nung Long Weekend?

Just for a little bit over five thousand pesos, I went on an ADVENTUROUS and HILARIOUS trip to Boracay on the recent long weekend (October 29th - Nov 1st).

UNO: BATANGAS LEG

Chard, Mond, Tin and MJ picked me up from our housing compound at Batangas around 1120p on the 28th. Medyo nilalagnat pa nga ako nun (naulanan kasi ako the previous night) pero sige "FIGHT!" pa rin. The RoRo ferry departs at 12 mn, and we still didn't have tickets.

Buti na lang I had the foresight to reserve tickets the day before. We arrived at the Batangas Port with about 5 minutes to spare, hehehe. Talk about tight scheduling!

*mental note* Definitely, sasayad yung Sentra ko pag-board ng RoRo. Buti na lang hindi namin dinala. Chard's Corolla just about made it with less than half-an-inch to spare. Otherwise kawawa yung bumpers nya.

The RoRo trip from Batangas to Calapan port took about two and a half hours, including the waiting times. We were on the road again by 3 am.

Also took my first dose of antibiotics. Lakas ng ulan.

---

DOS: CALAPAN-ROXAS LEG

Nanigurado na kami, so before we left Calapan port we made a quick stopover at the booking station of Montenegro shipping line. We booked our return trip for Nov 1st.

Pucharaga... anlakas ng ulan.

The drive from Calapan to Roxas takes about two-and-a-half hours. But with the rain and wind, it took us about 3 hours.

Atsaka baha for the first 15-20 km of the trip. Hindi pala baha. DELUGE! Hanga ako sa driving skills ni Chard and capability nung Corolla nya. If you chanced upon a flooded section of the road which is almost as deep as your sedan's headlights, would you cross it? Well, we managed to do it... although lahat yata kami breathless a

Chard and I had the chance to play Good Samaritan that night. At one portion of the drive, we came across a poor guy trying to get his motorbike back on the road. Naanod kasi siya sa sidebank, and hindi nya maibalik sa kalsada. Tinulungan naman namin ni Chard despite the rain and the floodwater (thigh-deep). May casualty nga lang... tinangay yung isang tsinelas ni Chard. Kawawa naman yung tsinelas... Hollister pa naman yun. Brand-new, fresh from tate.

The rest of the drive was a blank to me. Nakatulog kasi ako. Lakas pa nga daw ng hilik ko. Symphony number 8 daw, according to Mond.

(to be continued)

Letter from Lynn Elsenhans

i think i'm in todash right now. ohmygod... ohmygod... ohmygod... ohmygod...

to everyone who mattered, thanks for the support.

------------------

October 13, 2005

Dear Stephen,

Congratulations!

I am pleased to inform you that you have won a Manufacturing Executive Vice President’s (EVP) Award in the Special category for your accomplishments for Pioneering Near-Infrared Technology for Mogas Product Quality Release, along with your colleagues:

· Brandy Brandares
· Ellen De la Fuente
· Luie DelosReyes
· Roland Guieb

I was very impressed by the quality of the many entries, which demonstrated genuine innovation and determination to deliver “best in class” performance in Manufacturing. Your nomination was exceptional. For me it is the sort of achievement that will enable us to become the global pacesetter in Manufacturing.

I am pleased therefore to invite a representative of your team to the EVP Awards Ceremony to receive the award on behalf of the team at the Manufacturing Leadership Forum in Singapore on November 8, 2005. Additionally, the EVP Award includes a company paid weekend trip for each team member. Details are attached.

In conclusion, I would like to thank you personally for your achievement and express my appreciation for the part you have played in contributing to the success of Manufacturing and Downstream.

I look forward to personally presenting the award to your team in Singapore.


Yours sincerely,

(sgd) Lynn Laverty Elsenhans
Executive Vice President
Global Manufacturing

One-Three-Zero

Weighed myself last night. I'm already 130 pounds. Just 5 pounds more. =)

Five years ago I was a measly 105-lb guy.

It's FRIDAY!

Yahoo, Friday na! Summary report:

1. DLSU lost to FEU last night. Even if the results were disappointing for me, the game was exciting down to the last second. The UAAP season is one of the few times when my La Sallian blood wakes up.

2. Mental note to myself: charge the batteries for my airsoft gun later. Game tomorrow: TMS vs RBG. It'll be a nice change to hunt the RBG boys. Before I joined TMS, most of my airsoft skirmishes were with the RBG squad. This is my first game in two months.

3. Next mental note: itahi na yung TMS patch sa vest ko. Baka mapagsabihan ako ng teammates sa gamesite bukas.

4. "Grand press conference" tonight! Inuman daw, hehehe, at ESL-Fort.

5. Things I've done this week: Completed two new blending models, documented two plant changes, reduced my backlog at ETRACE from 67% to 51%, self-studied the first few parts of REFSIM, turn-around scope challenge. plus my usual day-to-day tasks.

6. Over-activity: I have muscle/joint pain on my left hand's middle finger, a slight sprain on the back side of my right ankle, a twisted muscle/ligament at the side of my left knee, and slight pain on my left shoulder. Sunday was badminton, Monday was gym, Tuesday was badminton+gym, Wednesday was badminton, Thursday was volleyball+gym.

7. Badminton update: meron na kong 3-inch jumpsmash, hehehe. Dati kasi 1-inch lang yung mga talon ko. I've signed up for the Chairman's Badminton Cup. I'm hoping I'm good enough to bring home the trophy in my division.

8. Volleyball update: I'm not sure where my skills are coming from, but I can now finger-toss, dink and jump-spike with good accuracy and timing. Our team is currently in first place in the league with a 5-1 card.

9. Climbing: been on hold for some time now. My schedule and the weather has been very uncooperative.

10. Movie / DVD: CINDERELLA MAN is a great movie. 4.5 out of 5 stars in my personal rating system.

11. PS2. Current games suck. I'm re-playing some of my better, old games.

12. Music: my current LSS is "Simple and Clean".

It's been a long but great week!

Green White Fight!

Game 2 na mamaya of the UAAP Finals, and we're behind 0-1 to FEU.

Animo La Salle!

Break-Up

"I wish I could prove I love you, but does that mean I have to walk on water?"

Last night a very close male friend of mine called me up at around 2 am.

"Stiff?"
"Yeah... A.?"
"Pare, I had to break up with C."

Namaaaaan... not another one. Parang season yata ng break-ups ngayon ah.

"Let me get it clearly. YOU broke up with her, not the other way around."
"Ayt."
"Huy, stop crying! Para kang hindi lalake e!"
".... sniff ..."
"So what do you need from me?"
"Let's meet up."
"A., much as I'm flattered that you resorted to me for comfort, I've work mamaya. And I'm a hundred kilometers away from you! And it's 2 am!"
"Can I ask a favor?"
"Shoot. As long as I don't have to travel so early in the morning."
"You're good at writing.
"What do you need me to write, or is it to compose?"

He explained the circumstances of their relationship, and why he wanted out.

I gave him one line.

And that's what I wrote on top. Told him to write it on a card accompanied by a single white carnation. And I told him,

"A., it's up to you if you want to put 'Good-bye' with the message."

Some girls can be really so demanding or unreasonable.
No offense to all my lady-readers. It's just an observation.

Love Notes

Alam nyo ba yung movie na 'Love Actually'? 'Yung maraming love-slash-heartbreak stories na pinagsama-sama sa isang movie? Haay, feeling ko 'yung mundong ginagalawan ko this last two weeks ay parang nasa shooting ako ng 'Love Actually part 2'.

So far, eto na yung mga nangyari around me:

1) Nagkita na uli si MJE and DGS. And na-realize na ni MJE na andami nyang sinayang na oras, pawis at luha kay DGS para sa wala. Moved on na daw siya. You go girl!

2) Meron akong kilalang mala-Sex-and-the-City group of girls, at napag-usapan nila ang mga private sex videos. Except for one of them, lahat sila merong private videos of themselves with their partners doing "it". Siyempre na-shock 'tong si conservative girl sa group nila. At the end of the day, tinawag naman siyang 'pre-Vatican 2 madre' imbis na 'manang'.

3) Si MOT may nahanap ng potential life partner nya, si LL. Hindi masaya sa paligid nya yung circumstances na pagkakakilala kay LL. But everyone in our group truly wish that he and she will be happy...

4)... kahit na may dalawang taong na-h-hurt, si TRS at si RGB. Pero okay lang sa kanila, pagkaalam ko.

5) Si JLO naman may syoting na din! Hahahaha... 5 days na yata na 'sila'. Di ko pa na-meet yung girl. May mini-press conference kagabi pero di ako makaluwas, so sa formal presscon on Sat na lang ako pupunta.

6) Birthday nga pala ni UG kahapon. Belated happy birthday!

7) ... break na yata si RGB at CS. Sabi sa 'kin ni MJE, hehehehe.

8) At si MJE, still waiting for her prince charming.

9) Ako? One word: "ahihihihihi..."

Mainggit o mamatay kayo sa kilig, bwahahaha. :D dyok.

romantico

This one's contributed by the el jugador. It's a good piece, tis Sonnet 17 of Pablo Neruda's.

-----------------

i do not love you as if you were the salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
i love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

i love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

i love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
i love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so i love you because i know no other way

than this: where i does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as i fall asleep.

----------------

Dedicated to my one.

Eye Popping Jaw Dropping Heart Breaking

1. EYE POPPING: Final Fantasy VII Advent Children movie. I got a DVD copy of it (with perfect English subtitles) last weekend. The movie rocks, the fight scenes are awesome and the soundtrack is superb. And it's an excellent extension (or closure) of the PS1 game (which, by the way, is my first game on the PS1).

I want a ringtone similar to Reno's.

And I want a life-sized Tifa doll, hahahaha.




2. Jaw Dropping: Christian Bale in the movie 'The Machinist'. He's like a walking skeleton! Putris... how did he manage to lose all that weight so fast? He was so buff at Batman Begins.

I'm impressed with the discipline he had just to lose all that weight for a movie role...

3. Heart Breaking: Actually, I've got three questions.

First, will he sever all ties with us?
Second, will she be all right?
Third, pa'no na 'yung barkada?