Pangan Thoughts

Twittering

2009-07-29T21:20:00.002+09:00

Ever wondered why I haven't blogged for more than two months now?

I've been twittering.

Classic MTV

2009-05-10T11:59:00.000+09:00

You know you're getting old when... you watch "Classic MTV" and you know all the songs.

Nirvana, Aerosmith, TLC, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Seal, Weezer, The Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, Hootie & the Blowfish, Alanis Morisette, Fugees, No Doubt, Spice Girls, Will Smith, etc.

The artists that defined my generation, are now on Classic MTV.

A Different Papa

2009-05-06T13:16:00.004+09:00

There were two reasons why I flew to the Philippines early this month. First, it was Golden Week in Japan so I just had to go somewhere. Second, I wanted to see my Papa.

Around last year at a young age of 60, my Papa was diagnosed to have Alzheimer's.

It started with minor memory loss a few years back, but on this last visit, I think it got worse. Most of the time, he's normal with minor problems remembering names and locations, but on occasion, he would fail to recognize us. There are also times he would have mood swings and would show signs of aggression.

Seeing him unable to recall my name for the first time was a very sad moment. Seeing him showing signs of aggression for the first time against people he normally loves was even sadder.

The Papa I saw on this last visit was a little different from the Papa I knew since childhood but some things haven't changed, I still love my Papa, and even though he may have difficulties remembering our names, I know he still loves us.

At one point when my Mama was trying to calm him down, he said he just wanted the best for his kids and for his kids to finish university. I'm pretty sure he'll be happy and proud to know all his kids already finished university.

If only he can remember.

Family Trips

2009-05-06T00:12:00.006+09:00

Recently, it has become tradition that whenever I visit my family in the Philippines, we would go to an out-of-town trip. In past visits, we've been to Boracay, Subic, and Tagaytay.

Last week, the place was Batangas at a resort called Acuatico Beach Resort.

Even though the beaches of Batangas were nowhere near the levels of Boracay (or maybe Palawan), I would still recommend this place, mostly because it is just a couple hours drive from Manila, a merit Boracay and Palawan can never lay claim to.

Picture-perfect.

3 AM Haiku

2009-05-05T03:00:00.001+09:00

Clock says 3 AM.
Am flying in a few hours.
Suitcase now in car.

2 AM Haiku

2009-04-29T02:00:00.000+09:00

Clock says 2 AM.
Am flying in a few hours.
Suitcase still empty.

Swine Flu Alert

2009-04-27T20:31:00.000+09:00

Just as when I thought I'd be having a relaxing vacation, swine flu happened.

Now I'm stressed.

I'll be making a stopover in Taiwan on the way to Manila. I'll be visiting three different airports, potentially exposing myself to people who've travelled to infected countries, especially Mexico. I should also be preparing myself for long lines at medical checkpoints at each airport.

And that's not all of it. Because it's Golden Week in Japan, people here are also traveling all over the world, potentially exposing themselves to the virus and bringing them back to Japan. Considering I'm a daily commuter of the sardine-packed trains of Tokyo, I'm at risk!

On second thoughts pangan thoughts, I think I shouldn't stress myself too much. I should just take all necessary precautions and leave the rest to mother nature. If I die, I die. That's the way it is. At least when I do, people will see this blog entry and say I predicted the future.

Not funny I know.

Snow-capped Fuji

2009-04-24T01:20:00.001+09:00

Snow-capped Fuji under a clear blue sky.

Taken near Yamanaka Lake (山中湖) at a place called Panorama Observatory (パノラマ台). I'm actually impressed by the beauty and enormity of this volcano. Maybe I would reconsider my earlier stand never to go up Mt. Fuji.

Impulse Buying

2009-04-18T11:05:00.001+09:00

A couple of days ago, I got the monthly email from NWA with the subject "E-Mileage Summary". A few hours later even before I knew it, I already have a round-trip ticket to Manila. Not from NWA though. By the time I clicked the confirm button on their site, somebody else took my slot.

My plan for this one-week trip? Meet up with family. Meet up with friends. Maybe attend a wedding. I am also debating where else to go. If you have suggestions/recommendations, let me know.

Waiting and Hoping

2009-04-16T23:55:00.004+09:00

Lately, I've been seeing a lot of interesting ideas from my blogger friends, who've all become a valuable source of learning and insight. Here is one from "Sleeptalking in Tokyo". I was reading her blog and chanced upon this line.

"Because waiting is time spent hoping." -- Jenny

Beautiful! When we stop waiting, we stop hoping. When we stop hoping, we stop being motivated. When we stop being motivated, we have no more reason to wake up in the morning.

By applying the law of transitivity - waiting is reason to wake up in the morning. Wait. That didn't come out right but you get the point. Applicable to careers, relationships. and life in general.

Having said that, I still hate waiting for people who are late.

Drama and Depth

2009-04-13T19:55:00.002+09:00

I was reading through my friend's blog and this line caught my attention.

"And that the friendships I have now are so cordial but have less drama and depth." -- Charlotte

Made me stop and think for a while about the friendships I have here in Tokyo. Except for maybe one or two people, I think my friendships have been lacking drama and depth as well.

Which is not a bad thing at all. I've had enough "drama" to last me a lifetime but "depth", I wouldn't mind having a little more of those.

At huwag kang bastos! Hehe.

All Too Familiar

2009-04-12T08:58:00.000+09:00

Watching CNN the other day when they featured a story about shirt rivalries in Thailand. It's the red shirts versus the yellow shirts, with the red shirts supporting their former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra.

To all Filipinos watching this, it all looks very familiar. We had our own version of these shirt rivalries during the EDSA Peaceful Revolution of 1986. The colors are the same with the red shirts supporting former president Ferdinand Marcos, and the yellow shirts supporting the eventual winner, former president Corazon Aquino.

While I support the Thai people in their struggles and in their determination to take part in shaping Thailand's future, I think they should be very careful with their next moves. If they were to learn from the Philippines, they should know that giving the "mob" what they want will set a precedent that will inspire future "mobs".

Inspired by the success of EDSA, the Philippines made it a tradition to get rid of their president by mobbing the streets, giving rise to EDSA 2, which deposed former president Joseph Estrada. There was also EDSA 3 which is a cheap copy of the original EDSA. Fortunately for us, it failed. It looks like the people are sick of EDSA, and are willing to wait for the next elections.

In 2010, let's just make sure we get it right.

Vote wisely.

Tilt-shifting Minamisenju

2009-04-11T12:20:00.007+09:00

I've always been impressed with tilt-shift photography and here are my first attempts at cheating tilt-shift photography.

Took some pictures from a high place, blurred some areas, and increased the saturation. Not sure if it worked but will try some more. If you guys have tips on how to improve this, let me know.

Taken using a Nikon D40X. Enhanced using Aperture and Photoshop Elements. I think you'll need to see the pictures in full size to really see the effect.

Call!

2009-04-07T20:00:00.006+09:00

One of the best tips I've found recently on the web:

"Pick up the phone and call the person!"

With all the technology we have around us, we tend to lose track of simple things that were normal not too long ago. While it's nice to send text messages and write wall posts to greet people a 'Happy Birthday!" or a "Congratulations!"... wouldn't it be nicer if we just pick up the phone and call?

Maybe it depends on how close you are to the person (or if they're using Softbank or not. Hehe).

But I guess it's worth a try.

Back to Reality

2009-04-05T20:55:00.002+09:00

I've done it!

I've gotten rid of my addiction (!) to all these social networking sites! I've gotten rid of Friendster a few months ago and now, I think I've started getting rid of Facebook and Twitter. For a while there, all I did was check (spy) on people, look at pictures, reply to statuses and post some stuff myself. Then spy on some more people.

Now, it feels weird logging on to these sites... which is good... which is my desired behavior.

Blogger is staying though as it has for the last 10 years or so. Blogger is my loyal friend. Blogger is the tool with which I will immortalize myself for all eternity. Delusions of grandeur I know.

Now that I'm back to reality. Time to spend more time with real people. See you, guys! In person.

After I finish my Red Alert 3. Hehe.

Fear of Touching Metal

2009-04-04T10:30:00.000+09:00

I think I've recently developed this fear of touching metal. It's weird I know. I think it started a few weeks ago when I get static almost every time I touch anything metallic... the door knob... the hand rail... even my window pane. At times, it feels powerful too, it's scary.

Now, every time I need to go out and touch that door knob, I'm scared.

Metallophobia.

Second Childhood

2009-03-31T23:55:00.004+09:00

On March 24th, I ordered two PlayStation 3 games from Play-Asia. The same day, I received an email saying my games were dispatched already from their Hong Kong center. Free delivery to anywhere in Japan.

Today, March 31st, I got the games.

One week of waiting may be a little too long but I guess it's worth the wait considering English PlayStation games are very rare in Japan. People direct me to Akihabara but I cannot find the shop they're talking about.

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition, here I come! Also got Virtua Fighter 5. Interesting to note that earlier versions of these games were the games that defined my earlier life. Once I get Street Fighter 4 and once Blizzard releases Star Craft 2, then, they'll be complete.

Second childhood?

Yosi Kadiri

2009-03-30T22:30:00.001+09:00

Just as when I was close to considering smoking as another social networking tool, JR East decided that starting April 1, they will no longer allow smoking and all smoking areas will be removed from their platforms. Goodbye smokers. Good riddance.

I hope more establishments follow suit, especially that McDonald's store near my station. I love people-watching there while having breakfast/coffee at one of their outdoor tables. Too bad those tables are for smokers and non-smokers are advised to take the tables inside the establishment. I think it should be the opposite. Non-smokers outside and smokers inside, preferably in an air-tight room.

And no, I'm not considering smoking as a social networking tool.

I'll stick with my coffee.

My Favorite Social Networking Tool

2009-03-28T16:40:00.003+09:00

I've tried a lot of social networking tools - Blogger, Friendster, Facebook, Multiply, and more recently,Twitter. They all have their unique features that allowed me to socialize and to network.

In the end though, I realized I have one favorite. And no, it's not Blogger.

It's coffee.

Nothing beats a good conversation with a friend over coffee.

YouTube Overdose

2009-03-26T23:40:00.006+09:00

Just realized I've been watching too many YouTube videos.

My counter is at 6666, a very good number. I'm not watching any videos for a while just to keep that number. If only I was paid a dollar for every video I watch...

In my defense, this number also includes all the views from people who borrow my laptop or who secretly sign in using my id just to increase my counter. :p

What about you, what's your number?

Nitori vs Ikea

2009-03-25T15:10:00.000+09:00

Nitori is a Japanese furniture shop while Ikea, as most of you might know, is Swedish.

I buy stuff from both although for a long while, I preferred Nitori because it is more accessible, there are less people, and they offer free delivery. I didn't really like the first time we went to Ikea because there were so many people, very long lines, and expensive delivery costs. Not to mention I needed to find my own stuff in their warehouse!

Yesterday, I went to the new Ikea store in Shin-Misato and not surprisingly on a weekday, there were not many people. Shopping there can actually be fun. Parking was easy. Comfortable chairs, and free wifi at the cafeteria. Affordable prices. No lines at the cashier. I didn't buy any furniture so I didn't need to rummage their warehouse.

I am ready to change my mind as Ikea was proving to be so much better than Nitori. As a token of my appreciation, I bought myself a canvass artwork (not available in Nitori) to hang on my bare living room wall. Mass produced art I know, but I found it peaceful, beautiful, and yes, cheap.

My bare wall is not so bare anymore.

Looking at my living room, you'll see products from both stores. Sofa from Nitori, baby chairs from Ikea. Rag from Nitori, center table (which I put on the side) from Ikea. Bean bag couch and curtains from Nitori, canvass artwork from Ikea.

Just in case you're interested, all the other stuff in there are either from Yodobashi or Bic Camera, two popular electronics shops in Tokyo.

The green plant though, is from Daiei.

Facebook Is The New Friendster

2009-03-23T21:48:00.006+09:00

And I didn't mean that in a positive way. Not at all.

I used to love Friendster. It allowed me to keep in touch with friends I haven't seen in years. All was well until people started customizing the colors and backgrounds of their profiles to the point that they became unreadable. People started sending hundreds of app invites to the point that my daily Friendster routine included clicking on the ignore button.

A few months back, I decided I had enough. I deleted all my data from Friendster, and updated my status to "I hardly use Friendster anymore. Catch me in Facebook."

Facebook was like a refreshing oasis amidst all those bright blinking colored profiles of Friendster. It was clean with all profile pages having a simple white plain background. All was good until recently, Facebook decided to ruin it!

My news feed is now cluttered with quiz results telling where my friends should move, or what jobs they should be in, or how good they are in bed (yes there is a quiz like that). I'm also starting to get endless lists of top 5 movies, or top 5 books, or top 5 whatever. Before that, I started getting tagged and forced to read endless lists of 25 random things.

Don't get me wrong. I don't mind if my friends take all these quizzes, and write all these lists, as long as I have the ability to filter them out. With the new Facebook update, I don't. I'm just hoping my friends would tire from all these quizzes and lists but for sure, some new annoying application will come, and again, flood my news feed with info I don't need.

Twitter is something I'm playing with because I thought there is no way Twitter can annoy me like how Friendster/Facebook did. It is very simple and there is a limit of 140 characters per message. I just don't have enough of my friends in Twitter as of yet.

Amidst all these chaos with the social networking sites, I'm glad there is this one social networking site that has annoyed me the least and I've been using it for more than 10 years now.

Blogger.

Blogging For Money

2009-03-22T22:55:00.003+09:00

You might notice some changes in my blog site.

You will notice ads below the banner and on top of the sidebar. I tried to make them as discreet as possible so as not to scare off all my readers... all both of you. :D

In theory, if you would click on those links, I should be getting money from Google, sent directly to my Japanese bank account. Now, if you could just click on those links at least 100 times each day, you will be contributing to the buy-rico-a-new-macbook foundation.

Oh. I am not supposed to "encourage users to click the Google ads" as that would be against their program policies.

Forget I even raised it. :p

Managing Risk

2009-03-18T21:45:00.000+09:00

This afternoon, I was talking with my colleagues about managing risk in our system and how introducing too many changes can lead to a lot of risk. I pointed out that the less changes we make, the less risk, though unfortunately, the less rewards.

One even pointed out that too much risk-taking eventually led to the fall of a certain company, which I will not mention here. Hehe.

Four hours later after arriving home, I was thinking of what I said and realized it applies to a lot of things, especially outside of work.

Less changes. Less risk. Less rewards.

Sadness.

I am Austronesian

2009-03-15T20:10:00.004+09:00

In school, we Filipinos were taught we were descendants of seafarers from Malaysia and Indonesia. They came to the islands in boats and later occupied lowlands forcing the aborigines to the mountains. This made sense because majority of Filipinos do share similarities with Indonesians and Malaysians.

Recent research though show a different story.

It's the other way around. We all came from Taiwan and linguists normally call us Austronesians. By Taiwan, I'm not talking about the Chinese settlers but the Taiwanese aborigines.

Our Taiwanese descendants became very good seafarers and a lot of them were able to migrate to what is now the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the rest of South East Asia. It is also believed that they went as far west as Madagascar, as far east as the Easter Island, and as far south as New Zealand.

This explains the physical and linguistic similarities between South East Asians, Polynesians, Taiwanese aborigines, Hawaiians, and even the people of Madagascar.

We should start updating our history books!