Life in MegaPixels

My nephew is celebrating his birthday on Saturday. Although the kids are very far from me, I make it a point to get in touch with them over the phone and send them presents on special occasions. For weeks now, I have been contemplating on a nice gift for him – a basketball, a pair of rubbershoes, or a nice Nascar Apparel perhaps?

He is a big sports fan, from basketball, car racing, tennis, name it! He’s also pretty much into gaming, just like any growing kid. He loves his PS2 more than anything, and is also now hooked on network gaming! I’m thinking of getting him one of those Carl Edwards Merchandise like a new handheld game or maybe a steering wheel he could hook up to his PC to play Nascar racing!

I remember back when I was a kid, I always wanted to have a tent. I saw a pretty nice Tony Stewart Merchandise that looks pretty neat for the great outdoors! I hope he would like one of these. I guess I better make up my mind soon!

Stormy. This is an understatement when used to describe the week that was. Indeed, it was pretty hectic! Doing my OMEGA tracking made me realize I practically worked 3 extra days this week. I know I am an advocate of work-life balance and spending long hours at work is not a quality I would like to attribute to myself. But things outside our control just happen. 

As if this is not enough to alarm me, I was jolted when JP asked me over ML on Friday night, “So what book are you reading now?” The question practically came out of nowhere… and it struck me. I have not been reading a lot! I took me a good few seconds of awkward hesitation – Sandman! Indeed, I pickup my comic book from time to time to lull myself to sleep… but other than that, I have not been reading anything that could fuel my soul, my thoughts.

That one question, innocent as it is, made me realize that indeed, I have been losing a lot of my personal life by spending it churning code at work. I know I can make all the excuses that I want but working long hours is going to bite me back in the rear at some point in time… so Saturday came. Instead of bringing a stack of magazines to the Car Care Center, I brought with me some reviewers and a book by Lee Silber entitled “Organizing from the Right Side of the Brain”. 

I’ve been through a lot of stress lately. My project has gone in full swing, another development project is also up in my sleeve… and I have a change to deliver tomorrow at 3AM! My utilization has gone up another .2 notches from last month, now at 1.6, which means – I am actually working for 100% for 1 person and 60% for another person. If that’s not toxic enough, I don’t know what is!

So you get the picture. I am stressed beyond words but only God knows what can be done about it. So I checked online for things that will keep those wrinkles and crows feet at bay. And boy, was I lucky. I found a link to Murad Resurgence. I’ve been meaning to pay them a visit at the 5th floor of Rustan’s Makati for a facial and what not, and this new-found interest in their Resurgence product came just in time.

The Resurgence Kit, a breakthrough technology developed by experts to restore and revitalize hormonally ageing skin, comes in a 30-day introductory kit that contains Renewing Cleansing Cream, an Age-Diffusing Serum and an Age-Balancing Night Cream that works magically to keep one’s skin looking younger than it does 10 years ago.

I cannot wait to get my kit at Rustan’s. I’m counting the days to Friday to get started with the 30-day program!

I received a very disturbing email from Mungkey today. It was a forwarded email campaign to support a blog called two million dollar baby that says:

This is just disturbing people, and I do hope you would mind and read this journal. The people involved in this journal are planning to abort a baby, their baby– unless you answer their poll: they reasoned that they could support the child, so they might choose to abort the  baby.  They called the child the twomilliondollarbaby, which is not very amusing.

Please reserve your 10 seconds of internet time and tell others about this story. An unborn baby’s life is in jeopardy. Rally everyone to save a life.

I cannot help but share my opinion publicly on this matter.  My initial reaction was more of genuine compassion and pity. I feel for the troubled teenagers. I feel for the child in her womb. I can almost feel her knees wobbling out of fear and anxiety.  It is not a very easy situation to be in and definitely one that you and I would not like to experience at any point in our lives.

However, setting up a blog to entrust the fate of an unborn fetus to public scrutiny is a totally different matter. It posed for me a question on morality: while the act of saving a life through whatever means possible is a noble and respectable deed, is it morally correct to risk a child’s life for a price tag? For the compassionate souls who were moved by this story, is it morally correct to help save a life while contributing to a certain degree of extortion?

I tried to process all these information in my head, and believe me, it tugged at my heart to realize how awfully selfish and insanely inhuman this act of treachery and connivance could be.  While I am amused at how far the couple would go to raise money for the kid’s future,  I feel saddened and angered by the fact that they are actually using a poor innocent life to blackmail and abuse the genuinely generous hearts of other people reading their blog, in their pursuit for financial freedom from raising a kid, that is a consequence of their irresponsible actions.  Clearly, this is extortion masquerading as a cause at all angles.

As much as I would like to commend the couple for their creatively, I feel guilty that I am part of the world today that is shaping the future tomorrow.  If kids today have judgment that is as flawed and twisted as these couples’, what else can we expect from our future?

Indeed, this situation poses a serious threat to morality. And so I dare leave you with this question -  where have our values gone?

I dunno if I’ve been watching too much Desperate Housewives, or I’m really just domesticating myself, but I’ve been thinking of getting myself one of those cute mailboxes you see along Wysteria Lane. I just find it really pretty and gives your home a really nice welcoming feel to it… you know the kind that’s open to accomodate guests coming over for a visit

Trying to satisfy my curiosity, I looked around for sites on the internet where I can order nice mail boxes. I saw this online store that sells the fancy kind and I just can’t help my excitement.

I’ve always wanted a mailbox that stands on a post, similar to those in country style suburban homes in the movies, especially those in a gateless community with sprawling lawns. I find it really classy and elegant. At Mailbox Ixchange, there’s just so much to choose from.

It was a pretty hectic day for me, trying to accomplish a lot of things with so little time. But I accomplished a lot of things today – which I am mighty proud of. As they day winds down to a close, i paused for a moment to reminisce some childhood memories… trying to de-stress myself before i go to bed.

I used to play a lot when I was a kid. At 6 years old, I held my first Pro-Kennex Tennis Racquet, a hand-me-down from my brothers. I had a trainor who came over the house for a whole day of training on saturdays. I attended tutorial classes after school, so I had no time for trainings on weekdays.  As I grew older, the sport just naturally grew into me and it became a habit. Having everyone in the family play tennis, It was a no-brainer that I will also get into the sport, in my own time.

Looking back, how I loved my simple life back then! I played tennis if and when I can, even on weekdays when I don’t have tutorial classes. I played house, hide and seek, learned to bike and teach our neighbors kids… but all those after playing tennis.

When my brother started playing in the Philippine Team’s junior age group, he was given a new racquet, so his old one was passed on to me. I got so addicted that I spent summers playing tennis all day long. To meet new friends, my dad enrolled me to summer tennis camp, where I got to learn so much and improve my skill.  I remember on my first summer camp, I got brand new New Balance Tennis Shoes, a gift from my mom. Oh how I loved it! Each summer, I moved from beginner, to intermediate, and finally I reached the Advanced Level on my last summer camp.

My last year in summer camp was quite a blast. It was the year when I’ve built friendship. It was the year when I graduated and finally start playing for the school’s varsity team. I got a gift from my sister in the US on my last summer camp – a Wilson Tennis Racquet. Nothing fancy like the new ones, but pretty much, is was what I needed to really motivate me into playing.

I was a big Andre Agassi fan, and I still am. To this day, I still remember that huge poster in my room, Andre and his ad campaign for Donnay. On my 2nd year playing for the regional intersecondary schools meet, my Wilson racquet broke. An opportunity to get a racquet that was endorsed by dear Andre. I just loved him and I always watch his games. Andre inspired me to play with double handed backhand and a power forehand. I’ve tried immitating his twist serves, but my body just can’t handle it

My last year in high school, I didn’t play for the school’s tennis varsity team. Instead, I played for the volleyball team. It was a tough decision, but all I ever thought was — I wanted exemption from PE class. And this was my opportunity. I never liked to play basketball because I hate running with my huge frame, so anything to keep me away from that and the cheer leading, I was up to the challenge!

Although I didn’t play for the school’s varsity team, tennis is still my first love. An opportunity presented itself when the 3rd leg of the Milo Juniors Age Group Tennis Tournament was held in our place. I immediately signed up for it. I can’t remember how I fared in the 16 and under, but I recall having won the 14 and under championship match, by a tiebreaker! Memories, memories!

That was the last tournament that I ever joined, before I embarked into the amazing world of college life. It was a whole new life for me and sad to say, tennis wasn’t readily available in UP. I didn’t have anyone to play with in Manila… and that started the decline in my interest… until I saw a poster of Andre, making his comeback with a brand new bald look endorsing Head Racquets! I cannot begin to describe how this guy’s appeal could amazingly transcend his ad campaigns.

Looking back at this simplicity, I can only wish to go back to that simple life – play tennis every day, go to the beach on sundays with the family, be smitten by a guy named Andre Agassi and just basically spend the afternoons after school with my dogs. What a life to live  — the life of a child indeed!

I had trouble sleeping tonight – blame it on the coffee, the energy from hiphop abs and the conversation with a colleague on YM. So I did some blog hopping and landed Mungkey’s multiply site.

I was amused by his post on what his name meant so I tried it on mine… and here goes the result.

What Rhea Ong Yiu Means

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You’re always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can’t handle you. You’re very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you’re likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you… especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You’re a strong person. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are usually the best at everything … you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic “Type A” personality. You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life. You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you. At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are deeply philosophical and thoughtful. You tend to analyze every aspect of your life. You are intuitive, brilliant, and quite introverted. You value your time alone. Often times, you are grumpy with other people. You don’t appreciate them trying to interfere in your affairs. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you’re too busy having fun to care. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It’s easy to get you excited… which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don’t stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are a very lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way. And because you’re so lucky, you don’t really have a lot of worries. You just hope for the best in life. You’re sometimes a little guilty of being greedy. Spread your luck around a little to people who need it.

I saw this on Peaches’ multiply and I just felt moved by their story. I hope that in my own little way, I am able to reach out to the readers of this blog and share the true meaning of selfless love through the story of Team Hoyt.

It’s one of those weeks again when someone from work is leaving. I know, I should have gotten used to it by now with the waves of people leaving the company, en masse. But I still feel quite sad every time some decides to go. After being with the company for 3 years now, I’ve come to actually love the place and the people I work with. It’s like a second home to me already. It’s never easy to let someone dear to you go.

Mary Ann is one of those people I shared a lot of memories with. Yes, I feel melancholic over the fact that she’s leaving, but I’m also happy for her that she’s going to be living her dream. She landed a very good job in Prague and we are all so excited to visit her there one of these days!

In the light of Ann’s move to this capital city of Czech Republic, we’re now looking at saving enough pesos to visit her soon! I have been looking at resources online to plan our trip, when I chanced up on this resource on Prague Hotels.  As early as now, I’m already excited to actually fly back to Europe! I had been itching to go back there and this is the perfect opportunity to actually go!  There’s quite a handful of easy to book accommodations online… I’m just so excited I would love to book my room now!

I am a perpetually impulsive spender. If I have cash on me, I can easily lose 20k in one day shopping and not realize where my money went, until the end of the month closes in and I look at my bank account dwindling to the cents.

That was before I changed my paradigms. Knowing that I have a problem when I have ready to withdraw cash, I developed a system where I allot a certain percentage of my monthly pay as savings and converted my hard earned peso into US dollars. That way, it won’t be very accessible for me to withdraw it given the fact that I had to actually go to the bank and do forex trading.

This has been a practice I developed since 2004, when I returned from a trip in the UK. I had extra dollars and pounds left from the trip and I realized I needed to open a bank account. What started as a habitual practice of putting money aside in another currency, opened up new opportunities to actually learn forex trading.

I have been reading up on foreign exchange trading and found a good currency trading course online. I’m very interested to go into this, but want to learn more and understand the business first before actually taking the plunge. Hopefully, I will learn a thing or two from these courses.