Dawn Mass

There is this practice we have here in the Philippines where we wake up morning for 9 days before Christmas to celebrate mass for the coming of Christ. I haven't really got to try this since I was born? If ever I did when I was little, I had already forgotten that. So this year, i decided to give it a try. How did I fair? I got five out of nine this year. Not bad considering I had a struggle with a bad cough within the nine days I have to wake up and go to church. According to the homily of the ninth mass, the priest said I am a silver medalist since I got five. I'll aim for gold next year. The priest said in order to get a gold medal, a devotee must not miss a single day which means I must not skip a single day. Until then, I'm staying faithful as I'll be.

Here is a picture I took on the dawn of the last day.

@ around quarter to six in the morning.

One thing I noticed while attending the masses is that it seems that there are "vampires" amongst us after all. You see, during my experience of participating these dawn masses, I notice people leaving the church right after communion just before the priest gives out the final blessing. Now why do I call them vampires? Because the sun begins to rise the moment people are having their communion. It is so weird that mostly people who go out early also have chairs which gives them no reason to go home as early as to those who stand up the whole time, like me. No need to fuss about this though, just decided to conclude that those who go out early either have work as early as six or they just live farther than any of us who decide to wait for the final blessing. So don't be alarmed. I'm not claiming that vampires exist. Just a disclaimer before I end this. Merry Christmas~!

New Year's Resolution

Another set of resolution to be set for the year 2011. I decided to list some.

• Always love no less than the yesterdays. Take what is given and want nothing more.
• Be more spiritually inclined. Don't skip Sunday mass! Skipped it from 2nd Q 2009 to 3rd 2010. Confess all sins and never give in to temptation.
• Save more, spend less... A must! Remember assets over liabilities. Think twice or more before spending. ( maybe except December? )
• Never empty out the ATM. Always leave a four-digit figure inside in case of emergencies.
• Follow a healthy lifestyle. Minimize soda intake and drink more water!! No more over-eating. Must follow strictly meal intervals without skipping of meals.
• Should exercise more. No more whining. I whine?!? seriously..? Jog rain or shine and don't be a couch potato on weeknights/weekends.
• Do better at work, at least better than '10. Be more pro-active! Should see an increase in performance. I need more self motivation.
• Learn to say "no". I have a difficulty in saying it. Why? I just don't know!

Total: 8

Might add more later on. I'll give myself until the 31st of December '10 to finish this.

Coffee Craze

Hi! I'm Jan and I'm a coffee addict...

Coffeeeeh~!

Best way to jump start my day is a cup of coffee!(does not apply now) I've been addicted to it since I started working as an On-the-Job Trainee where free coffee is just a single button away! The bittersweet taste that lingers in the mouth. The kick it gives that boosts your body. The shot of adrenaline that enters your system. Now? Just a drink I enjoy for the taste of it. If there are any whack of it left, I don't feel it anymore. Ever miss having that sudden rush of energy when I drink? Not anymore. I still enjoy every cup of coffee I drink though minus the stim pack effect (Starcraft reference). Just yesterday morning, I had three cups of coffee from three different varieties all drank in a span of one hour! What a joy that was having to taste different kinds of coffee. Having tasted different kinds of coffee be it iced, brewed, espresso, frap, instant, or whatever else there may be forms of coffee, I think my Holy Grail of coffee is to taste the coffee in Italy. Perhaps by then, I'll end my quest of coffee tasting.

Never Gone

It's been a long time since I've written a free-verse poem. Well, here it is.

Never Gone

by Jan Michael S. Sanchez

It all started when I got to know you.

oh how you never ceased to amuse me.

As time passes by,

the feelings I have for you started to grow.

This is my life's turning point.

the search is over.
I could not have asked for more.
for now I have you...

There is nothing in this world that can replace you.

My life revolves around yours,

and it shall for as long as I am breathing.

Whatever the circumstances,

I shall not falter nor let go nor surrender.

Constantly finding ways possible to keep you happy.

To accompany you in life's ups and downs.

Wipe every tear you shed of sadness;

and replace them with tears of happiness.

I have forgotten all the pain that had passed;

now all I want is to do is create memories with you to cherish,

cherish for a lifetime.

You have shown me love no one else did.

I will always love you.

I'll always be here for you... Arlyn.

Missing Puzzle Piece

My Missing Puzzle Piece. Now I am complete...

How can you tell if you have found your missing puzzle piece? You first have to see if it really fits. There is a big difference on how you said it fits. Did you fit it because you wanted it to or did it simply fall perfectly in place for it was meant to be there? In my case, it's the latter.

No one really knows how it works. I mean, you really can't tell when that piece will ever come. Another thing is, are you really are looking for that piece? Or are you are just waiting for it to come to you? If you've found somebody, ask yourself, are you ready for this over and over again? If you can't come up with a straight answer, then at all means please don't. Nothing good will come out if you are not sure with your decision.

I am very lucky to have found mine. If you haven't found yours, I'm sure there is someone out there for you. All you have to do is believe in yourself.

Bottomless

Bottomless Bottle

The bottle that's never empty. I decided to give this to my girlfriend, Arlyn, with something in it of course. A bottle that once was filled with my favorite coffee is now my gift full of different treats. If I still remember it correctly, the first was some chocolates I bought from Japan. Those bite sized chocolates with little milk chocolate on top. Followed with Hershey's Nuggets (Special Dark with Almonds), some assortment of Lotte Ghana milk chocolates, Cream-O premium sandwich cookies which was in a separate container (can't fit those in the bottle but left a note to where the cookies were located in the bottle instead), and now is filled with regular M&M's. The M&M's is the first thing I've placed in this bottle that is not individually wrapped. Just an experiment I'm trying out for another scheme I have in mind.

Hammock Incident

It's never easy to control one's self when it comes to being in a Hammock incident. Despite all the tests, I am really doing my best to handle it. I believe that waiting for the right moment always brings out the best in things. And the most important factor of waiting is not patience but time.

Time makes the wait worth more than what's present. Time heals even our deepest of wounds. Time gives us great memories to cherish. Time teaches us to learn from our mistakes. Time is definitely gold.

So why am I saying all of this? About tests, all the waiting, and about time being so important. It is because that every single moment I am with you, I feel so happy. And all these tests, all the wait, and time are going to be worth it in the end. I just know it. I know you know it too.

(For those who did not understand this, you might want to read Boy Meets Girl. It's a good book to read.)

Sundate

@Shakey's with Arlyn

Sundate means Sunday date and not a sunny date if others might be wondering.

It was in November 21, 2010 when it started after I had lunch with my colleagues when I sent a text message to Arlyn (my girlfriend) that I was on my way to her house. I literally was on my way.

I got to her house right about fifteen minutes past twelve. She was eating lunch with a cousin of hers. After she had eaten, we went over to her next door cousin's house to watch a movie (Despicable Me). It was a very hilarious movie. We both were laughing a lot! She got ready for church after the movie while I was downstairs talking with her mom. We decided to attend the three o'clock mass at Guadalupe church. It was going to be our first (mass at Guadalupe church that is).

Walked to the main road under the scorching sun which really was intimidating. Luckily we both wore white shirts so that it wouldn't be that hot. Despite of how the church was only a walking distance, we still took a jeepney (a local form of transportation widely used all throughout the Philippines). Just as we arrived, the mass had just started. Made it just in time. Had to move pews twice trying to find a good spot to sit. The first had no electric fan and second was directly hit by the sunlight. And so the mass progressed. We realized right before the mass had ended that is was also a mass for the sick, so we both went up front and got blessed with Holy water. What a surprise that was.

After the mass was over, we took a cab to SM mall since it was still pretty hot and dust was starting to become irritating. The moment we entered the mall, we immediately went to Dunkin' Donuts where we each had iced coffees and half a choco wacko. Bought water at Watsons then roamed around the mall. She decided to go on a little window shopping - books, shoes, and shirts - which was really not a surprise. I mean women really enjoy these kinds of stuff. And believe me, they really can go for hours. Finally bought the fan we planned to buy three weeks ago (Sto. Rosario church is just so full of people during the four-thirty mass). Seeing an amusement area at the mall, we played some shooting and racing games. Then it was already dinner time after we did all those. Time passes by quickly when I am enjoying every minute of my time. Went over at Shakey's for dinner and had bunch of lunches (Ironic, is it not?). Then when dinner was done, we went home.

The instant we went out of the mall, chills immediately got the both of us. A sudden feeling of a freezing sensation. So we hurried and hailed a cab which everyone was also trying to due to the fact that it was past seven in the evening and it was raining. On our way back home, we dropped by the house of a friend of hers to pick up a book. We also dropped by her cousin's house where we stayed for about an hour or so talking. Got her home and then she called a cab for my ride home.

Got home safe and sound with a big big smile on my face. Enough to wash up, write this post, and wait 'til twelve midnight to greet my girlfriend a second monthsary. It sure is a wonderful day!

Happy second monthsary, 'lyn! I love you.

Career Growth

It's never about the money... Never.

I attended a career growth seminar today and learned a lot of things. Work is never for the pay, it's for our own growth in building our careers. The salary is only there for sustainability or simply as a reward.

When a person gets a job, first thing that comes to mind is nothing else but money, money, money then followed by spend, save, then spend some more. I'm guilty of this. Thing is that people are so blinded by how much salary is received on a regular basis. Whatever happened to our sight of having a great career? Gone.

Here is an example taken from the seminar. A company pays a lot of money to an employee working in a mechanical plant putting together nuts and bolts, the result would be that that person would produce more finished products simply knowing that the more he finishes, the more he makes money out of it. When the same amount is offered that to a person such as an engineer working in an technical industry, the effect would simply be a downhill path to chaos. Why?? Instead of focusing on the career, that person tends to look into the bountiful rewards where all focus in finishing the products is lost.

Bottom line? Build up skills that helps in developing your career. If you're not happy with the current job - quit. Find a job where you are comfortable working with a decent pay of course. Don't wait to be promoted before you start to work diligently; a promotion is a recognition for a job well done. Focus on becoming a great asset to the company and pay will surely come your way.

Hello World

Just got back from playing wowww(world of work, work, work). Haven't got the time to blog. And now I'm back to blogging again. Will slowly port my old blogs into this one so this blog will pretty much be filled with old stuff in any case you might start to wonder as to why I already have a log of posts here.

Cheers!

Physical

Jogging! Woohoo! Finally got some good exercise inserted in the weekly routine of work life. It's great to just let loose the accumulated energy from sitting in the office five days a week. It started yesterday, first day of the weekly jog at Abellana Sports Complex. After one year of the working life with skipping gym sessions from different gyms, I decided to join a friend's invite to jog and get the body moving for good health. Can't let the flabs own me. Never!

Brosis

A five day visit from my brother and sister from Japan was really short but fun. They arrived last April 29 near midnight to see them after four months from my vacation. They had their stuffs to do here in Cebu so the following day, they immediately went to complete their errands. After which they went out with their Highschool, College (not sure), and Work people (i think). I did go out with my brother to watch the sequel of Iron Man (And I watched it twice - second time was with my college berks).

Sunday, May 2, we had a family outing at Portofino! It was nice to go out to the beach with the family and just enjoy the sea breeze. We had to take turns on who goes in the water and who watches the things. There was this sort of boat-like bench somewhere far from the shore that my brother and I went to. It was at a place that was so deep that even plunging in a diver's way wouldn't even let your feet touch the floor. It was generally a fun filled family experience to enjoy.

Sadly the five days have to end and they have to go back. Now I'll wait four months before, hopefully, I can see both of them again.

Adventure

There would be no other word that best described what happened that Friday night. After a casual dinner with the gang at Ila Puti. Laughter started that night when Alex approached a table for two and talked with "Karissa" which was an epic fail! I mean at first, anyone could realize that it wasn't her mainly because it was only a table for two and there were 10 or us. Kudos for your fail 'lex. After a huge dinner, we went to La Marea for some just-sit-and-talk-with-coffee time. After which right then and there, the group decided going to Mountain View which was suggested again and again before but pushed through only at that day and so it began. Sadly not all went with us but nevertheless 7 is not a bad number at all. Daryl, Fred, Erwin, Me, Kim, Judy, and Lorena.

First up, we wouldn't go to an adventure without any food and drink. So we went to Mercury Drug and bought Sour Cream Piatos, Tostillos, Bacon and Cheese Clover, 2 Nagarayas original and hot&spicy, and a couple of Loacker Waffles. Sadly no 1L water could be bought there so we headed out to Everything2Go to buy about 6L of Absolute water suggested by Kim (supposedly 1L per person but miscalculated, D'oh!). The travel from IT park to Mountain View was a sinch. Got 2 taxis to take us there, simple. Once there, we started our hike all the way top to a point where we found the perfect place to stay and no, we didn't stay in a place where there was a karaoke machine. But we didn't walk all the way there without any bloopers - It wouldn't be fun, right? On our way up, the plastic bag that held 5L of water bottles tore and was it a great chase. Daryl and Erwin chased the bottles downhill while everyone was laughing and thank God for Judy for the car that was heading down had it's headlights on. Phew! The spot where we sat down had a great view of Cebu City. It was really fun to just hang out, eat some chips, drink water, and laugh 'til your stomach hurts. That was where we spent most of our time. Aside from all that fun, Fred, Kim, and I saw two shooting stars. Later we noticed that the place below us that had a karaoke machine was vacant so we went down and decided to stay there. It was Fred's defining moment for it was like he had a concert. Oh! Don't forget the blooper we had here. Fred really believed that we had hacked the karaoke machine just because we told him to just select songs without inserting in coins which in fact, Daryl had already inserted it ahead of time. Good one! After we ran out of 5 peso coins, the karaoke's rate per song, we just sat there and began talking again.

3 AM came, so we thought of starting our hike all the way down since we still had a lot of distance to cover. About approximately 1/10 of our hike, we saw a jeep that decided to start his round early and so we hopped aboard on our way back to civilization. Luckily the jeep was to pass Jones, that was where we went and had breakfast at McDonalds. We got there at around 4 AM but none of us really cared what time it was. After breakfast, we finally went to our separate ways home. Got home around 6 AM, took a shower and slept. Adventure, complete.

Yiruma

Last Sunday, I had a chat with a friend of mine. It felt... nice... having to chat with someone you had lost communication with for a long time. She placed this link as her status message on her Yahoo Messenger account, curious of what it was, I clicked it. Turns out it was a very nice video on Youtube. Anyways, I couldn't stop looking at the video as it progressed then started remembering the good memories I had way back in the past.

As we continued chatting, I began researching it over the net since I liked the music so much. Well, she told me that she wanted to have a copy of it so I went ahead and searched the song on my favorite download place, 4shared. (lucky it isn't banned in the office) Going back, I gave her the link for the mp3s. I didn't expect that she'd also go ahead and research it herself. She gave me a link to all the songs that artist had. And you guessed it right, the artist's name is Yiruma. (It's the title of this post) Instrumental music really helps me relax. I just finished downloading all the songs in the link she gave me tonight and now I'll listen to it at work! It relieves me of all the destress I get from the office. It brings me peace when I listen to it.

Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgKZsgYgA08&feature=related

Hope you like it as much as I did!