This blog has been originally intended to host my impressions on learning languages, my interest. But I might as well make use of it to communicate my other thoughts...in any language...that I know now :)
Today, I had the longest wait ever at a clinic - 5 hours. I thought
that my 2 hour-wait last Tuesday for the OB at Delos Santos Memorial
Center was the longest but this record was broken in less than a week.
sayong
10-29-05
posted by schatz @ 10/29/2005 11:54:00 PM
I need to get pregnant ASAP.
posted by schatz @ 10/28/2005 07:57:00 PM
I can't seem to get away from FATS.
posted by schatz @ 10/21/2005 05:44:00 PM
I've never thought of myself as vain. But it's time that I do :)
At the height of my abdominal pain at dawn yesterday, and
while contemplating whether I should wake my mother to take me to the
hospital or not and to which hospital, I was also thinking whether
the panty I had was new or old :)
While the clinic doctor was examining me yesterday, I
thought that it was good that I didn't wear one of my flower-printed
shorts :)
And this morning, to my dismay, the doctor who examined me
during ultrasound was a cute Chinese mestizo. I wished that my
"bilbil" (love handles) and abdomen were not so "pronounced" :) Asa
pa :)
sayong
10-20-05
posted by schatz @ 10/20/2005 11:56:00 PM
I am always late but rarer than a blue moon do I absent
myself. As long as I can walk, I go to work.
Today is an exception. I could walk but there were just
long queues at the hospital. I had to go to Delos Santos Medical
Center because I hardly got any sleep last night from abdominal pain.
My worst fear was appendicitis. And my mildest guess was cold that
imbalanced my system. I told the doctor so.
From my urinalysis and complete blood count (CBC), the
doctor discounted appendicitis and urinary tract infection (UTI). But
since I still have abdominal pains and some stomach ache, she asked me
to get an ultrasound. And that's tomorrow.
posted by schatz @ 10/19/2005 11:56:00 PM
Tuesday is my Quiapo Day. It means that I pay a visit to
the Basilica of the Black Nazarene on this day instead of Friday. I
used to go there on Monday evenings but I now have classes on Monday
nights.
Anyway, I usually get there just before the time for the
feeding program. The first time I happened to be there during its
program before the feeding, I was so amazed that so many people who
are hard-pressed in life would still call on God. I didn't know that
there was such a program.
Tonight, the security guard admonished a man who was wearing
a bull cap inside the church and some street children eating puto
(rice cake) inside.
Sometimes, we just forget good manners inside the church.
Would God reprimand us? Perhaps not because He has more patience and
understanding than we could ever display. But perhaps, he would be
disappointed that we call on Him yet don't show Him enough respect.
sayong
10-18-05
posted by schatz @ 10/18/2005 11:55:00 PM
<p><div style="clear:both;"></div><a
href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/144/1993/640/finishedTOPinvite.jpg'><img
border='0' style='border:1px solid #000000; margin:2px'
src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/144/1993/320/finishedTOPinvite.jpg'></a><br
/>Vince Andrei's baptism <a
href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img
src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa'
border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;'
align='absmiddle'></a><div style="clear:both; padding-bottom:
0.25em;"></div></p>
posted by schatz @ 10/16/2005 10:49:00 PM
Thank you for loving me...goes Bon Jovi's song. I am playing Bon Jovi songs as a lullaby to my nephew, Vince Andrei :) I like listening to rock music, especially those of Bon Jovi's. And when I was broken-hearted, I especially like listening to "It's My Life."
From the album:
From the album:
posted by schatz @ 10/15/2005 11:57:00 PM
invites you
to the
5 p.m. onwards
Puerta Real Gardens, Intramuros
Catch the Spanish street party with a Filipino twist at the heart of Intramuros! Music, cuisine by the leading Spanish restaurants and spectacular fireworks make for a magical night!
Enjoy the sensual, intense and powerful music of the multi-awarded band Pinikpikan as they play the best of Filipino world music and dance to the latin beat of Arriba band. And don´t miss the cooking of the biggest paella in Asia, courtesy of Alba´s Restaurant!
2nd On-the-Spot Painting Contest
October 15, 2005
212 participants joined the event last year. This overwhelming response only deserves a repeat affair. Artists and wannabe- artists, come and join a day of art in Intramuros if only to get a free serving in the evening of the sumptious paella coming out of the biggest paellera in Asia! (priority for participants) Main prize: 35,000Php.
posted by schatz @ 10/14/2005 11:41:00 PM
All these years of using computers have taught me a lot. And most of
my lessons were costly.
1. Don't delete a compressed drive. When my computer was
still a Pentium MMX, I compressed the drive to save space. But I
learned later that compressed drive meant my computer would be slower.
I deleted the compressed drive when I couldn't uncompress it. Guess
what? I had to spend for the reinstallation of softwares :)
2. Beware of downloading and opening exe files. It could be
a virus. One time, an officemate downloaded an application that has
the Mcdonald's logo. We opened it. It showed Arabic characters.
Next time, a woman's face with very red eyes appeared. My boss and
other officemates were shocked to hear my screams :) Me with my fear
of ghosts, one can't expect nothing less :) I forgot which anti-virus
software I had in my computer then – McAffee or Norton. Whatever, it
couldn't kill the virus. So my officemate who downloaded that file
paid for an online removal of the virus.
3. Back-up or die. When I was on a study leave, other
people used my office computer. Another time, an officemate
accidentally downloaded a virus. On the first account, I lost 3 years
of files. It should have been six years but others were recovered.
In the second instance, I only lost two weeks. Still, that's two
weeks of data.
4. Return your laptop to its safe place. Believe me, it's
so expensive to repair a busted laptop.
posted by schatz @ 10/13/2005 11:55:00 PM
When it rains, it pours. Our unit certainly experienced a
downpour today.
One additional speech in the morning is okay. That it had
to be translated to another dialect is still okay. But at 4pm, we were
informed that there'd be another major speech for tomorrow, aside from
the business speech and the one for translation that are both for
tomorrow. And shortly thereafter, we were told there'd be another
speech for Friday and that it needed to be translated to a local
dialect as well.
And tomorrow is only Thursday and not Friday the 13th.
sayong
10-12-05
posted by schatz @ 10/12/2005 11:05:00 PM
"Beauty is as beauty does."
I've been thinking of this saying since this morning.
I was thinking whether I should term myself beautiful or not :) Talk
about vanity :)
posted by schatz @ 10/11/2005 04:31:00 PM
Delicious.
That was what I thought last Sunday upon entering the SM
Megatrade Hall, where the Likha ng Central Luzon Fair was being held.
My mother and I went to the fair to see what they had to
offer. I certainly tasted different types of polvoron and sweets but
refrained from the meat products.
I nearly bought a crib for my nephew also as I found the
cribs cheaper compared to the ones sold inside malls. One was priced
1,600 pesos only and the other was 850 pesos. They were both made of
palocina but the more expensive one was adjustable. I called my
sister for advice but she said that she didn't want wood for her child
for he might accidentally bump himself.
Anyway, I liked looking at the paintings, the quilts and
especially the decors made of glass.
sayong
10-11-05 4:25pm
==========
Following is a press release about it from Manila Bulletin:
Likha ng Central Luzon Fair set on October 5-9
Small and medium entrepreneurs in Central Luzon are holding the Likha
ng Central Luzon regional trade fair on October 5-9, 2005 at the
A total of 133 SMEs are expected to participate in the 5-day fair
expected to generate the R62 million target sales.
The SME participants will come from seven (7) provinces of the region
represent the various industries such as fresh and processed food,
furniture, wearables, jewelry, giftwares, holiday decors, manufactured
items, paintings, footwear and many more.
The R62-million sales target this year is higher compared to last
year's R50 million, but both fair organizers and SME participants have
expressed high hopes of attaining it.
In year 2004, sales from the Likha reached more than R180 million.
Likha top sellers were from the food sector (R158 million) followed by
giftwares and holiday decors (R13 million) and wearables (R6.74
million).
DTI Regional Director Blesila A. Lantayona said many new faces are
joining in this year's fair.
Majority of the Likha participants are classified under the small and
medium-size category. Many are micro or businesses with less than a
R100,000 capital but with determined entrepreneurs who want to make it
big in the markets in Metro Manila and elsewhere.
More at: http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS2005100245820.html
posted by schatz @ 10/11/2005 04:28:00 PM
It's ¡Fiesta! time
By Liza A. Escoto
The Philippine Star 10/02/2005
October is Spanish Month In The Philippines, as Instituto Cervantes Kicks
off Fiesta, the month-long Spanish Festival for Culture and the Arts.
!Fiesta¡ is meant to commemorate Spain's National Day, which is celebrated
on October 12. This year's edition promises to be a truly exceptional
affair, with a variety of cultural events, live performances, movies,
culinary delights, art and photography exhibits, all featuring the best of
Spain's very own artists.
A unique dream not to be missed! Sara Baras is not just Spain's hottest
Flamenco dancer, she is contemporary flamenco's most famous star. The
34-year-old beauty is already considered an icon. Twice honored with Spain's
most prestigious dance award, the Premio Nacional de Danza, Baras has been
hailed worldwide for her intensity, brilliant choreography, and elegant
spirit.
Known for her ability to work her audiences into a frenzy with her powerful,
passionate dances and unbelievably fast footwork, Sara Baras is set to
perform on October 11 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Sueños
(Dreams), her acclaimed traditional flamenco show that made box office
history with a record-breaking five straight months of sold out performances
in Madrid.
Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras includes eight dancers and seven musicians. The
company has toured extensively around the globe and won many awards. Sueños
sees them returning to flamenco puro, the finest and most essential form of
the art.
Ongoing until November 6, Manila will be treated to a must-see photo exhibit
at the National Museum of the Filipino People: 150 Years of Photography in
Spain. This large exhibition places Spain in a leading position in the area
of international photography. The collection of 113 photos marks the
culmination of the ambitious work of Publio López Mondéjar, one of Spain's
most respected photo-historians. It shows the development of Spanish
photography-from its birth to the latest photographic trends. It includes a
meticulous selection of most outstanding images created by Spanish
photographers over the past century and a half.
In conjunction with these exhibits, Instituto Cervantes launched Manila, My
Manila Photo Contest, open to all photographers, professionals or amateurs.
The theme "Manila, My Manila" is taken from the words of National Artist
Nick Joaquin. This competition embraces all photographs whose subject is
Manila, resulting in a photo exhibit that captures the soul of the city from
different angles and varied artistic expressions. Two hundred qualified
entries fill the Greenbelt 3 Cinema lobby and ground floor until October 30.
The literary world is celebrating the 4th centenary of the first edition of
Don Quijote de la Mancha this year. To join this commemoration, Don Quijote
was chosen as the theme for the 10th Letras y Figuras. The winning entries
will be displayed in an exhibit next October.
More than two hundred participants came to the first Paint a Nook of
Intramuros: Pintura rápida on-the-spot painting contest held last year. This
overwhelming response deserves a repeat, open to all artists, enthusiasts,
and professionals alike, at the Puerta Real Gardens in Intramuros on October
15.
In collaboration with Hyatt Regency Hotel, Instituto Cervantes invites you
to enjoy the most authentic Spanish cuisine prepared by a Spanish master
chef at the Spanish Food Festival.
Dulaang UP turns to Spanish drama with Antonio Muñoz Molina's Sepharad, a
20th century story that draws on the Sephardic diaspora, the Holocaust, and
Stalin's purges. It goes on stage at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC
Plaza, Makati at 7:30 pm on October 21.
Prepare for another set of the best and hottest Spanish language films to
fill this year´s Pelikula: 4th Spanish and Latin American Film Festival in
Manila and Cebu. This must-see event will feature an unprecedented line-up
of 26 exceptional, award-winning films carefully selected from around the
Spanish-speaking world. The series includes Oscar winners for Best Foreign
Film, Mar Adentro (The Sea Inside) by Alejandro Amenábar and Todo sobre mi
madre (All About My Mother) by Pedro Almodóvar.
Moviegoers will have the chance to vote for the best film and win a free
trip. The festival runs until October 16 at the Greenbelt 1 Cinemas.
Acclaimed Spanish guitarist Jorge Orozco makes his grand comeback to the
Philippines, performing at Cagayan de Oro on October 2, and in Cebu City on
October 4. He will also conduct a guitar masterclass for advanced guitar
students at the Instituto Cervantes on October 6.
Armando Orbón, a celebrated classical guitarist, and jazz pianist Isaac
Turienzo will be playing in Manila with a repertoire by Latin-American
composers such as Granados, Tàrrega, Ariel Ramírez, A. Lauro, Albeniz, Falla
and J. Rodrigo, among others. They perform a night of music entitled Between
Two Shores at the Carlos P. Romulo Audi-torium, RCBC Plaza, Makati at 7:30
pm on October 8.
The culmination of Fiesta takes place on October 15, when the Spanish return
to Intramuros to revel in the Verbena Street Party at the Puerta Real
Gardens. Everyone is invited to join in the festivities. The previous
Verbena set a record with the largest paella in Asia, and this year guests
can have their fill of the quintessential Spanish dish as Verbena goes
all-out with a grand paella festival. Guests may also sample other varieties
of authentic Spanish cuisine prepared by the famed chefs of top Spanish
restaurants. A combination of music, food and fireworks make for a magical
Spanish night!
In line with the Instituto's mission to promote intercultural exchange and
artistic collaboration, after the success of the Semana de las Letras (Week
of Spanish Literature) held in London and Sao Paolo, Instituto Cervantes is
proud to bring this annual activity to Manila and further strengthen the
ties between the literary worlds of Spain and the Philippines.
Ten Spanish writers are set to arrive in Manila and meet with their Filipino
counterparts to discuss aspects of literary creation through colloquies and
round table discussions. The theme of the event is La huella y el viaje
(Traces and Journeys), and it will mainly focus on travel writing. There
will also be discussions on Filipino literature in Spanish, translation
issues in literature and the literary connections between The Philippines
and Spain. This activity will be held on October 24 to 27 in various venues
around Metro Manila, including the Rizal monument, RCBC Plaza, Greenbelt 3,
and the Instituto Cervantes.
The Instituto Cervantes is a public, non-profit institution founded by the
Spanish government in 1991 to promote and teach the Spanish language and
spread the culture of Spanish-speaking countries. Established in the
Philippines in 1993, it strives to provide Filipinos with an understanding
of Spanish culture and a broader view of the Hispanic world.
Fiesta would not be possible without the support of Lufthansa and Hyatt
Regency, and the assistance of 105.1 Crossover, Aboitiz, Agencia Española
Cooperación Internacional, Soluziona, Alba's, Casa Armas, CCP, the embassies
of Argentina, Chile and Mexico, Fuego Hotels, ICAA, Intramuros
Administration, Kamayan, Master's Touch, Nikon, People Support, Program for
Cultural Cooperation, RCBC Plaza, and Mapfre.
For more information about Fiesta 2005, call Instituto Cervantes at tel
526-1482 to 85 or log on to http://manila.cervantes.es
====================
From: http://www.philstar.com/philstar/SPECIALSECTIONS200510044605.htm
posted by schatz @ 10/11/2005 03:24:00 PM
I wish that my son will be a priest.
I know, I know. I don't have a boyfriend, a husband or family yet :)
As I said, it's a wish.
I've always admired priests. But I don't intend to be a nun to be
near them :) Oooops..I hope that God agrees with my intention :)
sayong
10-11-05 11:45am
posted by schatz @ 10/11/2005 11:43:00 AM
I thought that my mother and I would be victims of a hold-up tonight.
The taxi we took from SM Megamall stopped dead at the
topmost of the EDSA-Greenhills flyover. My imagination went overdrive
and I thought that soon after, the driver's accomplice would arrive
and take our valuables – as if we had any :)
He let us out when he saw that we were quite panicking and
said he would help us hail for another taxi. When I saw him pushing
the taxi, I helped him :) And if he was a bad guy, I thought that
he'd think twice. One good turn surely deserves another :)
As it turned out, he ran out of gas. The driver of the next
taxi told us that if the previous taxi had been a Toyota, it would
have given the driver a lot of warning signs and would still have run
five kilometers after it stopped blinking.
The next driver also seemed knowledgeable about the actors'
residences in San Juan. He said that he used to work for Nino
Muhlach's production unit. But since piracy is so rampant and film
producers are no longer making as many films as they used to for they
are not earning, he looked for another source of income.
All in all, it has been a very interesting night for txi rides
sayong
10-09-05
posted by schatz @ 10/10/2005 12:08:00 AM
posted by schatz @ 10/09/2005 02:56:00 AM
The Sounds of Spain is so relaxing. Halfway into the second sitting,
my mother snored :)
posted by schatz @ 10/09/2005 12:08:00 AM
The Sounds of Spain is so relaxing. Halfway into the second sitting,
my mother snored :)
posted by schatz @ 10/09/2005 12:05:00 AM
Love and relationship defines a person. This is the summary of Bo
Sanchez's article entitled Define Your Greatest Achievements. This
article is part of his book, You Have the Power to Create Love", the
third book on THE BOSS series.
If I have failed in man-woman relationship, what does that make me? :)
sayong
posted by schatz @ 10/08/2005 12:08:00 AM
Do you still remember your first kiss?
Erinnerst du dich noch an deinen ersten Kuss?
This is one of the examples in our German class tonight.
If truth be told, I don't and I can't. And it doesn't mean
I don't have one :)
And I mean no offense to the One who gave it :)
But I do remember my first real crush. He was my senior in
Karate when I was about to enter my second year in high school. He
was Filipino-Chinese, whose father idolized Bruce Lee. It's easy to
guess what his name is.
Yes, it's Brandon Lee :) Lee happened to be his real
surname, too :) How lucky his father was :)
I dedicated a poem of about 12 stanzas, ala Francisco
Balagtas in Florante at Laura when I was on my second year. As I
still have a copy of that project somewhere among my things, I
wouldn't be able to forget it.
It is quite amusing looking back to these moments now:)
sayong
10-06-05 11:55pm
posted by schatz @ 10/07/2005 12:06:00 AM
Many Filipinas dread reaching the age of 30, especially if
one is still single. Many are ashamed of their age and deny it when
asked.
I am 33 and I am single. But I am not most Filipinas :) I
am proud of the years I have lived this earth. I don't dread 30 or 33
or whatever figure it is as long as one doesn't ask me to add it up or
do any math. I took up Mass Communication with only one math subject,
didn't I?
sayong
10-05-05 10pm
posted by schatz @ 10/05/2005 10:02:00 PM
Dear Mr/Ms ROSARIO CUSTODIO: Wishing u all d best on ur
birthday! From Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo, GSIS PGM Winston Garcia and ur
GSIS Family!
This is one of the text messages I got yesterday. I thouht
at first that my friend Dang from the Housing and Urban Development
Coordinating Council (HUDCC) was kidding me. But then, why would she
claim that she's from GSIS. Then it must come from Valerie who works
in the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). But then again,
friends would have called me "Mr" to tease me :)
Well, it's a nice new touch from the heavily-intrigued and
criticized GSIS :)
sayong
10-04-05 4:10pm
posted by schatz @ 10/04/2005 04:11:00 PM
To all my friends who greeted me through my cellphone:
If I didn't acknowledge your greetings, I would most
probably haven't seen it.
My cellphone is an old Panasonic model :) It can only get
text messages and if your message had animation or image, all I would
see on my cellphone is that I got a new message, and would show
8-bit-data. I wouldn't be able to open it nor see who sent it :)
So for everyone who already texted me, thank you for your greetings :)
sayong
10-03-05 11am
posted by schatz @ 10/03/2005 11:04:00 AM
Em and I attended the launching of Fiesta 2005 last Friday,
September 30.
Following are some pictures of the launching event. I
posted more pictures at my newly created photoblog, Sayong's Scrapbook
(http://sayscrapbook.blogspot.com).
sayong
10-02-05 11:45am
posted by schatz @ 10/02/2005 11:45:00 AM
ShangYi is my Chinese name. I don't think there's a drop of Chinese blood in my veins, but my Mandarin teacher gave her students names in Chinese. I thought that SaYong would suffice since it sounds Chinese. But she said that I couldn't use "sa" because sa (pronounced si) also means killed...So I said, never mind about holding on to my nickname :) A rose is a rose is a rosario still ...
