Awwwwwww!

I suddenly want to work for Google Switzerland LOL.

Check this out: Google EMEA Engineering Hub, in Zürich

Be The Change

Remember this streamer from my last post?



Not long ago, Italians donated cooking equipment to poor families who were victims of Typhoon Frank. The baking equipment was to give them a source of livelihood to provide for their families as well as to feed them.

A month ago, a friend of mine asked me to take part in another Italian Heart Giving Activity. This time, Italian friends from IBM, and friends of their friends pooled their resources to adopt a school in Cainta that was hit by Ondoy. What is it with Italians? ;) Thay can't be all good looking and generous at the same time. It's not fair! Anyway, the people who gave seems to be both so who am I to complain?

The flood water reached the roof of the school and there was very little funds to put things back to normal. The money donated was used to paint the classrooms, buy school supplies and slippers for the kids, fix the windows, buy a table for a teacher, electric fans and a whole lot more. It triggered some more generosity from the locals. Someone donated computers. An Ilongga businesswoman paid for plane fare, and a local chicken company paid for food. My job was miniscule - a streamer, and later on a thank you website. But hey, I'm just happy to be able to witness generosity :) and more happy to be asked to be part of it.

How rewarding can this smile be?


Congrats to my friend Lea - the BFF who will change the world. You deserve a party girl! Gather the gang and let's get drunk tonight! Woo hoo!

Italian hearts

Tonight, my BFF who's going to save the world called from one of her mission sites and reported status. All systems go. My streamer will look great. The Italians will be pleased ... and wish they had given more - hahaha. More on this at a later post.

Bohol and Cebu

Joined the Lakbay Aral trip to Cebu and Bohol this week. Got back yesterday and still have a hangover from all the running around. Anyways, there were about thirty of us - officers and staff of the Cooperative. I was in charge of, as usual, documentation. My partner in crime holds the video cam while I take the stills. Which would explain why I'm not in most of the shots. I was holding the camera most of the time; Cameras! Everyone brought with them a digital camera during the trip. And everyone wanted me to take the same shot about 10 times with different cameras. I suggested that we should just take the shot with one camera and consolidate all the soft copies on a cd where everyone can have a copy. But Noooooooooo, everyone had to take the shot with their camera. So patiently, I took the shot-s. I'm not very photogenic anyway so I really didn't mind not being in the picture. I did mind taking the same picture about 10 times with different cameras.

If you've visited my flickr page you would have seen these. But I'm posting them yet again for those who can't be bothered to look for the flickr page.

Here's Bohol:
Loboc River Trip - mandatory to tourist because everyone has to eat lunch ... on a boat ... while cruising the Loboc river and enjoying nature and all it's greenery. There is a small tiny waterfall at the end of the trip and then you get serenaded with folk songs by a group complete with dancers :) Anyone care to try Tinikling on a river raft?



A commanding view of the Chocolate Hills on top of the Observation Deck.




Chocolate Hills at Sunset.


Riding the Trans Asia Boat to Cebu in the early morning. This is a surreal sight - sunlight breaking into the clouds casting a white line reflection on the water. God saying hello at early morning :)


I like this pic. I can't explain why. I just do.





Dumaluan Beach Resort, Bohol


Hidden Valley Resort and Training Center, Lamac, Pinamungajan, Cebu

Feels like Insomnia

Had an extreme urge to write something but I really have nothing to write about. Hmmmmm. I could post a few jobs I've done but I don't really have the time to upload anything just now. I just need to get this blog going since the other one seems to have a life of its own and the OC in me imagines a quiet competition between the two blogs. :)

I haven't been sleeping enough. The jobs I was anticipating last weekend didn't start coming until Monday so I've been pretty much on my toes ... or should I say my butt ... slaving away in front of my PC every night. I would have longing glances at the TV when they're watching Gregory House and Criminal Minds and a new TV series about seeing the future which sounds disturbing. Sometimes I would suddenly jump and break-out into a song and dance number with my headphones on - much to the chagrin of my sisters and nephews. Insomnia by Craig David is the current favorite, some KPop, a bit of Kate Perry and the usual good old rock and roll. But hey, we do anything just to get through the night right? LOL. My current work load requires a lot of eye contact :) and attention to detail. Which is fine since I seem to like the tedious and the complicated. So I do enjoy my night job.

Things are kinda boring at the day-work. No - boring is not the word. Slow - a better word. It's not that I hate slow. It's just that I believe that there is sooo much we could do to make the world a weee bit better ... and well, sometimes like it feels like your on your own. And you eventually lose your enthusiasm and your drive and with it, all the excitement. Sigh sigh sigh. Patience was never my strongest virtue. But I keep my mouth shut and speak short words. Complaining is silly. I'm not paid well enough to make a lot of noise. And if I try to work smart, I usually get other people into a lot of trouble (evil laugh). Does watching too many CSI and Criminal Minds on tv make you think more like a criminal? ;) Be afraid. Be very afraid. LOL.

Current favorite at work is Shawn Mullins' Shimmers. {Sings) "We're born to shimmer. We're born to shine, We're born to radiate! We're born to live! We're born to love! We're born to never hate."

The Viking said I had my two legs growing deep deep into Iloilo soil. I'm afraid he might be right. I love my life here. But a large part of me wants to fly and need to shake dust.

I feel the need for speed :)
 God help me. Hehehe.

Blog + Free Food = What Diet?

What to say? I'm drawing a blank. Typical if you have a full stomach, a sleepy disposition and a license to be lazy on a free weekend.

I attended this food blogger event last Sunday at SM City Iloilo aptly called the "Food Blogger's Event" :) -  for the FREE FOOD!

I know. I'm shameless. When you get to a certain age, you really don't care what other people think.The prerequisites to be there were :  (1) You have to own a blog, (2) You can write about food (3) You can eat :) I passed!

Anyway, it was a unique way to showcase the smorgasbord of treats that Iloilo is known for. Bloggers are after all the new media; and what they say - no matter how simple - are deemed profound and are, more importantly, read by someone else other than the writer.

Ilonggos, too, are food lovers of wide taste. It is considered hospitable for Ilonggos to fatten up their guests by forcing food in their mouth 6-9 times a day. "Try this! And you must have this! Or you can't leave Iloilo without savoring this"! It will be the end of the world if foreigners leave town without an inch added to their waistline.

But I digress, the event was well worth skipping lunch for. The Sponsors did not disappoint! On your left are my chosen favorites among the scrumptious buffet displayed for us to gorge in public without embarrassing ourselves with drool. Among the generous food givers are: Casa Ilongga, Yukashii (yum yum sushi), Breakthrough (kick-ass crab meat!), Chicken n ribs, Ocean City, Sabor Ilonggo, House of Panini, Buko ni Frutas and Thirsty. I must say, that I was well satisfied, and a little too happy to be munching away while people pass us enviously, wondering why the hell they didn't join Iloilo Bloggers when they had the chance. Nyahahaha!

We also got freebies! We got gift certificates for free meals from the various restaurants named and also coffee from Figaro, shakes from Thirsty, a take-home bag from Sabor Ilonggo, Litro softdrinks from Pepsi, a signature Coke glass from Coca-Cola, free internet from Netopia and take-home sushi from Yukashii! Big thanks to the wonderful people of SM city - Stephen and Leo - and the rest of the guys who made us a wee bit too comfortable (We never wanted to leave but they started packing away the chairs from Home Store!). Also I would like to mention the visionaries of Iloilo Bloggers Junelle and our President, Claire, for spreading the word. It would have been such a shame to let all those free food go to waste :)

My stomach is deeply fattened and my heart greatly pleased. Wait, I meant stomach pleased, and heart fattened. We should do this again. When will the next food trip be?

Jersei

I always ask my clients to describe the person they want drawn. Likes, dislikes, personality traits, favorite colors and expressions. That way I could include their hidden traits in the artwork, if I can manage it.

Jersei will turn 4 years old soon. Her grandmother Joa Griffith describes her as the sunshine princess :) She said that if Jersei were older, she will share my outlook and bubbleness in life. That would make Jersei a blond bright-eyed mini-me :) Cool! Now, if only I were as pretty as her :D

Vector artwork finished during the weekend in 6 hours - on and off because of the power outage. I will have to learn to perfect the hair but I think I'm getting really fast at it :)

Joa said: Looks PERFECT to me! I truly do love it, it's funny, when you want the perfect gift but don't know what it is, when you discover it. It is like a lightbulb over the head.....THIS IS IT !!

I love a happy client :)