This week - and the past 28 years.

It's amazing what you end up doing when you find yourself in between work while at work. 


After having spoken to a client about how much they are spending with us and what I thought would help them this year (More like, what quarter I need to sell them into), i decided to take a quick break and venture into SCUBA diving. 


Long story short, I've signed up for an open water scuba diving class. This means I will be, at the end of the program, dive in deep water up to a few dozen feet with a complete SCUBA equipment. 


I've always wanted to do this. Ever since I was a kid, I imagined myself diving into the depth of the deep sea and look at and see what the world has to offer down below. I can only begin to imagine the surreal colors that it has to offer. No amount of inches on a 1080p flat screen LED can rival the experience of it, I'm sure. 


So, I went down to the local Sports Chalet and picked up a few things. I bought a mask, some fins, a snorkel and some boots. I was so proud of myself. 


I'm actually going to do exactly what I said I would. Now if I can only be consisted with this, including sleeping early to wake up in the morning to go for a run or a swim. 


I had shared with a friend the good news and somewhat felt that I got shot down. Made me question what I did. The comment was "another expensive hobby". Validity to the comment is acceptable. But, don't I work hard enough to be able to do things that would make me happy? 


Is it improper to give yourself the experience that you would consider a life goal (among others) and make yourself feel good that you've accomplished something? Should I just disregard this and pursue it? Of course right? The great men of the past disregarded the warnings of their mothers and went on to scale the largest mountains and discover new land. Just to clarify, the friend I'm pertaining to is not my mom. 


My mom, however. That's another story. She tolerates my adventures. Even though she knows that climbing mountains, mountain biking and camping has a certain degree of danger to it, I've overheard her tell her friends one time that she is happy that I'm doing this rather than coming home drunk or smoking. 


I'm sure she can tell the difference in my mood too when I've done something I'm proud of. 


Reflecting on the past 28 years. I've observed that I've slowed down somehow on judging the world. I've added an extra step to my thinking. And that's thinking a bit more before saying something and/or reacting to something. 


Yes, I still fall trap to my own impulsiveness, but i find myself taking the high road more now than before and that's avoiding that road altogether. 


I've said once that I have the material things that I think I need right now. It will just be a matter of getting better versions of the existing one now. 


I'm proud of the fact that I'm saving more now (I'm making more too) and that I've become more flexible in being able to embark on certain things I've always wanted to do. 


People, friends, family are the physical conscience that help me take an extra step if I've found myself falling into the traps of my impulsiveness. People, friends and family are the also the driving force for my little and large success. They validate my existence and they are the ones who I go back to the end of the day and share my experience with. 


As a good friend had just said the other day, "God, I love living vicariously through you..."


Happy Birthday old man. Happy Birthday to me. 

The Spinning Dancer Illusion

This drove me nuts this morning - Is she going left or is she going right?

Now, go grab a friend and ask him/her is the dancer is spinning clockwise or counter clockwise -

Crazy right?

Well, a japanese guy created this and... well, that says it all.

Have fun with it!

This below is a modified illustration to "help" you figure it out. uhm... yeah. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spinning_Dancer

June Road Trip Weather - In Celsius

Universal Studios Hollywood (20's)


June 4th is the first day of Summer Vacation for most kids in the US. Expect the place to be packed. It is important that we buy our front of line passes as early as possible since these are limited. 


It will be warm -  a bit humid. We will need to bring our own water in the park and a change of clothes (we can also get wet on some rides). 


If we get there early, as soon as the park opens, we will be able to see most of the park and get to ride almost all of the rides. 


The earlier we get done, the earlier we can start making our way to Las Vegas. Expected time of departure from Los Angeles should be 4pm. 


It will still be a four hour drive to Las Vegas. Rest in the car. Saturday night in Las Vegas is always fun. 


Las Vegas weather (upper 20's low 30's)


Warmer than Los Angeles. Warm, but dry. Meaning there will not be too much sweating, but it does not mean we are not losing moisture. Dry weather means accelerated moisture loss. Dry lips and skin. 


Gear up with your own lip gloss and sun glasses - hat's are optional. The weather will be similar in Arizona. 


Northern California


Yosemite Valley will be the same temperatures as the Bay Area. It will be cooler at night. It is essential that we will bring some cold weather gear as it may hit the teens in the evening. 


http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/90089


http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USNV0049

What a honeymoon

European Snowstorm in December @.dailymail.co.uk

Imagine getting married and asking yourself, "am I ready for this adventure?" If you were in these guys shoes, you'd be laughing back at that moment. 


Stefan and Erika, a newlywed Swedish couple went on a four month hiatus in what they hoped would be a great adventure (they did bring their infant baby with them). 

Damage in Christ Church, New Zealand @.dailymail.co.uk

They started off in Munich, remember the epic blizzard that blanketed the whole of Europe? Yup. They were there. 


So, it being winter in the Northern Hemisphere, they decided to go down South. In Australia. Where they were met with a powerful snowstorm. Spent days in a shelter. 


They found their way to Brisbane - flooding of biblical proportions. 


Off to Perth! Bushfire. That's all I can report. 


Well, New Zealand sounds good round this time of year, they thought. Well, except for the 6.3 magnitude earthquake! 

They also witnessed first hand the devastating earthquake
in Japan @.dailymail.co.uk

So they proceed back up North. Guess where they were in March. Yup! Japan. And what happened in Japan? Yup. That. 


Finally - finally the couple made it to Bali. They were greeted by the warm smiles, the beautiful sand and a monsoon. Yup! More rain. 


Read the full article on The Daily Mail UK - pictures are there too.  


I personally thought that it would've been an amazing adventure. I am glad they are with each other. Imagine if one of them we're whining and bitching and moaning and does not know the meaning of turning lemons into...

Consibrinus

About a year ago, something amazing happened - almost the whole family was here. We enjoyed each others company as usual. We all practically grew up together. We got to catch up - hang out. Basically did things we all used to do together.


Laugh. Dine. Lay in bed. Watch TV. Play video games. Read. Road Trip. Laugh at our parents and aunties. Sing. Take Pictures. 


This was special. This was after years of being apart. Miss them already actually. Terribly. 


Here's a quote I googled about cousins. Yeah yeah, Im not going to make up some cookie story on how I've stumbled upon it. I googled it. Google "Quotes on cousins..." so here - enjoy. 

“Every man sees in his relatives, and especially in his cousins, a series of grotesque caricatures of himself.”

So true  -  funny how it seems. Urk. That was almost a bad song. 

Going back to us. Well, what can I say? I guess other than, I can't wait till the next time. Hopefully all of us will be here and we are all 21 or older. That will make me, 30 something. Shit. 

Anyways. If you're my cousin and you're reading this. Yup! Anakangdelangmo. Miss you. 

Your first love -

It was Nietzsche who wrote "Love is a state in which man see's things; most widely different from what they are". 


That phrase can't be more true. Especially when it's an admiration that has spanned more than half a lifetime.

There was this girl who indirectly flipped the "in love" switch when I was ten years old. I remember the exact place and time and who I was with at the point. It was during recess in grade school - 4th grade actually. I was with my best friend then. We were looking down form the second floor and there she was. Crossing the open area. We've known her since pre-school. But for some reason, on that day, at that moment - something sparked.

Fast forward 18 years later - here I am. Secretly still hoping, that day will come when I can say she's mine. Secretly.

I'm not really sure what I feel for her. Is it the same type of regret that you feel when you know you should have done something but you didn't? Is it the same type of feeling that envelopes you when you had missed on a great opportunity? I'm not really sure.

Update on her. She is now separated from her husband. She married early. When we were 19, she got pregnant. I remember when that news was broken to me. I felt like those who told me were scared to tell me. I was really really wretched that time. I collected all the letters I got from her and the next weekend went up mount makiling in Los Banos and burned em. Yup! Burned em... Right next to the sulfur mud bath.

Stupid - I know. Senseless, absolutely. But it helped.

After that day - I went on a rampage. Girlfriend after girlfriend after girlfriend.

Don't get me wrong. I treasured every relationship I was with. I cared for my girlfriend. I appreciated the time. But even after every break up, I think of that first girl. The one that I saw from the second floor.

So, yeah. She has a daughter. I am one of her godfathers. We keep in touch. I send her several post cards and letters every year. Ironic, cause 15 years ago, I was exchanging letters with her mom.

So, recently I had an idea that maybe I should go do it. Tell her I like her still and show her what Im made of. But how? I'm so far away. So, being the boy scout that I am. I did some recon work. Yup! I asked people.

What did I learn? Well, that she's seeing someone. The person who told me this said, she's not sure, but yes, she's seeing someone at this point in time.

This sucks. I've got no letters to burn. But then again, I've got nothing to lose too.