Sober


I have been frustrated with what has been happening to me since yesterday. I've lost a hundred prepaid load trying to download StarWars theme. I have been going in circles. I have registered my name to a raffle which is required and then when I thought I would be receiving the ringing tone, I'd go back again step 1. I deliberately stopped in what seems like desperate anger. Truly, telecom companmies want to hoot money from customers as much as possible.

Anyway, yesterday. I have tried to get as much pictures as possible using my new phone and upload my pics using IR, unfortunately I wasn't able to do it today (cuz I really don't know how to). Anyway, yesterday, I spend the whole afternoon with John's clan here in SM. At evening, we were supposed to go to Pilgrim's bar to have some coffee and listen to some soothing jazz music but when qwe got to the place, we found a new bar. However, we made a big discovery! There is still one floor going up but the way leading to it looks like you'll be going to a storage room. But when we got there, we were surprised and amazed with what we have seen. We were inside a simulated dilapidated ship with artistic installations inside. There were table and chairs arranged in a very peculiar fashion and you can order some shakes at the bar. Instead of dining, we roamed around taking pictures. I have some but since the lighting was poor, I decided to delete them afterwards. Anyway, I think I'm going to visit that place next time. The place name by the way is "Pirates".

The Greatest Riches!


Yesterday at 12:30, I had my lunch at Chowking in Center Mall, Baguio. After lunch, I decided to go PCBS in UB Square to look for a reading material to buy. I passed through a very crowdy street near the jeepney terminal. When I get to Metrobank where it is less crowdy, I felt the pockets of my jacket and realized that my wallet was gone. I immediately retraced my steps back to Chowking. When I got there, I looked for my wallet but it was nowhere to be found. I felt my pockets again and realized that my cellphone was gone too. I let a sigh, a very desperate sigh, almost close to a panic. I felt for my pockets again and I found out, I have my medicines, my keys and a few coins. Great! I have to make a call to my dad but I don't memorize his number, but I do know our house's number. Immediately, what really caused me to go frantic was when I realized that my atm pins are in the unsent items box of my cellphone. If the ones who got my phone and my wallet are one and the same, there is a great possibility that he/she will find out my pins and use them to withdraw money from my atm account.

So I first went to Smart Wireless center hoping that I could encash my money from my Smart Money card but the customer care lady cannot do anything. I searched for a payphone but most of them are for local calls only. After searching for what seemed like 48 years, I found a booth where I can make a call using cellphone but it would cost 20 pesos. I don't care! I have to inform my dad that the his atm card I've been using was stolen. I was hoping I was punching the keys right. Fortunately, our maid, Api answered the phone. She gave the line to my sister and told her to call my dad pronto and inform him of what happened to me. After that, I went back to the boarding house and found my roommates Lowan and Julius. Bless them! After hearing what happened to me, Lowan lent his phone to me to call my dad and Julius lent me 100 pesos.

I got dressed and brought my TI ID and went to BPI Cooyeesan to report the loss of my Express Cash Card. When I got there, the teller in-charge told me that they cannot replace the card. I have to report the incident to the HR Dept of TI and have my card replaced. Meanwhile, she called the hotline where I could report the loss of my card and anyone who might withdraw the money cannot do so. It was successful. Afterwards, I rode a jeep to go to TI. Inside the jeep, things start to sink in and I grieved over the loss of my money, my phone, calling cards of friends, my PRC ID. Having to access almost everything electronically... I never realized then how complicated it is when all of these "accesses" would suddenly disappear. I was thinking how'd I get the money to let me eat for a few days. I was thinking in meeting my friend Butch and borrow maybe 500 from him. I was really worried I would fail to make commitments due to the loss of my cellphone and in desperation I cried out to God what did I do to deserve this? I've tried so hard to be a man after His own heart and this is what I get! But God answered me immediately, at the very instant I finish gasping this complaint. I saw a sticker against the jeepney wall and it said:

"The greatest riches are the riches we have in Christ.

Tears fell from my eyes and I knew instantly, God answered my prayers! Having Him is more important than being secured knowing I have lots of money in my atm accounts. I have been guilty of trusting my financial status by the money I have in my atm. God taught me a great lesson! Trust in Him completely. Do not put your security over anything else but in Him only. I let out a prayer of praise and when I finished praying, I realized the jeep stopped at TI. I went inside and when I was at the North entrance, surprisingly, Butch was there texting. He already knew what happened to me cause my dad called him. Dad called me through Butch's phone and before the conversation ended, I know I would be all right. Thanks God for this ironically sad and joyous event. Something within me died but my trust in God was borne into a higher level.

The Storm Walker


This weekend, I have fallen... into sin's darkest pits. No details required. It just happened. I woke up this morning feeling so guilty, crying out to God, blaming myself, expecting to be punished. What happened was stupid, pointless. I was aware but I did not get out of it while I still can. I told a "brother" about my "guilt" and God just answered me in ways so amazing and so unexpected. Not only did my brother respond with an inspiring word - my mom, my dad, the whole church was praying for me this morning. They did not know what I've been going through but at that moment I felt I was loved, especially by God.

He revealed himself to me through today's word at Matthew 14:22-33. It was the story where Jesus appeared to his disciples walking on the lake towards a storm-battered boat to his disciples. It was a story that find me quite magical when I was a child but it is only now that I understand what it really meant. The storm represents the trials and struggles in our lives. When we feel we don't have the strength to stand up and continue to walk and when we feel that we would sink into the depths of sinfulness, in an "unexpected hour" and in an "unexpected method", God would rescue us and keeps us on track. He extends his hands and pulls us out like as he pulls Peter when he started to sink. The time when he came was the time they did not expect and his ways are unconventional - Jesus was not coming to them riding also in a boat but he was walking on water! Truly, God's ways are what the human mind cannot imagine. It will leave you amazed and you'll just cry for being grateful of what God has done - just like what He did to me this morning. Brothers and sisters, continue to walk with God and ask for His help when you fall down. Have faith and He'll leave you amazed with his ways!

Writing a Technical Paper


This afternoon, we have a "How to make a Technical Paper" activity at TIPI Auditorium. I was really excited to attend the session to understand what was wrong with the technical papers I made when I was in college. In my technical writing class, English 23, my paper about "Alopecia Areata" earned a poor grade of 78%. In the process of making the paper, I literally developed "Alopecia". By the way, "Alopecia" is commonly known as hair loss. I was so depressed at that time and desperate to find a cure for the disorder. I really thought I would be bald forever. I even wrote a letter to Alopecia Areata Foundation to help me with my dilemma but all they did was to send me a sponsorship form. Anyway back to the subject, during my later years in college, more technical papers were demanded out of me. All I did with those papers was "copy and paste" the details I read in my references. You'd imagine, my references were a 3-page documentation.

Today was enlightening. I learned several misconceptions about technical writing. I really appreciated the tips on format, correct grammar, brevity and validity of how a paper should be made. I also learned that it need not to be too long. It was a simple approach like an idiot's guide but a very efficient one. Ma'am Cathy who conducted the session is lively and she made us dance the whole "Chocolate" song during the ice breaker.^Andy

Manila Weekend


I've been very tired these days that I almost forgot to post what a wonderful weekend I have in Manila last week. I'm so excited. I haven't gone back to Manila for almost a month now and I'm very glad that my Friday work day has been offsetted since I went to work last May 2. That was a very long weekend indeed.

I woke up 3:30 in the morning. I got an hour before I could fix myself to catch my bus ride on 5:20 am. So I listened to Himig Singer's CD to kill the time. By 5:00, I was on my way to the Victory Liner terminal. Along the way, I texted my friend Choes, who was finding me a place where I could stay for the weekend, to meet me at Cubao. I arrived there on 11:20 and we immediately went to "Kabayan: Hotel. I paid for a dorm-type room which is a hassle since my PRC ID is not readable anymore. They need valid IDs for me to be accomodated. Anyway I just dropped my things at my room while having a small chat with a dorm mate guy who came from Dagupan for business and we proceeded to KFC Araneta to have our lunch. Lunch was uneventful, so I went back to the hotel to take a bath while Choes waited at Gateway Mall. After that, I met him at the mall and we rode the MRT to take us to Guadalupe Station where there is jeepney route that will take us Powerplant Mall. When we got to Powerplant, we just strolled there until we got hungry, so we went to Glorietta instead. At Glorietta, we ate "Halu-Halo" at Chowking. At the entertainment plaza there was a Cosplay competition sponsored by Animax. We decided to join in. I passed by the Astroboy novelty shop and I suddenly thought of my brother whom I promised to buy him an Astroboy shirt. So I bought a very cute Astroboy black T-shirt. I wish I can have it instead. We watched the show. There were games, giveaways until the much-awaited Cosplay competition took into place. The contestant paraded in their most colorful animé costumes. Some even talked Japanese and do some martial arts. I have so much fun watching them. Well, this is the first day of my weekend, afterwich I went to BP meeting to meet my brothers there who I didn't see for almost two months. Wait for the next part.