Until then, Baguio


A few hours, I was walking along the spine in TI and realized that I will be missing this place, along with the lovely memories God has blessed during my 5-month (and 2 weeks) apprenticeship here at Texas Instruments. It was the most wonderful time of my life spending here not only in TI but Baguio in general. A city at the top of Cordillera. I usually found myself asleep from trips from Manila and when I got in Baguio early morning behold, it has never failed to mesmerize me how beautiful the place is! It was like you've awaken in a dream. (Soundtrack: Enya's Songs) Its deep valleys and towering peaks, with its lofty pine trees and calm breeze, I praise God for the gift of nature for us to enjoy.

In TI, I spend most of my entire at the Failure Analysis lab. There I perfected the craft of IC polishing - with no induced cracks and achieving fine surface texture. I will also miss operating my favorite SAM equipment where I locate delamination for affected ICs. But most especially, I will miss the people who befriended me and made me comfortable with my work - to Manang Aleli, who started the rumor that I looked like the tisoy version of Boss Bing Viera. That rumor spread among the apprentices up to the line people at Encap. Anyway, I'll miss Manang Aleli's light-hearted nature. To Ate Estrella, "Star" whom I and Abbi thought looked like Uma Thurman. To Anna Rae, the soft-spoken lass who always calls me "Kuya Andy, Amoy Baby!" Sometimes I'm tempted to think that this girl's got a crush on me.

To the FELLOWSHIP of the WAPs, I salute you!



The Fellowship


Serious Discussion at the Vendo


The camera pans to focus the cutest dude of them all.


Gio and Grace at the Library yesterday


Gio In Action: Habhab na pare!


Gio, after expressing a hard day's work. Gerald smiles nearby.


A Walk at the Ecopark (with Mau and Reagan)



We make each others lives more meaningful, getting to share our concerns when we felt "abused" by our employers, having the best times during breakfast, lunch and merienda with our endless laughs, "inisan", "pikunan", etc.

To Mau, the charming girl, who plans our activities during the day and the weekend,

To Gerald, our official "Chick Boy". He captivated the hearts of two "stunningly beautiful" girls (and maybe one guy there who joins us at breakfast. nyahaha)

To Gio, who makes us laugh with his face (joke lang) and with his endless complains about work, life and the whole world. But this guy is deep and I can sense he really wants to share his hurts and concerns if he's influenced with alcohol. Take care of your liver, dude.

To Jeff, the anti-social guy but really nice to talk with one on one with things that makes sense - about science, courses and jobs abroad.

To Gibson, FA's every little brother. I don't know. Maybe because he's acting gay but I guess he's not. When I first listen to this guy's stories about him living in the past, I almost believed him.

To Reagan, the guy whose with me almost every time cause we have the same supervisor. I could say he's a smooth operator cause he easily gets along with everybody. He's the only one who could retaliate against Gio's remarks.

To Arnold, the seemingly cynical and pessimistic guy but could carry a joke sometimes.

To the Die Attach duo, Roge and Grace who got the deadliest "chismis" of everyone around TI workplace. Taking them seriously gets you disturbed.

To Clarence and Archie - our official love team.

To Henry and Sherwin who got Ma'am Gretz to her wits. Therefore YOU ARE! Nyahaha.

To Adrian, I pray that God will make a miracle in your life! (He's struck with bone cancer, just diagnosed a week ago.

I hope wherever you guys go, you will still remember the times when we flock at SM to get have our pictures taken for free. I hope you will remember how we pleaded the saleslady. Or that day when we are out in the lagoon at Burnham park, boating. Or the Tuesday affairs at the movies. (Si Gio nakatulog while everyone is laughing watching Monster In Law...) Ah! I don't think I can easily forget those memories. I'll bring them all wherever God leads me.

Will You Be There For Me?


I live each day of this week floating above reality. I wake up in the morning looking forward to the time I'll go home from work. And I arrive each night feeling so tired and weary of having not experienced something that's worthwhile. I've been frustrated with how things do not seem to work like this stupid diet I've been going through: drinking this shake that tastes so awful that you'd like to throw up, taking up six tablets per meal... I've rememebered the time when I work out everyday and little by little I'd lose a couple of pounds and it's worth the hard work.

No one seems to care what I do... At work I've been given pointless tasks - tasks I'm so enthusiastic doing them before. Right now all I think is going home, away from Baguio, having time to think, be involved in the church I grew up. But home wasn't a good option either... I pray to God that there will be no battle of interests that it would be a good time to rest and meet a few old faithful friends. God, help me! I'm one desolate soul... I don't know what to do with my life. The purpose which I thought you've given me gives me hope no more. The future seems so dark and unsafe. Good times with friends cannot calm the desperation I feel inside...I'm lost. Lord let me find you. Find me Lord, God.

Manic Monday


I arrived from Manila just this early morning. Night trips are the ones I like. As soon as I sit down on my seat, a few minutes I'll feel sleepy and before I realized I have fallen asleep, I'm already in Baguio. :) Anyway I went straight to my room and was relieved to see that it seemed spacy - my roommates had just left a week ago. I changed into my home clothes and went to sleep. It was already 5:30 and was hoping to get up by 7:00. When 7 came, I was really hesitant to push myself off to bed since the weather is cool, fog is everywhere and the skies are as clear as summer. The sun rays were piercing through my window and it would be nice to sleep all day long but I have to get up.

I instantly remembered my Operation Report today and it would be a shame for me to refuse and make alibis again to my supervisor why I can't report. The truth, I'm really scared talking in front especially with big people. I mean it's managers and supervisors I'll be talking to and who am I? I'm just a lowly apprentice who does errands for five months feeling satisfied and fulfilled with all the colorful reports he's made just to fight boredom. (You should've seen my reports and you'd say I'm good with color combination) Anyway I got up, get dressed and went to work. I arrived there just in time and met a few officemates along the way. I haven't met my buddy, Ate Teenie at the anteroom so I proceeded directly to the canteen to have breakfast. There I met the "Breakfast Fellowship" minus Mau (she already grauduated last week) already eating. After eating, I went to FA to cross-section three lots of ICs I'm suppose to finish last week. But I really bargained some things to Ate Teenie to let me go early last Friday to attend John's birthday at BP office. Fortunately, I'm such a nice guy :) that without a doubt she gave me her permission but I have to do those pending tasks today. :( Anyway, as I was absent-mindedly to cross-section I was thinking if I should continue to stay at my place or find a new one or not, to finish the two-week extension and go back to Davao, looking forward to visit a prospect workplace in QC this Saturday and join WordCom audition for Christmas Cantata and a song suddenly popped into my mind. After that I was finished cross-sectioning my ICs and went to measure BLT.

Lunch time came and we had lunch with the members of the "Lunch Fellowship". That's when I felt sleepy again and went to sleep while everyone else is chit-chatting over food. By 1 pm, I woke up and went back to work, cross-sectioning and was nervous this time cause I'm going to have my report this 3. I switched my phone off so that Ate Teenie cannot contact me but she knew better, she called the FA and asked for me and so I was doomed to report this 3. Anyway, 3 came and I was the Sunken Garden waiting for the big bosses to come and there was Sir Yunus, the ever-inquisitive, quite angry and irritated NPD boss ogling over his laptop. I felt scared so went for awhile to gain composure and prayed to God for calmness. Anyway, the big bosses came later and Ate Teenie presented her Die Crack update, then she segued to gave way for my report - well "this is it" and there I was with my powerpoint presentation feeling like a Makati executive in my blue polo looking so confident while sweat was starting to form on my forehead. (Whew!) Sir Yunus wasn't even listening to my report but I knew it made an impact cause the bosses asked me follow up questions and I answered like I knew everything. Hahaha, No... I think the report just went well, nothing glorious, much less of a grand inauguration yet not a slop on the other hand. It was ok. Yeah.

Anyway, I have only one mission to do for this day - to ask my landlady Ate Sheron for my extension for a much lesser rent. Just a few hours ago, Clarence texted me that she, Adrian, Grace and Dex were looking for a new house and they want to join me but as I went about thinking throughout the day, I felt I needed to be alone for two weeks, to think and meditate on what's happening in my life so far, where I will head and discern God's plan. I really prayed and God granted me my request, I'll continue to stay in my room for a lesser rent. Well, it has been great day for me and I'm glad I'm in front of this computer sharing what an ordinary day it is! Ordinary days that are sometimes unappreciated. Ordinary days where God's small miracles are felt and experienced. God Bless.

Treat Yourself With Kindness


I never expected times like these will come. Times when you feel lost and confused and nobody seems to care. It would be easy to succumb on those feelings and curl on your bed feeling sorry for yourself, blaming yourself for the sad story you yourself have created, blaming others for sometimes treating you with unfairly... and before you know it you're so focused with yourself and all that matters is just ME...

Treat yourself with kindness: I have often heard in TV shows. I guess now it meant treating yourself with worth and not reducing yourself into something God haven't intended for you to be - a totally insignificant individual whose contribution in this world is negligible. Life couldn't be that bad. You have a place in this world. I have a place in this world. I may not have anything worth of high praise but it doesn't mean I'm worth nothing. I have treated myself with no dignity on the identity God gave me... It would be an insult to your maker. It doesn't require an extensive "Why-Know-Why" analysis to things beyond your control. Ask God to give His grace that you may love yourself just as He loves you. God Bless.

Another Weekend


My friend Ryan and I met today at their office near Siena College in QC. This guy is currently into robots. That's his business nowadays and he's hoping they could distribute these robots in schools for educational purposes and of course for entertainment. When I got into their office, Choes showed me the robots he assembled. He even let me see how some of those work. This picture I have below plays golf. Depending on where you place your hand near which sensor attached to, the range of its swing varies. Pretty cool, huh! I do really pray, my friend can make it big. He will be going to Singapore this Aug 22 to take a qualification exam regarding operatorship with these robots.




By 12, we left the office and we walked a few distance to Banaue street. Ryan will be treating me to a mini "shabu-shabu"... Is it about drugs? No! Basing on what I've heard it's a restaurant where you cook yourself the food you will eat. Interesting! Well, when we got there, the waiter ushered us to the table with a hole at the middle. Under the hole is a heater where you will put the "kaldero" with the broth in it. The waiter placed a plate with an assortment of vegetables like cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, "gabi", corn, meat like crab meat, fish balls, sotanghon, noodles, tofu and some chopped onion leaves, garlic and chilli. We ordered fat beef as our main meat. We started to "experiment" how to cook, bringing the broth into simmer then putting the chopped ones. Next we put the beef, then the vegetables... I'm really wondering how'd it turn. I had fun stirring so far. Then lastly we put the noodles and finished with an egg. Finally we had a "Fat Beef Shabu-Shabu"... We tasted, boy! It tastes terrific! It was so delicious and the vegetable were cooked just right!