Make Time for Your Dreams

I am a Network Engineer with a couple of certifications under my belt. I am a Cisco Certified Network Professional, Cisco Certified Design Professional, Cisco Certified Network Associate for Voice, ITIL v3 Foundation and ITIL v3 Operational Support and Analysis certified. Before you start hating me because of all this kayabangan (peace tayo :D), what I am doing is nowhere near the things that interest me most. 

My job has nothing to do with proper handling of money, it doesn't allow me to travel and it certainly doesn't make me a healthier person. In as much as I would like to quit my job and search for my self and what I really want to do, I can't. I need to earn money for me and my family. This is the sad reality. I can't go back in 2003 when I was in 4th year high school and choose another course instead of taking up Electronics Engineering (or Electronics and Communications Engineering back then). I need to give up my passions for a bigger paycheck.

I thought my dreams are over until I was introduced by my office mate, Sheryl, to the travel blog of Chyng Reyes. I read about her different travels in and out of the country and felt envy with all her experiences. I browsed her blog all through out my shift disregarding the trouble tickets that I have to work on (Boss, I don't usually do this! Promise! Haha. :D) because her stories are addicting. Then I realized how boring my life is and started to feel pity for myself as what I would always feel whenever quarter life crisis strikes. I was starting to drown in gloom when I clicked on her personal profile. She is an Electronics Engineer with a job in the IT industry just like me! Asahdshdfshfeiuwrhewdnfwekvnqhgijncgfwijefhiwqchrniuiehjrfwechrciwqhtni!!!!!!!!!!!!

I could actually continue doing the job that I know and still be able to travel!!!!!!!!!!

I wanted to jump all over the place when I realized this (but I can't 'cause I am in the office). It feels like having your braces removed after so many years of metal slavery! Redemption! 

I learned from her blog that if I want to do something, nothing should stop me from doing it. I don't have to make any drastic life changing moves to follow my dreams, all I have to do is allot time for it. 

I hope I could get to see her, or join one of her group travels. No, I won't tell her that she changed my life in a way and that she inspired me and that she gave hope for my dreams because that would be stalker-ish and creepy. I would just thank her and tell her to keep safe in all her travel like a friend would. Thanks Chyng! =)

God Bless the World

A man that is fed up with pop culture, is sick and tired of the iGeneration and hates the idiot-box-dependent world so much that he wants to kill anyone who is a slave to it. I recently watched this movie and me and my Nokia 1208 could totally relate with Frank, the main character.

I agree with almost all of Frank's point specially the one's mentioned below:

No one has a real conversation anymore.

A group of friends couldn't hangout without anyone looking down on their phones.

The youth always has this need to record everything, they can't be contented with just being at the moment.

An 8 year old kid should NOT be given an iPhone or a Blackberry.

Every 16 year old spoiled brat should die 

This is not a deep heart-crunching life-changing movie. Some Nicholas-Sparks-novel-turned-movie-lover might even say that this is a nonsense movie. Vampire and Zombies would probably love this movie due to the abundance of blood and killing. But imo, the movie shows how ALL of us are victims of what we see on TV. Victims of what the different forms of media is trying to make us think. Frank is a victim of the boobtube too because he thought he was saving this William Hung Wannabe(WHW) from humiliation, what he didnt know is that WHW loves any kind of attention he could get. And with him knowing that, he lost his faith in humanity (to quote a famous 9gag line) and went on a killing spree with his AK9. 

If I am going to meet him in real life, I would probably go with him on his saving the civilization mission like this teenage girl he met. I could see my self in the character of Roxy, only with less cooler taste in music.

Nah, my hands wont be drenched with blood soon but I just wish for something better. I know this is one sign of ageing, when you think that the current generation SUCKS. 

Ok, enough for trying to make you believe I am a hipster. Your wifi capable phone is ringing, you might want to answer it while I blow your head off. =P

Lost

Sound like this girl is lost. But come to think of it, a person who doesn't have a destination could never be lost but sailing without a harbor in mind is tiring. 

I am tired of floating around without a clue where should I go. The lack of post in this blog is an evidence. It means there is nothing happening in my life that I feel is worth sharing. I feel like I have this larger than life spirit that is just waiting to take off but something is preventing it to soar. 

If I am going to summarize my passion to three things they are finance, health and traveling. But my job is nowhere near those three, what a tragedy. Ok, so maybe the reason why I am doing diverted things from my passion is because I do not set goals.. err, destination. Fine. So let me create concrete aspirations.

FINANCE
I am going to be a billionaire with passive income by the age of 35.
I am going to have my own house by the age of 30.
I am going to straighten up my finances before I reach 26. 

HEALTH

I am going to get serious with yoga and I am going to work out at least one a week.
I am going to have abs before this year ends.
I am going to share health and wellness knowledge with other people.

TRAVELING
I am going to go to a different country at least once a year.
I am going to go to a new place within the Philippines at least twice a year.
I am going to aim for a travel job.

There you go. I know, I know. These goals are quite vague but at least now I have goals to aim for instead of just swimming with the current of life. I am reclaiming my dreams. Yes. 

Oh, and I might have to change that description on my blog as I am not lost anymore.

 

Kalayaan 2012

Kagabi ay nakatanggap ako ng email mula sa isang employer sa Doha, Qatar. May job opening sa posisyon ng Desktop Support Specialist sa kumpanyang Halian na nakabase sa bansa na mura ang langis. Nang mabasa ko ang email na ito ay minessage ko agad ang tito ko na kasalukuyang nakatira at nagtatrabaho sa Qatar. Naexcite din siya kaya tinawagan niya pa ako at niresearch pa nila ng tita ko ang kumpanyang Halian. 

Pag-asa. Nakalagay kasi sa job description na magiinstall sa mga desktop. Naalala ko ang trabaho ko sa Land Bank. Naisip ko na baka sakaling sa trabahong ito ay magkaron ulit ako ng chansang makapagbyahe byahe. O kaya kung mataas ang sweldo ko ay magkaron ako ng sapat na pera para makapamasyal sa Europe kasi yun talaga ang pangarap ko sa buhay. Ang malibot ang buong mundo.

Naisip ko din na seryosohin na ang pagaapply ng migration sa New Zealand. Balak ko nga na mag-aral para sa IELTS exam at makapasa bago matapos ang taong ito at kumuha ng Masteral ng IT sa La Salle sa 2013.

Kaso sa pagkakandarapa kong makaalis ng bansa ay natisod ako sa isang blog entry mula sa mas bata kong sarili. Saktong dalawang taon na ang nakakalipas ay naisulat ko ito:

June 12, 2010

At kahit marumi na ang pangmasang imahen ni Sharon Cuneta at pati na rin ni KC Concepcion. Tama nga naman, dahil kagaya ng kaligayahan, ang kalayaan ay para sa lahat ng mga taong pumipili dito. 

Alam naman nating lahat na alipin tayo ng iba't ibang ehemplo ng lipunan pero nasa sa atin kung pipiliin ba nating tayuan ng DMCI homes ang ating mga puntod o umalpas sa kamangmangan at kahirapan na ipinamana sa atin ng nakaraan henerasyon.

Hindi ko alam kung saan nangggaling yung mga ideya ko sa huling paragraph. Kung paanong ang paghahanap ng trabaho sa ibang bansa ay napunta sa DMCI homes pero ang alam ko, panalo talaga dapat si Pacquiao laban kay Bradley.

John Robert Powers

John Robert Powers will help me become a better person.

That is how I saw JRP ever since I've heard it from some movie or tv commercial. I actually can't remember the first time I've heard of this institution and the wonders it could do to change your personality but since that day, I thought to myself that this is what I need.

Years passed in my life, living in introversion, until that fatal day when I finally had the guts and money to enroll at JRP. And by money, I mean MONEY. It is an insane amount but oh well, this is what thought I need to be a better person.

And at last, here it is! I could finally be who I want to be, someone confident, vocal, and strong. Someone who could say what they feel and not be guilty about it, and someone who doesn't care what other people thinks.

My schedule for JRP is two hour sessions twice a week. Week after week I religiously attended my classes hoping for a good result but what suppose to be magical moments are.. um.. nothing. 

I actually feel unhappy before and after my sessions 'cause its like I have to put on a mask during the session. Plus, the idea of people telling you what to do so that other people could stop telling you what to do doesn't make sense.

For most of the times I attended my classes in JRP, I felt something is wrong and it is not what I had expected it to be. Unlike how it was marketed, JRP is not a fairy and it couldn't just wave its wand to instantly make you someone better. 

In the end it is really up to me, if I am going to change for what I thought is the better me. And my opinion is paying someone a little less than a hundred thousand pesos just for something that will depend on myself is not a good idea.

Just today, I watched the Feast that was led by Bro. Bo Sanchez and he mentioned that we should stop living life under a cookie cutter. Because if we do, we will just live in pain. He said that the Creator made us who we are for a purpose. And instead of trying to change who we are for what we think is socially better, we should exert our effort in trying to find our purpose. And with those words, JRP is what instantly came to my mind. 

I am sure JRP had made other people's lives better 'cause it wouldn't be where it is now if not for that but I guess my own personal reason for applying at JRP is wrong. JRP is not what I need. Actually, being someone else other than who I am is probably not what I need. 

And as what Bro. Bo said, if you are quiet, continue to be quiet 'cause The Creator made that way for a purpose.

Pagbawi

Ang aking pagkatao ay kay tagal ring nawala

Pagkat nilamon ng banyagang wika ang aking dila

Mga huwad na damdamin at hilaw na salita

Ang siyang tumalima sa aking diwa

Subali't ngayon ay aking ng binabawi

Ang adhika at ritmo nitong aking lahi

Tama na ang pakikibagay at pagkukunwari

Wagas na damdamin ay akin ng isisipi

Sakae Sushi and the Newlyweds

It has been a year and a half since I quit my first job and moved on to a new one. Even though I was able to travel to different parts of the country, my main reason for quitting is that I do not see myself being what my bosses are 10 years from now. I am willing to take more risks and exert more effort for my career. But if there is one thing I am grateful for in being a contractual Computer Operator in LandBank, it's that I am able to build friendships with different people from various parts of the country. 
Some of which are my Land Bank friends that I met when I last visited Davao. 

Sir Vincent from Bansalan branch and Mam Elaine from Digos branch, they just got married and they visited Manila for their honeymoon. When I was in Davao, they accommodated me well so I thought I'd return the favor. I treated them in Sakae Sushi in Robinson's Ermita together with my other teammates in Land Bank Wide Area Network (WAN) Team that I haven't seen in a while.

I thought I'd take them there 'cause for sure there are no sushi-all-you-can with a fancy conveyor in Davao and now, this blog post will turn from friendship appreciation post to a food review.

The food in Sakae Sushi is awful. The maki and sushi tastes bland. The only thing that we liked is the crab stick. Other than that, the 399 Php is an effin waste of money. All the six of us did not enjoy the food. We should have eaten in Racks which is just beside it, but oh well, at least now we know never to eat there again. We just chit chatted our dismay away and good thing, we are still able to smile and have our picture taken with their overpriced food. 

The photo above was taken after we are done forcing ourselves to take in the sushis and makis. Notice that there are only few empty plates in our table, considering that there are six of us. We just washed out the weird taste in our tongues at the nearby Starbucks. After all, there is nothing that good coffee and a mindless conversation can't make up for..

My Highschool Yearbook Dream

I was going through some old stuff and then I came across my dusty high school yearbook. I don't like looking at it because I look weird in my picture (yes, that is adolescent insecurity talking right there). Even if I probably had a fun high school life, there is really nothing special there for me to look back to. And by the previous sentence I mean, I had a lot of friends but no romantic puppy love relationships.

I was the class clown, I am everybody's friend and I let everyone copy my assignment. It was a nice position to hold because I think most people likes it when I am around. Although I can't say that I have really close friends that I could turn too when I am not smiling anymore or maybe I just don't want to let anyone break through my wall back then.. 

Well, yeah, this is my yearbook picture with my address, my ambition, my  current achievements and my motto in life. After 9 years, I just realized how the editor fucking messed up my ambition and my motto to match my already messed up face.. XD


Correct Ambition: To make a useful and meaningful difference
Correct Motto: You'll learn more about a road by traveling it rather than consulting all the maps in the world 

Boys and Voice

I am not a hipster but If I am going to pretend I am, I'd say that the Scottish accent is the dubstep of all the world's accent. 

I recently had this CVOICE (Implementing Cisco Voice Communications and QoS) training and Neil Anderson served as our instructor. He is from Aberdeen, Scottland and ooohhh boy, he has an orgasmic way of speaking. Aside from that, he is a CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) in Voice (highest certification for a Cisco voice professional), he has multiple tattoos and he is crazy enough to quit his job once in his life to travel/backpack.
Sounds like my kind of guy.
But oh well, too much for wishful thinking, he has been married twice with a couple of kids so I don't think I stand a chance even if its just for one night *wink wink*.

He did this though and it puts a smile on my face every time I stare at this picture.

Conquering Makati

Makati. Say that word to me and expect a frown or a "the-hell-I-care" look. I don't know why but I hate Makati. I despise it. It intimidates me and the people walking its streets appear to wear really tight underwear on a daily basis. 

So yeah, I got scheduled for an interview at a company in the 39th floor of RCBC Plaza Tower 2. My usual reaction for interviews in Makati would be to have it scheduled and then argue with my self and make up a logical excuse for me not to go. But this time I thought, "What the heck, wearing a tight underwear for a day prolly wont hurt."

It is the highest  that I have been on a man-made structure. I am afraid of heights but the view of Makati and its bright lights at 9:30 pm is fascinating.

Too bad I don't have an iPhone (or a camera phone for that matter) but the view is perfect for Instagram and would prolly get a lot of like in Facebook.

The interview did not go well because the position I am applying for and my job experience are not very much similar and my asking price is as high as the floor level that I am in.

It wasn't a waste of time though because ADP has good reading materials. I learned a couple of things about leadership and menopause with the magazines in their waiting area. I also learned to Never Give Up on My Dreams (except that of being a supermodel). Another thing I learned is that reality is a bitter pill that you have to swallow or else, you'll die in delusion.