Really Looking Forward

to this:

The Korean version of Meteor Garden (Taiwan) or Hana Yori Dango (Japan) - Boys Before Flowers.  Series starts airing at KBS on January 5, 2009.   Hopefully, this will lure me back to watching kdramas, 

Twilight in Baguio

Tuesday, November 25 - While going over the trainer's guide of the Corruption Prevention Seminar and preparing to deliver the last Module, I got an SMS from Ate Maris.  She's requesting that I proceed to Baguio after the Calasiao conducts.  Forgot about the JICA meeting scheduled on Friday and just texted back telling her - yes, I can go there alone and join the local trainer. 
Last trip to the city was 6 years ago with Cecille.  Got treated to another round of BIR regional "hospitality."  This time , kinda easier for me to decline as I made clear to everybody that I can very well take care of myself and that a bed for the night is all that I really need. 
I explored the city on my own and found myself on the view deck of SM Baguio.  Decided to watch Twilight at Cinema 4.  Really had fun with the movie.  I mean, Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen is COOL and BEAUTIFUL as every protagonist vampire should be.  Forget about the Bella girl.  The guy can carry the whole movie on his own.  I don't mind the screaming and sighing that accompanied his first scene appearance or just about every time he smiles or brood or whatever.....
After the movie, I checked out National Bookstore - a lot of us are asking for the books on the series - sold out as the store attendant patiently answered the college girl and some foreigners.  Then went out and took a picture of Baguio enveloped by smog in an afternoon.  Strolled along session road thinking to myself - I feel at home walking in the terrain, maybe reminding me of Kobe.  Then I got pushed by someone at the back and didn't even hear an apology; saw all these litter piled up in some street corner or just walking along the road and the confusing way people and cars navigate their way through the streets - I'm taking back the comparison.  Had dinner at one of those cafes that ironically sell Chinese food.  Walked some more and convinced myself that I don't need anything vintage for my wardrobe.  Saw this internet cafe charging 15 pesos per hour and stayed there until 9 p.m.  By the time I head back to my room, I was ready to read again my modules - need to get ready for another set of Ilocano speaking participants. 
Strange, most people feel alienated or alone in a city.  I don't - I love the idea of being anonymous and insignificant. 

Sunset in Manaoag, Pangasinan (visit to Revenue Region 1 - Calasiao)

After a whole week of training on Public Relations with two professors from the National Tax College of Japan, I really looked forward to getting out of the National Office.  Mary, Melissa, Mina and just about anybody I talked to or chatted with during that week know how frustrated I was - participants arriving late, guest of honors arriving VERY late or not at all; mobile phones ringing in the middle of the conduct - just about all the "DAME" things imaginable. 
So, I really grabbed the chance when Ate Maris of TDD told me that all the trainers for RR 1 on Corruption Prevention Seminar that I helped developed the materials are backing out.  I said, "Yes!" without even thinking.  Then Saturday, I thought, "Gee, maybe every body's backing out because there's nothing to see in Calasiao, Pangasinan..." 
Turned out there's too much to see and practices to learn in the BIR's regional offices.  Kinda made me re-think about going out again and leaving the safety confines of TMD at the national office.  Not that I was treated badly - in fact I got a very good treatment that made me ask questions as a writer and developer of the training modules, like - How far can you really stay out of the system?  If shades of white and black are clearly defined, how come things can get to be so grey?  Is everything really going to end in futility? 
All those questions  were forgotten as I requested Mike, a Revenue Officer - Assessment and one of my participants, to stop his car so that I can capture this scene.  Going back to my hotel room, I assured him that he doesn't need to make fuss on the "pasalubong's" that they have to give me when I get back.  I assured him that this gorgeous sunset is all I need.  Within the span of one week, I have turned declining offers into an art. 

McCain's concession speech

I thought of posting something about Obama's historic win.  But settled for highlighting McCain's reaction.  I specifically highlighted two portions that moved me.  To be able to recognize that Obama's win is bittersweet; giving credit to the person who raise America's 44th president.  Lastly, to acknowledge that running for the highest office is a privilege and both the winner and the loser of any election are ultimately their nation's servants. 

Thank you. Thank you, my friends. Thank you for coming here on this beautiful Arizona evening.
My friends, we have -- we have come to the end of a long journey. The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly.
A little while ago, I had the honor of calling Senator Barack Obama to congratulate him.
To congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love.
In a contest as long and difficult as this campaign has been, his success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance. But that he managed to do so by inspiring the hopes of so many millions of Americans who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president is something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving.
This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight.
I've always believed that America offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it. Senator Obama believes that, too.
But we both recognize that, though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation's reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound.
A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt's invitation of Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage in many quarters.
America today is a world away from the cruel and frightful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States.
Let there be no reason now for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on Earth.
Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country. I applaud him for it, and offer him my sincere sympathy that his beloved grandmother did not live to see this day. Though our faith assures us she is at rest in the presence of her creator and so very proud of the good man she helped raise.
Senator Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed. No doubt many of those differences remain.
These are difficult times for our country. And I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.
I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.
Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that.
It is natural. It's natural, tonight, to feel some disappointment. But tomorrow, we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again.
We fought -- we fought as hard as we could. And though we feel short, the failure is mine, not yours.
I am so deeply grateful to all of you for the great honor of your support and for all you have done for me. I wish the outcome had been different, my friends.
The road was a difficult one from the outset, but your support and friendship never wavered. I cannot adequately express how deeply indebted I am to you.
I'm especially grateful to my wife, Cindy, my children, my dear mother...
... my dear mother and all my family, and to the many old and dear friends who have stood by my side through the many ups and downs of this long campaign.
I have always been a fortunate man, and never more so for the love and encouragement you have given me.
You know, campaigns are often harder on a candidate's family than on the candidate, and that's been true in this campaign.
All I can offer in compensation is my love and gratitude and the promise of more peaceful years ahead.
I am also -- I am also, of course, very thankful to Governor Sarah Palin, one of the best campaigners I've ever seen...
... one of the best campaigners I have ever seen, and an impressive new voice in our party for reform and the principles that have always been our greatest strength...
... her husband Todd and their five beautiful children...
... for their tireless dedication to our cause, and the courage and grace they showed in the rough and tumble of a presidential campaign.
We can all look forward with great interest to her future service to Alaska, the Republican Party and our country.
To all my campaign comrades, from Rick Davis and Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter, to every last volunteer who fought so hard and valiantly, month after month, in what at times seemed to be the most challenged campaign in modern times, thank you so much. A lost election will never mean more to me than the privilege of your faith and friendship.
I don't know -- I don't know what more we could have done to try to win this election. I'll leave that to others to determine. Every candidate makes mistakes, and I'm sure I made my share of them. But I won't spend a moment of the future regretting what might have been.
This campaign was and will remain the great honor of my life, and my heart is filled with nothing but gratitude for the experience and to the American people for giving me a fair hearing before deciding that Senator Obama and my old friend Senator Joe Biden should have the honor of leading us for the next four years.
I would not -- I would not be an American worthy of the name should I regret a fate that has allowed me the extraordinary privilege of serving this country for a half a century.
half a century.
Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much. And tonight, I remain her servant. That is blessing enough for anyone, and I thank the people of Arizona for it.
Tonight -- tonight, more than any night, I hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens, whether they supported me or Senator Obama -- whether they supported me or Senator Obama.
I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president. And I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties, but to believe, always, in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here.
Americans never quit. We never surrender.
We never hide from history. We make history.
Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America. Thank you all very much.

My pamangkins

Ipeng is excited to finally meet the new member - Mandy.  She's the baby in red with the pretty smile! 

Uniqlo in NYC

Before she leaves NYC - I asked her for an errand:  Look for this store and buy me a pair of their jeans.  Bad news though - they don't even know what size 55 means.  The store clerk told her they only have the equivalent of 24 inches and suggested that I be fed with lots of cheeseburgers,

Ipeng in NYC

Chasing her dreams....
She's been there since summer. 
She'll be leaving for London to join my brother and his family this winter. 
She promised to come back though - we both think it's such a big and open space!
She never photo-share during our chats.  Good thing I know her multiply and facebook sites.  I got this photo from from there. 

Too cute???

 

Got this pic from perez hilton's celebrity blog.  Pictures of kids playing in the park are really cute to start off but these two just happen to be the spawns of Spider Man (Tobey Macguire)  and Bush front man (Gavin Rossdale)!  Yep, introducing Kingston and Ruby.

The kind of person I want to be

I went back to the "Strong in the Wind" poem that i posted before I went on a trip.  It's been more than a month since and I've been back three weeks.  Still, aside from the photos I uploaded, I can not write anything about the trip.  I promised to write about travel tips on back packing through the three countries but felt overwhelmed with information that I want to share.  Besides, the fact that Lea and I did not include Laos in the trip kinda makes me feel a little uneasy, not sure why though.  Then got so busy at work - pretending that nothing happened since the trip was all hush-hush from my co-workers.  Until everybody was commenting on how dark my complexion has become after a supposedly "spiritual retreat in Davao" - wink, wink,  Been busy going through the FB entries of high school friends.  Suddenly got to reactivate my account and started checking my gmail account. 

I'll still try to write the travel tales in this site as I promised Lea.  More than the travel tips, I'd like to write about the characters we met, country impressions - those sort of stuff.  I'd like to write a blog entry that hopefully as Gem said in her FB message to me this morning - she'd instantly realized as written by "Martina."  

Come to think of it - I've been Monet too long.  All the while I even thought that the one maintaining this site is "Monet."  Then, I got Gem's message and she told me - it's still me - the Martina that she knew since first year high school.  

I went on a trip with Lea thinking that I'll discover the "kind of person that I want to be."  After leaving everything behind and coming back - I think I'm not even close to discovering.  But hey, I discovered that being friends with Lea for 23 years - there is more that I don't know about her - like she harbored secrets from me since high school and just shared them to me while we were having Highland Coffee in Ho Ci Minh.  That she's not really patient but very giving and considerate.  She looks very fit but has overly sensitive stomach and suffers from gastritis.  After, thinking that we're both perfect as friends and individuals - I learned that we can still  pretty much end up on a fist fight over a bus schedule and trip itinerary, like we almost did - she wants to go on a Mekong River Cruise while I want to just tour the city.  The best discovery is that this trip is not really about me - it is about my friendship with Lea.  

Angkor Temples, Cambodia 2008

After years and years of wanting, planning and dreaming of going to see the angkor temples - finally got to be there with Lea. We both dreamed of seeing the temples after graduating from college, ;).

Can't think much of how to describe this album but the feeling is akin to the runner finishing a race, the student publishing a thesis and the actor seeing the curtains down.

Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, 2008

Spent almost 4 days of our 10-day vacation in Cambodia. Looking back, the pictures turned out really nice. It's a country that makes you feel privileged that you live in Manila. At the same time, one can't helped but be amazed that despite the appalling road conditions and signs of poverty everywhere - the country has the angkor wat complex.

Tourism being one of the sources of economic wealth - one gets to really interact with the locals. I think more than the sites - I remember the grouchy guest house owner, the tuk-tuk driver and the taxi mafia touts at the poi pet border. Everywhere you go, you just feel privileged that more than the sights, you get to see the dichotomy of things and these make you appreciate the people living there more.

Ho Chi Minh, 2008

Last country in our 10-day trip. The bus ride from Siem Reap to this city lasted 12 hours (via Mekong Bus Company). Had a guide that gives us historical facts and points to interesting places along the 12-hour trip - barely can remember the facts - I was so tired from the Siem Reap-Angkor complex sight seeing that I chose to sleep the whole time.

Loved the city - Lea and I enjoyed their coffee! I kept on remembering Tranh Ha-san, Vietnamese batch mate from Kobe University, and how she thought me how to prepare an iced coffee or iced tea with milk and syrup. Even took some coasters from the Highlands Coffee shop and sampled the iced coffee sold on the side streets.

Aside from the food - pho, coffee, duck eggs and baguettes - Lea and I went around the city for a day and discovered their urban architecture - post office, notre dame cathedral, the opera, water puppets theatre, markets and their city parks.

Bangkok, 2008

Lea presented her paper on ground water vulnerability in the Philippines. It's a study of how ground water usage near an industrializing zone (Sta. Rosa, Laguna) is impacting on the lives of people in a local community - Pulong Sta. Cruz. I got to sit though the two-day conference with the hydro-geologists, geo-engineers and scientists from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Philippines, Indonesia and Japan. Even joined the group in their cement-factory tour in Thailand and wine tasting in a vineyard.

After the conference - Lea and I are off to Cambodia and Vietnam for our backpacking adventures then back to Khaosan Road for our taste of the Bangkok nightlife.

HR Forum 2008

Forgot the official title of this live-in seminar at Antipolo, sponsored by USAID and PAGC but this really served as the HR Forum for the year. All HR officials from the national office and the regional offices of the bureau got to exchanged ideas and present their programs.

Going Away, Leaving Everything and Coming Back....

Strong in the Rain

Strong in the rain Strong in the wind Strong against the summer heat and snow He is healthy and robust Free from desire He never loses his temper Nor the quiet smile on his lips He eats four go of unpolished rice Miso and a few vegetables a day He does not consider himself In whatever occurs . . . his understanding Comes from observation and experience And he never loses sight of things He lives in a little thatched-roof hut In a field in the shadows of a pine tree grove If there is a sick child in the east He goes there to nurse the child If there's a tired mother in the west He goes to her and carries her sheaves If someone is near death in the south He goes and says, "Don't be afraid" If there are strife and lawsuits in the north He demands that the people put an end to their pettiness He weeps at the time of drought He plods about at a loss during the cold summer Everyone calls him Blockhead No one sings his praises Or takes him to heart . . . That is the kind of person I want to be © "Strong in the Rain" by Kenji Miyazawa; translation © Roger Pulvers

Taken from today's issue of the Japan Times Online.  Hopefully, I can go back from this trip with a clearer picture of who I want to become...

Happy Birthday

July is almost coming to an end.  I've been meaning to post a birthday entry but can't seem to find the time  - I have to take on most of Ipeng's house hold tasks; am now doing both JICA and USAID-funded projects at the office and so on.... Lot's of excuses to put off this birthday blog entry.  To make things easier for me, I decided to post all the SMS birthday greetings I got (also mo make room for other incoming messages) - here they are:
Gracie:  Monet, lapit na birthday mo.  Advance, hbd na.  Baka malimutan ko.  Watch tayo Mama Mia!  Sa Sunday birthday mo diba?  Watch tayo.  Hanggang ngayon, di ko pa rin napapanood, almost contacted her for dinner last July 23 when I was in Makati for the USAID workshop on Corruption Prevention - kaya lang tinamad ako....
Tito Richard:  Happy Bday po mam c richard po i2.  so san po gimik mo nyan?  enjoy d rest of d day ok gandang umaga po.  So nk simba knb nyan ha ning binati knb ni dona h? Ang galang dito ni tito richard!  Hmmmm.... notice he called me ma'am sa first text, yung mga sumunod I'm back to Nining....
Nova:  Happy birthday! :)  Parang standard birthday greeting ko ito sa lahat, except this one may smiley after the exclamation point.  di ba maganda? 
Melissa:  Happy birthday girl!  Anong activities mo today? I can't remember how I answered this - pero definitely na celebrate na namin ang birthday ko with matching meeting with her mom and dad - genki family ito talaga - lot's and lot's of gulay sa diet....
Raul:  Happy birthday Monet!  Have fun on ur special day U -
Aileen:  Happy birthday martina! U - Para ring kay Nova at sa akin!
Janet:  Hi martina.  happy birthday! musta na? san k clebrate ng bday m0? wish u gud health, love n happiness in lyf. God bless!mwah. - May presento pa ako from her, ha.
Monettee:  I WISH YOU   perfect health, lots of care, love that never ends, peace of mind and all d wondrful things in LIFE. Hapi bday!
Gracie (again):  Hi monet, happy birthday.  I wish you more blessings and good health. Have a great day!
Juliet:  Happy birthday ate monet - juliet
Lea:  Hoy happy birthday!  San kainan?
Lea:  Happy birthday din daw sbi ni xenia!
Tita Romie:  HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY nkkgrit na rin c tita gerrie
Janie:  The FOUR BLESSED LOOKS:  - Look back & THANK GOD. - Look forward& TRUST GOD. - Look aound & SERVE GOD. - Look for within & FIND GOD.  Maligayang kaarawan ninang monet!
I got birthday cards from Ma'am Zen, Mama Nima, Tita Gay, Juliet and from the TMD staff; birthday hug from Tita Zen; a BHB e-mail from Roseller, another e-mail greetings from Ma'am Zen and a PM from Marge.  Will try to post them. 
Birthday card greetings ---
Juliet:  Ate Monet... Thanks for the gift of you.  May your birthday be as special as you are. stay blessed.  Salamat sa lahat-lahat... salamat sa pagiging matulungin, matyaga at mapagpacensya, mapagbigay, maintindihin, mapagparaya, mabait at palakaibigang bossing (sana lahat ng boss ay kagaya mo para magaan at masaya lagi ang pagtatrabaho).  Muli maligayang kaarawan - ha! mabait daw ako sabi ni juliet.  anyways, kung hindi ako mabait para sa kanya - malamang di na lang ako nito sulatan, ok na ang bati....
Ma'am Zen and family: To our dearest Monet, Happy birthday!  May God bless you with his gifts of good health, good love, lots of friends and happiness.  Enjoy your day! Love, Zen, Nelson, kalel & Kyra
Tita Gay:  Dearest Monet, May our Mother of Perpetual Help Guide and Protect You Today and Always.  Wish you love and happiness, Love, Tita Gay
Mama Nima:  Celebrating your with joy Have a wonderful year Happy birthday!  

Now, it's Miyazaki's turn

His last anime, Hauro no Ugoku Shiro, was released in 2004 (a year before I arrived in Japan).  His current anime, Gake no ue no Ponyo, is currently showing - almost a year after I left Japan.  Another  Japanese movie event that made me wished I'm back in Kobe.....  

Agence France-Presse - 7/19/2008 5:01 AM GMT

Animator Miyazaki's new film hits screens in Japan

Hayao Miyazaki's first full-length film in four years hit screens across Japan on Saturday, putting aside speculation that the Oscar-winning Japanese animator had made his last picture.
A 650-seat movie theatre at Tokyo's shopping and business district of Hibiya was filled with his fans, mostly children and their parents, to watch "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea," which the reclusive 67-year-old wrote and directed.
Inspired by the 19th-century fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, the story centres around a tiny fish-girl, Ponyo, who rides a jellyfish to escape her home in the sea.
She meets a five-year-old boy, Sosuke, who vows to protect her, but Ponyo is taken back to the sea. Desperate to be a human and live with Sosuke, Ponyo heads to land again with help from her sisters.
Miyazaki is one of Japan's biggest cultural exports. His last film, "Howl's Moving Castle," broke opening box office records at home in 2004 before winning a cult following in Western and Asian nations.
Miyazaki has said repeatedly in the past that he wants to retire.
The 2004 release of "Howl's Moving Castle" was met by speculation that it would be his last film, raising concerns in Japan for the future of the lucrative animation industry.
But "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea" has dampened such concern.
Miyazaki, who had used computer graphics since "Princess Mononoke" in 1997, decided to shun hi-tech effects in his latest picture.
Miyazaki's second to last film, "Spirited Away," won the Academy Award in 2003 for best animated feature, Japan's first Oscar for a full-length work in nearly half a century.

I'm definitely....

.... missing Kobe now.    Typhoon signal no. 3 is up over Metro Manila.  I did not bother to eat dinner last night or breakfast this morning.  I wanted to watch NHK but no cable signal - only the local channels are up.  So, here I am surfing the net - then i chanced upon this drama trailer - THERE IS A HANADAN MOVIE COMING OUT THIS SATURDAY.... I love this series - I'm watching it again at QTV as I only saw the 2 seasons raw.  i started wishing I'm back in Kobe and anticipating the release of the movie - very good reason to pay the 2000 yen ticket at 101 Cinemas in Blummer!   

Obama, Kimutaku and Me

I'm watching the new jdorama of Kimura Takuya (everytime I describe this guy to my sister, I tell her, "the guy in the vendo machine," for his pictures are all over Japan and mostly pasted on vendo machines).  For 2008 spring drama season in Japan and the much anticipated Monday, 9 pm drama on Fuji Terebi is showing Change, starring of course Mr. Gatsby.  At first, I thought of watching everything in raw like what I am doing with Absolute Boyfriend.  However, I keep having a hard time catching up with the show's level of Nihongo that I finally gave up and watched the subbed version.   So much for introduction. 
Change starts off with the death of a parliamentarian and his eldest son from Fukuoka Prefecture.  Kimura Takuya plays the role of Asakura Keita, the second son, forced to run for his father's seat in the by-election.  Eventually, he found himself thrust into the limelight.  As confluence of events and forces transformed this 35-year old rookie parliamentarian from a grade school teacher to Japan's youngest Prime Minister. 
The first episode did not really excite me.  I only continued to watch because Abe Hiroshi, the election strategist and the guy from Kekkon Dekinai Otoko, is a favorite.  Then, I got intrigued with the second episode and now, after watching episode three decides to write this blog entry. 
Maybe it has to do with the US Democratic Party's decision to field Obama as their candidate.  On the other hand, maybe it's just that I'm starting to really come into terms with my Kimutaku fascination.  Alright, I guess it's really the show's premise.  That a newbie can be Japan's Prime Minister when this country has the highest rate of increase in elderly population among developed countries.  Moreover, I was in Japan when Shinzo Abe was elected Prime Minister after Junichiro Koizumi and everyone was at first hopeful because of his youth and the continuation of reforms.  But shortly after a year he has to resign and be replaced by the very senior Yasuo Fukuda.  OR maybe at the back of my mind I'm really thinking into 2010 as I'm sure most Filipinos are - when GMA really has to go.   I guess, I am hoping that we too will have a Barack Obama spousing "change" and another Asakura Keita, starring in a Japanese political drama "Change."  The first one is real and palpable.  The second is fiction and surreal.  Then suddenly, these two got me thinking and hoping that we will be the third - our very own version of Obama and Asakura...

JICA Signing

I was sitting at the vacant chair

After nearly 3 months of delay, the Record of Discussion for the JICA-BIR Technical Cooperation on Human Resource Development was finally signed last May 28 at the Office of the Commissioner, BIR - National Office Bldg. Project duration is from 4Q of 2008 to 4thQ of 2010 and will cover development of training materials and nationwide training on Advance Audit Techniques and Public Relations Courses for Revenue Officers assigned at the bureau's Large Taxpayers Service (source of 69% of the country's total revenue collection) and Taxpayer Service.

There were no programme invitations, speeches or catered lunch - unlike the usual signing ceremonies. I even forgot to bring my digital camera. Good thing I was able to borrow one from a co-worker.

Atty. Janet's Thanksgiving Party

Got a call from Janet - she passed the bar exams! Been plotting and planning things with her since I came back from Japan....

For nobellaureate: this is me

 

The Melancholic / Phlegmatic

The melancholic-phlegmatic is tidier, more procedural and less flexible than the phlegmatic-melancholic. He may be slower to take on new projects, as the melancholic fear of new situations and tendency to perfectionism takes over. The double-dose of introversion, along with the melancholic tendency to negativity, makes it difficult for him to give compliments and make upbeat small talk. It also causes him to instinctively say “no” when he first hears a request. Others may perceive this as “snobbishness.” Unless the melancholic-phlegmatic is very comfortable, and is surrounded by understanding long-time friends, he may find himself somewhat isolated and alone, unable to warm up in a social gathering. He is less critical and less grudge-bearing than a pure melancholic or a melancholic-choleric. However, the tendency of the melancholic to dwell on things for a long time in their mind, combined with the sensitivity of the phlegmatic toward interpersonal relationships, can result in long-lasting hurts, an erosion of self-confidence and self-esteem, and even depression. Extremely sensitive and possessing a longing for the ideal (melancholic), they are also highly attentive to what others need or desire, through their phlegmatic aspect. This makes them more than usually susceptible to anxiety and a negative self-image
This temperament combination is highly driven to succeed—not for success’ sake alone, but because their melancholic nature is drawn to high ideals, and their phlegmatic side will have a strong desire to please. Thus, they are capable of long-range planning, organization, and attention to detail that makes them excellent and conscientious scholars. They are capable of pursuing highly idealistic goals, usually with long-term academic requirements, such as attaining their doctorate. They value their friendships, but can spend many hours alone reading or studying. They may have a tendency to hypochondria or to genuine physical weaknesses, as well as a tendency to timidity and anxiety, especially about new activities or ventures.
One melancholic-phlegmatic we know is highly organized, critical, slow, and dogmatically unforgiving, yet reveals her phlegmatic aspect in her intense discomfort with confrontation (unless she is very at ease among the warring members) and in her strong relationships with her friends. You wouldn’t guess that she is so devoted to her friends, however, because true to her melancholic nature she rarely initiates contact with them – they always have to call her first. A tendency to avoid the stresses of social interaction by spending overmuch time alone—whether in scholarly pursuits or reading for relaxation—is something that melancholic-phlegmatics need to watch out for.
If your temperament is melancholic-phlegmatic, for a better understanding of your temperament it is recommended that you read the full descriptions of the melancholic and phlegmatic.

Monettee-Deo Wedding

with mary aileen

Attended Monettee and Deo's wedding as one of the secondary sponsors. The wedding was held at the Twin Hearts of Mary and Jesus Parish in Quezon City last 08 March 2008. Ma'am Nora insisted on having my hair done and face made up, =)!

a thousand winds

Met up with my sensei last week at UCC Coffee Shop -  The Block, SM North.  I ordered the coffee jelly and while we were updating each other, he mentioned my thesis and the paper that I submitted to him.  He asked me about a reference material that I used and requested that I update the stats in my thesis.  He said, he would need them for a paper that he will write. 
The thing is, while searching for the reference materials that I promised I would forward to him - I checked with the books and academic stuff I brought from Japan in my balikbayan box.  I chanced upon the brochures I saved from our temple stay in Sapporo February last year and saw a copy of this poem - a thousand winds.  Hm mm..... this explains why I was so intrigued when I learned that the Oricon chart declared this the number 1 song in Japan for 2007.  The buddhist priest read it to us on our last day of temple stay - sen no kaze ni natte. 

Funny thing, how we have to be patient for questions that bother us. In time, when we are not even looking for the answer or even forgot our question - they will just come...   

Manual Revision Workshop in Tagaytay

January 2-4, 2008 - First work day of the year and I had to bring with me at work my ever dependable and reliable backpack. We stayed at Taal Vista Hotel for the revision of training materials to be used for the National Roll-out of Computerized System under the USAID's Millennium Challenge Project. I call this project - ITS Redux. We're at it again - 10 years after the bureau's Tax Computerization Project.....New project name but same old people, even training materials. A rehash project as I would have reported in Katayama Sensei's seminar class. But hey, at least I got to take pictures of the famed volcano and the the lake - active and designated as one of the 16 decade volcanoes.

Ading's 7th B-day Celeb

Visited Melissa last December 3 to celebrate Ading's birthday. Met her other family members; got to host the birthday party with the two clowns; and had my face painted with sponge bob character. Forgot to take pictures of her new home in Cut-Cut Executive Village, =(

We had our first picture together in the Philippines, from now on no more Japan sceneries in the background....

Tokyo, 070926-070928

Shinjuku, Roppongi, Akihabara and Narita, crammed the last two days of our two-year stay in Japan.