funny

my phone rings and i'm greeted with chuckles...

me: 'why?'

friend: 'i'm at a blackout sale...'

me: 'what do you mean? they have no power?'

friend: 'they have! i'm at <mall>... they just call it a blackout sale...'

me: 'oh... haha... sorry... sometimes i'm dim... anyway, why were you laughing?'

it turns out he sent me pics of him trying on stuff and he wanted my opinion on them...

he called me laughing i'm not sure whether because

-  he thought i was going to laugh at his pics so he jumped the gun on me

or

-  he found himself laughable on hindsight...

whichever...  it's always good to be able to laugh at yourself...  when people laugh at your expense, then lighten the joke by cashing in yourself...  ;"p

shake it up

group of students trying to synchronize the greeting they're capturing on video...

student 1:  '1, 2, 3...  go!'

student 2:  'it should be up to 4...'

think different...  ; )

hands off

at a convenience store... i was getting a bun from the hotdog steamer with tongs and the bun broke... the crew helped me get another one but when she pried the bun open to put in the hotdog, her thumb pressed on the bread...

me: 'oh, you touched the bread!'

crew: 'my hands are clean!'

me: 'even then... replace the bread, please...'

she did... but she wasn't happy about it...

i dunno whether i was asking too much...  but i've gotten bread and hotdog there numerous times and it never occurred to me to do it with my bare hands.... i'm the one who's going to eat yet i've always used the tongs... even when already eating, i try to keep the food within the wrapper... i won't mind though if i get to touch MY food... but if it's someone else, unless it's hand-pulled noodles, i'd rather not see their finger on my pie...


cue MC hammer...

"... can't touch this!"

;"p

sufficient

on queue at the cashier...

lady pointing to my bread: 'how much is that?'

me: 'aw... i don't know...'

lady: 'you should know what you're buying...'

me: 'haha... yeah... but this is just bread... it's 50% off [their breads go half-price at 9 p.m.]... it expires in 4 days... i'm sure it's a good buy...'

i don't need to know everything...

had i known

at a chips store...

me: 'don't you have standard pricing? this is only P600 at [bonifacio] high street... this one, P320... yours are higher...'

sales assistant: 'we have the same prices, ma'am... it's just that we had a price increase starting november 1 so the prices are higher now in all branches...'

me: 'november 1?! i was at high street october 29!'

wah!

i should have hoarded!

he he... ;"p

timing

at a store...

me: 'are you going to have a sale before christmas?'

staff: 'we just had a sale over the weekend, ma'am...'

me: 'last weekend?'

staff: 'yes, ma'am... halloween sale...'

me: 'halloween's tomorrow yet...'

staff: 'but the mall-wide sale was over the weekend, ma'am...'

me: 'mall-wide?! i'm here weekly! the time i don't come is the time you have your sale?!'

wah!

far-reaching

walking along glorietta 1... entered a home store...  i was about to check in in swarm when i noticed that their address in swarm is glorietta 3.

me: 'are you glorietta 3, not glorietta 1?'

staff: 'we're glorietta 4...'

me: '4? it says here 3... i was thinking 1...'

staff pointing outside: 'that part is glorietta 1... this entrance is 3 but our main entrance [pointing to the other end] is 4...'

me: 'hehe... not brewed [coffee], huh? 3 in 1...'

; p

a matter of taste

checking out cakes...

me:  'what's your bestseller?'

staff:  'the cherry tart...  whenever we have it, it quickly gets sold out...'

me:  'what's next?  i mean, what's your second top seller?'

staff:  'the assorted fruit tart...'

me:  'what's the third?'

staff:  'the blueberry cheesecake...'

me:  'hehe...  i've been waiting for you to mention the chocolate cake...  that's what i wanted to get...'

my preference just failed validation...  ;"p

haste

at a bank...

me to guard:  'don't you have...?'

guard cuts me off with, 'over there...'

me  'wow!  i haven't finished the question you already know the answer!'

guard smiles...

i go to the direction of his hand...  there on the corner were express assist machines...

i go back to the guard...

me:  'hehe...  not those...  i'm looking for expressonline machines...'

guard:  'oh...  we don't have that...'

hehe...

there is such a thing as too soon...  ; p

exterior

sister and i ordered gelato and started eating as soon as we were handed our cups...

suddenly i go: 'we forgot to take pictures!'

uhn, i like to take pics of food... non-food, too... anything and everything and anyone and everyone actually... :")

my sister then puts her empty cup on the counter and tells me i can take a pic of it...

hahaha... no thanks...

it's what's inside that matters...

misspelled

i saw a fairly new street sign that says Camarino on a road i've known as Camerino for as far back as i can remember.

my immediate reaction was that the street sign is wrong.
right after that, it was:  could what i (and the residents of the area) have known for decades be the one that was incorrect?

i googled.

given the other street names in the vicinity, i think the most probable Camerino was Casimiro Camerino. he led a revolt in Cavite in the 1860s against the land-grabbing of friars. the revolt is known in philippine history as the Camerino Revolt.

the street sign is installed very near the barangay office.  right under the nose of those who are supposed to keep order in the area.

better correct it, guys.

two for the road

craving 7-eleven's cheesy pepperdog last 'night'... i went to a nearby branch and was taken aback when the staff greeted me 'good morning'...

ahahaha... yup, it was almost 1 a.m.!
and guess what, they don't have cheesy pepperdog anymore ->  as in they haven't had such delivery in a long time...  : }

i had to settle for something else.  i usually have just one hotdog but this time i had two.  after finishing one i felt like i wanted more and readily went for it thinking it would make the past midnight trip to the convenience store worth it...

craving satisfied, two for one...

burp... ;")

lookit

boarded a bus to the province... i was on the aisle seat... my seatmate pushed the window curtain forward stopping just several inches from his face... for me to see the view, i would have to see his face as well...

wahehe...

face it... ; p

ubiquitous

stopped by a town i've 'known' from as far back as i can remember but have not at all explored.

me to bus conductor: 'what's good here? where do you recommend i eat?"

bus conductor: 'jollibee...'

hehe... where i live there's a nearby road where there are five jollibees within an 850m stretch...

i traveled 97 kms to have more of the same?

[chicken] joy! ; D

invisible cost

loooong line at a brownies unlimited stall...

me to guard: 'excuse me, why is the line so long? what do they have?'

guard points to a sign:
as part of their 30th anniversary blowout,
they're selling a box of 4 brownies for P30
limited to one box per customer

me: 'wow! that's a big drop!'

[regular price is
P27 to P32 per brownie;
P85 for a box of four non-premium flavors]

guard points to the end of the line: 'you can join the queue...'

me: 'oh, no, thanks...'

it's a good price... but if i factor in the time i'll spend on the queue, it's not a good buy...

subjective

me to shop assistant: 'were you the one i talked to last time?'

shop assistant: 'no, ma'am...'

another assistant comes forward: 'it was i, ma'am...'

me: 'was it you?'

assistant 2: 'yes, ma'am...'

me: 'i seem to remember someone different...'

assistant 2: ''twas me, ma'am... i gave you a sample...'

me: 'the soap?'

assistant 2: 'yes, ma'am... i remember you.... you were wearing a sexy outfit...'

me: 'sexy?! i don't wear sexy!'

assistant 2: 'you were wearing a dress, ma'am...'

[i was wearing cropped pants this time.]

me: 'ay, yeah... i like dresses... which dress is that though?'

assistant 2: 'it was a long dress, ma'am... black and white...'

me: 'oh... that one?
[it's a loose mid-calf or even longer sleeveless dress... regular neckline... nothing revealing...]
that's not sexy at all!'

assistant 2: 'it looked sexy to me, ma'am...'

hehe...

sexy is in the eye of the beholder...

) . (

slim chance

there are certain flavors that, i dunno for what reason, i don't like. teriyaki, raisin, cinnamon, strawberry.

well, this evening i saw a box of dunkin' donuts munckins at my parents' place. i picked one out hoping/expecting it's bavarian. guess what, it's strawberry!

how many munchkins are there in a box? what are the chances that i would get something i don't like?

sometimes a fat chance becomes kinda literally fat... ; p

no-frills

eating cake...

me: 'this is good! how much is it?'

reply: '<price>...'

me: 'oh... it's expensive... a slice of cake at UCC is only slightly higher... that's already UCC...'

reply: 'i think it's the packaging that made it expensive... when she ran out of containers, she sold the cake for only <price minus P100>...'

me: 'oh, hehe... next time forgo the container... we're not gonna eat it anyway...'

:"p

snooty

rushing to finish my food...  we're still going somewhere else and my friend has finished his...

me:  'tell me stories while i'm gulping this down...'  :"O

friend:  'what stories do i tell you?'

me:  'anything!'

friend:  'you might not be interested...'

me:  'i'll just listen while i eat...'

friend:  'if you talk about things other people can't relate to, they'll just shut off...'

me:  'don't tell me you're just gonna watch while i gobble...  pretend i'm your smartest student, what else are you gonna teach me?'

friend:  'you're already smart...  what else do i tell you?  keep it up!'

me:  'haha...  i thought you were gonna say, 'oh, c'mon!'...  okay, pretend i'm your dumbest student, what are you gonna tell me?'

friend:  'i won't talk to you!'

wah!

the time is now

i was at the supermarket and i was supposed to buy this ice cream flavor which i did not notice was already the lone stock.  i checked the freezer when i arrived.  the flavor was there.  since it's ice cream, however, i didn't get it right away.  i roamed the other aisles first.

guess what, when i went back to get the ice cream, the pint was gone.  i checked the other items in the freezer, there was no more of said flavor!  wah!

some things will not wait for you.  be careful what you postpone.

living a game

friend inviting me to dinner at this hotel...

me:  'does it have to be today?'

friend:  'not really...  why?  are you going somewhere?'

me:  'no...  but i was already at a hotel last night...  i've used my x3 hotel sticker...  if i go to a hotel now, i won't get bonus points anymore...  if i go next week, i'll get triple points...'

friend:  'swarm again?!'

haha...  yeah...  ;"p

why only now

dropped my sister off at the office yesterday... then decided to stop by this restaurant nearby...

so the parking attendant guided me to this tight spot and after i've squeezed my car in, he asks: 'are you going to eat, ma'am?'

me: 'yes...'

he goes: 'they open at 9:30...'

me: 'what?!'

it was only a few minutes past 8 a.m.!

wah!

me to parking attendant: 'you should have told me before i squeezed in...'

i backed off  ->  and did not give a tip...

fairly bad...  : }

make it double

eating out with a friend... after choosing our food, he asked what i want to drink...

me: 'just water...'

friend: 'don't you want juice?'

me: 'i try not to order drinks when i'm at a restaurant...'

friend: 'why?'

me: 'i like to get my drink someplace else... if i order it at the restaurant, that would be just one [swarm] check-in... if i order it at some other venue, that would be two check-ins...'

;"p

not the other way around

going to two banks across the street from each other...

i parked in one then told the guard:  'i'm crossing over to that bank but i'm coming back here...  i'm going to withdraw there for deposit in your bank...'

the guard chuckled...

fair enough...  ;")

get here

i was supposed to go somewhere this morning but when i arrived at the place, parking was full. i decided to just check out this other place within the compound.

when i got there, i wanted to check in in swarm but the venues were not yet created. i therefore went on to map them myself.

guess what, i asked maybe ten people for the names of the streets in front of and beside the venue and not a single one knew! tenants, customers, uniformed personnel, civilians, regulars, passers-by, they all knew how to get to the place but they did not know the names of the streets bordering the venue.

i actually had a similar experience at araneta center. i've asked a dozen people (tenants, customers, guards (!)) what the name of the street between shopwise and SM is before i got someone who knew. and even then, he wanted me to confirm by looking for/at the street sign.  haha.  i myself have been going to the area for decades and yet never bothered to learn.

some things you really don't have to know.  the important thing is to get where you're going.

beyond existence

shirt print...

"Lazy Rule:
Can't reach it.
Don't need it."

wahaha... easy way out...

"Life begins at the end of your confort zone."

live.

not meant to be

at the car wash a little past 9 p.m. (they're open until 10:00 p.m.)... i saw the barbeque stall i first saw two months ago still open...

me: 'oh... you're still open... i've been coming here, i don't see you...'

vendor: 'i open around 4:00...'

me: 'oh? but last month i was here late, too, you weren't around...'

vendor: 'maybe i attended to something...'

me: 'oh... ok... you're still grilling?'

vendor: 'no more barbecue left... i'm cleaning up...'

me: 'oh... what time will you open tomorrow?'

vendor: 'i won't be selling tomorrow... i need to wash our clothes...'

hehe...  ok... i'll just have pizza... ; p

notch higher

telling a friend i just might hit 3,000 points 3 weeks in a row in swarm...

me: 'i already have 2,400 something points and there's still one day to go... i still have so many x3 stickers...'

friend: 'how would you feel if you don't do swarm?'

me: 'oh, ok!  i don't do swarm everyday... i try to schedule all my outings together so i don't go out everyday... the only times i do is when i'm running errands for someone else...'

i'll be happy even without swarm...
but definitely i'm happier with it... ; )

prepare

there's this check-in app that i use. it's a gamified lifelog. you check in at places that you go to and, aside from keeping track of these places for you, it also awards you points for your check-ins.

the more check-ins you have within a certain venue, the more points you get. i've lost so many points before because the venues i visited did not have the parent venue specified.

today, therefore, before i left the house, i checked the venues i was visiting and supplied the parent venues for those that did not have the said info.   (i am a superuser and have some edit privileges.)  well, i got full points... yay!

it pays to check...  : )

teacher

happy world teachers day... : )

special thanks to all my teachers, in school and out...  :")

my fave teacher quotes:

"Teaching is the mother of all professions."

"To teach is to learn twice."

more power...

more patience...  ; )

drop it

sister: 'where's Landers?'

me: 'the nearest is ArcoVia...'

sister: 'where's ArcoVia?'

me: 'from Pasig, along C5, you enter this street, before Calle Industria...'
-> wahaha...  waaaayyyy before!  misleading info...  sorry...  i dunno why for some reason that's the street that entered my mind...  :"}

sister starts to chuckle: 'where's Calle Industria?'

hehe... just go to AllDay... ; p

moment

my mom asked me to buy lunch for her and her friends...  they gave me their Senior Citizen cards.  when my companion and i presented them to the cashier, she asked whether we are the seniors...  wahaha...  toinks!!!

specialty

went to Bulalohan sa España... we were supposed to get lunch for my mom and her friends (us, too)...

i asked my companion to choose the viand as it's their 'territory'... it was my first time there... i rarely go to the area...

she ordered chicken liver and a vegetable dish...

me: 'aren't we getting bulalo?'

she goes: 'you want?'

me: 'yeah... it's in their name... let's try what they"re known for...'

show me what you've got...  ; )

had i known

i was at a mall and a young lady invited me to join the mall's promotion.

you'd have to follow the mall on twitter.
tweet what you want for christmas tagging the mall in the tweet.
then you'd be given your choice of voucher:
a session in this gym
or
a P100 gift check for this store.

i followed, tweeted, tagged then opted for the gift check.

i was so happy... : )

and then another customer stopped by. she, too, was invited by the promo staff to tweet what she wants for christmas.

the customer asked: 'can i ask for a boyfriend?'

i chuckled: 'why not? i asked for good health for me and my loved ones...'

the promo staff replied: 'when you win, the mall will give you what you tweeted...'

me: 'what?! i just asked for cake and ice cream!'

my tweet:
"good health for me and my loved ones
cake and ice cream, too"

:O

hawthorne

last sunday, for the first time ever in my 8-year history of using foursquareswarm, i hit 3,000 points in one week. that one was unexpected.  four-and-a-half hours before the leaderboard's close, i was surprised to find that i needed only 25 more points to reach 3,000 so i went for it.

well, this week was deliberate. i planned my check-ins, haha... i listed down all the categories i have to go to then ticked them off one by one. it worked! i'm finishing with 3,114 points this week. last week it was 3,072.

both times i still had plenty of unused level 3 stickers.

i just realized that i could hit 3,000 weekly (more, actually) if i planned it.  but maybe twice in a row is enough.

i want the log to reflect my life. not for my life to be driven by the points.

i have 38 streaks right now. some i sustained for the fun of it. some are streaks that really reflect my days.

pizza, i'll keep you.
car wash, i'll drop.

;")

outnumbered

entered a shoe store... on the wall in big letters was:
"IRRESISTABLE
STYLE,
ADDICTIVE
SUPPORT"

me to saleslady: 'miss, wrong spelling... should be 'irresistible' not 'irresistable'...'

saleslady looks at the wall then to me then doesn't say anything...

me: 'tell your office there's a typo in what's on your wall...'

another customer looks...

i tell her: 'that should be I not A...'

she reads it aloud: 'irresistable... irresistable...'
then adds: 'it's correct.'

wah!

extra

requested a friend to download the latest ubuntu for me...

friend: 'why?'

me: 'i'm going to upgrade mine but my connection's slow...'

friend: 'where did you install ubuntu?'

me: 'my laptop... but not dual boot...'

friend: 'what entered your mind that you had to convert your laptop to ubuntu?!'

me: 'i did not convert...  i still have windows...  but not dual boot...  on separate disks...  i had spare disks and i wanted to use them so i installed ubuntu on one...  if i want windows, i'd plug the windows disk...  if i want ubuntu, i'd plug the ubuntu disk...'

i'd like to think i just gave myself an extra OS...  maybe though i just inflicted on myself extra effort...  :"}

the more, the many-er...  ; p

innovation

i was browsing an e-commerce site and saw the item "adjustable skipping jumping rope with auto-counter."

oh, wow...

i remember we used to play jumping rope in childhood. part of the fun was simultaneously counting aloud with your playmates.

oh, well... that was in my time... ;")

innovate or stagnate...

like it or not

i was at a supermarket hunched over one of the ice cream freezers when three young ladies walked over also looking for ice cream.  they wanted the cadbury but could not decide on the flavor.

i butted in:  'i prefer the caramel...'

one immediately blurted out:  'i don't like sweet!'

the other responded, 'then let's take the vanilla...'

the third went, 'vanilla?!  that's white!  we're getting cadbury because we want chocolate...  why get something that's white?!'

so there they were going back and forth, having a good-natured argument, and finally i decided to butt in again.  (they were right beside me.)

me:  'you want chocolate brand ice cream?  over there, that freezer has heath and whoppers...'

they didn't know where it was so i walked them over.  well, guess what, this time they could not decide because they wanted both flavors.

hahaha...

all or nothing of a different kind...

; )

our tribe

there's this check-in / lifelog app that i use, swarm, and it has weekly leaderboards and venue mayorships.

you get points for checking in to venues and these points determine your ranking in the leaderboard.

if you're the one with the most number of check-ins in a venue for the last 30 days, you become virtual mayor of the venue.

leaderboards, you compete only with your friends in the app.

mayorships, you compete with everyone using the app, be they friends or strangers.

i've consistently been topping my leaderboards lately. i even got 3,072 points last week, the first time ever that i hit 3,000 in a week in my 8-year usage of the app. (you used to check in to foursquare before it spun off swarm in 2014.)

but i also just lost four mayorships in a span of eight days.
(i have 168 mayorships right now.)

i get happy whenever i become mayor.
but it makes me smile, too, whenever someone dethrones me as mayor.
it's a concrete example that there are others out there also using the app. i hope they derive as much joy from it as i do... : )

utilitarian

friend egging me to watch the movie 'the hows of us'...

me: 'why?'

friend: 'i asked a friend to watch it and she cried and cried...'

me: 'ngek! i don't want to cry...'

my tears readily flow in movies, my sister finds it hilarious, wahaha...  she'd be composed and all and there i'd be crying a river... :"}

movies that tug at heartstrings are therefore not something i'd actively seek out... well, unless there's something that needs to be dislodged in my eye in which case tears are welcome...

'lorem ipsum dolor...

and i don't mean that as a filler...

; p

record

i've been using foursquare / swarm for eight years... my first check-in was at dad's-kamayan-saisaki on september 4, 2010 -> yup, swarm tells me that... it's a lifelog... : )

i used to get less than a hundred points each week... then it rose to the 600s... then a thousand... then 2,000 per week... well, today, i'm finishing with 3,072 points for the week! my highest weekly finish so far!

i was already home and have just uploaded venue pics when i noticed that i already had 2,975 points.  wow!  just 25 more to 3,000!

the weekly leaderboard closes sunday midnight.  i still had plenty of time.

i checked my stickers looking for one with a multiplier of 3.  (it triples the points you get for a check-in.)  i still had many that were unused!  maybe i could have hit 4,000 had i used all of them, hehe...  anyway, i decided to go to honeybon cafe  ->  they have cakes and, uhm, they have my name.  with that check-in, i hit 3,000...

i'm sooo happy!!!  : D

i'm sleeping with a BIG smile tonight...  :")

#SimpleJoys

us and them

parents and sister going out...

sister 2:  'you go with mom...  they're going out later than <sister>...'

me:  'they don't have swarm...  i prefer to go with <sister>...  we can check in together and get additional points...'

;"p

it shows

checking out stuff...

me:  'do you have this in blue?'

saleslady:  'no, ma'am...'

me:  'aw...  my favorite color's blue...'

saleslady:  'yes, ma'am...  your slippers are blue...  your power bank is blue...'

me:  'oh...  haha...  i have proof!'

: )

a simple question

talking youtube vids...

friend: 'where do you watch?'

me: 'usually on my phone... sometimes on my laptop...'

friend: 'no... where? what channel!'

oh... hehe... we're not great minds... ;"p

Someone is, actually

an uncle's first death anniversary... we were waiting for the priest who will officiate the mass...

i went near the altar to take a pic of the table where my uncle's photo was displayed... i noticed that the candles still had store labels so i rotated them so that the plain side would be the one in front...

i took a couple of pics then walked back to my seat...

was i surprised when my cousin (my late uncle's daughter) so appreciatively thanked me 'for rotating the candles because the price tags show.'

oh... i thought they were all busy chatting... i didn't even think anyone saw what i did... it was very quick and these were just small votive candles... yet it did not go unnoticed...

i wonder what people would do differently if they knew someone was watching...

space

there's this check in app i've been using since 2010 but only in March of this year did i really start posting photos there...

initially because i wanted to show the venue and the food for this event i was hosting,

subsequently because i wanted my new friend from miles away to have an idea what on earth these places that appear on his feed are (haha... presumptuous of me to think he'd wonder),

eventually, so venues would have the kind of photos that i myself would like to see when i drill down, i.e., i want to see how the place looks like...

a lot of the pics i've been posting are far from how i'd like them to be though... i'm currently in phase 1 of my take-a-pic 'project' and it involves taking a pic of the exterior... well, i just realized a lot of the places i go to have glass walls and if i stood where i should to get the shot i'd like then i'd be reflected on the glass... : }

i therefore have been making do with 'non-reflective' shots....
and i've taken a lot of awkward-angled shots because i don't have space... i'd literally be against the wall or against the shelves or against whatever while taking a shot...

i've actually thought of a drone but i don't think you can just readily fly one inside a mall...

i've also thought of getting a wide angle lens for my phone (i don't usually use my camera because security might start questioning when they see you using any professional-looking cams for the store shots)... i haven't though because i don't really want to attach anything, even if only temporarily, to my phone...

maybe i really should just be more creative in finding space...

haha... that word again:
space
-> always reminds me of the joke:

boyfriend/girlfriend asking for a cool-off: "i need space."

retort: "what are you, an astronaut?!"

; p

no, it's not

i have late uploads in facebook...
 it's already september 2018
and i'm still uploading october 2016 pics...
(i've explained why in an earlier blog,
https://maria0cynthia.blogspot.com/2016/10/shooting-and-sharing.html)

so last week i uploaded a pic of me holding a cake with a happy birthday sign.
suddenly people started posting birthday greetings in the comment!

hahaha... thanks but it's not my birthday...

reminded me of the bruno mars song:

♩ ♪  it's my birthday
no, it's not  ♫ ♬

; p

gaming life

i walk over to my parents' place and learn that my sister is about to go to the mall.

me: 'wah! i should have known earlier!'

sister 2: 'you want to go with her? then go.'

me: 'i haven't showered yet... i'll be there later... but i would have preferred to go with her because she has swarm and that means an additional 15 points when we check in together.'

[5 points for being with a friend then i have x3 stickers so 15.

if i'm hanging out with two friends that's 5 points x 2 friends x 3.]

sister 2 looks at me funny.
[she doesn't have swarm.]

me: 'swarm promotes camaraderie, y'know... more friends equals more points... variety, too... you go to different places so you'll unlock more stickers...'

well, unless you want to level up your stickers or sustain streaks in which case you have more of the same...

variety = more stickers
more of the same = more points

either way you get rewarded...

what a pleasant game... <3

your world and mine

sister mentioned a name...

me: 'who's that?'

sister: 'she's a high-ranking executive of <tv network>...'

me: 'aw... i don't know her...'
(neither does she know me, haha)

sister: 'i watch tv so i know her...'

me: 'yeah... me, i just watch youtube... guess who i know now... kuku palad... dendi...'

and demon... and fly... and no.tail...  and cer.mike...

;")

back to you

friend:  'who were you with?'

me: 'not you...'

friend: 'what sort of answer is that?!'

me: 'what sort of question is that?'

; p

how long can you go

supposed to eat at KFC which i've been craving since last week...
(my sister actually brought a bucket home last saturday but monday my cravings were back, hehe)
at the last minute, i opted for pizza because i wanted to sustain my pizza streak in swarm... ;")

i now have an 11-week streak  ->  actually not that long compared to my pre-foursquare/swarm track record...
there was a 4-year period in my life when i was having pizza every weekend, sometimes even during weekdays...
i read somewhere that pizza is a complete meal
(haha, i know, i know, depends on the toppings)
so friday evening i'd buy a box of pizza and that would be my main meal for the weekend...
(my ref had nothing but cake, ice cream and/or chocs...  sometimes it would even have nothing but water, wahaha)
if i felt like eating something else, i'd go out (i didn't/don't cook) but the pizza would be there as my standby meal...
monday morning when i drive out to the office, i'd give whatever's left to the village guard...

if only i already had foursquare that time...  that would have been a monster streak...  ; p

on balance

friend:  'have you eaten?'

me:  'yes...'

friend:  'what did you have?'

me:  'bread and tuna...'

friend:  'i thought you were craving KFC...'

me:  'yeah...  but i didn't feel like going out so i just had tuna...'

friend:  'i could bring you KFC...'

me:  'you're so far!  i coud have it delivered instead...'

friend:  'oh, yes...'

me:  'but i prefer to have it in store...  i'm not a fan of deliveries...'

friend:  'then go to the store...  it's so near...'

me:  'i will...  once my desire to have KFC outweighs my inclination not to go out...'

some feelings are stronger than others...  ; p

not holding on

waiter gave me ice cream...

i walked over to our table
and when my cousin saw it
she asked where i got it...

i said it was handed to me but she could have it...
so give it to her i did...

then i went back to taking pics...

when i returned to our table, my cousin gave me ice cream...  :O
she said the waiter brought cups to our table
and she's giving me hers to replace the one i gave her earlier...

wow, thanks...  : D

just then our aunt came back to our table...
she saw my ice cream and asked where it came from...

i said it was given to me by <cousin> but she coud have it...
so give it to her i did...

twice i had ice cream and twice i lost it...

some things are not meant to be...

; p

past

me to cousin-in-law; 'up to when will you be here?'

cousin-in-law: '<date>...'

me: '<date>? wait... is that my wedding anniversary?'

mom: 'look at you... how come you don't remember?'

me: 'mom, we've been separated for so long now it's understandable if i don't remember... but at least the date rang a bell...'

;")

just kidding

asked a friend whether i could order something online using his account.

he said yes.

so order i did.

then i saw in the status that the item has been delivered.

i asked my friend whether he has received it.

his reply?
'yes. i've used it. thanks for the gift. muahhh'

me: 'waaahhh!!! that's mine. you used it? do you cook?'

friend: 'just kidding. it's at the office. hehehehe'

whew!

hehehehe... ;")

restricted

my mom tells me my ex sent her a message (just a forwarded one)...
then she adds he only has two friends in facebook...

me:  'he has more than that...'

mom:  'oh, i mean mutual friends...'

me:  'we're fb friends, too...  did you see me?'

just because you don't see something does not mean it isn't there...

good call

i was supposed to drive an aunt to the bank today...
(nope, i'm not a driver by profession
but you could request me to drive you around,
in my car, on my gas,
if i love you or i can't say no to you, hehe...
my aunt, i definitely love... <3 <3 <3 )

they requested me to do it last sunday...

i said yes and told them to choose the day and time,
just not on a tuesday because my car is coding on that day,
i.e., it's supposed to be off the road 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
under the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP).

they chose wednesday...

i said yes right away
then remembered i have an event probably on the same night...

i backtracked then said i'll check then get back to them...

i confirmed the event is on the same day...  :O

i was sort of agonizing
whether i should move my aunt to the following day
or just have both early morning and late night activities
on wednesday.
if it were someone else i'd easily postpone, hehe
but this is my specially beloved aunt, the oldest in our clan.
it's not that easy.

nevertheless, i thought it's best to prioritize safety.
i don't want to risk being sleepy on the wheel should the event finish late.
i therefore called my cousin and told him i'll just drive them to the bank thursday instead of wednesday.
he said ok.

guess what, this morning, i've set my alarm and all because i was supposed to be at their house 8 a.m. and i take an hour in the shower, blah, blah, blah, when i receive a text message from my mom telling me my cousin called saying the bank has delivered my aunt's card the night before and there is no need to go to the bank.

yay!

when you have your priorities right, everything falls into place...  : )

it's complicated

so i was trying to deposit a crossed check issued under my maiden name to my bank account that already has my married name.

i had three government-issued IDs showing my complete name:  my first names, my maiden surname, my married surname.

i first went to this bank branch but they told me if i want to deposit it there, i would have to have the check replaced with one showing my married name.  if it's under my maiden name, i would have to go to my branch of account.

just go to my branch of account i did.

guess what, first i was told i would have to submit NSO documents, i.e., my birth certificate plus my marriage contract.

later that was changed to i would have to fill out this form and have it notarized.  the form was an affidavit stating that i am also known by this other name, which actually is my birth/maiden name.
the standard form actually scared me a bit because it said,
"I have applied for the financing services of <bank>..."

i told the manager it sounds as if i had taken out or will be taking out a loan.  i am simply depositing a check.
he said the financing services there refers to my depositing of the check.
really?  whoa!
oh, well, fill out the form i did then i had it notarized.

only after that was i able to deposit the check.

i never thought using your birth name after getting married would be so complicated...  : }

wrong time

friend:  'where are you?'

me:  '<place>...  i just came from <place 2>...'

friend:  'i'm going there!'

me:  'well, i've left...'

not meant to be...  ; p 

twisted

so the other half of this greedy, lying, illogical couple
(yes, i can support every single adjective
and i can make the statement under oath complete with proof)
texted my sister supposedly explaining certain things
and my sister told me the guy told her to show the message to me.

i told my sister if the message is for me then tell the guy to send it to me.

well, no message.

twice today i saw the guy and reminded him to messsage me whatever it was he wanted to tell me.

his reply?
we're not friends.
he means fb friends, i suppose.

when it comes to greed, when it comes to lies, when it comes to twisting logic,
this couple can come up with all sorts of things.
you'd be surprised at how their mind works.
something as simple as sending a message to a non-fb friend, they're stumped.

some people are clever at undesirable things
but dull when it comes to regular stuff.

appalling.

coming around

i've been sleeping late lately, uhm, early mornings actually, because of Dota...
nope, i don't play, never did...  i've just been binge-watching vids i don't even understand on youtube...  :O

it started when i chanced upon this spicy noodle challenge video...
(for years now i've been wanting to do the samyang fire noodle challenge but none of my friends are willing to take it with me : ( )
the demeanor of the girl through it all impressed me...  she was so sweet and quiet, stark contrast to the guy with her...
i love spicy food but if this really were spicy on a different level, i was thinking i myself would most likely be so noisy and hyper trying to finish the bowl...

then later i find out that the couple in the video were wil dasovich and alodia gosiengfiao...
wil was Influencer of the Year at the Influence Asia 2017 social media awards
and Vlogger of the Year at the 2018 Shorty Awards...
alodia is a cosplayer with more than 6 million followers on facebook...

so i was moving from video to video...
from wil, i got to alodia;
from alodia, i got to cer.mike;
from cer.mike, i got to shoutcasting;
from shoutcasting, i got to the The International 6 (TI6) Dota 2 Championships match
where the philippine team TnC scored a major upset over the european team OG,
the underdogs eliminating the odds favorites in day two of the six-day Main Event!

TnC subsequently lost to Digital Chaos (DC)
which ultimately placed second to TI6 champions, Wings Gaming.

the prize pool for TI6?
$20,770,460!
->  this was in 2016 and it was one of the biggest prize pools in eSports history at the time.

the champions Wings Gaming brought home $9,139,002.
second place DC, $3,427,126.
sevent place TnC, $519,262.
ninth place OG, $311,557.

i never thought Dota had such prize money!

to think i used to scold a friend (i've given up) for playing till the wee hours of the morning even during workdays.  he's not there for the money and i don't think he's competition caliber (wahaha, sorry!) but i could see how something like that could consume you.

i've checked the heroes and the abilities and the talents and the items and whoa!  information overload!
you're good at that, you are good!

i don't think i'll ever play the game but i must say i am now impressed, not just at the memory but at the strategy and teamwork of these gamers.
i get excited just listening to the shoutcast, what more if you're actually the one playing.

now i understand why
"Girlfriend is life but Dota is lifer."

seeds

a former officemate has written a book about his hometown, Pateros.  he's now writing another book about the neighboring city Taguig.

me:  'wow, Taguig!  i lived there even before market!market!, serendra and venice piazza were built...  do let me know once you finish the book...  then could you please write about Laguna, too?  that's my province...'

he says yes.

yay!!!

uhm...

me:  'wait!  i'm not gonna fund it, ok?'

he agrees, hehe...  :"D

after our get-together, our companion told me:  'you should be the one to write the Laguna book...  you're from there...'

me:  'Laguna?!  that's too big!  maybe Pakil...  but then i don't really know much about Pakil...'

friend:  'you write Pakil; i'll write Kalibo.'

me:  'oh?  for real?  okay, if you write [a book about] Kalibo, i'll write [a book about] Pakil...'

deal?
or no deal?

we'll see...
or won't.

;"p

rub it in

high occupancy vehicle (HOV) traffic scheme /driver-only car ban in effect at EDSA during rush hour.

friend:  'my driver told me there really was a reduction in the number of vehicles...'

me:  'yeah...  but look at us...  we're alone so we have to commute...  you do not have anyone; you cannot use your car...  double whammy...'

friend:  'i never thought of it that way...'

;"p

exception

friend: 'you want chocs?'

me: 'of course!'

friend: 'dark chocolate?'

me: 'i like milk... with nuts... i'm not a fan of dark and white...'

friend: 'oh... i was going to give you dark...'

me: 'haha... if it's free, dark's ok, too!'

;"p

because it's there

friend: 'what's your favorite pizza?'

me: 'bacon cheeseburger pizza... from pizza hut...'

friend: 'i thought <other pizza chain>...'

me: 'why?'

friend: 'you're always there...'

me: 'not always...'

friend: 'you go there often...'

me: 'it's not that... i frequent this other place and it's near so i pass by... if it weren't along the way i won't seek it out...'

some things you sweat out...
others you do only because it's convenient...

;"p

eye-opener

i brought my sister to an art gallery... it was her first time there and my fourth...

upon entering the door, i signed the guestbook then proceeded to the exhibit... my sister didn't follow me right away...

why?

i saw her dropping a bill in the donation box first...

wah!

i told her i suddenly felt ashamed of myself... i've been going there and i have yet to put something in the donation box...

bad... :"}

sounds like

brought my sister to a topiary garden...

sister: 'how come there are no birds here?'

me: 'birds?'

sister: 'oh, wait... that's aviary!'

hehe...

♩ ♪  let me tell ya 'bout the birds and the bees
and the flowers and the trees  ♫ ♬

; ")

do right

things that have happened have already happened. they cannot be undone.

the messages you sent don't suddenly disappear just because you die.

pictures and timestamps don't suddenly change just because you die.

the lies you told don't suddenly become truths just because you die.

the stories you fabricated don't suddenly become actual occurrences just because you die.

the greedy things you did don't suddenly become selfless acts just because you die.

wrongs don't suddenly become right just because you die.

instead of trying to suppress the truth, try instead to live in a way that you won't have to worry about being exposed, whether you live or die.

reliable source

checking out cakes...

me:  'don't you have the chocolate one with curls?'

crew:  'sold out, ma'am...'

me:  'i'm not yet buying now...  will you have it on monday?'

crew:  'no, ma'am...'

me:  'how do you know?  that's still so many days away...'

crew:  'i'm the one who orders our cakes, ma'am...'

oh...  credible!

\m/

cannot be

bumped into a former officemate in front of this beauty shop...  the staff offered her a soap sample...

me to staff:  'show her your salt room...'

officemate:  'what's that?'

me:  'the walls are salt...  the floor is salt...  they give you a facial there...'

officemate:  'so that's why your skin is nice...  that's what you do...'

me:  'hahaha...  what are you talking about?  the last time i was there was over a year ago!'

my skin is ok...  nothing special...  ;"p

nonessential

on the phone with a friend...

me:  'how's the 'and,' A, N, D or ampersand?'

friend:  'the design...'

me:  'so ampersand?'

friend:  'the one like this...  the design...'

[hahaha...  i suppose she was tracing the symbol with her hand but we're not on video call so i cannot see...]

me:  'so it's not spelled out...  it's not letter A, letter N, letter D...'

friend:  'no...'

me:  'okay...  if the 'and' looks like a skewed 8 (&), that's ampersand...'

friend:  'oh, is that what you call it?'

me:  'yes...'

friend:  'i didn't know...'

it's ok...  there are required knowledge and there are mere nice-to-knows...  as long as what you don't know does not impair your life you're fine...  : )

just curious

friend tells me he'd just bring this something for me maybe together with this other one.

me:  'what do you mean 'together' with another?'

friend:  'there's something i'm thinking of giving you...'

me:  'what is it?'

friend:  'i'm not yet sure whether i'll give it to you...'

me:  'just tell me what it is...'

friend:  'but i still am not sure whether i'll be giving it to you...'

me:  'it's ok!  i'm not asking you to give it to me...  i just want to know what it is...  because you mentioned it...  i don't want hanging sentences...  you'd leave me wondering what that is...'

he laughs then tells me.

yay, thanks  ->  for breaking the suspense and for having me in mind...

he doesn't have to actually give it to me  ->  it's the thought that counts...

: )

the big picture

so i again had an argument with the neighbor about their garbage which for years now i've been cleaning.  they dump it in public areas, even right under a big all-caps sign that says, "PLS. DO NOT THROW YOUR GARBAGE HERE."  then it gets scattered near and within our place and i have to clean it up.

the neighbor's excuse before was that her maid is young.  well, it's been going on for years, through different maids, regardless of age.  the maids actually say it's upon her instructions.  i myself have heard her.  in one instance, she gave the instructions at least three times within a span of not even ten minutes!

they're not content with public places.  they also throw trash within our property.  she says my dad has told her they can throw their garbage there.

me:  'so does that mean you're not going to get your own garbage bin anymore?  did he tell you it's okay for your trash to be in the gutter?'

neighbor:  'we don't throw tons of garbage...  i've seen <the other neighbor> before, she threw tissue in your [garbage] sack...'

me:  'is your garbage, too, mere tissue?'

she tells me to stop minding their trash.

me:  'but it ends up in the gutter...  i'm the one who cleans it!'

she says the leaves from our trees also end up in their area.

me:  'that's scattered by nature!  yours are thrown by humans!'

(they, too, had a tree before that was shedding leaves profusely.  i was sweeping the fallen leaves.  i NEVER complained.  it's litter caused by people that irks me.)

she blames someone else for the plastic cups to which i called their attention recently.
(actually this neighbor has a finger-pointing mentality.
it's her maids.
it's the boys.
it's her daughter.
it's her husband.
it's her brother's family.
it's her uncles.  the uncles don't even live in the area.)

then she tells me i was calling and i was banging their gate and i was saying i'm going to post in facebook.

aha!  so she was there that time!  why didn't she respond at all?

the facts:
1.  they had litter that was again moving toward our place and i again would have to clean it.
2.  i saw her maid go in.
3.  i called the maid from the gate.
4.  the maid did not go out.
5.  one of the boys playing basketball rushed inside their house making noise with their gate.
6  i then called her.
7.  she did not respond.
8.  i said if no one comes out i'm just going to post in facebook.
9.  no one came out.
10.  i uploaded pics in facebook.  (i have photos of their antics, through the years (!), currently with restricted access.  at the right time i will make the pics visible to more people.)

anyway, blah-blah-blah, blah-blah-blah, blah-blah-blah.

later, she apparently tells my mom.

(this neighbor does undesirable things then frantically tries to paint a good/aggrieved picture of herself.  i know.  during the time when my patience has not yet run out, she used to request me to edit letters she wrote trying to wiggle out of the mess she gets herself into.

one time i asked her, 'how come this sentence is here?'

her reply:  'para kunyari [blah-blah-blah].'
->  to make it appear that [this-and-that].

eh?

i struck it out.

i told her to make sure she does not put lies in writing.  she hasn't learned.  one of the last messages she sent me was full of statements that are not consistent with facts.)

my mom asks me:  'why did you tell <the neighbor> to move to the squatter['s area]?'

me:  'because she told me if i don't like garbage i should move to corinthian [a posh village]...  did she tell you that?'

mom:  'no.'

me:  'why is her story incomplete???'

anyway, i would like to apologize to those living in squatters' areas.  i did realize right away and so did tell the neighbor the squatters probably have better sense than them.

reverent

i attended a wedding yesterday.

there were many photographers.
one caught my attention.

while all the rest just kept on crossing the aisle in front of the altar,
this one stops in the middle, looks to the altar then bows his head
before proceeding to the other side.

a cut above the rest.

laughter and tears

i was waiting for my number to be called and on the monitor was a hidden camera show with funny situations.

so there i was watching and i had to suppress my smiles and my giggles because i had no companion.

it got me wondering,

how come if we (or is it just me?) see someone alone and crying,
what comes to mind is that the person is simply sad or has a problem?

but if we (haha...  again, is it just me?) see someone alone and laughing,
what comes to mind is that the person looks silly or is even crazy.

it's okay to cry alone but not to laugh alone?
why???

priority

i walked by with three boxes of pizza...  my nephew/the son of my cousin was there so i asked him to get a slice...  his playmate was looking so i asked him to get a slice, too...

i was already on the way up to my place when i heard his brother ask whether it was pizza...

they replied yes...

he asked whether there's no more...

what i did was go back then ask his brother to get a slice for him as well...  the boy was busy playing so it was the playmate who got him one...

just then, another youngster peeked out their window...

i rushed up to my place, wahaha...
baaaddd...  ;"p

they say give till it hurts but i'll skip pain at this point, hehe...

there are many people in that house...

two of the boxes were intended for my parents and my brother's fam...
charity begins at home...  :")

not like the rest

i touched the clothes on the clothesline and felt that they were already dry. i pulled one out then put it on. (wahaha... yup, i do get dressed that way) suddenly i felt cold! the shirt was damp! : }

they say birds of a feather flock together.

but you could also hang closely with others and remain different.
dare to be.

up and down

on the phone with a friend...  she mentions A. Luna...

me:  'where's A. Luna?'

friend:  'it's in the vicinity of the church...'

me:  'where there?'

friend:  'just beside the church...'

me:  'that's Camerino...'

friend:  'no...  the other side...'

me:  'A. de Legaspi...'

friend:  'yes...  Legaspi...  you go straight...  you'll see Magat Salamat...'

me:  'yeah...  after Magat Salamat, it's already P. Tuazon...'

friend:  'you don't have to proceed to P. Tuazon...  from Legaspi, you turn right at Magat Salamat then go straight...'

me:  'at the end of Magat Salamat is Lakandula...  where's A. Luna?'

friend:  'if you're in Lakandula, A. Luna is after Magat Salamat...'

me:  'after Magat Salamat is P. Ladia...'

friend:  'it's in that area...'

i check the map...
A. Luna is right between Camerino and Magat Salamat!
the three streets intersect Legaspi...

we were already talking Legaspi...  why did we have to reach Lakandula?
on my end, i know Camerino and Magat Salamat...  how could i miss A. Luna?

sometimes my friends and i slide to the low end of the intelligence meter...  i'd like to assure everyone we don't stay there...  ;"p

stretch

friend:  'you're late!'

me:  'i wasn't...  <toot> and i walked in at the same time...'

friend:  'oh!  i didn't see you in your usual seat when i arrived...  i thought you were late...'

me:  'haha...  you came early so you didn't see me right away...  you stretched that to mean i didn't arrive on time...'

there are facts and there are inferences, not always correct...

just the day before my sister was telling me i bore holes in their sponge when i wash forks and knives......

me:  'huh?!  where would i use forks and knives?  i just drink [bottled] juice [in their house]...  i'm not gonna use a fork on juice...  more so a knife...  don't tell me i'm gonna slice liquid...'

sister:  'i saw you before, you were washing...  you press the fork and the knife against the sponge...'

me:  'what exactly did you see?  i press the tines and the blade against the green [hard] side of the sponge...  i flip the sponge...  i've been doing that for years...  it doesn't cause holes...  you can check the sponge at my place...  it doesn't have holes...'

i show her their day-old sponge...  it has holes on the yellow [soft] side...

me:  'look at this...  i haven't washed anything yet and it already has holes...  that couldn't be me...'

we should know where reality ends and where imagination begins...  ; p

on my own

cold, rainy morning...

others call this cuddle-weather... i, too, used to... now i simply refer to it as bed-weather...

there is a difference...

and the difference is you...  </3

don't force it

my sister took a slice of pizza then smothered it with mayonnaise and cheese spread...

me:  'you won't taste the pizza anymore...'

sister:  'i don't like this flavor...'

me:  'oh?  then why don't you just eat something else?'

general vs specific

me:  'oh...  i thought this was chicken...'

mom:  'it's chicken...'

me:  'it says here "FISH"...'

mom:  'oh?  but for sure it's burger king...'

haha...  reminded me of some edits i was doing...  addresses were missing but i could ascertain the city so i put the city...  i wanted to put the street as well but the data was inconclusive...  i zoomed out...  the pins were scattered across more than one street but they were all in one barangay...  i just put the barangay...

stick to what you know...  ;")

live life

yesterday, Swarm's On This Day feature showed that:

on july 26 four years ago,
i was having dinner at a five-star hotel.

on the same day two years later,
i was at a laundromat.

hahahahaha...  progression / regression?

more like, "variety is the spice of life."

been there.  done that.

; )

postpone

receiving mail from the postman...

postman:  'you did not go out?'

me:  'i did yesterday...  i went to the hardware [store]...  ' turns out they'll have a sale tomorrow...  imagine, i was there yesterday; sale is tomorrow!'

postman:  'you were too early!'

me:  'yeah...  i didn't know...'

postman:  'then just go back...'

me:  'i will!'

yesterday i bought only what was urgently needed.
tomorrow i'll go back for the rest.

some things can wait.

better late than full price...  ; p

record

Metro Manila Shake Drill (#MMShakeDrill) 1 p.m. today. earthquake preparedness. #DuckCoverHold.

i received notification SMS from NTC (National Telecommunications Commission) and MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority).

my sister tells me she received SMS just from NTC.

me: 'you don't have MMDA?'

sister: 'none...'

me: 'are you sure?'

sister: 'yes.'

me: 'why don't you have MMDA? isn't that a cell broadcast message? aren't they supposed to send it to everyone [in metro manila]?'

sister: 'MMDA?'

me: 'yes...'

sister: 'maybe only to those driving...'

me: 'that's disaster preparedness...  it"s not just for those who drive... plus how do they know whether you're driving or not?'

sister: 'maybe if they've caught you for a traffic violation...'

nyahaha.... ouch! ;"p

quota

i was walking home yesterday when i saw someone who really looked like a cousin from afar... normally, i'd have a wide smile and would be waving at the person enthusiastically... this time, however, i saved the animated greeting for when he was near enough to be unmistakably recognized... i wanted to be sure lest he turns out to actually be a stranger...

earlier in the day, i was roaming around with one of my sisters when i spotted our other sister at a corner (we were all together at a family lunch then went our separate ways after)... i dropped into this silly power ranger-like pose pointing to my sister to catch her attention... well, she did not notice me right away but the guy behind her did... he was startled and must have thought i was bonkers... :"}

i've had my fill of embarrassment for the day so was cautious in going into another round of silly animated greetings...

tomorrow, however, is another day...

wacky!!!  ;"p

i do it for you

at my dad's favorite restaurant...

me:  'i'm sooo happy!  i've been checking in here with the [venue] name not quite right, now it is already correct...  you know who helped me change it?  a czech superuser...  yup, czechoslovakia!  he's SU8; i'm just SU3...  so what i could not effect with my powers, he was able to...  i've been cringing everytime i check in; finally, i'm grinning...  on my 24th check-in!'

sister 1:  'how did you know it's 24?  you counted?!'

me:  'no...  Swarm tells me...  or i can check in Foursquare...  here [i show them the venue stats]...'

sister 2:  'i'm only 11?  i've been here more than that!'

me:  'yeah...  but you don't check in so you don't have it in your lifelog...  those 11 of yours?  we were together so i checked you in...'

it pays to hang out with a Swarm fan...  :")

timing

past 1 a.m. ... about to reach over to my bag to get my phone...

just then my cousin tells her 10-year-old son: "tama nang cellphone!"
-> no more cellphone!

eh?!

wahehe...

i would have forgone my phone so as not to set a bad example but this is something i want to post so...

hello, phone... ;")

i'll never forget you

me:  'your password is too long!  that's just a password...  it's not your life story...'

reply:  'it's my love story...  all my exes are here...'

wahaha...

♩ ♪  don't forget me
i'm hopin' that you won't forget me  ♫ ♬

; P

spooky

an aunt passed away...  (may her soul rest in peace...)

me to sister:  'she won't haunt me because when we were there last friday she didn't recognize me anymore...   mom and <her niece> she was able to identify...  me, she couldn't recall anymore...'

sister:  'what are you saying?  ghosts won't forget anymore...  all the more that she'll haunt you...  she'll say, 'there were three who were here...  i didn't recognize bong (my nickname)...  i'm gonna visit her now and thank her for coming over...''

:O

opposite

so someone who hasn't seen me told me i'm pretty in my childhood (profile) pic...

ooops...  thanks?

we have a joke here...  you show someone a cute pic of you as a child, the person would go:
"ikaw 'yan?!  anyare?!"
->  that's you?!  what happened?!
i.e., how come you're ugly now?!  ; p

just like the ugly duckling, an ugly child supposedly grows up to be a good-looking adult.

a cute child, on the other hand, grows up to be nakakata-cute, a play on nakakatakot which means scary (~ ugly).

so i was a pretty child?

uh-oh...

how were you?

little drop of water

so many hours in a day, imagine i craved juice during Earth Hour...  ugh!

i could prepare a glass in the dark...  but i don't want to drink something i did not clearly see...

i could turn on a light...  but then it's just an hour...  and it's just juice...

i decided to just wait...  such a small sacrifice for Mother Earth...  i'm not gonna bail...

you sure you wanna know?

i initially signed up for e-mail notifications about the status of this shipment.

yesterday, i decided to sign up for SMS updates, too.

well, guess what...  3:16 this morning i was awakened by a text message updating me on the status of the shipment as of 3:10 a.m., i.e., "Clearance processing complete - HONG KONG,HONG KONG."

oh...  ok...

zzzzzzzz...  -.-

4:53 a.m., i was again awakened by another status update...  as of 4:44 a.m., "Customs status updated - MANILA,PHILIPPINES, THE."

wahehe...  okay...  0.0

i never thought i'd lose sleep on this package...  ; p

heightened

i bump into friends every once in a while.  these recent weeks, it's been rather frequent.

i bumped into three schoolmates from high school on different days and different places: a bank, on the street, at a department store.

a chilhood friend, at the land transportation office.

a grade school classmate, at a laundromat.

and today, my townmate then my sister-in-law, both at the supermarket.

i guess i'm now literally in the zone...  ; )

misheard

me, looking at my mom's pics:  'where was this?'

sister:  'T3...'

me:  'tea tree?'

sister:  'T and 3...'

me:  'how did you know?'

sister:  'that's what she said...'

i go downstairs to check with my mom:  'where did you go with your friends?'

mom:  'Book & Borders...'

me:  'huh?!  <sister> said T3...'

mom:  'oh...  we first went to The Eatery...'

; p

own up

i saw a long pipe (the length of my height) on my brother's roof...

i asked the workers on the construction at the neighbor's whether they were the ones who left it there...

the answer was no...

hmmm, an identical pipe is actually leaning against their wall...

i asked whether they're sure...

they said it's not them...

i said we're going to remove it if it's not theirs...

they said it's not...

okay...  i removed it myself...

had they admitted it's theirs, all i would  have done is ask them to get it...  since they denied, i did not give it to them...

lies cost you...  speak the truth even if your voice quakes...

same feather

i checked in at swarm...

"one other person is here"

oh?

i found myself looking around...

hmmm...  i could not identify who...

i wonder whether the other person also got curious who i am...

welcome to my world...  : )

the other way around

shirt print:

"I'm handsome.
You just need glasses."

hahaha...

hmmm...

there are couple shirts.  i'd pair that one with:

"My eyes are fine.
It's you who needs glasses."

joke!!!  ; p

peace...  : )

too late

logging in...  one-time password took too long to arrive...  by the time it did, it was already expired...  i had to get another one...

some things have to happen within a certain timeframe...  outside of that, they're for naught...

holiday

yesterday, march 14, was pi day.
3.14.

may 4 is star wars day.
may the fourth be with you...  ; )

between the pi and the sky is a swarm.

april 16 is foursquare / 4SQ day.
4, april.
4 squared, 16.

now what do you do on these days?

on pi day, you eat pie.

on star wars day, talk like yoda, you do.

on foursquare day, you check in through the swarm app.

there's joy in the little things...  : )

slowly

me:  'don't you have...  aw, what's that?  the one in that bin before...  the chocolate from davao...  wait!  don't tell me...  senior moment...  i will recall...  hmmm...'

i think and think and think and think...

guy looked amused...

finally:  'aw!  i don't remember...  don't tell me, just give me a clue...  first letter...'

sales assistant:  'M...'

me:  'M?  malagos!  yup, malagos!'

uhm...  officially not a senior citizen yet but i'm on my way...  scenic route, please...  ;")

forever

they say (who they?  hahaha) the monthsary came about because relationships don't last through anniversaries anymore.

magnolia (ice cream) used to have flavor of the month...  then there are the classics, too...  between flavor of the month and classic, there's limited edition / seasonal.

when it comes to the heart, i want it to be for all seasons...  <3 <3

better

i renewed my car registration at the land transportation office - quezon city extension office this morning...

i brought the car for emission test at 7:58 a.m.
and got Third Party Liability (TPL) insurance while the test was being done.

i was at the LTO office with the test results and insurance by 8:17 a.m.

i got the Official Receipt (OR) and sticker at 8:38 a.m.  ->  21 minutes...  not the quickest but definitely a BIG improvement...

kudos LTO...  keep it up...  : )

trivial

i wanted to blog about #4sqDayPH today.  nothing really.  it's just that i've blogged about it twice and i want to have a trilogy, hehe...

since i blogged about 4SQ Day last week and swarm check in yesterday, let me now blog about the announcement i posted.  yup, the jpg itself!  hahaha...

-  background is the color of the Swarm app
-  there are 16 squares bordering the text
-  each square is composed of 4 squares in the color of the Philippine flag
   (red, white and blue plus yellow for the sun and the stars)
-  the main text is in tricolor:
   1.  blue for the event
   2.  red for the date
   3.  white for the activity
-  the hashtags and twitter handle are the background color of Foursquare

the color codes for the flag, i googled.
the ones for the apps, i got through a Color Picker tool.

i don't have photoshop anymore so i used GIMP 2.8.22 running on ubuntu 16.04 LTS.

4SQ Day Philippines 2018 trivia...  ; )

swarm for 4SQ Day

Foursquare Day / 4SQ Day is on april 16.

4, april.
4², 16.

for 2018, there are official events/meetups/celebrations in 23 countries, the Philippines among them.

the activities are not organized by Foursquare.
they are initiatives from the Foursquare community
(users of the Foursquare City Guide and Foursquare Swarm apps).
Foursquare, however, does keep a list of confirmed 4SQDay Official Events
and only one event is considered official per country.

i am the organizer of the official Philippine event.
(story in my march 2, 2018 blog.)

more than the meetup,
which unfortunately not everyone could attend,
i am inviting everyone
to a nationwide check in
through the Swarm app
on april 16,
preferably between 4:00 p.m. to 4:16 p.m.

within those 16 minutes, please
- check in to our country, the Philippines
- check in to your region
- check in to your province or to Metro Manila, whichever is applicable
- check in to your city

and wherever you are throughout the day,
- check in to your venue/s.

i posted an announcement at the @4sqDayPH account in twitter at 4:16 p.m. today.  (the account is newly-created so it still does not appear in search.)

a public event for the synchronized check in is scheduled to publish in facebook at 10:16 tonight.  10:16 p.m. = 22:16 ~ 4:16...  ; )

if you're a filipino outside the country on april 16, you might want to join in by checking in wherever you are with the shoutout Philippines.

what better way to celebrate 4SQ Day than with a swarm check in in Swarm?

#4SQDay #4sqDayPH2018...  check in, Pilipinas!

spread the word...  : )

are you asking me?

at the service center...

me:  'what's a good day to have my oil changed?  what day don't you have too many cars here?'

service center personnel:  'tuesday...'

me:  'aw!  i'm coding tuesdays...'
[my car's not allowed on the road 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on tuesdays.]

service center personnel:  'then monday...'

me:  'monday?  what time?'

service center personnel:  'better in the morning...'

me:  'what time morning?'

service center personnel:  '8 a.m....'

me:  '8 a.m.?  that early?'
[it takes me an hour to shower...]

service center personnel:  'then up to you when you want to bring your car...'

;")

make it worth it

looking for hopia at the supermarket...  i couldn't find the one i like...

i asked one of the shelf-fillers...  he says there's no delivery...

and then this lady butts in:  'i remember ma'am...  she was also looking for hopia last time...'

me:  'yeah...  up to now they don't have...'

lady to shelf-filler:  'when there's delivery you should save one for ma'am...'

hahaha...  one roll of hopia, reserved?!  suddenly i feel like i should buy a dozen...  ;"p

loose end

so i was seated on queue and i found myself watching the video on the phone of the customer beside me.  well, he didn't find it as interesting as i did so he scrolled up without finishing the vid.

aw!

how do i search such a generic video in youtube?!
how long will it take me to find it?!

ugh!

some things you just file under unfinished business...  : }

swings

potato corner...

sizes:
-  regular
-  large
-  jumbo
-  mega
-  giga
-  tera

me:  'jumbo, please...'

flavors:
-  cheese
-  barbecue
-  sour cream
-  chili bbq
-  ranch o cheddar
-  sweet corn
-  wacky wasabi

me:  'just plain...'

i have simple tastes...  i like my potatoes to taste like potatoes, uhm, unless they're shakey's mojos...  : )

proximity

i received a text message from my niece asking something her professor asked their class...

i had no idea so i texted a friend...

he gave me a reply which i fowarded to my niece....

my niece was so happy!

and then, ta-daaannn!  her dad's friend also sent a reply  ->  different from my friend's!

my niece's delight turned into confusion, wahaha...

she initially wanted to go with my friend's response.  but then i noticed that the middle name of my brother's friend's response is the same as the last name of my niece's professor.

hmmm...  my friend is sure about his answer... i suppose my brother's friend is, too...

maybe there is more than one correct answer...

i told my niece to go the same-surname route  ->  there must be a reason the professor would ask what you could call a trivia question...  the reason could be that they are related...

; )

consolation

dropped by a branch of this pizza chain my friend likes...  she lives nearby so i intended to call her...  but first, i did a check-in in swarm...  guess what, right after checking in, my phone batt went empty!  waaaahhhh!!!  i didn't bring my powerbank!!! 

no phone.
no friend.
no photo.

♩ ♪  all by myself  ♫ ♬  :'(

hey!
"those who fly solo have the strongest wings."

flexin' my muscles!  hah!  ; p

don't look

waiter taking our group picture...

suddenly i heard someone say, 'you're just like bong (my nickname)...'

me:  'huh?!  why?'

the reply?
'his tummy is showing!'

me:  'oh!  is my tummy showing?!'

i look at my belly and it was very well hidden beneath my long, white shirt (which i wore because it had a MANILA print and we were having a send-off lunch for my cousin's italian guests)...

i go:  'i'm all covered up!'

my uncle clarifies:  'when you're taking a picture!'

i look at the waiter and, true enough, with his arms raised, his tummy was peeking!

ahahaha...  like me alright!

1.  i like to wear short tops, not really cropped but grazing the hips

2.  i like to wear low-waist pants

3.  i like to take pictures with my arms raised all the way up (i pre-dated the selfie stick, hehe)

result?
when i raise my arms to take a pic, my top goes up revealing a bit of my tummy, wahaha...

actually when i take shots i like to remind people to look at the circle / lens (uhm, not everyone knows where the lens is)...  it hits two birds with one stone:
1.  it makes everyone's eyes look in the same direction
2.  it stops them from looking at my belly

;"p

4sqDay philippines 2018

last february 20, a Superuser Level 9 (SU9) from sweden friended me in swarm.
nine days later, i am the organizer of the official Foursquare Day event in the philippines for 2018 (#4sqDayPH2018).  aaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!  :O

[there are 10 superuser levels in foursquare.  the highest is 10.  i am a 3.  no, it's not about how often you use the app.  it's about how you contribute to enriching the user experience.  a very simple example would be editing venues  ->  making sure the addresses are correct, merging duplicates.]

background:

foursquare day / 4SQ Day is april 16.
4, april.
4², 16.

foursquare day (#4sqday) is not an initiative of the company.
it was started by tampa, florida users in 2010
from an idea by nate bonilla-warford, an optometrist from the place.
foursquare recognized the user-initiative and officially declared 4/16 as 4SQ Day in a tweet on march 26, 2010.

the original foursquare app was launched in march 2009
and spun off swarm in may 2014.

basically
foursquare city guide helps you find places
while
foursquare swarm lets you do a virtual check-in when you visit those places.
foursquare is a directory/guide.
swarm is a gamified record/lifelog.
before swarm, you also did the check-ins in foursquare.

more than 105 million venues have been mapped around the world.  foursquare / swarm users can add venues and then do a check-in.

the foursquare website currently reports more than 50 million users for foursquare city guide and foursquare swarm per month.
they surpassed 12 billion check-ins in august 2017.
record high is over 9 million check-ins in a single day.

i've been using foursquare/swarm since september 2010.  i don't really play online/network/virtual/augmented reality games but for some reason this reality-based one was giving me so much joy it's embarrassing at times.  i'd be out by myself, i'd check in and unexpectedly unlock a badge and i'd be so very happy i'd be beaming like silly.

people would ask me what you get from it.
my standard reply is that
here in the philippines, it's just the virtual badges/stickers, mayorships, leaderboard rankings and, of course, the real-life lifelog.
in other countries, you could get discounts and freebies as well.
[-  "You become the Mayor of a place by checking in more than anyone else in the last 30 days.  Only 1 check-in per day counts and ties go to the reigning Mayor."

-  the leaderboard ranks a user and his swarm friends based on the quantity and quality of  their check-ins.

the more check-ins you have, the more points you get, the higher you go in the leaderboard.

you get bonus points for becoming mayor or retaining mayorship of a place, sustaining or breaking type of venue check-in streaks (e.g., 4 straght weeks at the mall), being one of the first 50 to ever check in at a venue, checking in with a friend, etc.

the leaderboard refreshes each week, i.e, everyone's back to zero.]

i used to go to swarm just to check in.  when the SU9 became my friend, i had to go there to read messages as well.  we were having exchanges about 4sqDay and, when one of his messages remained unread for a day or two maybe, he posted a comment on one of my check-ins, visible to my other friends, telling me to read my swarm messages, imagine!  waaaahhhhh!!!  i don't even read my e-mail and facebook messages.  swarm i have to?  nyahaha...  demanding!  (peace, vän!)

you see i mentioned to the SU9 that i've been wanting to unlock a Swarm badge for years.  you get it when there are 50+ people checked in at a venue.  i said i wasn't able to go to the big 4sqDay celebration in the philippines in 2013 but i did ask a friend to attend instead.  (i stil have the 4sqDay Explore Water Bottle swag he got that time.  he was sweet enough to give it to me.)  i said i hope there'd be an event this year and if there's none maybe i could just arrange one myself.  i was half-kidding about the latter part.

guess what, the SU9 said he'll check if there is one.  and when there was none, he sent me a form for those who want to help host an event for Foursquare Day.  the form said one event per country!

eh?!  i had in mind only a simple meetup without having to go through foursquare headquarters in new york.  and i wasn't thinking of carrying the name of the philippines at all!

well, he nudged/pushed me to take the initiative to arrange an event and gave me encouragement for every hassle that i raised.

hmmm...  i believe everything happens for a reason.  we became friends at this time for something.  maybe that something is to again have a Foursquare Day celebration in the philippines.

i decided not to overthink things and just focus on the desired results:
a Swarm badge for me finally
and
an official 4SQDay event for the philippines as well.
hello, adam smith  ->  invisible hand.
i therefore submitted the form to foursquare.

ta-daaannnn!!!  following day, march 1, i already received an e-mail from the Director of Community + Engagement at foursquare addressed to SU organizers for 4sqDay!  he was asking for something that had a march 2 deadline.  wahaha...  suddenly my working days flashed in my mind  ->  everything was due yesterday!  this one was sooooooooooooooooooooooo much easier though.  i replied right away.  no sweat, hah!

i thought araneta center would be a good place for the meetup/celebration because two train lines, the LRT and the MRT, have stations there.

i had a handful of venues within araneta center in mind but after considering price, accessibility and probable availability in april without early reservation, settled on this one that not just passed the foregoing considerations but also would have spillover space in case a lot of people showed up.

since april 16, 2018 is a monday, i thought 6:30 p.m. would be a good start to accommodate not just students but also those coming from the office as well.

for the meantime, what i intend to do is treat the first 20 (4 + 16, get it?) ordinary users at the venue to pizza and a glass of drink.
the first 4 get two slices each.
the next 16, just one slice each.
superusers and the rest pay for their own, wahaha...
(ei, i'm retired...  i'm all the more choosy now about my expenses.  i was telling the SU9, i would rather treat streetchildren to pizza than swarmers who i think could afford to buy their own.)

i have in mind one hour:
6:30 p.m. registration and pizza
7:00 p.m. group check in
7:05 p.m. raffle and a game
7:25 p.m. group picture

short but sweet.

target is 50 attendees checking in together to unlock the Swarm badge.  you can invite even your non-swarmer friends and we'll tell them about foursquare and swarm.  if they're interested, we'll help them to get started.  actually you can tell them and help them to get started yourself : )

other countries have from 5 to 100 expected attendees.  when i saw that, i thought it would be nice to go for 100+ and top the list.  leaderboard.  friendly competition, hehe.

we could raise the target but first i'm going to explore discounts and sponsorships.  i don't want people arriving at the venue after having ridden jampacked trains or enduring awful traffic only to have to pay for their own food.  they could check in anywhere.  i don't have to incovenience them.

please fill out the form below if you will attend the official 4sqDay philippine event on april 16, 2018:

https://goo.gl/forms/vZPjrw2X5Cy0ojzi1

i'm winging this one.  i pray it will be fly.

to my fellow philippine SUs, ' hope to get you on board so we can come up with a better celebration.  nothing is cast in stone as yet.  i'm just waiting for some event-related thing right now before i get in touch with you.

to the SU9 from sweden, a special shoutout:  tack ska du ha.

#4SQDay #4sqDayPH 2018 coming up...

let's...  check...  in!  : )

sweet

my parents went out today, separately and hours apart.  they came home together though.  not unusual.  they often agree to meet someplace after their respective activities.

today they did not agree to meet.  but then my mom says she bumped into my niece at the department store and my niece told her that she saw my dad near the Grab booth.  my mom therefore asked her to tell him to come to her at the store.

my mom and my dad therefore still ended up together.

awww...  meant to be...  :")

<3 <3

max madness

friend:  'did you know that if you hold your baptismal party at max's, max will become your godfather?'

me:  'max who?'

friend:  'the owner of max's!'

me:  'oh!  is he still alive?'

friend:  'who?'

me:  'max gimenez...'

friend:  'your husband's brother?'

me:  'haha...  what the...?!  his is J!  max's, G...  gimenez...'

friend:  'you know him?'

me:  'hahaha...  no!'

friend:  'how diid you know that he's gimenez?'

me:  'the story of max's is posted in their restaurants...'

friend:  'oh...  well, my husband's parents had their wedding reception at max's so they named their firstborn max...'

me:  'really?  my parents also had their wedding reception at max's so me, i'm maxria cynthia, hahaha...'

friend:  'haha...  i wonder whether [movie villain] max alvarado eats at max's...'

hahahahaha...

time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time...  ; )

not quite the same

mom:  'they say Master Showman is really good...'

me:  'Master Showman?'

sister-in-law:  'Greatest Showman!'

hahahahaha...

Master Showman is German Moreno.
Greatest Showman is P. T. Barnum.

half-right is half-wrong...  ; )

the choices we make

coming from a funeral, mom asked where we want to go for the customary pagpag [shake off].

(philippine superstition has it that you're not supposed to go straight home from a wake / funeral.  you stop someplace else to shake off unpleasant energies / spirits before going home.)

dad:  'me, anywhere...  you be the ones to choose...'

mom:  'how 'bout <bakeshop>?'

me:  'ok...  i love their turtle pie...'

mom asks brother:  'is <bakeshop> ok with you?'

brother:  'anywhere's fine with me...'

nearing the place, dad goes:  'if there, we still have to make a u-turn, <blah-blah-blah>...  not there...'

brother stops the vehicle and asks whether we'd prefer the restaurant we just passed...

mom and i say ok.

brother backs up the vehicle a few meters.

my dad sees the parking lot and goes:  'there are no people there...  not there...'

brother:  'where do you want?'

dad:  'me, anywhere...  ask mom...'

mom does not answer.

me:  'she has chosen twice...  you didn't like her choices...  just ask <brother>...'

brother:  'how 'bout <chicken house>?  you like that?'

mom's fine with it.

i'm fine with it.

dad:  'but we can't park at the mall, right?  [the vehicle won't  clear the vertical limit.]'

brother:  'i can park outside...'

dad:  'better to eat where we can park...'

mom goes:  'you like <barbecue house>, right?  you want there?'

dad:  'okay.'

and that's where we went.

; p