Saturday, April 29, 2006

When A Stranger Calls? ask Y!

Would be going to Boracay next week, thus, decided to buy some things I would be bringing along: capri pants, sandals that is as thin as a slipper but no sipit (hmmm... always so particular about the shoes I wear)... Believe me, the sandals took some time.

Speaking of sandals or footwear, what is it about Havaianas? Since its shop in Glorietta is still closed, people are already lining-up to get in. A flip-flop costing P400.00 to P600.00... Tsk! Tsk!

Anyway, after completing my shopping, had a Mongolian BBQ for lunch and proceeded to the cinemas.


When A Stranger Calls is a horror/thriller movie. (Boy! Would love to have a house like that... without the stranger, of course! hehehe!) Jill has to babysit to pay for the excess airtime she consumed with her mobile phone. While her charges rest, she receives strange calls. When she learned from the police that the calls came from inside the house, that's when the chase begins.


BTW, before getting inside the theater, I saw people giving toys to people leaving the theaters. Stepped up to them and asked for one. It's a promotional item for Yahoo! Messenger. Cute! Good thing I asked for one before I entered the theater, after the movie, the ladies giving the toys are nowhere in sight!

After the movie, attended the anticipated Mass and had dinner at Phobac.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Eight Below

Watched Eight Below on its second week in the theaters. The only new movie being shown this week is Pamahiin (translation: supersition).


Never into drama, but since it is a Disney movie and it features dogs, have to watch it. Besides, my niece, who watched it ahead of me, recommended that it is a must-see movie. c",)

As they say in the movies, if you are an actor(/actress), it would be hard if you are in scene with a child or an animal. And this movie proves it. It is the dogs that would tug your heart. In fact, I shed tears twice without knowing why...

Friday, April 21, 2006

Sungka

The game of sungka at Candelaria must have really rubbed off. Bought one on the way home after office... c",)


Sungka is a traditional Filipino game wherein each player have set of cups/holes containing stones or shells. The aim is to amass the most shells in your home base (bahay)--the big hole at the left--by distributing the shells in the smaller holes in a clockwise direction.

There are similar games as the sungka--Mancala, Bantumi, Kalah, Omweso, Bao, Oware... The difference is the number of small holes and direction by which you distribute the shells.

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Candelaria: Day Four

All our mobile phone's rang around 3:30AM as my nieces and I set our phone to alarm around that time.

South Luzon Expressway
At 4:30AM, my aunt and us (in separate cars) are heading home. All eyes were open, searching for Collete's where we can buy our pasalubong and a food chain where we can have our breakfast.

We were able to spot first the place where we can have breakfast. Stopped by Chowking for breakfast. Spent sometime there to ensure that by the time we passed by Colette's, the store is already open. And it is! Bought some broas, espasol, otap and buco pie.

Once we arrived home, we slept again! c",)

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Candelaria: Day Three

My cousin is unsure whether they would be leaving today or tomorrow morning. But a call from our nephew, who spent his long weekend at Puerto Galera that he would be back today made her decide to leave Candelaria for home around 9PM.

In the meantime, we spent the day playing Taboo. This game is definitely addicting, especially when we try to outdo each other. Besides, one can't help but laugh how one would describe the word without mentioning the Taboo words.


After the game, went again for a dip at the pool.

After dinner, we played a game of Charades, using the playing cards of Taboo. We acted it out, hammed it up and laughed our guts out. Around 9PM, my cousin and her family packed up to head home.

And for us, my niece and I had a game of sungka (I was able to "burn" all her houses... hehehe!), while my other niece spent the night watching HBO. Have to end the day early as we would be leaving the following day around 5AM.

Friday, April 14, 2006

Candelaria: Day Two

It is a Good Friday. As believed by our ancestors, you must not take a bath after 3PM, as Jesus is said to be "dead" by then. Thus, after breakfast, we immediately went for a swim, even if the pool's water is just knee deep. hehehe! Funny thing is, there is still lots of fun activities we were able to do in the pool inspite of the knee-deep water. c",)


Playing Taboo that night is out of the question, as we would definitely be loud and noisy if we do. Thus, decided to spend the night watching TV. It was the movie Jose Rizal for us. It is about the life our National Hero, who also happens to be our ancestor from our grandmother's side.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Candelaria: Day One

Have myself invited to my Aunt's Resthouse at Candelaria, Quezon for the long weekend of Lent.

With my nieces, an aunt, Nana and Manong and my brother's van, left around 5AM. Stopped by Petron station along South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), which have several food chains. Chose to have breakfast at McDonald's. That's where we saw my niece's (actor) crush, Joross Gamboa.


After breakfast, proceeded on our way. We arrived Candelaria around 10AM. And we were there ahead of my cousin and her family!

As soon as my cousin and her family arrived, my nieces (from my brother and my cousin) immediately went for a dip in the swimming pool.

This long weekend consists of eating, sleeping, eating, swimming, eating, billiards, eating, badminton, eating, swing... Oh! Also, a game of Tabooo and sungka.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Early Dismissal Went Pffffttttt!!!

Inspite of working overnight, arrived early in the office. The good news I received that day is we can leave early from work. Yes!

Well, at least, saw in it the office e-mail. Because of a lot of pahabol to solve minor hitches in the system, which, according to the user, is mehy-jor (major) as it affects their operation, left the office around 10:30PM!!! Definitely, there goes the 3PM early dismissal. Haayyy... Thus, I promised myself, I won't be answering the phone when my users call if they encounter any problem during the long weekend.

Have Manong pick me up from the office, stopped by Jollibee to buy food and proceeded home. When I am about to bite into my juicy hamburger, my mobile phone rang! Am already at home and I have to handle two (2) more problems! Haayyy... I would definitely not answer that phone when I am already at my Aunt's resthouse!

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Another Attempt

Tried again to implement SWIFT transactions to the new system. Once more, the guess-timated time we would finish the activity is totally off. From the estimated 10:30PM to 11:00PM, left the office the following day around 1:30AM.

At least, this time, there is no backing-out... ;)

Saturday, April 08, 2006

The Hills Have Eyes

Decided to watch The Hills Have Eyes this week.

A remake of the 1970 film, can't help but compare its plot with a recently released film Wrong Turn.

In The Hills Have Eyes, the man managing the gasoline station points them to a track that would have them face creatures that were affected by nuclear tests done by the government. In Wrong Turn, the gasoline station has a map showing n dirt road that would lead them to "mythical" mountain men. Both the creatures in the two films are cannibals. Both films will have survivors at the end and, of course, there would still be creatures left alive to sow terror.

After the movie, attended the anticipated Mass (Palm Sunday) and had dinner at Italianni's.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

SWIFT

Another milestone in the one-month implementation of our project is scheduled today. The activities were supposed to start at 8:00PM and, hopefully, end by 10:30 to 11:00PM.


First, it started as planned. Since there is still a lot of time in our hands, we have a "guided" tour of the server farm and the mainframe.

Then, one of the activities went off schedule due to a problem that was encountered. The activity that should have started 10:00PM, was started 11:20PM. I guess, problems do always come in threes. The next two problems followed suit. The last problem caused for the back-out of the implementation to be called. Haayyy... Left the office around 1:30AM.

Monday, April 03, 2006

Eureka!

Still can't get over what happened to my new printer. If it is a connectivity problem, how was I able to perform a test print? It can't be a problem with the scanning as I was able to copy a document (copier function).

Hmmmm....

Since I would be taking a half-day off from the office, after lunch, went to a computer store and bought a 2-meter USB printer cable. Then, went to the mall to buy a gift certificate as my gift to my cousin's wedding that afternoon.

Since there is still time before I prepare for the wedding, tested again using the 2-meter cable. IT WORKED!!!! Now, should I inform Canon that I already got the solution to my problem? I haven't received a reply from them (aside from the automated response that they have received my message and would be looking into it.)

Afterwhich, attended the wedding... Actually, I went there in time for the reception. hehehe!

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Canon Pixma MP500

It's time to replace my HP Deskjet printer. Would have liked to buy another HP printer, but considering the cost in terms of consumables (the ink, that is), it would be cost efficient to buy a printer that has individual tanks. Thus, it is a Canon, Epson or Brother for me.



Yesterday, at the BPI Madness in Glorietta, have accumulated a lot of brochures about the printers plus their cost, as I plan to surf the net to see which printer to buy. At CNET, most of the Editor's Choice are products from Canon. Thus, I zoomed in on the Canon printers.

The first thing I did today (today would be the last day of the BPI Madness Sale) is to go to Glorietta and buy myself a Canon Pixma MP500. Now, I can print lots of pictures and CD labels to my heart's content. hehehe!

The Canon Pixma MP500 is an all-in-one printer: it is a printer, a scanner and a copier. It also offers direct printing to a DVD or CD. It doesn't need a computer to do all these as you can directly connect your digital camera (Pictbridge), mount your multi-media card, send the image via infrared or bluetooth. Thus, it does not come with a printer cable!

Aha! And that's when the trouble begins. Since I plan to connect it to my computer, bought a USB printer cable. A 1-meter cable is too short. Thus, have to make do with the 5-meter cable I was able to find.

Setting-up is as easy as A-B-C. I was able to do a test print, copy a document (xerox) and.... scan?! From the PC, it was able to send an instruction to MP500 to start scanning; then, an error prompted in the PC that it was not able to detect the scanner while MP500 just continuously displays "Scanning document". Waaaaahhhhhhh!

Obviously, e-mailed my concern to Canon.

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Just Friends

Not much to choose on, decided to watch Just Friends, a romantic/comedy movie.

From a loser in high school, Chris Brander has made it as a music executive. After a "just friends" speech from the love of his life, Jamie Palamino, infront of her party guests, he vowed to be somebody. He just packed up and left.

After ten years, through events not his own, he made a stop back home with his pesky talent, who is also his ex-girlfriend. That's where the story begins... Will he win Jamie's heart?

I had a few laughs in the movie, but preferred the movie I watched last week, Nanny McPhee. Odd... there are lots of good movies shown last week which were not being shown this week. All the movies being shown in the theaters (meaning, at Glorietta) are all new. I even failed to watch V for Vendetta which opened last week. Tsk! Tsk!

After the movie, went to Glorietta Activity Center for a look-see of the items on sale at the BPI Madness. Then, attended the anticipated Mass and had dinner at Pancakes.